Genesis 20 – The Barren Kingdom

The Barren Kingdom

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 20

Genesis 20:1 And Avraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev. And he dwelt between Kadesh and between Shur. And he sojourned in Gerar.

²And Avraham said unto Princess his woman, “She is my sister!” And My-Father-The-King, king of Sojourning, sent. And he took Princess.

³And Elohim came unto My-Father-The-King in a dream of the night. And He said to him, “Behold thee dead concerning the woman whom thou took! And she is the wife of a husband!” ⁴And My-Father-The-King did not approach unto her. And he said, “My Lords! Thou wilt slay also a righteous race? ⁵Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister!’ And she, also she said, ‘He is my brother!’ In perfection of my heart and in innocence of my palms I did this!” ⁶And the Elohim said unto him in a dream, “Also I, I knew that thou did this in the perfection of thy heart! And I restrained thee, also I thee, from sinning to me! Therefore, I did not give thee to touch unto her! ⁷And now return the woman of the man, because he is a prophet. And he has rolled-himself-out for thy sake. And live! And if thou art not returning, know that dying thou shalt die—thou and all who is to thee!”

⁸And My-Father-The-King early-rose in the morning. And he called to all his servants. And he spoke all these words in their ears. And the men very much feared.

⁹And My-Father-The-King called to Avraham. And he said to him, “What hast thou done to us? And what did I sin to thee that thou brought upon me and upon my kingdom a big sin? Thou hast done with me doings that they did not do!” ¹⁰And My-Father-The-King said unto Avraham, “What did thou see that thou did this thing?” ¹¹And Avraham said, “Because I said, ‘Only the fear of Elohim is not in this place! And they shall slay me concerning the matter of my woman!’ ¹²And also faith, he is my sister the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. And she became to me for a woman. ¹³And he was just as Elohim wandered me from the house of my father. And I said to her, ‘This is thy grace that thou wilt do with me unto every place that we will come there. Say to me, “He is my brother!” ’ ”

¹⁴And My-Father-The-King took flock and herd and slaves and female-slaves. And he gave to Avraham. And he returned to him Princess his woman.

¹⁵And My-Father-The-King said, “Behold, my land is to thy faces. Dwell in good to thine eyes.”

¹⁶And he said to Princess, “Behold, I gave a thousand silver to thy brother. Behold, he is to thee to cover eyes to all who are with thee, and all. And thou shalt proceed-straight!”

¹⁷And Avraham rolled-himself unto the Elohim. And Elohim healed My-Father-The-King and his woman and his slave-women. And they childed. ¹⁸For treasuring, Yehovah treasured for the sake of every womb to the house of My-Father-The-King concerning the matter of Princess, woman of Avraham.

I. The Move (verse 1)

Avraham had seen the plain and its cities destroyed. The text does not say whether he knew at this time that Lot still lived, but it is my guess that he soon knew that.

This verse does not say why he moved his large herds to the south. Cattle and sheepherders do what they do for the sake of their herds and flocks, looking for grass and water. He came to the wild and dangerous city of Gerar, a city whose reputation he knew well. I suspect that a drought brought him to come to this violent place.

Questions

1. How many other persons depended on Avraham and his decisions?

2. What does Gerar mean?

II. The Transaction (verse 2)

Avraham knew that his own life was in danger. Sarah and he had already agreed that they would declare their relationship to be brother and sister (see the whole text of this chapter). Abimelech saw that Sarah is a beautiful woman. She would be a good second wife. Avraham did not resist, and none of his men said a word.

Questions

1. Describe the scene so that the sentence, “And Avraham said unto Princess his woman, ‘She is my sister!’” makes sense.

2. Was Avraham’s declaring Sarah to be his sister a lie?

3. If it was a lie, was it wrong before Yehovah?

4. Did Abimelech do wrong by taking Sarah?

5. Why did Sarah go along with this plan?

III. The ‘Love of God’ for Abimelech and His People (verses 3-7)

Yehovah came to Abimelech in a dream. When Yehovah comes in a dream, no experience which one has while awake is more real. A dream from Yehovah is so clear that it can bring terror that lasts through all the waking hours.

Yehovah’s message was simple and brief: “Behold thee dead concerning the woman whom thou took! And she is the wife of a husband!” Abimelech needed to know why Yehovah was about to kill him. There was no invitation for repentance, and there was no offer of hope.

Abimelech had not yet approached Sarah.

Abimelech appealed to Yehovah’s justice by asking, “My Lords! Thou wilt slay also a righteous race?” He knew that his entire race was in danger of slaughter from this God!

Abimelech protested, “Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister!’ And she, also she said, ‘He is my brother!’ In perfection of my heart and in innocence of my palms I did this!” Yehovah’s reply is cool and frightening: “Also I, I knew that thou did this in the perfection of thy heart!” Yehovah does not disagree with Abimelech. Yet He was still quite prepared to kill him.

Yehovah then told Abimelech: “And I restrained thee, also I thee, from sinning to me! Therefore, I did not give thee to touch unto her!”

Yehovah next gave Abimelech the command: “And now return the woman of the man.” His reason was interesting: “For he is a prophet. And he has rolled-himself-out for thy sake. And live!”

If Abimelech tried any ‘funny stuff,’ Yehovah told him what would happen: “And if thou art not returning, know that dying thou shalt die—thou and all who is to thee!”

Questions

1. Was it fair for Yehovah to threaten Abimelech without first (in the dream) telling him of his error, and lovingly telling him to do right?

2. Why didn’t Yehovah at least offer Abimelech a chance to repent and give Sarah back?

3. Since Abimelech had not yet approached or touched Sarah, wasn’t he innocent?

4. Was Abimelech’s race truly righteous (verse 4)?

5. Would Yehovah have slain a righteous race?

6. Had Abimelech truly done this “in perfection of my heart and in innocence of my palms” (verse 5)?

7. When evil is done, when disasters happen, when men sin, did Yehovah allow these things to happen?

8. Does Yehovah always restrain a person from sinning?

9. What does “I did not give thee to touch unto her” mean?

10. What does rolled himself out for thy sake mean?

11. What does “And live!” imply?

12. Yehovah threatened not only Abimelech, but his entire house, including the maidservants. Yet they took orders from Abimelech. Was this fair for Yehovah to threaten to kill them too?

13. Was Avraham a prophet?

14. Why did Yehovah tell Abimelech that Avraham “has rolled himself out” for Abimelech’s sake?

IV. Abimelech is a Believer (verse 8)

Abimelech rose early! He called his servants, and he told them what he had dreamed. They were terrified!

Questions

1. Did Abimelech become a believer in Yehovah?

V. The Truth of the Matter (verses 9-13)

Abimelech was frightened, angry and curious. He called Avraham and appealed to Avraham’s sense of justice: “What hast thou done to us?”

He then appealed to Avraham religiously: “And what did I sin to thee that thou brought upon me and upon my kingdom a big sin?” He didn’t wait for the answer before protesting, “Thou hast done with me doings that they did not do!”

The Bible doesn’t record whether Avraham answered at this point. It is as if Abimelech is pacing, walking away, then returning back to Avraham to continue with his interrogation: “What did thou see that thou did this thing?”

Abimelech remembered that Yehovah had said that Avraham was a prophet when he said, “What did thou see?”

Avraham’s reply and defense was this: “Because I said, ‘Only the fear of Elohim is not in this place! And they shall slay me concerning the matter of my woman!’” His thought was the truth. Abimelech never defended against this as if it were not true.

Then Avraham stated the facts: “And also faith, he is my sister the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. And she became to me for a woman.”

Avraham did not stop with this. He explained the agreement that he had with Sarah: “And he was just as Elohim wandered me from the house of my father. And I said to her, ‘This is thy grace that thou wilt do with me unto every place that we will come there. Say to me, “He is my brother!” ’ ”

Abimelech now knew the whole story. He wisely did not defend himself or harm Avraham.

Questions

1. What had Avraham done to Abimelech’s people?

2. Had Avraham brought a big sin upon Abimelech and upon his kingdom?

3. Who are they in “Thou hast done with me doings that they did not do”?

4. What did Abimelech mean by “What did thou see?”

5. According to Avraham, what one factor, being missing, sets the stage for evil and violence?

6. Have you ever been to a place where the fear of Elohim isn’t there?

7. Why didn’t Abimelech defend himself when Avraham said, “And they shall slay me concerning the matter of my woman”?

8. Define grace in “This is thy grace that thou wilt do with me unto every place that we will come there”:

9. Did Avraham do wrong by asking Sarah to show that grace by lying?

VI. Abimelech Makes Amends (verses 14-16)

Abimelech did not want to deal any more with this man or with his woman. He gave him very valuable gifts including a flock, a herd, and male and female slaves. He also gave back his woman.

He now behaved as a cordial host, telling him to select any part of his land to settle.

He had words for Sarah. He told her that he had well-paid Avraham. Then he said, “Behold, he is to thee to cover eyes to all who are with thee, and all.” He also told her, “Thou shalt proceed straight!”

Questions

1. If Abimelech felt he had been so wronged, why did he give very expensive things to Avraham?

2. Why did he invite Avraham to stay if he feared the man?

3. Explain “Behold, he is to thee to cover eyes to all who are with thee, and all”:

4. What does “Thou shalt proceed straight” mean?

VII. The Restoration and Explanation (verses 17-18)

Avraham willingly did his service, behaving as a priest by ‘rolling himself’ to the Elohim. Elohim healed Abimelech, his woman and his slavewomen. Now they could again give birth.

During the time that Sarah had been in Abimelech’s possession, every womb had treasured children inside.

Questions

1. Was it right for Yehovah to wait for Avraham to pray for Abimelech and his house? What if Avraham had refused?

2. What is a priest in the Bible?

3. Explain what “treasured for the sake of every womb” means:

4. Were the women able to give birth after carrying the children for so long?

December 23, 2009June 14, 2017

Genesis 19 – Lot’s Breeding

Lot’s Breeding

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 19:30-38

³⁰And Lot ascended from Zoar (Little). And he dwelt in the mountain. And two of his daughters are with him. For he feared to dwell in Zoar. And He dwelt in a cave─he and two of his daughters.

³¹And the firstborn said unto the little, “Our father is old. And a man is not in the land to come unto us according to the way of all the land. ³²Go. We will make our father drink wine. And we have lain with him. And we have kept seed alive from our father.”

³³And they made their father drink wine in that night. And the firstborn came. And she lay with her father. And he did not know when she lay and when she arose.

³⁴And it was tomorrow. And the firstborn said unto the little, “Behold, I lay last night with my father. We will make him drink wine also tonight. And come. Lie with him. And we have kept seed alive from our father.”

³⁵And they made their father drink wine also in that night. And the little arose. And she lay with him. And he did not know when she lay and when she arose.

³⁶And the two daughters of Lot conceived from their father. ³⁷And the firstborn bare a son. And she called his name Mo-Av (‘Moab’, meaning From-Father). He is the father of Moab unto today. ³⁸And the little [feminine], also he, bare a son. And she called his name Ben-Ami (Son-of-my-People). He is the father of the sons of Amon unto today.

I. Lot’s Realization (verse 30)

Lot saw what happened to Sodom, Gomorrah Admah and Zeboim, and to his wife. He knew that the city of Zoar was no better. Yehovah had spared the city for his sake, but that did not mean that He would spare it forever. This was not a safe place to live. The mountains made more sense—the very mountains that the angel had mentioned in the first place. Lot and his daughters moved to those very desolate mountains. He and his two daughters lived in a cave.

Questions

1. Where is the land (in today’s countries) in which Lot settled?

2. Was Lot wise to move out of Zoar?

3. Was Lot a caveman?

II. The Plan (verses 31-32)

Lot’s older daughter saw where they lived. There were no men. Without men, they couldn’t have children. The older daughter desired to preserve the seed of her father. She didn’t desire their lineage to end.

She knew that her father was relaxed by wine—relaxed to a point that he would not remember what had taken place. She also knew that he would drink wine if they asked him to do so. After he was intoxicated, they would have sexual intercourse with him. They would try for pregnancy.

Questions

1. Was the plan of the daughters sinful?

2. Was the plan of the daughters selfish?

3. Did they need to plot to get Lot drunk to do this, or would Lot have been willing without being drunk?

III. Genetic Preservation (verses 33-36)

The plan went fine, and their father didn’t know when they lay down or when they arose. The next day, the older sister told her sister that it was her turn. Again, everything went as planned.

Later, they both found that they were pregnant. Their plan had perfectly worked.

Questions

1. Did Yehovah approve of their plan?

2. Is sexual intercourse between parents and their children allowed today?

IV. Two Sons (verses 37-38)

The older sister had a son, and she named him From-The-Father (Moab). She had no intention of hiding the source of his birth. Her sister also had a son, and she named him similarly—Son-of-My-People (Benammi). His offspring became known as the Ammonites.

Questions

1. Were the daughters of Lot ashamed of what they did?

2. What book of the Bible is dedicated to a woman who is a descendent of Lot?

December 23, 2009June 14, 2017

Genesis 19 – Lot’s Breeding QA Supplied

Lot’s Breeding

With Questions and Proposed Answers

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 19:30-38

³⁰And Lot ascended from Zoar (Little). And he dwelt in the mountain. And two of his daughters are with him. For he feared to dwell in Zoar. And He dwelt in a cave─he and two of his daughters.

³³And they made their father drink wine in that night. And the firstborn came. And she lay with her father. And he did not know when she lay and when she arose.

³⁵And they made their father drink wine also in that night. And the little arose. And she lay with him. And he did not know when she lay and when she arose.

I. Lot’s Realization (verse 30)

Questions

1. Where is the land (in today’s countries) in which Lot settled? The country is called Jordan; it is on the other side of the Jordan River. (See a map of the Middle East to find this long, small country.)

2. Was Lot wise to move out of Zoar? He was wise. He didn’t need to live in a place that he knew Yehovah might destroy.

3. Was Lot a caveman? Yes, he was, since that is a man who lives in a cave!

II. The Plan (verses 31-32)

Questions

1. Was the plan of the daughters sinful? No. There was no commandment against incest at that time. There must be a command before there can be a violation. Sin is always a violation.

2. Was the plan of the daughters selfish? No. They cared about their father’s lineage. They knew they would have to do much work to raise food for a family, to clothe the children, and to do the very hard tasks that parents must do for the sake of children, and they would be doing all that without the help of men except for Lot.

3. Did they need to plot to get Lot drunk to do this, or would Lot have been willing without being drunk? They knew that their father would not have been willing to do this (even if there was no commandment), so they had to plot to accomplish this.

III. Genetic Preservation (verses 33-36)

The plan went fine, and their father didn’t know when they lay down or when they arose. The next day, the older sister told her sister that it was her turn. Again, everything went as planned.

Later, they both found that they were pregnant. Their plan had perfectly worked.

Questions

1. Did Yehovah approve of their plan? The two women became pregnant on the first try. Yehovah never spoke against the plan or its results. The Bible doesn’t state that Yehovah approved, and it doesn’t state that He didn’t approve. It only shows Yehovah’s participation indirectly: by giving them both conceptions on the first try. Yehovah also made certain that they all lived.

2. Is sexual intercourse between parents and their children allowed today? No. Yehovah commanded against it. It is called incest, and it has very bad consequences. Yehovah only commands against actions that will have very bad consequences.

Some girl children are raped by their own fathers. The girl children grow up thinking that they were somehow responsible for this, when they weren’t. Fathers who do this should be put to death. First, they are committing adultery; secondly, they are committing rape; and thirdly, they are committing incest. Children involved with incest will often possess wrong thinking about relationships, and will have a very difficult time with regular, good relationships. They also get the wrong impression about Yehovah in whose image they are made, and they see God as very bad.

Lot’s daughters thought that they had to do what they did to keep the race from their father from going extinct.

IV. Two Sons (verses 37-38)

Questions

1. Were the daughters of Lot ashamed of what they did? No, they were not ashamed. They made it a matter of public record by setting the events in their sons’ names.

2. What book of the Bible is dedicated to a woman who is a descendent of Lot? It is the Book of Ruth. Ruth was a Moabitess; she is in the lineage of Yeshua (Jesus), the Messiah of Israel!

December 22, 2009April 3, 2017

Genesis 26 – Wells, A Woman, A Vow

Wells, A Woman, A Vow

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.

And 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)?

2. Why did famines occur?

3. Does Yehovah cause famines to occur?

4. Was this the same Avimelech that Avraham had met?

5. Who are these Palestinians?

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)?

2. Why did Yehovah command Isaac to not descend to Egypt?

3. Why did Yehovah first say, “Abide in the land that I will say unto thee,” then after say, “sojourn in this land”?

4. Why is “And I was with thee” in the past tense?

5. What happens if God is with someone?

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)?

7. Yehovah said, “I will give all these lands unto thee and unto thy seed.” Identify the seed.

8. What does “stand the oath” mean?

9. What is the oath that Yehovah swore to Avraham?

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.)

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?

13. What can cause a civilization, a people and cities to be completely destroyed so that there is no trace left?

14. Verse 4 states, “All races of the land will bless themselves via thy seed…” What land is this?

15. How will all races of the land bless themselves via Isaac’s seed?

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?

17. Was Gerar a safe place for Isaac to dwell?

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?

2. Why did Isaac say, “He is my sister,” when his sister is a woman?

3. Was Isaac certain that the men of the place would kill him?

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”?

2. Why did the king lean out ‘in-unto’ the window?

3. Why does the Hebrew language use such strange wording as “in-unto”?

4. What was so unusual about a brother tickling a sister?

5. Avimelech said, “What is this thou did to us?” Had Isaac done anything to them?

6. Was Avimelech that afraid of bringing transgression upon his people?

7. Why might Avimelech been afraid of transgression like this?

8. What does transgression mean?

9. How serious was Avimelech about keeping all his people from touching either Isaac or Isaac’s woman?

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)?

2. Does Yehovah have favorites?

3. The text states that Yehovah blessed him. What is the purpose that Yehovah has for blessing someone?

4. What does ‘bigging’ mean?

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’?

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?

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?

2. Why did the Palestinians plug up the wells (when water was so valuable, and they also could have used it)?

3. Why did Avimelech tell Isaac to leave the area (“Walk-thou from with us”)?

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)?

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?

6. Were the Palestinians racists?

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

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?

2. What is a wadi?

3. Why did they dig in a wadi?

4. What are waters of lives?

5. Why did the Gerar shepherds fight with Isaac’s shepherds?

6. Did Isaac’s shepherds fight back?

7. Was fighting with the Gerar shepherds right?

8. Why would they name a well Adversary?

9. Why did the Gerar shepherds stop fighting?

10. Who was naming these wells?

11. What does “Yehovah broadened to us” mean?

12. What does “we shall be fruitful in the land” mean?

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?

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

3. Why did Yehovah start by identifying Himself?

4. Why did He next command him to not fear?

5. What does Yehovah being with him mean? What will happen or won’t happen to him?

6. What will occur if He blesses him?

7. What will occur if He multiplies his seed?

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

9. Why will Yehovah do these things “for the sake of my slave Avraham” instead of for Isaac’s sake?

10. Why did Isaac call via (by means of) Name Yehovah after all the trouble, and not during the trouble?

11. What does “excavated a well” mean?

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?

2. Isaac said, “And ye, ye hated me!” Did Avimelech and his people really hate Isaac?

3. Isaac seemed hurt when he said, “And ye sent me from with you!” Did he have hurt feelings?

4. If the Palestinians saw that Yehovah was with Isaac, why did they send him away?

5. What does “We shall cut a covenant with thee if thou wilt do bad with us” mean?

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?

7. If the above answer is that it wasn’t true, why didn’t Isaac argue with them and correct them?

8. Did the Palestinians send them away in peace?

9. Why did they say, “Thou art now Yehovah’s blessed!”?

10. Did Avimelech and his people fear Isaac?

11. What might have changed to cause the Palestinians to fear Isaac?

12. What might have happened if Isaac had refused to make this vow of peace?

13. How can the reader tell who the he is in “And he made them a drinking-party”?

14. Is a drinking party wrong before Yehovah?

15. Why did they wait until the morning to make vows to each other?

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

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?

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?

3. What day is “this day” in “Therefore the name of the city is Well-of-Oath unto this day”?

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?

2. What does “they were bitternesses of spirit to Isaac and Rivka” mean?

December 22, 2009April 3, 2017

Genesis 24 – The Romance

The Romance

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 24

Genesis 24:1 And Avraham (Father-Of-A-Crowd) is old. He came into days. And Yehovah blessed Avraham in all. ²And Avraham said unto his old slave of his house [unto his slave, an elder of his house], the ruler in all that is to him, “Put, na, thine hand under my thigh. ³And 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! ⁴For thou shalt go unto my land and unto my kindred. And thou shalt take a woman to my son, to He-Will-Laugh (Isaac).”

⁵And the slave said unto him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to walk after me unto this land; returning, I will return thy son unto the land that thou didst exit from there?” ⁶And Avraham said unto him, “Guard to thee lest thou wilt return my son there! ⁷Yehovah Gods of the heavens Who took me from the house of my father, from the land of my kindred and Who spoke to me and Who swore to me to say, ‘I will give this land to thy seed,’ He will send His messenger to thy faces. And thou shalt take a woman to my son from there. ⁸And if the woman will not be willing to walk after thee, and thou shalt be innocent from this my vow. Only, thou shalt not return my son there!” ⁹And the slave put his hand under the thigh of Avraham his lords. And he vowed to him concerning this speaking.

¹⁰And the slave took ten camels from the camels of his lords. And he walked. And all the good of his lords is in his hand. And he arose. And he walked unto Syria Of-The-Two-Rivers, unto the city of Nahor.

¹¹And he bowed the camels from outside to the city unto a well of the water at the time of evening, at the time of the exiting of the drawing-ones (feminine). ¹²And he said, “Yehovah Gods of my master Avraham, make-happen, na, to the faces of today. And do Grace with my lords Avraham. ¹³Behold, I am positioning upon the eye of the water. And daughters of the men of the city are exiting to draw water. ¹⁴And the youth (masculine) will be, that I will say unto her, ‘Incline, na, thy pitcher; and I have drunk!’ And she will say, ‘Drink! And I will water also thy camels!’—Thou hast reproved her for Thy slave, for He-Will-Laugh (Isaac). And I will know via her that Thou hast done Grace with my lords.” ¹⁵And he, he was before he finished to speak. And behold, Multiple-Pouring (Rebekah) is going-out, who was childed to They-Wasted-A-Mighty-One (Bethuel) son of Queen (Milcah) woman of Snorer (Nakhor) brother of Avraham. And her pitcher is upon her shoulder. ¹⁶And the youth [masculine] is very good [feminine] of appearance—ripe. And a man did not know her. And she descended the eye. And she filled her pitcher. And she ascended.

¹⁷And the slave ran to meet her. And he said, “I will swallow me, na, a little water from thy pitcher.” ¹⁸And she said, “Drink, my lord!” And she hurried. And she descended, her pitcher upon her hand. And she watered him. ¹⁹And she finished to water him. And she said, “I will also draw for thy camels until if they finished to drink!” ²⁰And she hurried. And she uncovered her jar unto the water-trough. And she ran again unto the well to draw. And she drew to all his camels. ²¹And the man, devastating-himself to her, is hushing to know, Did Yehovah prosper his way, if not?

²²And it was just as the camels finished to drink. And the man took a gold nose ring, split from his shekel, and two bracelets upon her hands, ten of gold from their shekel. ²³And he said, “Whose daughter art thou? Tell, na, to me. Is there a house of thy father, a place for us to lodge?” ²⁴And she said unto him, “I am the daughter of They-Wasted-A-Mighty-One (Bethuel) son of Queen (Milcah), whom she childed to Snorer (Nahor).” ²⁵And she said unto him, “Also straw, also much provender is with us, also a place to lodge!” ²⁶And the man bowed. And he worshipped to Yehovah.

²⁷And he said, “Blessed is Yehovah Gods of my lords Avraham Who did not forsake His Grace and His Truth from with my lords. I am in the way—Yehovah guided me—the house of the brethren of my lord! ²⁸And the youth ran. And she told to the house of her mother according to these words.

²⁹And a brother is to Multiple-Pouring (Rebekah). And his name is White (Laban). And Laban ran unto the man outside, unto the eye. ³⁰And he was when seeing the nose ring and the bracelets upon the hands of his sister and when his hearing the words of Multiple-Pouring (Rebekah) his sister to say, “So the man spoke unto me!” And he came unto the man. And behold he stood by the camels by the eye. ³¹And he said, “Come, blessed of Yehovah! Why wilt thou stand outside? And I, I turned the house and a place for camels!” ³²And the man came to the house. And he opened the camels. And he gave straw and provender to the camels and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who are with him.

³³And he was put to his faces to eat. And he said, “I will not eat until if I spoke my words.” And he said, “Speak.” ³⁴And he said, “I am the slave of Avraham. ³⁵And Yehovah blessed my lords very much. And He made big. And He gave to him flock and herd and silver and gold and slaves and female-slaves and camels and asses. ³⁶And Princess (Sarah) the woman of my lords childed a son to my lords after her old-age. And he gave to him all that is to him. ³⁷And my lords made-me-swear to say, ‘Thou wilt not take a woman to my son from the daughters of the Canaanite whom I am living in his land, ³⁸if not! Thou wilt walk unto the house of my father and unto my family, and thou wilt take a woman to my son.’ ³⁹And I said unto my lords, ‘Perhaps the woman will not walk after me.’ ⁴⁰And he said unto me, ‘Yehovah, Whom I have walked myself to His faces, will send His Messenger with thee. And He will prosper thy way. And thou shalt take a woman to my son from my family and from the house of my father. ⁴¹Then thou shalt be innocent from my oath when thou wilt come unto my family. And if they will not give to thee, and thou shalt be innocent from my oath.’ ⁴²And I came today unto the eye. And I said, ‘Yehovah Gods of my lords Avraham, if there is Thee, na, prospering my way that I am walking upon her, ⁴³behold I am positioned by the eye of the water. And he will be, the virgin who exits to draw, and I will say unto her, “Water me, na, a little water from thy pitcher,” ⁴⁴and she will say unto me, “Also thou, drink-thou, and I will also draw to thy camels,” he is the woman that Yehovah reproved for the son of my lords.’ ⁴⁵I—before I will finish to speak unto my heart, and behold Multiple-Pouring exits. And her pitcher is upon her shoulder. And she descended to the eye. And she drew. And I said unto her, ‘Water me, na.’ ⁴⁶And she hurried. And she made-descend her pitcher from upon her. And she said, ‘Drink! And also I will water thy camels!’ And I drank, and also she watered the camels. ⁴⁷And I asked her. And I said, ‘Daughter of whom are thou?’ And she said, ‘Daughter of They-Wasted-A-Mighty-One (Bethuel) son of Snorer (Nahor) whom Queen (Milcah) childed to him.’ And I put the nose ring upon her nose and the bracelets upon her hands. ⁴⁸And I bowed. And I worshipped to Yehovah Gods of my lords Avraham who guided me in the way of Truth to take the daughter of the brother of my lords to his son. ⁴⁹And now, if there is your doing Grace and Truth with my lords, tell to me. And if not, tell to me. And I will turn upon the right or upon the left.”

⁵⁰And White answered, and They-Wasted-A-Mighty-One (Bethuel). And they said, “The speech exited from Yehovah. We will not be able to speak unto thee bad or good. ⁵¹Behold, Multiple-Pouring is to thy faces. Take and walk. And she will be a woman to the son of thy lords just as Yehovah spoke.” ⁵²And it was just as the slave of Avraham heard their words. And he worshipped landward to Yehovah.

⁵³And the slave sent-out vessels of silver and vessels of gold and clothing. And he gave to Multiple-Pouring. And he gave noteworthies to her brothers and to her mother. ⁵⁴And they ate and drank—he and the men who are with him. And they lodged. And they arose in the morning. And he said, “Send me to my lords.” ⁵⁵And her brother said, and her mother, “The youth will dwell with us days or ten; she will walk afterward.” ⁵⁶And he said unto them, “Do not delay me. And Yehovah prospered my way. Send me. And I have walked to my lords.” ⁵⁷And they said, “We will call to the youth [masc.], and we have asked her with her mouth.” ⁵⁸And they called to Multiple-Pouring. And they said unto her, “Wilt thou walk with this man?” And she said, “I will walk.” ⁵⁹And they sent Multiple-Pouring their sister and her wet-nurse and the slave of Avraham and his men. ⁶⁰And they blessed Multiple-Pouring. And they said to her, “Thou art our sister. Be to thousands of myriads. And thy seed has possessed the gate of his haters!” ⁶¹And Multiple-Pouring arose, and her youths [fem.]. And they chariot-rode upon the camels. And they walked after the man. And the slave took Multiple-Pouring. And he walked.

⁶²And He-Will-Laugh came from the coming of The-Well-To-The-Lives-Of-My-Seer. And he is dwelling in the land of the Negev (south). ⁶³And He-Will-Laugh went-out to meditate in the field to the turnings of the evening. And he lifted his eyes. And he saw. And behold, camels are coming. ⁶⁴And Multiple-Pouring lifted her eyes. And she saw He-Will-Laugh. And she fell from upon the camel. ⁶⁵And she said unto the slave, “Who is the man that is to this who is walking in the field to meet us?” And the slave said, “He is my lords.” And she took the scarf. And she covered herself.

⁶⁶And the slave scrolled all the things that he did to He-Will-Laugh. ⁶⁷And He-Will-Laugh brought her the Tentward of Princess his mother. And he took Multiple-Pouring. And she was to him for a woman. And he loved her. And He-Will-Laugh was consoled after his mother.

I. The Vow (verses 1-4)

We now see Avraham as a very old man. He “came into days,” having many days to his lives.

Yehovah blessed Avraham in everything, without exception.

Avraham now will obtain a wife for Isaac his son. He had to find the right wife for his son, however. Being so old, he needed to delegate [to appoint another as representative with full responsibility] this task to someone who could do it.

He had an elder slave who was over his house, responsible for and ruling over everything that occurred. Avraham completely trusted this slave. He assigned him to take a woman (get a wife) for Isaac. There was only one stipulation [condition, detail that must be part of an agreement]: the women must not be from the daughters of the Canaanites, including the women among whom Avraham lived! This was so important to Avraham that he told his slave to vow via Yehovah Gods of the heavens and Gods of the land to not take a Canaanite woman for his son.

Avraham told his slave to go unto his land and unto his kindred, and take a woman to his son from there.

Questions

1. Isn’t sending a slave very risky, since the slave can easily run away?

2. Why didn’t Isaac find a wife for himself?

3. Did Isaac agree with his papa’s decision to get a wife for him?

4. What if the slave didn’t want to go?

5. Why was the thigh the location where the slave had to place his hand (verse 2) when making the vow?

6. What was wrong with a Canaanite woman?

7. Was Avraham racist against Canaanites?

8. Didn’t Yehovah love the Canaanites?

9. On the basis of the above answer, is it possible for a Canaanite to be saved?

10. What land is Avraham’s land (verse 4)?

11. Who are part of his kindred?

12. Why did the woman have to be from his own kindred?

II. The Release from the Vow (verses 5-9)

There was the possibility that a woman would not follow this slave to this land. He wanted to know if he should take Isaac back to the land from which Avraham originally came. Avraham’s reaction was swift and strong: “Guard to thee lest thou wilt return my son there!” Yehovah had taken Avraham from Chaldean (Iraqi) Ur, a great city that was also very idolatrous. Avraham knew that his son could never return there.

Yehovah took Avram from the house of his father. He took him from the land of his kindred. Yehovah spoke to him. He vowed to him to give this land to his seed!

Then Avraham guaranteed, “He will send His messenger to thy faces.” Avraham was a prophet, and he spoke infallibly (without the possibility of any error) regarding this.

Avraham’s slave must take a woman from Syria.

If the woman won’t be willing to come after him (to follow him), he will be innocent from breaking the vow.

Under no conditions is he to ever bring his son to that land.

The slave placed his hand under Avraham’s thigh and vowed concerning Avraham’s speech.

Questions

1. Why would a woman willingly follow a slave whom neither she nor her family knew?

2. What would have happened if Isaac had returned back to that land?

3. Would it have been wrong for Isaac to merely visit Syria to find a wife, with the condition that he would return to live in the land promised? (See verse 6.)

4. Why was the slave of Avraham able to go to the land of Syria without violating any command of God?

5. Why did Avraham call Yehovah ‘Yehovah Gods of the heavens’?

6. Was Avram upset when Yehovah took him from the house of his father, from the land of his kindred?

7. Verse 7 states, “I will give this land to thy seed.” Identify this seed:

8. Why didn’t Yehovah just give the land to Avraham since Avraham was already there?

9. What will the seed do with this land?

10. Who is the messenger in verse 7?

11. Could this slave just take a woman? Wouldn’t she scream that she is being kidnapped?

12. Would you like to have the assignment of finding a woman for a man who needs a wife?

III. Loading Up the Camels (verse 10)

Avraham’s slave had freedom and responsibility to obtain and use whatever might be useful belonging to Avraham for this assignment. He had been proven faithful. He took ten camels (and the text later tells that he took men along also, and plenty of gold). He went on his errand.

Questions

1. Why did he take ten camels?

2. How did he know where to go?

3. Why does the text mention that he walked before it mentions that he arose?

4. Did he converse (speak) with the other men (unmentioned yet in the text) who went?

5. Who were these other men?

IV. The Impossible Sign (verses 11-16)

Women came to the well at this time of day to draw water. He caused the camels to kneel down there.

He then prayed to Yehovah the Gods of his master. The first part of his request was that the event would happen on this day. He did not desire to wait days to find a woman for his master’s son.

His request was that Yehovah would do grace with his master Avraham.

He then described his situation to Yehovah— “Behold, I am positioning upon the eye of the water. And daughters of the men of the city are exiting to draw water.”

Next, he set up a scenario (a description of events) that he desired Yehovah to finish: “And the youth will be, that I will say unto her, ‘Incline, na, thy pitcher; and I have drunk!’ And she will say, ‘Drink! And I will water also thy camels!’” He will ask a youth (a young girl, but in the masculine gender!) to incline (to tip it) a pitcher full of water down so that he could drink.

Then he described what she will reply: “Drink! And I will water also thy camels!”

If she did these things, the slave concluded that Yehovah reproved her for Yehovah’s slave, Isaac! He also concluded that Yehovah did Grace with Isaac.

The unnamed servant did not even have enough time to finish his request when a youth came along with her pitcher on her shoulder. She was beautiful, and she had completed puberty. She was ripe—that is, she was fully ready to bear children. No man had known her—she had never had sexual intercourse.

She “descended the eye” (she went down to the place where drinking water is at the surface). She filled her large pitcher (had it been small, she would not have needed to carry it on her shoulder) and ascended (came up).

Questions

1. Why did he bow the camels?

2. What are “drawing ones”?

3. Why did they draw water at that time (in the evening)?

4. They exited from where?

5. Why is ‘Gods’ plural (more than one) instead of singular (just one: ‘God’)?

6. What does na mean?

7. Why did he pray to “Yehovah Gods of my mster Avraham” instead of praying to “Yehovah my Gods”?

8. What does “to the faces of today” mean?

9. What does Grace mean?

10. What does a person or God do when doing Grace?

11. What is an “eye of the water,” and why is it called an eye?

12. Why did the slave position himself upon the eye of the water? Did he get into the water?

13. Why is the word youth masculine instead of feminine, when he is looking for a girl?

14. What would be so strange about her being willing to water the camels?

15. Why would Yehovah reprove her for Isaac? What does that mean?

16. Why was Rebekah named Multiple Pouring?

17. Why does the Bible describe her as ripe?

18. What does “a man did not know her” mean?

V. The First Test (verses 17-21)

The slave ran to meet her. He did not greet her in any normal manner. His wording was different than what he proposed to God: “I will swallow me, na, a little water from thy pitcher.” She responded just as he had requested in his sign: “Drink, my lord!” She hurried, descended, got water, brought it up, and held the pitcher for this stranger while he drank! The text states that she watered him!

Then she said what no one would voluntarily say: “I will also draw for thy camels until if they finished to drink!” This is very tough work. It would make her late getting home. Yet, she did it as if she were gathering gold dust from the ground.

She drew water for all his camels while those men watched her work.

The man, the slave, was “devastating-himself to her”—he was overwhelming himself to know whether she was the right one or not. Yet, he was silent, hushing himself, desiring to know whether or not Yehovah prospered (made successful) his way or not!

Questions

1. Why didn’t the slave say, “May I have a little water from thy pitcher?” instead of what he said, “I will swallow me, na, a little water from thy pitcher”?

2. What was she doing when she watered him?

3. How much water did she give him?

4. Why did she volunteer to water the camels when there were men who could have done that hot and tiresome work?

5. What did she mean by “until if they finished to drink”?

6. Why did she hurry?

7. What does “she uncovered her jar” tell about her jar?

8. What were the camels doing while she poured water for them?

9. Why did the slave/man remain silent while she did all this?

10. Did Yehovah prosper his way?

11. Why didn’t someone build a house by or over this watering hole so that the water would be available to that person without walking to it for great distances?

VI. Tokens and Identification (verses 22-26)

The camels finally finished and were satisfied. The slave then took a nose ring of gold and two gold bracelets, and he placed them on the youth.

The slave then asked a question that might normally be the first question: “Whose daughter art thou?” Before she could answer, He also added, “Tell, na, to me. Is there a house of thy father, a place for us to lodge?”

She immediately answered, identifying her father (Bethuel), her grandmother (Milcah) and her grandfather (Nahor). She then told him that there was enough straw and provender (dry food for livestock or other domestic animals; fodder such as hay or oats), and room to lodge. When the slave heard this, he bowed. And he prostrated to Yehovah.

Questions

1. What is a nose ring?

2. Why do folks wear nose rings?

3. What is a shekel?

4. What is a gold nose ring split from a shekel?

5. Who is his in “split from his shekel”?

6. Did the man put the nose ring on her nose?

7. How heavy were the gold bracelets?

8. How much would they be worth today?

9. Why did he give her these very valuable items when he still wasn’t certain that she was the right person for his master’s son?

10. Did this slave do right by giving this woman he had just met such valuable items?

11. Why did he ask, “Whose daughter art thou?” instead of a question like, “Who are your parents?”

12. Why did he ask, “Is there a house of thy father, a place for us to lodge?” instead of a question like, “Does your father have a place for us to lodge”?

13. Why did she give more information about her family than what he asked?

14. Was her telling them that they had straw and much provender wise? Was she offering it to them for free without asking her family?

15. Was she wise to volunteer to them a place to lodge without asking her family?

16. Why did he worship Yehovah? Did he see success at this point?

VII. The Confession (verses 27-28)

The slave stated that Yehovah Gods of lord Avraham is blessed. He had not forsaken His Grace and His Truth by removing it from lord Avraham.

Avraham’s slave began recounting what he had observed: while he was in the way, Yehovah guided him to the house of his lord Avraham’s relatives!

Upon hearing this, the young girl ran. She quoted to her mother’s house what was said.

Questions

1. Was the slave praying in verse 27, or was he speaking to those around him?

2. What does bless mean in the Bible?

3. How can Yehovah be blessed?

4. What is Truth?

5. Does Yehovah ever forsake His Grace and His Truth?

6. Does Yehovah ever forsake His Grace and His Truth from being with a person?

7. What did he mean by “I am in the way”?

8. Why is “I am in the way—Yehovah guided me—the house of the brethren of my lord!” so broken in its wording?

9. Why did the youth run?

10. How did he know that Yehovah guided him?

11. Why didn’t she stay to talk longer with him? Shouldn’t she have worried that he might move on?

12. Shouldn’t she have felt funny running like that after he placed such valuable items on her?

13. Was she wise to talk to a stranger?

14. Normally, the Bible refers to the house of one’s father. Why did this text refer to the house of her mother?

VIII. The Brother (verses 29-32)

Rebekah had left the man by the well while she ran home! While she announced what had happened, her brother, named Laban (meaning White) listened carefully. He then ran to meet this man at the well. When he saw the nose ring in his sister’s nose and the bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard what she said, that is when he ran. He was impressed!

Avraham’s slave stood by the camels at the well, waiting for what would happen next. Laban said, “Come, blessed of Yehovah.” Laban was a religious man. (That does not mean that he was Godly.)

He then offered the slave and his men good hospitality: “Why wilt thou stand outside? And I, I turned the house and a place for camels!”

The slave and the camel train went to the house. Laban ungirded his camels. And he gave straw and provender to the camels and water to wash the slave’s feet and the feet of the other men with him. He could serve too! A meal was prepared for the group.

Questions

1. Why would a child be named White?

2. What is the eye?

3. Who is he in “And he was when seeing the nose ring and the baracelets…”?

4. What impressed Laban so much that he ran to the men at the well?

5. Laban said, “Come, blessed of Yehovah!” Did he have the right to declare the man blessed by Yehovah?

6. Laban said, “And I, I turned the house and a place for camels!” What was he telling this man?

7. What does “opened the camels” mean?

8. Why was washing feet so important?

IX. Recounting the Events (verses 33-49)

Food was placed in front of the slave so that he could eat. He refused to eat until he told the purpose of his mission. Laban, not Rebekah’s father, was the spokesman for the family. Laban was young (because he ran to the well), and he was forward (meaning that he was direct, bold, presumptuous, as if he were a ranking member).

The slave started with his own identity in terms of Avraham: “I am the slave of Avraham.” His name is never given. He was there to represent Avraham, and that alone was the issue.

He knew that one’s ability to take care of a bride was of great importance in a potential marriage situation, so he named the Name of the God of his master and how much that God had blessed his master. “And Yehovah blessed my lords very much. And He made big. And He gave to him flock and herd and silver and gold and slaves and female-slaves and camels and asses.”

He then told of the miracle birth without being religious: “And Princess (Sarah) the woman of my lords childed a son to my lords after her old-age.”

He continued his build-up of the events: “And he gave to him all that is to him.” This son, then, would soon inherit everything that belonged to Avraham.

Avraham’s slave next described the vow and his mission. He was prohibited from taking a Canaanite wife for Avraham’s son. He was to go instead to Avraham’s father’s house and to his kindred. The slave told about his question, “Perhaps the woman will not walk after me—” and about Avraham’s reaction: “Yehovah, Whom I have walked myself to His faces, will send His Messenger with thee. And He will prosper thy way.” The slave laid out the conversation very accurately. He even told that he would be innocent from his oath if the family would not send the woman.

He next described how he came to the well, how he prayed, and what he described to Yehovah in his prayer. Rebekah perfectly responded to this quick prayer in every detail.

He told about his inquiry regarding Rebekah, and about his placing the nose ring upon her nose and the bracelets on her hands. And he concluded by saying, “And I bowed. And I worshipped to Yehovah Gods of my lords Avraham who guided me in the way of Truth to take the daughter of the brother of my lords to his son.”

Now came the most important issue to the slave of Avraham: “And now, if there is your doing Grace and Truth with my lords, tell to me.” He still didn’t know whether they would send her or whether she would go. So he said, “And if not, tell to me. And I will turn upon the right or upon the left.”

Questions

1. What does “he was put to his faces to eat” mean?

2. Why was the slave unwilling to eat until he had spoken his words?

3. Why isn’t the slave’s name mentioned?

4. Isn’t “Yehovah blessed my lords very much” a religious statement?

5. Why did the slave give so many details?

6. Who is this Messenger in verse 40?

7. In verse 49, the slave says, “And now, if there is your doing Grace and Truth with my lords, tell to me.” What does doing Grace and Truth have to do with what they will be doing?

8. What does “And I will turn upon the right or upon the left” mean?

X. The Quick and Religious Response (verses 50-52)

Both Laban and Bethuel answered. From what they heard, their response was “The speech exited from Yehovah. We will not be able to speak unto thee bad or good.” Then they said, “Behold, Multiple-Pouring is to thy faces. Take and walk. And she will be a woman to the son of thy lords just as Yehovah spoke.” This was very good news to the slave. All sounded finalized. The slave again prostrated to the ground and worshipped Yehovah.

Questions

1. What does “The speech exited from Yehovah” mean?

2. Explain what they meant by “We will not be able to speak unto thee bad or good”:

3. They expressed, “Behold, Multiple-Pouring is to thy faces. Take and walk. And she will be a woman to the son of thy lords just as Yehovah spoke.” Is this the way they truly felt?

XI. The Joy and the Delay (verses 53-61)

The slave now gave more valuables Rebekah, her brothers and her mother. The slave and his men then partied with them. They spent the night.

The next morning, the slave told them to send him to his lords. Rebekah’s brother and mother said, “The youth will dwell with us days or ten; she will walk afterward.” This was not what the slave desired to hear. He said, “Do not delay me. And Yehovah prospered my way. Send me. And I have walked to my lords.”

They had a strategy: “We will call to the youth [masc.], and we have asked her with her mouth.” They did so, asking her, “Wilt thou walk with this man?” She responded, “I will walk.” There was no reason to delay.

They sent Rebekah their sister, her wet-nurse, the slave and his men.

They then blessed Rebekah. “Thou art our sister. Thou art our sister. Be to thousands of myriads. And thy seed has possessed the gate of his haters!”

Rebekah and her youths arose. They rode on the camels, following the man. The mission of the slave was nearly accomplished.

Questions

1. What three valuables are first mentioned, and why were they valuable?

2. What were the ‘noteworthies’ that the slave gave to Rebekah’s brothers and her mother?

3. Did the slave give anything to her father?

4. Did folks do a lot of partying with alcohol and food back then?

5. Doesn’t the Bible condemn drinking alcohol?

6. Why did they spend another night?

7. Why did the slave say, “Send me to my lords”?

8. How long is days or ten?

9. Why didn’t Rebekah’s papa speak up instead of her brother and her mother?

10. Why did they desire her to say for that length of time?

11. What was/were the reason/reasons the slave gave to not delay him?

12. When they called to the youth to give her answer, what were the brother and mother expecting?

13. What is a wet nurse?

14. Why would they send the wet nurse with her?

15. They said to Rebekah, “Be to thousands of myriads.” What must happen for that to occur?

16. What does “And thy seed has possessed the gate of his haters” mean and imply?

17. How many youths went with Rebekah?

18. Were the youths slaves?

19. Did the youths get to ride the camels?

XII. Isaac’s Dream Approaches (verses 62-65)

The scene switches to Isaac. He was coming from the way of the well that Hagar had named. He was in the very hot part of the land of Israel known as the Negev (south).

Isaac went to do some heavy thinking (meditating) at the time when the day turned to the evening. When he looked up, he could see the camels coming.

Rebekah also looked up, and she saw a man in the field. She came off the camel so quickly that the text describes that she fell off (landing on her feet, of course).

She said to the slave, “Who is the man that is to this who is walking in the field to meet us?” It was not dark yet. It was just approaching darkness. The slave responded, “He is my lords.” Rebekah understood this to be Isaac for whom she was brought.

Any man could look at her, but it was not proper in her culture for her future husband to see her. She had a scarf for this purpose, and she covered herself.

Questions

1. Why did he live in the south, a very hot place in Israel?

2. What good does meditating do?

3. What is transcendental meditation, and how does it differ from what Isaac did?

4. What are the turnings of the evening?

5. How did Isaac know that the camels were coming to him?

6. Why did she cover herself?

XIII. The Happy Beginning (verses 66-67)

While Rebekah and Isaac waited, the slave gave the whole story once again. Then Isaac took this veiled woman into his mother Sarah’s tent. There was no other event or ceremony, no exchange of vows.

She became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was consoled now after the death of his mother.

1. What does scrolled mean?

2. How old was Isaac when he married Rebekah?

3. How does Isaac’s taking Rebekah into his mother’s tent differ from a man taking a woman and living with her (without marriage) today, even when it is with the consent of the other members of the family?

4. Since Isaac was consoled by Rebekah after his mother’s death, was Isaac a ‘mama’s boy’?

5. The text states that he loved her. Did she love him?

November 3, 2009April 3, 2017

Genesis 39-41 From Prison to Glory

From Prison to Glory

Background and Printed Text: Genesis 39:21-Genesis 41:57

Genesis 39:21 And Yehovah was with He-Will-Gather [Joseph]. And He tilted grace unto him. And He gave His favour in the eyes of the prince of the house of the prison. ²²And the prince of the house of the prison gave into He-Will-Gather’s [Joseph’s] hand all the prisoners that are in the house of the prison. And all that they did there, he, he was doing. ²³There is not a prince of the house of the prison seeing all-anything in his hand in that Yehovah is with him. And what he does, Yehovah prospers.

Genesis 40:1 And he was after these things. The water-provider of the king of Egypt and the baker sinned to their lords, to the king of Egypt. ²And Pharaoh was furious concerning two of his eunuchs—concerning the prince of the water-providers and concerning the prince of the bakers. ³And he gave them unto the house of the prison via the guard of the house of the prince of the executioners, a place where He-Will-Gather [Joseph] is bound there. ⁴And the prince of the executioners appointed He-Will-Gather [Joseph] with them. And he ministered-to them. And they were days in the guard.

⁵And they dreamed a dream—both of them—a man his dream in one night, a man according-to the interpretation of his dream: the water-provider and the baker who are to the king of Egypt who are bound in the house of the prison.

⁶And He-Will-Gather [Joseph] came in unto them in the morning. And he saw them. And behold, they are upset. ⁷And he asked Pharaoh’s eunuchs who are with him in the guard of his lord’s house, saying, “Why are your faces bad today?” ⁸And they said unto him, “We have dreamed a dream. And no interpreter is of him.” And He-Will-Gather [Joseph] said unto them, “Are not interpretations to Elohim? Scroll-ye to me, na.” ⁹And the prince water-provider scrolled his dream to He-Will-Gather [Joseph]. And he said to him, “Via my dream—and behold a vine is to my faces. ¹⁰And in the vine are three intertwiners. And he is as budding. Her blossom elevated. Her clusters ripened grapes. ¹¹And Pharaoh’s cup is in my hand. And I took the grapes. And I squeezed them unto Pharaoh’s cup. And I gave the cup upon the palm of Pharaoh.” ¹²And He-Will-Gather [Joseph] said to him, “This is his interpretation. Three of the tendrils—they are three days. ¹³In yet three days Pharaoh shall carry thy head. And he shall restore thee upon thy footing. And thou shalt give Pharaoh’s cup into his hand according-to the first justice when thou wast his water-provider. ¹⁴But rather thou remembered me with thee just as he shall-be-good to thee. And thou shalt do grace with me, na. And thou shalt remember me unto Pharaoh. And thou shalt bring me from this house. ¹⁵For, stolen, I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews. And also here, I have not done from a blemish that they put me into a pit.”

¹⁶And the prince of the bakers saw that the interpretation is good. And he said unto He-Will-Gather [Joseph], “Even I am in my dream. And behold three baskets of whiteness are upon my head. ¹⁷And in the uppermost basket is from every food of Pharaoh, the doing of a baker. And the bird ate them from the basket from upon my head.” ¹⁸And He-Will-Gather [Joseph] answered. And he said, “This is his interpretation. Three of the baskets—they are three days. ¹⁹In yet three days Pharaoh shall carry thy head from upon thee. And he shall hang thee upon a tree. And the bird shall eat thy flesh from off of thee!”

²⁰And he was in the third day, a day of the childing of Pharaoh. And he made a drinking-party to all his slaves. And he carried the head of the prince of the water-providers and the head of the prince of the bakers in the midst of his slaves. ²¹And he restored the prince of the water-providers upon his water-providership. And he gave the cup upon the palm of Pharaoh. ²²And he hanged the prince of the bakers just as He-Will-Gather [Joseph] interpreted to them.

²³And the prince of the water-providers did not remember He-Will-Gather [Joseph]. And he forgot him.

Genesis 41:1 And he was at the end of two years of days. And Pharaoh dreamed. And behold, he stood upon the river. ²And behold, seven cows beautiful of the appearance and healthy-[ones] of flesh are ascending from the river. And they grazed in a marsh. ³And behold, seven other cows bad of appearance and thin-[ones] of flesh are ascending from the river after them. And they stood near the cows upon the lip of the river. ⁴And the bad-of-the-appearance and thin-[ones]-of-the-flesh cows ate the seven beautiful-[ones]-of-appearance and the healthy cows. And Pharaoh awoke.

⁵And he slept. And he dreamed a second time. And behold, seven healthy and good grain-heads are ascending in one stalk. ⁶And behold, seven thin and blighted-of-the-east grain-heads are springing after them. ⁷And the seven thin ears devoured seven of the healthy and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke. And behold a dream.

⁸And he was in the morning. And his spirit beat. And he sent. And he called all magicians of Egypt and all her wise men. And Pharaoh scrolled his dream to them. And there is no interpreter of them to Pharaoh.

⁹And prince of the waterers spoke with Pharaoh, saying, “I remind of my sins today. ¹⁰Pharaoh was furious concerning his slaves. And he gave me into guard, house of the prince of the executioners, me and prince of the bakers. ¹¹And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he. We dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. ¹²And there with us is a youth, a Hebrew, slave to prince of the executioners. And we scrolled to him. And he interpreted our dreams to us. He interpreted a man according to his dream. ¹³And he was just as he interpreted to us—so he was. He restored me upon my foundation and he hanged him.”

¹⁴And Pharaoh sent. And he called Joseph. And they hurried him from the pit. And he shaved. And he changed his garments. And he came unto Pharaoh.

¹⁵And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream. And an interpreter is not with him. And I, I have heard concerning thee to say, thou wilt hear a dream to interpret him.” ¹⁶And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “Without me! Elohim shall answer the peace of Pharaoh.” ¹⁷And Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I am standing upon the lip of the river. ¹⁸And behold, seven healthy-of-flesh and beautiful-of-appearance cows ascend from the river. And they grazed in a marsh. ¹⁹And behold, seven other very skinny and bad-of-appearance and lean-of-flesh cows are ascending after them. I didn’t see as such in all the land of Egypt for badness! ²⁰And the lean and the bad cows ate the first seven healthy cows. ²¹And they came into their midst. And it could not be known that they had come into their midst! And their appearance is bad just as at the beginning. And I awoke.

²²“And I saw in my dream. And behold, seven ears are ascending in one stalk, full and good. ²³And behold, seven ears—withered, emaciated, blasted with the east wind are springing up after them. ²⁴And the emaciated ears devoured the seven good ears. And I said unto the magicians. And there is not a teller for me!”

²⁵And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh—it is one. Elohim has told Pharaoh what He is doing. ²⁶The seven good cows—they are seven years. And the seven good ears—they are seven years. The dream—it is one. ²⁷And the seven emaciated and bad of appearance cows that are ascending after them—they are seven years. And the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.

²⁸ “This is the speech that I spoke unto Pharaoh. He shows unto Pharaoh what the Elohim is doing. ²⁹Behold, seven years are coming, big fullness in all the land of Egypt. ³⁰And seven years of famine shall arise after them. And all the fullness shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt. And the famine shall finish the land. ³¹And the fullness shall not be known in the land from the faces of that famine afterward. For he was very heavy! ³²And concerning the doubling of the dream unto Pharaoh twice: for the speech is established from with the Elohim. And the Elohim is hastening to do him! ³³And now Pharaoh shall see a man of understanding and of wisdom. And he has set him over the land of Egypt. ³⁴Pharaoh shall do. And he has visited visitors over the land. And he shall one-fifth the land of Egypt in the seven years of the fullness. ³⁵And they gathered all food of these coming good years. And he shall pile grain under the hand of Pharaoh, food in the cities. And they shall guard! ³⁶And the food shall be for appointment to the land to seven years of the famine that shall be in the land of Egypt. And the land shall not be cut via famine.”

³⁷And the speech was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his slaves. ³⁸And Pharaoh said unto his slaves, “Will we find as this, a man whom a spirit of gods is in him?”

³⁹And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, “After gods making thee know all this, there is no understanding and wisdom as thee! ⁴⁰Thou, thou shalt be over my house. And all my people shall kiss upon thy mouth! Only the chair—I will be bigger than thee.”

⁴¹And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, “See! I gave thee over all the land of Egypt!” ⁴²And Pharaoh removed his ring from upon his hand. And he gave her upon Joseph’s hand. And he dressed him, clothing of fine-linen. And he put a decking of the gold upon his neck. ⁴³And he rode him via the second chariot that is to him. And they called to his faces, “I will kneel!” And he will be given him over all the land of Egypt.

⁴⁴And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, “I am Pharaoh! And no man shall elevate his hand and his foot without thee in all the land of Egypt!” ⁴⁵And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Salvation of the Age [Zaphnath Paaneah]. And he gave to him Asnat daughter of Poti Pherah priest of On for a woman. And Joseph exited over the land of Egypt. ⁴⁶And Joseph is a son of thirty year via his standing to the faces of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.

And Joseph exited from the faces of Pharaoh. And he crossed-over in all the land of Egypt.

⁴⁷And the land made to fistfuls in seven of the years of the fullness. ⁴⁸And he collected all food of seven years that were in the land of Egypt. And he gave food into cities. He gave food of a field of the city that is her surroundings into her midst. ⁴⁹And Joseph piled grain as sand of the sea—very much—until he ceased to scroll. For there is no scrolling!

⁵⁰And to Joseph: he childed two sons before the years of famine will come that Asnat, daughter of Poti Pherah priest of On, childed to him. ⁵¹And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Forgetter [Manasseh]. “For Elohim made-me-forget all my toil and all the house of my father.” ⁵²And he called the name of the second Doubly Fruitful [Ephraim]. “For Elohim fruited me in the land of my humiliation.”

⁵³And seven of the years of fullness that was in the land of Egypt were finished. ⁵⁴And seven of the years of the famine began to come just as Joseph said. And the famine was in all the lands. And there was bread in all the land of Egypt.

⁵⁵And all the land of Egypt was famished. And the people outcried unto Pharaoh to [for] bread. And Pharaoh said to all Egypt, “Go-ye unto Joseph! Ye shall do what he will say to you!” ⁵⁶And the famine was over all faces of the land. And Joseph opened all that was in them. And he broke to Egypt. And the famine gripped in the land of Egypt. ⁵⁷And all the land—they came—Egyptward unto Joseph to break, because the famine gripped in all the land.

I. Joseph’s Trustworthiness (verses 21-23)

Yehovah was with Joseph. Yehovah bent grace toward Joseph. Yehovah gave His favour in the eyes of the prince of the house of the prison. This resulted in the prince of the prison house giving all the prisoners in the prison into Joseph’s hand. Anything a prisoner did was because Joseph did it. No prince of the prison house concerned himself with seeing anything in the prison that Joseph did; Yehovah was with him. Yehovah prospered everything Joseph did.

Questions

1. How many times does the text state that Yehovah was with Joseph?

2. Why did Yehovah state this so many times?

3. What does “He tilted grace unto him” mean?

4. What does grace mean in the Bible?

5. Explain what “He gave His favour in the eyes of the prince of the house of the prison” means:

6. Why was grace and favour demonstrated by responsibilities? Would you like to be rewarded for doing well by being given responsibilities that include more work?

7. Why did the prince of the prison house give other prisoners into Joseph’s hand?

8. Why did Yehovah make sure that Joseph was over the other prisoners?

9. What does “all that they did there, he, he was doing” mean?

10. How many princes of the prison house were there?

11. If the above is true, how could Joseph take the place of the princes of the prison house? Wouldn’t this be too much responsibility, giving him no sleep?

12. What does “there is not a prince… seeing all-anything in his hand” mean?

13. Did the text again state that Yehovah was with him?

14. How much of Joseph’s work did Yehovah prosper?

II. Double Demotions (Chapter 40, verses 1-4)

After Joseph gained this reputation and set of responsibilities, the following events occurred. Two eunuchs, the prince of the water providers of the king, and the prince of the bakers of the king sinned to their lords, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was furious. He gave them to the prison house by means of the guard of the house of the prince of the executioners. This was where Joseph was interred (made a prisoner). The prince of the executioners appointed Joseph with them, and Joseph ministered to them. They were days under arrest.

Questions

1. Did the water provider and the baker sin against God, according to Genesis 40:1?

2. How angry was Pharaoh at these two eunuchs?

3. What did they do?

4. Who probably was the prince of the executioners?

5. Who arrested these two eunuchs?

6. The text states that Joseph was bound there. Was he tied up?

7. Who assigned Joseph to these two eunuchs?

8. If Potiphar is involved, what does that tell the reader about Potiphar’s view of Joseph after the accusations of Potiphar’s wife?

9. In what ways did Joseph minister to them?

10. How long were they “in guard” (prisoners)?

III. Two Nightmares (verse 5)

The two arrested eunuchs, the prince of the bakers and the prince of the water providers, dreamed a dream, each one his own dream, in the same night. Each dream had an interpretation.

Questions

1. How did they dream a dream according to the interpretation of each dream? What does that mean?

2. How can one tell if a dream has an interpretation?

IV. The First Dream (verses 6-15)

Joseph came to see them in the morning, and he saw that they were upset. He asked them, “Why are your faces bad today?” They told him, “We have dreamed a dream. And no interpreter is of him.” Joseph’s response was, “Are not interpretations to Elohim? Scroll-ye to me, na.”

The first one to scroll his dream was the prince water-provider. He described a vine that was in front of him. Three intertwining (interwrapping) vines were in this vine. The vine was as if it were budding. Its blossom elevated (went up). The clusters ripened grapes. The prince water-provider had Pharaoh’s cup in his hand. He took the grapes and squeezed them unto Pharaoh’s cup. He then gave that cup upon Pharaoh’s palm of his hand.

Joseph replied with the interpretation. The three tendrils, the smaller vines that intertwined with the main vain are three days. Three days from the time this prince water-provider had his dream, Pharaoh would carry his head—that is, from the prison back to Pharaoh’s headquarters. Pharaoh will restore this prince to the same place he was before: upon his footing (his pedestal). He will then give Pharaoh’s cup into his hand as usual just as before.

Joseph then told this man to remember him to the same degree that good would occur with the prince water-provider. Joseph told him to grace with Joseph, and remember Joseph to Pharaoh. He also told him to bring him from this prison house. Joseph explained that he had been kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and that he had done nothing from even a blemish that deserved his being put into a pit.

Questions

1. Did Joseph make a habit of visiting prisoners in the morning?

2. What did Joseph mean by, “Why are your faces bad today?”

3. Did these eunuchs expect a dream interpreter for their dreams?

4. What did these eunuchs mean by, “there is no interpreter of him?”

5. What did Joseph mean by “Are not interpretations to Elohim,” and how did the eunuchs take what he said?

6. What does “Scroll-ye to me, na” mean?

7. When the prince of the water provider began to give his dream, he started with “Via my dream…” What did he mean by that?

8. What did he mean by, “behold a vine is to my faces”?

9. What are the three ‘intertwiners’?

10. What did he mean by, “he is as budding”?

11. What occurred if her blossom elevated?

12. What was he making if he squeezed the grapes into Pharaoh’s cup?

13. How did Joseph know that the three tendrils (the vine extensions that are growing and wrapping around things) are three days?

14. How did Joseph know that Pharaoh would carry the prince water-provider’s head in three days, and what does this mean?

15. What does “And he shall restore thee upon thy footing” mean, and how did Joseph know that?

16. What does justice mean in verse 13?

17. What did Joseph mean by, “But rather thou remembered me with thee just as he shall-be-good to thee”?

18. What did Joseph mean by “And thou shalt do grace with me, na,” and what would be the result?

19. Was this the first time that Joseph told anyone that he had been stolen (kidnapped)?

20. What is this land of the Hebrews?

21. Who are these Hebrews?

22. What did Joseph mean by, “also here, I have not done from a blemish that they put me into a pit”?

V. The Second Dream (verses 16-19)

The prince of the bakers saw that the interpretation is good—that is, that the news was very good. He said to Joseph, “Even I am in my dream. And behold three baskets of whiteness are upon my head. And in the uppermost basket is from every food of Pharaoh, the doing of a baker. And the bird ate them from the basket from upon my head.”

Joseph answered him, “This is his interpretation. Three of the baskets—they are three days. In yet three days Pharaoh shall carry thy head from upon thee. And he shall hang thee upon a tree. And the bird shall eat thy flesh from off of thee!”

Questions

1. Was the prince of the bakers excited to tell his dream to Joseph?

2. What are three baskets of whiteness?

3. Were the baskets stacked, or where they next to each other on his head?

4. What are the foods of Pharaoh (“from every food of Pharaoh”)?

5. What bird eats bread from a basket?

6. Is there a difference between “Pharaoh shall carry thy head” (verse 13) and “Pharaoh shall carry thy head from upon thee”?

7. What did the prince baker do to deserve being hung?

8. How did Joseph know that the bird eating bakery goods from the top basket represented a bird that would eat the man’s flesh from off of him?

VI. Pharaoh’s Birthday Fun (verses 20-22)

Three days later was Pharaoh’s birthday party. He made a drinking party to all his slaves. He “carried the head” of the prince of the water providers and the head of the prince of the bakers among his slaves. He restored the prince of the water providers to providing drink for himself. And the prince of the water providers gave the cup of Pharaoh upon (into) Pharaoh’s palm of his hand.

Pharaoh hanged the prince of the bakers just as Joseph interpreted to them.

Questions

1. What does “a day of the childing of Pharaoh” mean?

2. What is a drinking party?

3. Is such a drinking party wrong in the eyes of Yehovah?

4. Why did He make this party to slaves?

5. What does “he carried the head of the prince of the water-providers and the head of the prince of the bakers in the midst of his slaves” mean?

6. Did the prince of the bakers figure that Joseph had been wrong?

VII. Forget It (verse 23)

The prince of the water providers did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

Questions

1. Why does the text state both: “the prince of the water-providers did not remember Joseph,” and “he forgot him”?

2. Why did he forget Joseph?

VIII. Dream 1 of Pharaoh (chapter 41, verses 1-4)

The next event occurred two years worth of days later. Pharaoh dreamed. He stood upon the river. He saw seven beautiful appearing, physically healthy cows ascending from the river. They grazed in a marsh.

He then saw seven bad-looking, physically thin cows ascending from the river after them. They stood near the others cows upon the lip of the river (the shore of the river). The bad-looking, physically thin cows ate the seven beautiful appearing, physically healthy cows. Pharaoh woke up.

Questions

1. Why does the text refer to the time as “two years of days”?

2. How does a dream work and interact with the dreamer in the Bible?

3. What is the significance of Pharaoh standing upon (by) the river?

4. Identify this river:

5. Why would a river be an important part of a dream given specifically to Pharaoh?

6. How can cows be viewed as beautiful of appearance?

7. What does “healthy ones of flesh” tell the reader?

8. Do cows normally graze in a marsh?

9. What is a marsh?

10. Why are the bad-appearing and thin cows ascending from the river?

11. What is the lip of the river?

12. Do cows ever eat each other?

13. What do cows eating other cows show?

IX. Dream 2 for Pharaoh (verses 5-7)

Pharaoh slept. He dreamed a second time. This time, he saw seven healthy and good grain heads ascending in one stalk. Then seven thin grain heads blighted (diseased) from the east wind sprung up after them. The seven thin grain ears devoured seven of the healthy and full grain ears! Pharaoh woke up, and realized this had been a dream.

Questions

1. What is a grain head?

2. Do seven grain-heads normally come up in one stalk?

3. Why, then, are there seven grain-heads in one stalk? What does this tell the reader?

4. Did the seven thin and blighted grain-heads pop up in another plant?

5. What does blighted mean?

6. Where did this blight originate, according to this dream?

7. What are grain ears?

8. Do ears on grain normally devour other ears?

9. What is the difference between a healthy ear and a full ear?

10. Why does the text say, “And behold a dream,” when it already told the reader that it was a dream in verse 5?

X. Pharaoh’s Frustration (verse 8)

This next event occurred in the morning. Pharaoh’s spirit beat! He sent. He called all the magicians and all the wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh scrolled his dream to them. There was no interpreter of Pharaoh’s dreams.

Questions

1. What does his spirit beat mean?

2. What was Pharaoh’s reaction to the dream? Was he pleased?

3. What are magicians/magi in the Bible?

4. What are wise men in the Bible?

5. Why did he call the magicians and the wise men when the issue was regarding dreams?

6. What does “scrolled his dream” mean?

7. What does “there is no interpreter of them to Pharaoh” mean?

XI. Sudden Recall (verses 9-13)

The prince of the waterers spoke with Pharaoh, saying that he reminded Pharaoh of his sins today. He said that Pharaoh had been furious concerning his slaves and had given him into guard, the house of the prince of the executioners—both him and the prince of the bakers. He explained that both of them had dreamed a dream in one night, each man according to his dream’s interpretation. A Hebrew slave youth belonging to the prince of the executioners had been with them. They scrolled their dreams to him, and he interpreted the dreams to them, each dream to each man. Exactly what this youth said occurred: Pharaoh restored the prince of the waterers, and he hanged the prince of the bakers.

Questions

1. What does “I remind of my sins” mean?

2. Why would this man remind Pharaoh of this sin? Wouldn’t he want Pharaoh to never remember it?

3. What does “he gave me into guard” mean?

4. What does “house of the prince of the executioners” mean?

5. What does “and he was just as he interpreted to us—so he was” mean?

6. What does “he restored me upon my foundation” mean?

XII. The Call (verse 14)

Pharaoh sent and called Joseph. They hurried him from the pit, the prison house. Joseph shaved and changed his clothes. He then came unto Pharaoh.

Questions

1. What is a calling in the Bible?

2. Did Joseph receive ‘a calling’ at this time in the Biblical sense of being called?

3. Why did they hurry Joseph from the pit? What was the rush?

4. Why did Joseph shave? Didn’t he also take a bath?

5. Why did he change his garments?

6. What does pharaoh mean?

7. Did Joseph come to Pharaoh under guard?

XIII. Pharaoh Speaks (verses 15-21)

Pharaoh said to Joseph that he dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter with him. He told Joseph that he heard concerning him—that he will hear a dream to interpret it. Joseph’s response was, “Without me, God shall answer the peace of Pharaoh.” Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph detailing his dream. In his dream he is standing upon the lip (shore) of the river. He described the seven physically healthy and beautiful-appearing cows ascending from the river and grazing in a marsh. Seven other very skinny and bad-looking lean-fleshed cows ascended after them. Pharaoh had never seen cows like this in Egypt, they were so bad-looking. The lean and bad cows ate the first seven healthy cows. Thus, the healthy cows came into the midst (insides) of the bad-looking cows, but the bad-looking cows didn’t change appearance after swallowing the healthy and good-looking cows; they appeared just as bad as at the beginning. Pharaoh awoke.

Questions

1. What did Pharaoh mean by “an interpreter is not with him”?

2. What did Joseph mean by “without me” when he answered Pharaoh, “Without me! Elohim shall answer the peace of Pharaoh”?

3. Joseph stated, “Elohim shall answer the peace of Pharaoh.” What does this mean?

4. Again, what is the lip of the river?

5. What did Pharaoh mean by “they came into their midst” in verse 21?

6. If he saw them come into their midst, why does he state, “and it could not be known that they had come into their midst”?

XIV. Pharaoh Continues (verses 22-24)

Pharaoh continued that he saw in his dream. Seven full and good grain ears are ascending in one stalk. Seven withered, and emaciated grain ears blasted from the east wind sprang up after them. The emaciated ears devoured the seven good ears. Pharaoh told this to the magicians, and no one told him what this meant.

Questions

1. What does emaciated mean?

2. What does blasted mean?

3. The sentence, “And I said unto the magicians,” doesn’t seem complete. What does it mean?

4. What does “there is not a teller for me” mean?

XV. The Interpretation (verses 25-27)

Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dream of Pharaoh—it is one. Elohim has told Pharaoh what He is doing.” Pharaoh could now know the source of these events.

Joseph continued with the interpretation: “The seven good cows—they are seven years. And the seven good ears—they are seven years. The dream—it is one.” Pharaoh now understood that he actually had just one dream marked with one good period of seven years.

“And the seven emaciated and bad of appearance cows that are ascending after them—they are seven years. And the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.” Pharaoh could have peace to the extent of knowing what the dream meant.

Questions

1. Who will be the cause of all these events, according to verse 25?

2. Why would Elohim do these things?

3. Why did Elohim give two dreams that He said are one dream?

XVI. The Reasoning (verses 28-36)

Joseph then told the events again, but in more detail: “This is the speech that I spoke unto Pharaoh. He shows unto Pharaoh what the Elohim is doing.”

Joseph explained that seven years are coming in which a “big fullness” of great crops and cattle growth will be in all the land of Egypt. Then seven years of famine will arise after them to the degree that all the fullness (the great crops) will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will finish the land. This will be a very heavy famine.

He explained the doubling of the dream, giving it twice: “the speech is established from with the Elohim,” and “the Elohim is hastening to do him,” referring to the event.

Joseph then did something very curious. He began instructing Pharaoh on what to do:

“Now Pharaoh shall see a man of understanding and of wisdom.”
Pharaoh “has set him over the land of Egypt.”
Pharaoh “has visited visitors over the land,” these ‘visitors’ being commanders who will keep a personal eye on what is occurring with authority to give orders, being responsible men.
Pharaoh must divide the land into five sections during the seven years “of the fullness.”
The visitors must gather all food of the coming good years.
The grain gathered must be piled (in silos) under Pharaoh’s hand, the food being stored in the cities.
The visitors must guard the food.
The gathered food will only be used for ‘appointment’ during the seven years of famine in the land of Egypt.

The land won’t be ‘cut’ by the famine if these things are done.

Questions

1. If Joseph is speaking to Pharaoh, why does he act as if Pharaoh isn’t there?

2. Who shows unto Pharaoh what the Elohim is doing?

3. What is this big fullness?

4. What does “the famine shall finish the land” mean?

5. What does “for he was very heavy” mean, and why is it in the past tense?

6. Why was the dream doubled, according to verse 32?

7. Why did Joseph begin to tell Pharaoh what to do (verse 33)? Wouldn’t this anger Pharaoh?

8. Why did Joseph say “And now Pharaoh shall see a man of understanding and of wisdom” instead of “And now Pharaoh shall find a man of understanding and of wisdom”?

9. What is understanding in the Bible?

10. Why wound understanding be so important to solve this problem?

11. What is wisdom in the Bible?

12. Why did Joseph tell Pharaoh to set someone else over the land of Egypt? Wasn’t this a very bold thing to say to a king, implying that the king didn’t have either the wisdom or the understanding?

13. What shall Pharaoh do (the sentence reading, “Pharaoh shall do”)?

14. What are visitors in this text, and why does Biblical Hebrew use the word visitors?

15. What does “he has visited visitors over the land” mean?

16. What does “he shall one-fifth the land of Egypt” mean and involve?

17. The text states, “And they gathered all food of these coming good years.” Who gathered, and when did they gather?

18. If they gathered all the food of the coming good years, what would the Egyptians eat?

19. How will they pile the grain?

20. How could they pile all that grain under Pharaoh’s hand?

21. Why must the food be kept in the cities?

22. Who shall guard the grain?

23. What does “and the land shall not be cut via famine” mean?

XVII. The Responses (verses 37-38)

Joseph’s speech was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and all his slaves! Pharaoh’s reaction was quick: “Will we find as this, a man whom a spirit of gods is in him?”

Questions

1. Why was the speech good in their eyes instead of in their ears?

2. Why would Pharaoh’s slaves think that this speech was so good? Wouldn’t they be jealous of Joseph who is counseling their king?

3. What decision did Pharaoh have to make at this time?

4. What spirit did Pharaoh figure was in Joseph, and which gods gave their one spirit to Joseph, in Pharaoh’s mind?

5. Did Joseph have the spirit of gods in him?

6. If they had looked, would they have been able to find someone else in Egypt in whom is a spirit of gods for this task?

XVIII. The Logic (verses 39-40)

Pharaoh figured that there was no understanding and wisdom like Joseph, since Elohim had made him know all this. Pharaoh commanded that Joseph would be over Pharaoh’s house. All the people of Egypt would kiss upon Joseph’s mouth! Pharaoh only reserved one part for himself: the chair, and thus his own authority, as bigger than Joseph’s authority.

Questions

1. What did Pharaoh see so that he concluded that no one had understanding and wisdom like Joseph?

2. Was Pharaoh’s reasoning good?

3. Why did Pharaoh put Joseph over his house? He hadn’t known Joseph for more than about two minutes! Why would he risk this to a slave/prisoner?

4. What does “all my people shall kiss upon thy mouth” mean?

5. To what chair did Pharaoh refer?

6. What did Pharaoh mean by “Only the chair—I will be bigger than thee”?

XIX. New Rank (verses 41-43)

Pharaoh had more to say to Joseph: “See! I gave thee over all the land of Egypt!” Joseph was now in charge of the entire land. He wanted Joseph to see that he had done this. So, he removed his ring from his hand and gave the ring upon Joseph’s hand.

Pharaoh then dressed Joseph so that he would appear with the rank that he now had. He dressed him in fine linen, linen cloth made from very small threads so that it was very soft. He then decked his neck with gold.

Pharaoh had several chariots. The second chariot became the one Joseph would use. Slaves of Pharaoh would then call as Joseph came, “I will kneel!” so that everyone kneeled before Joseph. This had to occur over all the land of Egypt.

Questions

1. What did Pharaoh mean by “I gave thee over all the land of Egypt”?

2. How can a ring be upon someone’s hand?

3. Who dressed whom?

4. What is special about fine linen?

5. What is a decking of gold?

6. Why was it called a decking of the gold?

7. Was this second chariot special?

8. Why did they call, “I will kneel”?

9. Who is he and who is him in, “he will be given him over all the land of Egypt”?

XX. Name and Freedom (verses 44-46)

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh! And no man shall elevate his hand and his foot without thee in all the land of Egypt!” Joseph now had complete authority over every person in Egypt (except Pharaoh).

He then gave Joseph a new name: Salvation of the Age.

Joseph needed a woman (wife), so Pharaoh chose Asnat who was the daughter of Poti Pherah, a priest of a god called On.

Joseph then began his duties, ‘exiting’ (going out) over the land of Egypt.

Joseph’s promotion from prison to his standing “to the faces of” (in front of) Pharaoh occurred when Joseph was thirty years old. He then left Pharaoh to cross over all the land of Egypt.

Questions

1. Why did Pharaoh start by saying, “I am Pharaoh!”?

2. What does “no man shall elevate his hand and his foot without thee in all the land of Egypt” mean?

3. Pharaoh gave Joseph a new name. Did Joseph like his new name?

4. Pharaoh gave Joseph the woman Asnat. Did Pharaoh ask Joseph if he wanted her? Did Pharaoh ask Asnat or Asnat’s father if she or he desired Asnat to be married to a slave who is a sheepherder, and therefore is an abomination to the Egyptians?

5. What does “Joseph exited over the land of Egypt” mean?

6. How old was Joseph when he first stood before Pharaoh?

XXI. Gathering (verses 47-49)

The land produced fistfuls of grain—a very large amount compared to a normal crop. Joseph collected all food during these seven years. He “gave” (placed) food into cities (into storage) during this time. He stored the food of the field surrounding a city in the middle of that city. Joseph piled the grain as if it were the sand of the sea; it was so much that he quit keeping records of the amounts. No one was able to keep records of the amounts.

Questions

1. What is a fistful in this text?

2. If he collected all food of seven years in the land of Egypt, what did the Egyptians eat?

3. The text states, “he gave food into cities.” To whom did he give this food?

4. What does “he gave food of a field of the city that is her surroundings into her midst” mean?

5. What does scroll mean?

6. What does “for there is no scrolling” mean?

7. Who owned all this foodstuff that was put into storage?

XXII. Consolation (verses 50-52)

Joseph had two sons before the years of famine came. His wife was Asnat. She was the daughter of Poti Pherah (not related to Potiphar). Poti Pherah was a priest of a god named On. Joseph called the firstborn Forgetter (Manasseh) because Elohim had caused him to forget all his toil and even the house of his father. He called the second son Doubly Fruitful (Ephraim) because Elohim caused him to be fruitful in the land of his humiliation.

Questions

1. Joseph called the name of the firstborn Forgetter. Joseph said, “For Elohim made-me-forget all my toil and all the house of my father.” What toil did he forget? Did he really forget all the house of his father? What does that mean?

2. What does “Elohim fruited me in the land of my humiliation” mean?

XXIII. The Beginning of Famine (verses 53-54)

Seven years of very good crops and productivity in the land of Egypt finished. Seven years of famine began just as Joseph said. The famine was in all the lands. Yet, there was food in all the land of Egypt.

Questions

1. The text states, “the famine was in all the lands.” Does this mean that the famine was over the entire planet?

2. What is the distinction between bread and food in the Bible?

XXIV. Rationing (verses 55-57)

All the land of Egypt was now in need of food. The people shouted unto Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh’s response to all Egypt was to go to Joseph. They must do whatever he told them to do.

All parts of Egypt had the famine. Joseph opened the storage silos for the people, and he ‘broke’ grain to them (he measured out portions). The famine gripped in the land; it wouldn’t let go. All came toward Egypt unto Joseph to break (portion out) grain.

Questions

1. What does “all the land of Egypt was famished” mean?

2. What does “the people outcried unto Pharaoh to [for] bread” mean?

3. Why did Pharaoh tell them to go to Joseph?

4. What does “the famine was over all faces of the land” tell a careful reader?

5. What did Joseph open (the text states, “Joseph opened all that was in them”)?

6. Did the people come and take what they wanted?

7. What does “he broke to Egypt” mean?

8. The text states, “all the land—they came—Egyptward unto Joseph to break, because the famine gripped in all the land.” What is included in “all the land”?

9. Did Joseph personally give food to every individual?