NOTES ON GENESIS 12-50

Genesis 13:10-12 Geography fits a location for Sodom north of the Dead Sea where land is much more 

fertile than in the south.

Genesis 14:10 Liquid asphalt seeps through planes that bound the Dead Sea basin even today. These 

may be equivalent to the “slime pits” in this verse.

Genesis 17:14 Uncircumcized males will not have any children?

Gen. 17:15 Sarai = contentious? (Babylonian cognate); Sarah = princess.

Genesis 18:3-6, etc. Many parallels with the Exodus story, including fleeing from city, plague on the

people, use of the rare words "pass by," "cakes," "hurry," "unleavened bread."

Gen. 18:19 “So that” hints that the promises are conditional.

Gen. 18:25-32 Supposed basis for minyan, the quorum of ten men required for Jewish religious 

services.

Genesis 19 See note for Gen. 13:10-12. BAR article in 2013 proposes a particular tell for the site of 

Sodom north of the Dead Sea (rather than south as previously proposed). It is the only city site in the 

Dead Sea area having city gates such as described at the start of the story. The city was destroyed by a 

very hot fire—3 ft. deep ash layer. The only problem is that the destruction circa 1600 BC appears to 

have preceded the Genesis time frame.

Genesis 21:9 The Septuagint and Vulgate versions have words that are not found in the Hebrew test:

missing in MT: Sarah noted that [Ishmael] was playing with her son Isaac. If this has a sexual 

connotation deleted in the Hebrew, then it better explains Sarah's anger.

Gen. 21:9-21 Since sending someone out into the wilderness was tantamount to killing them, this 

episode is a preliminary test for Abraham. It prepares us for the events in Gen. 22

Genesis 22 See note to Gen. 21:9-21

Genesis 24:6 Why shouldn't Isaac himself go? Perhaps there was the danger that he would fall in love 

with a Canaanite woman while away from home.

Gen. 24:21 Even though the sign is given, the servant still looks for other credentials (no daughter of 

Canaan).

Gen 24:27 There is a different word order in KJV: "I, being in the way, was led."

Gen. 24:30 Laban is introduced as a greedy man

Gen. 24:45 "what you have done"

Genesis 25:1 The name Keturah appears in a recently published Ebla document.

Gen 25:28 Loving someone for what they do rather than who they are.

Genesis 27:1 Parallels to the sale of birthright in ch. 25: physical hunger, blindness, contemplation of 

death, exchange intangible for tangible, carelessness, dishonesty, resulting discord.

Gen. 27:5-6 his son and her son

Gen. 27:12 burnt finger morality only

Gen. 27:13 curse on her–she will not see her son again after he leaves.

Gen. 27:15 She practices an old sheepherder's trick used to pair an orphaned ewe with a lamb whose 

own ewe has died. The latter is skinned to cover the orphan so that mother will accept it.

Gen. 27:20 Note "your God" and also using the Lord's name in vain to deceive.

Genesis 28:3 This is a more spiritual blessing than in 27:27-28.

Gen. 28:12 "Ladder" should be translated as stairway as in the NIV. The same image as the Tower of 

Babel, a stepped ziggurat.

Genesis 29:21-25 Poetic justice for Jacob's trickery earlier: substituting one sibling for another, 

trickery due to one party not being able to see.

Gen. 29:26 These words of Laban may have convicted Jacob of his own sin.

Gen. 29:29. Bilhah as a name appears also in the Ebla tablets.

Genesis 30:13 Like the names of the seven dwarfs, they express their personalities.

Genesis 31:19 Rachel may have wanted them as fertility aids; Laban wanted them for legal reasons.

Gen. 31:32 Jacob unwittingly condemns Rachel by his oath, which he must have realized when she 

turned in her idols (Gen. 35:2). Out of guilt she showed favoritism toward Joseph and Benjamin and 

later adopted her grandsons by them (Gen. 48:1-12). (Gordon Tucker)

Genesis 32:1 God meets Jacob before he gets to the Promised Land. This indicates that God is not 

localized, unlike Sarah's concept of household gods.

Gen. 32:6ff  Plan A-tactical, prayer next (theologically sound, but really felt?); Plan B: bribery; Plan 

C: hide family

Gen 32:24ff See Hosea 12:3-4 for comment on this event. The angel asking for his name reminds us of 

Jacob's father asking him earlier. Divine retribution of sorts for his lie. Also like Peter's denial three 

times and subsequent conversation with the risen Christ.

Danger comes from an unexpected source despite all his planning.

Ernest Jones -- Jacob has been searching his whole life for a blessing (from his father, marriage, riches) 

but still needs God to give him the real blessing. Wrestling must stop before daybreak or Jacob will see 

his face and die (see verse 30). The long period of wrestling was so that God could reduce him to the 

place of helplessness. God purposely limited himself to be an even match for a man (Like Jesus' 

incarnation). Strangely, the ancient rabbis held that the wrestler was in fact Esau.

Psychologists propose that he is wrestling with himself.

Phyllis Trible uses this story as an analogy with wrestling with the Bible and not letting go until it 

blesses you. But in the process you will be changed forever.

Gen 32:27 The name is given after a struggle -- like Gen 25:26.

Gen. 32:28 He is no more Jacob ("the deceiver").

Genesis 34 This story shows that there are two visions of how to deal with strangers in the Bible: make 

war with them or make peace.

Gen. 34:1 suggests she may have been guilty to some extent since women were not to be 

unaccompanied in those days.

Gen. 34:5 The word "defiled" indicates elsewhere forbidden sexual contacts, not rape.

Gen. 34:24-26 The use of a sacred ritual in this manner is not only a dirty trick but also sacrilege.

Genesis 35:2 See note to Gen. 31:32

Gen. 35:16-17 Probably a description of a breech birth. Only in a breech birth would the midwife be 

able to tell the sex of the baby well before actual delivery. It also explains Rachel's death after 

childbirth. (Dr. Joseph Jacobs)

Genesis 37:11 This is like Mary pondering these things.

Gen. 37:34 see Job 1:20.

Genesis 38:15 There is no evidence that this was a temple prostitute. (BAR)

Genesis 40 This is a type of Jesus sandwiched between two thieves. One will live and the other one die.

Genesis 41:14 This custom is confirmed by Egyptian records. Shaving was a ritual before appearing 

before Pharaoh. It probably had to do with removal of all body lice. Also, removal of all body hair was 

a ritual for all newly ordained Egyptian priests.

Genesis 48:7 See note to Gen. 31:32

Gen. 48:15 or "who has been my shepherd?"

Genesis 49:10 This may be read as styloh (Shiloh) or say loh (tribute to him) depending on whether 

there is a word division in the text.