Genesis 22:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: (Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham 's brother.

NIV: Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor.

NASB: and it was Bethuel who fathered Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.

CSB: And Bethuel fathered Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.

NLT: (Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) In addition to these eight sons from Milcah,

KJV: And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.

NKJV: And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.

In verse 20, Abraham learned that his brother Nahor had fathered several children with his wife Milcah. Nahor is still living in the land Abraham left behind when God called him to enter Canaan. Now we learn that one of those children, Bethuel, became the father of Rebekah. Rebekah would go on to marry Abraham's son, Isaac. Together they will produce a son, Jacob, who will one day be renamed Israel, and whose children will form the tribes of God's chosen people.

Genesis 22:20–24 relates a few details about Abraham's extended family. The prior story involved God's test of Abraham's faith, which Abraham passed through his trusting obedience. The following section begins chapter 23, which relates the death and burial of Abraham's wife, Sarah.

In a test of Abraham's faith and obedience, God commands Abraham to do a terrible thing: kill and offer his son Isaac, whom he loves, as a burnt offering. Abraham sets out to obey without hesitation, having finally learned to trust God's goodness over his own misunderstandings. Instead of allowing the boy to be sacrificed, the Lord calls out to Abraham moments before he kills Isaac, laying bound on an altar. Because of Abraham's obedience, God renews and emphasizes His promises of blessing, multiplied offspring, and victory over future enemies.

In the previous chapter, the long-promised Isaac was finally born to Sarah and Abraham, while Abraham's other beloved son, Ishmael, was sent away to be cared for by God apart from them. Now God tests Abraham's faith and obedience by commanding him to offer his precious son Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham sets out to obey without hesitation, stopping only when the Lord cries out to him. For Abraham's obedience, God renews and emphasizes the blessing on him and his offspring. This marks the beginning of the end of Abraham's story, as the book of Genesis transitions to focus on Isaac and his descendants.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 11/23/2024 6:42:42 PM