Genesis 22:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

NIV: His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.

NASB: His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also gave birth to Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

CSB: His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

NLT: Nahor had four other children from his concubine Reumah. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

KJV: And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.

NKJV: His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah.

In previous verses, Abraham learned that back in the land he left behind when God called him to enter Canaan, his brother Nahor had fathered eight children with his wife Milcah. One of the eight, Bethuel, became the father of Rebekah. Abraham's son Isaac would later marry Rebekah (Genesis 24). This is an important marriage, since Isaac and Rebekah will produce a son, Jacob, whom God will later rename Israel. This makes Isaac and Rebekah the grandparents of God's chosen people.

Now we learn that Nahor fathered an additional four children with Reumah, his concubine.

It's hard to miss that in the time it took Abraham to father two children, Ishmael and Isaac, his brother had fathered 12 offspring. We're not told how this news impacted Abraham. Was he excited for the expansion of the family line? Was he sad or discouraged? We don't know. We do know that he continued to trust God to keep His promises. The next chapter provides evidence of Abraham's confidence that the land of Canaan would become the land of his offspring.

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 5/5/2024 10:29:46 AM