Gen. 29:1-30 Locate the passage This passage tracks Jacob as he travels to Padan Aram in search of a wife. His instructions are to meet his mother’s brother, Laban. Jacob finds Laban to be much like himself. What follows is the story of two deceivers deceivi... Read More »

Gen. 28:10-22 Locate the passage Jacob has left home. He had never in his life been alone, not even in the womb. Now, having left home by himself he meets the Lord who says to him, “I am with you.” Genre The passage is narrative. The Divine conversation is... Read More »

Gen. 26:34-28:9 Locate the passage While Jacob will be the child through whom the Covenant will extend, this pericope is more about Esau than Jacob. His marriage in defiance of his family, his lost blessing, his intention to kill his brother, and more marriage... Read More »

Gen. 26:1-11 Locate the passage Genesis 26 seems to be an interruption of the flow of thought between Genesis 25 and 27. In this chapter, the focus is on Isaac and not on Jacob. Like Genesis 34 (which also interrupts the Jacob Cycle) and 38 (which interrupts t... Read More »

Gen. 26:12-33 Locate the passage Isaac settled in Gerar and the Lord blessed him. Like his father before him, the people of the land became threatened by his blessing. The passage records three responses of the people of Gerar. The king asked him to leave thei... Read More »

Gen. 25:27-34 Locate the passage The two boys born to Isaac and Rebekah grew into men and the twins, who already don’t look alike reveal themselves to be even less identical in their personality and choice of profession. These distinctions also endear the ea... Read More »

Gen. 25:19-26 Locate the passage Immediately following the toledoth of Ishmael, the text turns to Isaac. The detail of the narrator resumes as he continues his perusal of the recipients of the Covenant. Genre This passage is narrative. The conversations in the... Read More »

Gen. 25:1-18 Locate the passage In this passage, Abraham gets married again. He will have more children with Keturah and those will be blessed by him, but only Isaac is the child of promise. This passage contains the 7th and 8th toledoths in Genesis. More is s... Read More »

Gen. 24:1-67 Locate the passage This passage takes place after the death of Sarah and at a time when Abraham is advancing in age. Abraham has secured land for his family’s future and now is concerned to provide a wife for his son, Isaac, through whom the Cov... Read More »

Gen. 23:1-20 Locate the passage Sarah’s death provides the occasion for Abraham’s first official land “ownership” in the land the Lord promised him. He was recognized by Abimelech to have dug a well in Beersheba, but here he acquires land. Genre The pa... Read More »

Gen. 22:1-24 Locate the passage This passage is after the call of Abraham, the clarification that Ishmael would not be the child of promise, and the birth of Isaac. Hagar and Ishmael have departed. Abraham trusted in God’s promise of an offspring before any ... Read More »

Gen. 21:22-34 Locate the passage This passage chronicles a covenant between Abraham and Abimelech. The significance of this passage is Abraham finding a place in the land promised to him in safety. Another highlight of this passage is the explanation for the o... Read More »