THE BOOK OF MATTHEW - CHAPTER # 9 - ESV

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW - CHAPTER # 9 EVS 
9:1 __Jesus returned to his own city, Capernaum the home base of his ministry in Galilee. The healing probably took place in Peter's home (8:14__15).
9:2 __paralytic. Jesus had already cured paralysis (4:24; 8:6), and these people had no doubt heard of his miraculous powers. Your sins are forgiven implies that in this case sin and sickness are related but also that, of the two, sin is the more fundamental problem. Though individual sin is not always the direct cause of a person's disease or illness (JOHN 9:2__3), ultimately all corruption the death result from the entrance of sin into the world (See GENESIS 2:17; 3:16__19). 
9:3 __blaspheming. The scribes believed Jesus was dishonoring God by taking upon himself the prerogative to forgive sins, which only God can do (MARK 2:7; LUKE 5:21). 
9:5 __which is easier. The implied answer is that it is easier to say "Your sins are forgiven," for there is no way to verify whether or not this has happened. 
9:6__7 __Son of Man. See 8:20. Jesus authority on earth to forgive sins is an explicit evidence of his divinity, since only God has that prerogative. That the man rose and went home is visible evidence of Jesus authority.  
9:9__38 __Unexpected Discipleship, Miracles, and Workers. Jesus reveals his unexpected definition of discipleship (verses 9__17) and demonstrates extraodinary compassion through his unexpected miracles (verses 18__34). The under appreciated are called to follow him, while the religious leaders continue to resist him.
9:10 __tax collectors. See verse 9 and 5:46__47. Pharisees would have regarded as sinners anyone who failed to keep God's law as they interpreted it, and the term here seems to reflect a commonly understood meaning by which it included both people guilty of publicly known sin and others who did not keep the strict purity requirements of the Pharisees. 
9:12 _those who are well ... those who are sick.The Pharisees considered themselves "healthy" before God because of their observance of the law, and thus they were blind to their spiritual sickness. Jesus point is that only those who realize their need come to him to receive the help they need.  
9:13 __I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. Jesus offer of salvation to sinners threatens the Pharisees way of life, yet it is at the heart of the gospel he came announcing. "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice" is a quotation from Hosea 6:6. "Sacrifice" summarized observance of religious rituals. More important to God was "mercy" (the Septuagint rendering of Hebrew hesed, meaning "steadfast love"), which would have led the Pharisees to care for these sinners as Jesus did. 
9:15 _The bridegroom in the OT was Yahweh (ISAIAH 62:5; HOSEA 2:19__20). The arrival of the kingdom of heaven is cause for a time of rejoicing similar to what is experienced during marriage ceremonies (MATTHEW 25:10).   
9:16__17 _unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Rather than patching up the traditional practices of righteousness within religious Judaism, Jesus has come to offer real growth in kingdom righteousness, which is like when new wine is put into fresh wineskins.
9:18 _Though Jairus was a ruler (MARK 5:22 and LUKE 8:41) and a man of considerable influence, he knelt before Jesus, the appropriate position to take before God. She will live. Evidence of Jairus's deep faith in Jesus, in the face of death.
 9:20 _dischrage of blood. Her plight is heightened by its duration (twelve years), leaving her hopeless and in an anemic, weakened condition. Moreover, her hemorrhaging would have made her ceremonially unclean, which would have excluded her from normal social and religious relations.
9:22 _ your faith has made me well. Faith itself does not do the healing; God does. But the woman's faith was the divinely appointed means for her bodily healing, as well as for her spiritual salvation. 
9:23 _flute players and the crowd. Professional mourners were customarily hired to assist at funerals, usually including flutists and wailing women (making a commotion). Since bodies decomposed quickly in Palestine, mourners had to assemble fairly soon after a death.  
9:24__26 _took her by the hand. Touching a corpse rendered a person unclean for seven days (NUMBERS 19:11__21), but Jesus brings the girl to life, transforming uncleanness into purity. Jesus power over death anticipates his later raising of Lazarus and his own resurrection (MATTHEW 28:1__10; JOHN 10:17__18; 11:25__26). 
9:27 _This account of the healing of two blind men has significant differences from the healing of Bartimaeus (20:29__34; Mark 10:46__52; LUKE 18:35__43) and should not be thought of as the same event. Jesus no doubt healed many blind people over the course of his ministry. Son of David. A reference to the promised messianic deliverer from the line of David whose kingdom will continue forever (2 SAMUEL 7:12__16), and the first of several times in Matthew that people refer to Jesus by this title (See MATTHEW 12:23; 15:22; 20:30, 31; 21:19, 15; 22:42; 1:1). The messianic age was to bring healing to the blind (ISAIAH 29:18; 35:5).
9:34 _He casts out demons by the prince of demons. The Pharisees were unable to recognize that God was doing something unique in the teaching and works of Jesus, so they attributed his powers to the only other existing source, since they could not deny the reality of the miraculous works that Jesus had done. But the truthfulness of Jesus teachings, the moral excellence of his character, and his ministry of doing good should have convinced them otherwise (7:16; JOHN 3:2; 9:31__33). 
 9:36__38 _The compassion of Jesus is a repeated theme in Matthew (14:14; 15:32) and throughout both the OT (DEUTERONOMY 30:3; 1 SAMUEL 23:21; PSALM 103:13; ISAIAH 49:15; 54:8; LAMENTATIONS 4:10) and the NT, where Christians are especially admonished to show compassion to those in need (COLOSSIANS 3:12; HEBREWS 10:34; JAMES 5:11). like sheep without a shepherd. The leaders have failed in their responsibility, but Micah 5:4 predicted that the Messiah would "shepherd" his people. Given the helplessness and the need of the crowds, Jesus disciples are urged to pray earnestly that the Lord (shifting metaphors) would send out laborers into his harvest, since many are ready to receive the good news of the kingdom__a prayer that is as urgent today as it was when Jesus original disciples heard his works.
 

THE OLD TESTAMENT - CHAPTER # 12 - ESV BIBLE - BOOK OF GENESIS

THE BOOK OF GENESIS - CHAPTER # 12 - ESV BIBLE !!!!! ___12:1__9 Abram's Migration to Canaan. After the essential background information in 11:27__32, this section moves swiftly to highlight God's invitation to Abram to become a source of blessing for the rest of humanity. (The name "Abram" appears in a text from Dilbat, and "Abraham" in the Egyptian Execration Text [20th__19th centuries B. C.] Other names from the patriarchal period, such as "Terah," "Nahor," and "Benjamin," are also known from the Mari texts [18th century B. C.].)
12:1__3 __The divine speech that suddenly and unexpectedly introduces this section is exceptionally important, for it sets the agenda not only for Abram's life but also for his descendants. By focusing on how divine blessing will be mediated through Abram to all the families of the earth, it marks an important turning point within the book of Genesis. The repetition of the verb bless (verses 2__3) underscores the hope that through Abram people everywhere may experience God's favor, reversing the predominantly negative experience of chapters 3__11. God's plans for Abram have both national and international dimensions, which are developed in the episodes that follow.
# 12:1 __God's invitation to Abram challenge him to abandon the normal sources of personal identity and security: his family and country. To obey, Abram must trust God implicitly; all human support is largely removed. The promised outcomes are conditional on Abram's obedience. said. In Acts 7:2__3, Stephen has God calling Abram before he lived in Haran;
  # 12:2 __God's purpose for Abram, that he become a great nation, stands in obvious tension with Sarai's barrenness and the summons to leave his homeland. Abram is challenged by God to establish a new humanity. make your name great. This was the failed aspiration of the tower builders (11:4). 
12:3 __Although Abram is called to be a blessing to others, much rests on how they treat him. Those who are positive toward Abram will experience God's favor; the one who despises Abram will know God's displeasure. The text speaks of those who bless (plural) but of him who dishonors (singular), emphasizing that many more will be blessed than cursed. Indeed, such will be the influence of Abram that all the families of the earth shall be blessed in him. This promise is later reaffirmed to Isaac and Jacob (See 22:18; 26:4; 28:14). in you. This may simply indicate "by means of you," but it is more likely that this expression is designating Abram as the covenantal representative for a people. To be "in" some person, then, is to be a member of that people for whom that person is the representative (2 SAMUEL 19:43; 20:1). This seems to be the way Paul takes it in GALATIANS 3:8__9, Where "in you" becomes "along with Abraham," it would also explain the origin of the NT expression "in Christ."
12:4 __The brief report of Abram's response presents his obedience as immediate and unquestioning. Lot went with him.Abram may have been responsible for Lot following the death of Haran (11:27__28). Since by this Lot is a wealthy adult with considerable possessions (See 13:5__6), readers may assume that he desires to support Abram's mission.
12:5 __the people that they had acquired in Haran. Abram had under his authority a substantial number of men, many of whom may have been herdsmen (13:7). Genesis 14:14 mentions 318 trained men "born in his household," and  (17:12) refers to males whom Abram has bought with money from a foreigner. land of Canaan. Abram migrates with everything he possesses from northern Mesopotamia to Canaan.
12:6 __Shechem is the first of a number of location in Canaan mentioned in association with Abram. (The site of Shechem is the modern Til Balatah, which has been extensively excavated. A major settlement here begins around 1900 B. C. its importance in the patriarchal period is confirmed by its mention in the Egyptian Execration Texts and in the Khu-Sebek inscription, which both date to the 19th century B. C.) the oak of Moreh. As a seminomadic herdsman with a large retinue, Abram probably camped away from urban populations; these locations are identified by distinctive natural features (trees; See 13:18). At that time the Canaanites were in the land. This brief observation reveals that other people already occupied the land. It may also indicate that this notice was added after the expulsion of the Canaanites from this area.   
12:7 __the Lord appeared. This is the first of a number of manifestations of God to the patriarchs. These are often associated with divine promises. On this occasion God promises the land to the descendants of Abram, although he is still childless. In response, Abram builds an altar to the Lord. A number of altars are constructed by the patriarchs at different locations (See 13:18; 22:9; 26:25; 33:20; 35:7). They are a common feature of the patriarchal period because no central sanctuary existed before the exodus from Egypt. Before the construction of the tabernacle, God was not perceived as ordinarily dwelling on the earth. These altars places where God may be encountered in worship (EXODUS 20:24). 
12:8 __From Shechem, Abram migrates southward to a location between Bethel and Ai, before going much farther in the direction, of Egypt. (Excavations at the site of Beitan, which is probably to be identified as biblical Bethel, have revealed a flourishing Canaanite city during the patriarchal period of the Middle Bronze Age [ 2000-1500 B. C.] The city contained four well-fortified gate complexes with a massive fortification wall [about 11.5 feet/3.5 m thick] A large Canaanite sanctuary has been discovered immediately inside the city wall.] 
12:9 __The Negeb is the southern region of Canaan (Hebrews negeb means "south").
12:10__20 _Abram in Egypt. A severe famine in Canaan forces Abram to seek refuge in Egypt. Because of the Nile River, the land of Egypt was better placed to provide food for man and beast during a time of drought. The events described in this section raise many questions that go unanswered, creating a sense of ambiguity as to how the behavior of everyone involved should be judged. As is common in biblical stories, the narrator gives no direct evaluation of the participants actions, leaving the reader to figure out the ethical questions. In this passage, the first readers (Israel following Moses) would have seen how God kept his promise to Abram, in spite of all treats, and in spite of the morally dubious actions even of Abram himself.
12:11__13 _Fearful that his life will be endangered because of Sarai's beauty, Abram devises a ruse, based on a half-truth (See 20:12). Abram's selfish actions imply that he thinks God is unable to protect him. Yet when the plan backfires, it is the Lord who rescues him (12:17).
12:15 _Pharaoh is the title given to the king of Egypt, not a personal name. 
 12:16 _Some biblical scholars have maintained that the mention of camels in Genesis is anachronistic, on the assumption that they were not domesticated until about 1100 B. C. Archaeological finds of camel bones, however, suggest that some camels were in use by humans as early as the third millennium B. C. While the evidence is limited, it is hardly surprising, given the use to which camels were put. In Genesis they usually appear in passages that involve long-distance journeys through or close to deserts (See 24:10__64; 31:17, 34; 37:25). The scarcity of camels in the period of the patriarchs made them a luxury of great worth, and thus their listing here(and elsewhere) may serve to emphasize Abram's wealth.
 12:17 _Pharaoh's taking of Sarai brings divine punishment on him and his house. This event (plagues; EXODUS 11:1) prefigures the exodus from Egypt when God punishes another pharaoh for his mistreatment of Abram's descendants.

THE NEW TESTAMENT - THE BOOK OF MATTHEW - CHAPTER # 8

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW  CHAPTER # 8 (ESV) _8:1__9:38 The Authoritative Power of the Messiah: Kingdom Power Demonstrated. Jesus has shown himself as the Messiah in word through his teaching (CHAPTERS 5__7) and now shows himself to be the Messiah in deed through the performance of many miracles, demonstrating that the kingdom of God truly has arrived.
8:1__9:8 _Healings, Discipleship, and Overpowering Satan's Strongholds. Jesus mission involves ministering to the marginalized (8:1__17), disappointing the messianic expectations of some who wanted to follow him (8:18__22), and overthrowing Satan's strongholds (8:23__9:8).
8:2__3 _leper. The OT provided specific guidelines for the examination and treatment of those with a variety of skin diseases, generally called leprosy, many of which were highly contagious (See LEVITICUS 13__14). Lord (Greek kyrios) is the title to respect (similar to "Sir") that people commonly used when they came to Jesus for aid, though in contexts that show knowledge of its OT background it can be an affirmation of deity (See 1 CORINTHIANS 12:4__6). make me clean Not only was leprosy a disease, it made the leper as well as anyone who touched him ceremonially unclean (LEVITICUS 13:45__46; NUMBERS 5:2__4; LEVITICUS 15). But when Jesus touched him, he was healed, and Jesus did not become unclean.
8:4 _show yourself to the priest. Jesus instructs the man to do what the law required for lepers to return to society. say nothing to anyone. Jesus carefully avoids stirring up a misunderstanding of his messianic identity. Although miracles attest to the authenticity of his message concerning the kingdom's arrival, he does not want to draw crowds who come simply for the sake of miracles. For other instances of what some have called the "messianic secret," See 9:30; 12:16; 17:9.
8:5__7 _centurion. A Roman officer in charge of a hundred men. In Luke's account (LUKE 7:1__5), others came to Jesus on his behalf, but Matthew does not mention them. The accounts are not contradictory; Matthew, as is often the case, simply abbreviates the story. He actually reports what the centurion said through his messages, based on the idea that what a person does through an agent is what the person himself does (See JOHN 3:17).
8:8 _Addressing Jesus as Lord (verse 2), the Roman centurion reveals a remarkable sensitivity for Jewish traditions, saying that he is unworthy of receiving Jesus into his Gentile home. A Jew who entered the home of a Gentile became ceremonially unclean (See ACTS 10:28).
8:10 _The centurion seems to understand what no one in Israel understands: Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. Jesus marveled, commending the centurion for his exemplary faith and censuring Israel for lack of faith.
8:11__12 _recline at table. The peoples of the earth who respond to Jesus ministry will join the patriarchs at the end-time messianic banquet in the kingdom of heaven (REVELATION 19:9), fulfilling God's promise to Abraham (GENESIS 12:3). But the sons of the kingdom (a Semitic term for national Israel) will lose their claim to the kingdom unless they follow the centurion's example of faith. weeping and gnashing of teeth. This description of terrible suffering in hell appears several times in Matthew (MATTHEW 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30) and in LUKE 13:28).
8:14 _The home belonged to both Peter and his brother Andrew (MARK 1:29). Peter's mother-in-law was afflicted with a fever, perhaps malaria.
8:16__17 _He took our illnesses and bore our diseases. A reference to Isaiah's prophecy of the servant (ISAIAH 53), focusing on Jesus messianic role as healer (See ISAIAH 53:5; MATTHEW 11:3__5). The fact that not all sicknesses have a demonic origin is seen in the distinction between the healings of the sick and the casting out of spirits from those oppressed by demons.  
8:19 _scribe. An expert in handling written documents. in Israel, scribes duties included teaching, interpretation, and regulation of the law (See 2:4).
8:20 _Son of Man (See JOHN 1:51; DANIEL 7:13) is Jesus favorite self-designation, indicating the true meaning of his idenity and ministry: (1) _the humble servant who has come to forgive common sinners (MATTHEW 9:6); (2) _the suffering servant whose atoning death and resurrection will redeem his people (16:13, 27__28); and (3) _the glorious King and Judge who will return to establish God's kingdom on earth (25:31; 26:64). nowhere to lay his head. Since believers can expect to be treated as Jesus was (JOHN 15:18; 16:33), the Christian life will not be one of ease and comfort.
8:22 _leave the dead to bury their own dead. While Jesus dearly upholds the biblical command to honor father and mother (See Verses 15:1__9), the call to follow him rises above all other allegiances. Anything that hinders unqualified commitment to him and to the new covenant family of faith must be set aside.
8:23__24 _great storm (Greek seismos, "violent shaking, earthquake"). Athrough the Sea of Galilee is located in the earthquake-prone Jordan Rift Valley, Matthew also mentions "winds" (verse 26), which points in the direction of a powerful stormthe created large waves that shook the boat. This boat may have been similar to the one discovered in Galilee in 1986.
8:26 _Little faith (Greek oligopistos) is not "no faith" (GREEK apistos), but "ineffective," defective," or "deicient" faith (6:30). Jesus calls the disciples to a clearer understanding of who he is rebuked. Jesus is able to command even the forces of nature, just as God in the OT "rebukes" the sea, showing his sovereign control over the natural world (2 SAMUEL 22:16; PSALM 18:15). 
8:27 __Marveled (Greek thaumazo, "to wonder, be amazed") is different from the term used to describe the reaction of the crowds ("astonished," 7:28), yet even the disciples do not yet fully grasp Jesus identity. 
8:28 __Other side often marks the movement from a Jewish to a Gentile territory and vice verse 14:22; 16:5). Gadarenes refers to both the town of Gadara (modern Umm Qais), about 6 miles (9. 7 km)southeast of the Sea of Galilee, and also the surrounding region (See MARK 5:1). 
8:29 __Son of God. The demons recognize that one of Satan's strongholds, the spirit world, is being invaded and overpowered. before the time. The demons know that they will be judged and punished at God's appointed time. 
8:30__34 __The herd of pigs would have been raised for food in this Gentile region on the east shore of the Sea of Galilee, and the local people were very upset(all the city ... begged him to leave) at the loss of this large herd (about 2,000, MARK 5:13). The pigs 'fate in the sea prefigures and pictures the final fate of demons, when God defeats Satan and throws him into the lake of fire (REVELATION 20:10). Jesus accomplished the decisive defeat of Satan in his earthly resurrection (JOHN 12:31; COLOSSIANS 2:15; HEBREWS 2:14__15). 

THE OLD TESTAMENT - THE BOOK OF GENESIS - CHAPTER # 11

THE BOOK OF GENESIS - CHAPTER 11 !!!!!!! (EVS)

11:1__9 __The Tower of Babel. This episode is significantly more important than its length suggests. It presents a unified humanity using all its resources to established a city that is the antithesis of what God intended when he created the world. The tower is a symbol of human autonomy, and the city builders see themselves as determining and establishing their own destiny without any reference to the Lord. (The tower story may also be a polemic against Mesopotamian mythology. Eridu Genesis, a fragmentary text found at Ur, Nippur, and Nineveh, describes the goddess Nintur's calling for humanity to build cities and to congregate in one place. Her desire, according to this text, is that humans be sedentary and not nomadic. Yahweh demands just the opposite, so that the earth would become populated.)

11:1 _The opening desciption of the whole earth having one language indicates that the present episode is not placed chronologically after the events narrated in chapter 10, which specifically mention nations and languages. This incident, however, may have occured during the broad period covered in chapter 10, especially if it is linked to the naming of Peleg in 10:25 (See 10:21__32).
11:2__4 _Come, let us build ourselves a city . . .and let us make a name for ourselves. The Babel enterprise is all about human independence and self-sufficiency apart from God. The builders believe that they have no need of God. Their techology and social unity give them confidence in their own ability. and they have high aspirations, constructing a tower with its top in the heavens (11:4). Contrary to God's plan that people should fill the earth (1:22, 28; 9:1, 7), the city-building project is designed to prevent the population from being dispersed over the face of the whole earth (11:4). By showing God's continued interest in his creatures, this episode provides the setting for the call of Abram out of this very region, to be the vehicle of blessing to the whole world.
11:5__8 _With irony, the narrator points out that it was necessary for the Lord to come down in order to see the city and the tower (verse 5). Acknowledging the potential danger of a unified, self-confident humanity (verse 6), God intervenes by confusing their language so that they cannot understand one another. This has the desired effect of dispersing the people thoughout the world (verses 8__9).
11:9 _This verse links the name of the city, Babel (HEBREW babel), with the verb balal, which means "to confuse, to mix, to mingle." But babel is also the name used in the OT for the city of Babylon. As a city, Babylon symbolizes humanity's ambition to dethrone God and make the earth its own (See REVELATION 17__18).
11:10__26 _Shem's Descendants. Resembling the list of Adam's descendants in 5:3__31, the present linear genealogy traces Noah's line through Shem down to Terah, the father of Adam, Nahor, and Haran. While the pattern is almost identical to that used in chapter 5, the final element, "Thus all the days of A were Z years, and he died," is missing. Also unlike chapter 5, no additional information is inserted. Consequently, the list moves swiftly from Shem to Terah. While the periods mentioned are still unusually long, they gradually become somewhat shorter. The length of time during which these men live is much shorter than is recorded for men living before the flood (5:1__32). This is similar to the pattern found in a clay tablet from the Mesopotamian city of Uruk, called the Sumerian king list (See 5:1__32). It was inscribed by a scribe during the reign of king Utukhegal, about 2100 B. C. it tells of kings who reigned for extremely long times. A flood then came, and subsequent kings ruled for vastly shorter times.
11:26 _The regular pattern of the genealogy is broken with the naming of Terah's three sons. Before this, only the son through whom the linear genealogy is traced is specifically named in each generation. Abram comes first in the list because the ongoing family line is traced through him.
11:27__50:26 _Patriarchal History. The narrative now moves from the general survey of humanity to the specific family from which Israel comes. The narrative style becomes severely matter-of-fact. The narrator devotes much more time to describing the lives of the characters: whereas chapters 1__11 covers many generations in only 11 chapters, the patriarchal history deals with only four generations in 39 chapters. It begins with Abraham and goes on to his son Isaac, and Isaac's two sons Jacob and Esau; the final section focuses on Jacob's sons, especially Joseph. Here the specifics of being Israel are made clear: the land, the people, the blessing, and the calling. The Sinai (or Mosaic) covenant, which the first audience for the chapters receives, will provide the setting in which Israel is to put these patriarchal promises into practice. Thoughout these chapters the readers will see how God has preserved the members of his chosen family, whose calling it is to walk with him, to be the headwaters of a special people and to be the channel by which blessing comes to the entire world. 
11:27__25:18 _Terah's Descendants. A new heading identified by the expression "these are the generations of," introduces the next main section of Genesis (See 2:4). These chapters focus on the immediate family of Terah. Special attention is given to Abraham because the unique family line of Genesis is continued through him.
11:27__32 _A Brief introduction to Terah's Family. Various details pertinent to understanding the subsequent narrative are given: the death of Lot's father, Haran (verse 28); the relocation of the family from southern to northern Mesopotamia (verse 31); and the inability of Abram's wife to have children (verse 30).
# :27 _Abram will later have his name changed to "Abraham" (See verse 17:5).
11:28 _Ur of the Chaldeans is unquestionably the ancient city in Southern Babylonia, the remains of which are located at Tell el-Muqayyar in modern Iraq. Archaeological investigations by Leonard Woolley from 1922-1934 uncovered evidence of a highly developed urban culture in the time of Abram, a culture that developed around 2000 B. C. The term "Chaldeans" probably dates from the period 1000-500 B. C. and has been added to distinguish this Ur from similarly named cities in northern Mesopotamia "Chaldeans" refer to the Kaldu people who settled in southern Babylonia from about 1200 B. C. onward.
11:29 _The name Sarai is later changed to "Sarah" (verses 17:15). Sarai's barrenness is an obvious barrier to the continuation of Abram's family line. The initial barrenness of the patriarchs wives is a recurring motif in  (See Genesis 25:21; 29:31).
11:31__32 _According to the Kultepe Texts from the nineteenth century B. C. (texts composed be Assyrian traders who clearly understood such matters), Haran was an important crossroads and commercial center in the ancient Near East.  
11:31 _Although Terah's ambition is to move his  family from Ur to Canaan they do not complete the journey, but settle in northern Mesopotamia at Haran (the location in Turkey is now called Eskiharran, "old Harran"). The spelling of the town name "Haran" in Hebrew is quite distinct from the name of Terah's third son. (This is the Bible's first reference to "the land of Canaan."But the Ebla archives, found in northern Syria in the 1970s, contain day tablets dating to c. 2300 B. C. They make mention of certain geographical places found in Scripture, such as Sodom and Zeboiim, two cities in the episode of the war of the kings [GENESIS 14:1__16]. In addition, the first time the name "Canaan" is used in extrabiblical literature is at Ebla, in tablets that predate the biblical writings by centuries).
11:32 _By way of completing this short introduction to Terah's family, the narrative records his death at the age of 205. If Abram was born when Terah was 70 years old (See verse 26), and if Abram was 75 years old when he departed for Canaan (See verse 12:4), then Terah died 60 years after Abram's departure (70 + 75 + 60 = 205). In ACTS 7:4, however, Stephen says that Abram left Haran after the death of Terah. A simple way to resolve the chronological difficulty is to suppose that Stephen was following an alternative text (represented today in the Samaritant Pentateuch), which says that Terah died at the age of 145.
 

THE OLD TESTAMENT - BOOK OF GENESIS - CHAPTER # 10 - ESV

THE OLD TESTAMENT - BOOK OF GENESIS _ ESV _10:1__11:9 The Descendants of Noah's Sons. The next main section of Genesis outlines developments after the flood, focusing on how humanity becomes divided into different nations.

10:1__32 _The Clans, Languages, Lands, and Nations. This entire passage sets out, largely in the form of lists, how the descendants of Noah's three sons populate different regions of the earth. Additional details of special interest are occasionally added. This genealogical-geographical passage is describing a process that covered a long time, as family clans migrated to particular regions. The ancestor after whom the clan or tribe is named may not have lived in the region that later bears his name. Each of the three main parts of this section concludes with a reference to clans, languages, and nations (verses 5, 20, 31).

10:1 _THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF. This distinctive formula marks the start of a new section in (GENESIS 2:4).

10:2__5 _Japheth's descendants are listed first. FROM THESE THE COASTLAND PEOPLES SPREAD (verse 5). This is the only additional remark that is made concerning them; it associates Japheth's descendants with the coastal regions and islands of the Mediterranean Sea.

10:6__20 _Ham's descendants receive considerably more attention than those of Jepheth and Shem. Among them figure many of Israel's enemies, such as the Egyptians, Babylonians, Philistines, and various Canaanite groups. Ham's immediate sons are CUSH, EGYPT, PUT CANAAN (verse 6). Cush and Put are the regions to the south and west of Egypt, respectively. CUSH FATHERED NIMROD (verse 8). This association may seem unusual given that Cush is linked geographically with Africa, and Nimrod with Mesopotamia. Nimrod is of particular interest for several reasons. He is linked to the great cities of Babel (See BABYLON 11:9) and Nineveh in Assyria, whose inhabitants at a later stage would descend in destructive power on the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.The military might of the Assyrians and Babylonians may account for the related observations that Nimrod was a might man (warrior) and a MIGHTY HUNTER (108, 9). These descriptions, one of which is linked with irony to the expression BEFORE THE LORD (10:9), are probably to be viewed negatively. Nimrod's aggression as a person runs totally counter to what God had intended when at creation he commissioned humanity to be his vice-regents or representatives. BABEL . . . IN THE LAND OF SHINAR (verse 10). These details link Nimrod with the Tower of Babel episode (See  11:2, 9). Nimrod's kingdom is the antithesis of what God desired THE GREAT CITY (10:12). These probably denotes a region that included both Nineveh and Calah (See JONAH 3:3). The detailed list of Canaan's descendants includes cities that play a significant role in later episodes in Genesis. The specific mention of SODOM and GOMMORRAH (GENESIS 10:19) provides a possible link between the actions of Ham in 9:22 and of the men of Sodom in 19:4__8. The designation "Canaanite" is sometimes used to cover all the different groups mentioned in 10:15__19 (28:1). 

10:21__32 __These verses list the descendants of Shem. These are the people with whom Israelites felt the most affinity, for Abraham was decended from Shem. Insofar as they can be identified, many of these are Arabian tribes or kingdoms. From the outset, Shem's great-grandson EBER is selected for special attention (verse 21), being mentioned even before Shem's own sons are named (verse 22). The designation "Hebrew" (Hb ibri: see 14:13) is derived from "Eber" (Hebrew 'eber). By way of underlining his importance, readers are informed that he called one of his sons PELEG (which may be taken to mean "divison"), for in his days the earth was divided (10:25). This is probably an allusion to the Tower of Babel incident (11:1__9). The line of Shem's descendants from Arpachshad to Peleg is repeated with additional information in 11:11__19.   

THE NEW TESTAMENT - BOOK OF MATTHEW - CHAPTER # 7

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW  CHAPTER # 7 - (ESV) 7:1__2 _JUDGE NOT forbids pronouncing another person guilty before God. But verses 3__5. FOR WITH THE JUDGMENT YOU PRONOUNCE YOU WILL BE JUDGED. Undue harshness and a judgmental attitude toward others will result in being treated in much the same way by God.

7:3__5 _Jesus may have drawn on his background as a carpenter (13:55; MARK 6:3) for his metaphor of a LOG IN YOUR OWN EYE, which of course was hyperbole (intentional overstatement; MATTHEW 5:29__30). THEN YOU WILL SEE CLEARLY TO TAKE THE SPECK OUT OF YOUR BROTHER'S EYE. Jesus does not forbid all evaluation or even judgment of others, for ultimately the one who feels grieved and humbled over his own sin can help remove the "speck" from others. What Jesus does rule out is pride that views oneself as better than others (GALATIANS 6:1).

7:6 _In the ancient world, DOGS lived in squalor and scavenged the streets for food (PSALM 59:14__15). Jews considered them unclean and used the term to describe those apart from, or enemies of, Israel's covenant community (1 SAMUEL 17:43; PSALM 22:16; PROVERBS 26:11). PIGS were rejected by Jews, probably because they too were scavenging animals, and they were unclean according to OT law. PEARLS symbolize the great value of the message of the kingdom of heaven (MATTHEW 13:45__46). Belivers are to be merciful, forgiving, and slow to judge (7:1__5), yet they should wisely discern the true character of people and not indefinitely continue proclaiming the gospel to those who adamantly reject it, so that they can move on and proclaim the gospel to others (10:14; also ACTS 13:46; 18:6; TITUS 3:10__11).

7:7__11 _ASK. Disciples should come to God in humility and awareness of need. SEEK connects one's prayer with responsible action in pursuing the will of God. KNOCK suggests perseverance. Disciples are to presist in prayer, confident that their Father will provide whatever is best for them, according to his sovereign, gracious will.

7:11 _YOU. . .WHO ARE EVIL. Earthly parents have an innate impulse to do what is best for their children, yet they are flawed as a result of sin's corruption of all humanity through the fall of Adam and Eve (ROMANS 5:12__14), and the quality of their parenting does not match God's. This is an example of a "how much more" argument frequently used in Matthew and Luke (MATTHEW 10:25; 12:12; LUKE 11:13; 12:24; HEBREWS 9:14).

7:12 _DO ALSO TO THEM. Known as "the Golden Rule," this verse summarizes the teaching of THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS (See 5:17). The way in which one wants to be treated should determine the way that one treats others. This should come naturally for believers who love God with all their heart and soul and mind, and who love their neighbor as themselves (22:37__40). See 5:17.

7:13__29 _Warning! With Jesus or Against Him? Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount by giving the disciples, the crowed, and the religious leaders four basic warnings: they must choose between two gates and roads (verses 21__23), and two foundations (verses 24__27). They are either with Jesus or against him.

7:13__14 _NARROW GATE. The way to eternal life is "narrow" in that it is through Jesus alone (see ACTS 4:12). Though the way is HARD, those who choose the WAY that IS EASY (by seeking the approval of man rather than God) will find that the easy way only LEADS TO DESTRUCTION__ultimately to eternal punishment and separation from God.

7:15__20 _BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS. Maintaining the earlier balance of not judging (verses 1__5) yet not being naively accepting (verse 6), Jesus teaches his disciples that they must be wisely discerning when professed prophets come into their midst. The life of the prophet and the results of his influence on others are the FRUITS that will indicate whether or not his message is consistent with the kingdom life of righteousness. FIRE. The only thing bad trees are good for is firewood, a striking mataphor of the future judgment for false prophets.
7:21__23 _The KINGDOM community must guard against not only false prophets (verses 15__20) but also false disciples. LORD, LORD. An oral confession of Jesus as Lord does not always indicate a repentant heart. 
7:22 _False disciples may exercise power in Jesus NAME but their activities are meaningless because they deceive themselves and other believers, desiring attention for their own spectacular displays. MIGHTY WORDS are not proof of the Father's will since they can come from sources other than God, including demons and human contrivance (ACTS 19:13__16; 2 THESSALONIANS 2:9__12; REVELATION 13:13__14). 
7:23 _THEN WILL I DECLARE TO THEM. Jesus says that he will one day exercise the perogative of condemning people to hell, something that only God can do (See JOHN 5:22). Though these condemned prophets appeared to belong to Jesus, they were never truly saved, for Jesus NEVER KNEW them (MATTHEW 7:21__23).
7:24__27 _HEARS THESE WORDS OF MINE AND DOES THEM. A parable beings the Sermon on the Mount to a close as Jesus calls for his audience to decide between himself and the religious establishment, drawing a dividing line between himself and any other foundation for life. The evidence of whether one is truly a believer is in whether one DOES the words of Jesus (JAMES 1:22__23 and 2:20__22 and and notes on these verses). WISE MAN. Disciples who build their lives on the bedrock of Jesus and his message of the kingdom of heaven are truly wise, regardless of the shifting cultural or religious fashions.
7:25 __the rain fell, and the floods came. During the hot summer months, the sand around the Sea of Galilee was hard on the surface. But a wise builder knew that he needed to dig several feet below the surface to the bedrock in order to established the foundation for his house. 
7:26__27 __on the sand. The religious establishment had embraced a mere surface righteousness built on an unstable foundation of religious pretense.
7:28__29 __Astonished suggests a variety of emotional reactions to Jesus words, but not a commitment of faith. While the scribes cite other rabbis, Jesus has inherent divine authority.

THE OLD TESTAMENT - BOOK OF GENESIS - CHAPTER # 9

THE BOOK OF GENESIS  CHAPTER # 9 (ESV) _9:1__4 While God's speech here clearly parallels 1:28__30, two important changes are introduced. First, the positive instruction to exercise dominion over the living creatures is replaced by the negative comment that they will FEAR and DREAD human beings. Second, whereas the emphasis was previously on people's eating from plants, humans are now given permission to be carmivorous. While God now permits the taking of animal life for food, the animals's blood remains sacred and is not to be consumed, as an acknowledgement that all life is from God (See LEVITICUS 17:12__14).

9:5__6 _Following his comments about the killing of animals, God addresses the issue of homicide. Violence by "all flesh" (verse 11), by man and animals, prompted God to send the flood (6:11, 13). If human nature has not impoved after the flood (6:5; 8:21), how is violence to be prevented in the future? This legal enactment is the answer: FROM HIS FELLOW MAN I WILL REQUIRE A RECKONING FOR THE LIFE OF MAN. This means that any animal or person that takes a human life will be held accountable by God, working through human repesentatives (EXODUS 20:13; 21:28). WHOEVER SHEDS THE BLOOD OF MAN, BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED. Here the principle of talion, a life for life, is applied (See EXODUS 21:23). This measured response is preferable to Lamech's seventy-sevenfold vengeance (GENEIS 4:24). Human life is to be valued so highly that it is protected by this system of punishment because GOD MADE MAN IN HIS IMAGE, and so to murder another human being is to murder what is most like God, and thus implicitly an attack on God himself

9:5__6 _Many would see this statement as establishing the moral principle permitting the death penalty in cases of murder__with the understanding that the person charged would have been justly tried and his guilt established beyond any reasonable doubt (the OT requirement of two or three witnesses, DEUTERONOMY 19:15; repeated in the NT, MATTHEW 18:16; HEBREWS 10:28). A further requirement is that such a death-penalty verdict must always be carried out under the jurisdiction of the established authorities (DEUTERONOMY 19:15__21; ROMANS 13:1__5). The difficulty of establishing guilt beyond any reasonable doubt and the difficulty of ensuring justice in a modern, complex urban society (as compared to an ancient village-based society) underscore the great care and caution that must be taken in applying this principle today.

9:7 _God's speech ends as it began in verse 1, repeating what was said in 8:17 and echoing 1:28. God wants humanity to flourish and not to be destroyed by violence or another flood. This positive view of population growth (See 1:28) stands in sharp contrast to the Babylonian flood story, which ends with the gods taking measure to inhibit mankind from filling the earth.

9:9__11 _God outlines the COVENANT he is now establishing with all living creatures, having mentioned it briefly before the flood in 6:18. This is the first covenant explicitily named in Genesis (See 2:17); a similar covenant is later established with Abraham and his descendants in chapter 17. A covenant formally binds two parties together in a relationship, on the basis of mutual personal commitment, which consequences for keeping or breaking the commitment. God makes this kind of covenant with a group people by covenanting with one who represents them: everyone else then experience the covenant by viture of being included "in" the representative (See 12:3); here, the animals are included as well as Noah's descendants, showing Noah to be a kind of new Adam. Emphasizing that the covenant is for all living creatures, God states that there will never again be A FLOOD TO DESTROY THE EARTH (9:11).

9:12__17 _Different covenants have appropriate signs or symbols linked to them. Cirumcision is the sign of the covenant with Abraham (chapter 17), and the Sabbath is the of the covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai (EXODUS 31:12__17). On this occasion God's designated SIGN is the rainbow (GENESIS 9:13). Its presence, when rain clouds are in the sky, will be a visible reminder of God's EVERLASTING COVENANT (verse 16). It is not necessary to think that rainbows first began to exist at this time; in any case, God says that he will now use rainbowsas a sign of this covenant. This sign should not be interpreted as symbolizing that God has hung up his warrior's BOW, since there is no hint of that meaning in the text.

9:18__19 _These verses, which bring the flood story to an end, anticipate the next two episodes. The reference to Ham's son CANAAN (verse 18) perhaps for the events of verses 20__29. The mention of people's being DISPERSED over the WHOLE EARTH (verse  19) is developed in chapter 10.

9:20__29 _The Cursing of Canaan. This unusual episode provides an unexpected sequel to the flood story. After the flood and the "new creation" comes another fall, by Noah__a sort of second Adam, in that he (Like Adam) is father of the whole human race. It also anticpates similar activity by Lot's daughters after the destruction of Sodom (19:20__38). Noah's drunkenness and Ham's indiscretion result in contrasting announcements regarding the futures of Shem, Japheth, and Ham's son Canaan.

9:20 _The reference to Noah as a MAN OF THE SOIL and success in growing vines points to a fresh start after the flood (See 28:31).

9:21__23 _BECAME DRUNK. The brevity of the description of Noah's drunkenness is an indication of sisapproval. Ham's sctions, however, are the object of serious criticism because Ham unashamedly looks on the NAKEDNESS OF HIS FATHER in the tent then reports this to his broters (verse 22). There is no indication, however, that perverse sexual behavior was involved in addition to Ham seeing his father drunk and naked. Though the text does not explicitly state what happened, it is clearthat Ham humiliated and dishonored his father and that he apparently sought to make his brother a party to that humiliation. Instead, Ham's brothers make every effort to avoild seeing Noah's naked body, as readers are told twice that they approached him BACKWARD (verse 23). The response of Shem and Japheth in sharp contrast to Ham's actions, as the brothers honor their father despite his foolish behavior. (EXODUS 20:12).

9:24__27 _The designation of Ham as the YOUNGEST SON (verse 24) is peculiar, given that he is always listed after Shem and before Japheth. Possibly, for some unexplained reason, the traditional order of names does not reflect the birth sequence of the boys. CURSED BE CANAAN. Noah's reaction to Ham's action is to curse Canaan, Ham's son. This outcome has dearly been anticipated in the narration, for twice previously has been mentioned, in each context unnecessarily, that Ham is the father of Canaan (verses 18, 22). A SERVANT OF SERVANTS SHALL HE BE. This passage was wrongly appealed to in past centuries to justify the enslavement of African people, resulting in grievous abuse, injustice, and humanity to people created in the image of God. Noah's curse of Canaan, which focuses on his being a servant, anticipates the judgment that will later befall the Canaanites (DEUTERONOMY 7;1--3 with GENESIS 10:15__19). This coupled with the fact that the curse falls on Canaan alone and not on Ham's other children (who settled in northern Africa), shows how illegitimate it was to use this text to justify enslaving African people. (For more on the overall biblical position on slavery, see 1 CORINTHIANS 7:21; EPHESIANS 6:5; COLOSSIANS 3:22__25; 1 TIMOTHY 1:10)  Shem, however, is given pride of place, as is implied by Noah's remark that Japheth will DWELL IN THE TENTS OF SHEM (GENESIS 9:27).    

9:28 _The report of Noah's death continues the pattern used throughout Genesis 5 to describe the total age and death of Adam and his descendants.