Read Genesis 11:10-32 at Bible Gateway.
Hebrew paragraph divisions
Gen 11:10-11 {s} Shem the father of Arphaxad
Gen 11:12-13 {s} Arphaxad the father of Shelah
Gen 11:14-15 {s} Shelah the father of Eber
Gen 11:16-17 {s} Eber the father of Peleg
Gen 11:18-19 {s} Peleg the father of Reu
Gen 11:20-21 {s} Reu the father of Serug
Gen 11:22-23 {s} Serug the father of Nahor
Gen 11:24-25 {s} Nahor the father of Terah
Gen 11:26-32 {p} Terah the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran
Gen 11:10-32 strong theme chiastic structure
1a) Gen 11:10a, This is the genealogy of Shem;
1b) Gen 11:10b-15 {sx3} Shem → Arphaxad → Shelah → Eber;
central axis) Gen 11:16-17 {s} Eber begot Peleg + other sons and daughters;
2b) Gen 11:18-25 {sx4} Peleg → Reu → Serug → Nahor → Terah;
2a) Gen 11:26-32 {p} This is the genealogy of Terah;
1a) Gen 11:26a, Now Terah lived 70 years;
1b) Gen 11:26b, And begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran;
central axis) Gen 11:27a, This is the genealogy of Terah;
2b) Gen 11:27b-31, Terah begot Abram, Nahor, Haran;
1a) Gen 11:27b-28a, Terah begot Abram, Nahor, Haran/ Haran begot Lot + died before his father Terah;
1b) Gen 11:28b, In his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans;
1c) Gen 11:29, Then Abram + Nahor took wives: Sarai and Milcah the daughter of Haran;
central axis) Gen 11:30, But Sarai was barren; she had no child;
2c) Gen 11:31a, Terah took his son Abram + grandson Lot + daughter-in-law Sarai;
2b) Gen 11:31b, They went out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan;
2a) Gen 11:31c, And they came to Haran and dwelt there;
2a) Gen 11:32 {p} The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.
Original Hebrew
Eber is Strong’s H5677, eber, a proper name, from Strong’s H5674, abar, a primitive root, “to cross over.”
ayin + bet + resh
ayin = the eye, thus watch, know, shade
bet = the house, thus house, household, family, in, within
resh = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
The story the ancient pictographs are painting: the bet + resh together means family (bet) of heads (resh), i.e., grain, as wheat and other grains develops a seed head, a ‘family’ of seeds. As grain fills the land when it is sown, the bet + resh pair can also mean to fill the land. The ayin then adds the dimension of looking (ayin) over or across a filled land.
Abram is Strong’s H87, abram, a proper name, from Strong’s H48, a compound of Strong’s H1, ab, “father,” + Strong’s H7311, ruwm, “to arise, to be exalted”
H1 is the aleph + bet;
aleph = the ox head, thus strength, power, leader
bet = the house, thus house, household, family, in, within
The story the ancient pictographs are painting is the father as the strong man (aleph) of the house (bet).
H7311 is the resh + vav + mem;
resh = the head of man, thus head, first, top, beginning, man
vav = the tent peg, thus add, secure, hook
mem = the water, thus chaos, mighty, blood
The story the ancient pictographs are painting is of pre-eminence (resh) secured (vav) by might (mem), i.e., to be exalted. Abram means exalted father.
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