Genesis 11:29

Genesis 11:29

And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

a. NLT: Meanwhile, Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. (Milcah and her sister Iscah were daughters of Nahor’s brother Haran.) [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. NIV: Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milkah and Iskah. 

c. YLT: And Abram and Nahor take to themselves wives; the name of Abram's wife is Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife is Milcah, daughter of Haran, father of Milcah, and father of Iscah. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Amplified Bible: And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Septuagint: And Abram and Nachor took to themselves wives, the name of the wife of Abram was Sara, and the name of the wife of Nachor, Malcha, daughter of Arrhan, and he was the father of Malcha, the father of Jescha.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: And Abraham and Nahor took themselves wives; the names of Abram’s wive was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of milcah and the father of Iscah. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

1. “And Abram and Nahor took them wives…”

a. Abram [87 * ‘Abram] [Strong: contracted from 48; high father; Abram, the original name of Abraham:--Abram.]

b. Nahor [5152 * Nachowr] [Strong: from the same as 5170; snorer; Nochor, the name of the grandfather and a brother of Abraham:--Nahor.]

c. took [3947 * laqach] [Strong: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

d. wives [802 * ‘ishshah] [Strong: feminine of 376 or 582; irregular plural, nashiym {naw-sheem'}; a woman (used in the same wide sense as 582):--(adulter)ess, each, every, female, X many, + none, one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.]

1). Abram and Nahor were already married before the family moved to Haran from Ur.

2. “…the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai…”

a. the name [8034 * shem] [Strong: a primitive word (perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; Compare 8064); an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character:--+ base, (in-)fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.]

b. Abram’s [87 * ‘Abram] [Strong: contracted from 48; high father; Abram, the original name of Abraham:--Abram.]

c. wife [802 * ‘ishshah] [Strong: feminine of 376 or 582; irregular plural, nashiym {naw-sheem'}; a woman (used in the same wide sense as 582):--(adulter)ess, each, every, female, X many, + none, one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.]

d. was Sarai [8297 * Saray] [Strong: from 8269; dominative; Sarai, the wife of Abraham:--Sarai.]

1). Abram married his half sister, this fact it is not mentioned until Genesis 20:12.

a). Genesis 20:12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

2). Adam Clarke Commentary: Many suppose Sarai and Iscah are the same person under two different names; but this is improbable, as Iscah is expressly said to be the daughter of Haran, and Sarai was the daughter of Terah, and half sister of Abram.

3). It must be noted that at this time in Biblical history man still practiced incest. The time frame for this is approximately 425 years after the flood. Abram, according to Genesis 11:32 and Genesis 12:4, was approximately 75 old when his father Terah died in Haran at 205. This means Abram was born about 352 years after the flood [See Genesis 11:10-26]. Man was still in the replenishing/repopulating mode. It wasn’t until the giving of the Law approximately 440 years later that these practices were forbidden to God’s people by God at Sinai. Marrying a half sister was forbidden after the giving of the law.

a). Leviticus 18:6, 9 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.

18:9The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.

4). Moses’ father married his aunt, his father’s sister, and this was forbidden after the giving of the Law.

a). Exodus 6:20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.

b). Leviticus 18:6 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.

c). Leviticus 18:12 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman.

3. “…and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah…”

a. the name [8034 * shem] [Strong: a primitive word (perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; Compare 8064); an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character:--+ base, (in-)fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.]

b. Nahor’s [5152 * Nachowr] [Strong: from the same as 5170; snorer; Nochor, the name of the grandfather and a brother of Abraham:--Nahor.]

c. wife [802 * ‘ishshah] [Strong: feminine of 376 or 582; irregular plural, nashiym {naw-sheem'}; a woman (used in the same wide sense as 582):--(adulter)ess, each, every, female, X many, + none, one, + together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.]

d. Milcah [4435 * Milkah] [Strong: a form of 4436; queen; Milcah, the name of a Hebrewess and of an Israelite:--Milcah.]

4. “…the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.”

a. daughter [1323 * bath] [Strong: from 1129 (as feminine of 1121); a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively):--apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, X first, X old, + owl, town, village.]

b. Haran [2039 * Haran] [Strong: perhaps from 2022; mountaineer; Haran, the name of two men:--Haran.]

c. father [1 * ‘ab] [Strong: a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application):--chief, (fore-)father(-less), X patrimony, principal. Compare names in "Abi-".]

d. Milcah [4435 * Milkah] [Strong: a form of 4436; queen; Milcah, the name of a Hebrewess and of an Israelite:--Milcah.]

e. father [1 * ‘ab] See “father” above.

f. Iscah [3252 * Yickah] [Strong: from an unused root meaning to watch; observant; Jiskah, sister of Lot:--Iscah.]

1). Verse 29 shows that Haran had three children, Lot, Milcah, and Iscah. It also shows that Nahor, Abram’s brother, married his niece, the daughter of his brother, Haran.

2). Adam Clarke Commentary: Many suppose Sarai and Iscah are the same person under two different names; but this is improbable, as Iscah is expressly said to be the daughter of Haran, and Sarai was the daughter of Terah, and half sister of Abram.