The Skeptics Annotated Bible (24 page)

16 But
in the fourth generation they shall come hither again:
for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

(15.16)
“In the fourth generation they shall come hither again.”
But, if we count Abraham, then their return occurred after seven generations: Abraham, Isaac (Gen 21. 1-3), Jacob (25.19-26), Levi (35.22-23), Kohath (Ex 6.16), Amram (6.18), and Moses (6.20).

17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying,
Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

(15.18)
“Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.”
God promises Abraham’s descendants the land of Canaan from the Nile to the Euphrates. But according to Acts 7.5 and Heb 11.13 God’s promise to Abraham was not fulfilled.

19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,

20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,

21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

16
Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing:
I pray thee, go in unto my maid;
it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

(16.2)
“I pray thee, go in unto my maid.”
Sarah is the first of a long line of barren women who were desperate for children. (In the Bible, it is the women who are barren, never the men.) She sends Abraham in unto her slave, Hagar, so that he can “obtain children by her.” Abraham gladly complies.
16 Is polygamy OK?

3 And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.

6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand;
do to her as it pleaseth thee.
And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

(16.6)
“Do to her as it pleaseth thee.”
Hagar conceives, making Sarah jealous. Abraham tells Sarah to do to Hagar whatever she wants. “And when Sarah dealt hardly with her, she fled.”

7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and
submit thyself under her hands.

(16.9) “
Submit thyself under her hands.”
The angel tells Hagar to return and submit to her abusive owner, Sarah.
42 Does God approve of slavery?

10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.