Recent Commentaries

In this passage the writer sums up Jacobs words to his sons. They express the theme and blessing that is being passed along through the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The focus of Jacob’s words has been the promise that when the one comes to whom the kingship truly belon …

After the flood there were only eight people alive in the world: Noah and his family. God told them the things they were to do, and He makes a covenant with Noah here in chapter 9: (1) He told Noah to be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth again with people (vv. 1, 7), just …

When Esau returned home and discovered his expected blessing had been given to Jacob, he was furious. Jacob had twice deceived Esau, by taking his birthright (Gen. 25:27-34) and now by taking his blessing. It meant that Esau’s descendants (the Edomites) would occupy a land less fertile than …

The Egyptians were a very demonstrative people. They tore their clothes, smote their breasts, threw dust and mud on their heads and chanted funeral songs with the accompaniment of the tambourine. It was an astonishing sight for the local people. Warren Wiersbe said, “When J …

Laban claimed that Jacob had robbed him of his gods (v. 30) and presented himself as a hurt father (v. 28) and baffled avenger (v. 29). When Laban demanded that Jacob return the gods, Jacob put the death penalty on Rachael not knowing she had taken them (vv. 30-32). He told Laban to go …

In this passage, we find a couple who refuse to take God at His word and decide they need to help Him out (vv. 1-3). The result was tragic, and we are still reaping the consequences today. Human efforts to assist in the fulfilling of divine promises always complicate matters. Under the strict laws …

Genesis 1 is one of the most God-centered chapters in the Bible. No wonder Satan hates it. If the Holy Spirit cannot be trusted when He tells us about creation, how can He be trusted when He tells us about salvation? “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (v. 1). This …

The famine was so great in Canaan that Jacob decided to send his sons (except Benjamin) down to Egypt to buy food (vv. 1-3). Benjamin was the only son by Rachel that he still had, and Jacob did not want something to happen to him (v. 4). Many other people from Canaan went to Egypt to buy …

We are introduced to Rebekah’s brother Laban who on the surface was willing to pay lip service to God (v. 31) but without any real interest in spiritual things. When he heard about the gifts that Rebekah had received he became very interested and ran out to see the servant (vv. 29-30). Later …

This chapter records the first battle in the Bible. It was between four powerful kings of the East and five Jordanian kings (vv. 1-2). The battle took place at the intersection of the Mediterranean – Mesopotamian caravan route (running East to West) and a highway running south to Sodom and …