04-00

God’s Covenant with Abraham

This title can also be translated as: “About how God made a covenant with Abraham” or “Why did God make a covenant with Abraham?”

04-01

Many years after the flood

Many generations had passed since the end of the flood.

there were again many people

Noah’s family multiplied into enough people to fill a city.

the same language

This means there was only one language, so they could all understand each other.

a city

It is best to use a general word for city since the text does not give a specific name.

04-02

a tall tower that would reach heaven

This structure was so tall that its top would be in the sky.

heaven

This could be translated as: “sky.”

04-03

changed their language

In an instant, God miraculously gave them different languages to speak so that, suddenly, they were no longer able to understand each other.

many different languages

Instead of one large group of people speaking one language, there were now many smaller people groups each speaking its own separate language.

spread the people

When God changed their languages, he caused these groups of people to scatter out on the earth. Each group moved to its own area.

Babel

We don’t know the exact location of this city, other than it was somewhere in the ancient Middle East.

confused

This refers to how the people were confused or mixed-up when they could no longer understand each other after God changed their language.

04-04

Hundreds of years later

This could be translated as: “many generations after the people split into different language groups at Babel.” or “a long time after that happened.”

God told him, “Leave your country and family and go to the land I will show you. I will bless you and make you a great nation. I will make your name great. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All families on earth will be blessed because of you.”

This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “God told him to leave his country and family and go to the land he would show him. God would bless him and make him a great nation. He would make his name great. He would bless those who curse Abram and curse those who curse him. All families on earth will be blessed because of you.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])

Leave your country

This refers to the area where Abram was born and grew up (a region in Central Asia called Ur). It could be translated as: “native region” or “homeland” or something similar.

and family

God was calling Abram to leave behind most of his relatives. However, God was not telling Abram to abandon the people he was responsible for, including his wife.

make you a great nation

Here great nation is a metonym that means God would cause Abram to have many descendants, and they would become a large and important nation or country. (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-metonymy/01.md]])

will make your name great

This means that Abram’s name and family would become well-known throughout the world and people would think well of them.

All families on earth will be blessed because of you

This can be stated in active form: “I will bless all families on earth because of you.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-activepassive/01.md]])

All families on earth

Abram’s decision to follow God would affect not only his own family, but also families from every people group on earth.

04-05

He took

Some languages would say: “He brought” here. Others would use two different verbs here, such as: “He caused his wife to come with him” or “He brought along all of their servants and possessions.”

God showed him

Somehow God made it clear to Abram where he was to go. The text doesn’t tell how God showed him.

the land of Canaan

The name of this land was Canaan. This could be translated as: “the land called Canaan.”

04-06

God said, “Look all around you. I will give to you all this land, and your descendants will always possess it.”

This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “God told Abram to look all around, for God would give to him all this land, and his descendants would always possess it.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])

all this land

If Abram was standing on a mountain, he could have seen a very large area. On several occasions, God promised to give the entire land of Canaan to Abram and his descendants.

your descendants will always possess it

God promised to give the land to Abram and also to his descendants.

Then Abram settled in the land

Abram lived there along with all those who had gone there with him.

04-07

Melchizedek blessed Abram and said, “May God Most High who owns heaven and earth bless Abram.”

This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “Melchizedek blessed Abram and asked that God Most High who owns heaven and earth would bless Abram.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])

Melchizedek

Melchizedek was the recognized religious authority in Canaan who received and presented offerings to God.

God Most High

The people of Canaan worshiped many false gods. The title Most High God explains that the God that Melchizedek worshiped was far superior to all of them, and was the same God that Abram worshiped.

04-08

Many years went by

A large number of years had passed since God had first promised that Abram would have a son.

as the stars in the sky

This expression means that Abram’s descendants will be so many that no one can count them all.

04-09

two parties

The parties could be two people, two groups of people, or a person and a group of people.

in this case, God made a promise to Abraham

The promise that God made to Abraham was without conditions. God would do what he promised. It did not depend on what Abraham did.

God said, “I will give you a son from your own body. I give the land of Canaan to your descendants.”

This is direct quotation. It can also be stated as an indirect quotation: “God said he would give Abram a son from his own body, and would give the land of Canaan to his descendants.” (See: [[https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ta/src/branch/master/translate/figs-quotations/01.md]])

from your own body

With his own body, Abram would cause his wife to become pregnant, so that, together, they would have their own, natural son. This was an amazing promise, since Abram and Sarai were very old.

did not have a son

Abram still did not have any descendants who could possess the land.

A Bible story from

These references may be slightly different in some Bible translations.