So a man will leave his father and mother [^Cin the sense of a new primary loyalty] and be united with his wife, and the two will become one ·body [^Tflesh].

Abel brought the ·best parts [fat portions; Lev. 3:16] from some of the firstborn of his flock [Heb. 11:4]. The Lord ·accepted [looked with favor on] Abel and his ·gift [tribute],

Adah gave birth to Jabal, who ·became the first person to [^Lwas the father of those who] live in tents and raise ·cattle [livestock].

Jabal’s brother was Jubal, the ·first person to [^Lfather of all who] play the ·harp [or lyre] and ·flute [pipe].

When Adam was 130 years old, he became the father of another son in his likeness and image [^Cindicating he was like Adam and that he also bore God’s image], and Adam named him Seth [4:25].

After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth [9:18–29; 10].

Noah and His Sons

The sons of Noah who came out of the ·boat [ark] with him were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.)

Ham, the father of Canaan, looked at his naked father and told his [^Ltwo] brothers outside [^Can act of disrespect; he should have helped his father, as in the next verse].

Then Shem and Japheth got a coat and, carrying it on both their shoulders, they walked backwards into the tent and covered [^Lthe nakedness of] their father. They turned their faces away so that they did not see their father’s nakedness [^Cthey acted appropriately according to ancient custom].

Mizraim [10:6] was the father of the ·Ludites [^Cprobably the Lydians], Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites,

Canaan [^Cthe son of Ham whom Noah cursed; 9:25–27] was the father of Sidon [^Cname of a famous coastal city in Syria], his first son, and of Heth [^Cancestor of the Hittites, important inhabitants of Asia Minor].

He was also the father of the Jebusites [^Cpre-Israelite inhabitants of Jerusalem], Amorites, Girgashites,

Shem’s Sons

Shem, Japheth’s older brother, also had sons. One of his descendants was the father of all the sons of Eber [^Cthe Israelites were descended from Shem through Eber].

Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, who was the father of Eber.

Eber was the father of two sons—one named Peleg [^Crelated to the Hebrew word for “divided”], because the earth was divided during his life, and the other was named Joktan.

Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,

The Story of Terah’s Family

·This is the family history [^LThese are the generations; 2:4] of Terah. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot.

While his father, Terah, was still alive, Haran died in Ur [^Ca major city in southern Mesopotamia] ·in Babylonia [^Lof the Chaldeans; ^CChaldea was another name for Babylon], where he was born.

Abram and Nahor both ·married [^Ltook wives]. Abram’s wife was named Sarai, and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah. She was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of both Milcah and Iscah.

God Calls Abram

The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s ·family [^Lhouse], and go to the land I will show you [^CCanaan, the Promised Land].

And you, Abram, will ·die [^Lgo to your fathers/ancestors] in peace and will be buried at an old age.

After the sun went down, it was very dark. Suddenly a smoking firepot and a blazing torch [^Cfire and smoke often represent God] passed between the ·halves of the dead animals [^Lpieces; ^Ca self-curse ritual; by passing between the pieces of the sacrifice, one vowed to keep an agreement or suffer the same fate as the animals].

“I am making my ·agreement [covenant; treaty; 6:18] with you: I will make you the father of ·many [^La host/multitude of] nations.

I am changing your name from Abram [^Cmeaning “exalted father”] to Abraham [^Csounds like “father of a multitude” in Hebrew] because I am making you a father of ·many [^La host/multitude of] nations.

I will bless her and give ·her a son, and you will be the father [^Lfrom her to you a son]. She will ·be the mother of [give rise to] many nations. Kings of nations will come from her.”