Genesis 12-14

Genesis
12.4  departed as the Lord had spoken to him...  This seems to mean that he did what the LORD had asked him to.  
12.7  built an altar...  After the Lord appeared to him and promised the land.
12.8  built an altar...
12.20  and they sent him away...
13.4  to the place of the altar...  And there Abram called on the name of the LORD...  Late but still good.
13.8  We are brothers...  followed by a selfless offer.
13.18  built an altar to the LORD...  after the promise of descendants as the dust of the earth.
14. 1  Kings Amraphel, Arioch, Chedorlaomer, and Tidal
14.2  vs. Bera, Birsha, Shinab, Shemeber, and the king of Bela
14.4  B, B, S, S, & B rebelled
14.5  King C attacked the Rephaim, the Zuzim, Emim, and Horites
14.8  and the kings of S, G, A, Z, & B join in battle
14.13  the one who escaped...
14.22  I have raised my hand to the LORD...                 .

Genesis 9-11

Genesis

9.3  Every moving thing shall be food for you...  This both reminds me of the tee-shirt slogan, "There is a place for all God's creatures......right next to the potatoes and gravy."  I'm thinking about the designation of some animals as clean in chapter six and the eventual prohibition to eat unclean animals in Exodus.  I wonder how they got from Genesis six to Exodus.

9.5  from every man's brother I will require the life of man... Capital punishment in some form.

9.6  For in the image of God

        He made man...

This is the reasoning behind a pelethra of things from the reason not to murder to the reason to be fruitful and multiply (God's glory).

9.11  Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood...  Next time fire.

9.16  I will look on it and remember...  These anthropomorphisms (I think this can properly be called one.) add a richness to the text.

9.20  and Noah became a farmer...   I wonder what he was before the flood.

9.22  saw the nakedness...

Translation Note:  Some would translate “had sexual relations with,” arguing that Ham committed a homosexual act with his drunken father for which he was cursed. However, the expression “see nakedness” usually refers to observation of another’s nakedness, not a sexual act (see Gen 42:9, 12 where “nakedness” is used metaphorically to convey the idea of “weakness” or “vulnerability”; Deut 23:14 where “nakedness” refers to excrement; Isa 47:3; Ezek 16:37; Lam 1:8). The following verse (v. 23) clearly indicates that visual observation, not a homosexual act, is in view here. In Lev 20:17 the expression “see nakedness” does appear to be a euphemism for sexual intercourse, but the context there, unlike that of Gen 9:22, clearly indicates that in that passage sexual contact is in view. The expression “see nakedness” does not in itself suggest a sexual connotation. Some relate Gen 9:22 to Lev 18:6-11, 15-19, where the expression “uncover [another’s] nakedness” (the Piel form of גָּלָה, galah) refers euphemistically to sexual intercourse. However, Gen 9:22 does not say Ham “uncovered” the nakedness of his father. According to the text, Noah uncovered himself; Ham merely saw his father naked. The point of the text is that Ham had no respect for his father. Rather than covering his father up, he told his brothers. Noah then gave an oracle that Ham’s descendants, who would be characterized by the same moral abandonment, would be cursed. describes that greater evil of the Canaanites (see vv. 24-28).

Study Note: sn Saw the nakedness. It is hard for modern people to appreciate why seeing another’s nakedness was such an abomination, because nakedness is so prevalent today. In the ancient world, especially in a patriarchal society, seeing another’s nakedness was a major offense. (See the account in Herodotus, Histories 1.8-13, where a general saw the nakedness of his master’s wife, and one of the two had to be put to death.) Besides, Ham was not a little boy wandering into his father’s bedroom; he was over a hundred years old by this time. For fuller discussion see A. P. R  oss, “The Curse of Canaan,” BSac 137 (1980): 223-40.  --NET Bible

10.2  The sons of Japeth...

10.9  The sons of Ham...

10-8-9  Nimrod...a mighty hunter before the Lord...

Translation Note: The Hebrew word for “hunt” is צַיִד (tsayid), which is used on occasion for hunting men (1 Sam 24:12; Jer 16:16; Lam 3:15).

Translation Note:  "before the Lord" Another option is to take the divine name here, לִפְנֵי יִהוָה (lifne yÿhvah, “before the Lord [YHWH]”), as a means of expressing the superlative degree. In this case one may translate “Nimrod was the greatest hunter in the world.”  --NET Bible

10.21  Shem...

11.10  The genealogy of Shem...

11.31  Introducing Abram

12.1  And now the Lord said to Abram...

              .

Genesis 6-8

Genesis

6 .9  Noah walked with God...  He and Enoch. Quite a distinction.
6.15  length of the ark shall be 300 cubits...
6.15  width 50 cubits...
6.16  window...1 cubit...
6.16  window... to 1 cubit above...
6.16  lower, second, and third  for 3 floors...
6.19  2 of every sort...
7.2  take with you 7 of each of every clean animal...
7.2  2 of each of animals that are unclean...
7.4  after  7 more days I will cause it to rain...
7.4  to rain on the earth 40 days and 40 nights...
7.6  Noah was 600 years old...
7.9  2 by 2 they went in...
7.11  in the 600th year of Noah's life...
7.11  2nd month...
7.11  17th day...
7.12  rain was on the earth 40 days and 40 nights...
7.13  the 3 wives of his sons...
7.15  2 by 2, of all flesh...
7.20  The waters prevailed 15 cubits upward...
7.24  the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days...
8.1  And God remembered Noah...
8.3  At the end of the 150 days the waters decreased..
8.4  the ark rested the 7th month...
8.4  the 17th day...
8.5  waters decreased continually until the 10th month...
8.5  1st day of the month...
8.6  at the end of 40 days, that Noah opened the window...
8.10  waited yet another 7 days...
8.13  in the 601st years...
8.13  in the 1st month...
8.13  the 1st day of the month...
8.14  in the 2nd month...
8.14  27th day of the month, the earth was dried...


http://home.earthlink.net/~arktracker/ark/Timeline.html

Genesis 5

Genesis

5.3  Adam

5.6  Seth 

5.9  Enosh

5.12  Cainan 

5.15  Mahalalel  

5.18  Jared

5.21  Enoch

5.25  Methuselah

5.28  Lemech

5.32  Noah 

Some are amazed by how long these men lived, but the things that I find facinating to think about are 1) how long they lived before having kids (How long were they "at home", single, and married without children?  Why did they wait so long?) and 2) how many of them were alive at the same time (Some kind of family reunions! So at what point did you loose track of who all your grandchildren were?)

Name	Born at...	Fathering Age	LifeSpan	Died at...
1	Adam	0	130	930	930
2	Seth	130	105	912	1042
3	Enosh	235	90	905	1140
4	Kenan	325	70	910	1235
5	Mahalalel	395	65	895	1290
6	Jared	460	162	962	1422
7	Enoch	622	65	365	1290*
8	Methuselah	687	187	969	1656
9	Lamech	874	182	777	1651
10	Noah	1056	502	950	2006

http://www.worldwideflood.com/general/noahs_age.htm

Gen 3-4

Genesis

3.1  more cunning...  Hebrew is also translated prudent in Proverbs 12:16; 12:23; 13:16; 14:8; 14:15; 14:18; 22:3; 27:12.  It would be a catchy sermon title, "A Good way to be like the Devil".

3.1  Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?...  It starts with questioning what God's character and Words really were.  Focus is turned to what can't be had.

3.3  nor shall you touch it...  Since 3.17 doesn't say this we have to wonder whether Eve is adding something new or if this is something God did say that was not included in 3.17.  

3.4  You will not surely die...   A half truth designed to cause confusion and questions.  God is not the author of confusion.

3.5  For God knows that...  Now questioning God's motives and the nature of His transendence. 

"What the serpent said about Eve being as God was a half-truth. Ironically she was already as God having been made in His image (1:26). She did become like God, or divine beings (Heb. ‘elohim), in that she obtained a greater knowledge of good and evil by eating of the tree. However, she became less like God because she was no longer innocent of sin. Her relationship with God suffered. Though she remained like God she could no longer enjoy unhindered fellowship with God (3:24). The consequent separation from God is the essence of death (2:17)."   --Thomas Constable

3.6  Now when the woman saw...  it was good, pleasant, and desirable. 

3.7  Their eyes were opened...   similar to 3.5, but with different results.

        they knew that they were naked...  Now this one is an interesting one to ponder.  Why had this not occurred to them before?  What exactly about the fallen nature made them uncomfortable with this?  Who were that concerned would see them?  Something had definintely happened and it didn't seem to be a positive development.

3.11  Have you eaten...  This is a curious question coming from the omniscient God.  Definitely some psychology going on here.

3.14 to the serpent...

3.16  to the woman...

3.15  First recorded promise is Bible is the the first one to sin about the first one who would not sin. (unless you would count "you will surely die as a promise")

3.17  to the man...

4.1  Can...

4.2  Able...

4.4   "Abel’s gift is qualified by ‘firstborn,’ the parallel ‘firstfruits’ does not modify Cain’s... Cain’s sacrifice, however, lacks a parallel to ‘fat.’  --Thomas Constable

4.18  Enoch

3.119  Lamech

Genesis 1-2

Genesis 

-------- light

1.3  The God said, 'Let there be...

1.4  God divided...

1.5  the evening and the morning were the first day...

--------  waters above and below

1.6  Then God said, "Let there be...

1.7  God made and divided

1.8   the evening and the morning were the second day...

---------  land and plants

1.9  Then God said, "Let the waters ... be gathered...

1.10  And God saw that it was good...

1.11  Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth...

1.12  And God saw that it was good...

1.13    the evening and the morning were the third day...

---------  sun, moon and stars

1.12  Then God said, "Let there be...

1.18  And God saw that it was good...

1.19  the evening and the morning were the fourth day...

---------  "fliers and swimmers"

1.20  And God said,  "Let the waters abound...

1.21  And God saw that is was good...

1.22  And God blessed them...

1.23   the morning and the evening were the fifth day...

--------  land animals and man

1.26  And God said, "Let the earth bring forth...

1.25  And God saw that is was good...

1.26  And God said, "Let us make man in Our own image... 

                                      let them have dominion...

1.28  Then God blessed them...

1.29  And God said, "See I have given...

1.31  it was very good...

1.31  the evening and the morning were the sixth day...

--------  rested

2.2  the seventh day...

2.3  The God blessed and sanctified...

2.5  and God had not caused it to rain...

2.11 Pishon...

pi'-shon pi'-son (pishon; the King James Version):
A river of EDEN (which see), said to compass the whole land of Havilah where there is gold, bdellium and onyx stone (Genesis 2:11), most probably identified with the Karun River which comes down from the mountains of Media and formerly emptied into the Persian Gulf.  --International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

2.13  Gihon...

gi'-hon (gichon; Geon):
One of the four rivers of Eden (Genesis 2:13). It is said to compass the Whole land of Cush (Ethiopia), probably a province East of the Tigris. The Gihon is thought by Sayce to be the Kerkha, coming down from Luristan through the province known in the cuneiform texts as Kassi, probably the Cush of the Bible.   --International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

2.14 Hiddekel...

hid'-e-kel (chiddeqel):
One of the rivers of EDEN (which see) (Genesis 2:14, the Revised Version margin "that is, Tigris"; so Septuagint Tigris), said to flow East to Assyria, usually identified with the Tigris, which rises in Armenia near Lake Van and, after flowing Southeast through 8 degrees of latitude, joins the Euphrates in Babylonia to form the Shatt el-'Arab, which runs for 100 miles through a delta which has been formed since the time of Abraham, and now enters the Persian Gulf through 2 branches. About one-third of the distance below its source, and soon after it emerges from the mountains of Kurdistan, the Tigris passes by Mosul, the site of ancient Nineveh, and, lower down at Bagdad, approaches within a few miles of the Euphrates. Here and for many miles below, since the level is lower than that of the Euphrates, numerous canals are conducted to it, irrigating the most fertile portions of Babylonia.  --George Frederick Wright in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

2.14  Euphrates...

I am not real sure why these rivers are mentioned and wonder if the flood might have completely washed the original rivers, Genesis was written by Moses after the flood, so ... ?
2.15  to tend and keep it...
2.17  you shall not eat...