Genesis 11:29 kjv

And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

Genesis 11:29 nkjv

Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah.

Genesis 11:29 niv

Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milkah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milkah and Iskah.

Genesis 11:29 esv

And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah.

Genesis 11:29 nlt

Meanwhile, Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah. (Milcah and her sister Iscah were daughters of Nahor's brother Haran.)

Genesis 11 verses

Genesis 11 29 Meaning

Genesis 11:29 details the marriages of Abram and his brother Nahor. It states that Abram took Sarai as his wife, and Nahor married Milcah, who is identified as the daughter of Haran, Milcah's father, and the father of Iscah. This verse highlights the family lineage directly leading to Abram, providing crucial personal details for the future patriarch.

Genesis 11 29 Context

Genesis 11:29 is situated within the "generations of Terah," Abram's father, following the dispersion from Babel (Gen 11:1-9) and a detailed genealogy from Shem down to Terah's family (Gen 11:10-26). This specific verse provides intimate family details – the marriages of Abram and Nahor – which is a deviation from the previous terse genealogical lists that often focused only on male heirs. This attention to detail for the wives of Abram and Nahor prepares the reader for the narrative significance of Sarai's barrenness immediately after (Gen 11:30) and the later divine promises regarding Abram's offspring. It grounds the future patriarch Abram within a specific family and cultural setting, detailing relationships that will prove important for the unfolding redemptive history. Culturally, marriage within close family ties (like Nahor marrying his niece) was a common practice for maintaining property and lineage.

Genesis 11 29 Word analysis

• And Abram (אַבְרָם, Avram) and Nahor (נָחוֹר, Nachor): Abram is the foundational figure through whom God will establish His covenant. Nahor is his brother. The pairing highlights their shared family origin before Abram's unique call.
• took them wives: The Hebrew vayiqah nashim (וַיִּקַּח נָשִׁים) is a common expression indicating a man taking a woman as his wife, initiating the marriage in that cultural context. It signifies establishing their households.
• the name of Abram's wife was Sarai (שָׂרָי, Saray): Sarai, later renamed Sarah ("princess"), is critical as the mother of Isaac. Her specific naming here immediately draws attention, particularly as the very next verse reveals her barrenness, setting up a central tension for the fulfillment of God's covenant promises to Abram.
• and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah (מִלְכָּה, Milkah): Milcah's name, meaning "queen," is noteworthy. Her identification links her directly to a lineage significant for the next generation of patriarchs.
• the daughter of Haran (חָרָן, Haran): This specifies Milcah's direct relation to Haran, who is Abram and Nahor's brother (Gen 11:27). This means Nahor married his niece, a culturally accepted practice at the time to keep wealth and lineage within the family. Haran is also the father of Lot, Abram's nephew.
• the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah (יִסְכָּה, Yiskah): This precise phrasing, "father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah," serves to unequivocally identify Milcah as Haran's daughter and to introduce Iscah. Iscah, whose name may mean "to look out" or "behold," is only mentioned here and in Gen 11:27 as Haran's child. Her inclusion implies a complete listing of Haran's known children, although she plays no further explicit role in the biblical narrative. Some ancient traditions identify Iscah with Sarai, making Sarai also Haran's daughter. However, the clear biblical testimony in Genesis 20:12 states Sarai is Abram's half-sister ("daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother"), not specifically Haran's daughter by implication from this verse. The verse explicitly separates "Abram's wife Sarai" and "Nahor's wife Milcah, daughter of Haran, and Iscah." This careful distinction should be maintained in interpretation.

Genesis 11 29 Bonus section

The seemingly superfluous mention of Iscah often piques scholarly curiosity. While her identity beyond being Haran's daughter is not developed in Scripture, her presence, alongside Milcah, suggests a complete familial listing from the author's perspective for the original audience. In a culture where family trees and alliances were paramount, the detailed listing of wives and even an unmentioned sister (Iscah) provided a fuller picture of Abram's immediate kinship network from which God would initiate His redemptive plan. The divine plan unfolds not in a vacuum, but within the specifics of human families and their often intricate relationships.

Genesis 11 29 Commentary

Genesis 11:29 marks a pivotal transition in the biblical narrative from general genealogies to the specific details of the family line from whom God will raise up His chosen nation. By naming the wives, especially Sarai and Milcah, the verse introduces key figures vital for future events. Sarai, Abram's wife, is introduced just before the revelation of her barrenness, setting the stage for the miraculous birth of Isaac. This detail elevates the narrative beyond simple historical record, highlighting God's future sovereign work despite human limitations. Milcah, as Nahor's wife and Haran's daughter, establishes a familial connection that will become essential later for the story of Rebekah, ensuring that the covenant lineage will continue through marriage with close, divinely appointed kin. The precise family relationships detailed here—Abram and Nahor are brothers; Haran is their brother; Milcah is Haran’s daughter, hence Nahor marries his niece—underscore the intertwined nature of this foundational family and its customs. It shows God preparing and laying out the human foundations, however complex, for the fulfillment of His great promises. This verse underscores that God's plans are rooted in real people with real families and relationships.