Genesis 11:29-31
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. Now Sarai was barren; she had no child. Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse subtly highlights that Nahor married his niece, Milcah, the daughter of his brother Haran. This detail, seemingly just a family connection, underscores how marriage customs were still fluid before specific laws were given, and it sets the stage for the unique lineage that would eventually lead to God's chosen people.
Following the confusing events at Babel where humanity's languages were scattered, this passage shifts focus to the lineage of Shem, specifically Terah's family. It names Terah's sons—Abram, Nahor, and Haran—and then introduces the wives of Abram and Nahor, establishing key figures in the unfolding story of God's chosen people.
The Bible doesn't shy away from complex family structures. Genesis 11:29 reveals marriages within close relationships, prompting us to consider how these ancient practices align with or differ from our understanding today.
In this passage, we see Abram and Nahor taking wives who are closely related to them.
Marriage Among Relatives
Allowed, But Not Always Preferred
While these marriages were permitted by God at this early stage, later in the Mosaic Law, such unions were forbidden (Leviticus 18:9-14). This highlights how God's will for His people unfolds and becomes more clearly defined over time. Even then, the text often implies a preference for less closely related marriages for the sake of the broader family and lineage, especially as the people of God grew in number.
The verse mentions both Sarai and Iscah. Is this one person or two? The Bible leaves us with a fascinating puzzle that speaks to how identity and names could be understood in ancient times.
Genesis 11:29 presents a genealogical detail that has sparked much discussion: '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.'
Two Names, One Woman?
Many ancient Jewish traditions and some scholars suggest that Sarai and Iscah might be the same person.
Understand the original words
ʿāqār · Hebrew Adjective
In the biblical context, this describes a woman who is unable to conceive or bear children. It carries significant theological weight in the patriarchal narratives, often serving as a catalyst for divine intervention and the demonstration of God's power in fulfilling His covenant promises.
Terach · Hebrew Proper Noun
The proper name of the father of Abraham, Nahor, and Haran. Biblically, he is presented as a patriarch who began the journey from Mesopotamia toward Canaan but stopped in Haran.
Abram · Hebrew Proper Noun
A patriarch of the Israelite people, originally named Abram, chosen by God to be the father of a great nation through whom all families of the earth would be blessed. He serves as the primary model of faith and obedience in the Old Testament.
c. 2100 BC
Tower of Babel event
Humanity, united by a single language, attempts to build a great city and tower to make a name for themselves and prevent scattering. God responds by confusing their languages and scattering them across the earth.
c. 2100-2000 BC
Terah's family migrates from Ur
Terah, along with his son Abram, his grandson Lot, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, leaves Ur of the Chaldeans, heading towards Canaan. They settle in Haran for an extended period.
c. 2000 BC— this verse
Abram and Nahor take wives
Abram marries Sarai, and Nahor marries Milcah, his niece and daughter of his brother Haran. This event occurs while the family is settled in Haran.
c. 1993 BC
Abram leaves Haran
Following Terah's death in Haran, Abram, now 75 years old, receives a direct call from God and departs for the land of Canaan, accompanied by Sarai and Lot.
This verse clarifies that Sarai was Abraham's half-sister, born to a different mother than Abraham. This addresses the scholarly debate about whether Sarai and Iscah were the same person.
Genesis 24:3-4This passage shows that marriage between close relatives, such as an uncle and niece (as Nahor married Milcah), was permitted at this time but later forbidden in the Mosaic Law.
Genesis 12:1-5This passage immediately follows the family introductions and details God's call to Abraham to leave his land and kin, setting the stage for the pivotal journey of faith that stems from this lineage.
Leviticus 18:9-14This passage explicitly lists the incestuous marriages that were forbidden under the Law, highlighting the uncle-niece marriage of Nahor and Milcah as something that was later prohibited.
gillGenesis 11:29: "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."
And Abram and Nahor took them wives,.... Very probably after the death of their elder brother Haran, whose daughters they married, at least one of them did, and some think both: the name of Abraham's wife was Sarai: it is not said whose daughter she was, unless she is the same with Iscah, the daughte…
calvinGenesis 11:1-32: "And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech."
And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
Et dixerunt quisqui ad proximum suum, Agite, laterificemus lateres, et coquamus ad coctionem: et fuit eis later pro lapide, et bitumen fuit eis pro caemento.
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us…
This verse subtly highlights that Nahor married his niece, Milcah, the daughter of his brother Haran. This detail, seemingly just a family connection, underscores how marriage customs were still fluid before specific laws were given, and it sets the stage for the unique lineage that would eventually lead to God's chosen people.
Following the confusing events at Babel where humanity's languages were scattered, this passage shifts focus to the lineage of Shem, specifically Terah's family. It names Terah's sons—Abram, Nahor, and Haran—and then introduces the wives of Abram and Nahor, establishing key figures in the unfolding story of God's chosen people.
Following the confusing events at Babel where humanity's languages were scattered, this passage shifts focus to the lineage of Shem, specifically Terah's family. It names Terah's sons—Abram, Nahor, and Haran—and then introduces the wives of Abram and Nahor, establishing key figures in the unfolding story of God's chosen people.
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Why the Mention?
Ur Kasdim · Hebrew Proper Noun
A geographical region in lower Mesopotamia, associated with Sumerian culture. In the biblical narrative, it represents the place of pagan origins from which God called the patriarchs out into a new land.
Kena'an · Hebrew Proper Noun
The region promised by God to Abraham and his descendants as an everlasting possession. It signifies the place of divine blessing and the specific geographical setting for God's redemptive history with Israel.
Haran · Hebrew Proper Noun
A prominent city in Upper Mesopotamia where Terah's family settled during their migration. It serves as a transitional location in the patriarchal narratives between the ancestral home and the Promised Land.
"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. Now Sarai was barren; she had no child. Terah took Abram his son and Lot the so…" — This verse subtly highlights that Nahor married his niece, Milcah, the daughter of his brother Haran. This detail, seemingly just a family connection, underscores how marriage customs were still flui…
