Genesis 12—50 tells the accounts of Israel’s “patriarchs.” The events of the first three patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (chs. 12—38) take place primarily in Canaan, although Abraham originated in Mesopotamia (Ur and Haran). The life of the patriarch Joseph (chs. 33—50) is set primarily in Egypt.
“Patriarch” refers to the founder or ruler of a tribe, family, or clan. The Israelites traced their ancestry to one man, “the patriarch Abraham” (Heb. 7:4; compare Is. 51:2), and they laid claim to Canaan based on God’s covenant with the first three patriarchs to “possess the land” (Deut. 1:8). The phrase “the patriarchs” eventually referred to Jacob’s twelve sons (Acts 7:8, 9). Exact dates for the period in which they lived cannot be established.
No comments:
Post a Comment