What Does Genesis 11:29 Mean in the King James?
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.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
These marriages bind Abram and Nahor to one family network, with Haran’s daughters carrying the ties into the next generation.
THE MEANING
You encounter a family line as a web of marriages and remembered ties: Abram’s household joins with Sarai, while Nahor’s joins with Milcah, daughter of Haran. Their names carry the senses “my princess” and “queen,” placing a royal register inside this brief account of kinship.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
Abram’s story begins as a self-contained line, detached from the households around him.
THE ROOT
מִלְכָּה
Milkah
GROWS FROM
מלך
m-l-k
To reign or rule; the root behind words for king and royalty.
Milcah’s name means “queen,” from the same consonant-root family as the word for “king.” English presents it as a personal label, while the Hebrew name carries a note of rank within the family record.
ALSO GROWS
melekh: King; ruler.
מֶלֶךְ
This masculine form makes the royal sense carried by Milcah’s name visible.
malkhut: Kingship; reign; kingdom.
מַלְכוּת
This branch extends the root from a ruler to the state or exercise of rule.
שָׂרַי
Sarai
GROWS FROM
שרר
śārar
To rule or hold authority; the root family of a chief or prince.
Sarai is commonly understood as “my princess,” with her name drawing on the chief-and-ruler word family. Beside Milcah, her name gives this household account a second title of rank, though the two names come from distinct roots.
ALSO GROWS
śar: Chief; prince; ruler.
שַׂר
This noun shows the rank-and-leadership sense underlying Sarai’s name.
śārāh: Princess; woman of rank.
שָׂרָה
This feminine form makes the princely sense of Sarai’s name clearer.
THE PATTERN
Scripture makes family ties visible by naming who belongs to whom.
And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.THE THREAD
And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.Milcah’s marriage to Nahor becomes the family line through which Rebekah enters the story. This brief record of marriage and kinship opens into the next generation’s connection.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us