Genesis 11 (WK) - Bible Truth Library

Iscah.Iscah is called the daughter-in-law of Terah, (ver. 31,) as being Abram's wife; yet Abram afterwards said, "she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother." (ch. 20:12.)

Probably Haran was the eldest son of Terah, and Abram his youngest by another wife; and thus Sarai was the daughter, or grand-daughter of Terah, Abram's father, but not of his mother.

• Now we are told in ver. 32 that Terah lived two hundred and five years. As the birth of his eldest occurred when he was seventy, it could not have been Abram; for he was but seventy five years of age as we are told in Gen. 12:4, when he left Charan, after Terah's death. He was not begotten therefore till sixty years after the firstborn. It would seem from the history that Haran was the eldest son, born when his father was seventy. Thereby we can understand how Nahor married Haran's daughter Milcah, his niece, and (if the Jewish tradition were reliable that Iscah and Sarah are the same) Abram did also. We also apprehend more clearly how the granddaughter of Nahor became the wife of Isaac, Abraham's son. Nor is it hard to explain why Sarah should be spoken of as his sister, seeing that Lot is spoken of as his brother, though strictly his brother's son. (“Genesis 11:10-26: 4. Ages” by W. Kelly)

• Nevertheless I cannot but believe that the words of Abram to Abimelech (Gen. 20:12) point more naturally to Terah as Sarah's father by a second and later wife, as she was ten years younger than her husband. Scripture does not hide the facts which were at issue with the law given at a later day; but it is easy to see that the Jews might endeavor to soften or get rid of what was discreditable by a so called tradition, and might seek to confirm their wish by any phrase of scripture which could lend it color. (“Genesis 11:10-26: 4. Ages” by W. Kelly)

• Of Milcah we hear but little. She was Haran's daughter and Nahor's wife, and as Gen. 22 and 24 inform us, mother of Bethuel and seven other sons. Bethuel was father of Laban and Rebekah, of whom so much is said there or afterward. (“Genesis 11:29-30” by W. Kelly)

J. N. Darby Translation

And Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Saraid; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, a daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah.

JND Translation Notes

My princess.

W. Kelly Translation

And Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram’s wife [was] Sarah; and the name of Nahor’s wife Milcah, a daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah.