Keluaran 6:14-16
Konteks6:14 1 These are the heads of their fathers’ households: 2
The sons 3 of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel, were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the clans 4 of Reuben.
6:15 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.
6:16 Now these are the names of the sons of Levi, according to their records: 5 Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. (The length of Levi’s life was 137 years.)
Kejadian 29:31--30:21
Konteks29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, 6 he enabled her to become pregnant 7 while Rachel remained childless. 29:32 So Leah became pregnant 8 and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, 9 for she said, “The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. 10 Surely my husband will love me now.”
29:33 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Because the Lord heard that I was unloved, 11 he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. 12
29:34 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Now this time my husband will show me affection, 13 because I have given birth to three sons for him.” That is why he was named Levi. 14
29:35 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” That is why she named him Judah. 15 Then she stopped having children.
30:1 When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she 16 became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children 17 or I’ll die!” 30:2 Jacob became furious 18 with Rachel and exclaimed, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” 19 30:3 She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with 20 her so that she can bear 21 children 22 for me 23 and I can have a family through her.” 24
30:4 So Rachel 25 gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had marital relations with 26 her. 30:5 Bilhah became pregnant 27 and gave Jacob a son. 28 30:6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer 29 and given me a son.” That is why 30 she named him Dan. 31
30:7 Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, became pregnant again and gave Jacob another son. 32 30:8 Then Rachel said, “I have fought a desperate struggle with my sister, but I have won.” 33 So she named him Naphtali. 34
30:9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave 35 her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. 30:10 Soon Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob a son. 36 30:11 Leah said, “How fortunate!” 37 So she named him Gad. 38
30:12 Then Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob another son. 39 30:13 Leah said, “How happy I am, 40 for women 41 will call me happy!” So she named him Asher. 42
30:14 At the time 43 of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants 44 in a field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 30:15 But Leah replied, 45 “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes too?” “All right,” 46 Rachel said, “he may sleep 47 with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 30:16 When Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must sleep 48 with me because I have paid for your services 49 with my son’s mandrakes.” So he had marital relations 50 with her that night. 30:17 God paid attention 51 to Leah; she became pregnant 52 and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time. 53 30:18 Then Leah said, “God has granted me a reward 54 because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife.” 55 So she named him Issachar. 56
30:19 Leah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a son for the sixth time. 57 30:20 Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will honor me because I have given him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. 58
30:21 After that she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
Kejadian 35:18
Konteks35:18 With her dying breath, 59 she named him Ben-Oni. 60 But his father called him Benjamin instead. 61
Kejadian 35:23-26
Konteks35:23 The sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, as well as Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
35:24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
35:25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.
35:26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher.
These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
Kejadian 46:8-26
Konteks46:8 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt – Jacob and his sons:
Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob.
46:9 The sons of Reuben:
Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
46:10 The sons of Simeon:
Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar,
and Shaul (the son of a Canaanite woman).
46:11 The sons of Levi:
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
46:12 The sons of Judah:
Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah
(but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan).
The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
46:13 The sons of Issachar:
Tola, Puah, 62 Jashub, 63 and Shimron.
46:14 The sons of Zebulun:
Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
46:15 These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, along with Dinah his daughter. His sons and daughters numbered thirty-three in all. 64
46:16 The sons of Gad:
Zephon, 65 Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
46:17 The sons of Asher:
Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister.
The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel.
46:18 These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, sixteen in all.
46:19 The sons of Rachel the wife of Jacob:
Joseph and Benjamin.
46:20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, 66 bore them to him.
46:21 The sons of Benjamin: 67
Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.
46:22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob, fourteen in all.
46:23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 68
46:24 The sons of Naphtali:
Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
46:25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, seven in all.
46:26 All the direct descendants of Jacob who went to Egypt with him were sixty-six in number. (This number does not include the wives of Jacob’s sons.) 69
Kejadian 49:3-27
Konteks49:3 Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might and the beginning of my strength,
outstanding in dignity, outstanding in power.
49:4 You are destructive 70 like water and will not excel, 71
for you got on your father’s bed, 72
then you defiled it – he got on my couch! 73
49:5 Simeon and Levi are brothers,
weapons of violence are their knives! 74
49:6 O my soul, do not come into their council,
do not be united to their assembly, my heart, 75
for in their anger they have killed men,
and for pleasure they have hamstrung oxen.
49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce,
and their fury, for it was cruel.
I will divide them in Jacob,
and scatter them in Israel! 76
49:8 Judah, 77 your brothers will praise you.
Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies,
your father’s sons will bow down before you.
49:9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah,
from the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He crouches and lies down like a lion;
like a lioness – who will rouse him?
49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, 78
until he comes to whom it belongs; 79
the nations will obey him. 80
49:11 Binding his foal to the vine,
and his colt to the choicest vine,
he will wash 81 his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
49:12 His eyes will be dark from wine,
and his teeth white from milk. 82
49:13 Zebulun will live 83 by the haven of the sea
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend to Sidon. 84
49:14 Issachar is a strong-boned donkey
lying down between two saddlebags.
49:15 When he sees 85 a good resting place,
and the pleasant land,
he will bend his shoulder to the burden
and become a slave laborer. 86
49:16 Dan 87 will judge 88 his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
49:17 May Dan be a snake beside the road,
a viper by the path,
that bites the heels of the horse
so that its rider falls backward. 89
49:18 I wait for your deliverance, O Lord. 90
49:19 Gad will be raided by marauding bands,
but he will attack them at their heels. 91
49:20 Asher’s 92 food will be rich, 93
and he will provide delicacies 94 to royalty.
49:21 Naphtali is a free running doe, 95
he speaks delightful words. 96
49:22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, 97
a fruitful bough near a spring
whose branches 98 climb over the wall.
49:23 The archers will attack him, 99
they will shoot at him and oppose him.
49:24 But his bow will remain steady,
and his hands 100 will be skillful;
because of the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of 101 the Shepherd, the Rock 102 of Israel,
49:25 because of the God of your father,
who will help you, 103
because of the sovereign God, 104
who will bless you 105
with blessings from the sky above,
blessings from the deep that lies below,
and blessings of the breasts and womb. 106
49:26 The blessings of your father are greater
than 107 the blessings of the eternal mountains 108
or the desirable things of the age-old hills.
They will be on the head of Joseph
and on the brow of the prince of his brothers. 109
49:27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning devouring the prey,
and in the evening dividing the plunder.”
Kejadian 49:1
Konteks49:1 Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather together so I can tell you 110 what will happen to you in the future. 111
Kejadian 2:1-2
Konteks2:1 The heavens and the earth 112 were completed with everything that was in them. 113 2:2 By 114 the seventh day God finished the work that he had been doing, 115 and he ceased 116 on the seventh day all the work that he had been doing.
Kejadian 12:1
Konteks12:1 Now the Lord said 117 to Abram, 118
“Go out 119 from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household
to the land that I will show you. 120
Kejadian 27:16-22
Konteks27:16 She put the skins of the young goats 121 on his hands 122 and the smooth part of his neck. 27:17 Then she handed 123 the tasty food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.
27:18 He went to his father and said, “My father!” Isaac 124 replied, “Here I am. Which are you, my son?” 125 27:19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I’ve done as you told me. Now sit up 126 and eat some of my wild game so that you can bless me.” 127 27:20 But Isaac asked his son, “How in the world 128 did you find it so quickly, 129 my son?” “Because the Lord your God brought it to me,” 130 he replied. 131 27:21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you, 132 my son, and know for certain if you really are my son Esau.” 133 27:22 So Jacob went over to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s.”
Wahyu 7:4-8
Konteks7:4 Now 134 I heard the number of those who were marked with the seal, 135 one hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed from all 136 the tribes of the people of Israel: 137
7:5 From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand,
7:6 from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand,
7:7 from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand,
7:8 from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.
[6:14] 1 sn This list of names shows that Moses and Aaron are in the line of Levi that came to the priesthood. It helps to identify them and authenticate them as spokesmen for God within the larger history of Israel. As N. M. Sarna observes, “Because a genealogy inherently symbolizes vigor and continuity, its presence here also injects a reassuring note into the otherwise despondent mood” (Exodus [JPSTC], 33).
[6:14] 2 tn The expression is literally “the house of their fathers.” This expression means that the household or family descended from a single ancestor. It usually indicates a subdivision of a tribe, that is, a clan, or the subdivision of a clan, that is, a family. Here it refers to a clan (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 46).
[6:14] 4 tn Or “families,” and so throughout the genealogy.
[29:31] 6 tn Heb “hated.” The rhetorical device of overstatement is used (note v. 30, which says simply that Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah) to emphasize that Rachel, as Jacob’s true love and the primary object of his affections, had an advantage over Leah.
[29:31] 7 tn Heb “he opened up her womb.”
[29:32] 8 tn Or “Leah conceived” (also in vv. 33, 34, 35).
[29:32] 9 sn The name Reuben (רְאוּבֵן, rÿ’uven) means “look, a son.”
[29:32] 10 tn Heb “looked on my affliction.”
[29:32] sn Leah’s explanation of the name Reuben reflects a popular etymology, not an exact one. The name means literally “look, a son.” Playing on the Hebrew verb “look,” she observes that the
[29:33] 11 tn Heb “hated.” See the note on the word “unloved” in v. 31.
[29:33] 12 sn The name Simeon (שִׁמְעוֹן, shim’on) is derived from the verbal root שָׁמַע (shama’) and means “hearing.” The name is appropriate since it is reminder that the
[29:34] 13 tn Heb “will be joined to me.”
[29:34] 14 sn The name Levi (לֵוִי, levi), the precise meaning of which is debated, was appropriate because it sounds like the verb לָוָה (lavah, “to join”), used in the statement recorded earlier in the verse.
[29:35] 15 sn The name Judah (יְהוּדָה, yÿhudah) means “he will be praised” and reflects the sentiment Leah expresses in the statement recorded earlier in the verse. For further discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names ‘Israel’ and ‘Judah’ with an Excursus on the Etymology of Todah and Torah,” JBL 46 (1927): 151-85; and A. R. Millard, “The Meaning of the Name Judah,” ZAW 86 (1974): 216-18.
[30:1] 16 tn Heb “Rachel.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“she”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:2] 18 tn Heb “and the anger of Jacob was hot.”
[30:2] 19 tn Heb “who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb.”
[30:3] 20 tn Heb “go in to.” The expression “go in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.
[30:3] 21 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates the immediate purpose of the proposed activity.
[30:3] 22 tn The word “children” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:3] 23 tn Heb “upon my knees.” This is an idiomatic way of saying that Bilhah will be simply a surrogate mother. Rachel will adopt the child as her own.
[30:3] 24 tn Heb “and I will be built up, even I, from her.” The prefixed verbal form with the conjunction is subordinated to the preceding prefixed verbal form and gives the ultimate purpose for the proposed action. The idiom of “built up” here refers to having a family (see Gen 16:2, as well as Ruth 4:11 and BDB 125 s.v. בָנָה).
[30:4] 25 tn Heb “and she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:4] 26 tn Heb “went in to.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.
[30:5] 27 tn Or “Bilhah conceived” (also in v. 7).
[30:5] 28 tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a son.”
[30:6] 29 tn Heb “and also he has heard my voice.” The expression means that God responded positively to Rachel’s cry and granted her request.
[30:6] 31 sn The name Dan means “he vindicated” or “he judged.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. The verb translated “vindicated” is from דִּין (din, “to judge, to vindicate”), the same verbal root from which the name is derived. Rachel sensed that God was righting the wrong.
[30:7] 32 tn Heb “and she became pregnant again and Bilhah, the servant of Rachel, bore a second son for Jacob.”
[30:8] 33 tn Heb “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister, also I have prevailed.” The phrase “mighty struggle” reads literally “struggles of God.” The plural participle “struggles” reflects the ongoing nature of the struggle, while the divine name is used here idiomatically to emphasize the intensity of the struggle. See J. Skinner, Genesis (ICC), 387.
[30:8] 34 sn The name Naphtali (נַפְתָּלִי, naftali) must mean something like “my struggle” in view of the statement Rachel made in the preceding clause. The name plays on this earlier statement, “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister.”
[30:9] 35 tn Heb “she took her servant Zilpah and gave her.” The verbs “took” and “gave” are treated as a hendiadys in the translation: “she gave.”
[30:10] 36 tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore for Jacob a son.”
[30:11] 37 tc The statement in the Kethib (consonantal text) appears to mean literally “with good fortune,” if one takes the initial בְּ (bet) as a preposition indicating accompaniment. The Qere (marginal reading) means “good fortune has arrived.”
[30:11] 38 sn The name Gad (גָּד, gad) means “good fortune.” The name reflects Leah’s feeling that good fortune has come her way, as expressed in her statement recorded earlier in the verse.
[30:12] 39 tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore a second son for Jacob.”
[30:13] 40 tn The Hebrew statement apparently means “with my happiness.”
[30:13] 41 tn Heb “daughters.”
[30:13] 42 sn The name Asher (אָשֶׁר, ’asher) apparently means “happy one.” The name plays on the words used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. Both the Hebrew noun and verb translated “happy” and “call me happy,” respectively, are derived from the same root as the name Asher.
[30:14] 43 tn Heb “during the days.”
[30:14] 44 sn Mandrake plants were popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac in the culture of the time.
[30:15] 45 tn Heb “and she said to her”; the referent of the pronoun “she” (Leah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:15] 46 tn Heb “therefore.”
[30:15] 47 tn Heb “lie down.” The expression “lie down with” in this context (here and in the following verse) refers to sexual intercourse. The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.
[30:16] 48 tn Heb “must come in to me.” The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. She has acquired him for the night and feels he is obligated to have sexual relations with her.
[30:16] 49 tn Heb “I have surely hired.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form for emphasis. The name Issachar (see v. 18) seems to be related to this expression.
[30:16] 50 tn This is the same Hebrew verb (שָׁכַב, shakhav) translated “sleep with” in v. 15. In direct discourse the more euphemistic “sleep with” was used, but here in the narrative “marital relations” reflects more clearly the emphasis on sexual intercourse.
[30:17] 51 tn Heb “listened to.”
[30:17] 52 tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 19).
[30:17] 53 tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a fifth son,” i.e., this was the fifth son that Leah had given Jacob.
[30:18] 54 tn Heb “God has given my reward.”
[30:18] 55 tn The words “as a wife” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity (cf. v. 9).
[30:18] sn Leah seems to regard the act of giving her servant Zilpah to her husband as a sacrifice, for which (she believes) God is now rewarding her with the birth of a son.
[30:18] 56 sn The name Issachar (יְשָּׁשכָר, yishakhar) appears to mean “man of reward” or possibly “there is reward.” The name plays on the word used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew noun translated “reward” is derived from the same root as the name Issachar. The irony is that Rachel thought the mandrakes would work for her, and she was willing to trade one night for them. But in that one night Leah became pregnant.
[30:19] 57 tn Heb “and she bore a sixth son for Jacob,” i.e., this was the sixth son that Leah had given Jacob.
[30:20] 58 sn The name Zebulun (זְבֻלוּן, zevulun) apparently means “honor.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew verb translated “will honor” and the name Zebulun derive from the same root.
[35:18] 59 tn Heb “in the going out of her life, for she was dying.” Rachel named the child with her dying breath.
[35:18] 60 sn The name Ben-Oni means “son of my suffering.” It is ironic that Rachel’s words to Jacob in Gen 30:1, “Give me children or I’ll die,” take a different turn here, for it was having the child that brought about her death.
[35:18] 61 tn The disjunctive clause is contrastive.
[35:18] sn His father called him Benjamin. There was a preference for giving children good or positive names in the ancient world, and “son of my suffering” would not do (see the incident in 1 Chr 4:9-10), because it would be a reminder of the death of Rachel (in this connection, see also D. Daube, “The Night of Death,” HTR 61 [1968]: 629-32). So Jacob named him Benjamin, which means “son of the [or “my”] right hand.” The name Benjamin appears in the Mari texts. There have been attempts to connect this name to the resident tribe listed at Mari, “sons of the south” (since the term “right hand” can also mean “south” in Hebrew), but this assumes a different reading of the story. See J. Muilenburg, “The Birth of Benjamin,” JBL 75 (1956): 194-201.
[46:13] 62 tc The MT reads “Puvah” (cf. Num 26:23); the Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac read “Puah” (cf. 1 Chr 7:1).
[46:13] 63 tc The MT reads “Iob,” but the Samaritan Pentateuch and some LXX
[46:15] 64 tn Heb “all the lives of his sons and his daughters, thirty-three.”
[46:16] 65 tc The MT reads “Ziphion,” but see Num 26:15, the Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX, all of which read “Zephon.”
[46:20] 66 sn On is another name for the city of Heliopolis.
[46:21] 67 sn The sons of Benjamin. It is questionable whether youthful Benjamin had ten sons by the time he went into Egypt, but it is not impossible. If Benjamin was born when Joseph was six or seven, he was ten when Joseph was sold into Egypt, and would have been thirty-two at this point. Some suggest that the list originally served another purpose and included the names of all who were in the immediate family of the sons, whether born in Canaan or later in Egypt.
[46:23] 68 tn This name appears as “Shuham” in Num 26:42. The LXX reads “Hashum” here.
[46:26] 69 tn Heb “All the people who went with Jacob to Egypt, the ones who came out of his body, apart from the wives of the sons of Jacob, all the people were sixty-six.”
[46:26] sn The number sixty-six includes the seventy-one descendants (including Dinah) listed in vv. 8-25 minus Er and Onan (deceased), and Joseph, Manasseh, and Ephraim (already in Egypt).
[49:4] 70 tn The Hebrew noun פַּחַז (pakhaz) only occurs here in the OT. A related verb occurs twice in the prophets (Jer 23:32; Zeph 3:4) for false prophets inventing their messages, and once in Judges for unscrupulous men bribed to murder (Judg 9:4). It would describe Reuben as being “frothy, boiling, turbulent” as water. The LXX has “run riot,” the Vulgate has “poured out,” and Tg. Onq. has “you followed your own direction.” It is a reference to Reuben’s misconduct in Gen 35, but the simile and the rare word invite some speculation. H. Pehlke suggests “destructive like water,” for Reuben acted with pride and presumption; see his “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Genesis 49:1-28” (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1985).
[49:4] 71 tn Heb “Do not excel!” The Hiphil of the verb יָתַר (yatar) has this meaning only here. The negated jussive is rhetorical here. Rather than being a command, it anticipates what will transpire. The prophecy says that because of the character of the ancestor, the tribe of Reuben would not have the character to lead (see 1 Chr 5:1).
[49:4] 72 sn This is a euphemism for having sexual intercourse with Jacob’s wives (see Gen 35:22).
[49:4] 73 tn The last verb is third masculine singular, as if for the first time Jacob told the brothers, or let them know that he knew. For a discussion of this passage see S. Gevirtz, “The Reprimand of Reuben,” JNES 30 (1971): 87-98.
[49:5] 74 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מְכֵרָה (mÿkherah) is uncertain. It has been rendered (1) “habitations”; (2) “merchandise”; (3) “counsels”; (4) “swords”; (5) “wedding feasts.” If it is from the verb כָּרַת (karat) and formed after noun patterns for instruments and tools (maqtil, miqtil form), then it would refer to “knives.” Since the verb is used in Exod 4:25 for circumcision, the idea would be “their circumcision knives,” an allusion to the events of Gen 34 (see M. J. Dahood, “‘MKRTYHM’ in Genesis 49,5,” CBQ 23 [1961]: 54-56). Another explanation also connects the word to the events of Gen 34 as a reference to the intended “wedding feast” for Dinah which could take place only after the men of Shechem were circumcised (see D. W. Young, “A Ghost Word in the Testament of Jacob (Gen 49:5)?” JBL 100 [1981]: 335-422).
[49:6] 75 tn The Hebrew text reads “my glory,” but it is preferable to repoint the form and read “my liver.” The liver was sometimes viewed as the seat of the emotions and will (see HALOT 456 s.v. II כָּבֵד) for which the heart is the modern equivalent.
[49:7] 76 sn Divide…scatter. What is predicted here is a division of their tribes. Most commentators see here an anticipation of Levi being in every area but not their own. That may be part of it, but not entirely what the curse intended. These tribes for their ruthless cruelty would be eliminated from the power and prestige of leadership.
[49:8] 77 sn There is a wordplay here; the name Judah (יְהוּדָה, yÿhudah) sounds in Hebrew like the verb translated praise (יוֹדוּךָ, yodukha). The wordplay serves to draw attention to the statement as having special significance.
[49:10] 78 tn Or perhaps “from his descendants,” taking the expression “from between his feet” as a euphemism referring to the genitals. In this case the phrase refers by metonymy to those who come forth from his genitals, i.e., his descendants.
[49:10] 79 tn The Hebrew form שִׁילֹה (shiloh) is a major interpretive problem. There are at least four major options (with many variations and less likely alternatives): (1) Some prefer to leave the text as it is, reading “Shiloh” and understanding it as the place where the ark rested for a while in the time of the Judges. (2) By repointing the text others arrive at the translation “until the [or “his”] ruler comes,” a reference to a Davidic ruler or the Messiah. (3) Another possibility that does not require emendation of the consonantal text, but only repointing, is “until tribute is brought to him” (so NEB, JPS, NRSV), which has the advantage of providing good parallelism with the following line, “the nations will obey him.” (4) The interpretation followed in the present translation, “to whom it [belongs]” (so RSV, NIV, REB), is based on the ancient versions. Again, this would refer to the Davidic dynasty or, ultimately, to the Messiah.
[49:10] 80 tn “and to him [will be] the obedience of the nations.” For discussion of this verse see J. Blenkinsopp, “The Oracle of Judah and the Messianic Entry,” JBL 80 (1961): 55-64; and E. M. Good, “The ‘Blessing’ on Judah,” JBL 82 (1963): 427-32.
[49:11] 81 tn The perfect verbal form is used rhetorically, describing coming events as though they have already taken place.
[49:12] 82 tn Some translate these as comparatives, “darker than wine…whiter than milk,” and so a reference to his appearance (so NEB, NIV, NRSV). But if it is in the age of abundance, symbolized by wine and milk, then the dark (i.e., red or perhaps dull) eyes would be from drinking wine, and the white teeth from drinking milk.
[49:13] 83 tn The verb שָׁכַן (shakhan) means “to settle,” but not necessarily as a permanent dwelling place. The tribal settlements by the sea would have been temporary and not the tribe’s territory.
[49:13] 84 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[49:15] 85 tn The verb forms in this verse (“sees,” “will bend,” and “[will] become”) are preterite; they is used in a rhetorical manner, describing the future as if it had already transpired.
[49:15] 86 sn The oracle shows that the tribe of Issachar will be willing to trade liberty for the material things of life. Issachar would work (become a slave laborer) for the Canaanites, a reversal of the oracle on Canaan. See C. M. Carmichael, “Some Sayings in Genesis 49,” JBL 88 (1969): 435-44; and S. Gevirtz, “The Issachar Oracle in the Testament of Jacob,” ErIsr 12 (1975): 104-12.
[49:16] 87 sn The name Dan (דָּן, dan) means “judge” and forms a wordplay with the following verb.
[49:17] 89 sn The comparison of the tribe of Dan to a venomous serpent is meant to say that Dan, though small, would be potent, gaining victory through its skill and shrewdness. Jewish commentators have linked the image in part with Samson. That link at least illustrates the point: Though a minority tribe, Dan would gain the upper hand over others.
[49:18] 90 sn I wait for your deliverance, O
[49:19] 91 tc Heb “heel.” The MT has suffered from misdivision at this point. The initial mem on the first word in the next verse should probably be taken as a plural ending on the word “heel.”
[49:19] sn In Hebrew the name Gad (גָּד, gad ) sounds like the words translated “raided” (יְגוּדֶנּוּ, yÿgudennu) and “marauding bands” (גְּדוּד, gÿdud).
[49:20] 92 tc Heb “from Asher,” but the initial mem (מ) of the MT should probably be moved to the end of the preceding verse and taken as a plural ending on “heel.”
[49:20] 93 tn The Hebrew word translated “rich,” when applied to products of the ground, means abundant in quantity and quality.
[49:20] 94 tn The word translated “delicacies” refers to foods that were delightful, the kind fit for a king.
[49:21] 95 tn Heb “a doe set free.”
[49:21] 96 tn Heb “the one who gives words of beauty.” The deer imagery probably does not continue into this line; Naphtali is the likely antecedent of the substantival participle, which is masculine, not feminine, in form. If the animal imagery is retained from the preceding line, the image of a talking deer is preposterous. For this reason some read the second line “the one who bears beautiful fawns,” interpreting אִמְרֵי (’imre) as a reference to young animals, not words (see HALOT 67 s.v. *אִמֵּר).
[49:21] sn Almost every word in the verse is difficult. Some take the imagery to mean that Naphtali will be swift and agile (like a doe), and be used to take good messages (reading “words of beauty”). Others argue that the tribe was free-spirited (free running), but then settled down with young children.
[49:22] 97 tn The Hebrew text appears to mean “[is] a son of fruitfulness.” The second word is an active participle, feminine singular, from the verb פָּרָה (parah, “to be fruitful”). The translation “bough” is employed for בֵּן (ben, elsewhere typically “son”) because Joseph is pictured as a healthy and fruitful vine growing by the wall. But there are difficulties with this interpretation. The word “son” nowhere else refers to a plant and the noun translated “branches” (Heb “daughters”) in the third line is a plural form whereas its verb is singular. In the other oracles of Gen 49 an animal is used for comparison and not a plant, leading some to translate the opening phrase בֵּן פָּרָה (ben parah, “fruitful bough”) as “wild donkey” (JPS, NAB). Various other interpretations involving more radical emendation of the text have also been offered.
[49:22] 98 tn Heb “daughters.”
[49:23] 99 tn The verb forms in vv. 23-24 are used in a rhetorical manner, describing future events as if they had already taken place.
[49:24] 100 tn Heb “the arms of his hands.”
[49:24] 101 tn Heb “from there,” but the phrase should be revocalized and read “from [i.e., because of] the name of.”
[49:25] 103 tn Heb “and he will help you.”
[49:25] 104 tn Heb “Shaddai.” See the note on the title “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1. The preposition אֵת (’et) in the Hebrew text should probably be emended to אֵל (’el, “God”).
[49:25] 105 tn Heb “and he will bless you.”
[49:25] 106 sn Jacob envisions God imparting both agricultural (blessings from the sky above, blessings from the deep that lies below) and human fertility (blessings of the breasts and womb) to Joseph and his family.
[49:26] 107 tn Heb “have prevailed over.”
[49:26] 108 tn One could interpret the phrase הוֹרַי (horay) to mean “my progenitors” (literally, “the ones who conceived me”), but the masculine form argues against this. It is better to emend the text to הַרֲרֵי (harare, “mountains of”) because it forms a better parallel with the next clause. In this case the final yod (י) on the form is a construct plural marker, not a pronominal suffix.
[49:26] 109 tn For further discussion of this passage, see I. Sonne, “Genesis 49:24-26,” JBL 65 (1946): 303-6.
[49:1] 110 tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.
[49:1] 111 tn The expression “in the future” (אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים, ’akharit hayyamim, “in the end of days”) is found most frequently in prophetic passages; it may refer to the end of the age, the eschaton, or to the distant future. The contents of some of the sayings in this chapter stretch from the immediate circumstances to the time of the settlement in the land to the coming of Messiah. There is a great deal of literature on this chapter, including among others C. Armerding, “The Last Words of Jacob: Genesis 49,” BSac 112 (1955): 320-28; H. Pehlke, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Genesis 49:1-28” (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1985); and B. Vawter, “The Canaanite Background of Genesis 49,” CBQ 17 (1955): 1-18.
[2:1] 112 tn See the note on the phrase “the heavens and the earth” in 1:1.
[2:1] 113 tn Heb “and all the host of them.” Here the “host” refers to all the entities and creatures that God created to populate the world.
[2:2] 114 tn Heb “on/in the seventh day.”
[2:2] 115 tn Heb “his work which he did [or “made”].”
[2:2] 116 tn The Hebrew term שָׁבַּת (shabbat) can be translated “to rest” (“and he rested”) but it basically means “to cease.” This is not a rest from exhaustion; it is the cessation of the work of creation.
[12:1] 117 sn The
[12:1] 118 tn The call of Abram begins with an imperative לֶךְ־לְךָ (lekh-lÿkha, “go out”) followed by three cohortatives (v. 2a) indicating purpose or consequence (“that I may” or “then I will”). If Abram leaves, then God will do these three things. The second imperative (v. 2b, literally “and be a blessing”) is subordinated to the preceding cohortatives and indicates God’s ultimate purpose in calling and blessing Abram. On the syntactical structure of vv. 1-2 see R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 37. For a similar sequence of volitive forms see Gen 45:18.
[12:1] sn It would be hard to overestimate the value of this call and this divine plan for the theology of the Bible. Here begins God’s plan to bring redemption to the world. The promises to Abram will be turned into a covenant in Gen 15 and 22 (here it is a call with conditional promises) and will then lead through the Bible to the work of the Messiah.
[12:1] 119 tn The initial command is the direct imperative (לֶךְ, lekh) from the verb הָלַךְ (halakh). It is followed by the lamed preposition with a pronominal suffix (לְךָ, lÿkha) emphasizing the subject of the imperative: “you leave.”
[12:1] 120 sn To the land that I will show you. The call of Abram illustrates the leading of the
[27:16] 121 tn In the Hebrew text the object (“the skins of the young goats”) precedes the verb. The disjunctive clause draws attention to this key element in the subterfuge.
[27:16] 122 tn The word “hands” probably includes the forearms here. How the skins were attached is not specified in the Hebrew text; cf. NLT “she made him a pair of gloves.”
[27:17] 123 tn Heb “gave…into the hand of.”
[27:18] 124 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:18] 125 sn Which are you, my son? Isaac’s first question shows that the deception is going to require more subterfuge than Rebekah had anticipated. Jacob will have to pull off the deceit.
[27:19] 126 tn Heb “get up and sit.” This may mean simply “sit up,” or it may indicate that he was to get up from his couch and sit at a table.
[27:19] 127 tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.” These words, though not reported by Rebekah to Jacob (see v. 7) accurately reflect what Isaac actually said to Esau (see v. 4). Perhaps Jacob knew more than Rebekah realized, but it is more likely that this was an idiom for sincere blessing with which Jacob was familiar. At any rate, his use of the precise wording was a nice, convincing touch.
[27:20] 128 tn Heb “What is this?” The enclitic pronoun “this” adds emphasis to the question, which is comparable to the English rhetorical question, “How in the world?”
[27:20] 129 tn Heb “you hastened to find.” In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb and the first verb becomes adverbial.
[27:20] 130 tn Heb “caused to meet before me.”
[27:20] 131 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Because the
[27:21] 132 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
[27:21] 133 tn Heb “Are you this one, Esau, my son, or not?” On the use of the interrogative particle here, see BDB 210 s.v. הֲ.
[7:4] 134 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of new but related material.
[7:4] 135 tn Grk “who were sealed.”
[7:4] 136 tn Normally, “every,” but since 144,000 is the total number, “all” is clearer here.
[7:4] 137 tn Grk “the sons of Israel,” normally an idiom for the Israelites as an ethnic entity (L&N 11.58). However, many scholars understand the expression in this context to refer to Christians rather than ethnic Israelites.
