Kejadian 12:1--35:29
Konteks12:1 Now the Lord said 1 to Abram, 2
“Go out 3 from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household
to the land that I will show you. 4
12:2 Then I will make you 5 into a great nation, and I will bless you, 6
and I will make your name great, 7
so that you will exemplify divine blessing. 8
12:3 I will bless those who bless you, 9
but the one who treats you lightly 10 I must curse,
and all the families of the earth will bless one another 11 by your name.”
12:4 So Abram left, 12 just as the Lord had told him to do, 13 and Lot went with him. (Now 14 Abram was 75 years old 15 when he departed from Haran.) 12:5 And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew 16 Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired 17 in Haran, and they left for 18 the land of Canaan. They entered the land of Canaan.
12:6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the oak tree 19 of Moreh 20 at Shechem. 21 (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) 22 12:7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants 23 I will give this land.” So Abram 24 built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
12:8 Then he moved from there to the hill country east of Bethel 25 and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and worshiped the Lord. 26 12:9 Abram continually journeyed by stages 27 down to the Negev. 28
12:10 There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt 29 to stay for a while 30 because the famine was severe. 31 12:11 As he approached 32 Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, 33 I know that you are a beautiful woman. 34 12:12 When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive. 35 12:13 So tell them 36 you are my sister 37 so that it may go well 38 for me because of you and my life will be spared 39 on account of you.”
12:14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 12:15 When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. So Abram’s wife 40 was taken 41 into the household of Pharaoh, 42 12:16 and he did treat Abram well 43 on account of her. Abram received 44 sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
12:17 But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases 45 because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 12:18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this 46 you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? 12:19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her 47 to be my wife? 48 Here is your wife! 49 Take her and go!” 50 12:20 Pharaoh gave his men orders about Abram, 51 and so they expelled him, along with his wife and all his possessions.
13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt into the Negev. 52 He took his wife and all his possessions with him, as well as Lot. 53 13:2 (Now Abram was very wealthy 54 in livestock, silver, and gold.) 55
13:3 And he journeyed from place to place 56 from the Negev as far as Bethel. 57 He returned 58 to the place where he had pitched his tent 59 at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai. 13:4 This was the place where he had first built the altar, 60 and there Abram worshiped the Lord. 61
13:5 Now Lot, who was traveling 62 with Abram, also had 63 flocks, herds, and tents. 13:6 But the land could 64 not support them while they were living side by side. 65 Because their possessions were so great, they were not able to live 66 alongside one another. 13:7 So there were quarrels 67 between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. 68 (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.) 69
13:8 Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no quarreling between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are close relatives. 70 13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself now from me. If you go 71 to the left, then I’ll go to the right, but if you go to the right, then I’ll go to the left.”
13:10 Lot looked up and saw 72 the whole region 73 of the Jordan. He noticed 74 that all of it was well-watered (before the Lord obliterated 75 Sodom and Gomorrah) 76 like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, 77 all the way to Zoar. 13:11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled 78 toward the east.
So the relatives separated from each other. 79 13:12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled among the cities of the Jordan plain 80 and pitched his tents next to Sodom. 13:13 (Now 81 the people 82 of Sodom were extremely wicked rebels against the Lord.) 83
13:14 After Lot had departed, the Lord said to Abram, 84 “Look 85 from the place where you stand to the north, south, east, and west. 13:15 I will give all the land that you see to you and your descendants 86 forever. 13:16 And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted. 87 13:17 Get up and 88 walk throughout 89 the land, 90 for I will give it to you.”
13:18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live 91 by the oaks 92 of Mamre in Hebron, and he built an altar to the Lord there.
14:1 At that time 93 Amraphel king of Shinar, 94 Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations 95 14:2 went to war 96 against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 97 14:3 These last five kings 98 joined forces 99 in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 100 14:4 For twelve years 101 they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year 102 they rebelled. 103 14:5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were his allies came and defeated 104 the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 14:6 and the Horites in their hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is near the desert. 105 14:7 Then they attacked En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) again, 106 and they conquered all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.
14:8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and prepared for battle. In the Valley of Siddim they met 107 14:9 Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, 108 Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. Four kings fought against 109 five. 14:10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. 110 When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, 111 but some survivors 112 fled to the hills. 113 14:11 The four victorious kings 114 took all the possessions and food of Sodom and Gomorrah and left. 14:12 They also took Abram’s nephew 115 Lot and his possessions when 116 they left, for Lot 117 was living in Sodom. 118
14:13 A fugitive 119 came and told Abram the Hebrew. 120 Now Abram was living by the oaks 121 of Mamre the Amorite, the brother 122 of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty 123 with Abram.) 124 14:14 When Abram heard that his nephew 125 had been taken captive, he mobilized 126 his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders 127 as far as Dan. 128 14:15 Then, during the night, 129 Abram 130 divided his forces 131 against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north 132 of Damascus. 14:16 He retrieved all the stolen property. 133 He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of 134 the people.
14:17 After Abram 135 returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram 136 in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley). 137 14:18 Melchizedek king of Salem 138 brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.) 139 14:19 He blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by 140 the Most High God,
Creator 141 of heaven and earth. 142
14:20 Worthy of praise is 143 the Most High God,
who delivered 144 your enemies into your hand.”
Abram gave Melchizedek 145 a tenth of everything.
14:21 Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and take the possessions for yourself.” 14:22 But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I raise my hand 146 to the Lord, the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, and vow 147 14:23 that I will take nothing 148 belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, ‘It is I 149 who made Abram rich.’ 14:24 I will take nothing 150 except compensation for what the young men have eaten. 151 As for the share of the men who went with me – Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre – let them take their share.”
15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield 152 and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” 153
15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, 154 what will you give me since 155 I continue to be 156 childless, and my heir 157 is 158 Eliezer of Damascus?” 159 15:3 Abram added, 160 “Since 161 you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!” 162
15:4 But look, 163 the word of the Lord came to him: “This man 164 will not be your heir, 165 but instead 166 a son 167 who comes from your own body will be 168 your heir.” 169 15:5 The Lord 170 took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”
15:6 Abram believed 171 the Lord, and the Lord 172 considered his response of faith 173 as proof of genuine loyalty. 174
15:7 The Lord said 175 to him, “I am the Lord 176 who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans 177 to give you this land to possess.” 15:8 But 178 Abram 179 said, “O sovereign Lord, 180 by what 181 can I know that I am to possess it?”
15:9 The Lord 182 said to him, “Take for me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” 15:10 So Abram 183 took all these for him and then cut them in two 184 and placed each half opposite the other, 185 but he did not cut the birds in half. 15:11 When birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
15:12 When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep, 186 and great terror overwhelmed him. 187 15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain 188 that your descendants will be strangers 189 in a foreign country. 190 They will be enslaved and oppressed 191 for four hundred years. 15:14 But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. 192 Afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15:15 But as for you, 193 you will go to your ancestors 194 in peace and be buried at a good old age. 195 15:16 In the fourth generation 196 your descendants 197 will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” 198
15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch 199 passed between the animal parts. 200 15:18 That day the Lord made a covenant 201 with Abram: “To your descendants I give 202 this land, from the river of Egypt 203 to the great river, the Euphrates River – 15:19 the land 204 of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 15:20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 15:21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” 205
16:1 Now Sarai, 206 Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, 207 but she had an Egyptian servant 208 named Hagar. 209 16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Since 210 the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with 211 my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” 212 Abram did what 213 Sarai told him.
16:3 So after Abram had lived 214 in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, 215 to her husband to be his wife. 216 16:4 He had sexual relations with 217 Hagar, and she became pregnant. 218 Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai. 219 16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! 220 I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, 221 but when she realized 222 that she was pregnant, she despised me. 223 May the Lord judge between you and me!” 224
16:6 Abram said to Sarai, “Since your 225 servant is under your authority, 226 do to her whatever you think best.” 227 Then Sarai treated Hagar 228 harshly, 229 so she ran away from Sarai. 230
16:7 The Lord’s angel 231 found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert – the spring that is along the road to Shur. 232 16:8 He said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She replied, “I’m running away from 233 my mistress, Sarai.”
16:9 Then the Lord’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit 234 to her authority. 16:10 I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, 235 “so that they will be too numerous to count.” 236 16:11 Then the Lord’s angel said to her,
“You are now 237 pregnant
and are about to give birth 238 to a son.
You are to name him Ishmael, 239
for the Lord has heard your painful groans. 240
16:12 He will be a wild donkey 241 of a man.
He will be hostile to everyone, 242
and everyone will be hostile to him. 243
He will live away from 244 his brothers.”
16:13 So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” 245 for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” 246 16:14 That is why the well was called 247 Beer Lahai Roi. 248 (It is located 249 between Kadesh and Bered.)
16:15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. 250 16:16 (Now 251 Abram was 86 years old 252 when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.) 253
17:1 When Abram was 99 years old, 254 the Lord appeared to him and said, 255 “I am the sovereign God. 256 Walk 257 before me 258 and be blameless. 259 17:2 Then I will confirm my covenant 260 between me and you, and I will give you a multitude of descendants.” 261
17:3 Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, 262 and God said to him, 263 17:4 “As for me, 264 this 265 is my covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 17:5 No longer will your name be 266 Abram. Instead, your name will be Abraham 267 because I will make you 268 the father of a multitude of nations. 17:6 I will make you 269 extremely 270 fruitful. I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. 271 17:7 I will confirm 272 my covenant as a perpetual 273 covenant between me and you. It will extend to your descendants after you throughout their generations. I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 274 17:8 I will give the whole land of Canaan – the land where you are now residing 275 – to you and your descendants after you as a permanent 276 possession. I will be their God.”
17:9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep 277 the covenantal requirement 278 I am imposing on you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 17:10 This is my requirement that you and your descendants after you must keep: 279 Every male among you must be circumcised. 280 17:11 You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins. This will be a reminder 281 of the covenant between me and you. 17:12 Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old 282 must be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not one of your descendants. 17:13 They must indeed be circumcised, 283 whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of my covenant 284 will be visible in your flesh as a permanent 285 reminder. 17:14 Any uncircumcised male 286 who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off 287 from his people – he has failed to carry out my requirement.” 288
17:15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for your wife, you must no longer call her Sarai; 289 Sarah 290 will be her name. 17:16 I will bless her and will give you a son through her. I will bless her and she will become a mother of nations. 291 Kings of countries 292 will come from her!”
17:17 Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed 293 as he said to himself, 294 “Can 295 a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? 296 Can Sarah 297 bear a child at the age of ninety?” 298 17:18 Abraham said to God, “O that 299 Ishmael might live before you!” 300
17:19 God said, “No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. 301 I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual 302 covenant for his descendants after him. 17:20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. 303 I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. 304 He will become the father of twelve princes; 305 I will make him into a great nation. 17:21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.” 17:22 When he finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. 306
17:23 Abraham took his son Ishmael and every male in his household (whether born in his house or bought with money) 307 and circumcised them 308 on that very same day, just as God had told him to do. 17:24 Now Abraham was 99 years old 309 when he was circumcised; 310 17:25 his son Ishmael was thirteen years old 311 when he was circumcised. 17:26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the very same day. 17:27 All the men of his household, whether born in his household or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
18:1 The Lord appeared to Abraham 312 by the oaks 313 of Mamre while 314 he was sitting at the entrance 315 to his tent during the hottest time of the day. 18:2 Abraham 316 looked up 317 and saw 318 three men standing across 319 from him. When he saw them 320 he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low 321 to the ground. 322
18:3 He said, “My lord, 323 if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by and leave your servant. 324 18:4 Let a little water be brought so that 325 you may all 326 wash your feet and rest under the tree. 18:5 And let me get 327 a bit of food 328 so that you may refresh yourselves 329 since you have passed by your servant’s home. After that you may be on your way.” 330 “All right,” they replied, “you may do as you say.”
18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Take 331 three measures 332 of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.” 333 18:7 Then Abraham ran to the herd and chose a fine, tender calf, and gave it to a servant, 334 who quickly prepared it. 335 18:8 Abraham 336 then took some curds and milk, along with the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food 337 before them. They ate while 338 he was standing near them under a tree.
18:9 Then they asked him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, 339 in the tent.” 18:10 One of them 340 said, “I will surely return 341 to you when the season comes round again, 342 and your wife Sarah will have a son!” 343 (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him. 344 18:11 Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; 345 Sarah had long since passed menopause.) 346 18:12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, 347 “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, 348 especially when my husband is old too?” 349
18:13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why 350 did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really 351 have a child when I am old?’ 18:14 Is anything impossible 352 for the Lord? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son.” 353 18:15 Then Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. But the Lord said, “No! You did laugh.” 354
18:16 When the men got up to leave, 355 they looked out over 356 Sodom. (Now 357 Abraham was walking with them to see them on their way.) 358 18:17 Then the Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 359 18:18 After all, Abraham 360 will surely become 361 a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on the earth will pronounce blessings on one another 362 using his name. 18:19 I have chosen him 363 so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep 364 the way of the Lord by doing 365 what is right and just. Then the Lord will give 366 to Abraham what he promised 367 him.”
18:20 So the Lord said, “The outcry against 368 Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant 369 18:21 that I must go down 370 and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. 371 If not, 372 I want to know.”
18:22 The two men turned 373 and headed 374 toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord. 375 18:23 Abraham approached and said, “Will you sweep away the godly along with the wicked? 18:24 What if there are fifty godly people in the city? Will you really wipe it out and not spare 376 the place for the sake of the fifty godly people who are in it? 18:25 Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge 377 of the whole earth do what is right?” 378
18:26 So the Lord replied, “If I find in the city of Sodom fifty godly people, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
18:27 Then Abraham asked, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord 379 (although I am but dust and ashes), 380 18:28 what if there are five less than the fifty godly people? Will you destroy 381 the whole city because five are lacking?” 382 He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
18:29 Abraham 383 spoke to him again, 384 “What if forty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.”
18:30 Then Abraham 385 said, “May the Lord not be angry 386 so that I may speak! 387 What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
18:31 Abraham 388 said, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
18:32 Finally Abraham 389 said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
18:33 The Lord went on his way 390 when he had finished speaking 391 to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home. 392
19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while 393 Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway. 394 When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face toward the ground.
19:2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night 395 and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” 396 “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” 397
19:3 But he urged 398 them persistently, so they turned aside with him and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them, including bread baked without yeast, and they ate. 19:4 Before they could lie down to sleep, 399 all the men – both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom – surrounded the house. 400 19:5 They shouted to Lot, 401 “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex 402 with them!”
19:6 Lot went outside to them, shutting the door behind him. 19:7 He said, “No, my brothers! Don’t act so wickedly! 403 19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with 404 a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. 405 Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection 406 of my roof.” 407
19:9 “Out of our way!” 408 they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, 409 and now he dares to judge us! 410 We’ll do more harm 411 to you than to them!” They kept 412 pressing in on Lot until they were close enough 413 to break down the door.
19:10 So the men inside 414 reached out 415 and pulled Lot back into the house 416 as they shut the door. 19:11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, from the youngest to the oldest, 417 with blindness. The men outside 418 wore themselves out trying to find the door. 19:12 Then the two visitors 419 said to Lot, “Who else do you have here? 420 Do you have 421 any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city? 422 Get them out of this 423 place 19:13 because we are about to destroy 424 it. The outcry against this place 425 is so great before the Lord that he 426 has sent us to destroy it.”
19:14 Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters. 427 He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy 428 the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them. 429
19:15 At dawn 430 the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, 431 or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!” 432 19:16 When Lot 433 hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. 434 They led them away and placed them 435 outside the city. 19:17 When they had brought them outside, they 436 said, “Run 437 for your lives! Don’t look 438 behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! 439 Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”
19:18 But Lot said to them, “No, please, Lord! 440 19:19 Your 441 servant has found favor with you, 442 and you have shown me great 443 kindness 444 by sparing 445 my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because 446 this disaster will overtake 447 me and I’ll die. 448 19:20 Look, this town 449 over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one. 450 Let me go there. 451 It’s just a little place, isn’t it? 452 Then I’ll survive.” 453
19:21 “Very well,” he replied, 454 “I will grant this request too 455 and will not overthrow 456 the town you mentioned. 19:22 Run there quickly, 457 for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.) 458
19:23 The sun had just risen 459 over the land as Lot reached Zoar. 460 19:24 Then the Lord rained down 461 sulfur and fire 462 on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord. 463 19:25 So he overthrew those cities and all that region, 464 including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew 465 from the ground. 19:26 But Lot’s 466 wife looked back longingly 467 and was turned into a pillar of salt.
19:27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went 468 to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 19:28 He looked out toward 469 Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region. 470 As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace. 471
19:29 So when God destroyed 472 the cities of the region, 473 God honored 474 Abraham’s request. He removed Lot 475 from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed 476 the cities Lot had lived in.
19:30 Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and settled in the mountains because he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 19:31 Later the older daughter said 477 to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby 478 to have sexual relations with us, 479 according to the way of all the world. 19:32 Come, let’s make our father drunk with wine 480 so we can have sexual relations 481 with him and preserve 482 our family line through our father.” 483
19:33 So that night they made their father drunk with wine, 484 and the older daughter 485 came and had sexual relations with her father. 486 But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. 487 19:34 So in the morning the older daughter 488 said to the younger, “Since I had sexual relations with my father last night, let’s make him drunk again tonight. 489 Then you go and have sexual relations with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” 490 19:35 So they made their father drunk 491 that night as well, and the younger one came and had sexual relations with him. 492 But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. 493
19:36 In this way both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 19:37 The older daughter 494 gave birth to a son and named him Moab. 495 He is the ancestor of the Moabites of today. 19:38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-Ammi. 496 He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today.
20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev 497 region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident 498 in Gerar, 20:2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.
20:3 But God appeared 499 to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead 500 because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” 501
20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, 502 would you really slaughter an innocent nation? 503 20:5 Did Abraham 504 not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, 505 ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience 506 and with innocent hands!”
20:6 Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. 507 That is why I have kept you 508 from sinning against me and why 509 I did not allow you to touch her. 20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed 510 he is a prophet 511 and he will pray for you; thus you will live. 512 But if you don’t give her back, 513 know that you will surely die 514 along with all who belong to you.”
20:8 Early in the morning 515 Abimelech summoned 516 all his servants. When he told them about all these things, 517 they 518 were terrified. 20:9 Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom? 519 You have done things to me that should not be done!” 520 20:10 Then Abimelech asked 521 Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” 522
20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, 523 ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of 524 my wife.’ 20:12 What’s more, 525 she is indeed my sister, my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s daughter. She became my wife. 20:13 When God made me wander 526 from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: 527 Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
20:14 So Abimelech gave 528 sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him. 20:15 Then Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please.” 529
20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver 530 to your ‘brother.’ 531 This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.” 532
20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children. 20:18 For the Lord 533 had caused infertility to strike every woman 534 in the household of Abimelech because he took 535 Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
21:1 The Lord visited 536 Sarah just as he had said he would and did 537 for Sarah what he had promised. 538 21:2 So Sarah became pregnant 539 and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him. 21:3 Abraham named his son – whom Sarah bore to him – Isaac. 540 21:4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, 541 Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded him to do. 542 21:5 (Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.) 543
21:6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. 544 Everyone who hears about this 545 will laugh 546 with me.” 21:7 She went on to say, 547 “Who would 548 have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!”
21:8 The child grew and was weaned. Abraham prepared 549 a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 550 21:9 But Sarah noticed 551 the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking. 552 21:10 So she said to Abraham, “Banish 553 that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!”
21:11 Sarah’s demand displeased Abraham greatly because Ishmael was his son. 554 21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset 555 about the boy or your slave wife. Do 556 all that Sarah is telling 557 you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted. 558 21:13 But I will also make the son of the slave wife into a great nation, for he is your descendant too.”
21:14 Early in the morning Abraham took 559 some food 560 and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulders, gave her the child, 561 and sent her away. So she went wandering 562 aimlessly through the wilderness 563 of Beer Sheba. 21:15 When the water in the skin was gone, she shoved 564 the child under one of the shrubs. 21:16 Then she went and sat down by herself across from him at quite a distance, about a bowshot 565 away; for she thought, 566 “I refuse to watch the child die.” 567 So she sat across from him and wept uncontrollably. 568
21:17 But God heard the boy’s voice. 569 The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What is the matter, 570 Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard 571 the boy’s voice right where he is crying. 21:18 Get up! Help the boy up and hold him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 21:19 Then God enabled Hagar to see a well of water. 572 She went over and filled the skin with water, and then gave the boy a drink.
21:20 God was with the boy as he grew. He lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21:21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran. 573 His mother found a wife for him from the land of Egypt. 574
21:22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you 575 in all that you do. 21:23 Now swear to me right here in God’s name 576 that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. 577 Show me, and the land 578 where you are staying, 579 the same loyalty 580 that I have shown you.” 581
21:24 Abraham said, “I swear to do this.” 582 21:25 But Abraham lodged a complaint 583 against Abimelech concerning a well 584 that Abimelech’s servants had seized. 585 21:26 “I do not know who has done this thing,” Abimelech replied. “Moreover, 586 you did not tell me. I did not hear about it until today.”
21:27 Abraham took some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech. The two of them made a treaty. 587 21:28 Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs apart from the flock by themselves. 21:29 Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these 588 seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” 21:30 He replied, “You must take these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal proof 589 that I dug this well.” 590 21:31 That is why he named that place 591 Beer Sheba, 592 because the two of them swore 593 an oath there.
21:32 So they made a treaty 594 at Beer Sheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, returned 595 to the land of the Philistines. 596 21:33 Abraham 597 planted a tamarisk tree 598 in Beer Sheba. There he worshiped the Lord, 599 the eternal God. 21:34 So Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for quite some time. 600
22:1 Some time after these things God tested 601 Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham 602 replied. 22:2 God 603 said, “Take your son – your only son, whom you love, Isaac 604 – and go to the land of Moriah! 605 Offer him up there as a burnt offering 606 on one of the mountains which I will indicate to 607 you.”
22:3 Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. 608 He took two of his young servants with him, along with his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he started out 609 for the place God had spoken to him about.
22:4 On the third day Abraham caught sight of 610 the place in the distance. 22:5 So he 611 said to his servants, “You two stay 612 here with the donkey while 613 the boy and I go up there. We will worship 614 and then return to you.” 615
22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. Then he took the fire and the knife in his hand, 616 and the two of them walked on together. 22:7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, 617 “My father?” “What is it, 618 my son?” he replied. “Here is the fire and the wood,” Isaac said, 619 “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 22:8 “God will provide 620 for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham replied. The two of them continued on together.
22:9 When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there 621 and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up 622 his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 22:10 Then Abraham reached out his hand, took the knife, and prepared to slaughter 623 his son. 22:11 But the Lord’s angel 624 called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. 22:12 “Do not harm the boy!” 625 the angel said. 626 “Do not do anything to him, for now I know 627 that you fear 628 God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”
22:13 Abraham looked up 629 and saw 630 behind him 631 a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. So he 632 went over and got the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord provides.” 633 It is said to this day, 634 “In the mountain of the Lord provision will be made.” 635
22:15 The Lord’s angel called to Abraham a second time from heaven 22:16 and said, “‘I solemnly swear by my own name,’ 636 decrees the Lord, 637 ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 22:17 I will indeed bless you, 638 and I will greatly multiply 639 your descendants 640 so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession 641 of the strongholds 642 of their enemies. 22:18 Because you have obeyed me, 643 all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another 644 using the name of your descendants.’”
22:19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out together 645 for Beer Sheba where Abraham stayed. 646
22:20 After these things Abraham was told, “Milcah 647 also has borne children to your brother Nahor – 22:21 Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 648 22:22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 22:23 (Now 649 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) These were the eight sons Milcah bore to Abraham’s brother Nahor. 22:24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore him children – Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
23:1 Sarah lived 127 years. 650 23:2 Then she 651 died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 652
23:3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife 653 and said to the sons of Heth, 654 23:4 “I am a temporary settler 655 among you. Grant 656 me ownership 657 of a burial site among you so that I may 658 bury my dead.” 659
23:5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, 660 23:6 “Listen, sir, 661 you are a mighty prince 662 among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent you 663 from burying your dead.”
23:7 Abraham got up and bowed down to the local people, 664 the sons of Heth. 23:8 Then he said to them, “If you agree 665 that I may bury my dead, 666 then hear me out. 667 Ask 668 Ephron the son of Zohar 23:9 if he will sell 669 me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me publicly 670 for the full price, 671 so that I may own it as a burial site.”
23:10 (Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth.) Ephron the Hethite 672 replied to Abraham in the hearing 673 of the sons of Heth – before all who entered the gate 674 of his city – 23:11 “No, my lord! Hear me out. I sell 675 you both the field and the cave that is in it. 676 In the presence of my people 677 I sell it to you. Bury your dead.”
23:12 Abraham bowed before the local people 23:13 and said to Ephron in their hearing, “Hear me, if you will. I pay 678 to you the price 679 of the field. Take it from me so that I may 680 bury my dead there.”
23:14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 23:15 “Hear me, my lord. The land is worth 681 400 pieces of silver, 682 but what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”
23:16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price 683 and weighed 684 out for him 685 the price 686 that Ephron had quoted 687 in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard measurement at the time. 688
23:17 So Abraham secured 689 Ephron’s field in Machpelah, next to Mamre, including the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and all around its border, 23:18 as his property in the presence of the sons of Heth before all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city. 690
23:19 After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 23:20 So Abraham secured the field and the cave that was in it as a burial site 691 from the sons of Heth.
24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, 692 and the Lord had blessed him 693 in everything. 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one 694 in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh 695 24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise 696 by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire 697 a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 24:4 You must go instead to my country and to my relatives 698 to find 699 a wife for my son Isaac.”
24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with me 700 to this land? Must I then 701 take your son back to the land from which you came?”
24:6 “Be careful 702 never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. 703 24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, 704 promised me with a solemn oath, 705 ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel 706 before you so that you may find 707 a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, 708 you will be free 709 from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!” 24:9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. 710
24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. 711 He journeyed 712 to the region of Aram Naharaim 713 and the city of Nahor. 24:11 He made the camels kneel down by the well 714 outside the city. It was evening, 715 the time when the women would go out to draw water. 24:12 He prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, guide me today. 716 Be faithful 717 to my master Abraham. 24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, 718 and the daughters of the people 719 who live in the town are coming out to draw water. 24:14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ 720 In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” 721
24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah 722 with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor). 723 24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. 724 She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant 725 ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.” 24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering 726 her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, 727 she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied 728 her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels. 24:21 Silently the man watched her with interest to determine 729 if the Lord had made his journey successful 730 or not.
24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka 731 and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels 732 and gave them to her. 733 24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. 734 “Tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24:24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor. 735 24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, 736 “and room for you 737 to spend the night.”
24:26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, 24:27 saying “Praised be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love 738 for my master! The Lord has led me 739 to the house 740 of my master’s relatives!” 741
24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about 742 these things. 24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) 743 Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring. 24:30 When he saw the bracelets on his sister’s wrists and the nose ring 744 and heard his sister Rebekah say, 745 “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing 746 by the camels near the spring. 24:31 Laban said to him, 747 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! 748 Why are you standing out here when I have prepared 749 the house and a place for the camels?”
24:32 So Abraham’s servant 750 went to the house and unloaded 751 the camels. Straw and feed were given 752 to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. 753 24:33 When food was served, 754 he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” 755 “Tell us,” Laban said. 756
24:34 “I am the servant of Abraham,” he began. 24:35 “The Lord has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. 757 The Lord 758 has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 24:36 My master’s wife Sarah bore a son to him 759 when she was old, 760 and my master 761 has given him everything he owns. 24:37 My master made me swear an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 24:38 but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find 762 a wife for my son.’ 24:39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to go 763 with me?’ 764 24:40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, 765 will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 24:41 You will be free from your oath 766 if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’ 24:42 When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, 767 may events unfold as follows: 768 24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. 769 When 770 the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.” 24:44 Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’
24:45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, 771 along came Rebekah 772 with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 24:46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels water. 24:47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.’ 773 I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 24:48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to find the granddaughter 774 of my master’s brother for his son. 24:49 Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way.” 775
24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is the Lord’s doing. 776 Our wishes are of no concern. 777 24:51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become 778 the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.” 779
24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 24:53 Then he 780 brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother. 24:54 After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. 781
When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” 782 24:55 But Rebekah’s 783 brother and her mother replied, “Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go.” 24:56 But he said to them, “Don’t detain me – the Lord 784 has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return 785 to my master.” 24:57 Then they said, “We’ll call the girl and find out what she wants to do.” 786 24:58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want 787 to go with this man?” She replied, “I want to go.”
24:59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham’s servant and his men. 24:60 They blessed Rebekah with these words: 788
“Our sister, may you become the mother 789 of thousands of ten thousands!
May your descendants possess the strongholds 790 of their enemies.”
24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with 791 the man. So Abraham’s servant 792 took Rebekah and left.
24:62 Now 793 Isaac came from 794 Beer Lahai Roi, 795 for 796 he was living in the Negev. 797 24:63 He 798 went out to relax 799 in the field in the early evening. 800 Then he looked up 801 and saw that 802 there were camels approaching. 24:64 Rebekah looked up 803 and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 24:65 and asked 804 Abraham’s servant, 805 “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied. 806 So she took her veil and covered herself.
24:66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah 807 into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her 808 as his wife and loved her. 809 So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. 810
25:1 Abraham had taken 811 another 812 wife, named Keturah. 25:2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 25:3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. 813 The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 25:4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants 814 of Keturah.
25:5 Everything he owned Abraham left to his son Isaac. 25:6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines 815 and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac. 816
25:7 Abraham lived a total of 817 175 years. 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a full life. 818 He joined his ancestors. 819 25:9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah 820 near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hethite. 25:10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. 821 There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 25:11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed 822 his son Isaac. Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi. 823
25:12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, 824 whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.
25:13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons, by their names according to their records: 825 Nebaioth (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 25:14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 25:15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their settlements and their camps – twelve princes 826 according to their clans.
25:17 Ishmael lived a total of 827 137 years. He breathed his last and died; then he joined his ancestors. 828 25:18 His descendants 829 settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs next 830 to Egypt all the way 831 to Asshur. 832 They settled 833 away from all their relatives. 834
25:19 This is the account of Isaac, 835 the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac. 25:20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, 836 the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. 837
25:21 Isaac prayed to 838 the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 25:22 But the children struggled 839 inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” 840 So she asked the Lord, 841 25:23 and the Lord said to her,
“Two nations 842 are in your womb,
and two peoples will be separated from within you.
One people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”
25:24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, 843 there were 844 twins in her womb. 25:25 The first came out reddish 845 all over, 846 like a hairy 847 garment, so they named him Esau. 848 25:26 When his brother came out with 849 his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob. 850 Isaac was sixty years old 851 when they were born.
25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled 852 hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. 853 25:28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, 854 but Rebekah loved 855 Jacob.
25:29 Now Jacob cooked some stew, 856 and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished. 25:30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed 857 me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called 858 Edom.) 859
25:31 But Jacob replied, “First 860 sell me your birthright.” 25:32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” 861 25:33 But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.” 862 So Esau 863 swore an oath to him and sold his birthright 864 to Jacob.
25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. 865 So Esau despised his birthright. 866
26:1 There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred 867 in the days of Abraham. 868 Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar. 26:2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; 869 settle down in the land that I will point out to you. 870 26:3 Stay 871 in this land. Then I will be with you and will bless you, 872 for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants, 873 and I will fulfill 874 the solemn promise I made 875 to your father Abraham. 26:4 I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them 876 all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants. 877 26:5 All this will come to pass 878 because Abraham obeyed me 879 and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” 880 26:6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.
26:7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he replied, “She is my sister.” 881 He was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” for he thought to himself, 882 “The men of this place will kill me to get 883 Rebekah because she is very beautiful.”
26:8 After Isaac 884 had been there a long time, 885 Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed 886 Isaac caressing 887 his wife Rebekah. 26:9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really 888 your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.” 889
26:10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us? 890 One of the men 891 might easily have had sexual relations with 892 your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!” 26:11 So Abimelech commanded all the people, “Whoever touches 893 this man or his wife will surely be put to death.” 894
26:12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown, 895 because the Lord blessed him. 896 26:13 The man became wealthy. 897 His influence continued to grow 898 until he became very prominent. 26:14 He had 899 so many sheep 900 and cattle 901 and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous 902 of him. 26:15 So the Philistines took dirt and filled up 903 all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham.
26:16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere, 904 for you have become much more powerful 905 than we are.” 26:17 So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley. 906 26:18 Isaac reopened 907 the wells that had been dug 908 back in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up 909 after Abraham died. Isaac 910 gave these wells 911 the same names his father had given them. 912
26:19 When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well with fresh flowing 913 water there, 26:20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled 914 with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water belongs to us!” So Isaac 915 named the well 916 Esek 917 because they argued with him about it. 918 26:21 His servants 919 dug another well, but they quarreled over it too, so Isaac named it 920 Sitnah. 921 26:22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaac 922 named it 923 Rehoboth, 924 saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”
26:23 From there Isaac 925 went up to Beer Sheba. 26:24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” 26:25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped 926 the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well. 927
26:26 Now Abimelech had come 928 to him from Gerar along with 929 Ahuzzah his friend 930 and Phicol the commander of his army. 26:27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You hate me 931 and sent me away from you.” 26:28 They replied, “We could plainly see 932 that the Lord is with you. So we decided there should be 933 a pact between us 934 – between us 935 and you. Allow us to make 936 a treaty with you 26:29 so that 937 you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmed 938 you, but have always treated you well 939 before sending you away 940 in peace. Now you are blessed by the Lord.” 941
26:30 So Isaac 942 held a feast for them and they celebrated. 943 26:31 Early in the morning the men made a treaty with each other. 944 Isaac sent them off; they separated on good terms. 945
26:32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We’ve found water,” they reported. 946 26:33 So he named it Shibah; 947 that is why the name of the city has been Beer Sheba 948 to this day.
26:34 When 949 Esau was forty years old, 950 he married 951 Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, as well as Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 26:35 They caused Isaac and Rebekah great anxiety. 952
27:1 When 953 Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he was almost blind, 954 he called his older 955 son Esau and said to him, “My son!” “Here I am!” Esau 956 replied. 27:2 Isaac 957 said, “Since 958 I am so old, I could die at any time. 959 27:3 Therefore, take your weapons – your quiver and your bow – and go out into the open fields and hunt down some wild game 960 for me. 27:4 Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then 961 I will eat it so that I may bless you 962 before I die.”
27:5 Now Rebekah had been listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. 963 When Esau went out to the open fields to hunt down some wild game and bring it back, 964 27:6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau, 27:7 ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare for me some tasty food. Then I will eat 965 it and bless you 966 in the presence of the Lord 967 before I die.’ 27:8 Now then, my son, do 968 exactly what I tell you! 969 27:9 Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare 970 them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them. 27:10 Then you will take 971 it to your father. Thus he will eat it 972 and 973 bless you before he dies.”
27:11 “But Esau my brother is a hairy man,” Jacob protested to his mother Rebekah, “and I have smooth skin! 974 27:12 My father may touch me! Then he’ll think I’m mocking him 975 and I’ll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.” 27:13 So his mother told him, “Any curse against you will fall on me, 976 my son! Just obey me! 977 Go and get them for me!”
27:14 So he went and got the goats 978 and brought them to his mother. She 979 prepared some tasty food, just the way his father loved it. 27:15 Then Rebekah took her older son Esau’s best clothes, which she had with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 27:16 She put the skins of the young goats 980 on his hands 981 and the smooth part of his neck. 27:17 Then she handed 982 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 983 replied, “Here I am. Which are you, my son?” 984 27:19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I’ve done as you told me. Now sit up 985 and eat some of my wild game so that you can bless me.” 986 27:20 But Isaac asked his son, “How in the world 987 did you find it so quickly, 988 my son?” “Because the Lord your God brought it to me,” 989 he replied. 990 27:21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you, 991 my son, and know for certain if you really are my son Esau.” 992 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.” 27:23 He did not recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So Isaac blessed Jacob. 993 27:24 Then he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” “I am,” Jacob 994 replied. 27:25 Isaac 995 said, “Bring some of the wild game for me to eat, my son. 996 Then I will bless you.” 997 So Jacob 998 brought it to him, and he ate it. He also brought him wine, and Isaac 999 drank. 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here and kiss me, my son.” 27:27 So Jacob 1000 went over and kissed him. When Isaac caught the scent 1001 of his clothing, he blessed him, saying,
“Yes, 1002 my son smells
like the scent of an open field
which the Lord has blessed.
27:28 May God give you
the dew of the sky 1003
and the richness 1004 of the earth,
and plenty of grain and new wine.
27:29 May peoples serve you
and nations bow down to you.
You will be 1005 lord 1006 over your brothers,
and the sons of your mother will bow down to you. 1007
May those who curse you be cursed,
and those who bless you be blessed.”
27:30 Isaac had just finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely left 1008 his father’s 1009 presence, when his brother Esau returned from the hunt. 1010 27:31 He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Esau 1011 said to him, “My father, get up 1012 and eat some of your son’s wild game. Then you can bless me.” 1013 27:32 His father Isaac asked, 1014 “Who are you?” “I am your firstborn son,” 1015 he replied, “Esau!” 27:33 Isaac began to shake violently 1016 and asked, “Then who else hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it just before you arrived, and I blessed him. 1017 He will indeed be blessed!”
27:34 When Esau heard 1018 his father’s words, he wailed loudly and bitterly. 1019 He said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!” 27:35 But Isaac 1020 replied, “Your brother came in here deceitfully and took away 1021 your blessing.” 27:36 Esau exclaimed, “‘Jacob’ is the right name for him! 1022 He has tripped me up 1023 two times! He took away my birthright, and now, look, he has taken away my blessing!” Then he asked, “Have you not kept back a blessing for me?”
27:37 Isaac replied to Esau, “Look! I have made him lord over you. I have made all his relatives his servants and provided him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?” 27:38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” 1024 Then Esau wept loudly. 1025
27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,
“Indeed, 1026 your home will be
away from the richness 1027 of the earth,
and away from the dew of the sky above.
27:40 You will live by your sword
but you will serve your brother.
When you grow restless,
you will tear off his yoke
from your neck.” 1028
27:41 So Esau hated 1029 Jacob because of the blessing his father had given to his brother. 1030 Esau said privately, 1031 “The time 1032 of mourning for my father is near; then I will kill 1033 my brother Jacob!”
27:42 When Rebekah heard what her older son Esau had said, 1034 she quickly summoned 1035 her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is planning to get revenge by killing you. 1036 27:43 Now then, my son, do what I say. 1037 Run away immediately 1038 to my brother Laban in Haran. 27:44 Live with him for a little while 1039 until your brother’s rage subsides. 27:45 Stay there 1040 until your brother’s anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I’ll send someone to bring you back from there. 1041 Why should I lose both of you in one day?” 1042
27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am deeply depressed 1043 because of these daughters of Heth. 1044 If Jacob were to marry one of these daughters of Heth who live in this land, I would want to die!” 1045
28:1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman! 1046 28:2 Leave immediately 1047 for Paddan Aram! Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and find yourself a wife there, among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 28:3 May the sovereign God 1048 bless you! May he make you fruitful and give you a multitude of descendants! 1049 Then you will become 1050 a large nation. 1051 28:4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing he gave to Abraham 1052 so that you may possess the land 1053 God gave to Abraham, the land where you have been living as a temporary resident.” 1054 28:5 So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
28:6 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him off to Paddan Aram to find a wife there. 1055 As he blessed him, 1056 Isaac commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” 1057 28:7 Jacob obeyed his father and mother and left for Paddan Aram. 28:8 Then Esau realized 1058 that the Canaanite women 1059 were displeasing to 1060 his father Isaac. 28:9 So Esau went to Ishmael and married 1061 Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, along with the wives he already had.
28:10 Meanwhile Jacob left Beer Sheba and set out for Haran. 28:11 He reached a certain place 1062 where he decided to camp because the sun had gone down. 1063 He took one of the stones 1064 and placed it near his head. 1065 Then he fell asleep 1066 in that place 28:12 and had a dream. 1067 He saw 1068 a stairway 1069 erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it 28:13 and the Lord stood at its top. He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. 1070 I will give you and your descendants the ground 1071 you are lying on. 28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, 1072 and you will spread out 1073 to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another 1074 using your name and that of your descendants. 1075 28:15 I am with you! 1076 I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you!”
28:16 Then Jacob woke up 1077 and thought, 1078 “Surely the Lord is in this place, but I did not realize it!” 28:17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!”
28:18 Early 1079 in the morning Jacob 1080 took the stone he had placed near his head 1081 and set it up as a sacred stone. 1082 Then he poured oil on top of it. 28:19 He called that place Bethel, 1083 although the former name of the town was Luz. 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food 1084 to eat and clothing to wear, 28:21 and I return safely to my father’s home, 1085 then the Lord will become my God. 28:22 Then this stone 1086 that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely 1087 give you back a tenth of everything you give me.” 1088
29:1 So Jacob moved on 1089 and came to the land of the eastern people. 1090 29:2 He saw 1091 in the field a well with 1092 three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. Now 1093 a large stone covered the mouth of the well. 29:3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds 1094 would roll the stone off the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the well’s mouth.
29:4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” They replied, “We’re from Haran.” 29:5 So he said to them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson 1095 of Nahor?” “We know him,” 1096 they said. 29:6 “Is he well?” 1097 Jacob asked. They replied, “He is well. 1098 Now look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.” 29:7 Then Jacob 1099 said, “Since it is still the middle of the day, 1100 it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more.” 1101 29:8 “We can’t,” they said, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled off the mouth of the well. Then we water 1102 the sheep.”
29:9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was tending them. 1103 29:10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, 1104 and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he 1105 went over 1106 and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. 1107 29:11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep loudly. 1108 29:12 When Jacob explained 1109 to Rachel that he was a relative of her father 1110 and the son of Rebekah, she ran and told her father. 29:13 When Laban heard this news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he rushed out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob 1111 told Laban how he was related to him. 1112 29:14 Then Laban said to him, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” 1113 So Jacob 1114 stayed with him for a month. 1115
29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work 1116 for me for nothing because you are my relative? 1117 Tell me what your wages should be.” 29:16 (Now Laban had two daughters; 1118 the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel. 29:17 Leah’s eyes were tender, 1119 but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.) 1120 29:18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with 1121 Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.” 29:19 Laban replied, “I’d rather give her to you than to another man. 1122 Stay with me.” 29:20 So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. 1123 But they seemed like only a few days to him 1124 because his love for her was so great. 1125
29:21 Finally Jacob said 1126 to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. 1127 I want to have marital relations with her.” 1128 29:22 So Laban invited all the people 1129 of that place and prepared a feast. 29:23 In the evening he brought his daughter Leah 1130 to Jacob, 1131 and Jacob 1132 had marital relations with her. 1133 29:24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 1134
29:25 In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! 1135 So Jacob 1136 said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me! 1137 Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked 1138 me?” 29:26 “It is not our custom here,” 1139 Laban replied, “to give the younger daughter in marriage 1140 before the firstborn. 29:27 Complete my older daughter’s bridal week. 1141 Then we will give you the younger one 1142 too, in exchange for seven more years of work.” 1143
29:28 Jacob did as Laban said. 1144 When Jacob 1145 completed Leah’s bridal week, 1146 Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 1147 29:29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) 1148 29:30 Jacob 1149 had marital relations 1150 with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban 1151 for seven more years. 1152
29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, 1153 he enabled her to become pregnant 1154 while Rachel remained childless. 29:32 So Leah became pregnant 1155 and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, 1156 for she said, “The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. 1157 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, 1158 he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. 1159
29:34 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Now this time my husband will show me affection, 1160 because I have given birth to three sons for him.” That is why he was named Levi. 1161
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. 1162 Then she stopped having children.
30:1 When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she 1163 became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children 1164 or I’ll die!” 30:2 Jacob became furious 1165 with Rachel and exclaimed, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” 1166 30:3 She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with 1167 her so that she can bear 1168 children 1169 for me 1170 and I can have a family through her.” 1171
30:4 So Rachel 1172 gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had marital relations with 1173 her. 30:5 Bilhah became pregnant 1174 and gave Jacob a son. 1175 30:6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer 1176 and given me a son.” That is why 1177 she named him Dan. 1178
30:7 Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, became pregnant again and gave Jacob another son. 1179 30:8 Then Rachel said, “I have fought a desperate struggle with my sister, but I have won.” 1180 So she named him Naphtali. 1181
30:9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave 1182 her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. 30:10 Soon Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob a son. 1183 30:11 Leah said, “How fortunate!” 1184 So she named him Gad. 1185
30:12 Then Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob another son. 1186 30:13 Leah said, “How happy I am, 1187 for women 1188 will call me happy!” So she named him Asher. 1189
30:14 At the time 1190 of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants 1191 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, 1192 “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes too?” “All right,” 1193 Rachel said, “he may sleep 1194 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 1195 with me because I have paid for your services 1196 with my son’s mandrakes.” So he had marital relations 1197 with her that night. 30:17 God paid attention 1198 to Leah; she became pregnant 1199 and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time. 1200 30:18 Then Leah said, “God has granted me a reward 1201 because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife.” 1202 So she named him Issachar. 1203
30:19 Leah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a son for the sixth time. 1204 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. 1205
30:21 After that she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
30:22 Then God took note of 1206 Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant. 1207 30:23 She became pregnant 1208 and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.” 1209 30:24 She named him Joseph, 1210 saying, “May the Lord give me yet another son.”
30:25 After Rachel had given birth 1211 to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send 1212 me on my way so that I can go 1213 home to my own country. 1214 30:26 Let me take my wives and my children whom I have acquired by working for you. 1215 Then I’ll depart, 1216 because you know how hard I’ve worked for you.” 1217
30:27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, 1218 for I have learned by divination 1219 that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.” 30:28 He added, “Just name your wages – I’ll pay whatever you want.” 1220
30:29 “You know how I have worked for you,” Jacob replied, 1221 “and how well your livestock have fared under my care. 1222 30:30 Indeed, 1223 you had little before I arrived, 1224 but now your possessions have increased many times over. 1225 The Lord has blessed you wherever I worked. 1226 But now, how long must it be before I do something for my own family too?” 1227
30:31 So Laban asked, 1228 “What should I give you?” “You don’t need to give me a thing,” 1229 Jacob replied, 1230 “but if you agree to this one condition, 1231 I will continue to care for 1232 your flocks and protect them: 30:32 Let me walk among 1233 all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, 1234 and the spotted or speckled goats. 1235 These animals will be my wages. 1236 30:33 My integrity will testify for me 1237 later on. 1238 When you come to verify that I’ve taken only the wages we agreed on, 1239 if I have in my possession any goat that is not speckled or spotted or any sheep that is not dark-colored, it will be considered stolen.” 1240 30:34 “Agreed!” said Laban, “It will be as you say.” 1241
30:35 So that day Laban 1242 removed the male goats that were streaked or spotted, all the female goats that were speckled or spotted (all that had any white on them), and all the dark-colored lambs, and put them in the care 1243 of his sons. 30:36 Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey, 1244 while 1245 Jacob was taking care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.
30:37 But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible. 30:38 Then he set up the peeled branches in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He set up the branches in front of the flocks when they were in heat and came to drink. 1246 30:39 When the sheep mated 1247 in front of the branches, they 1248 gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 30:40 Jacob removed these lambs, but he made the rest of the flock face 1249 the streaked and completely dark-colored animals in Laban’s flock. So he made separate flocks for himself and did not mix them with Laban’s flocks. 30:41 When the stronger females were in heat, 1250 Jacob would set up the branches in the troughs in front of the flock, so they would mate near the branches. 30:42 But if the animals were weaker, he did not set the branches there. 1251 So the weaker animals ended up belonging to Laban 1252 and the stronger animals to Jacob. 30:43 In this way Jacob 1253 became extremely prosperous. He owned 1254 large flocks, male and female servants, camels, and donkeys.
31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, 1255 “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich 1256 at our father’s expense!” 1257 31:2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. 1258
31:3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers 1259 and to your relatives. I will be with you.” 1260 31:4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah 1261 to come to the field 1262 where his flocks were. 1263 31:5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, 1264 but the God of my father has been with me. 31:6 You know that I’ve worked for your father as hard as I could, 1265 31:7 but your father has humiliated 1266 me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. 31:8 If he said, 1267 ‘The speckled animals 1268 will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled offspring. But if he said, ‘The streaked animals will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked offspring. 31:9 In this way God has snatched away your father’s livestock and given them to me.
31:10 “Once 1269 during breeding season I saw 1270 in a dream that the male goats mating with 1271 the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 31:11 In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Here I am!’ I replied. 31:12 Then he said, ‘Observe 1272 that all the male goats mating with 1273 the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, 1274 where you anointed 1275 the sacred stone and made a vow to me. 1276 Now leave this land immediately 1277 and return to your native land.’”
31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance 1278 in our father’s house? 31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted 1279 the money paid for us! 1280 31:16 Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you.”
31:17 So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. 1281 31:18 He took 1282 away all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram and all his moveable property that he had accumulated. Then he set out toward the land of Canaan to return to his father Isaac. 1283
31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, 1284 Rachel stole the household idols 1285 that belonged to her father. 31:20 Jacob also deceived 1286 Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. 1287 31:21 He left 1288 with all he owned. He quickly crossed 1289 the Euphrates River 1290 and headed for 1291 the hill country of Gilead.
31:22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. 1292 31:23 So he took his relatives 1293 with him and pursued Jacob 1294 for seven days. 1295 He caught up with 1296 him in the hill country of Gilead. 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, 1297 “Be careful 1298 that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” 1299
31:25 Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. 1300 31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me 1301 and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! 1302 31:27 Why did you run away secretly 1303 and deceive me? 1304 Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? 1305 31:28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren 1306 good-bye. You have acted foolishly! 31:29 I have 1307 the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful 1308 that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ 1309 31:30 Now I understand that 1310 you have gone away 1311 because you longed desperately 1312 for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?” 1313
31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” 1314 Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought 1315 you might take your daughters away from me by force. 1316 31:32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! 1317 In the presence of our relatives 1318 identify whatever is yours and take it.” 1319 (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) 1320
31:33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, and Leah’s tent, and the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find the idols. 1321 Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. 1322 31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle 1323 and sat on them.) 1324 Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. 1325 31:35 Rachel 1326 said to her father, “Don’t be angry, 1327 my lord. I cannot stand up 1328 in your presence because I am having my period.” 1329 So he searched thoroughly, 1330 but did not find the idols.
31:36 Jacob became angry 1331 and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. 1332 “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? 1333 31:37 When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you? 1334 Set it here before my relatives and yours, 1335 and let them settle the dispute between the two of us! 1336
31:38 “I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 31:39 Animals torn by wild beasts I never brought to you; I always absorbed the loss myself. 1337 You always made me pay for every missing animal, 1338 whether it was taken by day or at night. 31:40 I was consumed by scorching heat 1339 during the day and by piercing cold 1340 at night, and I went without sleep. 1341 31:41 This was my lot 1342 for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave 1343 for you – fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, but you changed my wages ten times! 31:42 If the God of my father – the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears 1344 – had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, 1345 and he rebuked you last night.”
31:43 Laban replied 1346 to Jacob, “These women 1347 are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, 1348 and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today 1349 or the children to whom they have given birth? 31:44 So now, come, let’s make a formal agreement, 1350 you and I, and it will be 1351 proof that we have made peace.” 1352
31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. 31:46 Then he 1353 said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they brought stones and put them in a pile. 1354 They ate there by the pile of stones. 31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, 1355 but Jacob called it Galeed. 1356
31:48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement 1357 today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 31:49 It was also called Mizpah 1358 because he said, “May the Lord watch 1359 between us 1360 when we are out of sight of one another. 1361 31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize 1362 that God is witness to your actions.” 1363
31:51 “Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you,” Laban said to Jacob. 1364 31:52 “This pile of stones and the pillar are reminders that I will not pass beyond this pile to come to harm you and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to come to harm me. 1365 31:53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, 1366 the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared. 1367 31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice 1368 on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. 1369 They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.
31:55 (32:1) 1370 Early in the morning Laban kissed 1371 his grandchildren 1372 and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. 1373
32:1 So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God 1374 met him. 32:2 When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, 1375 “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. 1376
32:3 Jacob sent messengers on ahead 1377 to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region 1378 of Edom. 32:4 He commanded them, “This is what you must say to my lord Esau: ‘This is what your servant 1379 Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban until now. 32:5 I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent 1380 this message 1381 to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”
32:6 The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has four hundred men with him.” 32:7 Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels. 32:8 “If Esau attacks one camp,” 1382 he thought, 1383 “then the other camp will be able to escape.” 1384
32:9 Then Jacob prayed, 1385 “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said 1386 to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’ 1387 32:10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love 1388 you have shown 1389 your servant. With only my walking stick 1390 I crossed the Jordan, 1391 but now I have become two camps. 32:11 Rescue me, 1392 I pray, from the hand 1393 of my brother Esau, 1394 for I am afraid he will come 1395 and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children. 1396 32:12 But you 1397 said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper 1398 and will make 1399 your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’” 1400
32:13 Jacob 1401 stayed there that night. Then he sent 1402 as a gift 1403 to his brother Esau 32:14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 32:15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 32:16 He entrusted them to 1404 his servants, who divided them into herds. 1405 He told his servants, “Pass over before me, and keep some distance between one herd and the next.” 32:17 He instructed the servant leading the first herd, 1406 “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong? 1407 Where are you going? Whose herds are you driving?’ 1408 32:18 then you must say, 1409 ‘They belong 1410 to your servant Jacob. 1411 They have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau. 1412 In fact Jacob himself is behind us.’” 1413
32:19 He also gave these instructions to the second and third servants, as well as all those who were following the herds, saying, “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 1414 32:20 You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’” 1415 Jacob thought, 1416 “I will first appease him 1417 by sending a gift ahead of me. 1418 After that I will meet him. 1419 Perhaps he will accept me.” 1420 32:21 So the gifts were sent on ahead of him 1421 while he spent that night in the camp. 1422
32:22 During the night Jacob quickly took 1423 his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons 1424 and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 1425 32:23 He took them and sent them across the stream along with all his possessions. 1426 32:24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man 1427 wrestled 1428 with him until daybreak. 1429 32:25 When the man 1430 saw that he could not defeat Jacob, 1431 he struck 1432 the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.
32:26 Then the man 1433 said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” 1434 “I will not let you go,” Jacob replied, 1435 “unless you bless me.” 1436 32:27 The man asked him, 1437 “What is your name?” 1438 He answered, “Jacob.” 32:28 “No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him, 1439 “but Israel, 1440 because you have fought 1441 with God and with men and have prevailed.”
32:29 Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” 1442 “Why 1443 do you ask my name?” the man replied. 1444 Then he blessed 1445 Jacob 1446 there. 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, 1447 explaining, 1448 “Certainly 1449 I have seen God face to face 1450 and have survived.” 1451
32:31 The sun rose 1452 over him as he crossed over Penuel, 1453 but 1454 he was limping because of his hip. 32:32 That is why to this day 1455 the Israelites do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the hip, because he struck 1456 the socket of Jacob’s hip near the attached sinew.
33:1 Jacob looked up 1457 and saw that Esau was coming 1458 along with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants. 33:2 He put the servants and their children in front, with Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them. 1459 33:3 But Jacob 1460 himself went on ahead of them, and he bowed toward the ground seven times as he approached 1461 his brother. 33:4 But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Then they both wept. 33:5 When Esau 1462 looked up 1463 and saw the women and the children, he asked, “Who are these people with you?” Jacob 1464 replied, “The children whom God has graciously given 1465 your servant.” 33:6 The female servants came forward with their children and bowed down. 1466 33:7 Then Leah came forward with her children and they bowed down. Finally Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed down.
33:8 Esau 1467 then asked, “What did you intend 1468 by sending all these herds to meet me?” 1469 Jacob 1470 replied, “To find favor in your sight, my lord.” 33:9 But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother. Keep what belongs to you.” 33:10 “No, please take them,” Jacob said. 1471 “If I have found favor in your sight, accept 1472 my gift from my hand. Now that I have seen your face and you have accepted me, 1473 it is as if I have seen the face of God. 1474 33:11 Please take my present 1475 that was brought to you, for God has been generous 1476 to me and I have all I need.” 1477 When Jacob urged him, he took it. 1478
33:12 Then Esau 1479 said, “Let’s be on our way! 1480 I will go in front of you.” 33:13 But Jacob 1481 said to him, “My lord knows that the children are young, 1482 and that I have to look after the sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. 1483 If they are driven too hard for even a single day, all the animals will die. 33:14 Let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the herds and the children, 1484 until I come to my lord at Seir.”
33:15 So Esau said, “Let me leave some of my men with you.” 1485 “Why do that?” Jacob replied. 1486 “My lord has already been kind enough to me.” 1487
33:16 So that same day Esau made his way back 1488 to Seir. 33:17 But 1489 Jacob traveled to Succoth 1490 where he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was called 1491 Succoth. 1492
33:18 After he left Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped near 1493 the city. 33:19 Then he purchased the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent; he bought it 1494 from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of money. 1495 33:20 There he set up an altar and called it “The God of Israel is God.” 1496
34:1 Now Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she bore to Jacob, went to meet 1497 the young women 1498 of the land. 34:2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who ruled that area, saw her, he grabbed her, forced himself on her, 1499 and sexually assaulted her. 1500 34:3 Then he became very attached 1501 to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her. 1502 34:4 Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Acquire this young girl as my wife.” 1503 34:5 When 1504 Jacob heard that Shechem 1505 had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field. So Jacob remained silent 1506 until they came in.
34:6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went to speak with Jacob about Dinah. 1507 34:7 Now Jacob’s sons had come in from the field when they heard the news. 1508 They 1509 were offended 1510 and very angry because Shechem 1511 had disgraced Israel 1512 by sexually assaulting 1513 Jacob’s daughter, a crime that should not be committed. 1514
34:8 But Hamor made this appeal to them: “My son Shechem is in love with your daughter. 1515 Please give her to him as his wife. 34:9 Intermarry with us. 1516 Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves. 1517 34:10 You may live 1518 among us, and the land will be open to you. 1519 Live in it, travel freely in it, 1520 and acquire property in it.”
34:11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s 1521 father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and whatever you require of me 1522 I’ll give. 1523 34:12 You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive, 1524 and I’ll give 1525 whatever you ask 1526 of me. Just give me the young woman as my wife!”
34:13 Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem 1527 had violated their sister Dinah. 34:14 They said to them, “We cannot give 1528 our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace 1529 to us. 34:15 We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become 1530 like us by circumcising 1531 all your males. 34:16 Then we will give 1532 you our daughters to marry, 1533 and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. 34:17 But if you do not agree to our terms 1534 by being circumcised, then we will take 1535 our sister 1536 and depart.”
34:18 Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem. 1537 34:19 The young man did not delay in doing what they asked 1538 because he wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah 1539 badly. (Now he was more important 1540 than anyone in his father’s household.) 1541 34:20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate 1542 of their city and spoke to the men of their city, 34:21 “These men are at peace with us. So let them live in the land and travel freely in it, for the land is wide enough 1543 for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry. 1544 34:22 Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand 1545 that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised. 34:23 If we do so, 1546 won’t their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? So let’s consent to their demand, so they will live among us.”
34:24 All the men who assembled at the city gate 1547 agreed with 1548 Hamor and his son Shechem. Every male who assembled at the city gate 1549 was circumcised. 34:25 In three days, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword 1550 and went to the unsuspecting city 1551 and slaughtered every male. 34:26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. 34:27 Jacob’s sons killed them 1552 and looted the city because their sister had been violated. 1553 34:28 They took their flocks, herds, and donkeys, as well as everything in the city and in the surrounding fields. 1554 34:29 They captured as plunder 1555 all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, including everything in the houses.
34:30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought ruin 1556 on me by making me a foul odor 1557 among the inhabitants of the land – among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I 1558 am few in number; they will join forces against me and attack me, and both I and my family will be destroyed!” 34:31 But Simeon and Levi replied, 1559 “Should he treat our sister like a common prostitute?”
35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once 1560 to Bethel 1561 and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 1562 35:2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. 1563 Purify yourselves and change your clothes. 1564 35:3 Let us go up at once 1565 to Bethel. Then I will make 1566 an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress 1567 and has been with me wherever I went.” 1568
35:4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession 1569 and the rings that were in their ears. 1570 Jacob buried them 1571 under the oak 1572 near Shechem 35:5 and they started on their journey. 1573 The surrounding cities were afraid of God, 1574 and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
35:6 Jacob and all those who were with him arrived at Luz (that is, Bethel) 1575 in the land of Canaan. 1576 35:7 He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel 1577 because there God had revealed himself 1578 to him when he was fleeing from his brother. 35:8 (Deborah, 1579 Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel; thus it was named 1580 Oak of Weeping.) 1581
35:9 God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan Aram and blessed him. 35:10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but your name will no longer be called Jacob; Israel will be your name.” So God named him Israel. 1582 35:11 Then God said to him, “I am the sovereign God. 1583 Be fruitful and multiply! A nation – even a company of nations – will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants! 1584 35:12 The land I gave 1585 to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you. To your descendants 1586 I will also give this land.” 35:13 Then God went up from the place 1587 where he spoke with him. 35:14 So Jacob set up a sacred stone pillar in the place where God spoke with him. 1588 He poured out a drink offering on it, and then he poured oil on it. 1589 35:15 Jacob named the place 1590 where God spoke with him Bethel. 1591
35:16 They traveled on from Bethel, and when Ephrath was still some distance away, 1592 Rachel went into labor 1593 – and her labor was hard. 35:17 When her labor was at its hardest, 1594 the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you are having another son.” 1595 35:18 With her dying breath, 1596 she named him Ben-Oni. 1597 But his father called him Benjamin instead. 1598 35:19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 1599 35:20 Jacob set up a marker 1600 over her grave; it is 1601 the Marker of Rachel’s Grave to this day.
35:21 Then Israel traveled on and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. 1602 35:22 While Israel was living in that land, Reuben had sexual relations with 1603 Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard about it.
Jacob had twelve sons:
35:23 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.
35:27 So Jacob came back to his father Isaac in Mamre, 1604 to Kiriath Arba 1605 (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 1606 35:28 Isaac lived to be 180 years old. 1607 35:29 Then Isaac breathed his last and joined his ancestors. 1608 He died an old man who had lived a full life. 1609 His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
[12:1] 1 sn The
[12:1] 2 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] 3 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] 4 sn To the land that I will show you. The call of Abram illustrates the leading of the
[12:2] 5 tn The three first person verbs in v. 2a should be classified as cohortatives. The first two have pronominal suffixes, so the form itself does not indicate a cohortative. The third verb form is clearly cohortative.
[12:2] 6 sn I will bless you. The blessing of creation is now carried forward to the patriarch. In the garden God blessed Adam and Eve; in that blessing he gave them (1) a fruitful place, (2) endowed them with fertility to multiply, and (3) made them rulers over creation. That was all ruined at the fall. Now God begins to build his covenant people; in Gen 12-22 he promises to give Abram (1) a land flowing with milk and honey, (2) a great nation without number, and (3) kingship.
[12:2] 7 tn Or “I will make you famous.”
[12:2] 8 tn Heb “and be a blessing.” The verb form הְיֵה (hÿyeh) is the Qal imperative of the verb הָיָה (hayah). The vav (ו) with the imperative after the cohortatives indicates purpose or consequence. What does it mean for Abram to “be a blessing”? Will he be a channel or source of blessing for others, or a prime example of divine blessing? A similar statement occurs in Zech 8:13, where God assures his people, “You will be a blessing,” in contrast to the past when they “were a curse.” Certainly “curse” here does not refer to Israel being a source of a curse, but rather to the fact that they became a curse-word or byword among the nations, who regarded them as the epitome of an accursed people (see 2 Kgs 22:19; Jer 42:18; 44:8, 12, 22). Therefore the statement “be a blessing” seems to refer to Israel being transformed into a prime example of a blessed people, whose name will be used in blessing formulae, rather than in curses. If the statement “be a blessing” is understood in the same way in Gen 12:2, then it means that God would so bless Abram that other nations would hear of his fame and hold him up as a paradigm of divine blessing in their blessing formulae.
[12:3] 9 tn The Piel cohortative has as its object a Piel participle, masculine plural. Since the
[12:3] 10 tn In this part of God’s statement there are two significant changes that often go unnoticed. First, the parallel and contrasting participle מְקַלֶּלְךָ (mÿqallelkha) is now singular and not plural. All the versions and a few Masoretic
[12:3] 11 tn Theoretically the Niphal can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Abram were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in later formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless [i.e., “pronounce blessings on”] themselves [or “one another”].” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.
[12:4] 12 sn So Abram left. This is the report of Abram’s obedience to God’s command (see v. 1).
[12:4] 13 tn Heb “just as the
[12:4] 14 tn The disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + implied “to be” verb) is parenthetical, telling the age of Abram when he left Haran.
[12:4] 15 tn Heb “was the son of five years and seventy year[s].”
[12:4] sn Terah was 70 years old when he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran (Gen 11:26). Terah was 205 when he died in Haran (11:32). Abram left Haran at the age of 75 after his father died. Abram was born when Terah was 130. Abram was not the firstborn – he is placed first in the list of three because of his importance. The same is true of the list in Gen 10:1 (Shem, Ham and Japheth). Ham was the youngest son (9:24). Japheth was the older brother of Shem (10:21), so the birth order of Noah’s sons was Japheth, Shem, and Ham.
[12:5] 16 tn Heb “the son of his brother.”
[12:5] 17 tn For the semantic nuance “acquire [property]” for the verb עָשָׂה (’asah), see BDB 795 s.v. עָשָׂה.
[12:5] 18 tn Heb “went out to go.”
[12:6] 20 sn The Hebrew word Moreh (מוֹרֶה, moreh) means “teacher.” It may well be that the place of this great oak tree was a Canaanite shrine where instruction took place.
[12:6] 21 tn Heb “as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh.”
[12:6] 22 tn The disjunctive clause gives important information parenthetical in nature – the promised land was occupied by Canaanites.
[12:7] 23 tn The same Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.
[12:7] 24 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[12:8] 25 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[12:8] 26 tn Heb “he called in the name of the
[12:9] 27 tn The Hebrew verb נָסַע (nasa’) means “to journey”; more specifically it means to pull up the tent and move to another place. The construction here uses the preterite of this verb with its infinitive absolute to stress the activity of traveling. But it also adds the infinitive absolute of הָלַךְ (halakh) to stress that the traveling was continually going on. Thus “Abram journeyed, going and journeying” becomes “Abram continually journeyed by stages.”
[12:9] 28 tn Or “the South [country].”
[12:9] sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
[12:10] 29 sn Abram went down to Egypt. The Abrahamic narrative foreshadows some of the events in the life of the nation of Israel. This sojourn in Egypt is typological of Israel’s bondage there. In both stories there is a famine that forces the family to Egypt, death is a danger to the males while the females are preserved alive, great plagues bring about their departure, there is a summons to stand before Pharaoh, and there is a return to the land of Canaan with great wealth.
[12:10] 30 tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” means “to stay for a while.” The “stranger” (traditionally “sojourner”) is one who is a temporary resident, a visitor, one who is passing through. Abram had no intention of settling down in Egypt or owning property. He was only there to wait out the famine.
[12:10] 31 tn Heb “heavy in the land.” The words “in the land,” which also occur at the beginning of the verse in the Hebrew text, have not been repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[12:11] 32 tn Heb “drew near to enter.”
[12:11] 33 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is deictic here; it draws attention to the following fact.
[12:11] 34 tn Heb “a woman beautiful of appearance are you.”
[12:12] 35 tn The Piel of the verb חָיָה (khayah, “to live”) means “to keep alive, to preserve alive,” and in some places “to make alive.” See D. Marcus, “The Verb ‘to Live’ in Ugaritic,” JSS 17 (1972): 76-82.
[12:13] 37 sn Tell them you are my sister. Abram’s motives may not be as selfish as they appear. He is aware of the danger to the family. His method of dealing with it is deception with a half truth, for Sarai really was his sister – but the Egyptians would not know that. Abram presumably thought that there would be negotiations for a marriage by anyone interested (as Laban does later for his sister Rebekah), giving him time to react. But the plan backfires because Pharaoh does not take the time to negotiate. There is a good deal of literature on the wife-sister issue. See (among others) E. A. Speiser, “The Wife-Sister Motif in the Patriarchal Narratives,” Oriental and Biblical Studies, 62-81; C. J. Mullo-Weir, “The Alleged Hurrian Wife-Sister Motif in Genesis,” GOT 22 (1967-1970): 14-25.
[12:13] 38 tn The Hebrew verb translated “go well” can encompass a whole range of favorable treatment, but the following clause indicates it means here that Abram’s life will be spared.
[12:13] 39 tn Heb “and my life will live.”
[12:15] 40 tn Heb “and the woman.” The word also means “wife”; the Hebrew article can express the possessive pronoun (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 19, §86). Here the proper name (Abram) has been used in the translation instead of a possessive pronoun (“his”) for clarity.
[12:15] 41 tn The Hebrew term וַתֻּקַּח (vattuqqakh, “was taken”) is a rare verbal form, an old Qal passive preterite from the verb “to take.” It is pointed as a Hophal would be by the Masoretes, but does not have a Hophal meaning.
[12:15] 42 tn The Hebrew text simply has “house of Pharaoh.” The word “house” refers to the household in general, more specifically to the royal harem.
[12:16] 43 sn He did treat Abram well. The construction of the parenthetical disjunctive clause, beginning with the conjunction on the prepositional phrase, draws attention to the irony of the story. Abram wanted Sarai to lie “so that it would go well” with him. Though he lost Sarai to Pharaoh, it did go well for him – he received a lavish bride price. See also G. W. Coats, “Despoiling the Egyptians,” VT 18 (1968): 450-57.
[12:16] 44 tn Heb “and there was to him.”
[12:17] 45 tn The cognate accusative adds emphasis to the verbal sentence: “he plagued with great plagues,” meaning the
[12:18] 46 tn The demonstrative pronoun translated “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to me?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).
[12:19] 47 tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive here expresses consequence.
[12:19] 48 tn Heb “to me for a wife.”
[12:19] 49 tn Heb “Look, your wife!”
[12:19] 50 tn Heb “take and go.”
[12:20] 51 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:1] 52 tn Or “the South [country]” (also in v. 3).
[13:1] sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
[13:1] 53 tn Heb “And Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all which was his, and Lot with him, to the Negev.”
[13:2] 55 tn This parenthetical clause, introduced by the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), provides information necessary to the point of the story.
[13:3] 56 tn Heb “on his journeys”; the verb and noun combination means to pick up the tents and move from camp to camp.
[13:3] 57 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[13:3] 58 tn The words “he returned” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[13:3] 59 tn Heb “where his tent had been.”
[13:4] 60 tn Heb “to the place of the altar which he had made there in the beginning” (cf. Gen 12:7-8).
[13:4] 61 tn Heb “he called in the name of the
[13:5] 63 tn The Hebrew idiom is “to Lot…there was,” the preposition here expressing possession.
[13:6] 64 tn The potential nuance for the perfect tense is necessary here, and supported by the parallel clause that actually uses “to be able.”
[13:6] 65 tn The infinitive construct לָשֶׁבֶת (lashevet, from יָשַׁב, yashav) explains what it was that the land could not support: “the land could not support them to live side by side.” See further J. C. de Moor, “Lexical Remarks Concerning Yahad and Yahdaw,” VT 7 (1957): 350-55.
[13:6] 66 tn The same infinitive occurs here, serving as the object of the verb.
[13:7] 67 tn The Hebrew term רִיב (riv) means “strife, conflict, quarreling.” In later texts it has the meaning of “legal controversy, dispute.” See B. Gemser, “The rîb – or Controversy – Pattern in Hebrew Mentality,” Wisdom in Israel and in the Ancient Near East [VTSup], 120-37.
[13:7] 68 sn Since the quarreling was between the herdsmen, the dispute was no doubt over water and vegetation for the animals.
[13:7] 69 tn This parenthetical clause, introduced with the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), again provides critical information. It tells in part why the land cannot sustain these two bedouins, and it also hints of the danger of weakening the family by inner strife.
[13:8] 70 tn Heb “men, brothers [are] we.” Here “brothers” describes the closeness of the relationship, but could be misunderstood if taken literally, since Abram was Lot’s uncle.
[13:9] 71 tn The words “you go” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons both times in this verse.
[13:10] 72 tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.” The expression draws attention to the act of looking, indicating that Lot took a good look. It also calls attention to the importance of what was seen.
[13:10] 73 tn Or “plain”; Heb “circle.”
[13:10] 74 tn The words “he noticed” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[13:10] 75 sn Obliterated. The use of the term “destroy” (שַׁחֵת, shakhet) is reminiscent of the Noahic flood (Gen 6:13). Both at the flood and in Sodom the place was obliterated by catastrophe and only one family survived (see C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:178).
[13:10] 76 tn This short temporal clause (preposition + Piel infinitive construct + subjective genitive + direct object) is strategically placed in the middle of the lavish descriptions to sound an ominous note. The entire clause is parenthetical in nature. Most English translations place the clause at the end of v. 10 for stylistic reasons.
[13:10] 77 sn The narrative places emphasis on what Lot saw so that the reader can appreciate how it aroused his desire for the best land. It makes allusion to the garden of the
[13:11] 78 tn Heb “Lot traveled.” The proper name has not been repeated in the translation at this point for stylistic reasons.
[13:11] 79 tn Heb “a man from upon his brother.”
[13:11] sn Separated from each other. For a discussion of the significance of this event, see L. R. Helyer, “The Separation of Abram and Lot: Its Significance in the Patriarchal Narratives,” JSOT 26 (1983): 77-88.
[13:12] 80 tn Or “the cities of the plain”; Heb “[the cities of] the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[13:13] 81 tn Here is another significant parenthetical clause in the story, signaled by the vav (וו) disjunctive (translated “now”) on the noun at the beginning of the clause.
[13:13] 82 tn Heb “men.” However, this is generic in sense; it is unlikely that only the male residents of Sodom were sinners.
[13:13] 83 tn Heb “wicked and sinners against the
[13:14] 84 tn Heb “and the
[13:14] 85 tn Heb “lift up your eyes and see.”
[13:14] sn Look. Earlier Lot “looked up” (v. 10), but here Abram is told by God to do so. The repetition of the expression (Heb “lift up the eyes”) here underscores how the
[13:15] 86 tn Heb “for all the land which you see to you I will give it and to your descendants.”
[13:16] 87 tn The translation “can be counted” (potential imperfect) is suggested by the use of יוּכַל (yukhal, “is able”) in the preceding clause.
[13:17] 88 tn The connective “and” is not present in the Hebrew text; it has been supplied for purposes of English style.
[13:17] 89 tn The Hitpael form הִתְהַלֵּךְ (hithallekh) means “to walk about”; it also can carry the ideas of moving about, traversing, going back and forth, or living in an area. It here has the connotation of traversing the land to survey it, to look it over.
[13:17] 90 tn Heb “the land to its length and to its breadth.” This phrase has not been included in the translation because it is somewhat redundant (see the note on the word “throughout” in this verse).
[13:18] 91 tn Heb “he came and lived.”
[13:18] 92 tn Or “terebinths.”
[14:1] 93 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayÿhi) followed by “in the days of.”
[14:1] 94 sn Shinar (also in v. 9) is the region of Babylonia.
[14:1] 95 tn Or “king of Goyim.” The Hebrew term גּוֹיִם (goyim) means “nations,” but a number of modern translations merely transliterate the Hebrew (cf. NEB “Goyim”; NIV, NRSV “Goiim”).
[14:2] sn Went to war. The conflict here reflects international warfare in the Early and Middle Bronze periods. The countries operated with overlords and vassals. Kings ruled over city states, or sometimes a number of city states (i.e., nations). Due to their treaties, when one went to war, those confederate with him joined him in battle. It appears here that it is Kedorlaomer’s war, because the western city states have rebelled against him (meaning they did not send products as tribute to keep him from invading them).
[14:2] 97 sn On the geographical background of vv. 1-2 see J. P. Harland, “Sodom and Gomorrah,” The Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 1:41-75; and D. N. Freedman, “The Real Story of the Ebla Tablets, Ebla and the Cities of the Plain,” BA 41 (1978): 143-64.
[14:3] 98 tn Heb “all these,” referring only to the last five kings named. The referent has been specified as “these last five kings” in the translation for clarity.
[14:3] 99 tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to join together; to unite; to be allied.” It stresses close associations, especially of friendships, marriages, or treaties.
[14:3] 100 sn The Salt Sea is the older name for the Dead Sea.
[14:4] 101 tn The sentence simply begins with “twelve years”; it serves as an adverbial accusative giving the duration of their bondage.
[14:4] 102 tn This is another adverbial accusative of time.
[14:4] 103 sn The story serves as a foreshadowing of the plight of the kingdom of Israel later. Eastern powers came and forced the western kingdoms into submission. Each year, then, they would send tribute east – to keep them away. Here, in the thirteenth year, they refused to send the tribute (just as later Hezekiah rebelled against Assyria). And so in the fourteenth year the eastern powers came to put them down again. This account from Abram’s life taught future generations that God can give victory over such threats – that people did not have to live in servitude to tyrants from the east.
[14:5] 104 tn The Hebrew verb נָכָה (nakhah) means “to attack, to strike, to smite.” In this context it appears that the strike was successful, and so a translation of “defeated” is preferable.
[14:6] 105 sn The line of attack ran down the eastern side of the Jordan Valley into the desert, and then turned and came up the valley to the cities of the plain.
[14:7] 106 tn Heb “they returned and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh).” The two verbs together form a verbal hendiadys, the first serving as the adverb: “they returned and came” means “they came again.” Most English translations do not treat this as a hendiadys, but translate “they turned back” or something similar. Since in the context, however, “came again to” does not simply refer to travel but an assault against the place, the present translation expresses this as “attacked…again.”
[14:9] 108 tn Or “Goyim.” See the note on the word “nations” in 14:1.
[14:9] 109 tn The Hebrew text has simply “against.” The word “fought” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[14:10] 110 tn Heb “Now the Valley of Siddim [was] pits, pits of tar.” This parenthetical disjunctive clause emphasizes the abundance of tar pits in the area through repetition of the noun “pits.”
[14:10] sn The word for “tar” (or “bitumen”) occurs earlier in the story of the building of the tower in Babylon (see Gen 11:3).
[14:10] 111 tn Or “they were defeated there.” After a verb of motion the Hebrew particle שָׁם (sham) with the directional heh (שָׁמָּה, shammah) can mean “into it, therein” (BDB 1027 s.v. שָׁם).
[14:10] 112 tn Heb “the rest.”
[14:10] 113 sn The reference to the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah must mean the kings along with their armies. Most of them were defeated in the valley, but some of them escaped to the hills.
[14:11] 114 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the four victorious kings, see v. 9) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[14:12] 115 tn Heb “Lot the son of his brother.”
[14:12] 117 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:12] 118 tn This disjunctive clause is circumstantial/causal, explaining that Lot was captured because he was living in Sodom at the time.
[14:13] 119 tn Heb “the fugitive.” The article carries a generic force or indicates that this fugitive is definite in the mind of the speaker.
[14:13] 120 sn E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103) suggests that part of this chapter came from an outside source since it refers to Abram the Hebrew. That is not impossible, given that the narrator likely utilized traditions and genealogies that had been collected and transmitted over the years. The meaning of the word “Hebrew” has proved elusive. It may be related to the verb “to cross over,” perhaps meaning “immigrant.” Or it might be derived from the name of Abram’s ancestor Eber (see Gen 11:14-16).
[14:13] 121 tn Or “terebinths.”
[14:13] 122 tn Or “a brother”; or “a relative”; or perhaps “an ally.”
[14:13] 123 tn Heb “possessors of a treaty with.” Since it is likely that the qualifying statement refers to all three (Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner) the words “all these” have been supplied in the translation to make this clear.
[14:13] 124 tn This parenthetical disjunctive clause explains how Abram came to be living in their territory, but it also explains why they must go to war with Abram.
[14:14] 125 tn Heb “his brother,” by extension, “relative.” Here and in v. 16 the more specific term “nephew” has been used in the translation for clarity. Lot was the son of Haran, Abram’s brother (Gen 11:27).
[14:14] 126 tn The verb וַיָּרֶק (vayyareq) is a rare form, probably related to the word רֵיק (req, “to be empty”). If so, it would be a very figurative use: “he emptied out” (or perhaps “unsheathed”) his men. The LXX has “mustered” (cf. NEB). E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103-4) suggests reading with the Samaritan Pentateuch a verb diq, cognate with Akkadian deku, “to mobilize” troops. If this view is accepted, one must assume that a confusion of the Hebrew letters ד (dalet) and ר (resh) led to the error in the traditional Hebrew text. These two letters are easily confused in all phases of ancient Hebrew script development. The present translation is based on this view.
[14:14] 127 tn The words “the invaders” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:14] 128 sn The use of the name Dan reflects a later perspective. The Danites did not migrate to this northern territory until centuries later (see Judg 18:29). Furthermore Dan was not even born until much later. By inserting this name a scribe has clarified the location of the region.
[14:15] 129 tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.
[14:15] 130 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:15] 131 tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”
[14:15] 132 tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.
[14:16] 133 tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:16] 134 tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:17] 135 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:17] 136 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:17] 137 sn The King’s Valley is possibly a reference to what came to be known later as the Kidron Valley.
[14:18] 138 sn Salem is traditionally identified as the Jebusite stronghold of old Jerusalem. Accordingly, there has been much speculation about its king. Though some have identified him with the preincarnate Christ or with Noah’s son Shem, it is far more likely that Melchizedek was a Canaanite royal priest whom God used to renew the promise of the blessing to Abram, perhaps because Abram considered Melchizedek his spiritual superior. But Melchizedek remains an enigma. In a book filled with genealogical records he appears on the scene without a genealogy and then disappears from the narrative. In Psalm 110 the
[14:18] 139 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause significantly identifies Melchizedek as a priest as well as a king.
[14:18] sn It is his royal priestly status that makes Melchizedek a type of Christ: He was identified with Jerusalem, superior to the ancestor of Israel, and both a king and a priest. Unlike the normal Canaanites, this man served “God Most High” (אֵל עֶלְיוֹן, ’el ’elyon) – one sovereign God, who was the creator of all the universe. Abram had in him a spiritual brother.
[14:19] 140 tn The preposition לְ (lamed) introduces the agent after the passive participle.
[14:19] 141 tn Some translate “possessor of heaven and earth” (cf. NASB). But cognate evidence from Ugaritic indicates that there were two homonymic roots ָקנָה (qanah), one meaning “to create” (as in Gen 4:1) and the other “to obtain, to acquire, to possess.” While “possessor” would fit here, “creator” is the more likely due to the collocation with “heaven and earth.”
[14:19] 142 tn The terms translated “heaven” and “earth” are both objective genitives after the participle in construct.
[14:20] 143 tn Heb “blessed be.” For God to be “blessed” means that is praised. His reputation is enriched in the world as his name is praised.
[14:20] 144 sn Who delivered. The Hebrew verb מִגֵּן (miggen, “delivered”) foreshadows the statement by God to Abram in Gen 15:1, “I am your shield” (מָגֵן, magen). Melchizedek provided a theological interpretation of Abram’s military victory.
[14:20] 145 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:22] 146 tn Abram takes an oath, raising his hand as a solemn gesture. The translation understands the perfect tense as having an instantaneous nuance: “Here and now I raise my hand.”
[14:22] 147 tn The words “and vow” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:23] 148 tn The oath formula is elliptical, reading simply: “…if I take.” It is as if Abram says, “[May the
[14:23] 149 tn The Hebrew text adds the independent pronoun (“I”) to the verb form for emphasis.
[14:24] 150 tn The words “I will take nothing” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[14:24] 151 tn Heb “except only what the young men have eaten.”
[15:1] 152 sn The noun “shield” recalls the words of Melchizedek in 14:20. If God is the shield, then God will deliver. Abram need not fear reprisals from those he has fought.
[15:1] 153 tn Heb “your reward [in] great abundance.” When the phrase הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ (harbeh mÿod) follows a noun it invariably modifies the noun and carries the nuance “very great” or “in great abundance.” (See its use in Gen 41:49; Deut 3:5; Josh 22:8; 2 Sam 8:8; 12:2; 1 Kgs 4:29; 10:10-11; 2 Chr 14:13; 32:27; Jer 40:12.) Here the noun “reward” is in apposition to “shield” and refers by metonymy to God as the source of the reward. Some translate here “your reward will be very great” (cf. NASB, NRSV), taking the statement as an independent clause and understanding the Hiphil infinitive absolute as a substitute for a finite verb. However, the construction הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ is never used this way elsewhere, where it either modifies a noun (see the texts listed above) or serves as an adverb in relation to a finite verb (see Josh 13:1; 1 Sam 26:21; 2 Sam 12:30; 2 Kgs 21:16; 1 Chr 20:2; Neh 2:2).
[15:1] sn Abram has just rejected all the spoils of war, and the
[15:2] 154 tn The Hebrew text has אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה (’adonay yehvih, “Master,
[15:2] 155 tn The vav (ו) disjunctive at the beginning of the clause is circumstantial, expressing the cause or reason.
[15:2] 156 tn Heb “I am going.”
[15:2] 157 tn Heb “the son of the acquisition of my house.”
[15:2] sn For the custom of designating a member of the household as heir, see C. H. Gordon, “Biblical Customs and the Nuzu Tablets,” Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 2:21-33.
[15:2] 158 tn The pronoun is anaphoric here, equivalent to the verb “to be” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 23, §115).
[15:2] 159 sn The sentence in the Hebrew text employs a very effective wordplay on the name Damascus: “The son of the acquisition (בֶּן־מֶשֶׁק, ben-mesheq) of my house is Eliezer of Damascus (דַּמֶּשֶׁק, dammesheq).” The words are not the same; they have different sibilants. But the sound play gives the impression that “in the nomen is the omen.” Eliezer the Damascene will be Abram’s heir if Abram dies childless because “Damascus” seems to mean that. See M. F. Unger, “Some Comments on the Text of Genesis 15:2-3,” JBL 72 (1953): 49-50; H. L. Ginsberg, “Abram’s ‘Damascene’ Steward,” BASOR 200 (1970): 31-32.
[15:3] 160 tn Heb “And Abram said.”
[15:3] 161 tn The construction uses הֵן (hen) to introduce the foundational clause (“since…”), and וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh) to introduce the main clause (“then look…”).
[15:3] 162 tn Heb “is inheriting me.”
[15:4] 163 tn The disjunctive draws attention to God’s response and the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, translated “look”) mirrors Abram’s statement in v. 3 and highlights the fact that God responded to Abram.
[15:4] 164 tn The subject of the verb is the demonstrative pronoun, which can be translated “this one” or “this man.” That the
[15:4] 165 tn Heb “inherit you.”
[15:4] 166 tn The Hebrew כִּי־אִם (ki-’im) forms a very strong adversative.
[15:4] 167 tn Heb “he who”; the implied referent (Abram’s unborn son who will be his heir) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:4] 168 tn The pronoun could also be an emphatic subject: “whoever comes out of your body, he will inherit you.”
[15:4] 169 tn Heb “will inherit you.”
[15:5] 170 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[15:6] 171 tn The nonconsecutive vav (ו) is on a perfect verbal form. If the composer of the narrative had wanted to show simple sequence, he would have used the vav consecutive with the preterite. The perfect with vav conjunctive (where one expects the preterite with vav consecutive) in narrative contexts can have a variety of discourse functions, but here it probably serves to highlight Abram’s response to God’s promise. For a detailed discussion of the vav + perfect construction in Hebrew narrative, see R. Longacre, “Weqatal Forms in Biblical Hebrew Prose: A Discourse-modular Approach,” Biblical Hebrew and Discourse Linguistics, 50-98. The Hebrew verb אָמַן (’aman) means “to confirm, to support” in the Qal verbal stem. Its derivative nouns refer to something or someone that/who provides support, such as a “pillar,” “nurse,” or “guardian, trustee.” In the Niphal stem it comes to mean “to be faithful, to be reliable, to be dependable,” or “to be firm, to be sure.” In the Hiphil, the form used here, it takes on a declarative sense: “to consider something reliable [or “dependable”].” Abram regarded the God who made this promise as reliable and fully capable of making it a reality.
[15:6] 172 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the
[15:6] 173 tn Heb “and he reckoned it to him.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix refers back to Abram’s act of faith, mentioned in the preceding clause. On third feminine singular pronouns referring back to verbal ideas see GKC 440-41 §135.p. Some propose taking the suffix as proleptic, anticipating the following feminine noun (“righteousness”). In this case one might translate: “and he reckoned it to him – [namely] righteousness.” See O. P. Robertson, “Genesis 15:6: A New Covenant Exposition of an Old Covenant Text,” WTJ 42 (1980): 259-89.
[15:6] 174 tn Or “righteousness”; or “evidence of steadfast commitment.” The noun is an adverbial accusative. The verb translated “considered” (Heb “reckoned”) also appears with צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) in Ps 106:31. Alluding to the events recorded in Numbers 25, the psalmist notes that Phinehas’ actions were “credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.” Reference is made to the unconditional, eternal covenant with which God rewarded Phinehas’ loyalty (Num 25:12-13). So צְדָקָה seems to carry by metonymy the meaning “loyal, rewardable behavior” here, a nuance that fits nicely in Genesis 15, where God responds to Abram’s faith by formally ratifying his promise to give Abram and his descendants the land. (See R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 40.) In Phoenician and Old Aramaic inscriptions cognate nouns glossed as “correct, justifiable conduct” sometimes carry this same semantic nuance (DNWSI 2:962).
[15:6] sn This episode is basic to the NT teaching of Paul on justification (Romans 4). Paul weaves this passage and Psalm 32 together, for both use this word. Paul explains that for the one who believes in the
[15:7] 175 tn Heb “And he said.”
[15:7] 176 sn I am the
[15:7] 177 sn The phrase of the Chaldeans is a later editorial clarification for the readers, designating the location of Ur. From all evidence there would have been no Chaldeans in existence at this early date; they are known in the time of the neo-Babylonian empire in the first millennium
[15:8] 178 tn Here the vav carries adversative force and is translated “but.”
[15:8] 179 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:8] 180 tn See note on the phrase “sovereign
[15:9] 182 tn Heb “He”; the referent (the
[15:10] 183 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:10] 184 tn Heb “in the middle.”
[15:10] 185 tn Heb “to meet its neighbor.”
[15:10] sn For discussion of this ritual see G. F. Hasel, “The Meaning of the Animal Rite in Genesis 15,” JSOT 19 (1981): 61-78.
[15:12] 186 tn Heb “a deep sleep fell on Abram.”
[15:12] 187 tn Heb “and look, terror, a great darkness was falling on him.”
[15:13] 188 tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, with the Qal infinitive absolute followed by the imperfect from יָדַע (yada’, “know”). The imperfect here has an obligatory or imperatival force.
[15:13] 189 tn The Hebrew word גֵּר (ger, “sojourner, stranger”) is related to the verb גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn, to stay for awhile”). Abram’s descendants will stay in a land as resident aliens without rights of citizenship.
[15:13] 190 tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”
[15:13] 191 tn Heb “and they will serve them and they will oppress them.” The verb עִנּוּ, (’innu, a Piel form from עָנָה, ’anah, “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly”), is used in Exod 1:11 to describe the oppression of the Israelites in Egypt.
[15:14] 192 tn The participle דָּן (dan, from דִּין, din) is used here for the future: “I am judging” = “I will surely judge.” The judgment in this case will be condemnation and punishment. The translation “execute judgment on” implies that the judgment will certainly be carried out.
[15:15] 193 tn The vav with the pronoun before the verb calls special attention to the subject in contrast to the preceding subject.
[15:15] 194 sn You will go to your ancestors. This is a euphemistic expression for death.
[15:15] 195 tn Heb “in a good old age.”
[15:16] 196 sn The term generation is being used here in its widest sense to refer to a full life span. When the chronological factors are considered and the genealogies tabulated, there are four hundred years of bondage. This suggests that in this context a generation is equivalent to one hundred years.
[15:16] 197 tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[15:16] 198 tn Heb “is not yet complete.”
[15:16] sn The sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit. The justice of God is apparent. He will wait until the Amorites are fully deserving of judgment before he annihilates them and gives the land to Israel.
[15:17] 199 sn A smoking pot with a flaming torch. These same implements were used in Mesopotamian rituals designed to ward off evil (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 113-14).
[15:17] 200 tn Heb “these pieces.”
[15:18] 201 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
[15:18] 202 tn The perfect verbal form is understood as instantaneous (“I here and now give”). Another option is to understand it as rhetorical, indicating certitude (“I have given” meaning it is as good as done, i.e., “I will surely give”).
[15:18] sn To your descendants I give this land. The
[15:18] 203 sn The river of Egypt is a wadi (a seasonal stream) on the northeastern border of Egypt, not to the River Nile.
[15:19] 204 tn The words “the land” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[15:21] 205 tn Each of the names in the list has the Hebrew definite article, which is used here generically for the class of people identified.
[16:1] 206 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of a new episode in the story.
[16:1] 207 sn On the cultural background of the story of Sarai’s childlessness see J. Van Seters, “The Problem of Childlessness in Near Eastern Law and the Patriarchs of Israel,” JBL 87 (1968): 401-8.
[16:1] 208 tn The Hebrew term שִׁפְחָה (shifkhah, translated “servant” here and in vv. 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8) refers to a menial female servant.
[16:1] 209 sn The passage records the birth of Ishmael to Abram through an Egyptian woman. The story illustrates the limits of Abram’s faith as he tries to obtain a son through social custom. The barrenness of Sarai poses a challenge to Abram’s faith, just as the famine did in chap. 12. As in chap. 12, an Egyptian figures prominently. (Perhaps Hagar was obtained as a slave during Abram’s stay in Egypt.)
[16:2] 210 tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) introduces the foundational clause for the imperative to follow.
[16:2] 211 tn Heb “enter to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual relations (also in v. 4).
[16:2] sn The Hebrew expression translated have sexual relations with does not convey the intimacy of other expressions, such as “so and so knew his wife.” Sarai simply sees this as the social custom of having a child through a surrogate. For further discussion see C. F. Fensham, “The Son of a Handmaid in Northwest Semitic,” VT 19 (1969): 312-21.
[16:2] 212 tn Heb “perhaps I will be built from her.” Sarai hopes to have a family established through this surrogate mother.
[16:2] 213 tn Heb “listened to the voice of,” which is an idiom meaning “obeyed.”
[16:2] sn Abram did what Sarai told him. This expression was first used in Gen 3:17 of Adam’s obeying his wife. In both cases the text highlights weak faith and how it jeopardized the plan of God.
[16:3] 214 tn Heb “at the end of ten years, to live, Abram.” The prepositional phrase introduces the temporal clause, the infinitive construct serves as the verb, and the name “Abram” is the subject.
[16:3] 215 tn Heb “the Egyptian, her female servant.”
[16:3] 216 sn To be his wife. Hagar became a slave wife, not on equal standing with Sarai. However, if Hagar produced the heir, she would be the primary wife in the eyes of society. When this eventually happened, Hagar become insolent, prompting Sarai’s anger.
[16:4] 217 tn Heb “entered to.” See the note on the same expression in v. 2.
[16:4] 218 tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 5)
[16:4] 219 tn Heb “and she saw that she was pregnant and her mistress was despised in her eyes.” The Hebrew verb קָלַל (qalal) means “to despise, to treat lightly, to treat with contempt.” In Hagar’s opinion Sarai had been demoted.
[16:5] 220 tn Heb “my wrong is because of you.”
[16:5] 221 tn Heb “I placed my female servant in your bosom.”
[16:5] 223 tn Heb “I was despised in her eyes.” The passive verb has been translated as active for stylistic reasons. Sarai was made to feel supplanted and worthless by Hagar the servant girl.
[16:5] 224 tn Heb “me and you.”
[16:5] sn May the
[16:6] 225 tn The clause is introduced with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), introducing a foundational clause for the coming imperative: “since…do.”
[16:6] 226 tn Heb “in your hand.”
[16:6] 227 tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”
[16:6] 228 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:6] 229 tn In the Piel stem the verb עָנָה (’anah) means “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly, to mistreat.”
[16:6] 230 tn Heb “and she fled from her presence.” The referent of “her” (Sarai) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:7] 231 tn Heb “the messenger of the
[16:7] 232 tn Heb “And the angel of the
[16:8] 233 tn Heb “from the presence of.”
[16:9] 234 tn The imperative וְהִתְעַנִּי (vÿhit’anni) is the Hitpael of עָנָה (’anah, here translated “submit”), the same word used for Sarai’s harsh treatment of her. Hagar is instructed not only to submit to Sarai’s authority, but to whatever mistreatment that involves. God calls for Hagar to humble herself.
[16:10] 235 tn Heb “The
[16:10] 236 tn Heb “cannot be numbered because of abundance.”
[16:11] 237 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) focuses on her immediate situation: “Here you are pregnant.”
[16:11] 238 tn The active participle refers here to something that is about to happen.
[16:11] 239 sn The name Ishmael consists of the imperfect or jussive form of the Hebrew verb with the theophoric element added as the subject. It means “God hears” or “may God hear.”
[16:11] 240 tn Heb “affliction,” which must refer here to Hagar’s painful groans of anguish.
[16:11] sn This clause gives the explanation of the name Ishmael, using a wordplay. Ishmael’s name will be a reminder that “God hears” Hagar’s painful cries.
[16:12] 241 sn A wild donkey of a man. The prophecy is not an insult. The wild donkey lived a solitary existence in the desert away from society. Ishmael would be free-roaming, strong, and like a bedouin; he would enjoy the freedom his mother sought.
[16:12] 242 tn Heb “His hand will be against everyone.” The “hand” by metonymy represents strength. His free-roaming life style would put him in conflict with those who follow social conventions. There would not be open warfare, only friction because of his antagonism to their way of life.
[16:12] 243 tn Heb “And the hand of everyone will be against him.”
[16:12] 244 tn Heb “opposite, across from.” Ishmael would live on the edge of society (cf. NASB “to the east of”). Some take this as an idiom meaning “be at odds with” (cf. NRSV, NLT) or “live in hostility toward” (cf. NIV).
[16:13] 245 tn Heb “God of my seeing.” The pronominal suffix may be understood either as objective (“who sees me,” as in the translation) or subjective (“whom I see”).
[16:13] 246 tn Heb “after one who sees me.”
[16:13] sn For a discussion of Hagar’s exclamation, see T. Booij, “Hagar’s Words in Genesis 16:13b,” VT 30 (1980): 1-7.
[16:14] 247 tn The verb does not have an expressed subject and so is rendered as passive in the translation.
[16:14] 248 sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” The text suggests that God takes up the cause of those who are oppressed.
[16:14] 249 tn Heb “look.” The words “it is located” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[16:15] 250 tn Heb “and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”
[16:15] sn Whom Abram named Ishmael. Hagar must have informed Abram of what the angel had told her. See the note on the name “Ishmael” in 16:11.
[16:16] 251 tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is parenthetical to the narrative.
[16:16] 252 tn Heb “the son of eighty-six years.”
[16:16] 253 tn The Hebrew text adds, “for Abram.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons; it is somewhat redundant given the three occurrences of Abram’s name in this and the previous verse.
[17:1] 254 tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”
[17:1] 255 tn Heb “appeared to Abram and said to him.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) and the final phrase “to him” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.
[17:1] 256 tn The name אֵל שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72. Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world who grants, blesses, and judges. In the Book of Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name are uncertain (see discussion below) its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. In Gen 17:1-8 he appeared to Abram, introduced himself as El Shaddai, and announced his intention to make the patriarch fruitful. In the role of El Shaddai God repeated these words (now elevated to the status of a decree) to Jacob (35:11). Earlier Isaac had pronounced a blessing on Jacob in which he asked El Shaddai to make Jacob fruitful (28:3). Jacob later prayed that his sons would be treated with mercy when they returned to Egypt with Benjamin (43:14). The fertility theme is not as apparent here, though one must remember that Jacob viewed Benjamin as the sole remaining son of the favored and once-barren Rachel (see 29:31; 30:22-24; 35:16-18). It is quite natural that he would appeal to El Shaddai to preserve Benjamin’s life, for it was El Shaddai’s miraculous power which made it possible for Rachel to give him sons in the first place. In 48:3 Jacob, prior to blessing Joseph’s sons, told him how El Shaddai appeared to him at Bethel (see Gen 28) and promised to make him fruitful. When blessing Joseph on his deathbed Jacob referred to Shaddai (we should probably read “El Shaddai,” along with a few Hebrew
[17:1] 257 tn Or “Live out your life.” The Hebrew verb translated “walk” is the Hitpael; it means “to walk back and forth; to walk about; to live out one’s life.”
[17:1] 258 tn Or “in my presence.”
[17:1] 259 tn There are two imperatives here: “walk…and be blameless [or “perfect”].” The second imperative may be purely sequential (see the translation) or consequential: “walk before me and then you will be blameless.” How one interprets the sequence depends on the meaning of “walk before”: (1) If it simply refers in a neutral way to serving the
[17:2] 260 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative indicates consequence. If Abram is blameless, then the
[17:2] 261 tn Heb “I will multiply you exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.
[17:3] 262 tn Heb “And Abram fell on his face.” This expression probably means that Abram sank to his knees and put his forehead to the ground, although it is possible that he completely prostrated himself. In either case the posture indicates humility and reverence.
[17:3] 263 tn Heb “God spoke to him, saying.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[17:4] 265 tn Heb “is” (הִנֵּה, hinneh).
[17:5] 266 tn Heb “will your name be called.”
[17:5] 267 sn Your name will be Abraham. The renaming of Abram was a sign of confirmation to the patriarch. Every time the name was used it would be a reminder of God’s promise. “Abram” means “exalted father,” probably referring to Abram’s father Terah. The name looks to the past; Abram came from noble lineage. The name “Abraham” is a dialectical variant of the name Abram. But its significance is in the wordplay with אַב־הֲמוֹן (’av-hamon, “the father of a multitude,” which sounds like אַבְרָהָם, ’avraham, “Abraham”). The new name would be a reminder of God’s intention to make Abraham the father of a multitude. For a general discussion of renaming, see O. Eissfeldt, “Renaming in the Old Testament,” Words and Meanings, 70-83.
[17:5] 268 tn The perfect verbal form is used here in a rhetorical manner to emphasize God’s intention.
[17:6] 269 tn This verb starts a series of perfect verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive to express God’s intentions.
[17:6] 270 tn Heb “exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.
[17:6] 271 tn Heb “and I will make you into nations, and kings will come out from you.”
[17:7] 272 tn The verb קוּם (qum, “to arise, to stand up”) in the Hiphil verbal stem means “to confirm, to give effect to, to carry out” (i.e., a covenant or oath; see BDB 878-79 s.v. קוּם).
[17:7] 273 tn Or “as an eternal.”
[17:7] 274 tn Heb “to be to you for God and to your descendants after you.”
[17:8] 275 tn The verbal root is גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn, to reside temporarily,” i.e., as a resident alien). It is the land in which Abram resides, but does not yet possess as his very own.
[17:8] 276 tn Or “as an eternal.”
[17:9] 277 tn The imperfect tense could be translated “you shall keep” as a binding command; but the obligatory nuance (“must”) captures the binding sense better.
[17:9] 278 tn Heb “my covenant.” The Hebrew word בְּרִית (bÿrit) can refer to (1) the agreement itself between two parties (see v. 7), (2) the promise made by one party to another (see vv. 2-3, 7), (3) an obligation placed by one party on another, or (4) a reminder of the agreement. In vv. 9-10 the word refers to a covenantal obligation which God gives to Abraham and his descendants.
[17:10] 279 tn Heb “This is my covenant that you must keep between me and you and your descendants after you.”
[17:10] 280 sn For a discussion of male circumcision as the sign of the covenant in this passage see M. V. Fox, “The Sign of the Covenant: Circumcision in the Light of the Priestly ‘ot Etiologies,” RB 81 (1974): 557-96.
[17:12] 282 tn Heb “the son of eight days.”
[17:13] 283 tn The emphatic construction employs the Niphal imperfect tense (collective singular) and the Niphal infinitive.
[17:13] 284 tn Heb “my covenant.” Here in v. 13 the Hebrew word בְּרִית (bÿrit) refers to the outward, visible sign, or reminder, of the covenant. For the range of meaning of the term, see the note on the word “requirement” in v. 9.
[17:13] 285 tn Or “an eternal.”
[17:14] 286 tn The disjunctive clause calls attention to the “uncircumcised male” and what will happen to him.
[17:14] 287 tn Heb “that person will be cut off.” The words “that person” have not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[17:14] sn The meaning of “cut off” has been discussed at great length. An entire tractate in the Mishnah is devoted to this subject (tractate Keritot). Being ostracized from the community is involved at the least, but it is not certain whether this refers to the death penalty.
[17:14] 288 tn Heb “he has broken my covenant.” The noun בְּרִית (bÿrit) here refers to the obligation required by God in conjunction with the covenantal agreement. For the range of meaning of the term, see the note on the word “requirement” in v. 9.
[17:15] 289 tn Heb “[As for] Sarai your wife, you must not call her name Sarai, for Sarah [will be] her name.”
[17:15] 290 sn Sarah. The name change seems to be a dialectical variation, both spellings meaning “princess” or “queen.” Like the name Abram, the name Sarai symbolized the past. The new name Sarah, like the name Abraham, would be a reminder of what God intended to do for Sarah in the future.
[17:16] 291 tn Heb “she will become nations.”
[17:17] 293 sn Laughed. The Hebrew verb used here provides the basis for the naming of Isaac: “And he laughed” is וַיִּצְחָק (vayyitskhaq); the name “Isaac” is יִצְחָק (yitskhaq), “he laughs.” Abraham’s (and Sarah’s, see 18:12) laughter signals disbelief, but when the boy is born, the laughter signals surprise and joy.
[17:17] 294 tn Heb “And he fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart.”
[17:17] 295 tn The imperfect verbal form here carries a potential nuance, as it expresses the disbelief of Abraham.
[17:17] 296 tn Heb “to the son of a hundred years.”
[17:17] 297 sn It is important to note that even though Abraham staggers at the announcement of the birth of a son, finding it almost too incredible, he nonetheless calls his wife Sarah, the new name given to remind him of the promise of God (v. 15).
[17:17] 298 tn Heb “the daughter of ninety years.”
[17:18] 299 tn The wish is introduced with the Hebrew particle לוּ (lu), “O that.”
[17:18] 300 tn Or “live with your blessing.”
[17:19] 301 tn Heb “will call his name Isaac.” The name means “he laughs,” or perhaps “may he laugh” (see the note on the word “laughed” in v. 17).
[17:19] 302 tn Or “as an eternal.”
[17:20] 303 sn The Hebrew verb translated “I have heard you” forms a wordplay with the name Ishmael, which means “God hears.” See the note on the name “Ishmael” in 16:11.
[17:20] 304 tn Heb “And I will multiply him exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.
[17:20] 305 tn For a discussion of the Hebrew word translated “princes,” see E. A. Speiser, “Background and Function of the Biblical Nasi’,” CBQ 25 (1963): 111-17.
[17:22] 306 tn Heb “And when he finished speaking with him, God went up from Abraham.” The sequence of pronouns and proper names has been modified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[17:22] sn God went up from him. The text draws attention to God’s dramatic exit and in so doing brings full closure to the scene.
[17:23] 307 tn Heb “Ishmael his son and all born in his house and all bought with money, every male among the men of the house of Abraham.”
[17:23] 308 tn Heb “circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.” The Hebrew expression is somewhat pleonastic and has been simplified in the translation.
[17:24] 309 tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”
[17:24] 310 tn Heb “circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin” (also in v. 25).
[17:25] 311 tn Heb “the son of thirteen years.”
[18:1] 312 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:1] 313 tn Or “terebinths.”
[18:1] 314 tn The disjunctive clause here is circumstantial to the main clause.
[18:1] 315 tn The Hebrew noun translated “entrance” is an adverbial accusative of place.
[18:2] 316 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:2] 317 tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”
[18:2] 318 tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to what he saw. The drawn-out description focuses the reader’s attention on Abraham’s deliberate, fixed gaze and indicates that what he is seeing is significant.
[18:2] 319 tn The Hebrew preposition עַל (’al) indicates the three men were nearby, but not close by, for Abraham had to run to meet them.
[18:2] 320 tn The pronoun “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.
[18:2] 321 tn The form וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ (vayyishtakhu, “and bowed low”) is from the verb הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה (hishtakhavah, “to worship, bow low to the ground”). It is probably from a root חָוָה (khavah), though some derive it from שָׁחָה (shakhah).
[18:2] 322 sn The reader knows this is a theophany. The three visitors are probably the
[18:3] 323 tc The MT has the form אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “Master”) which is reserved for God. This may reflect later scribal activity. The scribes, knowing it was the
[18:3] 324 tn Heb “do not pass by from upon your servant.”
[18:4] 325 tn The imperative after the jussive indicates purpose here.
[18:4] 326 tn The word “all” has been supplied in the translation because the Hebrew verb translated “wash” and the pronominal suffix on the word “feet” are plural, referring to all three of the visitors.
[18:5] 327 tn The Qal cohortative here probably has the nuance of polite request.
[18:5] 328 tn Heb “a piece of bread.” The Hebrew word לֶחֶם (lekhem) can refer either to bread specifically or to food in general. Based on Abraham’s directions to Sarah in v. 6, bread was certainly involved, but v. 7 indicates that Abraham had a more elaborate meal in mind.
[18:5] 329 tn Heb “strengthen your heart.” The imperative after the cohortative indicates purpose here.
[18:5] 330 tn Heb “so that you may refresh yourselves, after [which] you may be on your way – for therefore you passed by near your servant.”
[18:6] 331 tn The word “take” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the sentence lacks a verb other than the imperative “hurry.” The elliptical structure of the language reflects Abraham’s haste to get things ready quickly.
[18:6] 332 sn Three measures (Heb “three seahs”) was equivalent to about twenty quarts (twenty-two liters) of flour, which would make a lot of bread. The animal prepared for the meal was far more than the three visitors needed. This was a banquet for royalty. Either it had been a lonely time for Abraham and the presence of visitors made him very happy, or he sensed this was a momentous visit.
[18:6] 333 sn The bread was the simple, round bread made by bedouins that is normally prepared quickly for visitors.
[18:7] 334 tn Heb “the young man.”
[18:7] 335 tn The construction uses the Piel preterite, “he hurried,” followed by the infinitive construct; the two probably form a verbal hendiadys: “he quickly prepared.”
[18:8] 336 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:8] 337 tn The words “the food” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.
[18:8] 338 tn The disjunctive clause is a temporal circumstantial clause subordinate to the main verb.
[18:9] 339 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) often accompanies a gesture of pointing or a focused gaze.
[18:10] 340 tn Heb “he”; the referent (one of the three men introduced in v. 2) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Some English translations have specified the referent as the
[18:10] 341 tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, using the infinitive absolute with the imperfect tense.
[18:10] sn I will surely return. If Abraham had not yet figured out who this was, this interchange would have made it clear. Otherwise, how would a return visit from this man mean Sarah would have a son?
[18:10] 342 tn Heb “as/when the time lives” or “revives,” possibly referring to the springtime.
[18:10] 343 tn Heb “and there will be (הִנֵּה, hinneh) a son for Sarah.”
[18:10] 344 tn This is the first of two disjunctive parenthetical clauses preparing the reader for Sarah’s response (see v. 12).
[18:11] 346 tn Heb “it had ceased to be for Sarah [after] a way like women.”
[18:12] 348 tn It has been suggested that this word should be translated “conception,” not “pleasure.” See A. A. McIntosh, “A Third Root ‘adah in Biblical Hebrew,” VT 24 (1974): 454-73.
[18:12] 349 tn The word “too” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[18:13] 350 tn Heb “Why, this?” The demonstrative pronoun following the interrogative pronoun is enclitic, emphasizing the
[18:13] 351 tn The Hebrew construction uses both הַאַף (ha’af) and אֻמְנָם (’umnam): “Indeed, truly, will I have a child?”
[18:14] 352 tn The Hebrew verb פָּלָא (pala’) means “to be wonderful, to be extraordinary, to be surpassing, to be amazing.”
[18:14] 353 sn Sarah will have a son. The passage brings God’s promise into clear focus. As long as it was a promise for the future, it really could be believed without much involvement. But now, when it seemed so impossible from the human standpoint, when the
[18:15] 354 tn Heb “And he said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’” The referent (the
[18:16] 355 tn Heb “And the men arose from there.”
[18:16] 356 tn Heb “toward the face of.”
[18:16] 357 tn The disjunctive parenthetical clause sets the stage for the following speech.
[18:16] 358 tn The Piel of שָׁלַח (shalakh) means “to lead out, to send out, to expel”; here it is used in the friendly sense of seeing the visitors on their way.
[18:17] 359 tn The active participle here refers to an action that is imminent.
[18:18] 360 tn Heb “And Abraham.” The disjunctive clause is probably causal, giving a reason why God should not hide his intentions from Abraham. One could translate, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation?”
[18:18] 361 tn The infinitive absolute lends emphasis to the finite verb that follows.
[18:18] 362 tn Theoretically the Niphal can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Abram were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in later formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless [i.e., “pronounce blessings upon”] themselves [or “one another”].” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 18:18 (like 12:2) predicts that Abraham will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.
[18:19] 363 tn Heb “For I have known him.” The verb יָדַע (yada’) here means “to recognize and treat in a special manner, to choose” (see Amos 3:2). It indicates that Abraham stood in a special covenantal relationship with the
[18:19] 364 tn Heb “and they will keep.” The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the subjective nuance of the preceding imperfect verbal form (translated “so that he may command”).
[18:19] 365 tn The infinitive construct here indicates manner, explaining how Abraham’s children and his household will keep the way of the
[18:19] 366 tn Heb “bring on.” The infinitive after לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) indicates result here.
[18:19] 367 tn Heb “spoke to.”
[18:20] 368 tn Heb “the outcry of Sodom,” which apparently refers to the outcry for divine justice from those (unidentified persons) who observe its sinful ways.
[18:21] 370 tn The cohortative indicates the
[18:21] sn I must go down. The descent to “see” Sodom is a bold anthropomorphism, stressing the careful judgment of God. The language is reminiscent of the
[18:21] 371 tn Heb “[if] according to the outcry that has come to me they have done completely.” Even the
[18:21] 372 sn The short phrase if not provides a ray of hope and inspires Abraham’s intercession.
[18:22] 373 tn Heb “And the men turned from there.” The word “two” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied here for clarity. Gen 19:1 mentions only two individuals (described as “angels”), while Abraham had entertained three visitors (18:2). The implication is that the
[18:22] 375 tc An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition reads “but the
[18:24] 376 tn Heb “lift up,” perhaps in the sense of “bear with” (cf. NRSV “forgive”).
[18:25] 378 sn Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right? For discussion of this text see J. L. Crenshaw, “Popular Questioning of the Justice of God in Ancient Israel,” ZAW 82 (1970): 380-95, and C. S. Rodd, “Shall Not the Judge of All the Earth Do What Is Just?” ExpTim 83 (1972): 137-39.
[18:27] 379 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 30, 31, 32 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[18:27] 380 tn The disjunctive clause is a concessive clause here, drawing out the humility as a contrast to the
[18:28] 381 tn The Hebrew verb שָׁחַת (shakhat, “to destroy”) was used earlier to describe the effect of the flood.
[18:28] 382 tn Heb “because of five.”
[18:29] 383 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:29] 384 tn The construction is a verbal hendiadys – the preterite (“he added”) is combined with an adverb “yet” and an infinitive “to speak.”
[18:30] 385 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:30] 386 tn Heb “let it not be hot to the
[18:30] 387 tn After the jussive, the cohortative indicates purpose/result.
[18:31] 388 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:32] 389 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:33] 390 tn Heb “And the
[18:33] 391 tn The infinitive construct (“speaking”) serves as the direct object of the verb “finished.”
[18:33] 392 tn Heb “to his place.”
[19:1] 393 tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.
[19:1] 394 tn Heb “sitting in the gate of Sodom.” The phrase “the gate of Sodom” has been translated “the city’s gateway” for stylistic reasons.
[19:1] sn The expression sitting in the city’s gateway may mean that Lot was exercising some type of judicial function (see the use of the idiom in 2 Sam 19:8; Jer 26:10; 38:7; 39:3).
[19:2] 395 tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.
[19:2] 396 tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”
[19:2] 397 sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.
[19:3] 398 tn The Hebrew verb פָּצַר (patsar, “to press, to insist”) ironically foreshadows the hostile actions of the men of the city (see v. 9, where the verb also appears). The repetition of the word serves to contrast Lot to his world.
[19:4] 399 tn The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) means “to lie down, to recline,” that is, “to go to bed.” Here what appears to be an imperfect is a preterite after the adverb טֶרֶם (terem). The nuance of potential (perfect) fits well.
[19:4] 400 tn Heb “and the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from the young to the old, all the people from the end [of the city].” The repetition of the phrase “men of” stresses all kinds of men.
[19:5] 401 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[19:5] 402 tn The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’, “to know”) is used here in the sense of “to lie with” or “to have sex with” (as in Gen 4:1). That this is indeed the meaning is clear from Lot’s warning that they not do so wickedly, and his willingness to give them his daughters instead.
[19:5] sn The sin of the men of Sodom is debated. The fact that the sin involved a sexual act (see note on the phrase “have sex” in 19:5) precludes an association of the sin with inhospitality as is sometimes asserted (see W. Roth, “What of Sodom and Gomorrah? Homosexual Acts in the Old Testament,” Explor 1 [1974]: 7-14). The text at a minimum condemns forced sexual intercourse, i.e., rape. Other considerations, though, point to a condemnation of homosexual acts more generally. The narrator emphasizes the fact that the men of Sodom wanted to have sex with men: They demand that Lot release the angelic messengers (seen as men) to them for sex, and when Lot offers his daughters as a substitute they refuse them and attempt to take the angelic messengers by force. In addition the wider context of the Pentateuch condemns homosexual acts as sin (see, e.g., Lev 18:22). Thus a reading of this text within its narrative context, both immediate and broad, condemns not only the attempted rape but also the attempted homosexual act.
[19:7] 403 tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”
[19:8] 404 tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[19:8] 405 tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”
[19:8] 407 sn This chapter portrays Lot as a hypocrite. He is well aware of the way the men live in his city and is apparently comfortable in the midst of it. But when confronted by the angels, he finally draws the line. But he is nevertheless willing to sacrifice his daughters’ virginity to protect his guests. His opposition to the crowds leads to his rejection as a foreigner by those with whom he had chosen to live. The one who attempted to rescue his visitors ends up having to be rescued by them.
[19:9] 408 tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”
[19:9] 409 tn Heb “to live as a resident alien.”
[19:9] 410 tn Heb “and he has judged, judging.” The infinitive absolute follows the finite verbal form for emphasis. This emphasis is reflected in the translation by the phrase “dares to judge.”
[19:9] 411 tn The verb “to do wickedly” is repeated here (see v. 7). It appears that whatever “wickedness” the men of Sodom had intended to do to Lot’s visitors – probably nothing short of homosexual rape – they were now ready to inflict on Lot.
[19:9] 412 tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”
[19:9] 413 tn Heb “and they drew near.”
[19:10] 414 tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “inside” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[19:10] 415 tn The Hebrew text adds “their hand.” These words have not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[19:10] 416 tn Heb “to them into the house.”
[19:11] 417 tn Heb “from the least to the greatest.”
[19:11] 418 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Sodom outside the door) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:12] 419 tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “visitors” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[19:12] 420 tn Heb “Yet who [is there] to you here?”
[19:12] 421 tn The words “Do you have” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:12] 422 tn Heb “a son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and anyone who (is) to you in the city.”
[19:12] 423 tn Heb “the place.” The Hebrew article serves here as a demonstrative.
[19:13] 424 tn The Hebrew participle expresses an imminent action here.
[19:13] 425 tn Heb “for their outcry.” The words “about this place” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:13] 426 tn Heb “the
[19:14] 427 sn The language has to be interpreted in the light of the context and the social customs. The men are called “sons-in-law” (literally “the takers of his daughters”), but the daughters had not yet had sex with a man. It is better to translate the phrase “who were going to marry his daughters.” Since formal marriage contracts were binding, the husbands-to-be could already be called sons-in-law.
[19:14] 428 tn The Hebrew active participle expresses an imminent action.
[19:14] 429 tn Heb “and he was like one taunting in the eyes of his sons-in-law.” These men mistakenly thought Lot was ridiculing them and their lifestyle. Their response illustrates how morally insensitive they had become.
[19:15] 430 tn Heb “When dawn came up.”
[19:15] 431 tn Heb “who are found.” The wording might imply he had other daughters living in the city, but the text does not explicitly state this.
[19:15] 432 tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[19:16] 433 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:16] 434 tn Heb “in the compassion of the
[19:16] 435 tn Heb “brought him out and placed him.” The third masculine singular suffixes refer specifically to Lot, though his wife and daughters accompanied him (see v. 17). For stylistic reasons these have been translated as plural pronouns (“them”).
[19:17] 436 tn Or “one of them”; Heb “he.” Several ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac) read the plural “they.” See also the note on “your” in v. 19.
[19:17] 438 tn The Hebrew verb translated “look” signifies an intense gaze, not a passing glance. This same verb is used later in v. 26 to describe Lot’s wife’s self-destructive look back at the city.
[19:17] 439 tn Or “in the plain”; Heb “in the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:18] 440 tn Or “my lords.” See the following note on the problem of identifying the addressee here. The Hebrew term is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[19:19] 441 tn The second person pronominal suffixes are singular in this verse (note “your eyes,” “you have made great,” and “you have acted”). Verse 18a seems to indicate that Lot is addressing the angels, but the use of the singular and the appearance of the divine title “Lord” (אֲדֹנָי, ’adonay) in v. 18b suggests he is speaking to God.
[19:19] 442 tn Heb “in your eyes.”
[19:19] 443 tn Heb “you made great your kindness.”
[19:19] 444 sn The Hebrew word חֶסֶד (khesed) can refer to “faithful love” or to “kindness,” depending on the context. The precise nuance here is uncertain.
[19:19] 445 tn The infinitive construct explains how God has shown Lot kindness.
[19:19] 447 tn The Hebrew verb דָּבַק (davaq) normally means “to stick to, to cleave, to join.” Lot is afraid he cannot outrun the coming calamity.
[19:19] 448 tn The perfect verb form with vav consecutive carries the nuance of the imperfect verbal form before it.
[19:20] 449 tn The Hebrew word עִיר (’ir) can refer to either a city or a town, depending on the size of the place. Given that this place was described by Lot later in this verse as a “little place,” the translation uses “town.”
[19:20] 450 tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”
[19:20] 451 tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.
[19:20] 452 tn Heb “Is it not little?”
[19:20] 453 tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.
[19:21] 454 tn Heb “And he said, ‘Look, I will grant.’” The order of the clauses has been rearranged for stylistic reasons. The referent of the speaker (“he”) is somewhat ambiguous: It could be taken as the angel to whom Lot has been speaking (so NLT; note the singular references in vv. 18-19), or it could be that Lot is speaking directly to the
[19:21] 455 tn Heb “I have lifted up your face [i.e., shown you favor] also concerning this matter.”
[19:21] 456 tn The negated infinitive construct indicates either the consequence of God’s granting the request (“I have granted this request, so that I will not”) or the manner in which he will grant it (“I have granted your request by not destroying”).
[19:22] 457 tn Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.
[19:22] 458 tn Heb “Therefore the name of the city is called Zoar.” The name of the place, צוֹעַר (tso’ar) apparently means “Little Place,” in light of the wordplay with the term “little” (מִצְעָר, mits’ar) used twice by Lot to describe the town (v. 20).
[19:23] 459 sn The sun had just risen. There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15) and sunrise (here).
[19:23] 460 tn The juxtaposition of the two disjunctive clauses indicates synchronic action. The first action (the sun’s rising) occurred as the second (Lot’s entering Zoar) took place. The disjunctive clauses also signal closure for the preceding scene.
[19:24] 461 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of the next scene and highlights God’s action.
[19:24] 462 tn Or “burning sulfur” (the traditional “fire and brimstone”).
[19:24] 463 tn Heb “from the
[19:24] sn The text explicitly states that the sulfur and fire that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah was sent down from the sky by the
[19:25] 464 tn Or “and all the plain”; Heb “and all the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:25] 465 tn Heb “and the vegetation of the ground.”
[19:26] 466 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:26] 467 tn The Hebrew verb means “to look intently; to gaze” (see 15:5).
[19:26] sn Longingly. Lot’s wife apparently identified with the doomed city and thereby showed lack of respect for God’s provision of salvation. She, like her daughters later, had allowed her thinking to be influenced by the culture of Sodom.
[19:27] 468 tn The words “and went” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:28] 469 tn Heb “upon the face of.”
[19:28] 470 tn Or “all the land of the plain”; Heb “and all the face of the land of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:28] 471 tn Heb “And he saw, and look, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.”
[19:28] sn It is hard to imagine what was going on in Abraham’s mind, but this brief section in the narrative enables the reader to think about the human response to the judgment. Abraham had family in that area. He had rescued those people from the invasion. That was why he interceded. Yet he surely knew how wicked they were. That was why he got the number down to ten when he negotiated with God to save the city. But now he must have wondered, “What was the point?”
[19:29] 472 tn The construction is a temporal clause comprised of the temporal indicator, an infinitive construct with a preposition, and the subjective genitive.
[19:29] 473 tn Or “of the plain”; Heb “of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:29] 474 tn Heb “remembered,” but this means more than mental recollection here. Abraham’s request (Gen 18:23-32) was that the
[19:29] sn God showed Abraham special consideration because of the covenantal relationship he had established with the patriarch. Yet the reader knows that God delivered the “righteous” (Lot’s designation in 2 Pet 2:7) before destroying their world – which is what he will do again at the end of the age.
[19:29] 475 sn God’s removal of Lot before the judgment is paradigmatic. He typically delivers the godly before destroying their world.
[19:29] 476 tn Heb “the overthrow when [he] overthrew.”
[19:31] 477 tn Heb “and the firstborn said.”
[19:31] 478 tn Or perhaps “on earth,” in which case the statement would be hyperbolic; presumably there had been some men living in the town of Zoar to which Lot and his daughters had initially fled.
[19:31] 479 tn Heb “to enter upon us.” This is a euphemism for sexual relations.
[19:32] 480 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:32] 481 tn Heb “and we will lie down.” The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive is subordinated to the preceding cohortative and indicates purpose/result.
[19:32] 482 tn Or “that we may preserve.” Here the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates their ultimate goal.
[19:32] 483 tn Heb “and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”
[19:32] sn For a discussion of the cultural background of the daughters’ desire to preserve our family line see F. C. Fensham, “The Obliteration of the Family as Motif in the Near Eastern Literature,” AION 10 (1969): 191-99.
[19:33] 484 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:33] 485 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:33] 486 tn Heb “and the firstborn came and lied down with her father.” The expression “lied down with” here and in the following verses is a euphemism for sexual relations.
[19:33] 487 tn Heb “and he did not know when she lay down and when she arose.”
[19:34] 488 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:34] 489 tn Heb “Look, I lied down with my father. Let’s make him drink wine again tonight.”
[19:34] 490 tn Heb “And go, lie down with him and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”
[19:35] 491 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:35] 492 tn Heb “lied down with him.”
[19:35] 493 tn Heb “And he did not know when she lied down and when she arose.”
[19:37] 494 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:37] 495 sn The meaning of the name Moab is not certain. The name sounds like the Hebrew phrase “from our father” (מֵאָבִינוּ, me’avinu) which the daughters used twice (vv. 32, 34). This account is probably included in the narrative in order to portray the Moabites, who later became enemies of God’s people, in a negative light.
[19:38] 496 sn The name Ben-Ammi means “son of my people.” Like the account of Moab’s birth, this story is probably included in the narrative to portray the Ammonites, another perennial enemy of Israel, in a negative light.
[20:1] 497 tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”
[20:1] sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
[20:1] 498 tn Heb “and he sojourned.”
[20:3] 500 tn Heb “Look, you [are] dead.” The Hebrew construction uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with a second person pronominal particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with by the participle. It is a highly rhetorical expression.
[20:3] 501 tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.
[20:4] 502 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[20:4] 503 tn Apparently Abimelech assumes that God’s judgment will fall on his entire nation. Some, finding the reference to a nation problematic, prefer to emend the text and read, “Would you really kill someone who is innocent?” See E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 149.
[20:5] 504 tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:5] 505 tn Heb “and she, even she.”
[20:5] 506 tn Heb “with the integrity of my heart.”
[20:6] 507 tn Heb “with the integrity of your heart.”
[20:6] 508 tn Heb “and I, even I, kept you.”
[20:6] 509 tn Heb “therefore.”
[20:7] 510 tn Or “for,” if the particle is understood as causal (as many English translations do) rather than asseverative.
[20:7] 511 sn For a discussion of the term prophet see N. Walker, “What is a Nabhi?” ZAW 73 (1961): 99-100.
[20:7] 512 tn After the preceding jussive (or imperfect), the imperative with vav conjunctive here indicates result.
[20:7] sn He will pray for you that you may live. Abraham was known as a man of God whose prayer would be effectual. Ironically and sadly, he was also known as a liar.
[20:7] 513 tn Heb “if there is not you returning.” The suffix on the particle becomes the subject of the negated clause.
[20:7] 514 tn The imperfect is preceded by the infinitive absolute to make the warning emphatic.
[20:8] 515 tn Heb “And Abimelech rose early in the morning and he summoned.”
[20:8] 516 tn The verb קָרָא (qara’) followed by the preposition לְ (lamed) means “to summon.”
[20:8] 517 tn Heb “And he spoke all these things in their ears.”
[20:8] 518 tn Heb “the men.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “they” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[20:9] 519 tn Heb “How did I sin against you that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin?” The expression “great sin” refers to adultery. For discussion of the cultural background of the passage, see J. J. Rabinowitz, “The Great Sin in Ancient Egyptian Marriage Contracts,” JNES 18 (1959): 73, and W. L. Moran, “The Scandal of the ‘Great Sin’ at Ugarit,” JNES 18 (1959): 280-81.
[20:9] 520 tn Heb “Deeds which should not be done you have done to me.” The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here.
[20:10] 521 tn Heb “And Abimelech said to.”
[20:10] 522 tn Heb “What did you see that you did this thing?” The question implies that Abraham had some motive for deceiving Abimelech.
[20:11] 523 tn Heb “Because I said.”
[20:11] 524 tn Heb “over the matter of.”
[20:12] 525 tn Heb “but also.”
[20:13] 526 tn The Hebrew verb is plural. This may be a case of grammatical agreement with the name for God, which is plural in form. However, when this plural name refers to the one true God, accompanying predicates are usually singular in form. Perhaps Abraham is accommodating his speech to Abimelech’s polytheistic perspective. (See GKC 463 §145.i.) If so, one should translate, “when the gods made me wander.”
[20:13] 527 tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”
[20:14] 528 tn Heb “took and gave.”
[20:15] 529 tn Heb “In the [place that is] good in your eyes live!”
[20:16] 530 sn A thousand pieces [Heb “shekels”] of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 11.5 kilograms, or 400 ounces (about 25 pounds).
[20:16] 531 sn To your ‘brother.’ Note the way that the king refers to Abraham. Was he being sarcastic? It was surely a rebuke to Sarah. What is amazing is how patient this king was. It is proof that the fear of God was in that place, contrary to what Abraham believed (see v. 11).
[20:16] 532 tn Heb “Look, it is for you a covering of the eyes, for all who are with you, and with all, and you are set right.” The exact meaning of the statement is unclear. Apparently it means that the gift of money somehow exonerates her in other people’s eyes. They will not look on her as compromised (see G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 2:74).
[20:18] 533 tn In the Hebrew text the clause begins with “because.”
[20:18] 534 tn Heb had completely closed up every womb.” In the Hebrew text infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
[20:18] sn The
[20:18] 535 tn Heb “because of.” The words “he took” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[21:1] 536 sn The Hebrew verb translated “visit” (פָּקַד, paqad ) often describes divine intervention for blessing or cursing; it indicates God’s special attention to an individual or a matter, always with respect to his people’s destiny. He may visit (that is, destroy) the Amalekites; he may visit (that is, deliver) his people in Egypt. Here he visits Sarah, to allow her to have the promised child. One’s destiny is changed when the
[21:1] 537 tn Heb “and the
[21:2] 539 tn Or “she conceived.”
[21:3] 540 tn Heb “the one born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.” The two modifying clauses, the first introduced with an article and the second with the relative pronoun, are placed in the middle of the sentence, before the name Isaac is stated. They are meant to underscore that this was indeed an actual birth to Abraham and Sarah in fulfillment of the promise.
[21:4] 541 tn Heb “Isaac his son, the son of eight days.” The name “Isaac” is repeated in the translation for clarity.
[21:4] 542 sn Just as God had commanded him to do. With the birth of the promised child, Abraham obeyed the
[21:5] 543 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause underscores how miraculous this birth was. Abraham was 100 years old. The fact that the genealogies give the ages of the fathers when their first son is born shows that this was considered a major milestone in one’s life (G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 2:80).
[21:6] 544 tn Heb “Laughter God has made for me.”
[21:6] 545 tn The words “about this” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[21:6] 546 sn Sarah’s words play on the name “Isaac” in a final triumphant manner. God prepared “laughter” (צְחֹק, ysÿkhoq ) for her, and everyone who hears about this “will laugh” (יִצְחַק, yitskhaq ) with her. The laughter now signals great joy and fulfillment, not unbelief (cf. Gen 18:12-15).
[21:7] 548 tn The perfect form of the verb is used here to describe a hypothetical situation.
[21:8] 550 sn Children were weaned closer to the age of two or three in the ancient world, because infant mortality was high. If an infant grew to this stage, it was fairly certain he or she would live. Such an event called for a celebration, especially for parents who had waited so long for a child.
[21:9] 552 tn The Piel participle used here is from the same root as the name “Isaac.” In the Piel stem the verb means “to jest; to make sport of; to play with,” not simply “to laugh,” which is the meaning of the verb in the Qal stem. What exactly Ishmael was doing is not clear. Interpreters have generally concluded that the boy was either (1) mocking Isaac (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT) or (2) merely playing with Isaac as if on equal footing (cf. NAB, NRSV). In either case Sarah saw it as a threat. The same participial form was used in Gen 19:14 to describe how some in Lot’s family viewed his attempt to warn them of impending doom. It also appears later in Gen 39:14, 17, where Potiphar accuses Joseph of mocking them.
[21:9] sn Mocking. Here Sarah interprets Ishmael’s actions as being sinister. Ishmael probably did not take the younger child seriously and Sarah saw this as a threat to Isaac. Paul in Gal 4:29 says that Ishmael persecuted Isaac. He uses a Greek word that can mean “to put to flight; to chase away; to pursue” and may be drawing on a rabbinic interpretation of the passage. In Paul’s analogical application of the passage, he points out that once the promised child Isaac (symbolizing Christ as the fulfillment of God’s promise) has come, there is no room left for the slave woman and her son (who symbolize the Mosaic law).
[21:10] 553 tn Heb “drive out.” The language may seem severe, but Sarah’s maternal instincts sensed a real danger in that Ishmael was not treating Isaac with the proper respect.
[21:11] 554 tn Heb “and the word was very wrong in the eyes of Abraham on account of his son.” The verb רָעַע (ra’a’) often refers to what is morally or ethically “evil.” It usage here suggests that Abraham thought Sarah’s demand was ethically (and perhaps legally) wrong.
[21:12] 555 tn Heb “Let it not be evil in your eyes.”
[21:12] 556 tn Heb “listen to her voice.” The idiomatic expression means “obey; comply.” Here her advice, though harsh, is necessary and conforms to the will of God. Later (see Gen 25), when Abraham has other sons, he sends them all away as well.
[21:12] 557 tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to an action that is underway.
[21:12] 558 tn Or perhaps “will be named”; Heb “for in Isaac offspring will be called to you.” The exact meaning of the statement is not clear, but it does indicate that God’s covenantal promises to Abraham will be realized through Isaac, not Ishmael.
[21:14] 559 tn Heb “and Abraham rose up early in the morning and he took.”
[21:14] 560 tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.
[21:14] 561 tn Heb “He put upon her shoulder, and the boy [or perhaps, “and with the boy”], and he sent her away.” It is unclear how “and the boy” relates syntactically to what precedes. Perhaps the words should be rearranged and the text read, “and he put [them] on her shoulder and he gave to Hagar the boy.”
[21:14] 562 tn Heb “she went and wandered.”
[21:14] 563 tn Or “desert,” although for English readers this usually connotes a sandy desert like the Sahara rather than the arid wasteland of this region with its sparse vegetation.
[21:15] 564 tn Heb “threw,” but the child, who was now thirteen years old, would not have been carried, let alone thrown under a bush. The exaggerated language suggests Ishmael is limp from dehydration and is being abandoned to die. See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 2:85.
[21:16] 565 sn A bowshot would be a distance of about a hundred yards (ninety meters).
[21:16] 567 tn Heb “I will not look on the death of the child.” The cohortative verbal form (note the negative particle אַל,’al) here expresses her resolve to avoid the stated action.
[21:16] 568 tn Heb “and she lifted up her voice and wept” (that is, she wept uncontrollably). The LXX reads “he” (referring to Ishmael) rather than “she” (referring to Hagar), but this is probably an attempt to harmonize this verse with the following one, which refers to the boy’s cries.
[21:17] 569 sn God heard the boy’s voice. The text has not to this point indicated that Ishmael was crying out, either in pain or in prayer. But the text here makes it clear that God heard him. Ishmael is clearly central to the story. Both the mother and the
[21:17] 570 tn Heb “What to you?”
[21:17] 571 sn Here the verb heard picks up the main motif of the name Ishmael (“God hears”), introduced back in chap. 16.
[21:19] 572 tn Heb “And God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.” The referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:21] 573 sn The wilderness of Paran is an area in the east central region of the Sinai peninsula, northeast from the traditional site of Mt. Sinai and with the Arabah and the Gulf of Aqaba as its eastern border.
[21:21] 574 tn Heb “And his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt.”
[21:22] 575 sn God is with you. Abimelech and Phicol recognized that Abraham enjoyed special divine provision and protection.
[21:23] 576 tn Heb “And now swear to me by God here.”
[21:23] 577 tn Heb “my offspring and my descendants.”
[21:23] 578 tn The word “land” refers by metonymy to the people in the land.
[21:23] 579 tn The Hebrew verb means “to stay, to live, to sojourn” as a temporary resident without ownership rights.
[21:23] 581 tn Heb “According to the loyalty which I have done with you, do with me and with the land in which you are staying.”
[21:24] 582 tn Heb “I swear.” No object is specified in the Hebrew text, but the content of the oath requested by Abimelech is the implied object.
[21:25] 583 tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to argue; to dispute”; it can focus on the beginning of the dispute (as here), the dispute itself, or the resolution of a dispute (Isa 1:18). Apparently the complaint was lodged before the actual oath was taken.
[21:25] 584 tn Heb “concerning the matter of the well of water.”
[21:25] 585 tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to steal; to rob; to take violently.” The statement reflects Abraham’s perspective.
[21:26] 586 tn Heb “and also.”
[21:27] 587 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
[21:29] 588 tn Heb “What are these?”
[21:30] 589 tn Heb “that it be for me for a witness.”
[21:30] 590 sn This well. Since the king wanted a treaty to share in Abraham’s good fortune, Abraham used the treaty to secure ownership of and protection for the well he dug. It would be useless to make a treaty to live in this territory if he had no rights to the water. Abraham consented to the treaty, but added his rider to it.
[21:31] 591 tn Heb “that is why he called that place.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive, “that is why that place was called.”
[21:31] 592 sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of the oath” or “well of the seven.” Both the verb “to swear” and the number “seven” have been used throughout the account. Now they are drawn in as part of the explanation of the significance of the name.
[21:31] 593 sn The verb forms a wordplay with the name Beer Sheba.
[21:32] 594 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
[21:32] 595 tn Heb “arose and returned.”
[21:32] 596 sn The Philistines mentioned here may not be ethnically related to those who lived in Palestine in the time of the judges and the united monarchy. See D. M. Howard, “Philistines,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 238.
[21:33] 597 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:33] 598 sn The planting of the tamarisk tree is a sign of Abraham’s intent to stay there for a long time, not a religious act. A growing tree in the Negev would be a lasting witness to God’s provision of water.
[21:33] 599 tn Heb “he called there in the name of the
[21:34] 600 tn Heb “many days.”
[22:1] 601 sn The Hebrew verb used here means “to test; to try; to prove.” In this passage God tests Abraham to see if he would be obedient. See T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 44-48. See also J. L. Crenshaw, A Whirlpool of Torment (OBT), 9-30; and J. I. Lawlor, “The Test of Abraham,” GTJ 1 (1980): 19-35.
[22:1] 602 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:2] 603 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:2] 604 sn Take your son…Isaac. The instructions are very clear, but the details are deliberate. With every additional description the commandment becomes more challenging.
[22:2] 605 sn There has been much debate over the location of Moriah; 2 Chr 3:1 suggests it may be the site where the temple was later built in Jerusalem.
[22:2] 606 sn A whole burnt offering signified the complete surrender of the worshiper and complete acceptance by God. The demand for a human sacrifice was certainly radical and may have seemed to Abraham out of character for God. Abraham would have to obey without fully understanding what God was about.
[22:2] 607 tn Heb “which I will say to.”
[22:3] 608 tn Heb “Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey.”
[22:3] 609 tn Heb “he arose and he went.”
[22:4] 610 tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.”
[22:5] 611 tn Heb “And Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
[22:5] 612 tn The Hebrew verb is masculine plural, referring to the two young servants who accompanied Abraham and Isaac on the journey.
[22:5] 613 tn The disjunctive clause (with the compound subject preceding the verb) may be circumstantial and temporal.
[22:5] 614 tn This Hebrew word literally means “to bow oneself close to the ground.” It often means “to worship.”
[22:5] 615 sn It is impossible to know what Abraham was thinking when he said, “we will…return to you.” When he went he knew (1) that he was to sacrifice Isaac, and (2) that God intended to fulfill his earlier promises through Isaac. How he reconciled those facts is not clear in the text. Heb 11:17-19 suggests that Abraham believed God could restore Isaac to him through resurrection.
[22:6] 616 sn He took the fire and the knife in his hand. These details anticipate the sacrifice that lies ahead.
[22:7] 617 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said.” This is redundant and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[22:7] 618 tn Heb “Here I am” (cf. Gen 22:1).
[22:7] 619 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Here is the fire and the wood.’” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here and in the following verse the order of the introductory clauses and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[22:8] 620 tn Heb “will see for himself.” The construction means “to look out for; to see to it; to provide.”
[22:8] sn God will provide is the central theme of the passage and the turning point in the story. Note Paul’s allusion to the story in Rom 8:32 (“how shall he not freely give us all things?”) as well as H. J. Schoeps, “The Sacrifice of Isaac in Paul’s Theology,” JBL 65 (1946): 385-92.
[22:9] 621 sn Abraham built an altar there. The theme of Abraham’s altar building culminates here. He has been a faithful worshiper. Will he continue to worship when called upon to make such a radical sacrifice?
[22:9] 622 sn Then he tied up. This text has given rise to an important theme in Judaism known as the Aqedah, from the Hebrew word for “binding.” When sacrifices were made in the sanctuary, God remembered the binding of Isaac, for which a substitute was offered. See D. Polish, “The Binding of Isaac,” Jud 6 (1957): 17-21.
[22:10] 623 tn Heb “in order to slaughter.”
[22:11] 624 sn Heb “the messenger of the
[22:12] 625 tn Heb “Do not extend your hand toward the boy.”
[22:12] 626 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Do not extend…’”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the context for clarity. The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[22:12] 627 sn For now I know. The test was designed to see if Abraham would be obedient (see v. 1).
[22:12] 628 sn In this context fear refers by metonymy to obedience that grows from faith.
[22:13] 629 tn Heb “lifted his eyes.”
[22:13] 630 tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) draws attention to what Abraham saw and invites the audience to view the scene through his eyes.
[22:13] 631 tc The translation follows the reading of the MT; a number of Hebrew
[22:13] 632 tn Heb “Abraham”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[22:14] 633 tn Heb “the Lord sees” (יְהוָה יִרְאֶה, yÿhvah yir’eh, traditionally transliterated “Jehovah Jireh”; see the note on the word “provide” in v. 8). By so naming the place Abraham preserved in the memory of God’s people the amazing event that took place there.
[22:14] 634 sn On the expression to this day see B. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until this Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.
[22:14] 635 sn The saying connected with these events has some ambiguity, which was probably intended. The Niphal verb could be translated (1) “in the mountain of the Lord it will be seen/provided” or (2) “in the mountain the Lord will appear.” If the temple later stood here (see the note on “Moriah” in Gen 22:2), the latter interpretation might find support, for the people went to the temple to appear before the Lord, who “appeared” to them by providing for them his power and blessings. See S. R. Driver, Genesis, 219.
[22:16] 636 tn Heb “By myself I swear.”
[22:16] 637 tn Heb “the oracle of the
[22:17] 638 tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.
[22:17] 639 tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).
[22:17] sn I will greatly multiply. The
[22:17] 640 tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.
[22:17] 642 tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. To break through the gate complex would be to conquer the city, for the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”).
[22:18] 643 tn In the Hebrew text this causal clause comes at the end of the sentence. The translation alters the word order for stylistic reasons.
[22:18] sn Because you have obeyed me. Abraham’s obedience brought God’s ratification of the earlier conditional promise (see Gen 12:2).
[22:18] 644 tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 26:4). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)
[22:19] 645 tn Heb “and they arose and went together.”
[22:19] 646 tn Heb “and Abraham stayed in Beer Sheba. This has been translated as a relative clause for stylistic reasons.
[22:20] 647 tn In the Hebrew text the sentence begins with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to the statement.
[22:21] 648 sn This parenthetical note about Kemuel’s descendant is probably a later insertion by the author/compiler of Genesis and not part of the original announcement.
[22:23] 649 tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is important but parenthetical to the narrative. Rebekah would become the wife of Isaac (Gen 24:15).
[23:1] 650 tn Heb “And the years of Sarah were one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.”
[23:2] 651 tn Heb “Sarah.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“she”) for stylistic reasons.
[23:2] 652 sn Mourn…weep. The description here is of standard mourning rites (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD3 149-50). They would have been carried out in the presence of the corpse, probably in Sarah’s tent. So Abraham came in to mourn; then he rose up to go and bury his dead (v. 3).
[23:3] 653 tn Heb “And Abraham arose from upon the face of his dead.”
[23:3] 654 tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (also in vv. 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.
[23:4] 655 tn Heb “a resident alien and a settler.”
[23:4] 656 tn Heb “give,” which is used here as an idiom for “sell” (see v. 9). The idiom reflects the polite bartering that was done in the culture at the time.
[23:4] 657 tn Or “possession.”
[23:4] 658 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose.
[23:4] 659 tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[23:5] 660 tn Heb “answered Abraham saying to him.”
[23:6] 661 tn Heb “Hear us, my lord.”
[23:6] 662 tn Heb “prince of God.” The divine name may be used here as a means of expressing the superlative, “mighty prince.” The word for “prince” probably means “tribal chief” here. See M. H. Gottstein, “Nasi’ ‘elohim (Gen 23:6),” VT 3 (1953) 298-99; and D. W. Thomas, “Consideration of Some Unusual Ways of Expressing the Superlative in Hebrew,” VT 3 (1953) 215-16.
[23:6] 663 tn The phrase “to prevent you” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[23:7] 664 tn Heb “to the people of the land” (also in v. 12).
[23:8] 665 tn Heb “If it is with your purpose.” The Hebrew noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) here has the nuance “purpose” or perhaps “desire” (see BDB 661 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ).
[23:8] 666 tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[23:8] 668 tn Heb “intercede for me with.”
[23:9] 669 tn Heb “give.” This is used here (also a second time later in this verse) as an idiom for “sell”; see the note on the word “grant” in v. 4.
[23:9] 670 tn Heb “in your presence.”
[23:10] 672 tn Or perhaps “Hittite,” but see the note on the name “Heth” in v. 3.
[23:10] 673 tn Heb “ears.” By metonymy the “ears” stand for the presence or proximity (i.e., within earshot) of the persons named.
[23:10] 674 sn On the expression all who entered the gate see E. A. Speiser, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate,” BASOR 144 (1956): 20-23; and G. Evans, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate: A Discussion of Professor Speiser’s Paper,” BASOR 150 (1958): 28-33.
[23:11] 675 tn Heb “give.” The perfect tense has here a present nuance; this is a formal, legally binding declaration. Abraham asked only for a burial site/cave within the field; Ephron agrees to sell him the entire field.
[23:11] 676 tn The Hebrew text adds “to you I give [i.e., sell] it.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[23:11] 677 tn Heb “in the presence of the sons of my people.”
[23:13] 680 tn After the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose or result.
[23:15] 681 tn The word “worth” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[23:15] 682 sn Four hundred pieces of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 4.6 kilograms, or 160 ounces (about 10 pounds).
[23:16] 683 tn Heb “listened to Ephron.”
[23:16] 684 tn Heb “and Abraham weighed out.”
[23:16] 685 tn Heb “to Ephron.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[23:16] 687 tn Heb “that he had spoken.” The referent (Ephron) has been specified here in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[23:16] 688 tn Heb “passing for the merchant.” The final clause affirms that the measurement of silver was according to the standards used by the merchants of the time.
[23:17] 689 tn Heb “And it was conveyed.” The recipient, Abraham (mentioned in the Hebrew text at the beginning of v. 18) has been placed here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[23:18] 690 tn Heb “his city”; the referent (Ephron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[23:18] sn See G. M. Tucker, “The Legal Background of Genesis 23,” JBL 85 (1966):77-84; and M. R. Lehmann, “Abraham’s Purchase of Machpelah and Hittite Law,” BASOR 129 (1953): 15-18.
[23:20] 691 tn Heb “possession of a grave.”
[24:1] 693 tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
[24:2] 694 tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).
[24:2] 695 sn Put your hand under my thigh. The taking of this oath had to do with the sanctity of the family and the continuation of the family line. See D. R. Freedman, “Put Your Hand Under My Thigh – the Patriarchal Oath,” BAR 2 (1976): 2-4, 42.
[24:3] 696 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.
[24:3] 697 tn Heb “because you must not take.”
[24:4] 698 tn Heb “for to my country and my relatives you must go.”
[24:5] 700 tn Heb “to go after me.”
[24:5] 701 tn In the Hebrew text the construction is emphatic; the infinitive absolute precedes the imperfect. However, it is difficult to reflect this emphasis in an English translation.
[24:6] 702 tn Heb “guard yourself.”
[24:6] 703 tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:7] 704 tn Or “the land of my birth.”
[24:7] 705 tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”
[24:7] 706 tn Or “his messenger.”
[24:7] 707 tn Heb “before you and you will take.”
[24:8] 708 tn Heb “ to go after you.”
[24:8] 709 sn You will be free. If the prospective bride was not willing to accompany the servant back to Canaan, the servant would be released from his oath to Abraham.
[24:9] 710 tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”
[24:10] 711 tn Heb “and every good thing of his master was in his hand.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, explaining that he took all kinds of gifts to be used at his discretion.
[24:10] 712 tn Heb “and he arose and went.”
[24:10] 713 tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:10] sn Aram Naharaim means in Hebrew “Aram of the Two Rivers,” a region in northern Mesopotamia.
[24:11] 714 tn Heb “well of water.”
[24:11] 715 tn Heb “at the time of evening.”
[24:12] 716 tn Heb “make it happen before me today.” Although a number of English translations understand this as a request for success in the task (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV) it is more likely that the servant is requesting an omen or sign from God (v. 14).
[24:12] 717 tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”
[24:13] 718 tn Heb “the spring of water.”
[24:14] 720 sn I will also give your camels water. It would be an enormous test for a young woman to water ten camels. The idea is that such a woman would not only be industrious but hospitable and generous.
[24:14] 721 tn Heb “And let the young woman to whom I say, ‘Lower your jar that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I will also give your camels water,’ – her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac, and by it I will know that you have acted in faithfulness with my master.”
[24:15] 722 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out!” Using the participle introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator dramatically transports the audience back into the event and invites them to see Rebekah through the servant’s eyes.
[24:15] 723 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out – [she] who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham – and her jug [was] on her shoulder.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:16] 724 tn Heb “And the young woman was very good of appearance, a virgin, and a man she had not known.” Some argue that the Hebrew noun translated “virgin” (בְּתוּלָה, bÿtulah) is better understood in a general sense, “young woman” (see Joel 1:8, where the word appears to refer to one who is married). In this case the circumstantial clause (“and a man she had not known”) would be restrictive, rather than descriptive. If the term actually means “virgin,” one wonders why the circumstantial clause is necessary (see Judg 21:12 as well). Perhaps the repetition emphasizes her sexual purity as a prerequisite for her role as the mother of the covenant community.
[24:17] 725 tn Heb “and the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:18] 726 tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”
[24:19] 727 tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:20] 728 tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”
[24:21] 730 tn The Hebrew term צָלָה (tsalah), meaning “to make successful” in the Hiphil verbal stem, is a key term in the story (see vv. 40, 42, 56).
[24:22] 731 sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).
[24:22] 732 sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).
[24:22] 733 tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
[24:23] 734 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:24] 735 tn Heb “whom she bore to Nahor.” The referent (Milcah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:25] 736 tn Heb “and she said, ‘We have plenty of both straw and feed.’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:25] 737 tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
[24:27] 738 tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”
[24:27] 739 tn Heb “As for me – in the way the
[24:27] 740 tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.
[24:27] 741 tn Heb “brothers.”
[24:28] 742 tn Heb “according to.”
[24:29] 743 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.
[24:30] 744 tn Heb “And it was when he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister.” The word order is altered in the translation for the sake of clarity.
[24:30] 745 tn Heb “and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying.”
[24:30] 746 tn Heb “and look, he was standing.” The disjunctive clause with the participle following the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites the audience to view the scene through Laban’s eyes.
[24:31] 747 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:31] 748 sn Laban’s obsession with wealth is apparent; to him it represents how one is blessed by the
[24:31] 749 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.
[24:32] 750 tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:32] 751 tn Some translations (e.g., NEB, NASB, NRSV) understand Laban to be the subject of this and the following verbs or take the subject of this and the following verbs as indefinite (referring to an unnamed servant; e.g., NAB, NIV).
[24:32] 752 tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.
[24:32] 753 tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”
[24:33] 754 tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”
[24:33] 755 tn Heb “my words.”
[24:33] 756 tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”
[24:33] tn Heb “and he said, ‘Speak.’” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:35] 757 tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.
[24:35] 758 tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the
[24:36] 759 tn Heb “to my master.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:36] 760 tn Heb “after her old age.”
[24:36] 761 tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the servant’s master, Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:38] 762 tn Heb “but to the house of my father you must go and to my family and you must take a wife for my son.”
[24:39] 763 tn The imperfect is used here in a modal sense to indicate desire.
[24:39] 764 tn Heb “after me.”
[24:40] 765 tn The verb is the Hitpael of הָלַךְ (halakh), meaning “live one’s life” (see Gen 17:1). The statement may simply refer to serving the
[24:41] 766 tn Heb “my oath” (twice in this verse). From the Hebrew perspective the oath belonged to the person to whom it was sworn (Abraham), although in contemporary English an oath is typically viewed as belonging to the person who swears it (the servant).
[24:42] 767 tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”
[24:42] 768 tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[24:43] 769 tn Heb “the spring of water.”
[24:43] 770 tn Heb “and it will be.”
[24:45] 771 tn Heb “As for me, before I finished speaking to my heart.” The adverb טֶרֶם (terem) indicates the verb is a preterite; the infinitive that follows is the direct object.
[24:45] 772 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out.” As in 24:15, the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is used here for dramatic effect.
[24:47] 773 tn Heb “whom Milcah bore to him.” The referent (Nahor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:48] 774 tn Heb “daughter.” Rebekah was actually the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. One can either translate the Hebrew term בַּת (bat) as “daughter,” in which case the term אָח (’akh) must be translated more generally as “relative” rather than “brother” (cf. NASB, NRSV) or one can translate בַּת as “granddaughter,” in which case אָח may be translated “brother” (cf. NIV).
[24:49] 775 tn Heb “and I will turn to the right or to the left.” The expression apparently means that Abraham’s servant will know where he should go if there is no further business here.
[24:50] 776 tn Heb “From the
[24:50] 777 tn Heb “We are not able to speak to you bad or good.” This means that Laban and Bethuel could not say one way or the other what they wanted, for they viewed it as God’s will.
[24:51] 778 tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[24:51] 779 tn Heb “as the
[24:53] 780 tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:54] 781 tn Heb “And they ate and drank, he and the men who [were] with him and they spent the night.”
[24:54] 782 tn Heb “Send me away to my master.”
[24:55] 783 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Rebekah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:56] 784 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, indicating a reason for the preceding request.
[24:56] 785 tn After the preceding imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[24:57] 786 tn Heb “and we will ask her mouth.”
[24:58] 787 tn The imperfect verbal form here has a modal nuance, expressing desire.
[24:60] 788 tn Heb “and said to her.”
[24:60] 789 tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”
[24:60] sn May you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands. The blessing expresses their prayer that she produce children and start a family line that will greatly increase (cf. Gen 17:16).
[24:60] 790 tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”). A similar phrase occurs in Gen 22:17.
[24:61] 791 tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”
[24:61] 792 tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:62] 793 tn The disjunctive clause switches the audience’s attention to Isaac and signals a new episode in the story.
[24:62] 794 tn Heb “from the way of.”
[24:62] 795 sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” See Gen 16:14.
[24:62] 796 tn This disjunctive clause is explanatory.
[24:62] 797 tn Or “the South [country].”
[24:62] sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
[24:63] 798 tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:63] 799 tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain (cf. NASB, NIV “to meditate”; NRSV “to walk”).
[24:63] 800 tn Heb “at the turning of the evening.”
[24:63] 801 tn Heb “And he lifted up his eyes.” This idiom emphasizes the careful look Isaac had at the approaching caravan.
[24:63] 802 tn Heb “and look.” The clause introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) invites the audience to view the scene through Isaac’s eyes.
[24:64] 803 tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”
[24:65] 804 tn Heb “and she said to.”
[24:65] 805 tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:65] 806 tn Heb “and the servant said.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:67] 807 tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.
[24:67] 808 tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:67] 809 tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”
[24:67] 810 tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.
[25:1] sn Abraham had taken another wife. These events are not necessarily in chronological order following the events of the preceding chapter. They are listed here to summarize Abraham’s other descendants before the narrative of his death.
[25:1] 812 tn Heb “And Abraham added and took.”
[25:3] 813 sn The names Sheba and Dedan appear in Gen 10:7 as descendants of Ham through Cush and Raamah. Since these two names are usually interpreted to be place names, one plausible suggestion is that some of Abraham’s descendants lived in those regions and took names linked with it.
[25:6] 815 tn Heb “the sons of the concubines who [belonged] to Abraham.”
[25:6] 816 tn Heb “And he sent them away from upon Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the land of the east.”
[25:7] 817 tn Heb “and these are the days of the years of the lifetime of Abraham that he lived.” The normal genealogical formula is expanded here due to the importance of the life of Abraham.
[25:8] 818 tn Heb “old and full.”
[25:8] 819 tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.
[25:9] 820 sn The cave of Machpelah was the place Abraham had purchased as a burial place for his wife Sarah (Gen 23:17-18).
[25:10] 821 tn See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.
[25:11] 822 sn God blessed Isaac. The Hebrew verb “bless” in this passage must include all the gifts that God granted to Isaac. But fertility was not one of them, at least not for twenty years, because Rebekah was barren as well (see v. 21).
[25:11] 823 sn Beer Lahai Roi. See the note on this place name in Gen 24:62.
[25:12] 824 sn This is the account of Ishmael. The Book of Genesis tends to tidy up the family records at every turning point. Here, before proceeding with the story of Isaac’s family, the narrative traces Ishmael’s family line. Later, before discussing Jacob’s family, the narrative traces Esau’s family line (see Gen 36).
[25:13] 825 tn The meaning of this line is not easily understood. The sons of Ishmael are listed here “by their names” and “according to their descendants.”
[25:16] 826 tn Or “tribal chieftains.”
[25:17] 827 tn Heb “And these are the days of the years of Ishmael.”
[25:17] 828 tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.
[25:18] 829 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Ishmael’s descendants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:18] 830 tn Heb “which is by the face of,” or near the border. The territory ran along the border of Egypt.
[25:18] 831 tn Heb “as you go.”
[25:18] 832 sn The name Asshur refers here to a tribal area in the Sinai.
[25:18] 834 tn Heb “upon the face of all his brothers.” This last expression, obviously alluding to the earlier oracle about Ishmael (Gen 16:12), could mean that the descendants of Ishmael lived in hostility to others or that they lived in a territory that was opposite the lands of their relatives. While there is some ambiguity about the meaning, the line probably does give a hint of the Ishmaelite-Israelite conflicts to come.
[25:19] 835 sn This is the account of Isaac. What follows for several chapters is not the account of Isaac, except briefly, but the account of Jacob and Esau. The next chapters tell what became of Isaac and his family.
[25:20] 836 tn Heb “And Isaac was the son of forty years when he took Rebekah.”
[25:20] 837 sn Some valuable information is provided here. We learn here that Isaac married thirty-five years before Abraham died, that Rebekah was barren for twenty years, and that Abraham would have lived to see Jacob and Esau begin to grow up. The death of Abraham was recorded in the first part of the chapter as a “tidying up” of one generation before beginning the account of the next.
[25:21] 838 tn The Hebrew verb עָתַר (’atar), translated “prayed [to]” here, appears in the story of God’s judgment on Egypt in which Moses asked the
[25:22] 839 tn The Hebrew word used here suggests a violent struggle that was out of the ordinary.
[25:22] 840 tn Heb “If [it is] so, why [am] I this [way]?” Rebekah wanted to know what was happening to her, but the question itself reflects a growing despair over the struggle of the unborn children.
[25:22] 841 sn Asked the
[25:23] 842 sn By metonymy the two children in her womb are described as two nations of which the two children, Jacob and Esau, would become the fathers. The language suggests there would be a struggle between these nations, with one being stronger than the other. The oracle reveals that all of Jacob’s scheming was unnecessary in the final analysis. He would have become the dominant nation without using deception to steal his brother’s blessing.
[25:24] 843 tn Heb “And her days were filled to give birth.”
[25:24] 844 tn Heb “look!” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene as if they were actually present at the birth.
[25:25] 845 sn Reddish. The Hebrew word translated “reddish” is אַדְמוֹנִי (’admoni), which forms a wordplay on the Edomites, Esau’s descendants. The writer sees in Esau’s appearance at birth a sign of what was to come. After all, the reader has already been made aware of the “nations” that were being born.
[25:25] 846 tn Heb “all of him.”
[25:25] 847 sn Hairy. Here is another wordplay involving the descendants of Esau. The Hebrew word translated “hairy” is שֵׂעָר (se’ar); the Edomites will later live in Mount Seir, perhaps named for its wooded nature.
[25:25] 848 tn Heb “And they called his name Esau.” The name “Esau” (עֵשָׂו, ’esav) is not etymologically related to שֵׂעָר (se’ar), but it draws on some of the sounds.
[25:26] 849 tn The disjunctive clause describes an important circumstance accompanying the birth. Whereas Esau was passive at birth, Jacob was active.
[25:26] 850 tn Heb “And he called his name Jacob.” Some ancient witnesses read “they called his name Jacob” (see v. 25). In either case the subject is indefinite.
[25:26] sn The name Jacob is a play on the Hebrew word for “heel” (עָקֵב, ’aqev). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. It did not have a negative connotation until Esau redefined it. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. After receiving such an oracle, the parents would have preserved in memory almost every detail of the unusual births.
[25:26] 851 tn Heb “the son of sixty years.”
[25:27] 853 tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Jacob with Esau and draws attention to the striking contrasts. In contrast to Esau, a man of the field, Jacob was civilized, as the phrase “living in tents” signifies. Whereas Esau was a skillful hunter, Jacob was calm and even-tempered (תָּם, tam), which normally has the idea of “blameless.”
[25:28] 854 tn Heb “the taste of game was in his mouth.” The word for “game,” “venison” is here the same Hebrew word as “hunter” in the last verse. Here it is a metonymy, referring to that which the hunter kills.
[25:28] 855 tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Rebekah with Jacob and draws attention to the contrast. The verb here is a participle, drawing attention to Rebekah’s continuing, enduring love for her son.
[25:29] 856 sn Jacob cooked some stew. There are some significant words and wordplays in this story that help clarify the points of the story. The verb “cook” is זִיד (zid), which sounds like the word for “hunter” (צַיִד, tsayid). This is deliberate, for the hunter becomes the hunted in this story. The word זִיד means “to cook, to boil,” but by the sound play with צַיִד it comes to mean “set a trap by cooking.” The usage of the word shows that it can also have the connotation of acting presumptuously (as in boiling over). This too may be a comment on the scene. For further discussion of the rhetorical devices in the Jacob narratives, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).
[25:30] 857 tn The rare term לָעַט (la’at), translated “feed,” is used in later Hebrew for feeding animals (see Jastrow, 714). If this nuance was attached to the word in the biblical period, then it may depict Esau in a negative light, comparing him to a hungry animal. Famished Esau comes in from the hunt, only to enter the trap. He can only point at the red stew and ask Jacob to feed him.
[25:30] 858 tn The verb has no expressed subject and so is given a passive translation.
[25:30] 859 sn Esau’s descendants would eventually be called Edom. Edom was the place where they lived, so-named probably because of the reddish nature of the hills. The writer can use the word “red” to describe the stew that Esau gasped for to convey the nature of Esau and his descendants. They were a lusty, passionate, and profane people who lived for the moment. Again, the wordplay is meant to capture the “omen in the nomen.”
[25:32] 861 tn Heb “And what is this to me, a birthright?”
[25:33] 862 tn Heb “Swear to me today.”
[25:33] 863 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:33] 864 sn And sold his birthright. There is evidence from Hurrian culture that rights of inheritance were occasionally sold or transferred. Here Esau is portrayed as a profane person who would at the moment rather have a meal than the right to inherit. He will soon forget this trade and seek his father’s blessing in spite of it.
[25:34] 865 sn The style here is typical of Hebrew narrative; after the tension is resolved with the dialogue, the working out of it is recorded in a rapid sequence of verbs (“gave”; “ate”; “drank”; “got up”; “went out”). See also Gen 3:1-7 for another example.
[25:34] 866 sn So Esau despised his birthright. This clause, which concludes the episode, is a summary statement which reveals the underlying significance of Esau’s actions. “To despise” means to treat something as worthless or with contempt. Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered it to be unimportant.
[26:1] 867 tn Heb “in addition to the first famine which was.”
[26:1] 868 sn This account is parallel to two similar stories about Abraham (see Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Many scholars do not believe there were three similar incidents, only one that got borrowed and duplicated. Many regard the account about Isaac as the original, which then was attached to the more important person, Abraham, with supernatural elements being added. For a critique of such an approach, see R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 47-62. It is more likely that the story illustrates the proverb “like father, like son” (see T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 53). In typical human fashion the son follows his father’s example of lying to avoid problems. The appearance of similar events reported in a similar way underscores the fact that the blessing has now passed to Isaac, even if he fails as his father did.
[26:2] 869 sn Do not go down to Egypt. The words echo Gen 12:10, which reports that “Abram went down to Egypt,” but state the opposite.
[26:2] 870 tn Heb “say to you.”
[26:3] 871 tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur) means “to live temporarily without ownership of land.” Abraham’s family will not actually possess the land of Canaan until the Israelite conquest hundreds of years later.
[26:3] 872 tn After the imperative “stay” the two prefixed verb forms with prefixed conjunction here indicate consequence.
[26:3] sn I will be with you and I will bless you. The promise of divine presence is a promise to intervene to protect and to bless.
[26:3] 873 tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.
[26:3] sn To you and to your descendants. The Abrahamic blessing will pass to Isaac. Everything included in that blessing will now belong to the son, and in turn will be passed on to his sons. But there is a contingency involved: If they are to enjoy the full blessings, they will have to obey the word of the
[26:3] 874 tn The Hiphil stem of the verb קוּם (qum) here means “to fulfill, to bring to realization.” For other examples of this use of this verb form, see Lev 26:9; Num 23:19; Deut 8:18; 9:5; 1 Sam 1:23; 1 Kgs 6:12; Jer 11:5.
[26:3] 875 tn Heb “the oath which I swore.”
[26:3] sn The solemn promise I made. See Gen 15:18-20; 22:16-18.
[26:4] 876 tn Heb “your descendants.”
[26:4] 877 tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 22:18). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)
[26:5] 878 tn The words “All this will come to pass” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons.
[26:5] 879 tn Heb “listened to my voice.”
[26:5] 880 sn My charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. The language of this verse is clearly interpretive, for Abraham did not have all these laws. The terms are legal designations for sections of the Mosaic law and presuppose the existence of the law. Some Rabbinic views actually conclude that Abraham had fulfilled the whole law before it was given (see m. Qiddushin 4:14). Some scholars argue that this story could only have been written after the law was given (C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:424-25). But the simplest explanation is that the narrator (traditionally taken to be Moses the Lawgiver) elaborated on the simple report of Abraham’s obedience by using terms with which the Israelites were familiar. In this way he depicts Abraham as the model of obedience to God’s commands, whose example Israel should follow.
[26:7] 881 sn Rebekah, unlike Sarah, was not actually her husband’s sister.
[26:7] 882 tn Heb “lest.” The words “for he thought to himself” are supplied because the next clause is written with a first person pronoun, showing that Isaac was saying or thinking this.
[26:7] 883 tn Heb “kill me on account of.”
[26:8] 884 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:8] 885 tn Heb “and it happened when the days were long to him there.”
[26:8] 886 tn Heb “look, Isaac.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene through Abimelech’s eyes.
[26:8] sn The Hebrew word מְצַחֵק (mÿtsakheq), from the root צָחַק (tsakhaq, “laugh”), forms a sound play with the name “Isaac” right before it. Here it depicts an action, probably caressing or fondling, that indicated immediately that Rebekah was Isaac’s wife, not his sister. Isaac’s deception made a mockery of God’s covenantal promise. Ignoring God’s promise to protect and bless him, Isaac lied to protect himself and acted in bad faith to the men of Gerar.
[26:9] 888 tn Heb “Surely, look!” See N. H. Snaith, “The meaning of Hebrew ‘ak,” VT 14 (1964): 221-25.
[26:9] 889 tn Heb “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” Since the verb “said” probably means “said to myself” (i.e., “thought”) here, the direct discourse in the Hebrew statement has been converted to indirect discourse in the translation. In addition the simple prepositional phrase “on account of her” has been clarified in the translation as “to get her” (cf. v. 7).
[26:10] 890 tn Heb “What is this you have done to us?” The Hebrew demonstrative pronoun “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to us?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).
[26:10] 892 tn The Hebrew verb means “to lie down.” Here the expression “lie with” or “sleep with” is euphemistic for “have sexual relations with.”
[26:11] 893 tn Heb “strikes.” Here the verb has the nuance “to harm in any way.” It would include assaulting the woman or killing the man.
[26:11] 894 tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the imperfect makes the construction emphatic.
[26:12] 895 tn Heb “a hundredfold.”
[26:12] 896 tn This final clause explains why Isaac had such a bountiful harvest.
[26:13] 897 tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Isaac’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are included.
[26:13] 898 tn Heb “and he went, going and becoming great.” The construction stresses that his growth in possessions and power continued steadily.
[26:14] 899 tn Heb “and there was to him.”
[26:14] 900 tn Heb “possessions of sheep.”
[26:14] 901 tn Heb “possessions of cattle.”
[26:14] 902 tn The Hebrew verb translated “became jealous” refers here to intense jealousy or envy that leads to hostile action (see v. 15).
[26:15] 903 tn Heb “and the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with dirt.”
[26:16] 904 tn Heb “Go away from us.”
[26:16] 905 sn You have become much more powerful. This explanation for the expulsion of Isaac from Philistine territory foreshadows the words used later by the Egyptians to justify their oppression of Israel (see Exod 1:9).
[26:17] 906 tn Heb “and he camped in the valley of Gerar and he lived there.”
[26:17] sn This valley was actually a wadi (a dry river bed where the water would flow in the rainy season, but this would have been rare in the Negev). The water table under it would have been higher than in the desert because of water soaking in during the torrents, making it easier to find water when digging wells. However, this does not minimize the blessing of the
[26:18] 907 tn Heb “he returned and dug,” meaning “he dug again” or “he reopened.”
[26:18] 908 tn Heb “that they dug.” Since the subject is indefinite, the verb is translated as passive.
[26:18] 909 tn Heb “and the Philistines had stopped them up.” This clause explains why Isaac had to reopen them.
[26:18] 910 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:18] 911 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the wells) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:18] 912 tn Heb “called names to them according to the names that his father called them.”
[26:19] 913 tn Heb “living.” This expression refers to a well supplied by subterranean streams (see Song 4:15).
[26:20] 914 tn The Hebrew verb translated “quarreled” describes a conflict that often has legal ramifications.
[26:20] 915 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:20] 916 tn Heb “and he called the name of the well.”
[26:20] 917 sn The name Esek means “argument” in Hebrew. The following causal clause explains that Isaac gave the well this name as a reminder of the conflict its discovery had created. In the Hebrew text there is a wordplay, for the name is derived from the verb translated “argued.”
[26:20] 918 tn The words “about it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[26:21] 919 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Isaac’s servants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:21] 920 tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:21] 921 sn The name Sitnah (שִׂטְנָה, sitnah) is derived from a Hebrew verbal root meaning “to oppose; to be an adversary” (cf. Job 1:6). The name was a reminder that the digging of this well caused “opposition” from the Philistines.
[26:22] 922 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:22] 923 tn Heb “and he called its name.”
[26:22] 924 sn The name Rehoboth (רְהֹבוֹת, rehovot) is derived from a verbal root meaning “to make room.” The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. The story shows Isaac’s patience with the opposition; it also shows how God’s blessing outdistanced the men of Gerar. They could not stop it or seize it any longer.
[26:23] 925 tn Heb “and he went up from there”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:25] 926 tn Heb “called in the name of.” The expression refers to worshiping the
[26:25] 927 tn Heb “and they dug there, the servants of Isaac, a well.”
[26:26] 928 tn The disjunctive clause supplies pertinent supplemental information. The past perfect is used because the following narrative records the treaty at Beer Sheba. Prior to this we are told that Isaac settled in Beer Sheba; presumably this treaty would have allowed him to do that. However, it may be that he settled there and then made the treaty by which he renamed the place Beer Sheba. In this case one may translate “Now Abimelech came to him.”
[26:26] 930 tn Many modern translations render the Hebrew term מֵרֵעַ (merea’) as “councillor” or “adviser,” but the term may not designate an official position but simply a close personal friend.
[26:27] 931 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, expressing the reason for his question.
[26:28] 932 tn The infinitive absolute before the verb emphasizes the clarity of their perception.
[26:28] 933 tn Heb “And we said, ‘Let there be.’” The direct discourse in the Hebrew text has been rendered as indirect discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[26:28] 934 tn The pronoun “us” here is inclusive – it refers to the Philistine contingent on the one hand and Isaac on the other.
[26:28] 935 tn The pronoun “us” here is exclusive – it refers to just the Philistine contingent (the following “you” refers to Isaac).
[26:28] 936 tn The translation assumes that the cohortative expresses their request. Another option is to understand the cohortative as indicating resolve: “We want to make.’”
[26:29] 937 tn The oath formula is used: “if you do us harm” means “so that you will not do.”
[26:29] 939 tn Heb “and just as we have done only good with you.”
[26:29] 940 tn Heb “and we sent you away.”
[26:29] 941 tn The Philistine leaders are making an observation, not pronouncing a blessing, so the translation reads “you are blessed” rather than “may you be blessed” (cf. NAB).
[26:30] 942 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[26:30] 943 tn Heb “and they ate and drank.”
[26:31] 944 tn Heb “and they got up early and they swore an oath, a man to his brother.”
[26:31] 945 tn Heb “and they went from him in peace.”
[26:32] 946 tn Heb “and they said to him, ‘We have found water.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[26:33] 947 sn The name Shibah (שִׁבְעָה, shiv’ah) means (or at least sounds like) the word meaning “oath.” The name was a reminder of the oath sworn by Isaac and the Philistines to solidify their treaty.
[26:33] 948 sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of an oath” or “well of seven.” According to Gen 21:31 Abraham gave Beer Sheba its name when he made a treaty with the Philistines. Because of the parallels between this earlier story and the account in 26:26-33, some scholars see chaps. 21 and 26 as two versions (or doublets) of one original story. However, if one takes the text as it stands, it appears that Isaac made a later treaty agreement with the people of the land that was similar to his father’s. Abraham dug a well at the site and named the place Beer Sheba; Isaac dug another well there and named the well Shibah. Later generations then associated the name Beer Sheba with Isaac, even though Abraham gave the place its name at an earlier time.
[26:34] 949 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making this clause subordinate to the next.
[26:34] 950 tn Heb “the son of forty years.”
[26:34] 951 tn Heb “took as a wife.”
[26:35] 952 tn Heb “And they were [a source of ] bitterness in spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah.”
[27:1] 953 tn The clause begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making it subordinate to the main clause that follows later in the sentence.
[27:1] 954 tn Heb “and his eyes were weak from seeing.”
[27:1] 955 tn Heb “greater” (in terms of age).
[27:1] 956 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Esau) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:2] 957 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaac) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:2] 958 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here introduces a logically foundational statement, upon which the coming instruction will be based.
[27:2] 959 tn Heb “I do not know the day of my death.”
[27:3] 960 tn The Hebrew word is to be spelled either צַיִד (tsayid) following the marginal reading (Qere), or צֵידָה (tsedah) following the consonantal text (Kethib). Either way it is from the same root as the imperative צוּדָה (tsudah, “hunt down”).
[27:4] 961 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
[27:4] 962 tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The use of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as the subject emphasizes that the blessing will be made with all Isaac’s desire and vitality. The conjunction “so that” closely relates the meal to the blessing, suggesting that this will be a ritual meal in conjunction with the giving of a formal blessing.
[27:5] 963 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a conjunction with the subject, followed by the predicate) here introduces a new scene in the story.
[27:5] 964 tc The LXX adds here “to his father,” which may have been accidentally omitted in the MT.
[27:7] 965 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
[27:7] 966 tn The cohortative, with the prefixed conjunction, also expresses logical sequence. See vv. 4, 19, 27.
[27:7] 967 tn In her report to Jacob, Rebekah plays down Isaac’s strong desire to bless Esau by leaving out נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”), but by adding the phrase “in the presence of the
[27:8] 968 tn Heb “listen to my voice.” The Hebrew idiom means “to comply; to obey.”
[27:8] 969 tn Heb “to that which I am commanding you.”
[27:9] 970 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
[27:10] 971 tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive. It carries forward the tone of instruction initiated by the command to “go…and get” in the preceding verse.
[27:10] 972 tn The form is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the future nuance of the preceding verbs of instruction, but by switching the subject to Jacob, indicates the expected result of the subterfuge.
[27:10] 973 tn Heb “so that.” The conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[27:11] 974 tn Heb “And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, but I am a smooth [skinned] man.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[27:12] 975 tn Heb “Perhaps my father will feel me and I will be in his eyes like a mocker.” The Hebrew expression “I will be in his eyes like” means “I would appear to him as.”
[27:13] 976 tn Heb “upon me your curse.”
[27:13] 977 tn Heb “only listen to my voice.”
[27:14] 978 tn The words “the goats” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[27:14] 979 tn Heb “his mother.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “she” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[27:16] 980 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] 981 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] 982 tn Heb “gave…into the hand of.”
[27:18] 983 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:18] 984 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] 985 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] 986 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] 987 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] 988 tn Heb “you hastened to find.” In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb and the first verb becomes adverbial.
[27:20] 989 tn Heb “caused to meet before me.”
[27:20] 990 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Because the
[27:21] 991 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
[27:21] 992 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.
[27:23] 993 tn Heb “and he blessed him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” (Isaac) and “him” (Jacob) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:24] 994 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:25] 995 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:25] 996 tn Heb “Bring near to me and I will eat of the wild game, my son.” Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[27:25] 997 tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The presence of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as subject emphasizes Isaac’s heartfelt desire to do this. The conjunction indicates that the ritual meal must be first eaten before the formal blessing may be given.
[27:25] 998 tn Heb “and he brought”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:25] 999 tn Heb “and he drank”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:27] 1000 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:27] 1001 tn Heb “and he smelled the smell”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:28] 1003 tn Heb “and from the dew of the sky.”
[27:28] 1004 tn Heb “and from the fatness.”
[27:29] 1005 tn Heb “and be.” The verb is an imperative, which is used rhetorically in this oracle of blessing. It is an invitation to exercise authority his brothers and indicates that he is granted such authority by the patriarch of the family. Furthermore, the blessing enables the recipient to accomplish this.
[27:29] 1006 tn The Hebrew word is גְבִיר (gevir, “lord, mighty one”). The one being blessed will be stronger and therefore more powerful than his brother. See Gen 25:23. The feminine form of this rare noun means “mistress” or “queen-mother.”
[27:29] 1007 tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (which is either an imperfect or a jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[27:30] 1008 tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite form of the verb makes the construction emphatic.
[27:30] 1009 tn Heb “the presence of Isaac his father.” The repetition of the proper name (“Isaac”) was
[27:30] 1010 tn Heb “and Esau his brother came from his hunt.”
[27:31] 1011 tn Heb “and he said to his father”; the referent of “he” (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity, while the words “his father” have been replaced by the pronoun “him” for stylistic reasons.
[27:31] 1012 tn Or “arise” (i.e., sit up).
[27:31] 1013 tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.”
[27:32] 1015 tn Heb “and he said, ‘I [am] your son, your firstborn.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.
[27:33] 1016 tn Heb “and Isaac trembled with a great trembling to excess.” The verb “trembled” is joined with a cognate accusative, which is modified by an adjective “great,” and a prepositional phrase “to excess.” All of this is emphatic, showing the violence of Isaac’s reaction to the news.
[27:33] 1017 tn Heb “Who then is he who hunted game and brought [it] to me so that I ate from all before you arrived and blessed him?”
[27:34] 1018 tn The temporal clause is introduced with the temporal indicator and has the infinitive as its verb.
[27:34] 1019 tn Heb “and he yelled [with] a great and bitter yell to excess.”
[27:35] 1020 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[27:35] 1021 tn Or “took”; “received.”
[27:36] 1022 tn Heb “Is he not rightly named Jacob?” The rhetorical question, since it expects a positive reply, has been translated as a declarative statement.
[27:36] 1023 sn He has tripped me up. When originally given, the name Jacob was a play on the word “heel” (see Gen 25:26). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. Esau gives the name “Jacob” a negative connotation here, the meaning “to trip up; to supplant.”
[27:38] 1024 tn Heb “Bless me, me also, my father.” The words “my father” have not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[27:38] 1025 tn Heb “and Esau lifted his voice and wept.”
[27:39] 1027 tn Heb “from the fatness.”
[27:40] 1028 sn You will tear off his yoke from your neck. It may be that this prophetic blessing found its fulfillment when Jerusalem fell and Edom got its revenge. The oracle makes Edom subservient to Israel and suggests the Edomites would live away from the best land and be forced to sustain themselves by violent measures.
[27:41] 1029 tn Or “bore a grudge against” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV). The Hebrew verb שָׂטַם (satam) describes persistent hatred.
[27:41] 1030 tn Heb “because of the blessing which his father blessed him.”
[27:41] 1031 tn Heb “said in his heart.” The expression may mean “said to himself.” Even if this is the case, v. 42 makes it clear that he must have shared his intentions with someone, because the news reached Rebekah.
[27:41] 1033 tn The cohortative here expresses Esau’s determined resolve to kill Jacob.
[27:42] 1034 tn Heb “and the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah.”
[27:42] 1035 tn Heb “she sent and called for.”
[27:42] 1036 tn Heb “is consoling himself with respect to you to kill you.” The only way Esau had of dealing with his anger at the moment was to plan to kill his brother after the death of Isaac.
[27:43] 1037 tn Heb “listen to my voice.”
[27:43] 1038 tn Heb “arise, flee.”
[27:44] 1039 tn Heb “a few days.” Rebekah probably downplays the length of time Jacob will be gone, perhaps to encourage him and assure him that things will settle down soon. She probably expects Esau’s anger to die down quickly. However, Jacob ends up being gone twenty years and he never sees Rebekah again.
[27:45] 1040 tn The words “stay there” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[27:45] 1041 tn Heb “and I will send and I will take you from there.” The verb “send” has no object in the Hebrew text; one must be supplied in the translation. Either “someone” or “a message” could be supplied, but since in those times a message would require a messenger, “someone” has been used.
[27:45] 1042 tn If Jacob stayed, he would be killed and Esau would be forced to run away.
[27:46] 1043 tn Heb “loathe my life.” The Hebrew verb translated “loathe” refers to strong disgust (see Lev 20:23).
[27:46] 1044 tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (see also Gen 23:3), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.
[27:46] 1045 tn Heb “If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, why to me life?”
[28:1] 1046 tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”
[28:2] 1047 tn Heb “Arise! Go!” The first of the two imperatives is adverbial and stresses the immediacy of the departure.
[28:3] 1048 tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.
[28:3] 1049 tn Heb “and make you fruitful and multiply you.” See Gen 17:6, 20 for similar terminology.
[28:3] 1050 tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here indicates consequence. The collocation הָיָה + preposition לְ (hayah + lÿ) means “become.”
[28:3] 1051 tn Heb “an assembly of peoples.”
[28:4] 1052 tn Heb “and may he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you.” The name “Abraham” is an objective genitive here; this refers to the blessing that God gave to Abraham.
[28:4] 1053 tn The words “the land” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[28:4] 1054 tn Heb “the land of your sojournings,” that is, the land where Jacob had been living as a resident alien, as his future descendants would after him.
[28:6] 1055 tn Heb “to take for himself from there a wife.”
[28:6] 1056 tn The infinitive construct with the preposition and the suffix form a temporal clause.
[28:6] 1057 tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”
[28:8] 1059 tn Heb “the daughters of Canaan.”
[28:8] 1060 tn Heb “evil in the eyes of.”
[28:9] 1061 tn Heb “took for a wife.”
[28:11] 1062 tn Heb “the place.” The article may indicate simply that the place is definite in the mind of the narrator. However, as the story unfolds the place is transformed into a holy place. See A. P. Ross, “Jacob’s Vision: The Founding of Bethel,” BSac 142 (1985): 224-37.
[28:11] 1063 tn Heb “and he spent the night there because the sun had gone down.”
[28:11] 1064 tn Heb “he took from the stones of the place,” which here means Jacob took one of the stones (see v. 18).
[28:11] 1065 tn Heb “and he put [it at] the place of his head.” The text does not actually say the stone was placed under his head to serve as a pillow, although most interpreters and translators assume this. It is possible the stone served some other purpose. Jacob does not seem to have been a committed monotheist yet (see v. 20-21) so he may have believed it contained some spiritual power. Note that later in the story he anticipates the stone becoming the residence of God (see v. 22). Many cultures throughout the world view certain types of stones as magical and/or sacred. See J. G. Fraser, Folklore in the Old Testament, 231-37.
[28:11] 1066 tn Heb “lay down.”
[28:12] 1067 tn Heb “and dreamed.”
[28:12] 1068 tn Heb “and look.” The scene which Jacob witnessed is described in three clauses introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh). In this way the narrator invites the reader to witness the scene through Jacob’s eyes. J. P. Fokkelman points out that the particle goes with a lifted arm and an open mouth: “There, a ladder! Oh, angels! and look, the
[28:12] 1069 tn The Hebrew noun סֻלָּם (sullam, “ladder, stairway”) occurs only here in the OT, but there appears to be an Akkadian cognate simmiltu (with metathesis of the second and third consonants and a feminine ending) which has a specialized meaning of “stairway, ramp.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 34. For further discussion see C. Houtman, “What Did Jacob See in His Dream at Bethel? Some Remarks on Genesis 28:10-22,” VT 27 (1977): 337-52; J. G. Griffiths, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 76 (1964/65): 229-30; and A. R. Millard, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 78 (1966/67): 86-87.
[28:13] 1070 tn Heb “the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.” The Hebrew word for “father” can typically be used in a broader sense than the English word, in this case referring to Abraham (who was Jacob’s grandfather). For stylistic reasons and for clarity, the words “your father” are supplied with “Isaac” in the translation.
[28:13] 1071 tn The Hebrew term אֶרֶץ (’erets) can mean “[the] earth,” “land,” “region,” “piece of ground,” or “ground” depending on the context. Here the term specifically refers to the plot of ground on which Jacob was lying, but at the same time this stands by metonymy for the entire land of Canaan.
[28:14] 1072 tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.
[28:14] 1073 tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.
[28:14] 1074 tn Theoretically the Niphal stem can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Jacob were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in other formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless (i.e., pronounce blessings upon) themselves/one another.” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 28:14 predicts that Jacob will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae (see Gen 12:2 and 18:18 as well, where Abram/Abraham receives this promise). For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.
[28:14] 1075 tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”
[28:15] 1076 tn Heb “Look, I [am] with you.” The clause is a nominal clause; the verb to be supplied could be present (as in the translation) or future, “Look, I [will be] with you” (cf. NEB).
[28:16] 1077 tn Heb “woke up from his sleep.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[28:18] 1079 tn Heb “and he got up early…and he took.”
[28:18] 1080 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[28:18] 1081 tn See the note on this phrase in v. 11.
[28:18] 1082 tn Heb “standing stone.”
[28:18] sn Sacred stone. Such a stone could be used as a boundary marker, a burial stone, or as a shrine. Here the stone is intended to be a reminder of the stairway that was “erected” and on which the
[28:19] 1083 tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew (see v. 17).
[28:19] map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[28:20] 1084 tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.
[28:21] 1085 tn Heb “and I return in peace to the house of my father.”
[28:22] 1086 tn The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/subject) is used to highlight the statement.
[28:22] 1087 tn The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb for emphasis.
[28:22] 1088 tn Heb “and all which you give to me I will surely give a tenth of it to you.” The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/object) highlights this statement as well.
[29:1] 1089 tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his feet.” This unusual expression suggests that Jacob had a new lease on life now that God had promised him the blessing he had so desperately tried to gain by his own efforts. The text portrays him as having a new step in his walk.
[29:1] 1090 tn Heb “the land of the sons of the east.”
[29:2] 1091 tn Heb “and he saw, and look.” As in Gen 28:12-15, the narrator uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here and in the next clause to draw the reader into the story.
[29:2] 1092 tn Heb “and look, there.”
[29:2] 1093 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the noun with the prefixed conjunction) provides supplemental information that is important to the story.
[29:3] 1094 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the shepherds) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:5] 1096 tn Heb “and they said, ‘We know.’” The word “him” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the translation several introductory clauses throughout this section have been placed after the direct discourse they introduce for stylistic reasons as well.
[29:6] 1097 tn Heb “and he said to them, ‘Is there peace to him?’”
[29:7] 1099 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:7] 1100 tn Heb “the day is great.”
[29:7] 1101 tn Heb “water the sheep and go and pasture [them].” The verbal forms are imperatives, but Jacob would hardly be giving direct orders to someone else’s shepherds. The nuance here is probably one of advice.
[29:8] 1102 tn The perfect verbal forms with the vav (ו) consecutive carry on the sequence begun by the initial imperfect form.
[29:9] 1103 tn Heb “was a shepherdess.”
[29:10] 1104 tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother” (twice in this verse).
[29:10] 1105 tn Heb “Jacob.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[29:10] 1106 tn Heb “drew near, approached.”
[29:10] 1107 tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother.” The text says nothing initially about the beauty of Rachel. But the reader is struck by the repetition of “Laban the brother of his mother.” G. J. Wenham is no doubt correct when he observes that Jacob’s primary motive at this stage is to ingratiate himself with Laban (Genesis [WBC], 2:231).
[29:11] 1108 tn Heb “and he lifted up his voice and wept.” The idiom calls deliberate attention to the fact that Jacob wept out loud.
[29:12] 1109 tn Heb “declared.”
[29:12] 1110 tn Heb “that he [was] the brother of her father.”
[29:13] 1111 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:13] 1112 tn Heb “and he told to Laban all these things.” This might mean Jacob told Laban how he happened to be there, but Laban’s response (see v. 14) suggests “all these things” refers to what Jacob had previously told Rachel (see v. 12).
[29:14] 1113 tn Heb “indeed, my bone and my flesh are you.” The expression sounds warm enough, but the presence of “indeed” may suggest that Laban had to be convinced of Jacob’s identity before permitting him to stay. To be one’s “bone and flesh” is to be someone’s blood relative. For example, the phrase describes the relationship between Abimelech and the Shechemites (Judg 9:2; his mother was a Shechemite); David and the Israelites (2 Sam 5:1); David and the elders of Judah (2 Sam 19:12,); and David and his nephew Amasa (2 Sam 19:13, see 2 Sam 17:2; 1 Chr 2:16-17).
[29:14] 1114 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:14] 1115 tn Heb “a month of days.”
[29:15] 1116 tn The verb is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; the nuance in the question is deliberative.
[29:15] 1117 tn Heb “my brother.” The term “brother” is used in a loose sense; actually Jacob was Laban’s nephew.
[29:16] 1118 tn Heb “and to Laban [there were] two daughters.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a prepositional phrase) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, vv. 16-17 have been set in parentheses in the translation.
[29:17] 1119 tn Heb “and the eyes of Leah were tender.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a noun) continues the parenthesis begun in v. 16. It is not clear what is meant by “tender” (or “delicate”) eyes. The expression may mean she had appealing eyes (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT), though some suggest that they were plain, not having the brightness normally expected. Either way, she did not measure up to her gorgeous sister.
[29:17] 1120 tn Heb “and Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance.”
[29:18] 1121 tn Heb “Jacob loved.”
[29:19] 1122 tn Heb “Better my giving her to you than my giving her to another man.”
[29:20] 1123 tn Heb “in exchange for Rachel.”
[29:20] 1124 sn But they seemed like only a few days to him. This need not mean that the time passed quickly. More likely it means that the price seemed insignificant when compared to what he was getting in the bargain.
[29:20] 1125 tn Heb “because of his love for her.” The words “was so great” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
[29:21] 1126 tn Heb “and Jacob said.”
[29:21] 1127 tn Heb “my days are fulfilled.”
[29:21] 1128 tn Heb “and I will go in to her.” The verb is a cohortative; it may be subordinated to the preceding request, “that I may go in,” or it may be an independent clause expressing his desire. The verb “go in” in this context refers to sexual intercourse (i.e., the consummation of the marriage).
[29:23] 1130 tn Heb “and it happened in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her.”
[29:23] sn His daughter Leah. Laban’s deception of Jacob by giving him the older daughter instead of the younger was God’s way of disciplining the deceiver who tricked his older brother. D. Kidner says this account is “the very embodiment of anti-climax, and this moment a miniature of man’s disillusion, experienced from Eden onwards” (Genesis [TOTC], 160). G. von Rad notes, “That Laban secretly gave the unloved Leah to the man in love was, to be sure, a monstrous blow, a masterpiece of shameless treachery…It was certainly a move by which he won for himself far and wide the coarsest laughter” (Genesis [OTL], 291).
[29:23] 1131 tn Heb “to him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:23] 1132 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:23] 1133 tn Heb “went in to her.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.
[29:24] 1134 tn Heb “and Laban gave to her Zilpah his female servant, to Leah his daughter [for] a servant.” This clause gives information parenthetical to the narrative.
[29:25] 1135 tn Heb “and it happened in the morning that look, it was Leah.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.
[29:25] 1136 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:25] 1137 tn Heb What is this you have done to me?” The use of the pronoun “this” is enclitic, adding emphasis to the question: “What in the world have you done to me?”
[29:25] 1138 sn The Hebrew verb translated tricked here (רָמָה, ramah) is cognate to the noun used in Gen 27:35 to describe Jacob’s deception of Esau. Jacob is discovering that what goes around, comes around. See J. A. Diamond, “The Deception of Jacob: A New Perspective on an Ancient Solution to the Problem,” VT 34 (1984): 211-13.
[29:26] 1139 tn Heb “and Laban said, ‘It is not done so in our place.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[29:26] 1140 tn Heb “to give the younger.” The words “daughter” and “in marriage” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[29:27] 1141 tn Heb “fulfill the period of seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as “my older daughter” for clarity.
[29:27] sn Bridal week. An ancient Hebrew marriage ceremony included an entire week of festivities (cf. Judg 14:12).
[29:27] 1142 tn Heb “this other one.”
[29:27] 1143 tn Heb “and we will give to you also this one in exchange for labor which you will work with me, still seven other years.”
[29:27] sn In exchange for seven more years of work. See C. H. Gordon, “The Story of Jacob and Laban in the Light of the Nuzi Tablets,” BASOR 66 (1937): 25-27; and J. Van Seters, “Jacob’s Marriages and Ancient Near Eastern Customs: A Reassessment,” HTR 62 (1969): 377-95.
[29:28] 1144 tn Heb “and Jacob did so.” The words “as Laban said” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[29:28] 1145 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:28] 1146 tn Heb “the seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as Leah to avoid confusion with Rachel, mentioned later in the verse.
[29:28] 1147 tn Heb “and he gave to him Rachel his daughter for him for a wife.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:29] 1148 tn Heb “and Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his female servant, for her for a servant.”
[29:30] 1149 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:30] 1150 tn Heb “went in also to Rachel.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.
[29:30] 1151 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:30] 1152 tn Heb “and he loved also Rachel, more than Leah, and he served with him still seven other years.”
[29:31] 1153 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] 1154 tn Heb “he opened up her womb.”
[29:32] 1155 tn Or “Leah conceived” (also in vv. 33, 34, 35).
[29:32] 1156 sn The name Reuben (רְאוּבֵן, rÿ’uven) means “look, a son.”
[29:32] 1157 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] 1158 tn Heb “hated.” See the note on the word “unloved” in v. 31.
[29:33] 1159 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] 1160 tn Heb “will be joined to me.”
[29:34] 1161 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] 1162 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] 1163 tn Heb “Rachel.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“she”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:2] 1165 tn Heb “and the anger of Jacob was hot.”
[30:2] 1166 tn Heb “who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb.”
[30:3] 1167 tn Heb “go in to.” The expression “go in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.
[30:3] 1168 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates the immediate purpose of the proposed activity.
[30:3] 1169 tn The word “children” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:3] 1170 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] 1171 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] 1172 tn Heb “and she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:4] 1173 tn Heb “went in to.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.
[30:5] 1174 tn Or “Bilhah conceived” (also in v. 7).
[30:5] 1175 tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a son.”
[30:6] 1176 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] 1177 tn Or “therefore.”
[30:6] 1178 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] 1179 tn Heb “and she became pregnant again and Bilhah, the servant of Rachel, bore a second son for Jacob.”
[30:8] 1180 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] 1181 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] 1182 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] 1183 tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore for Jacob a son.”
[30:11] 1184 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] 1185 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] 1186 tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore a second son for Jacob.”
[30:13] 1187 tn The Hebrew statement apparently means “with my happiness.”
[30:13] 1188 tn Heb “daughters.”
[30:13] 1189 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] 1190 tn Heb “during the days.”
[30:14] 1191 sn Mandrake plants were popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac in the culture of the time.
[30:15] 1192 tn Heb “and she said to her”; the referent of the pronoun “she” (Leah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:15] 1193 tn Heb “therefore.”
[30:15] 1194 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] 1195 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] 1196 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] 1197 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] 1198 tn Heb “listened to.”
[30:17] 1199 tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 19).
[30:17] 1200 tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a fifth son,” i.e., this was the fifth son that Leah had given Jacob.
[30:18] 1201 tn Heb “God has given my reward.”
[30:18] 1202 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] 1203 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] 1204 tn Heb “and she bore a sixth son for Jacob,” i.e., this was the sixth son that Leah had given Jacob.
[30:20] 1205 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.
[30:22] 1206 tn Heb “remembered.”
[30:22] 1207 tn Heb “and God listened to her and opened up her womb.” Since “God” is the subject of the previous clause, the noun has been replaced by the pronoun “he” in the translation for stylistic reasons
[30:23] 1208 tn Or “conceived.”
[30:23] 1209 tn Heb “my reproach.” A “reproach” is a cutting taunt or painful ridicule, but here it probably refers by metonymy to Rachel’s barren condition, which was considered shameful in this culture and was the reason why she was the object of taunting and ridicule.
[30:24] 1210 sn The name Joseph (יוֹסֵף, yoseph) means “may he add.” The name expresses Rachel’s desire to have an additional son. In Hebrew the name sounds like the verb (אָסַף,’asasf) translated “taken away” in the earlier statement made in v. 23. So the name, while reflecting Rachel’s hope, was also a reminder that God had removed her shame.
[30:25] 1211 tn The perfect verbal form is translated as a past perfect because Rachel’s giving birth to Joseph preceded Jacob’s conversation with Laban.
[30:25] 1212 tn The imperatival form here expresses a request.
[30:25] sn For Jacob to ask to leave would mean that seven more years had passed. Thus all Jacob’s children were born within the range of seven years of each other, with Joseph coming right at the end of the seven years.
[30:25] 1213 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[30:25] 1214 tn Heb “to my place and to my land.”
[30:26] 1215 tn Heb “give my wives and my children, for whom I have served you.” In one sense Laban had already “given” Jacob his two daughters as wives (Gen 29:21, 28). Here Jacob was asking for permission to take his own family along with him on the journey back to Canaan.
[30:26] 1216 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[30:26] 1217 tn Heb “for you, you know my service [with] which I have served you.”
[30:27] 1218 tn The words “please stay here” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[30:27] 1219 tn Or perhaps “I have grown rich and the
[30:28] 1220 tn Heb “set your wage for me so I may give [it].”
[30:29] 1221 tn Heb “and he said to him, ‘You know how I have served you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons, and the referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:29] 1222 tn Heb “and how your cattle were with me.”
[30:30] 1224 tn Heb “before me.”
[30:30] 1225 tn Heb “and it has broken out with respect to abundance.”
[30:30] 1226 tn Heb “at my foot.”
[30:30] 1227 tn Heb “How long [until] I do, also I, for my house?”
[30:31] 1228 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:31] 1229 tn The negated imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance.
[30:31] 1230 tn The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:31] 1231 tn Heb “If you do for me this thing.”
[30:31] 1232 tn Heb “I will return, I will tend,” an idiom meaning “I will continue tending.”
[30:32] 1233 tn Heb “pass through.”
[30:32] 1234 tn Or “every black lamb”; Heb “and every dark sheep among the lambs.”
[30:32] 1235 tn Heb “and the spotted and speckled among the goats.”
[30:32] 1236 tn Heb “and it will be my wage.” The referent collective singular pronoun (“it) has been specified as “these animals” in the translation for clarity.
[30:33] 1237 tn Heb “will answer on my behalf.”
[30:33] 1238 tn Heb “on the following day,” or “tomorrow.”
[30:33] 1239 tn Heb “when you come concerning my wage before you.”
[30:33] sn Only the wage we agreed on. Jacob would have to be considered completely honest here, for he would have no control over the kind of animals born; and there could be no disagreement over which animals were his wages.
[30:33] 1240 tn Heb “every one which is not speckled and spotted among the lambs and dark among the goats, stolen it is with me.”
[30:34] 1241 tn Heb “and Laban said, ‘Good, let it be according to your word.’” On the asseverative use of the particle לוּ (lu) here, see HALOT 521 s.v. לוּ.
[30:35] 1242 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:35] 1243 tn Heb “and he gave [them] into the hand.”
[30:36] 1244 tn Heb “and he put a journey of three days between himself and Jacob.”
[30:36] sn Three days’ traveling distance from Jacob. E. A. Speiser observes, “Laban is delighted with the terms, and promptly proceeds to violate the spirit of the bargain by removing to a safe distance all the grown animals that would be likely to produce the specified spots” (Genesis [AB], 238). Laban apparently thought that by separating out the spotted, striped, and dark colored animals he could minimize the production of spotted, striped, or dark offspring that would then belong to Jacob.
[30:36] 1245 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the vav with subject) is circumstantial/temporal; Laban removed the animals while Jacob was taking care of the rest.
[30:38] 1246 sn He put the branches in front of the flocks…when they came to drink. It was generally believed that placing such “visual aids” before the animals as they were mating, it was possible to influence the appearance of their offspring. E. A. Speiser notes that “Jacob finds a way to outwit his father-in-law, through prenatal conditioning of the flock by visual aids – in conformance with universal folk beliefs” (Genesis [AB], 238). Nevertheless, in spite of Jacob’s efforts at animal husbandry, he still attributes the resulting success to God (see 31:5).
[30:39] 1247 tn The Hebrew verb used here can mean “to be in heat” (see v. 38) or “to mate; to conceive; to become pregnant.” The latter nuance makes better sense in this verse, for the next clause describes them giving birth.
[30:39] 1248 tn Heb “the sheep.” The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“they”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:40] 1249 tn Heb “and he set the faces of.”
[30:41] 1250 tn Heb “and at every breeding-heat of the flock.”
[30:42] 1251 tn Heb “he did not put [them] in.” The referent of the [understood] direct object, “them,” has been specified as “the branches” in the translation for clarity.
[30:42] 1252 tn Heb “were for Laban.”
[30:43] 1253 tn Heb “the man”; Jacob’s name has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[30:43] 1254 tn Heb “and there were to him.”
[31:1] 1255 tn Heb “and he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying.”
[31:1] 1256 sn The Hebrew word translated “gotten rich” (כָּבוֹד, cavod) has the basic idea of “weight.” If one is heavy with possessions, then that one is wealthy (13:2). Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph all became wealthy when they left the promised land. Jacob’s wealth foreshadows what will happen to Israel when they leave the land of Egypt (Exod 12:35-38).
[31:1] 1257 tn Heb “and from that which belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.”
[31:2] 1258 tn Heb “and Jacob saw the face of Laban, and look, he was not with him as formerly.” Jacob knew from the expression on Laban’s face that his attitude toward him had changed – Jacob had become persona non grata.
[31:3] 1259 tn Or perhaps “ancestors” (so NRSV), although the only “ancestors” Jacob had there were his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac.
[31:3] 1260 sn I will be with you. Though Laban was no longer “with him,” the
[31:4] 1261 tn Heb “sent and called for Rachel and for Leah.” Jacob did not go in person, but probably sent a servant with a message for his wives to meet him in the field.
[31:4] 1262 tn Heb “the field.” The word is an adverbial accusative, indicating that this is where Jacob wanted them to meet him. The words “to come to” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
[31:4] 1263 tn Heb “to his flock.”
[31:5] 1264 tn Heb “I see the face of your father, that he is not toward me as formerly.”
[31:6] 1265 tn Heb “with all my strength.”
[31:7] 1266 tn This rare verb means “to make a fool of” someone. It involves deceiving someone so that their public reputation suffers (see Exod 8:25).
[31:8] 1267 tn In the protasis (“if” section) of this conditional clause, the imperfect verbal form has a customary nuance – whatever he would say worked to Jacob’s benefit.
[31:8] 1268 tn Heb “speckled” (twice this verse). The word “animals” (after the first occurrence of “speckled”) and “offspring” (after the second) have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The same two terms (“animals” and “offspring”) have been supplied after the two occurrences of “streaked” later in this verse.
[31:10] 1269 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator, “and it happened at the time of.”
[31:10] 1270 tn Heb “in the time of the breeding of the flock I lifted up my eyes and I saw.”
[31:10] 1271 tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.
[31:12] 1272 tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”
[31:12] 1273 tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.
[31:13] 1274 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[31:13] 1275 sn You anointed the sacred stone. In Gen 28:18 the text simply reported that Jacob poured oil on top of the stone. Now that pouring is interpreted by the
[31:13] 1276 sn And made a vow to me. The second clause reminds Jacob of the vow he made to the
[31:13] 1277 tn Heb “arise, leave!” The first imperative draws attention to the need for immediate action.
[31:13] sn Leave this land immediately. The decision to leave was a wise one in view of the changed attitude in Laban and his sons. But more than that, it was the will of God. Jacob needed to respond to God’s call – the circumstances simply made it easier.
[31:14] 1278 tn The two nouns may form a hendiadys, meaning “a share in the inheritance” or “a portion to inherit.”
[31:15] 1279 tn Heb “and he devoured, even devouring.” The infinitive absolute (following the finite verb here) is used for emphasis.
[31:15] sn He sold us and…wasted our money. The precise nature of Rachel’s and Leah’s complaint is not entirely clear. Since Jacob had to work to pay for them, they probably mean that their father has cheated Jacob and therefore cheated them as well. See M. Burrows, “The Complaint of Laban’s Daughters,” JAOS 57 (1937): 250-76.
[31:15] 1280 tn Heb “our money.” The word “money” is used figuratively here; it means the price paid for Leah and Rachel. A literal translation (“our money”) makes it sound as if Laban wasted money that belonged to Rachel and Leah, rather than the money paid for them.
[31:17] 1281 tn Heb “and Jacob arose and he lifted up his sons and his wives on to the camels.”
[31:18] 1282 tn Heb “drove,” but this is subject to misunderstanding in contemporary English.
[31:18] 1283 tn Heb “and he led away all his cattle and all his moveable property which he acquired, the cattle he obtained, which he acquired in Paddan Aram to go to Isaac his father to the land of Canaan.”
[31:19] 1284 tn This disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new scene. In the English translation it may be subordinated to the following clause.
[31:19] 1285 tn Or “household gods.” Some translations merely transliterate the Hebrew term תְּרָפִים (tÿrafim) as “teraphim,” which apparently refers to household idols. Some contend that possession of these idols guaranteed the right of inheritance, but it is more likely that they were viewed simply as protective deities. See M. Greenberg, “Another Look at Rachel’s Theft of the Teraphim,” JBL 81 (1962): 239-48.
[31:20] 1286 tn Heb “stole the heart of,” an expression which apparently means “to deceive.” The repetition of the verb “to steal” shows that Jacob and Rachel are kindred spirits. Any thought that Laban would have resigned himself to their departure was now out of the question.
[31:20] 1287 tn Heb “fleeing,” which reflects Jacob’s viewpoint.
[31:21] 1288 tn Heb “and he fled.”
[31:21] 1289 tn Heb “he arose and crossed.” The first verb emphasizes that he wasted no time in getting across.
[31:21] 1290 tn Heb “the river”; the referent (the Euphrates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[31:21] 1291 tn Heb “he set his face.”
[31:22] 1292 tn Heb “and it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.”
[31:23] 1293 tn Heb “his brothers.”
[31:23] 1294 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[31:23] 1295 tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”
[31:23] 1296 tn Heb “drew close to.”
[31:24] 1297 tn Heb “said to him.”
[31:24] 1298 tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.
[31:24] 1299 tn Heb “lest you speak with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 29, is uncertain. Since Laban proceeded to speak to Jacob at length, it cannot mean to maintain silence. Nor does it seem to be a prohibition against criticism (see vv. 26-30). Most likely it refers to a formal pronouncement, whether it be a blessing or a curse. Laban was to avoid saying anything to Jacob that would be intended to enhance him or to harm him.
[31:25] 1300 tn Heb “and Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban pitched with his brothers in the hill country of Gilead.” The juxtaposition of disjunctive clauses (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb in both clauses) indicates synchronism of action.
[31:26] 1301 tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).
[31:26] 1302 tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”
[31:27] 1303 tn Heb “Why did you hide in order to flee?” The verb “hide” and the infinitive “to flee” form a hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the other the adverb: “flee secretly.”
[31:27] 1304 tn Heb “and steal me.”
[31:27] 1305 tn Heb “And [why did] you not tell me so I could send you off with joy and with songs, with a tambourine and with a harp?”
[31:28] 1306 tn Heb “my sons and my daughters.” Here “sons” refers to “grandsons,” and has been translated “grandchildren” since at least one granddaughter, Dinah, was involved. The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[31:29] 1307 tn Heb “there is to my hand.”
[31:29] 1308 tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.
[31:29] 1309 tn Heb “from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 24, is uncertain. See the note on the same phrase in v. 24.
[31:30] 1310 tn Heb “and now.” The words “I understand that” have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[31:30] 1311 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the certainty of the action.
[31:30] 1312 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of emotion involved.
[31:30] 1313 sn Yet why did you steal my gods? This last sentence is dropped into the speech rather suddenly. See C. Mabee, “Jacob and Laban: The Structure of Judicial Proceedings,” VT 30 (1980): 192-207, and G. W. Coats, “Self-Abasement and Insult Formulas,” JBL 91 (1972): 90-92.
[31:31] 1314 tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘Because I was afraid.’” This statement is a not a response to the question about Laban’s household gods that immediately precedes, but to the earlier question about Jacob’s motivation for leaving so quickly and secretly (see v. 27). For this reason the words “I left secretly” are supplied in the translation to indicate the connection to Laban’s earlier question in v. 27. Additionally the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[31:31] 1315 tn Heb “for I said.”
[31:31] 1316 tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”
[31:32] 1317 tn Heb “With whomever you find your gods, he will not live.”
[31:32] 1318 tn Heb “brothers.”
[31:32] 1319 tn Heb “recognize for yourself what is with me and take for yourself.”
[31:32] 1320 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, it has been placed in parentheses in the translation.
[31:33] 1321 tn No direct object is specified for the verb “find” in the Hebrew text. The words “the idols” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[31:33] 1322 tn Heb “and he went out from the tent of Leah and went into the tent of Rachel.”
[31:34] 1323 tn The “camel’s saddle” was probably some sort of basket-saddle, a cushioned saddle with a basket bound on. Cf. NAB “inside a camel cushion.”
[31:34] 1324 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides another parenthetical statement necessary to the storyline.
[31:34] 1325 tn The word “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[31:35] 1326 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[31:35] 1327 tn Heb “let it not be hot in the eyes of my lord.” This idiom refers to anger, in this case as a result of Rachel’s failure to stand in the presence of her father as a sign of respect.
[31:35] 1328 tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”
[31:35] 1329 tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.
[31:35] 1330 tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
[31:36] 1331 tn Heb “it was hot to Jacob.” This idiom refers to anger.
[31:36] 1332 tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘What is my sin?’” The proper name “Jacob” has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation and the order of the introductory clause and direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.
[31:36] 1333 tn Heb “What is my sin that you have hotly pursued after me.” The Hebrew verb translated “pursue hotly” is used elsewhere of soldiers chasing defeated enemies (1 Sam 17:53).
[31:37] 1334 tn Heb “what did you find from all the goods of your house?”
[31:37] 1335 tn Heb “your relatives.” The word “relatives” has not been repeated in the translation here for stylistic reasons.
[31:37] 1336 tn Heb “that they may decide between us two.”
[31:39] 1337 tn The imperfect verbal form indicates that this was a customary or typical action.
[31:39] 1338 tn Heb “from my hand you exacted it.” The imperfect verbal form again indicates that this was a customary or typical action. The words “for every missing animal” are supplied in the translation for clarity; the following clause in Hebrew, “stolen by day or stolen by night,” probably means “stolen by wild beasts” and refers to the same animals “torn by wild beasts” in the previous clause, although it may refer to animals stolen by people. The translation used here, “missing,” is ambiguous enough to cover either eventuality.
[31:40] 1339 tn Or “by drought.”
[31:40] 1340 tn Heb “frost, ice,” though when contrasted with the חֹרֶב (khorev, “drought, parching heat”) of the day, “piercing cold” is more appropriate as a contrast.
[31:40] 1341 tn Heb “and my sleep fled from my eyes.”
[31:41] 1342 tn Heb “this to me.”
[31:41] 1343 tn Heb “served you,” but in this accusatory context the meaning is more “worked like a slave.”
[31:42] 1344 tn Heb “the fear of Isaac,” that is, the one whom Isaac feared and respected. For further discussion of this title see M. Malul, “More on pahad yitschaq (Gen. 31:42,53) and the Oath by the Thigh,” VT 35 (1985): 192-200.
[31:42] 1345 tn Heb “My oppression and the work of my hands God saw.”
[31:43] 1346 tn Heb “answered and said.”
[31:43] 1347 tn Heb “daughters.”
[31:43] 1348 tn Heb “children.”
[31:43] 1349 tn Heb “but to my daughters what can I do to these today?”
[31:44] 1350 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
[31:44] 1351 tn The verb הָיָה (hayah) followed by the preposition לְ (lÿ) means “become.”
[31:44] 1352 tn Heb “and it will become a witness between me and you.”
[31:46] 1353 tn Heb “Jacob”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[31:46] 1354 sn The Hebrew word for “pile” is גַּל (gal), which sounds like the name “Galeed” (גַּלְעֵד, gal’ed). See v. 48.
[31:47] 1355 sn Jegar Sahadutha. Laban the Aramean gave the place an Aramaic name which means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness.”
[31:47] 1356 sn Galeed also means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness,” but this name is Canaanite or Western Semitic and closer to later Hebrew. Jacob, though certainly capable of speaking Aramaic, here prefers to use the western dialect.
[31:48] 1357 tn Heb “a witness between me and you.”
[31:49] 1358 tn Heb “and Mizpah.”
[31:49] 1359 sn The name Mizpah (מִצְפָּה, mitspah), which means “watchpost,” sounds like the verb translated “may he watch” (יִצֶף, yitsef). Neither Laban nor Jacob felt safe with each other, and so they agreed to go their separate ways, trusting the
[31:49] 1360 tn Heb “between me and you.”
[31:49] 1361 tn Heb “for we will be hidden, each man from his neighbor.”
[31:50] 1363 tn Heb “between me and you.”
[31:51] 1364 tn Heb “and Laban said to Jacob, ‘Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between men and you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[31:52] 1365 tn Heb “This pile is a witness and the pillar is a witness, if I go past this pile to you and if you go past this pile and this pillar to me for harm.”
[31:53] 1366 tn The God of Abraham and the god of Nahor. The Hebrew verb translated “judge” is plural, suggesting that Laban has more than one “god” in mind. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX, apparently in an effort to make the statement monotheistic, have a singular verb. In this case one could translate, “May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” However, Laban had a polytheistic world view, as evidenced by his possession of household idols (cf. 31:19). The translation uses “God” when referring to Abraham’s God, for Genesis makes it clear that Abraham worshiped the one true God. It employs “god” when referring to Nahor’s god, for in the Hebrew text Laban refers to a different god here, probably one of the local deities.
[31:53] 1367 tn Heb “by the fear of his father Isaac.” See the note on the word “fears” in v. 42.
[31:54] 1368 tn The construction is a cognate accusative with the verb, expressing a specific sacrifice.
[31:54] 1369 tn Heb “bread, food.” Presumably this was a type of peace offering, where the person bringing the offering ate the animal being sacrificed.
[31:55] 1370 sn Beginning with 31:55, the verse numbers in the English Bible through 32:32 differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 31:55 ET = 32:1 HT, 32:1 ET = 32:2 HT, etc., through 32:32 ET = 32:33 HT. From 33:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
[31:55] 1371 tn Heb “and Laban got up early in the morning and he kissed.”
[31:55] 1372 tn Heb “his sons.”
[31:55] 1373 tn Heb “to his place.”
[32:1] 1374 sn The phrase angels of God occurs only here and in Gen 28:12 in the OT. Jacob saw a vision of angels just before he left the promised land. Now he encounters angels as he prepares to return to it. The text does not give the details of the encounter, but Jacob’s response suggests it was amicable. This location was a spot where heaven made contact with earth, and where God made his presence known to the patriarch. See C. Houtman, “Jacob at Mahanaim: Some Remarks on Genesis XXXII 2-3,” VT 28 (1978): 37-44.
[32:2] 1375 tn Heb “and Jacob said when he saw them.”
[32:2] 1376 sn The name Mahanaim apparently means “two camps.” Perhaps the two camps were those of God and of Jacob.
[32:3] 1377 tn Heb “before him.”
[32:4] 1379 sn Your servant. The narrative recounts Jacob’s groveling in fear before Esau as he calls his brother his “lord,” as if to minimize what had been done twenty years ago.
[32:5] 1380 tn Or “I am sending.” The form is a preterite with the vav consecutive; it could be rendered as an English present tense – as the Hebrew perfect/preterite allows – much like an epistolary aorist in Greek. The form assumes the temporal perspective of the one who reads the message.
[32:5] 1381 tn The words “this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:8] 1382 tn Heb “If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.”
[32:8] 1383 tn Heb “and he said, ‘If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.” The Hebrew verb אָמַר (’amar) here represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “he thought.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:8] 1384 tn Heb “the surviving camp will be for escape.” The word “escape” is a feminine noun. The term most often refers to refugees from war.
[32:9] 1386 tn Heb “the one who said.”
[32:9] 1387 tn Heb “I will cause good” or “I will treat well [or “favorably”].” The idea includes more than prosperity, though that is its essential meaning. Here the form is subordinated to the preceding imperative and indicates purpose or result. Jacob is reminding God of his promise in the hope that God will honor his word.
[32:10] 1388 tn Heb “the loving deeds and faithfulness” (see 24:27, 49).
[32:10] 1389 tn Heb “you have done with.”
[32:10] 1390 tn Heb “for with my staff.” The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally translated “staff,” has been rendered as “walking stick” because a “staff” in contemporary English refers typically to the support personnel in an organization.
[32:10] 1391 tn Heb “this Jordan.”
[32:11] 1392 tn The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.
[32:11] 1393 tn The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”
[32:11] 1394 tn Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”
[32:11] 1395 tn Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”
[32:11] 1396 sn Heb “me, [the] mother upon [the] sons.” The first person pronoun “me” probably means here “me and mine,” as the following clause suggests.
[32:12] 1397 tn Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.
[32:12] sn Some commentators have thought this final verse of the prayer redundant, but it actually follows the predominant form of a lament in which God is motivated to act. The primary motivation Jacob can offer to God is God’s promise, and so he falls back on that at the end of the prayer.
[32:12] 1398 tn Or “will certainly deal well with you.” The infinitive absolute appears before the imperfect, underscoring God’s promise to bless. The statement is more emphatic than in v. 9.
[32:12] 1399 tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.
[32:12] 1400 tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.
[32:13] 1401 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:13] 1402 tn Heb “and he took from that which was going into his hand,” meaning that he took some of what belonged to him.
[32:13] 1403 sn The Hebrew noun translated gift can in some contexts refer to the tribute paid by a subject to his lord. Such a nuance is possible here, because Jacob refers to Esau as his lord and to himself as Esau’s servant (v. 4).
[32:16] 1404 tn Heb “and he put them in the hand of.”
[32:16] 1405 tn Heb “a herd, a herd, by itself,” or “each herd by itself.” The distributive sense is expressed by repetition.
[32:17] 1406 tn Heb “the first”; this has been specified as “the servant leading the first herd” in the translation for clarity.
[32:17] 1407 tn Heb “to whom are you?”
[32:17] 1408 tn Heb “and to whom are these before you?”
[32:18] 1409 tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive; it has the nuance of an imperfect of instruction.
[32:18] 1410 tn The words “they belong” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:18] 1411 tn Heb “to your servant, to Jacob.”
[32:18] 1412 tn Heb “to my lord, to Esau.”
[32:18] 1413 tn Heb “and look, also he [is] behind us.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:19] 1414 tn Heb “And he commanded also the second, also the third, also all the ones going after the herds, saying: ‘According to this word you will speak when you find him.’”
[32:20] 1415 tn Heb “and look, your servant Jacob [is] behind us.”
[32:20] 1416 tn Heb “for he said.” The referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “thought.”
[32:20] 1417 tn Heb “I will appease his face.” The cohortative here expresses Jacob’s resolve. In the Book of Leviticus the Hebrew verb translated “appease” has the idea of removing anger due to sin or guilt, a nuance that fits this passage very well. Jacob wanted to buy Esau off with a gift of more than five hundred and fifty animals.
[32:20] 1418 tn Heb “with a gift going before me.”
[32:20] 1419 tn Heb “I will see his face.”
[32:20] 1420 tn Heb “Perhaps he will lift up my face.” In this context the idiom refers to acceptance.
[32:21] 1421 tn Heb “and the gift passed over upon his face.”
[32:21] 1422 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial/temporal.
[32:22] 1423 tn Heb “and he arose in that night and he took.” The first verb is adverbial, indicating that he carried out the crossing right away.
[32:22] 1424 tn The Hebrew term used here is יֶלֶד (yeled) which typically describes male offspring. Some translations render the term “children” but this is a problem because by this time Jacob had twelve children in all, including one daughter, Dinah, born to Leah (Gen 30:21). Benjamin, his twelfth son and thirteenth child, was not born until later (Gen 35:16-19).
[32:22] 1425 sn Hebrew narrative style often includes a summary statement of the whole passage followed by a more detailed report of the event. Here v. 22 is the summary statement, while v. 23 begins the detailed account.
[32:23] 1426 tn Heb “and he sent across what he had.”
[32:24] 1427 sn Reflecting Jacob’s perspective at the beginning of the encounter, the narrator calls the opponent simply “a man.” Not until later in the struggle does Jacob realize his true identity.
[32:24] 1428 sn The verb translated “wrestled” (וַיֵּאָבֵק, vayye’aveq) sounds in Hebrew like the names “Jacob” (יַעֲקֹב, ya’aqov) and “Jabbok” (יַבֹּק, yabboq). In this way the narrator links the setting, the main action, and the main participant together in the mind of the reader or hearer.
[32:24] 1429 tn Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”
[32:25] 1430 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:25] 1431 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:25] 1432 tn Or “injured”; traditionally “touched.” The Hebrew verb translated “struck” has the primary meanings “to touch; to reach; to strike.” It can, however, carry the connotation “to harm; to molest; to injure.” God’s “touch” cripples Jacob – it would be comparable to a devastating blow.
[32:26] 1433 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:26] 1434 tn Heb “dawn has arisen.”
[32:26] 1435 tn Heb “and he said, ‘I will not let you go.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:26] 1436 sn Jacob wrestled with a man thinking him to be a mere man, and on that basis was equal to the task. But when it had gone on long enough, the night visitor touched Jacob and crippled him. Jacob’s request for a blessing can only mean that he now knew that his opponent was supernatural. Contrary to many allegorical interpretations of the passage that make fighting equivalent to prayer, this passage shows that Jacob stopped fighting, and then asked for a blessing.
[32:27] 1437 tn Heb “and he said to him.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:27] 1438 sn What is your name? The question is rhetorical, since the
[32:28] 1439 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:28] 1440 sn The name Israel is a common construction, using a verb with a theophoric element (אֵל, ’el) that usually indicates the subject of the verb. Here it means “God fights.” This name will replace the name Jacob; it will be both a promise and a call for faith. In essence, the
[32:28] 1441 sn You have fought. The explanation of the name Israel includes a sound play. In Hebrew the verb translated “you have fought” (שָׂרִיתָ, sarita) sounds like the name “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל, yisra’el ), meaning “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). The name would evoke the memory of the fight and what it meant. A. Dillmann says that ever after this the name would tell the Israelites that, when Jacob contended successfully with God, he won the battle with man (Genesis, 2:279). To be successful with God meant that he had to be crippled in his own self-sufficiency (A. P. Ross, “Jacob at the Jabboq, Israel at Peniel,” BSac 142 [1985]: 51-62).
[32:29] 1442 sn Tell me your name. In primitive thought to know the name of a deity or supernatural being would enable one to use it for magical manipulation or power (A. S. Herbert, Genesis 12-50 [TBC], 108). For a thorough structural analysis of the passage discussing the plays on the names and the request of Jacob, see R. Barthes, “The Struggle with the Angel: Textual Analysis of Genesis 32:23-33,” Structural Analysis and Biblical Exegesis (PTMS), 21-33.
[32:29] 1443 tn The question uses the enclitic pronoun “this” to emphasize the import of the question.
[32:29] 1444 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:29] 1445 tn The verb here means that the
[32:29] 1446 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:30] 1447 sn The name Peniel means “face of God.” Since Jacob saw God face to face here, the name is appropriate.
[32:30] 1448 tn The word “explaining” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:30] 1450 sn I have seen God face to face. See the note on the name “Peniel” earlier in the verse.
[32:30] 1451 tn Heb “and my soul [= life] has been preserved.”
[32:30] sn I have survived. It was commonly understood that no one could see God and live (Gen 48:16; Exod 19:21, 24:10; and Judg 6:11, 22). On the surface Jacob seems to be saying that he saw God and survived. But the statement may have a double meaning, in light of his prayer for deliverance in v. 11. Jacob recognizes that he has survived his encounter with God and that his safety has now been guaranteed.
[32:31] 1453 sn The name is spelled Penuel here, apparently a variant spelling of Peniel (see v. 30).
[32:31] 1454 tn The disjunctive clause draws attention to an important fact: He may have crossed the stream, but he was limping.
[32:32] 1455 sn On the use of the expression to this day, see B. S. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until This Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.
[32:32] 1456 tn Or “because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive. On the translation of the word “struck” see the note on this term in v. 25.
[33:1] 1457 tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his eyes.”
[33:1] 1458 tn Or “and look, Esau was coming.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.
[33:2] 1459 sn This kind of ranking according to favoritism no doubt fed the jealousy over Joseph that later becomes an important element in the narrative. It must have been painful to the family to see that they were expendable.
[33:3] 1460 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:3] 1461 tn Heb “until his drawing near unto his brother.” The construction uses the preposition with the infinitive construct to express a temporal clause.
[33:5] 1462 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:5] 1463 tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”
[33:5] 1464 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:5] 1465 tn The Hebrew verb means “to be gracious; to show favor”; here it carries the nuance “to give graciously.”
[33:6] 1466 tn Heb “and the female servants drew near, they and their children and they bowed down.”
[33:8] 1467 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:8] 1468 tn Heb “Who to you?”
[33:8] 1469 tn Heb “all this camp which I met.”
[33:8] 1470 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:10] 1471 tn Heb “and Jacob said, ‘No, please.’” The words “take them” have been supplied in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.
[33:10] 1472 tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, expressing a contingent future nuance in the “then” section of the conditional sentence.
[33:10] 1473 tn The verbal form is the preterite with a vav (ו) consecutive, indicating result here.
[33:10] 1474 tn Heb “for therefore I have seen your face like seeing the face of God and you have accepted me.”
[33:10] sn This is an allusion to the preceding episode (32:22-31) in which Jacob saw the face of God and realized his prayer was answered.
[33:11] 1475 tn Heb “blessing.” It is as if Jacob is trying to repay what he stole from his brother twenty years earlier.
[33:11] 1476 tn Or “gracious,” but in the specific sense of prosperity.
[33:11] 1478 tn Heb “and he urged him and he took.” The referent of the first pronoun in the sequence (“he”) has been specified as “Jacob” in the translation for clarity.
[33:12] 1479 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:12] 1480 tn Heb “let us travel and let us go.” The two cohortatives are used in combination with the sense, “let’s travel along, get going, be on our way.”
[33:13] 1481 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:13] 1483 tn Heb “and the sheep and the cattle nursing [are] upon me.”
[33:14] 1484 tn Heb “and I, I will move along according to my leisure at the foot of the property which is before me and at the foot of the children.”
[33:15] 1485 tn The cohortative verbal form here indicates a polite offer of help.
[33:15] 1486 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why this?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[33:15] 1487 tn Heb “I am finding favor in the eyes of my lord.”
[33:16] 1488 tn Heb “returned on his way.”
[33:17] 1489 tn The disjunctive clause contrasts Jacob’s action with Esau’s.
[33:17] 1490 sn But Jacob traveled to Succoth. There are several reasons why Jacob chose not to go to Mt. Seir after Esau. First, as he said, his herds and children probably could not keep up with the warriors. Second, he probably did not fully trust his brother. The current friendliness could change, and he could lose everything. And third, God did tell him to return to his land, not Seir. But Jacob is still not able to deal truthfully, probably because of fear of Esau.
[33:17] 1491 tn Heb “why he called.” One could understand “Jacob” as the subject of the verb, but it is more likely that the subject is indefinite, in which case the verb is better translated as passive.
[33:17] 1492 sn The name Succoth means “shelters,” an appropriate name in light of the shelters Jacob built there for his livestock.
[33:18] 1493 tn Heb “in front of.”
[33:19] 1494 tn The words “he bought it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 19 is one long sentence.
[33:19] 1495 tn The Hebrew word קְשִׂיטָה (qÿsitah) is generally understood to refer to a unit of money, but the value is unknown. (However, cf. REB, which renders the term as “sheep”).
[33:20] 1496 tn Heb “God, the God of Israel.” Rather than translating the name, a number of modern translations merely transliterate it from the Hebrew as “El Elohe Israel” (cf. NIV, NRSV, REB). It is not entirely clear how the name should be interpreted grammatically. One option is to supply an equative verb, as in the translation: “The God of Israel [is] God.” Another interpretive option is “the God of Israel [is] strong [or “mighty”].” Buying the land and settling down for a while was a momentous step for the patriarch, so the commemorative naming of the altar is significant.
[34:1] 1497 tn Heb “went out to see.” The verb “to see,” followed by the preposition בְּ (bÿ), here has the idea of “look over.” The young girl wanted to meet these women and see what they were like.
[34:1] 1498 tn Heb “daughters.”
[34:2] 1499 tn Heb “and he took her and lay with her.” The suffixed form following the verb appears to be the sign of the accusative instead of the preposition, but see BDB 1012 s.v. שָׁכַב.
[34:2] 1500 tn The verb עָנָה (’anah) in the Piel stem can have various shades of meaning, depending on the context: “to defile; to mistreat; to violate; to rape; to shame; to afflict.” Here it means that Shechem violated or humiliated Dinah by raping her.
[34:3] 1501 tn Heb “his soul stuck to [or “joined with”],” meaning Shechem became very attached to Dinah emotionally.
[34:3] 1502 tn Heb “and he spoke to the heart of the young woman,” which apparently refers in this context to tender, romantic speech (Hos 2:14). Another option is to translate the expression “he reassured the young woman” (see Judg 19:3, 2 Sam 19:7; cf. NEB “comforted her”).
[34:4] 1503 tn Heb “Take for me this young woman for a wife.”
[34:5] 1504 tn The two disjunctive clauses in this verse (“Now Jacob heard…and his sons were”) are juxtaposed to indicate synchronic action.
[34:5] 1505 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:5] 1506 sn The expected response would be anger or rage; but Jacob remained silent. He appears too indifferent or confused to act decisively. When the leader does not act decisively, the younger zealots will, and often with disastrous results.
[34:6] 1507 tn Heb “went out to Jacob to speak with him.” The words “about Dinah” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[34:7] 1508 tn Heb “when they heard.” The words “the news” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:7] 1509 tn Heb “the men.” This sounds as if a new group has been introduced into the narrative, so it has been translated as “they” to indicate that it refers to Jacob’s sons, mentioned in the first part of the verse.
[34:7] 1510 tn The Hebrew verb עָצַב (’atsav) can carry one of three semantic nuances depending on the context: (1) “to be injured” (Ps 56:5; Eccl 10:9; 1 Chr 4:10); (2) “to experience emotional pain; to be depressed emotionally; to be worried” (2 Sam 19:2; Isa 54:6; Neh 8:10-11); (3) “to be embarrassed; to be insulted; to be offended” (to the point of anger at another or oneself; Gen 6:6; 45:5; 1 Sam 20:3, 34; 1 Kgs 1:6; Isa 63:10; Ps 78:40). This third category develops from the second by metonymy. In certain contexts emotional pain leads to embarrassment and/or anger. In this last use the subject sometimes directs his anger against the source of grief (see especially Gen 6:6). The third category fits best in Gen 34:7 because Jacob’s sons were not merely wounded emotionally. On the contrary, Shechem’s action prompted them to strike out in judgment against the source of their distress.
[34:7] 1511 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:7] 1512 tn Heb “a disgraceful thing he did against Israel.”
[34:7] 1513 tn Heb “by lying with the daughter of Jacob.” The infinitive here explains the preceding verb, indicating exactly how he had disgraced Jacob. The expression “to lie with” is a euphemism for sexual relations, or in this case, sexual assault.
[34:7] 1514 tn Heb “and so it should not be done.” The negated imperfect has an obligatory nuance here, but there is also a generalizing tone. The narrator emphasizes that this particular type of crime (sexual assault) is especially reprehensible.
[34:8] 1515 tn Heb “Shechem my son, his soul is attached to your daughter.” The verb means “to love” in the sense of being emotionally attached to or drawn to someone. This is a slightly different way of saying what was reported earlier (v. 3). However, there is no mention here of the offense. Even though Hamor is speaking to Dinah’s brothers, he refers to her as their daughter (see v. 17).
[34:9] 1516 tn Heb “form marriage alliances with us.”
[34:9] sn Intermarry with us. This includes the idea of becoming allied by marriage. The incident foreshadows the temptations Israel would eventually face when they entered the promised land (see Deut 7:3; Josh 23:12).
[34:9] 1517 tn Heb “Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.” In the translation the words “let…marry” and “as wives” are supplied for clarity.
[34:10] 1518 tn The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.
[34:10] 1519 tn Heb “before you.”
[34:10] 1520 tn The verb seems to carry the basic meaning “travel about freely,” although the substantival participial form refers to a trader (see E. A. Speiser, “The Verb sh£r in Genesis and Early Hebrew Movements,” BASOR 164 [1961]: 23-28); cf. NIV, NRSV “trade in it.”
[34:11] 1521 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Dinah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:11] 1522 tn Heb “whatever you say.”
[34:12] 1524 tn Heb “Make very great upon me the bride price and gift.” The imperatives are used in a rhetorical manner. Shechem’s point is that he will pay the price, no matter how expensive it might be.
[34:12] 1525 tn The cohortative expresses Shechem’s resolve to have Dinah as his wife.
[34:13] 1527 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:14] 1528 tn Heb “we are not able to do this thing, to give.” The second infinitive is in apposition to the first, explaining what they are not able to do.
[34:14] 1529 tn The Hebrew word translated “disgrace” usually means “ridicule; taunt; reproach.” It can also refer to the reason the condition of shame or disgrace causes ridicule or a reproach.
[34:15] 1530 tn Heb “if you are like us.”
[34:15] 1531 tn The infinitive here explains how they would become like them.
[34:16] 1532 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.
[34:16] 1533 tn The words “to marry” (and the words “as wives” in the following clause) are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[34:17] 1534 tn Heb “listen to us.”
[34:17] 1535 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.
[34:17] 1536 tn Heb “daughter.” Jacob’s sons call Dinah their daughter, even though she was their sister (see v. 8). This has been translated as “sister” for clarity.
[34:18] 1537 tn Heb “and their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem son of Hamor.”
[34:19] 1538 tn Heb “doing the thing.”
[34:19] 1539 tn Heb “Jacob’s daughter.” The proper name “Dinah” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
[34:19] 1540 tn The Hebrew verb כָּבֵד (kaved), translated “was…important,” has the primary meaning “to be heavy,” but here carries a secondary sense of “to be important” (that is, “heavy” in honor or respect).
[34:19] 1541 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause explains why the community would respond to him (see vv. 20-24).
[34:20] 1542 sn The gate. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the location for conducting important public business.
[34:21] 1543 tn Heb “wide on both hands,” that is, in both directions.
[34:21] 1544 tn The words “to marry” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[34:22] 1545 tn Heb “when every one of our males is circumcised.”
[34:23] 1546 tn The words “If we do so” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[34:24] 1547 tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”
[34:24] 1548 tn Heb “listened to.”
[34:24] 1549 tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”
[34:25] 1550 tn Heb “a man his sword.”
[34:25] 1551 tn Heb “and they came upon the city, [which was] secure.” In this case “secure” means the city was caught unprepared and at peace, not expecting an attack.
[34:27] 1552 tn Heb “came upon the slain.” Because of this statement the preceding phrase “Jacob’s sons” is frequently taken to mean the other sons of Jacob besides Simeon and Levi, but the text does not clearly affirm this.
[34:27] 1553 tn Heb “because they violated their sister.” The plural verb is active in form, but with no expressed subject, it may be translated passive.
[34:28] 1554 tn Heb “and what was in the city and what was in the field they took.”
[34:29] 1555 tn Heb “they took captive and they plundered,” that is, “they captured as plunder.”
[34:30] 1556 tn The traditional translation is “troubled me” (KJV, ASV), but the verb refers to personal or national disaster and suggests complete ruin (see Josh 7:25, Judg 11:35, Prov 11:17). The remainder of the verse describes the “trouble” Simeon and Levi had caused.
[34:30] 1557 tn In the causative stem the Hebrew verb בָּאַשׁ (ba’ash) means “to cause to stink, to have a foul smell.” In the contexts in which it is used it describes foul smells, stenches, or things that are odious. Jacob senses that the people in the land will find this act terribly repulsive. See P. R. Ackroyd, “The Hebrew Root באשׁ,” JTS 2 (1951): 31-36.
[34:30] 1558 tn Jacob speaks in the first person as the head and representative of the entire family.
[34:31] 1559 tn Heb “but they said.” The referent of “they” (Simeon and Levi) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[35:1] 1560 tn Heb “arise, go up.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.
[35:1] 1561 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[35:1] 1562 sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).
[35:2] 1563 tn Heb “which are in your midst.”
[35:2] 1564 sn The actions of removing false gods, becoming ritually clean, and changing garments would become necessary steps in Israel when approaching the
[35:3] 1565 tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.
[35:3] 1566 tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.
[35:3] 1567 tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.
[35:3] 1568 tn Heb “in the way in which I went.” Jacob alludes here to God’s promise to be with him (see Gen 28:20).
[35:4] 1569 tn Heb “in their hand.”
[35:4] 1570 sn On the basis of a comparison with Gen 34 and Num 31, G. J. Wenham argues that the foreign gods and the rings could have been part of the plunder that came from the destruction of Shechem (Genesis [WBC], 2:324).
[35:4] 1571 sn Jacob buried them. On the burial of the gods, see E. Nielson, “The Burial of the Foreign Gods,” ST 8 (1954/55): 102-22.
[35:4] 1572 tn Or “terebinth.”
[35:5] 1573 tn Heb “and they journeyed.”
[35:5] 1574 tn Heb “and the fear of God was upon the cities which were round about them.” The expression “fear of God” apparently refers (1) to a fear of God (objective genitive; God is the object of their fear). (2) But it could mean “fear from God,” that is, fear which God placed in them (cf. NRSV “a terror from God”). Another option (3) is that the divine name is used as a superlative here, referring to “tremendous fear” (cf. NEB “were panic-stricken”; NASB “a great terror”).
[35:6] 1575 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[35:6] 1576 tn Heb “and Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan – it is Bethel – he and all the people who were with him.”
[35:7] 1577 sn The name El-Bethel means “God of Bethel.”
[35:7] 1578 tn Heb “revealed themselves.” The verb נִגְלוּ (niglu), translated “revealed himself,” is plural, even though one expects the singular form with the plural of majesty. Perhaps אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a numerical plural, referring both to God and the angelic beings that appeared to Jacob. See the note on the word “know” in Gen 3:5.
[35:8] 1579 sn Deborah. This woman had been Rebekah’s nurse, but later attached herself to Jacob. She must have been about one hundred and eighty years old when she died.
[35:8] 1580 tn “and he called its name.” There is no expressed subject, so the verb can be translated as passive.
[35:8] 1581 tn Or “Allon Bacuth,” if one transliterates the Hebrew name (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). An oak tree was revered in the ancient world and often designated as a shrine or landmark. This one was named for the weeping (mourning) occasioned by the death of Deborah.
[35:10] 1582 tn Heb “and he called his name Israel.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[35:10] sn The name Israel means “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). See Gen 32:28.
[35:11] 1583 tn The name אֵל שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72. Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world who grants, blesses, and judges. In the Book of Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name are uncertain its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. For a fuller discussion see the note on “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.
[35:11] 1584 tn Heb “A nation and a company of nations will be from you and kings from your loins will come out.”
[35:11] sn A nation…will descend from you. The promise is rooted in the Abrahamic promise (see Gen 17). God confirms what Isaac told Jacob (see Gen 28:3-4). Here, though, for the first time Jacob is promised kings as descendants.
[35:12] 1585 tn The Hebrew verb translated “gave” refers to the Abrahamic promise of the land. However, the actual possession of that land lay in the future. The decree of the
[35:12] 1586 tn Heb “and to your offspring after you.”
[35:13] 1587 tn Heb “went up from upon him in the place.”
[35:14] 1588 tn Heb “and Jacob set up a sacred pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a sacred pillar of stone” (see the notes on the term “sacred stone” in Gen 28:18). This passage stands parallel to Gen 28:18-19, where Jacob set up a sacred stone, poured oil on it, and called the place Bethel. Some commentators see these as two traditions referring to the same event, but it is more likely that Jacob reconsecrated the place in fulfillment of the vow he had made here earlier. In support of this is the fact that the present narrative alludes to and is built on the previous one.
[35:14] 1589 tn The verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “to pour out, to make libations,” and the noun נֶסֶךְ (nesekh) is a “drink-offering,” usually of wine or of blood. The verb יָצַק (yatsaq) means “to pour out,” often of anointing oil, but of other elements as well.
[35:15] 1590 sn Called the name of the place. In view of the previous naming of Bethel in Gen 28:19, here Jacob was confirming or affirming the name through an official ritual marking the fulfillment of the vow. This place now did become Bethel, the house of God.
[35:15] 1591 tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew.
[35:15] map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[35:16] 1592 tn Heb “and there was still a stretch of the land to go to Ephrath.”
[35:16] 1593 tn Normally the verb would be translated “she gave birth,” but because that obviously had not happened yet, it is better to translate the verb as ingressive, “began to give birth” (cf. NIV) or “went into labor.”
[35:17] 1594 tn The construction uses a Hiphil infinitive, which E. A. Speiser classifies as an elative Hiphil. The contrast is with the previous Piel: there “she had hard labor,” and here, “her labor was at its hardest.” Failure to see this, Speiser notes, has led to redundant translations and misunderstandings (Genesis [AB], 273).
[35:17] 1595 sn Another son. The episode recalls and fulfills the prayer of Rachel at the birth of Joseph (Gen 30:24): “may he add” another son.
[35:18] 1596 tn Heb “in the going out of her life, for she was dying.” Rachel named the child with her dying breath.
[35:18] 1597 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] 1598 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.
[35:19] 1599 sn This explanatory note links the earlier name Ephrath with the later name Bethlehem.
[35:19] map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[35:20] 1600 tn Heb “standing stone.”
[35:20] 1601 tn Or perhaps “it is known as” (cf. NEB).
[35:21] 1602 sn The location of Migdal Eder is not given. It appears to be somewhere between Bethlehem and Hebron. Various traditions have identified it as at the shepherds’ fields near Bethlehem (the Hebrew name Migdal Eder means “tower of the flock”; see Mic 4:8) or located it near Solomon’s pools.
[35:22] 1603 tn Heb “and Reuben went and lay with.” The expression “lay with” is a euphemism for having sexual intercourse.
[35:22] sn Reuben’s act of having sexual relations with Bilhah probably had other purposes than merely satisfying his sexual desire. By having sex with Bilhah, Reuben (Leah’s oldest son) would have prevented Bilhah from succeeding Rachel as the favorite wife, and by sleeping with his father’s concubine he would also be attempting to take over leadership of the clan – something Absalom foolishly attempted later on in Israel’s history (2 Sam 16:21-22).
[35:27] 1604 tn This is an adverbial accusative of location.
[35:27] 1605 tn The name “Kiriath Arba” is in apposition to the preceding name, “Mamre.”
[35:27] 1606 tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” refers to temporary settlement without ownership rights.
[35:28] 1607 tn Heb “And the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years.”
[35:29] 1608 tn Heb “and Isaac expired and died and he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.
