Genesis 30:36

30:36 Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey, ¹  while ²  Jacob was taking care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.

Genesis 20:11

20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ³  ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of ⁴  my wife.’

Genesis 29:32

29:32 So Leah became pregnant ⁵  and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, ⁶  for she said, “The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. ⁷  Surely my husband will love me now.”

Genesis 31:27

31:27 Why did you run away secretly ⁸  and deceive me? ⁹  Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? ¹⁰ 

Genesis 44:15

44:15 Joseph said to them, “What did you think you were doing? ¹¹  Don’t you know that a man like me can find out things like this by divination?” ¹² 

Genesis 30:20

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. ¹³ 

Genesis 32:16

32:16 He entrusted them to ¹⁴  his servants, who divided them into herds. ¹⁵  He told his servants, “Pass over before me, and keep some distance between one herd and the next.”

Genesis 30:28

30:28 He added, “Just name your wages – I’ll pay whatever you want.” ¹⁶ 

Genesis 21:2

21:2 So Sarah became pregnant ¹⁷  and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him.

Genesis 1:14

1:14 God said, “Let there be lights ¹⁸  in the expanse ¹⁹  of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs ²⁰  to indicate seasons and days and years,

Genesis 24:44

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.’

Genesis 3:4

3:4 The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die, ²¹ 

Genesis 4:25

4:25 And Adam had marital relations ²²  with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth, saying, “God has given ²³  me another child ²⁴  in place of Abel because Cain killed him.”

Genesis 15:13

15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain ²⁵  that your descendants will be strangers ²⁶  in a foreign country. ²⁷  They will be enslaved and oppressed ²⁸  for four hundred years.

Genesis 41:32

41:32 The dream was repeated to Pharaoh ²⁹  because the matter has been decreed ³⁰  by God, and God will make it happen soon. ³¹ 

Genesis 23:20

23:20 So Abraham secured the field and the cave that was in it as a burial site ³²  from the sons of Heth.

Genesis 43:10

43:10 But if we had not delayed, we could have traveled there and back ³³  twice by now!”

Genesis 24:14

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.’ ³⁴  In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” ³⁵ 

Genesis 2:17

2:17 but ³⁶  you must not eat ³⁷  from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when ³⁸  you eat from it you will surely die.” ³⁹ 

Genesis 17:21

17:21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.”

Genesis 24:51

24:51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become ⁴⁰  the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.” ⁴¹ 

Genesis 30:13

30:13 Leah said, “How happy I am, ⁴²  for women ⁴³  will call me happy!” So she named him Asher. ⁴⁴ 

Genesis 37:33

37:33 He recognized it and exclaimed, “It is my son’s tunic! A wild animal has eaten him! ⁴⁵  Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”

Genesis 39:4

39:4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. ⁴⁶  Potiphar appointed Joseph ⁴⁷  overseer of his household and put him in charge ⁴⁸  of everything he owned.

Genesis 44:22

44:22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father ⁴⁹  will die.’ ⁵⁰ 

Genesis 46:4

46:4 I will go down with you to Egypt and I myself will certainly bring you back from there. ⁵¹  Joseph will close your eyes.” ⁵² 

Genesis 18:14

18:14 Is anything impossible ⁵³  for the Lord? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son.” ⁵⁴ 

Genesis 23:17

23:17 So Abraham secured ⁵⁵  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,

Genesis 24:49

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.” ⁵⁶ 

Genesis 31:36

31:36 Jacob became angry ⁵⁷  and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. ⁵⁸  “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? ⁵⁹ 

Genesis 32:12

32:12 But you ⁶⁰  said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper ⁶¹  and will make ⁶²  your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’” ⁶³ 

Genesis 34:12

34:12 You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive, ⁶⁴  and I’ll give ⁶⁵  whatever you ask ⁶⁶  of me. Just give me the young woman as my wife!”

Genesis 37:4

37:4 When Joseph’s ⁶⁷  brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, ⁶⁸  they hated Joseph ⁶⁹  and were not able to speak to him kindly. ⁷⁰ 

Genesis 41:34

41:34 Pharaoh should do ⁷¹  this – he should appoint ⁷²  officials ⁷³  throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt ⁷⁴  during the seven years of abundance.

Genesis 44:28-29

44:28 The first disappeared ⁷⁵  and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” I have not seen him since. 44:29 If you take ⁷⁶  this one from me too and an accident happens to him, then you will bring down my gray hair ⁷⁷  in tragedy ⁷⁸  to the grave.’ ⁷⁹ 

Genesis 44:31

44:31 When he sees the boy is not with us, ⁸⁰  he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave.

Genesis 47:26

47:26 So Joseph made it a statute, ⁸¹  which is in effect ⁸²  to this day throughout the land of Egypt: One-fifth belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.

Genesis 50:10

50:10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad ⁸³  on the other side of the Jordan, they mourned there with very great and bitter sorrow. ⁸⁴  There Joseph observed a seven day period of mourning for his father.

Genesis 50:25

50:25 Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He said, “God will surely come to you. Then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

Genesis 3:1

The Temptation and the Fall

3:1 Now ⁸⁵  the serpent ⁸⁶  was more shrewd ⁸⁷ 

than any of the wild animals ⁸⁸  that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Is it really true that ⁸⁹  God ⁹⁰  said, ‘You must not eat from any tree of the orchard’?” ⁹¹ 

Genesis 4:7

4:7 Is it not true ⁹²  that if you do what is right, you will be fine? ⁹³  But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching ⁹⁴  at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” ⁹⁵ 

Genesis 4:14

4:14 Look! You are driving me off the land ⁹⁶  today, and I must hide from your presence. ⁹⁷  I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me.”

Genesis 27:37

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?”

Genesis 31:42

31:42 If the God of my father – the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears ⁹⁸  – 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, ⁹⁹  and he rebuked you last night.”

Genesis 34:30

34:30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought ruin ¹⁰⁰  on me by making me a foul odor ¹⁰¹  among the inhabitants of the land – among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I ¹⁰²  am few in number; they will join forces against me and attack me, and both I and my family will be destroyed!”

Genesis 39:5

39:5 From the time ¹⁰³  Potiphar ¹⁰⁴  appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed ¹⁰⁵  the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both ¹⁰⁶  in his house and in his fields. ¹⁰⁷ 

Genesis 42:38

42:38 But Jacob ¹⁰⁸  replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. ¹⁰⁹  If an accident happens to him on the journey you have to make, then you will bring down my gray hair ¹¹⁰  in sorrow to the grave.” ¹¹¹ 

Genesis 50:24

50:24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to you ¹¹²  and lead you up from this land to the land he swore on oath to give ¹¹³  to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

[30:36]  ¹ tn Heb “and he put a journey of three days between himself and Jacob.”

[30:36]  ² 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.

[20:11]  ³ tn Heb “Because I said.”

[20:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “over the matter of.”

[29:32]  ⁵ tn Or “Leah conceived” (also in vv. 33, 34, 35).

[29:32]  ⁶ sn The name Reuben (רְאוּבֵן, rÿ’uven) means “look, a son.”

[29:32]  ⁷ tn Heb “looked on my affliction.”

[31:27]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Heb “and steal me.”

[31:27]  ¹⁰ 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?”

[44:15]  ¹¹ tn Heb “What is this deed you have done?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question. A literal translation seems to contradict the following statement, in which Joseph affirms that he is able to divine such matters. Thus here the emotive force of the question has been reflected in the translation, “What did you think you were doing?”

[44:15]  ¹² tn Heb “[is] fully able to divine,” meaning that he can find things out by divination. The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis, stressing his ability to do this.

[30:20]  ¹³ 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.

[32:16]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and he put them in the hand of.”

[32:16]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “a herd, a herd, by itself,” or “each herd by itself.” The distributive sense is expressed by repetition.

[30:28]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “set your wage for me so I may give [it].”

[21:2]  ¹⁷ tn Or “she conceived.”

[1:14]  ¹⁸ sn Let there be lights. Light itself was created before the light-bearers. The order would not seem strange to the ancient Hebrew mind that did not automatically link daylight with the sun (note that dawn and dusk appear to have light without the sun).

[1:14]  ¹⁹ tn The language describing the cosmos, which reflects a prescientific view of the world, must be interpreted as phenomenal, describing what appears to be the case. The sun and the moon are not in the sky (below the clouds), but from the viewpoint of a person standing on the earth, they appear that way. Even today we use similar phenomenological expressions, such as “the sun is rising” or “the stars in the sky.”

[1:14]  ²⁰ tn The text has “for signs and for seasons and for days and years.” It seems likely from the meanings of the words involved that “signs” is the main idea, followed by two categories, “seasons” and “days and years.” This is the simplest explanation, and one that matches vv. 11-13. It could even be rendered “signs for the fixed seasons, that is [explicative vav (ו)] days and years.”

[3:4]  ²¹ tn The response of the serpent includes the infinitive absolute with a blatant negation equal to saying: “Not – you will surely die” (לֹא מוֹת תִּמֻתען, lo’ mot tÿmutun). The construction makes this emphatic because normally the negative particle precedes the finite verb. The serpent is a liar, denying that there is a penalty for sin (see John 8:44).

[4:25]  ²² tn Heb “knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.

[4:25]  ²³ sn The name Seth probably means something like “placed”; “appointed”; “set”; “granted,” assuming it is actually related to the verb that is used in the sentiment. At any rate, the name שֵׁת (shet) and the verb שָׁת (shat, “to place, to appoint, to set, to grant”) form a wordplay (paronomasia).

[4:25]  ²⁴ tn Heb “offspring.”

[15:13]  ²⁵ 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]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”

[15:13]  ²⁸ 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.

[41:32]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and concerning the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh two times.” The Niphal infinitive here is the object of the preposition; it is followed by the subjective genitive “of the dream.”

[41:32]  ³⁰ tn Heb “established.”

[41:32]  ³¹ tn The clause combines a participle and an infinitive construct: God “is hurrying…to do it,” meaning he is going to do it soon.

[23:20]  ³² tn Heb “possession of a grave.”

[43:10]  ³³ tn Heb “we could have returned.”

[24:14]  ³⁴ 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]  ³⁵ 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.”

[2:17]  ³⁶ tn The disjunctive clause here indicates contrast: “but from the tree of the knowledge….”

[2:17]  ³⁷ tn The negated imperfect verb form indicates prohibition, “you must not eat.”

[2:17]  ³⁸ tn Or “in the very day, as soon as.” If one understands the expression to have this more precise meaning, then the following narrative presents a problem, for the man does not die physically as soon as he eats from the tree. In this case one may argue that spiritual death is in view. If physical death is in view here, there are two options to explain the following narrative: (1) The following phrase “You will surely die” concerns mortality which ultimately results in death (a natural paraphrase would be, “You will become mortal”), or (2) God mercifully gave man a reprieve, allowing him to live longer than he deserved.

[2:17]  ³⁹ tn Heb “dying you will die.” The imperfect verb form here has the nuance of the specific future because it is introduced with the temporal clause, “when you eat…you will die.” That certainty is underscored with the infinitive absolute, “you will surely die.”

[24:51]  ⁴⁰ tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[24:51]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “as the Lord has spoken.”

[30:13]  ⁴² tn The Hebrew statement apparently means “with my happiness.”

[30:13]  ⁴³ tn Heb “daughters.”

[30:13]  ⁴⁴ 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.

[37:33]  ⁴⁵ sn A wild animal has eaten him. Jacob draws this conclusion on his own without his sons actually having to lie with their words (see v. 20). Dipping the tunic in the goat’s blood was the only deception needed.

[39:4]  ⁴⁶ sn The Hebrew verb translated became his personal attendant refers to higher domestic service, usually along the lines of a personal attendant. Here Joseph is made the household steward, a position well-attested in Egyptian literature.

[39:4]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:4]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “put into his hand.”

[44:22]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the boy’s father, i.e., Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[44:22]  ⁵⁰ tn The last two verbs are perfect tenses with vav consecutive. The first is subordinated to the second as a conditional clause.

[46:4]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “and I, I will bring you up, also bringing up.” The independent personal pronoun before the first person imperfect verbal form draws attention to the speaker/subject, while the infinitive absolute after the imperfect strongly emphasizes the statement: “I myself will certainly bring you up.”

[46:4]  ⁵² tn Heb “and Joseph will put his hand upon your eyes.” This is a promise of peaceful death in Egypt with Joseph present to close his eyes.

[18:14]  ⁵³ tn The Hebrew verb פָּלָא (pala’) means “to be wonderful, to be extraordinary, to be surpassing, to be amazing.”

[18:14]  ⁵⁴ 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 Lord fixed an exact date for the birth of the child, the promise became rather overwhelming to Abraham and Sarah. But then this was the Lord of creation, the one they had come to trust. The point of these narratives is that the creation of Abraham’s offspring, which eventually became Israel, is no less a miraculous work of creation than the creation of the world itself.

[23:17]  ⁵⁵ 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.

[24:49]  ⁵⁶ 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.

[31:36]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “it was hot to Jacob.” This idiom refers to anger.

[31:36]  ⁵⁸ 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]  ⁵⁹ 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).

[32:12]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

[32:12]  ⁶¹ 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]  ⁶² tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.

[32:12]  ⁶³ tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.

[34:12]  ⁶⁴ 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]  ⁶⁵ tn The cohortative expresses Shechem’s resolve to have Dinah as his wife.

[34:12]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “say.”

[37:4]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “of his brothers.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “them.”

[37:4]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “speak to him for peace.”

[41:34]  ⁷¹ tn The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. The Samaritan Pentateuch has a jussive form here, “and let [Pharaoh] do.”

[41:34]  ⁷² tn Heb “and let him appoint.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.

[41:34]  ⁷³ tn Heb “appointees.” The noun is a cognate accusative of the preceding verb. Since “appoint appointees” would be redundant in English, the term “officials” was used in the translation instead.

[41:34]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “and he shall collect a fifth of the land of Egypt.” The language is figurative (metonymy); it means what the land produces, i.e., the harvest.

[44:28]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “went forth from me.”

[44:29]  ⁷⁶ tn The construction uses a perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive to introduce the conditional clause and then another perfect verbal form with a vav consecutive to complete the sentence: “if you take…then you will bring down.”

[44:29]  ⁷⁷ sn The expression bring down my gray hair is figurative, using a part for the whole – they would put Jacob in the grave. But the gray head signifies a long life of worry and trouble. See Gen 42:38.

[44:29]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “evil/calamity.” The term is different than the one used in the otherwise identical statement recorded in v. 31 (see also 42:38).

[44:29]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.

[44:31]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “when he sees that there is no boy.”

[47:26]  ⁸¹ tn On the term translated “statute” see P. Victor, “A Note on Hoq in the Old Testament,” VT 16 (1966): 358-61.

[47:26]  ⁸² tn The words “which is in effect” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[50:10]  ⁸³ sn The location of the threshing floor of Atad is not certain. The expression the other side of the Jordan could refer to the eastern or western bank, depending on one’s perspective. However, it is commonly used in the OT for Transjordan. This would suggest that the entourage came up the Jordan Valley and crossed into the land at Jericho, just as the Israelites would in the time of Joshua.

[50:10]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “and they mourned there [with] very great and heavy mourning.” The cognate accusative, as well as the two adjectives and the adverb, emphasize the degree of their sorrow.

[3:1]  ⁸⁵ tn The chapter begins with a disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + predicate) that introduces a new character and a new scene in the story.

[3:1]  ⁸⁶ sn Many theologians identify or associate the serpent with Satan. In this view Satan comes in the disguise of a serpent or speaks through a serpent. This explains the serpent’s capacity to speak. While later passages in the Bible may indicate there was a satanic presence behind the serpent (see, for example, Rev 12:9), the immediate context pictures the serpent as simply one of the animals of the field created by God (see vv. 1, 14). An ancient Jewish interpretation explains the reference to the serpent in a literal manner, attributing the capacity to speak to all the animals in the orchard. This text (Jub. 3:28) states, “On that day [the day the man and woman were expelled from the orchard] the mouth of all the beasts and cattle and birds and whatever walked or moved was stopped from speaking because all of them used to speak to one another with one speech and one language [presumed to be Hebrew, see 12:26].” Josephus, Ant. 1.1.4 (1.41) attributes the serpent’s actions to jealousy. He writes that “the serpent, living in the company of Adam and his wife, grew jealous of the blessings which he supposed were destined for them if they obeyed God’s behests, and, believing that disobedience would bring trouble on them, he maliciously persuaded the woman to taste of the tree of wisdom.”

[3:1]  ⁸⁷ tn The Hebrew word עָרוּם (’arum) basically means “clever.” This idea then polarizes into the nuances “cunning” (in a negative sense, see Job 5:12; 15:5), and “prudent” in a positive sense (Prov 12:16, 23; 13:16; 14:8, 15, 18; 22:3; 27:12). This same polarization of meaning can be detected in related words derived from the same root (see Exod 21:14; Josh 9:4; 1 Sam 23:22; Job 5:13; Ps 83:3). The negative nuance obviously applies in Gen 3, where the snake attempts to talk the woman into disobeying God by using half-truths and lies.

[3:1]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “animals of the field.”

[3:1]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “Indeed that God said.” The beginning of the quotation is elliptical and therefore difficult to translate. One must supply a phrase like “is it true”: “Indeed, [is it true] that God said.”

[3:1]  ⁹⁰ sn God. The serpent does not use the expression “Yahweh God” [Lord God] because there is no covenant relationship involved between God and the serpent. He only speaks of “God.” In the process the serpent draws the woman into his manner of speech so that she too only speaks of “God.”

[3:1]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “you must not eat from all the tree[s] of the orchard.” After the negated prohibitive verb, מִכֹּל (mikkol, “from all”) has the meaning “from any.” Note the construction in Lev 18:26, where the statement “you must not do from all these abominable things” means “you must not do any of these abominable things.” See Lev 22:25 and Deut 28:14 as well.

[4:7]  ⁹² tn The introduction of the conditional clause with an interrogative particle prods the answer from Cain, as if he should have known this. It is not a condemnation, but an encouragement to do what is right.

[4:7]  ⁹³ tn The Hebrew text is difficult, because only one word occurs, שְׂאֵת (sÿ’et), which appears to be the infinitive construct from the verb “to lift up” (נָאָשׂ, na’as). The sentence reads: “If you do well, uplifting.” On the surface it seems to be the opposite of the fallen face. Everything will be changed if he does well. God will show him favor, he will not be angry, and his face will reflect that. But more may be intended since the second half of the verse forms the contrast: “If you do not do well, sin is crouching….” Not doing well leads to sinful attack; doing well leads to victory and God’s blessing.

[4:7]  ⁹⁴ tn The Hebrew term translated “crouching” (רֹבֵץ, rovets) is an active participle. Sin is portrayed with animal imagery here as a beast crouching and ready to pounce (a figure of speech known as zoomorphism). An Akkadian cognate refers to a type of demon; in this case perhaps one could translate, “Sin is the demon at the door” (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 29, 32-33).

[4:7]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “and toward you [is] its desire, but you must rule over it.” As in Gen 3:16, the Hebrew noun “desire” refers to an urge to control or dominate. Here the desire is that which sin has for Cain, a desire to control for the sake of evil, but Cain must have mastery over it. The imperfect is understood as having an obligatory sense. Another option is to understand it as expressing potential (“you can have [or “are capable of having”] mastery over it.”). It will be a struggle, but sin can be defeated by righteousness. In addition to this connection to Gen 3, other linguistic and thematic links between chaps. 3 and 4 are discussed by A. J. Hauser, “Linguistic and Thematic Links Between Genesis 4:1-6 and Genesis 2–3,” JETS 23 (1980): 297-306.

[4:14]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “from upon the surface of the ground.”

[4:14]  ⁹⁷ sn I must hide from your presence. The motif of hiding from the Lord as a result of sin also appears in Gen 3:8-10.

[31:42]  ⁹⁸ 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]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “My oppression and the work of my hands God saw.”

[34:30]  ¹⁰⁰ 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]  ¹⁰¹ 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]  ¹⁰² tn Jacob speaks in the first person as the head and representative of the entire family.

[39:5]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “and it was from then.”

[39:5]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:5]  ¹⁰⁵ sn The Hebrew word translated blessed carries the idea of enrichment, prosperity, success. It is the way believers describe success at the hand of God. The text illustrates the promise made to Abraham that whoever blesses his descendants will be blessed (Gen 12:1-3).

[39:5]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “in the house and in the field.” The word “both” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:5]  ¹⁰⁷ sn The passage gives us a good picture of Joseph as a young man who was responsible and faithful, both to his master and to his God. This happened within a very short time of his being sold into Egypt. It undermines the view that Joseph was a liar, a tattletale, and an arrogant adolescent.

[42:38]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[42:38]  ¹⁰⁹ sn The expression he alone is left meant that (so far as Jacob knew) Benjamin was the only surviving child of his mother Rachel.

[42:38]  ¹¹⁰ sn The expression bring down my gray hair is figurative, using a part for the whole – they would put Jacob in the grave. But the gray head signifies a long life of worry and trouble.

[42:38]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.

[50:24]  ¹¹² tn The verb פָּקַד (paqad) means “to visit,” i.e., to intervene for blessing or cursing; here Joseph announces that God would come to fulfill the promises by delivering them from Egypt. The statement is emphasized by the use of the infinitive absolute with the verb: “God will surely visit you.”

[50:24]  ¹¹³ tn The words “to give” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.