49:27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning devouring the prey,
and in the evening dividing the plunder.”
31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” 6 Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought 7 you might take your daughters away from me by force. 8
14:21 Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and take the possessions for yourself.”
“Blessed be Abram by 16 the Most High God,
Creator 17 of heaven and earth. 18
14:20 Worthy of praise is 19 the Most High God,
who delivered 20 your enemies into your hand.”
Abram gave Melchizedek 21 a tenth of everything.
31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, 26 “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich 27 at our father’s expense!” 28
49:9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah,
from the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He crouches and lies down like a lion;
like a lioness – who will rouse him?
43:18 But the men were afraid when they were brought to Joseph’s house. They said, “We are being brought in because of 31 the money that was returned in our sacks last time. 32 He wants to capture us, 33 make us slaves, and take 34 our donkeys!”
1 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.
2 tn Heb “concerning the matter of the well of water.”
3 tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to steal; to rob; to take violently.” The statement reflects Abraham’s perspective.
4 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the four victorious kings, see v. 9) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
5 tn Heb “they took captive and they plundered,” that is, “they captured as plunder.”
6 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.
7 tn Heb “for I said.”
8 tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”
9 tn Heb “and what was in the city and what was in the field they took.”
10 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 tn Or “took”; “received.”
12 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.
13 tn Heb “because they violated their sister.” The plural verb is active in form, but with no expressed subject, it may be translated passive.
14 tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
15 tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
16 tn The preposition לְ (lamed) introduces the agent after the passive participle.
17 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.”
18 tn The terms translated “heaven” and “earth” are both objective genitives after the participle in construct.
19 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.
20 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.
21 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
22 tn Heb “Is he not rightly named Jacob?” The rhetorical question, since it expects a positive reply, has been translated as a declarative statement.
23 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.”
24 tn The words “I will take nothing” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
25 tn Heb “except only what the young men have eaten.”
26 tn Heb “and he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying.”
27 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).
28 tn Heb “and from that which belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.”
29 tn The pronouns translated “your” and “you” in this verse are singular in the Hebrew text.
30 tn The Hebrew word שְׁכֶם (shÿkhem) could be translated either as “mountain slope” or “shoulder, portion,” or even taken as the proper name “Shechem.” Jacob was giving Joseph either (1) one portion above his brothers, or (2) the mountain ridge he took from the Amorites, or (3) Shechem. The ambiguity actually allows for all three to be the referent. He could be referring to the land in Shechem he bought in Gen 33:18-19, but he mentions here that it was acquired by warfare, suggesting that the events of 34:25-29 are in view (even though at the time he denounced it, 34:30). Joseph was later buried in Shechem (Josh 24:32).
31 tn Heb “over the matter of.”
32 tn Heb “in the beginning,” that is, at the end of their first visit.
33 tn Heb “to roll himself upon us and to cause himself to fall upon us.” The infinitives here indicate the purpose (as viewed by the brothers) for their being brought to Joseph’s house.
34 tn The word “take” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.