Kejadian 35:1--40:23
Konteks35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once 1 to Bethel 2 and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 3 35:2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. 4 Purify yourselves and change your clothes. 5 35:3 Let us go up at once 6 to Bethel. Then I will make 7 an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress 8 and has been with me wherever I went.” 9
35:4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession 10 and the rings that were in their ears. 11 Jacob buried them 12 under the oak 13 near Shechem 35:5 and they started on their journey. 14 The surrounding cities were afraid of God, 15 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) 16 in the land of Canaan. 17 35:7 He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel 18 because there God had revealed himself 19 to him when he was fleeing from his brother. 35:8 (Deborah, 20 Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel; thus it was named 21 Oak of Weeping.) 22
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. 23 35:11 Then God said to him, “I am the sovereign God. 24 Be fruitful and multiply! A nation – even a company of nations – will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants! 25 35:12 The land I gave 26 to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you. To your descendants 27 I will also give this land.” 35:13 Then God went up from the place 28 where he spoke with him. 35:14 So Jacob set up a sacred stone pillar in the place where God spoke with him. 29 He poured out a drink offering on it, and then he poured oil on it. 30 35:15 Jacob named the place 31 where God spoke with him Bethel. 32
35:16 They traveled on from Bethel, and when Ephrath was still some distance away, 33 Rachel went into labor 34 – and her labor was hard. 35:17 When her labor was at its hardest, 35 the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you are having another son.” 36 35:18 With her dying breath, 37 she named him Ben-Oni. 38 But his father called him Benjamin instead. 39 35:19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 40 35:20 Jacob set up a marker 41 over her grave; it is 42 the Marker of Rachel’s Grave to this day.
35:21 Then Israel traveled on and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. 43 35:22 While Israel was living in that land, Reuben had sexual relations with 44 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, 45 to Kiriath Arba 46 (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 47 35:28 Isaac lived to be 180 years old. 48 35:29 Then Isaac breathed his last and joined his ancestors. 49 He died an old man who had lived a full life. 50 His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
36:1 What follows is the account of Esau (also known as Edom). 51
36:2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: 52 Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter 53 of Zibeon the Hivite, 36:3 in addition to Basemath the daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.
36:4 Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, 36:5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
36:6 Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, all the people in his household, his livestock, his animals, and all his possessions which he had acquired in the land of Canaan and went to a land some distance away from 54 Jacob his brother 36:7 because they had too many possessions to be able to stay together and the land where they had settled 55 was not able to support them because of their livestock. 36:8 So Esau (also known as Edom) lived in the hill country of Seir. 56
36:9 This is the account of Esau, the father 57 of the Edomites, in the hill country of Seir.
36:10 These were the names of Esau’s sons:
Eliphaz, the son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau’s wife Basemath.
36:11 The sons of Eliphaz were:
Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.
36:12 Timna, a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the sons 58 of Esau’s wife Adah.
36:13 These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons 59 of Esau’s wife Basemath.
36:14 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter 60 of Zibeon: She bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah to Esau.
36:15 These were the chiefs 61 among the descendants 62 of Esau, the sons of Eliphaz, Esau’s firstborn: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 36:16 chief Korah, 63 chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons 64 of Adah.
36:17 These were the sons of Esau’s son Reuel: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah. These were the chiefs descended from Reuel in the land of Edom; these were the sons 65 of Esau’s wife Basemath.
36:18 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah. These were the chiefs descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.
36:19 These were the sons of Esau (also known as Edom), and these were their chiefs.
36:20 These were the sons of Seir the Horite, 66 who were living in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 36:21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, the descendants 67 of Seir in the land of Edom.
36:22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam; 68 Lotan’s sister was Timna.
36:23 These were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, 69 and Onam.
36:24 These were the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah (who discovered the hot springs 70 in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon).
36:25 These were the children 71 of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.
36:26 These were the sons of Dishon: 72 Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran.
36:27 These were the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.
36:28 These were the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
36:29 These were the chiefs of the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, 36:30 chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, according to their chief lists in the land of Seir.
36:31 These were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites: 73
36:32 Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom; the name of his city was Dinhabah.
36:33 When Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his place.
36:34 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.
36:35 When Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated the Midianites in the land of Moab, reigned in his place; the name of his city was Avith.
36:36 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place.
36:37 When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth by the River 74 reigned in his place.
36:38 When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.
36:39 When Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor died, Hadad 75 reigned in his place; the name of his city was Pau. 76 His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.
36:40 These were the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families, according to their places, by their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth, 36:41 chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 36:42 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 36:43 chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements 77 in the land they possessed. This was Esau, the father of the Edomites.
37:1 But Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, 78 in the land of Canaan. 79
37:2 This is the account of Jacob.
Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, 80 was taking care of 81 the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster 82 working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. 83 Joseph brought back a bad report about them 84 to their father.
37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons 85 because he was a son born to him late in life, 86 and he made a special 87 tunic for him. 37:4 When Joseph’s 88 brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, 89 they hated Joseph 90 and were not able to speak to him kindly. 91
37:5 Joseph 92 had a dream, 93 and when he told his brothers about it, 94 they hated him even more. 95 37:6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 96 37:7 There we were, 97 binding sheaves of grain in the middle of the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright and your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down 98 to it!” 37:8 Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?” 99 They hated him even more 100 because of his dream and because of what he said. 101
37:9 Then he had another dream, 102 and told it to his brothers. “Look,” 103 he said. “I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 37:10 When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, saying, “What is this dream that you had? 104 Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?” 105 37:11 His brothers were jealous 106 of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said. 107
37:12 When his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 37:13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers 108 are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” 109 Joseph replied. 110 37:14 So Jacob 111 said to him, “Go now and check on 112 the welfare 113 of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word.” So Jacob 114 sent him from the valley of Hebron.
37:15 When Joseph reached Shechem, 115 a man found him wandering 116 in the field, so the man asked him, “What are you looking for?” 37:16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Please tell 117 me where they are grazing their flocks.” 37:17 The man said, “They left this area, 118 for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
37:18 Now Joseph’s brothers 119 saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 37:19 They said to one another, “Here comes this master of dreams! 120 37:20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild 121 animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!” 122
37:21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph 123 from their hands, 124 saying, 125 “Let’s not take his life!” 126 37:22 Reuben continued, 127 “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” 128 (Reuben said this 129 so he could rescue Joseph 130 from them 131 and take him back to his father.)
37:23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him 132 of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore. 37:24 Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty; 133 there was no water in it.)
37:25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up 134 and saw 135 a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. 136 37:26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 37:27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him, 137 for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. 138 37:28 So when the Midianite 139 merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled 140 him 141 out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites 142 then took Joseph to Egypt.
37:29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! 143 He tore his clothes, 37:30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy isn’t there! And I, where can I go?” 37:31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a young goat, 144 and dipped the tunic in the blood. 37:32 Then they brought the special tunic to their father 145 and said, “We found this. Determine now whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”
37:33 He recognized it and exclaimed, “It is my son’s tunic! A wild animal has eaten him! 146 Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 37:34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, 147 and mourned for his son many days. 37:35 All his sons and daughters stood by 148 him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. “No,” he said, “I will go to the grave mourning my son.” 149 So Joseph’s 150 father wept for him.
37:36 Now 151 in Egypt the Midianites 152 sold Joseph 153 to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. 154
38:1 At that time Judah left 155 his brothers and stayed 156 with an Adullamite man 157 named Hirah.
38:2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man 158 named Shua. 159 Judah acquired her as a wife 160 and had marital relations with her. 161 38:3 She became pregnant 162 and had a son. Judah named 163 him Er. 38:4 She became pregnant again and had another son, whom she named Onan. 38:5 Then she had 164 yet another son, whom she named Shelah. She gave birth to him in Kezib. 165
38:6 Judah acquired 166 a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar. 38:7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord killed him.
38:8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Have sexual relations with 167 your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise 168 up a descendant for your brother.” 169 38:9 But Onan knew that the child 170 would not be considered his. 171 So whenever 172 he had sexual relations with 173 his brother’s wife, he withdrew prematurely 174 so as not to give his brother a descendant. 38:10 What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord 175 killed him too.
38:11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until Shelah my son grows up.” For he thought, 176 “I don’t want him to die like his brothers.” 177 So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
38:12 After some time 178 Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah was consoled, he left for Timnah to visit his sheepshearers, along with 179 his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 38:13 Tamar was told, 180 “Look, your father-in-law is going up 181 to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 38:14 So she removed her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil. She wrapped herself and sat at the entrance to Enaim which is on the way to Timnah. (She did this because 182 she saw that she had not been given to Shelah as a wife, even though he had now grown up.) 183
38:15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute 184 because she had covered her face. 38:16 He turned aside to her along the road and said, “Come on! I want to have sex with you.” 185 (He did not realize 186 it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, “What will you give me in exchange for having sex with you?” 187 38:17 He replied, “I’ll send you a young goat from the flock.” She asked, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?” 188 38:18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?” She replied, “Your seal, your cord, and the staff that’s in your hand.” So he gave them to her and had sex with her. 189 She became pregnant by him. 38:19 She left immediately, 190 removed her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes.
38:20 Then Judah had his friend Hirah 191 the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge, 192 but Hirah 193 could not find her. 38:21 He asked the men who were there, 194 “Where is the cult prostitute 195 who was at Enaim by the road?” But they replied, “There has been no cult prostitute here.” 38:22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I couldn’t find her. Moreover, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’” 38:23 Judah said, “Let her keep the things 196 for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. 197 I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”
38:24 After three months Judah was told, 198 “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, 199 and as a result she has become pregnant.” 200 Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” 38:25 While they were bringing her out, she sent word 201 to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” 202 Then she said, “Identify 203 the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.” 38:26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright 204 than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He did not have sexual relations with her 205 again.
38:27 When it was time for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb. 38:28 While she was giving birth, one child 206 put out his hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 38:29 But then he drew back his hand, and his brother came out before him. 207 She said, “How you have broken out of the womb!” 208 So he was named Perez. 209 38:30 Afterward his brother came out – the one who had the scarlet thread on his hand – and he was named Zerah. 210
39:1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. 211 An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, 212 purchased him from 213 the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 39:2 The Lord was with Joseph. He was successful 214 and lived 215 in the household of his Egyptian master. 39:3 His master observed that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he was doing successful. 216 39:4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. 217 Potiphar appointed Joseph 218 overseer of his household and put him in charge 219 of everything he owned. 39:5 From the time 220 Potiphar 221 appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed 222 the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both 223 in his house and in his fields. 224 39:6 So Potiphar 225 left 226 everything he had in Joseph’s care; 227 he gave no thought 228 to anything except the food he ate. 229
Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. 230 39:7 Soon after these things, his master’s wife took notice of 231 Joseph and said, “Have sex with me.” 232 39:8 But he refused, saying 233 to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not give any thought 234 to his household with me here, 235 and everything that he owns he has put into my care. 236 39:9 There is no one greater in this household than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I do 237 such a great evil and sin against God?” 39:10 Even though she continued to speak 238 to Joseph day after day, he did not respond 239 to her invitation to have sex with her. 240
39:11 One day 241 he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants 242 were there in the house. 39:12 She grabbed him by his outer garment, saying, “Have sex with me!” But he left his outer garment in her hand and ran 243 outside. 244 39:13 When she saw that he had left his outer garment in her hand and had run outside, 39:14 she called for her household servants and said to them, “See, my husband brought 245 in a Hebrew man 246 to us to humiliate us. 247 He tried to have sex with me, 248 but I screamed loudly. 249 39:15 When he heard me raise 250 my voice and scream, he left his outer garment beside me and ran outside.”
39:16 So she laid his outer garment beside her until his master came home. 39:17 This is what she said to him: 251 “That Hebrew slave 252 you brought to us tried to humiliate me, 253 39:18 but when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his outer garment and ran outside.”
39:19 When his master heard his wife say, 254 “This is the way 255 your slave treated me,” 256 he became furious. 257 39:20 Joseph’s master took him and threw him into the prison, 258 the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in the prison. 259
39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness. 260 He granted him favor in the sight of the prison warden. 261 39:22 The warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care. He was in charge of whatever they were doing. 262 39:23 The warden did not concern himself 263 with anything that was in Joseph’s 264 care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.
40:1 After these things happened, the cupbearer 265 to the king of Egypt and the royal baker 266 offended 267 their master, the king of Egypt. 40:2 Pharaoh was enraged with his two officials, 268 the cupbearer and the baker, 40:3 so he imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard in the same facility where Joseph was confined. 40:4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be their attendant, and he served them. 269
They spent some time in custody. 270 40:5 Both of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream 271 the same night. 272 Each man’s dream had its own meaning. 273 40:6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were looking depressed. 274 40:7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials, who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” 275 40:8 They told him, “We both had dreams, 276 but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph responded, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell them 277 to me.”
40:9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: 278 “In my dream, there was a vine in front of me. 40:10 On the vine there were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes. 40:11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes, squeezed them into his 279 cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” 280
40:12 “This is its meaning,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches represent 281 three days. 40:13 In three more days Pharaoh will reinstate you 282 and restore you to your office. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did before 283 when you were cupbearer. 40:14 But remember me 284 when it goes well for you, and show 285 me kindness. 286 Make mention 287 of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this prison, 288 40:15 for I really was kidnapped 289 from the land of the Hebrews and I have done nothing wrong here for which they should put me in a dungeon.”
40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation of the first dream was favorable, 290 he said to Joseph, “I also appeared in my dream and there were three baskets of white bread 291 on my head. 40:17 In the top basket there were baked goods of every kind for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them from the basket that was on my head.”
40:18 Joseph replied, “This is its meaning: The three baskets represent 292 three days. 40:19 In three more days Pharaoh will decapitate you 293 and impale you on a pole. Then the birds will eat your flesh from you.”
40:20 On the third day it was Pharaoh’s birthday, so he gave a feast for all his servants. He “lifted up” 294 the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants. 40:21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his former position 295 so that he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand, 40:22 but the chief baker he impaled, just as Joseph had predicted. 296 40:23 But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph – he forgot him. 297
Kejadian 25:12
Konteks25:12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, 298 whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.
Kejadian 1:25-26
Konteks1:25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the cattle according to their kinds, and all the creatures that creep along the ground according to their kinds. God saw that it was good.
1:26 Then God said, “Let us make 299
humankind 300 in our image, after our likeness, 301 so they may rule 302 over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, 303 and over all the creatures that move 304 on the earth.”
Kejadian 1:1
Konteks1:1 In the beginning 305 God 306 created 307 the heavens and the earth. 308
Kejadian 1:1
Konteks1:1 In the beginning 309 God 310 created 311 the heavens and the earth. 312
Yesaya 13:20-22
Konteks13:20 No one will live there again;
no one will ever reside there again. 313
No bedouin 314 will camp 315 there,
no shepherds will rest their flocks 316 there.
13:21 Wild animals will rest there,
the ruined 317 houses will be full of hyenas. 318
Ostriches will live there,
wild goats will skip among the ruins. 319
13:22 Wild dogs will yip in her ruined fortresses,
jackals will yelp in the once-splendid palaces. 320
Her time is almost up, 321
her days will not be prolonged. 322
Yesaya 14:22
Konteks14:22 “I will rise up against them,”
says the Lord who commands armies.
“I will blot out all remembrance of Babylon and destroy all her people, 323
including the offspring she produces,” 324
says the Lord.
Wahyu 18:21-23
Konteks18:21 Then 325 one powerful angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone, threw it into the sea, and said,
“With this kind of sudden violent force 326
Babylon the great city will be thrown down 327
and it will never be found again!
18:22 And the sound of the harpists, musicians,
flute players, and trumpeters
will never be heard in you 328 again.
No 329 craftsman 330 who practices any trade
will ever be found in you again;
the noise of a mill 331 will never be heard in you again.
18:23 Even the light from a lamp
will never shine in you again!
The voices of the bridegroom and his bride
will never be heard in you again.
For your merchants were the tycoons of the world,
because all the nations 332 were deceived by your magic spells! 333
[35:1] 1 tn Heb “arise, go up.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.
[35:1] 2 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[35:1] 3 sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).
[35:2] 4 tn Heb “which are in your midst.”
[35:2] 5 sn The actions of removing false gods, becoming ritually clean, and changing garments would become necessary steps in Israel when approaching the
[35:3] 6 tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.
[35:3] 7 tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.
[35:3] 8 tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.
[35:3] 9 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] 10 tn Heb “in their hand.”
[35:4] 11 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] 12 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.
[35:5] 14 tn Heb “and they journeyed.”
[35:5] 15 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] 16 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[35:6] 17 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] 18 sn The name El-Bethel means “God of Bethel.”
[35:7] 19 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] 20 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] 21 tn “and he called its name.” There is no expressed subject, so the verb can be translated as passive.
[35:8] 22 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] 23 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] 24 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] 25 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] 26 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] 27 tn Heb “and to your offspring after you.”
[35:13] 28 tn Heb “went up from upon him in the place.”
[35:14] 29 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] 30 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] 31 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] 32 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] 33 tn Heb “and there was still a stretch of the land to go to Ephrath.”
[35:16] 34 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] 35 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] 36 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] 37 tn Heb “in the going out of her life, for she was dying.” Rachel named the child with her dying breath.
[35:18] 38 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] 39 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] 40 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] 41 tn Heb “standing stone.”
[35:20] 42 tn Or perhaps “it is known as” (cf. NEB).
[35:21] 43 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] 44 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] 45 tn This is an adverbial accusative of location.
[35:27] 46 tn The name “Kiriath Arba” is in apposition to the preceding name, “Mamre.”
[35:27] 47 tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” refers to temporary settlement without ownership rights.
[35:28] 48 tn Heb “And the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years.”
[35:29] 49 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.
[35:29] 50 tn Heb “old and full of years.”
[36:1] 51 sn Chapter 36 records what became of Esau. It will list both his actual descendants as well as the people he subsumed under his tribal leadership, people who were aboriginal Edomites. The chapter is long and complicated (see further J. R. Bartlett, “The Edomite King-List of Genesis 36:31-39 and 1 Chronicles 1:43-50,” JTS 16 [1965]: 301-14; and W. J. Horowitz, “Were There Twelve Horite Tribes?” CBQ 35 [1973]: 69-71). In the format of the Book of Genesis, the line of Esau is “tidied up” before the account of Jacob is traced (37:2). As such the arrangement makes a strong contrast with Jacob. As F. Delitzsch says, “secular greatness in general grows up far more rapidly than spiritual greatness” (New Commentary on Genesis, 2:238). In other words, the progress of the world far out distances the progress of the righteous who are waiting for the promise.
[36:2] 52 tn Heb “from the daughters of Canaan.”
[36:2] 53 tn Heb “daughter,” but see Gen 36:24-25.
[36:6] 54 tn Heb “from before.”
[36:7] 55 tn Heb “land of their settlements.”
[36:8] 56 tn Traditionally “Mount Seir,” but in this case the expression בְּהַר שֵׂעִיר (bÿhar se’ir) refers to the hill country or highlands of Seir.
[36:9] 57 sn The term father in genealogical records needs to be carefully defined. It can refer to a literal father, a grandfather, a political overlord, or a founder.
[36:12] 58 tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).
[36:13] 59 tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).
[36:14] 60 tn Heb “daughter,” but see Gen 36:24-25.
[36:15] 61 tn Or “clan leaders” (so also throughout this chapter).
[36:16] 63 tc The Samaritan Pentateuch omits the name “Korah” (see v. 11 and 1 Chr 1:36).
[36:16] 64 tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).
[36:17] 65 tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).
[36:20] 66 sn The same pattern of sons, grandsons, and chiefs is now listed for Seir the Horite. “Seir” is both the name of the place and the name of the ancestor of these tribes. The name “Horite” is probably not to be identified with “Hurrian.” The clan of Esau settled in this area, intermarried with these Horites and eventually dispossessed them, so that they all became known as Edomites (Deut 2:12 telescopes the whole development).
[36:22] 68 tn Heb “Hemam”; this is probably a variant spelling of “Homam” (1 Chr 1:39); cf. NRSV, NLT “Heman.”
[36:23] 69 tn This name is given as “Shephi” in 1 Chr 1:40.
[36:24] 70 tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain; Syriac reads “water” and Vulgate reads “hot water.”
[36:25] 71 tn Heb “sons,” but since a daughter is included in the list, the word must be translated “children.”
[36:26] 72 tn Heb “Dishan,” but this must be either a scribal error or variant spelling, since “Dishan” is mentioned in v. 28 (see also v. 21).
[36:31] 73 tn Or perhaps “before any Israelite king ruled over [them].”
[36:37] 74 tn Typically the Hebrew expression “the River” refers to the Euphrates River, but it is not certain whether that is the case here. Among the modern English versions which take this as a reference to the Euphrates are NASB, NCV, NRSV, CEV, NLT. Cf. NAB, TEV “Rehoboth-on-the-River.”
[36:39] 75 tc Most
[36:39] 76 tn The name of the city is given as “Pai” in 1 Chr 1:50.
[36:43] 77 tn Or perhaps “territories”; Heb “dwelling places.”
[37:1] 78 tn Heb “the land of the sojournings of his father.”
[37:1] 79 sn The next section begins with the heading This is the account of Jacob in Gen 37:2, so this verse actually forms part of the preceding section as a concluding contrast with Esau and his people. In contrast to all the settled and expanded population of Esau, Jacob was still moving about in the land without a permanent residence and without kings. Even if the Edomite king list was added later (as the reference to kings in Israel suggests), its placement here in contrast to Jacob and his descendants is important. Certainly the text deals with Esau before dealing with Jacob – that is the pattern. But the detail is so great in chap. 36 that the contrast cannot be missed.
[37:2] 80 tn Heb “a son of seventeen years.” The word “son” is in apposition to the name “Joseph.”
[37:2] 81 tn Or “tending”; Heb “shepherding” or “feeding.”
[37:2] 82 tn Or perhaps “a helper.” The significance of this statement is unclear. It may mean “now the lad was with,” or it may suggest Joseph was like a servant to them.
[37:2] 83 tn Heb “and he [was] a young man with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, the wives of his father.”
[37:2] 84 tn Heb “their bad report.” The pronoun is an objective genitive, specifying that the bad or damaging report was about the brothers.
[37:2] sn Some interpreters portray Joseph as a tattletale for bringing back a bad report about them [i.e., his brothers], but the entire Joseph story has some of the characteristics of wisdom literature. Joseph is presented in a good light – not because he was perfect, but because the narrative is showing how wisdom rules. In light of that, this section portrays Joseph as faithful to his father in little things, even though unpopular – and so he will eventually be given authority over greater things.
[37:3] 85 tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information vital to the story. It explains in part the brothers’ animosity toward Joseph.
[37:3] sn The statement Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons brings forward a motif that played an important role in the family of Isaac – parental favoritism. Jacob surely knew what that had done to him and his brother Esau, and to his own family. But now he showers affection on Rachel’s son Joseph.
[37:3] 86 tn Heb “a son of old age was he to him.” This expression means “a son born to him when he [i.e., Jacob] was old.”
[37:3] 87 tn It is not clear what this tunic was like, because the meaning of the Hebrew word that describes it is uncertain. The idea that it was a coat of many colors comes from the Greek translation of the OT. An examination of cognate terms in Semitic suggests it was either a coat or tunic with long sleeves (cf. NEB, NRSV), or a tunic that was richly embroidered (cf. NIV). It set Joseph apart as the favored one.
[37:4] 88 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:4] 89 tn Heb “of his brothers.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “them.”
[37:4] 90 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:4] 91 tn Heb “speak to him for peace.”
[37:5] 92 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:5] 93 tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”
[37:5] 94 sn Some interpreters see Joseph as gloating over his brothers, but the text simply says he told his brothers about it (i.e., the dream). The text gives no warrant for interpreting his manner as arrogant or condescending. It seems normal that he would share a dream with the family.
[37:5] 95 tn The construction uses a hendiadys, “they added to hate,” meaning they hated him even more.
[37:6] 96 tn Heb “hear this dream which I dreamed.”
[37:7] 97 tn All three clauses in this dream report begin with וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), which lends vividness to the report. This is represented in the translation by the expression “there we were.”
[37:7] 98 tn The verb means “to bow down to the ground.” It is used to describe worship and obeisance to masters.
[37:8] 99 tn Heb “Ruling, will you rule over us, or reigning, will you reign over us?” The statement has a poetic style, with the two questions being in synonymous parallelism. Both verbs in this statement are preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Joseph’s brothers said, “You don’t really think you will rule over us, do you? You don’t really think you will have dominion over us, do you?”
[37:8] 100 tn This construction is identical to the one in Gen 37:5.
[37:8] 101 sn The response of Joseph’s brothers is understandable, given what has already been going on in the family. But here there is a hint of uneasiness – they hated him because of his dream and because of his words. The dream bothered them, as well as his telling them. And their words in the rhetorical question are ironic, for this is exactly what would happen. The dream was God’s way of revealing it.
[37:9] 102 tn Heb “And he dreamed yet another dream.”
[37:9] 103 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Look.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons. Both clauses of the dream report begin with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which lends vividness to the report.
[37:10] 104 sn The question What is this dream that you had? expresses Jacob’s dismay at what he perceives to be Joseph’s audacity.
[37:10] 105 tn Heb “Coming, will we come, I and your mother and your brothers, to bow down to you to the ground?” The verb “come” is preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Jacob said, “You don’t really think we will come…to bow down…do you?”
[37:11] 106 sn Joseph’s brothers were already jealous of him, but this made it even worse. Such jealousy easily leads to action, as the next episode in the story shows. Yet dreams were considered a form of revelation, and their jealousy was not only of the favoritism of their father, but of the dreams. This is why Jacob kept the matter in mind.
[37:11] 107 tn Heb “kept the word.” The referent of the Hebrew term “word” has been specified as “what Joseph said” in the translation for clarity, and the words “in mind” have been supplied for stylistic reasons.
[37:13] 108 tn The text uses an interrogative clause: “Are not your brothers,” which means “your brothers are.”
[37:13] 109 sn With these words Joseph is depicted here as an obedient son who is ready to do what his father commands.
[37:13] 110 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Here I am.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.
[37:14] 111 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:14] 114 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:15] 115 tn Heb “and he [i.e., Joseph] went to Shechem.” The referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:15] 116 tn Heb “and a man found him and look, he was wandering in the field.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the action through this unnamed man’s eyes.
[37:16] 117 tn The imperative in this sentence has more of the nuance of a request than a command.
[37:17] 118 tn Heb “they traveled from this place.”
[37:18] 119 tn Heb “and they”; the referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:19] 120 tn Heb “Look, this master of dreams is coming.” The brothers’ words have a sarcastic note and indicate that they resent his dreams.
[37:20] 121 tn The Hebrew word can sometimes carry the nuance “evil,” but when used of an animal it refers to a dangerous wild animal.
[37:20] 122 tn Heb “what his dreams will be.”
[37:21] 123 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:21] 124 sn From their hands. The instigators of this plot may have been the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (see v. 2).
[37:21] 125 tn Heb “and he said.”
[37:21] 126 tn Heb “we must not strike him down [with respect to] life.”
[37:22] 127 tn Heb “and Reuben said to them.”
[37:22] 128 sn The verbs translated shed, throw, and lay sound alike in Hebrew; the repetition of similar sounds draws attention to Reuben’s words.
[37:22] 129 tn The words “Reuben said this” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[37:22] 130 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:22] 131 tn Heb “from their hands” (cf. v. 21). This expression has been translated as “them” here for stylistic reasons.
[37:23] 132 tn Heb “Joseph”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[37:24] 133 tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that helps the reader or hearer to picture what happened.
[37:25] 134 tn Heb “lifted up their eyes.”
[37:25] 135 tn Heb “and they saw and look.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the event through the eyes of the brothers.
[37:25] 136 tn Heb “and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh, going to go down to Egypt.”
[37:27] 137 tn Heb “let not our hand be upon him.”
[37:27] 138 tn Heb “listened.”
[37:28] 139 sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.
[37:28] 140 tn Heb “they drew and they lifted up.” The referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity; otherwise the reader might assume the Midianites had pulled Joseph from the cistern (but cf. NAB).
[37:28] 141 tn Heb “Joseph” (both here and in the following clause); the proper name has been replaced both times by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[37:28] 142 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:29] 143 tn Heb “and look, Joseph was not in the cistern.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the situation through Reuben’s eyes.
[37:31] 144 sn It was with two young goats that Jacob deceived his father (Gen 27:9); now with a young goat his sons continue the deception that dominates this family.
[37:32] 145 tn Heb “and they sent the special tunic and they brought [it] to their father.” The text as it stands is problematic. It sounds as if they sent the tunic on ahead and then came and brought it to their father. Some emend the second verb to a Qal form and read “and they came.” In this case, they sent the tunic on ahead.
[37:33] 146 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.
[37:34] 147 tn Heb “and put sackcloth on his loins.”
[37:35] 148 tn Heb “arose, stood”; which here suggests that they stood by him in his time of grief.
[37:35] 149 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Indeed I will go down to my son mourning to Sheol.’” Sheol was viewed as the place where departed spirits went after death.
[37:35] 150 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:36] 151 tn The disjunctive clause formally signals closure for this episode of Joseph’s story, which will be resumed in Gen 39.
[37:36] 152 tc The MT spells the name of the merchants as מְדָנִים (mÿdanim, “Medanites”) rather than מִדְיָנִים (midyanim, “Midianites”) as in v. 28. It is likely that the MT is corrupt at this point, with the letter yod (י) being accidentally omitted. The LXX, Vulgate, Samaritan Pentateuch, and Syriac read “Midianites” here. Some prefer to read “Medanites” both here and in v. 28, but Judg 8:24, which identifies the Midianites and Ishmaelites, favors the reading “Midianites.”
[37:36] 153 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[37:36] 154 sn The expression captain of the guard might indicate that Potiphar was the chief executioner.
[38:1] 155 tn Heb “went down from.”
[38:1] 156 tn Heb “and he turned aside unto.”
[38:1] 157 tn Heb “a man, an Adullamite.”
[38:2] 158 tn Heb “a man, a Canaanite.”
[38:2] 159 tn Heb “and his name was Shua.”
[38:2] 160 tn Heb “and he took her.”
[38:2] 161 tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[38:3] 162 tn Or “she conceived” (also in the following verse).
[38:3] 163 tc Some
[38:3] tn Heb “and he called his name.” The referent (Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[38:5] 164 tn Heb “and she added again and she gave birth.” The first verb and the adverb emphasize that she gave birth once more.
[38:5] 165 tn Or “and he [i.e., Judah] was in Kezib when she gave birth to him.”
[38:6] 166 tn Heb “and Judah took.”
[38:8] 167 tn Heb “go to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[38:8] 168 tn The imperative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose.
[38:8] 169 sn Raise up a descendant for your brother. The purpose of this custom, called the levirate system, was to ensure that no line of the family would become extinct. The name of the deceased was to be maintained through this custom of having a child by the nearest relative. See M. Burrows, “Levirate Marriage in Israel,” JBL 59 (1940): 23-33.
[38:9] 170 tn Heb “offspring.”
[38:9] 171 tn Heb “would not be his,” that is, legally speaking. Under the levirate system the child would be legally considered the child of his deceased brother.
[38:9] 172 tn The construction shows that this was a repeated practice and not merely one action.
[38:9] sn The text makes it clear that the purpose of the custom was to produce an heir for the deceased brother. Onan had no intention of doing that. But he would have sex with the girl as much as he wished. He was willing to use the law to gratify his desires, but was not willing to do the responsible thing.
[38:9] 173 tn Heb “he went to.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[38:9] 174 tn Heb “he spoiled [his semen] to the ground.” Onan withdrew prematurely and ejaculated on the ground to prevent his brother’s widow from becoming pregnant.
[38:10] 175 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[38:11] 177 tn Heb “Otherwise he will die, also he, like his brothers.”
[38:11] sn I don’t want him to die like his brothers. This clause explains that Judah had no intention of giving Shelah to Tamar for the purpose of the levirate marriage. Judah apparently knew the nature of his sons, and feared that God would be angry with the third son and kill him as well.
[38:12] 178 sn After some time. There is not enough information in the narrative to know how long this was. The text says “the days increased.” It was long enough for Shelah to mature and for Tamar to realize she would not have him.
[38:12] 179 tn Heb “and he went up to the shearers of his sheep, he and.”
[38:13] 180 tn Heb “And it was told to Tamar, saying.”
[38:13] 181 tn The active participle indicates the action was in progress or about to begin.
[38:14] 182 tn The Hebrew text simply has “because,” connecting this sentence to what precedes. For stylistic reasons the words “she did this” are supplied in the translation and a new sentence begun.
[38:14] 183 tn Heb “she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she was not given to him as a wife.”
[38:15] 184 tn Heb “he reckoned her for a prostitute,” which was what Tamar had intended for him to do. She obviously had some idea of his inclinations, or she would not have tried this risky plan.
[38:16] 185 tn Heb “I will go to you.” The imperfect verbal form probably indicates his desire here. The expression “go to” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[38:16] 186 tn Heb “for he did not know that.”
[38:16] 187 tn Heb “when you come to me.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[38:17] 188 tn Heb “until you send.”
[38:18] 189 tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[38:19] 190 tn Heb “and she arose and left,” the first verb in the pair emphasizing that she wasted no time.
[38:20] 191 tn Heb “sent by the hand of his friend.” Here the name of the friend (“Hirah”) has been included in the translation for clarity.
[38:20] 192 tn Heb “to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand.”
[38:20] 193 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Judah’s friend Hirah the Adullamite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[38:21] 194 tn Heb “the men of her place,” that is, who lived at the place where she had been.
[38:21] 195 sn The Hebrew noun translated “cult prostitute” is derived from a verb meaning “to be set apart; to be distinct.” Thus the term refers to a woman who did not marry, but was dedicated to temple service as a cult prostitute. The masculine form of this noun is used for male cult prostitutes. Judah thought he had gone to an ordinary prostitute (v. 15); but Hirah went looking for a cult prostitute, perhaps because it had been a sheep-shearing festival. For further discussion see E. M. Yamauchi, “Cultic Prostitution,” Orient and Occident (AOAT), 213-23.
[38:23] 196 tn The words “the things” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[38:23] 197 tn Heb “we will become contemptible.” The Hebrew word בּוּז (buz) describes the contempt that a respectable person would have for someone who is worthless, foolish, or disreputable.
[38:24] 198 tn Heb “it was told to Judah, saying.”
[38:24] 199 tn Or “has been sexually promiscuous.” The verb may refer here to loose or promiscuous activity, not necessarily prostitution.
[38:24] 200 tn Heb “and also look, she is with child by prostitution.”
[38:25] 201 tn Heb “she was being brought out and she sent.” The juxtaposition of two clauses, both of which place the subject before the predicate, indicates synchronic action.
[38:25] 202 tn Heb “who these to him.”
[38:25] 203 tn Or “ recognize; note.” This same Hebrew verb (נָכַר, nakhar) is used at the beginning of v. 26, where it is translated “recognized.”
[38:26] 204 tn Traditionally “more righteous”; cf. NCV, NRSV, NLT “more in the right.”
[38:26] sn She is more upright than I. Judah had been irresponsible and unfaithful to his duty to see that the family line continued through the levirate marriage of his son Shelah. Tamar fought for her right to be the mother of Judah’s line. When she was not given Shelah and Judah’s wife died, she took action on her own to ensure that the line did not die out. Though deceptive, it was a desperate and courageous act. For Tamar it was within her rights; she did nothing that the law did not entitle her to do. But for Judah it was wrong because he thought he was going to a prostitute. See also Susan Niditch, “The Wronged Woman Righted: An Analysis of Genesis 38,” HTR 72 (1979): 143-48.
[38:26] 205 tn Heb “and he did not add again to know her.” Here “know” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[38:28] 206 tn The word “child” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[38:29] 207 tn Heb “Look, his brother came out.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through the midwife’s eyes. The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[38:29] 208 tn Heb “How you have made a breach for yourself!” The Hebrew verb translated “make a breach” frequently occurs, as here, with a cognate accusative. The event provided the meaningful name Perez, “he who breaks through.”
[38:29] 209 sn The name Perez means “he who breaks through,” referring to Perez reaching out his hand at birth before his brother was born. The naming signified the completion of Tamar’s struggle and also depicted the destiny of the tribe of Perez who later became dominant (Gen 46:12 and Num 26:20). Judah and his brothers had sold Joseph into slavery, thinking they could thwart God’s plan that the elder brothers should serve the younger. God demonstrated that principle through these births in Judah’s own family, affirming that the elder will serve the younger, and that Joseph’s leadership could not so easily be set aside. See J. Goldin, “The Youngest Son; or, Where Does Genesis 38 Belong?” JBL 96 (1977): 27-44.
[38:30] 210 sn Perhaps the child was named Zerah because of the scarlet thread. Though the Hebrew word used for “scarlet thread” in v. 28 is not related to the name Zerah, there is a related root in Babylonian and western Aramaic that means “scarlet” or “scarlet thread.” In Hebrew the name appears to be derived from a root meaning “to shine.” The name could have originally meant something like “shining one” or “God has shined.” Zerah became the head of a tribe (Num 26:20) from whom Achan descended (Josh 7:1).
[39:1] 211 tn The disjunctive clause resumes the earlier narrative pertaining to Joseph by recapitulating the event described in 37:36. The perfect verbal form is given a past perfect translation to restore the sequence of the narrative for the reader.
[39:1] 212 sn Captain of the guard. See the note on this phrase in Gen 37:36.
[39:1] 213 tn Heb “from the hand of.”
[39:2] 214 tn Heb “and he was a prosperous man.” This does not mean that Joseph became wealthy, but that he was successful in what he was doing, or making progress in his situation (see 24:21).
[39:2] 215 tn Heb “and he was.”
[39:3] 216 tn The Hebrew text adds “in his hand,” a phrase not included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[39:4] 217 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] 218 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[39:4] 219 tn Heb “put into his hand.”
[39:5] 220 tn Heb “and it was from then.”
[39:5] 221 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[39:5] 222 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] 223 tn Heb “in the house and in the field.” The word “both” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[39:5] 224 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.
[39:6] 225 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[39:6] 226 sn The Hebrew verb translated left indicates he relinquished the care of it to Joseph. This is stronger than what was said earlier. Apparently Potiphar had come to trust Joseph so much that he knew it was in better care with Joseph than with anyone else.
[39:6] 227 tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.
[39:6] 228 tn Heb “did not know.”
[39:6] 229 sn The expression except the food he ate probably refers to Potiphar’s private affairs and should not be limited literally to what he ate.
[39:6] 230 tn Heb “handsome of form and handsome of appearance.” The same Hebrew expressions were used in Gen 29:17 for Rachel.
[39:7] 231 tn Heb “she lifted up her eyes toward,” an expression that emphasizes her deliberate and careful scrutiny of him.
[39:7] 232 tn Heb “lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[39:7] sn The story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife has long been connected with the wisdom warnings about the strange woman who tries to seduce the young man with her boldness and directness (see Prov 5-7, especially 7:6-27). This is part of the literary background of the story of Joseph that gives it a wisdom flavor. See G. von Rad, God at Work in Israel, 19-35; and G. W. Coats, “The Joseph Story and Ancient Wisdom: A Reappraisal,” CBQ 35 (1973): 285-97.
[39:8] 233 tn Heb “and he said.”
[39:8] 235 tn The word “here” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[39:8] 236 tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.
[39:9] 237 tn The nuance of potential imperfect fits this context.
[39:10] 238 tn The verse begins with the temporal indicator, followed by the infinitive construct with the preposition כְּ (kÿ). This clause could therefore be taken as temporal.
[39:10] 239 tn Heb “listen to.”
[39:10] 240 tn Heb “to lie beside her to be with her.” Here the expression “to lie beside” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[39:11] 241 tn Heb “and it was about this day.”
[39:11] 242 tn Heb “the men of the house.”
[39:12] 243 tn Heb “he fled and he went out.” The construction emphasizes the point that Joseph got out of there quickly.
[39:12] 244 sn For discussion of this episode, see A. M. Honeyman, “The Occasion of Joseph’s Temptation,” VT 2 (1952): 85-87.
[39:14] 245 tn The verb has no expressed subject, and so it could be treated as a passive (“a Hebrew man was brought in”; cf. NIV). But it is clear from the context that her husband brought Joseph into the household, so Potiphar is the apparent referent here. Thus the translation supplies “my husband” as the referent of the unspecified pronominal subject of the verb (cf. NEB, NRSV).
[39:14] 246 sn A Hebrew man. Potiphar’s wife raises the ethnic issue when talking to her servants about what their boss had done.
[39:14] 247 tn Heb “to make fun of us.” The verb translated “to humiliate us” here means to hold something up for ridicule, or to toy with something harmfully. Attempted rape would be such an activity, for it would hold the victim in contempt.
[39:14] 248 tn Heb “he came to me to lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[39:14] 249 tn Heb “and I cried out with a loud voice.”
[39:15] 250 tn Heb “that I raised.”
[39:17] 251 tn Heb “and she spoke to him according to these words, saying.”
[39:17] 252 sn That Hebrew slave. Now, when speaking to her husband, Potiphar’s wife refers to Joseph as a Hebrew slave, a very demeaning description.
[39:17] 253 tn Heb “came to me to make fun of me.” The statement needs no explanation because of the connotations of “came to me” and “to make fun of me.” See the note on the expression “humiliate us” in v. 14.
[39:19] 254 tn Heb “and when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying.”
[39:19] 255 tn Heb “according to these words.”
[39:19] 256 tn Heb “did to me.”
[39:19] 257 tn Heb “his anger burned.”
[39:20] 258 tn Heb “the house of roundness,” suggesting that the prison might have been a fortress or citadel.
[39:20] 259 sn The story of Joseph is filled with cycles and repetition: He has two dreams (chap. 37), he interprets two dreams in prison (chap. 40) and the two dreams of Pharaoh (chap. 41), his brothers make two trips to see him (chaps. 42-43), and here, for the second time (see 37:24), he is imprisoned for no good reason, with only his coat being used as evidence. For further discussion see H. Jacobsen, “A Legal Note on Potiphar’s Wife,” HTR 69 (1976): 177.
[39:21] 260 tn Heb “and he extended to him loyal love.”
[39:21] 261 tn Or “the chief jailer” (also in the following verses).
[39:22] 262 tn Heb “all which they were doing there, he was doing.” This probably means that Joseph was in charge of everything that went on in the prison.
[39:23] 263 tn Heb “was not looking at anything.”
[39:23] 264 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[40:1] 265 sn The Hebrew term cupbearer corresponds to the Egyptian wb’, an official (frequently a foreigner) who often became a confidant of the king and wielded political power (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD3 248). Nehemiah held this post in Persia.
[40:1] 266 sn The baker may be the Egyptian retehti, the head of the bakers, who had privileges in the royal court.
[40:1] 267 sn The Hebrew verb translated offended here is the same one translated “sin” in 39:9. Perhaps there is an intended contrast between these officials, who deserve to be imprisoned, and Joseph, who refused to sin against God, but was thrown into prison in spite of his innocence.
[40:2] 268 tn The Hebrew word סָרִיס (saris), used here of these two men and of Potiphar (see 39:1), normally means “eunuch.” But evidence from Akkadian texts shows that in early times the title was used of a court official in general. Only later did it become more specialized in its use.
[40:4] 269 sn He served them. This is the same Hebrew verb, meaning “to serve as a personal attendant,” that was translated “became [his] servant” in 39:4.
[40:4] 270 tn Heb “they were days in custody.”
[40:5] 271 tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”
[40:5] 272 tn Heb “a man his dream in one night.”
[40:5] 273 tn Heb “a man according to the interpretation of his dream.”
[40:6] 274 tn The verb זָעַף (za’af) only occurs here and Dan 1:10. It means “to be sick, to be emaciated,” probably in this case because of depression.
[40:7] 275 tn Heb “why are your faces sad today?”
[40:8] 276 tn Heb “a dream we dreamed.”
[40:8] 277 tn The word “them” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[40:9] 278 tn The Hebrew text adds “and he said to him.” This has not been translated because it is redundant in English.
[40:11] 279 tn Heb “the cup of Pharaoh.” The pronoun “his” has been used here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[40:11] 280 sn The cupbearer’s dream is dominated by sets of three: three branches, three stages of growth, and three actions of the cupbearer.
[40:12] 281 tn Heb “the three branches [are].”
[40:13] 282 tn Heb “Pharaoh will lift up your head.” This Hebrew idiom usually refers to restoring dignity, office, or power. It is comparable to the modern saying “someone can hold his head up high.”
[40:13] 283 tn Heb “according to the former custom.”
[40:14] 284 tn Heb “but you have remembered me with you.” The perfect verbal form may be used rhetorically here to emphasize Joseph’s desire to be remembered. He speaks of the action as already being accomplished in order to make it clear that he expects it to be done. The form can be translated as volitional, expressing a plea or a request.
[40:14] 285 tn This perfect verbal form with the prefixed conjunction (and the two that immediately follow) carry the same force as the preceding perfect.
[40:14] 286 tn Heb “deal with me [in] kindness.”
[40:14] 287 tn The verb זָכַר (zakhar) in the Hiphil stem means “to cause to remember, to make mention, to boast.” The implication is that Joseph would be pleased for them to tell his story and give him the credit due him so that Pharaoh would release him. Since Pharaoh had never met Joseph, the simple translation of “cause him to remember me” would mean little.
[40:14] 288 tn Heb “house.” The word “prison” has been substituted in the translation for clarity.
[40:15] 289 tn The verb גָּנַב (ganav) means “to steal,” but in the Piel/Pual stem “to steal away.” The idea of “kidnap” would be closer to the sense, meaning he was stolen and carried off. The preceding infinitive absolute underscores the point Joseph is making.
[40:16] 290 tn Heb “that [the] interpretation [was] good.” The words “the first dream” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[40:16] 291 tn Or “three wicker baskets.” The meaning of the Hebrew noun חֹרִי (khori, “white bread, cake”) is uncertain; some have suggested the meaning “wicker” instead. Comparison with texts from Ebla suggests the meaning “pastries made with white flour” (M. Dahood, “Eblaite h¬a-rí and Genesis 40,16 h£o„rî,” BN 13 [1980]: 14-16).
[40:18] 292 tn Heb “the three baskets [are].”
[40:19] 293 tn Heb “Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you.” Joseph repeats the same expression from the first interpretation (see v. 13), but with the added words “from upon you,” which allow the statement to have a more literal and ominous meaning – the baker will be decapitated.
[40:20] 294 tn The translation puts the verb in quotation marks because it is used rhetorically here and has a double meaning. With respect to the cup bearer it means “reinstate” (see v. 13), but with respect to the baker it means “decapitate” (see v. 19).
[40:21] 295 tn Heb “his cupbearing.”
[40:22] 296 tn Heb “had interpreted for them.”
[40:22] sn The dreams were fulfilled exactly as Joseph had predicted, down to the very detail. Here was confirmation that Joseph could interpret dreams and that his own dreams were still valid. It would have been a tremendous encouragement to his faith, but it would also have been a great disappointment to spend two more years in jail.
[40:23] 297 tn The wayyiqtol verbal form here has a reiterative or emphasizing function.
[25:12] 298 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).
[1:26] 299 sn The plural form of the verb has been the subject of much discussion through the years, and not surprisingly several suggestions have been put forward. Many Christian theologians interpret it as an early hint of plurality within the Godhead, but this view imposes later trinitarian concepts on the ancient text. Some have suggested the plural verb indicates majesty, but the plural of majesty is not used with verbs. C. Westermann (Genesis, 1:145) argues for a plural of “deliberation” here, but his proposed examples of this use (2 Sam 24:14; Isa 6:8) do not actually support his theory. In 2 Sam 24:14 David uses the plural as representative of all Israel, and in Isa 6:8 the
[1:26] 300 tn The Hebrew word is אָדָם (’adam), which can sometimes refer to man, as opposed to woman. The term refers here to humankind, comprised of male and female. The singular is clearly collective (see the plural verb, “[that] they may rule” in v. 26b) and the referent is defined specifically as “male and female” in v. 27. Usage elsewhere in Gen 1-11 supports this as well. In 5:2 we read: “Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and called their name ‘humankind’ (אָדָם).” The noun also refers to humankind in 6:1, 5-7 and in 9:5-6.
[1:26] 301 tn The two prepositions translated “in” and “according to” have overlapping fields of meaning and in this context seem to be virtually equivalent. In 5:3 they are reversed with the two words. The word צֶלֶם (tselem, “image”) is used frequently of statues, models, and images – replicas (see D. J. A. Clines, “The Etymology of Hebrew selem,” JNSL 3 [1974]: 19-25). The word דְּמוּת (dÿmut, “likeness”) is an abstract noun; its verbal root means “to be like; to resemble.” In the Book of Genesis the two terms describe human beings who in some way reflect the form and the function of the creator. The form is more likely stressing the spiritual rather than the physical. The “image of God” would be the God-given mental and spiritual capacities that enable people to relate to God and to serve him by ruling over the created order as his earthly vice-regents.
[1:26] sn In our image, after our likeness. Similar language is used in the instructions for building the tabernacle. Moses was told to make it “according to the pattern” he was shown on the mount (Exod 25:9, 10). Was he shown a form, a replica, of the spiritual sanctuary in the heavenly places? In any case, what was produced on earth functioned as the heavenly sanctuary does, but with limitations.
[1:26] 302 tn Following the cohortative (“let us make”), the prefixed verb form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result (see Gen 19:20; 34:23; 2 Sam 3:21). God’s purpose in giving humankind his image is that they might rule the created order on behalf of the heavenly king and his royal court. So the divine image, however it is defined, gives humankind the capacity and/or authority to rule over creation.
[1:26] 303 tc The MT reads “earth”; the Syriac reads “wild animals” (cf. NRSV).
[1:26] 304 tn Heb “creep” (also in v. 28).
[1:1] 305 tn The translation assumes that the form translated “beginning” is in the absolute state rather than the construct (“in the beginning of,” or “when God created”). In other words, the clause in v. 1 is a main clause, v. 2 has three clauses that are descriptive and supply background information, and v. 3 begins the narrative sequence proper. The referent of the word “beginning” has to be defined from the context since there is no beginning or ending with God.
[1:1] sn In the beginning. The verse refers to the beginning of the world as we know it; it affirms that it is entirely the product of the creation of God. But there are two ways that this verse can be interpreted: (1) It may be taken to refer to the original act of creation with the rest of the events on the days of creation completing it. This would mean that the disjunctive clauses of v. 2 break the sequence of the creative work of the first day. (2) It may be taken as a summary statement of what the chapter will record, that is, vv. 3-31 are about God’s creating the world as we know it. If the first view is adopted, then we have a reference here to original creation; if the second view is taken, then Genesis itself does not account for the original creation of matter. To follow this view does not deny that the Bible teaches that God created everything out of nothing (cf. John 1:3) – it simply says that Genesis is not making that affirmation. This second view presupposes the existence of pre-existent matter, when God said, “Let there be light.” The first view includes the description of the primordial state as part of the events of day one. The following narrative strongly favors the second view, for the “heavens/sky” did not exist prior to the second day of creation (see v. 8) and “earth/dry land” did not exist, at least as we know it, prior to the third day of creation (see v. 10).
[1:1] 306 sn God. This frequently used Hebrew name for God (אֱלֹהִים,’elohim ) is a plural form. When it refers to the one true God, the singular verb is normally used, as here. The plural form indicates majesty; the name stresses God’s sovereignty and incomparability – he is the “God of gods.”
[1:1] 307 tn The English verb “create” captures well the meaning of the Hebrew term in this context. The verb בָּרָא (bara’) always describes the divine activity of fashioning something new, fresh, and perfect. The verb does not necessarily describe creation out of nothing (see, for example, v. 27, where it refers to the creation of man); it often stresses forming anew, reforming, renewing (see Ps 51:10; Isa 43:15, 65:17).
[1:1] 308 tn Or “the entire universe”; or “the sky and the dry land.” This phrase is often interpreted as a merism, referring to the entire ordered universe, including the heavens and the earth and everything in them. The “heavens and the earth” were completed in seven days (see Gen 2:1) and are characterized by fixed laws (see Jer 33:25). “Heavens” refers specifically to the sky, created on the second day (see v. 8), while “earth” refers specifically to the dry land, created on the third day (see v. 10). Both are distinct from the sea/seas (see v. 10 and Exod 20:11).
[1:1] 309 tn The translation assumes that the form translated “beginning” is in the absolute state rather than the construct (“in the beginning of,” or “when God created”). In other words, the clause in v. 1 is a main clause, v. 2 has three clauses that are descriptive and supply background information, and v. 3 begins the narrative sequence proper. The referent of the word “beginning” has to be defined from the context since there is no beginning or ending with God.
[1:1] sn In the beginning. The verse refers to the beginning of the world as we know it; it affirms that it is entirely the product of the creation of God. But there are two ways that this verse can be interpreted: (1) It may be taken to refer to the original act of creation with the rest of the events on the days of creation completing it. This would mean that the disjunctive clauses of v. 2 break the sequence of the creative work of the first day. (2) It may be taken as a summary statement of what the chapter will record, that is, vv. 3-31 are about God’s creating the world as we know it. If the first view is adopted, then we have a reference here to original creation; if the second view is taken, then Genesis itself does not account for the original creation of matter. To follow this view does not deny that the Bible teaches that God created everything out of nothing (cf. John 1:3) – it simply says that Genesis is not making that affirmation. This second view presupposes the existence of pre-existent matter, when God said, “Let there be light.” The first view includes the description of the primordial state as part of the events of day one. The following narrative strongly favors the second view, for the “heavens/sky” did not exist prior to the second day of creation (see v. 8) and “earth/dry land” did not exist, at least as we know it, prior to the third day of creation (see v. 10).
[1:1] 310 sn God. This frequently used Hebrew name for God (אֱלֹהִים,’elohim ) is a plural form. When it refers to the one true God, the singular verb is normally used, as here. The plural form indicates majesty; the name stresses God’s sovereignty and incomparability – he is the “God of gods.”
[1:1] 311 tn The English verb “create” captures well the meaning of the Hebrew term in this context. The verb בָּרָא (bara’) always describes the divine activity of fashioning something new, fresh, and perfect. The verb does not necessarily describe creation out of nothing (see, for example, v. 27, where it refers to the creation of man); it often stresses forming anew, reforming, renewing (see Ps 51:10; Isa 43:15, 65:17).
[1:1] 312 tn Or “the entire universe”; or “the sky and the dry land.” This phrase is often interpreted as a merism, referring to the entire ordered universe, including the heavens and the earth and everything in them. The “heavens and the earth” were completed in seven days (see Gen 2:1) and are characterized by fixed laws (see Jer 33:25). “Heavens” refers specifically to the sky, created on the second day (see v. 8), while “earth” refers specifically to the dry land, created on the third day (see v. 10). Both are distinct from the sea/seas (see v. 10 and Exod 20:11).
[13:20] 313 tn Heb “she will not be inhabited forever, and she will not be dwelt in to generation and generation (i.e., forever).” The Lord declares that Babylon, personified as a woman, will not be inhabited. In other words, her people will be destroyed and the Chaldean empire will come to a permanent end.
[13:20] 314 tn Or “Arab” (NAB, NASB, NIV); cf. CEV, NLT “nomads.”
[13:20] 315 tn יַהֵל (yahel) is probably a corrupted form of יֶאֱהַל (ye’ehal). See GKC 186 §68.k.
[13:20] 316 tn The words “their flocks” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text does not supply the object here, but see Jer 33:12.
[13:21] 317 tn The word “ruined” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[13:21] 318 tn The precise referent of this word in uncertain. See HALOT 29 s.v. *אֹחַ. Various English versions translate as “owls” (e.g., NAB, NASB), “wild dogs” (NCV); “jackals” (NIV); “howling creatures” (NRSV, NLT).
[13:21] 319 tn Heb “will skip there.”
[13:22] 320 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “wild dogs will yip among his widows, and jackals in the palaces of pleasure.” The verb “yip” is supplied in the second line; it does double duty in the parallel structure. “His widows” makes little sense in this context; many emend the form (אַלְמנוֹתָיו, ’almnotayv) to the graphically similar אַרְמְנוֹתֶיהָ (’armÿnoteha, “her fortresses”), a reading that is assumed in the present translation. The use of “widows” may represent an intentional wordplay on “fortresses,” indicating that the fortresses are like dejected widows (J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah [NICOT], 1:308, n. 1).
[13:22] 321 tn Heb “near to come is her time.”
[13:22] 322 sn When was the prophecy of Babylon’s fall fulfilled? Some argue that the prophecy was fulfilled in 689
[14:22] 323 tn Heb “I will cut off from Babylon name and remnant” (ASV, NAB, and NRSV all similar).
[14:22] 324 tn Heb “descendant and child.”
[18:21] 325 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
[18:21] 326 tn On ὅρμημα ({ormhma) BDAG 724 s.v. states, “violent rush, onset ὁρμήματι βληθήσεται Βαβυλών Babylon will be thrown down with violence Rv 18:21.” L&N 68.82 refers to the suddenness of the force or violence.
[18:21] 327 sn Thrown down is a play on both the words and the action. The angel’s action with the stone illustrates the kind of sudden violent force with which the city will be overthrown.
[18:22] 328 tn The shift to a second person pronoun here corresponds to the Greek text.
[18:22] 329 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[18:22] 330 tn On this term BDAG 1001 s.v. τεχνίτης states, “craftsperson, artisan, designer…Of a silversmith Ac 19:24, 25 v.l., 38….Of a potter 2 Cl 8:2 (metaph., cp. Ath. 15:2). πᾶς τεχνίτης πάσης τέχνης Rv 18:22.”
[18:22] 331 tn This is a different Greek word (μύλος, mulos) from the one for the millstone in v. 21 (μύλινος, mulinos). See L&N 7.68.
[18:23] 332 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
[18:23] 333 tn On the term φαρμακεία (farmakeia, “magic spells”) see L&N 53.100: “the use of magic, often involving drugs and the casting of spells upon people – ‘to practice magic, to cast spells upon, to engage in sorcery, magic, sorcery.’ φαρμακεία: ἐν τῇ φαρμακείᾳ σου ἐπλανήθησαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ‘with your magic spells you deceived all the peoples (of the world)’ Re 18:23.”
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