Kejadian 11:1--50:26

The Dispersion of the Nations at Babel

11:1 The whole earth ¹  had a common language and a common vocabulary. ²  11:2 When the people ³  moved eastward, ⁴  they found a plain in Shinar ⁵  and settled there. 11:3 Then they said to one another, ⁶  “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” ⁷  (They had brick instead of stone and tar ⁸  instead of mortar.) ⁹  11:4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens ¹⁰  so that ¹¹  we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise ¹²  we will be scattered ¹³  across the face of the entire earth.”

11:5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people ¹⁴  had started ¹⁵  building. 11:6 And the Lord said, “If as one people all sharing a common language ¹⁶  they have begun to do this, then ¹⁷  nothing they plan to do will be beyond them. ¹⁸  11:7 Come, let’s go down and confuse ¹⁹  their language so they won’t be able to understand each other.” ²⁰ 

11:8 So the Lord scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth, and they stopped building ²¹  the city. 11:9 That is why its name was called ²²  Babel ²³  – because there the Lord confused the language of the entire world, and from there the Lord scattered them across the face of the entire earth.

The Genealogy of Shem

11:10 This is the account of Shem.

Shem was 100 old when he became the father of Arphaxad, two years after the flood. 11:11 And after becoming the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other ²⁴  sons and daughters.

11:12 When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. 11:13 And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other ²⁵  sons and daughters. ²⁶ 

11:14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. 11:15 And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other ²⁷  sons and daughters.

11:16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. 11:17 And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. 11:19 And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug. 11:21 And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. 11:23 And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. 11:25 And after he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

The Record of Terah

11:27 This is the account of Terah.

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 11:28 Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans, ²⁸  while his father Terah was still alive. ²⁹  11:29 And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, ³⁰  and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah; ³¹  she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 11:30 But Sarai was barren; she had no children.

11:31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (the son of Haran), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and with them he set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. When they came to Haran, they settled there. 11:32 The lifetime ³²  of Terah was 205 years, and he ³³  died in Haran.

The Obedience of Abram

12:1 Now the Lord said ³⁴  to Abram, ³⁵ 

“Go out ³⁶  from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household

to the land that I will show you. ³⁷ 

12:2 Then I will make you ³⁸  into a great nation, and I will bless you, ³⁹ 

and I will make your name great, ⁴⁰ 

so that you will exemplify divine blessing. ⁴¹ 

12:3 I will bless those who bless you, ⁴² 

but the one who treats you lightly ⁴³  I must curse,

and all the families of the earth will bless one another ⁴⁴  by your name.”

12:4 So Abram left, ⁴⁵  just as the Lord had told him to do, ⁴⁶  and Lot went with him. (Now ⁴⁷  Abram was 75 years old ⁴⁸  when he departed from Haran.) 12:5 And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew ⁴⁹  Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired ⁵⁰  in Haran, and they left for ⁵¹  the land of Canaan. They entered the land of Canaan.

12:6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the oak tree ⁵²  of Moreh ⁵³  at Shechem. ⁵⁴  (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) ⁵⁵  12:7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants ⁵⁶  I will give this land.” So Abram ⁵⁷  built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

12:8 Then he moved from there to the hill country east of Bethel ⁵⁸  and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and worshiped the Lord. ⁵⁹  12:9 Abram continually journeyed by stages ⁶⁰  down to the Negev. ⁶¹ 

The Promised Blessing Jeopardized

12:10 There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt ⁶²  to stay for a while ⁶³  because the famine was severe. ⁶⁴  12:11 As he approached ⁶⁵  Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, ⁶⁶  I know that you are a beautiful woman. ⁶⁷  12:12 When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive. ⁶⁸  12:13 So tell them ⁶⁹  you are my sister ⁷⁰  so that it may go well ⁷¹  for me because of you and my life will be spared ⁷²  on account of you.”

12:14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 12:15 When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. So Abram’s wife ⁷³  was taken ⁷⁴  into the household of Pharaoh, ⁷⁵  12:16 and he did treat Abram well ⁷⁶  on account of her. Abram received ⁷⁷  sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

12:17 But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases ⁷⁸  because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 12:18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this ⁷⁹  you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? 12:19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her ⁸⁰  to be my wife? ⁸¹  Here is your wife! ⁸²  Take her and go!” ⁸³  12:20 Pharaoh gave his men orders about Abram, ⁸⁴  and so they expelled him, along with his wife and all his possessions.

Abram’s Solution to the Strife

13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt into the Negev. ⁸⁵  He took his wife and all his possessions with him, as well as Lot. ⁸⁶  13:2 (Now Abram was very wealthy ⁸⁷  in livestock, silver, and gold.) ⁸⁸ 

13:3 And he journeyed from place to place ⁸⁹  from the Negev as far as Bethel. ⁹⁰  He returned ⁹¹  to the place where he had pitched his tent ⁹²  at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai. 13:4 This was the place where he had first built the altar, ⁹³  and there Abram worshiped the Lord. ⁹⁴ 

13:5 Now Lot, who was traveling ⁹⁵  with Abram, also had ⁹⁶  flocks, herds, and tents. 13:6 But the land could ⁹⁷  not support them while they were living side by side. ⁹⁸  Because their possessions were so great, they were not able to live ⁹⁹  alongside one another. 13:7 So there were quarrels ¹⁰⁰  between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. ¹⁰¹  (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.) ¹⁰² 

13:8 Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no quarreling between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are close relatives. ¹⁰³  13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself now from me. If you go ¹⁰⁴  to the left, then I’ll go to the right, but if you go to the right, then I’ll go to the left.”

13:10 Lot looked up and saw ¹⁰⁵  the whole region ¹⁰⁶  of the Jordan. He noticed ¹⁰⁷  that all of it was well-watered (before the Lord obliterated ¹⁰⁸  Sodom and Gomorrah) ¹⁰⁹  like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, ¹¹⁰  all the way to Zoar. 13:11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled ¹¹¹  toward the east.

So the relatives separated from each other. ¹¹²  13:12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled among the cities of the Jordan plain ¹¹³  and pitched his tents next to Sodom. 13:13 (Now ¹¹⁴  the people ¹¹⁵  of Sodom were extremely wicked rebels against the Lord.) ¹¹⁶ 

13:14 After Lot had departed, the Lord said to Abram, ¹¹⁷  “Look ¹¹⁸  from the place where you stand to the north, south, east, and west. 13:15 I will give all the land that you see to you and your descendants ¹¹⁹  forever. 13:16 And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted. ¹²⁰  13:17 Get up and ¹²¹  walk throughout ¹²²  the land, ¹²³  for I will give it to you.”

13:18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live ¹²⁴  by the oaks ¹²⁵  of Mamre in Hebron, and he built an altar to the Lord there.

The Blessing of Victory for God’s People

14:1 At that time ¹²⁶  Amraphel king of Shinar, ¹²⁷  Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations ¹²⁸  14:2 went to war ¹²⁹  against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). ¹³⁰  14:3 These last five kings ¹³¹  joined forces ¹³²  in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). ¹³³  14:4 For twelve years ¹³⁴  they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year ¹³⁵  they rebelled. ¹³⁶  14:5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were his allies came and defeated ¹³⁷  the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 14:6 and the Horites in their hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is near the desert. ¹³⁸  14:7 Then they attacked En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) again, ¹³⁹  and they conquered all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.

14:8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and prepared for battle. In the Valley of Siddim they met ¹⁴⁰  14:9 Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, ¹⁴¹  Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. Four kings fought against ¹⁴²  five. 14:10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. ¹⁴³  When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, ¹⁴⁴  but some survivors ¹⁴⁵  fled to the hills. ¹⁴⁶  14:11 The four victorious kings ¹⁴⁷  took all the possessions and food of Sodom and Gomorrah and left. 14:12 They also took Abram’s nephew ¹⁴⁸  Lot and his possessions when ¹⁴⁹  they left, for Lot ¹⁵⁰  was living in Sodom. ¹⁵¹ 

14:13 A fugitive ¹⁵²  came and told Abram the Hebrew. ¹⁵³  Now Abram was living by the oaks ¹⁵⁴  of Mamre the Amorite, the brother ¹⁵⁵  of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty ¹⁵⁶  with Abram.) ¹⁵⁷  14:14 When Abram heard that his nephew ¹⁵⁸  had been taken captive, he mobilized ¹⁵⁹  his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders ¹⁶⁰  as far as Dan. ¹⁶¹  14:15 Then, during the night, ¹⁶²  Abram ¹⁶³  divided his forces ¹⁶⁴  against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north ¹⁶⁵  of Damascus. 14:16 He retrieved all the stolen property. ¹⁶⁶  He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of ¹⁶⁷  the people.

14:17 After Abram ¹⁶⁸  returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram ¹⁶⁹  in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley). ¹⁷⁰  14:18 Melchizedek king of Salem ¹⁷¹  brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.) ¹⁷²  14:19 He blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by ¹⁷³  the Most High God,

Creator ¹⁷⁴  of heaven and earth. ¹⁷⁵ 

14:20 Worthy of praise is ¹⁷⁶  the Most High God,

who delivered ¹⁷⁷  your enemies into your hand.”

Abram gave Melchizedek ¹⁷⁸  a tenth of everything.

14:21 Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and take the possessions for yourself.” 14:22 But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I raise my hand ¹⁷⁹  to the Lord, the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, and vow ¹⁸⁰  14:23 that I will take nothing ¹⁸¹  belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, ‘It is I ¹⁸²  who made Abram rich.’ 14:24 I will take nothing ¹⁸³  except compensation for what the young men have eaten. ¹⁸⁴  As for the share of the men who went with me – Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre – let them take their share.”

The Cutting of the Covenant

15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield ¹⁸⁵  and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” ¹⁸⁶ 

15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, ¹⁸⁷  what will you give me since ¹⁸⁸  I continue to be ¹⁸⁹  childless, and my heir ¹⁹⁰  is ¹⁹¹  Eliezer of Damascus?” ¹⁹²  15:3 Abram added, ¹⁹³  “Since ¹⁹⁴  you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!” ¹⁹⁵ 

15:4 But look, ¹⁹⁶  the word of the Lord came to him: “This man ¹⁹⁷  will not be your heir, ¹⁹⁸  but instead ¹⁹⁹  a son ²⁰⁰  who comes from your own body will be ²⁰¹  your heir.” ²⁰²  15:5 The Lord ²⁰³  took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”

15:6 Abram believed ²⁰⁴  the Lord, and the Lord ²⁰⁵  considered his response of faith ²⁰⁶  as proof of genuine loyalty. ²⁰⁷ 

15:7 The Lord said ²⁰⁸  to him, “I am the Lord ²⁰⁹  who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans ²¹⁰  to give you this land to possess.” 15:8 But ²¹¹  Abram ²¹²  said, “O sovereign Lord, ²¹³  by what ²¹⁴  can I know that I am to possess it?”

15:9 The Lord ²¹⁵  said to him, “Take for me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” 15:10 So Abram ²¹⁶  took all these for him and then cut them in two ²¹⁷  and placed each half opposite the other, ²¹⁸  but he did not cut the birds in half. 15:11 When birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

15:12 When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep, ²¹⁹  and great terror overwhelmed him. ²²⁰  15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain ²²¹  that your descendants will be strangers ²²²  in a foreign country. ²²³  They will be enslaved and oppressed ²²⁴  for four hundred years. 15:14 But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. ²²⁵  Afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15:15 But as for you, ²²⁶  you will go to your ancestors ²²⁷  in peace and be buried at a good old age. ²²⁸  15:16 In the fourth generation ²²⁹  your descendants ²³⁰  will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” ²³¹ 

15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch ²³²  passed between the animal parts. ²³³  15:18 That day the Lord made a covenant ²³⁴  with Abram: “To your descendants I give ²³⁵  this land, from the river of Egypt ²³⁶  to the great river, the Euphrates River – 15:19 the land ²³⁷  of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 15:20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 15:21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” ²³⁸ 

The Birth of Ishmael

16:1 Now Sarai, ²³⁹  Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, ²⁴⁰  but she had an Egyptian servant ²⁴¹  named Hagar. ²⁴²  16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Since ²⁴³  the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with ²⁴⁴  my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” ²⁴⁵  Abram did what ²⁴⁶  Sarai told him.

16:3 So after Abram had lived ²⁴⁷  in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, ²⁴⁸  to her husband to be his wife. ²⁴⁹  16:4 He had sexual relations with ²⁵⁰  Hagar, and she became pregnant. ²⁵¹  Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai. ²⁵²  16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! ²⁵³  I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, ²⁵⁴  but when she realized ²⁵⁵  that she was pregnant, she despised me. ²⁵⁶  May the Lord judge between you and me!” ²⁵⁷ 

16:6 Abram said to Sarai, “Since your ²⁵⁸  servant is under your authority, ²⁵⁹  do to her whatever you think best.” ²⁶⁰  Then Sarai treated Hagar ²⁶¹  harshly, ²⁶²  so she ran away from Sarai. ²⁶³ 

16:7 The Lord’s angel ²⁶⁴  found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert – the spring that is along the road to Shur. ²⁶⁵  16:8 He said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She replied, “I’m running away from ²⁶⁶  my mistress, Sarai.”

16:9 Then the Lord’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit ²⁶⁷  to her authority. 16:10 I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, ²⁶⁸  “so that they will be too numerous to count.” ²⁶⁹  16:11 Then the Lord’s angel said to her,

“You are now ²⁷⁰  pregnant

and are about to give birth ²⁷¹  to a son.

You are to name him Ishmael, ²⁷² 

for the Lord has heard your painful groans. ²⁷³ 

16:12 He will be a wild donkey ²⁷⁴  of a man.

He will be hostile to everyone, ²⁷⁵ 

and everyone will be hostile to him. ²⁷⁶ 

He will live away from ²⁷⁷  his brothers.”

16:13 So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” ²⁷⁸  for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” ²⁷⁹  16:14 That is why the well was called ²⁸⁰  Beer Lahai Roi. ²⁸¹  (It is located ²⁸²  between Kadesh and Bered.)

16:15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. ²⁸³  16:16 (Now ²⁸⁴  Abram was 86 years old ²⁸⁵  when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.) ²⁸⁶ 

The Sign of the Covenant

17:1 When Abram was 99 years old, ²⁸⁷  the Lord appeared to him and said, ²⁸⁸  “I am the sovereign God. ²⁸⁹  Walk ²⁹⁰  before me ²⁹¹  and be blameless. ²⁹²  17:2 Then I will confirm my covenant ²⁹³  between me and you, and I will give you a multitude of descendants.” ²⁹⁴ 

17:3 Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, ²⁹⁵  and God said to him, ²⁹⁶  17:4 “As for me, ²⁹⁷  this ²⁹⁸  is my covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 17:5 No longer will your name be ²⁹⁹  Abram. Instead, your name will be Abraham ³⁰⁰  because I will make you ³⁰¹  the father of a multitude of nations. 17:6 I will make you ³⁰²  extremely ³⁰³  fruitful. I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. ³⁰⁴  17:7 I will confirm ³⁰⁵  my covenant as a perpetual ³⁰⁶  covenant between me and you. It will extend to your descendants after you throughout their generations. I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you. ³⁰⁷  17:8 I will give the whole land of Canaan – the land where you are now residing ³⁰⁸  – to you and your descendants after you as a permanent ³⁰⁹  possession. I will be their God.”

17:9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep ³¹⁰  the covenantal requirement ³¹¹  I am imposing on you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 17:10 This is my requirement that you and your descendants after you must keep: ³¹²  Every male among you must be circumcised. ³¹³  17:11 You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins. This will be a reminder ³¹⁴  of the covenant between me and you. 17:12 Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old ³¹⁵  must be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not one of your descendants. 17:13 They must indeed be circumcised, ³¹⁶  whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of my covenant ³¹⁷  will be visible in your flesh as a permanent ³¹⁸  reminder. 17:14 Any uncircumcised male ³¹⁹  who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off ³²⁰  from his people – he has failed to carry out my requirement.” ³²¹ 

17:15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for your wife, you must no longer call her Sarai; ³²²  Sarah ³²³  will be her name. 17:16 I will bless her and will give you a son through her. I will bless her and she will become a mother of nations. ³²⁴  Kings of countries ³²⁵  will come from her!”

17:17 Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed ³²⁶  as he said to himself, ³²⁷  “Can ³²⁸  a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? ³²⁹  Can Sarah ³³⁰  bear a child at the age of ninety?” ³³¹  17:18 Abraham said to God, “O that ³³²  Ishmael might live before you!” ³³³ 

17:19 God said, “No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. ³³⁴  I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual ³³⁵  covenant for his descendants after him. 17:20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. ³³⁶  I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. ³³⁷  He will become the father of twelve princes; ³³⁸  I will make him into a great nation. 17:21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.” 17:22 When he finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. ³³⁹ 

17:23 Abraham took his son Ishmael and every male in his household (whether born in his house or bought with money) ³⁴⁰  and circumcised them ³⁴¹  on that very same day, just as God had told him to do. 17:24 Now Abraham was 99 years old ³⁴²  when he was circumcised; ³⁴³  17:25 his son Ishmael was thirteen years old ³⁴⁴  when he was circumcised. 17:26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the very same day. 17:27 All the men of his household, whether born in his household or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

Three Special Visitors

18:1 The Lord appeared to Abraham ³⁴⁵  by the oaks ³⁴⁶  of Mamre while ³⁴⁷  he was sitting at the entrance ³⁴⁸  to his tent during the hottest time of the day. 18:2 Abraham ³⁴⁹  looked up ³⁵⁰  and saw ³⁵¹  three men standing across ³⁵²  from him. When he saw them ³⁵³  he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low ³⁵⁴  to the ground. ³⁵⁵ 

18:3 He said, “My lord, ³⁵⁶  if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by and leave your servant. ³⁵⁷  18:4 Let a little water be brought so that ³⁵⁸  you may all ³⁵⁹  wash your feet and rest under the tree. 18:5 And let me get ³⁶⁰  a bit of food ³⁶¹  so that you may refresh yourselves ³⁶²  since you have passed by your servant’s home. After that you may be on your way.” ³⁶³  “All right,” they replied, “you may do as you say.”

18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Take ³⁶⁴  three measures ³⁶⁵  of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.” ³⁶⁶  18:7 Then Abraham ran to the herd and chose a fine, tender calf, and gave it to a servant, ³⁶⁷  who quickly prepared it. ³⁶⁸  18:8 Abraham ³⁶⁹  then took some curds and milk, along with the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food ³⁷⁰  before them. They ate while ³⁷¹  he was standing near them under a tree.

18:9 Then they asked him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, ³⁷²  in the tent.” 18:10 One of them ³⁷³  said, “I will surely return ³⁷⁴  to you when the season comes round again, ³⁷⁵  and your wife Sarah will have a son!” ³⁷⁶  (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him. ³⁷⁷  18:11 Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; ³⁷⁸  Sarah had long since passed menopause.) ³⁷⁹  18:12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, ³⁸⁰  “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, ³⁸¹  especially when my husband is old too?” ³⁸² 

18:13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why ³⁸³  did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really ³⁸⁴  have a child when I am old?’ 18:14 Is anything impossible ³⁸⁵  for the Lord? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son.” ³⁸⁶  18:15 Then Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. But the Lord said, “No! You did laugh.” ³⁸⁷ 

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

18:16 When the men got up to leave, ³⁸⁸  they looked out over ³⁸⁹  Sodom. (Now ³⁹⁰  Abraham was walking with them to see them on their way.) ³⁹¹  18:17 Then the Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? ³⁹²  18:18 After all, Abraham ³⁹³  will surely become ³⁹⁴  a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ³⁹⁵  using his name. 18:19 I have chosen him ³⁹⁶  so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep ³⁹⁷  the way of the Lord by doing ³⁹⁸  what is right and just. Then the Lord will give ³⁹⁹  to Abraham what he promised ⁴⁰⁰  him.”

18:20 So the Lord said, “The outcry against ⁴⁰¹  Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant ⁴⁰²  18:21 that I must go down ⁴⁰³  and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. ⁴⁰⁴  If not, ⁴⁰⁵  I want to know.”

18:22 The two men turned ⁴⁰⁶  and headed ⁴⁰⁷  toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord. ⁴⁰⁸  18:23 Abraham approached and said, “Will you sweep away the godly along with the wicked? 18:24 What if there are fifty godly people in the city? Will you really wipe it out and not spare ⁴⁰⁹  the place for the sake of the fifty godly people who are in it? 18:25 Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge ⁴¹⁰  of the whole earth do what is right?” ⁴¹¹ 

18:26 So the Lord replied, “If I find in the city of Sodom fifty godly people, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

18:27 Then Abraham asked, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord ⁴¹²  (although I am but dust and ashes), ⁴¹³  18:28 what if there are five less than the fifty godly people? Will you destroy ⁴¹⁴  the whole city because five are lacking?” ⁴¹⁵  He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

18:29 Abraham ⁴¹⁶  spoke to him again, ⁴¹⁷  “What if forty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.”

18:30 Then Abraham ⁴¹⁸  said, “May the Lord not be angry ⁴¹⁹  so that I may speak! ⁴²⁰  What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

18:31 Abraham ⁴²¹  said, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”

18:32 Finally Abraham ⁴²²  said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”

18:33 The Lord went on his way ⁴²³  when he had finished speaking ⁴²⁴  to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home. ⁴²⁵ 

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while ⁴²⁶  Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway. ⁴²⁷  When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face toward the ground.

19:2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night ⁴²⁸  and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” ⁴²⁹  “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” ⁴³⁰ 

19:3 But he urged ⁴³¹  them persistently, so they turned aside with him and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them, including bread baked without yeast, and they ate. 19:4 Before they could lie down to sleep, ⁴³²  all the men – both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom – surrounded the house. ⁴³³  19:5 They shouted to Lot, ⁴³⁴  “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex ⁴³⁵  with them!”

19:6 Lot went outside to them, shutting the door behind him. 19:7 He said, “No, my brothers! Don’t act so wickedly! ⁴³⁶  19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with ⁴³⁷  a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. ⁴³⁸  Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection ⁴³⁹  of my roof.” ⁴⁴⁰ 

19:9 “Out of our way!” ⁴⁴¹  they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, ⁴⁴²  and now he dares to judge us! ⁴⁴³  We’ll do more harm ⁴⁴⁴  to you than to them!” They kept ⁴⁴⁵  pressing in on Lot until they were close enough ⁴⁴⁶  to break down the door.

19:10 So the men inside ⁴⁴⁷  reached out ⁴⁴⁸  and pulled Lot back into the house ⁴⁴⁹  as they shut the door. 19:11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, from the youngest to the oldest, ⁴⁵⁰  with blindness. The men outside ⁴⁵¹  wore themselves out trying to find the door. 19:12 Then the two visitors ⁴⁵²  said to Lot, “Who else do you have here? ⁴⁵³  Do you have ⁴⁵⁴  any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city? ⁴⁵⁵  Get them out of this ⁴⁵⁶  place 19:13 because we are about to destroy ⁴⁵⁷  it. The outcry against this place ⁴⁵⁸  is so great before the Lord that he ⁴⁵⁹  has sent us to destroy it.”

19:14 Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters. ⁴⁶⁰  He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy ⁴⁶¹  the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them. ⁴⁶² 

19:15 At dawn ⁴⁶³  the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, ⁴⁶⁴  or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!” ⁴⁶⁵  19:16 When Lot ⁴⁶⁶  hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. ⁴⁶⁷  They led them away and placed them ⁴⁶⁸  outside the city. 19:17 When they had brought them outside, they ⁴⁶⁹  said, “Run ⁴⁷⁰  for your lives! Don’t look ⁴⁷¹  behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! ⁴⁷²  Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”

19:18 But Lot said to them, “No, please, Lord! ⁴⁷³  19:19 Your ⁴⁷⁴  servant has found favor with you, ⁴⁷⁵  and you have shown me great ⁴⁷⁶  kindness ⁴⁷⁷  by sparing ⁴⁷⁸  my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because ⁴⁷⁹  this disaster will overtake ⁴⁸⁰  me and I’ll die. ⁴⁸¹  19:20 Look, this town ⁴⁸²  over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one. ⁴⁸³  Let me go there. ⁴⁸⁴  It’s just a little place, isn’t it? ⁴⁸⁵  Then I’ll survive.” ⁴⁸⁶ 

19:21 “Very well,” he replied, ⁴⁸⁷  “I will grant this request too ⁴⁸⁸  and will not overthrow ⁴⁸⁹  the town you mentioned. 19:22 Run there quickly, ⁴⁹⁰  for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.) ⁴⁹¹ 

19:23 The sun had just risen ⁴⁹²  over the land as Lot reached Zoar. ⁴⁹³  19:24 Then the Lord rained down ⁴⁹⁴  sulfur and fire ⁴⁹⁵  on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord. ⁴⁹⁶  19:25 So he overthrew those cities and all that region, ⁴⁹⁷  including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew ⁴⁹⁸  from the ground. 19:26 But Lot’s ⁴⁹⁹  wife looked back longingly ⁵⁰⁰  and was turned into a pillar of salt.

19:27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went ⁵⁰¹  to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 19:28 He looked out toward ⁵⁰²  Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region. ⁵⁰³  As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace. ⁵⁰⁴ 

19:29 So when God destroyed ⁵⁰⁵  the cities of the region, ⁵⁰⁶  God honored ⁵⁰⁷  Abraham’s request. He removed Lot ⁵⁰⁸  from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed ⁵⁰⁹  the cities Lot had lived in.

19:30 Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and settled in the mountains because he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 19:31 Later the older daughter said ⁵¹⁰  to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby ⁵¹¹  to have sexual relations with us, ⁵¹²  according to the way of all the world. 19:32 Come, let’s make our father drunk with wine ⁵¹³  so we can have sexual relations ⁵¹⁴  with him and preserve ⁵¹⁵  our family line through our father.” ⁵¹⁶ 

19:33 So that night they made their father drunk with wine, ⁵¹⁷  and the older daughter ⁵¹⁸  came and had sexual relations with her father. ⁵¹⁹  But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. ⁵²⁰  19:34 So in the morning the older daughter ⁵²¹  said to the younger, “Since I had sexual relations with my father last night, let’s make him drunk again tonight. ⁵²²  Then you go and have sexual relations with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” ⁵²³  19:35 So they made their father drunk ⁵²⁴  that night as well, and the younger one came and had sexual relations with him. ⁵²⁵  But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. ⁵²⁶ 

19:36 In this way both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 19:37 The older daughter ⁵²⁷  gave birth to a son and named him Moab. ⁵²⁸  He is the ancestor of the Moabites of today. 19:38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-Ammi. ⁵²⁹  He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today.

Abraham and Abimelech

20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev ⁵³⁰  region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident ⁵³¹  in Gerar, 20:2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.

20:3 But God appeared ⁵³²  to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead ⁵³³  because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” ⁵³⁴ 

20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, ⁵³⁵  would you really slaughter an innocent nation? ⁵³⁶  20:5 Did Abraham ⁵³⁷  not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ⁵³⁸  ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience ⁵³⁹  and with innocent hands!”

20:6 Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. ⁵⁴⁰  That is why I have kept you ⁵⁴¹  from sinning against me and why ⁵⁴²  I did not allow you to touch her. 20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed ⁵⁴³  he is a prophet ⁵⁴⁴  and he will pray for you; thus you will live. ⁵⁴⁵  But if you don’t give her back, ⁵⁴⁶  know that you will surely die ⁵⁴⁷  along with all who belong to you.”

20:8 Early in the morning ⁵⁴⁸  Abimelech summoned ⁵⁴⁹  all his servants. When he told them about all these things, ⁵⁵⁰  they ⁵⁵¹  were terrified. 20:9 Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom? ⁵⁵²  You have done things to me that should not be done!” ⁵⁵³  20:10 Then Abimelech asked ⁵⁵⁴  Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” ⁵⁵⁵ 

20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ⁵⁵⁶  ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of ⁵⁵⁷  my wife.’ 20:12 What’s more, ⁵⁵⁸  she is indeed my sister, my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s daughter. She became my wife. 20:13 When God made me wander ⁵⁵⁹  from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: ⁵⁶⁰  Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”

20:14 So Abimelech gave ⁵⁶¹  sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him. 20:15 Then Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please.” ⁵⁶² 

20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver ⁵⁶³  to your ‘brother.’ ⁵⁶⁴  This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.” ⁵⁶⁵ 

20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children. 20:18 For the Lord ⁵⁶⁶  had caused infertility to strike every woman ⁵⁶⁷  in the household of Abimelech because he took ⁵⁶⁸  Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

The Birth of Isaac

21:1 The Lord visited ⁵⁶⁹  Sarah just as he had said he would and did ⁵⁷⁰  for Sarah what he had promised. ⁵⁷¹  21:2 So Sarah became pregnant ⁵⁷²  and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him. 21:3 Abraham named his son – whom Sarah bore to him – Isaac. ⁵⁷³  21:4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, ⁵⁷⁴  Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded him to do. ⁵⁷⁵  21:5 (Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.) ⁵⁷⁶ 

21:6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. ⁵⁷⁷  Everyone who hears about this ⁵⁷⁸  will laugh ⁵⁷⁹  with me.” 21:7 She went on to say, ⁵⁸⁰  “Who would ⁵⁸¹  have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!”

21:8 The child grew and was weaned. Abraham prepared ⁵⁸²  a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. ⁵⁸³  21:9 But Sarah noticed ⁵⁸⁴  the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking. ⁵⁸⁵  21:10 So she said to Abraham, “Banish ⁵⁸⁶  that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!”

21:11 Sarah’s demand displeased Abraham greatly because Ishmael was his son. ⁵⁸⁷  21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset ⁵⁸⁸  about the boy or your slave wife. Do ⁵⁸⁹  all that Sarah is telling ⁵⁹⁰  you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted. ⁵⁹¹  21:13 But I will also make the son of the slave wife into a great nation, for he is your descendant too.”

21:14 Early in the morning Abraham took ⁵⁹²  some food ⁵⁹³  and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulders, gave her the child, ⁵⁹⁴  and sent her away. So she went wandering ⁵⁹⁵  aimlessly through the wilderness ⁵⁹⁶  of Beer Sheba. 21:15 When the water in the skin was gone, she shoved ⁵⁹⁷  the child under one of the shrubs. 21:16 Then she went and sat down by herself across from him at quite a distance, about a bowshot ⁵⁹⁸  away; for she thought, ⁵⁹⁹  “I refuse to watch the child die.” ⁶⁰⁰  So she sat across from him and wept uncontrollably. ⁶⁰¹ 

21:17 But God heard the boy’s voice. ⁶⁰²  The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What is the matter, ⁶⁰³  Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard ⁶⁰⁴  the boy’s voice right where he is crying. 21:18 Get up! Help the boy up and hold him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 21:19 Then God enabled Hagar to see a well of water. ⁶⁰⁵  She went over and filled the skin with water, and then gave the boy a drink.

21:20 God was with the boy as he grew. He lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21:21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran. ⁶⁰⁶  His mother found a wife for him from the land of Egypt. ⁶⁰⁷ 

21:22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you ⁶⁰⁸  in all that you do. 21:23 Now swear to me right here in God’s name ⁶⁰⁹  that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. ⁶¹⁰  Show me, and the land ⁶¹¹  where you are staying, ⁶¹²  the same loyalty ⁶¹³  that I have shown you.” ⁶¹⁴ 

21:24 Abraham said, “I swear to do this.” ⁶¹⁵  21:25 But Abraham lodged a complaint ⁶¹⁶  against Abimelech concerning a well ⁶¹⁷  that Abimelech’s servants had seized. ⁶¹⁸  21:26 “I do not know who has done this thing,” Abimelech replied. “Moreover, ⁶¹⁹  you did not tell me. I did not hear about it until today.”

21:27 Abraham took some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech. The two of them made a treaty. ⁶²⁰  21:28 Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs apart from the flock by themselves. 21:29 Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these ⁶²¹  seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” 21:30 He replied, “You must take these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal proof ⁶²²  that I dug this well.” ⁶²³  21:31 That is why he named that place ⁶²⁴  Beer Sheba, ⁶²⁵  because the two of them swore ⁶²⁶  an oath there.

21:32 So they made a treaty ⁶²⁷  at Beer Sheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, returned ⁶²⁸  to the land of the Philistines. ⁶²⁹  21:33 Abraham ⁶³⁰  planted a tamarisk tree ⁶³¹  in Beer Sheba. There he worshiped the Lord, ⁶³²  the eternal God. 21:34 So Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for quite some time. ⁶³³ 

The Sacrifice of Isaac

22:1 Some time after these things God tested ⁶³⁴  Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham ⁶³⁵  replied. 22:2 God ⁶³⁶  said, “Take your son – your only son, whom you love, Isaac ⁶³⁷  – and go to the land of Moriah! ⁶³⁸  Offer him up there as a burnt offering ⁶³⁹  on one of the mountains which I will indicate to ⁶⁴⁰  you.”

22:3 Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. ⁶⁴¹  He took two of his young servants with him, along with his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he started out ⁶⁴²  for the place God had spoken to him about.

22:4 On the third day Abraham caught sight of ⁶⁴³  the place in the distance. 22:5 So he ⁶⁴⁴  said to his servants, “You two stay ⁶⁴⁵  here with the donkey while ⁶⁴⁶  the boy and I go up there. We will worship ⁶⁴⁷  and then return to you.” ⁶⁴⁸ 

22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. Then he took the fire and the knife in his hand, ⁶⁴⁹  and the two of them walked on together. 22:7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, ⁶⁵⁰  “My father?” “What is it, ⁶⁵¹  my son?” he replied. “Here is the fire and the wood,” Isaac said, ⁶⁵²  “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 22:8 “God will provide ⁶⁵³  for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham replied. The two of them continued on together.

22:9 When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there ⁶⁵⁴  and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up ⁶⁵⁵  his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 22:10 Then Abraham reached out his hand, took the knife, and prepared to slaughter ⁶⁵⁶  his son. 22:11 But the Lord’s angel ⁶⁵⁷  called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. 22:12 “Do not harm the boy!” ⁶⁵⁸  the angel said. ⁶⁵⁹  “Do not do anything to him, for now I know ⁶⁶⁰  that you fear ⁶⁶¹  God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”

22:13 Abraham looked up ⁶⁶²  and saw ⁶⁶³  behind him ⁶⁶⁴  a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. So he ⁶⁶⁵  went over and got the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord provides.” ⁶⁶⁶  It is said to this day, ⁶⁶⁷  “In the mountain of the Lord provision will be made.” ⁶⁶⁸ 

22:15 The Lord’s angel called to Abraham a second time from heaven 22:16 and said, “‘I solemnly swear by my own name,’ ⁶⁶⁹  decrees the Lord, ⁶⁷⁰  ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 22:17 I will indeed bless you, ⁶⁷¹  and I will greatly multiply ⁶⁷²  your descendants ⁶⁷³  so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession ⁶⁷⁴  of the strongholds ⁶⁷⁵  of their enemies. 22:18 Because you have obeyed me, ⁶⁷⁶  all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ⁶⁷⁷  using the name of your descendants.’”

22:19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out together ⁶⁷⁸  for Beer Sheba where Abraham stayed. ⁶⁷⁹ 

22:20 After these things Abraham was told, “Milcah ⁶⁸⁰  also has borne children to your brother Nahor – 22:21 Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram), ⁶⁸¹  22:22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 22:23 (Now ⁶⁸²  Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) These were the eight sons Milcah bore to Abraham’s brother Nahor. 22:24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore him children – Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

The Death of Sarah

23:1 Sarah lived 127 years. ⁶⁸³  23:2 Then she ⁶⁸⁴  died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. ⁶⁸⁵ 

23:3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife ⁶⁸⁶  and said to the sons of Heth, ⁶⁸⁷  23:4 “I am a temporary settler ⁶⁸⁸  among you. Grant ⁶⁸⁹  me ownership ⁶⁹⁰  of a burial site among you so that I may ⁶⁹¹  bury my dead.” ⁶⁹² 

23:5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, ⁶⁹³  23:6 “Listen, sir, ⁶⁹⁴  you are a mighty prince ⁶⁹⁵  among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent you ⁶⁹⁶  from burying your dead.”

23:7 Abraham got up and bowed down to the local people, ⁶⁹⁷  the sons of Heth. 23:8 Then he said to them, “If you agree ⁶⁹⁸  that I may bury my dead, ⁶⁹⁹  then hear me out. ⁷⁰⁰  Ask ⁷⁰¹  Ephron the son of Zohar 23:9 if he will sell ⁷⁰²  me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me publicly ⁷⁰³  for the full price, ⁷⁰⁴  so that I may own it as a burial site.”

23:10 (Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth.) Ephron the Hethite ⁷⁰⁵  replied to Abraham in the hearing ⁷⁰⁶  of the sons of Heth – before all who entered the gate ⁷⁰⁷  of his city – 23:11 “No, my lord! Hear me out. I sell ⁷⁰⁸  you both the field and the cave that is in it. ⁷⁰⁹  In the presence of my people ⁷¹⁰  I sell it to you. Bury your dead.”

23:12 Abraham bowed before the local people 23:13 and said to Ephron in their hearing, “Hear me, if you will. I pay ⁷¹¹  to you the price ⁷¹²  of the field. Take it from me so that I may ⁷¹³  bury my dead there.”

23:14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 23:15 “Hear me, my lord. The land is worth ⁷¹⁴  400 pieces of silver, ⁷¹⁵  but what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”

23:16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price ⁷¹⁶  and weighed ⁷¹⁷  out for him ⁷¹⁸  the price ⁷¹⁹  that Ephron had quoted ⁷²⁰  in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard measurement at the time. ⁷²¹ 

23:17 So Abraham secured ⁷²²  Ephron’s field in Machpelah, next to Mamre, including the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and all around its border, 23:18 as his property in the presence of the sons of Heth before all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city. ⁷²³ 

23:19 After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 23:20 So Abraham secured the field and the cave that was in it as a burial site ⁷²⁴  from the sons of Heth.

The Wife for Isaac

24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, ⁷²⁵  and the Lord had blessed him ⁷²⁶  in everything. 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one ⁷²⁷  in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh ⁷²⁸  24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise ⁷²⁹  by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire ⁷³⁰  a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 24:4 You must go instead to my country and to my relatives ⁷³¹  to find ⁷³²  a wife for my son Isaac.”

24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with me ⁷³³  to this land? Must I then ⁷³⁴  take your son back to the land from which you came?”

24:6 “Be careful ⁷³⁵  never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. ⁷³⁶  24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, ⁷³⁷  promised me with a solemn oath, ⁷³⁸  ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel ⁷³⁹  before you so that you may find ⁷⁴⁰  a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, ⁷⁴¹  you will be free ⁷⁴²  from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!” 24:9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. ⁷⁴³ 

24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. ⁷⁴⁴  He journeyed ⁷⁴⁵  to the region of Aram Naharaim ⁷⁴⁶  and the city of Nahor. 24:11 He made the camels kneel down by the well ⁷⁴⁷  outside the city. It was evening, ⁷⁴⁸  the time when the women would go out to draw water. 24:12 He prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, guide me today. ⁷⁴⁹  Be faithful ⁷⁵⁰  to my master Abraham. 24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, ⁷⁵¹  and the daughters of the people ⁷⁵²  who live in the town are coming out to draw water. 24:14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ ⁷⁵³  In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” ⁷⁵⁴ 

24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah ⁷⁵⁵  with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor). ⁷⁵⁶  24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. ⁷⁵⁷  She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant ⁷⁵⁸  ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.” 24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering ⁷⁵⁹  her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, ⁷⁶⁰  she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied ⁷⁶¹  her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels. 24:21 Silently the man watched her with interest to determine ⁷⁶²  if the Lord had made his journey successful ⁷⁶³  or not.

24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka ⁷⁶⁴  and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels ⁷⁶⁵  and gave them to her. ⁷⁶⁶  24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. ⁷⁶⁷  “Tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

24:24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor. ⁷⁶⁸  24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, ⁷⁶⁹  “and room for you ⁷⁷⁰  to spend the night.”

24:26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, 24:27 saying “Praised be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love ⁷⁷¹  for my master! The Lord has led me ⁷⁷²  to the house ⁷⁷³  of my master’s relatives!” ⁷⁷⁴ 

24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about ⁷⁷⁵  these things. 24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) ⁷⁷⁶  Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring. 24:30 When he saw the bracelets on his sister’s wrists and the nose ring ⁷⁷⁷  and heard his sister Rebekah say, ⁷⁷⁸  “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing ⁷⁷⁹  by the camels near the spring. 24:31 Laban said to him, ⁷⁸⁰  “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! ⁷⁸¹  Why are you standing out here when I have prepared ⁷⁸²  the house and a place for the camels?”

24:32 So Abraham’s servant ⁷⁸³  went to the house and unloaded ⁷⁸⁴  the camels. Straw and feed were given ⁷⁸⁵  to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. ⁷⁸⁶  24:33 When food was served, ⁷⁸⁷  he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” ⁷⁸⁸  “Tell us,” Laban said. ⁷⁸⁹ 

24:34 “I am the servant of Abraham,” he began. 24:35 “The Lord has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. ⁷⁹⁰  The Lord ⁷⁹¹  has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 24:36 My master’s wife Sarah bore a son to him ⁷⁹²  when she was old, ⁷⁹³  and my master ⁷⁹⁴  has given him everything he owns. 24:37 My master made me swear an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 24:38 but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find ⁷⁹⁵  a wife for my son.’ 24:39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to go ⁷⁹⁶  with me?’ ⁷⁹⁷  24:40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, ⁷⁹⁸  will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 24:41 You will be free from your oath ⁷⁹⁹  if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’ 24:42 When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, ⁸⁰⁰  may events unfold as follows: ⁸⁰¹  24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. ⁸⁰²  When ⁸⁰³  the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.” 24:44 Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’

24:45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, ⁸⁰⁴  along came Rebekah ⁸⁰⁵  with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 24:46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels water. 24:47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.’ ⁸⁰⁶  I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 24:48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to find the granddaughter ⁸⁰⁷  of my master’s brother for his son. 24:49 Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way.” ⁸⁰⁸ 

24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is the Lord’s doing. ⁸⁰⁹  Our wishes are of no concern. ⁸¹⁰  24:51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become ⁸¹¹  the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.” ⁸¹² 

24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 24:53 Then he ⁸¹³  brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother. 24:54 After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. ⁸¹⁴ 

When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” ⁸¹⁵  24:55 But Rebekah’s ⁸¹⁶  brother and her mother replied, “Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go.” 24:56 But he said to them, “Don’t detain me – the Lord ⁸¹⁷  has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return ⁸¹⁸  to my master.” 24:57 Then they said, “We’ll call the girl and find out what she wants to do.” ⁸¹⁹  24:58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want ⁸²⁰  to go with this man?” She replied, “I want to go.”

24:59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham’s servant and his men. 24:60 They blessed Rebekah with these words: ⁸²¹ 

“Our sister, may you become the mother ⁸²²  of thousands of ten thousands!

May your descendants possess the strongholds ⁸²³  of their enemies.”

24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with ⁸²⁴  the man. So Abraham’s servant ⁸²⁵  took Rebekah and left.

24:62 Now ⁸²⁶  Isaac came from ⁸²⁷  Beer Lahai Roi, ⁸²⁸  for ⁸²⁹  he was living in the Negev. ⁸³⁰  24:63 He ⁸³¹  went out to relax ⁸³²  in the field in the early evening. ⁸³³  Then he looked up ⁸³⁴  and saw that ⁸³⁵  there were camels approaching. 24:64 Rebekah looked up ⁸³⁶  and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 24:65 and asked ⁸³⁷  Abraham’s servant, ⁸³⁸  “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied. ⁸³⁹  So she took her veil and covered herself.

24:66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah ⁸⁴⁰  into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her ⁸⁴¹  as his wife and loved her. ⁸⁴²  So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. ⁸⁴³ 

The Death of Abraham

25:1 Abraham had taken ⁸⁴⁴  another ⁸⁴⁵  wife, named Keturah. 25:2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 25:3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. ⁸⁴⁶  The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 25:4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants ⁸⁴⁷  of Keturah.

25:5 Everything he owned Abraham left to his son Isaac. 25:6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines ⁸⁴⁸  and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac. ⁸⁴⁹ 

25:7 Abraham lived a total of ⁸⁵⁰  175 years. 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a full life. ⁸⁵¹  He joined his ancestors. ⁸⁵²  25:9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah ⁸⁵³  near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hethite. 25:10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. ⁸⁵⁴  There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 25:11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed ⁸⁵⁵  his son Isaac. Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi. ⁸⁵⁶ 

The Sons of Ishmael

25:12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, ⁸⁵⁷  whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.

25:13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons, by their names according to their records: ⁸⁵⁸  Nebaioth (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 25:14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 25:15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their settlements and their camps – twelve princes ⁸⁵⁹  according to their clans.

25:17 Ishmael lived a total of ⁸⁶⁰  137 years. He breathed his last and died; then he joined his ancestors. ⁸⁶¹  25:18 His descendants ⁸⁶²  settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs next ⁸⁶³  to Egypt all the way ⁸⁶⁴  to Asshur. ⁸⁶⁵  They settled ⁸⁶⁶  away from all their relatives. ⁸⁶⁷ 

Jacob and Esau

25:19 This is the account of Isaac, ⁸⁶⁸  the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac. 25:20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, ⁸⁶⁹  the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. ⁸⁷⁰ 

25:21 Isaac prayed to ⁸⁷¹  the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 25:22 But the children struggled ⁸⁷²  inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” ⁸⁷³  So she asked the Lord, ⁸⁷⁴  25:23 and the Lord said to her,

“Two nations ⁸⁷⁵  are in your womb,

and two peoples will be separated from within you.

One people will be stronger than the other,

and the older will serve the younger.”

25:24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, ⁸⁷⁶  there were ⁸⁷⁷  twins in her womb. 25:25 The first came out reddish ⁸⁷⁸  all over, ⁸⁷⁹  like a hairy ⁸⁸⁰  garment, so they named him Esau. ⁸⁸¹  25:26 When his brother came out with ⁸⁸²  his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob. ⁸⁸³  Isaac was sixty years old ⁸⁸⁴  when they were born.

25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled ⁸⁸⁵  hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. ⁸⁸⁶  25:28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, ⁸⁸⁷  but Rebekah loved ⁸⁸⁸  Jacob.

25:29 Now Jacob cooked some stew, ⁸⁸⁹  and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished. 25:30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed ⁸⁹⁰  me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called ⁸⁹¹  Edom.) ⁸⁹² 

25:31 But Jacob replied, “First ⁸⁹³  sell me your birthright.” 25:32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” ⁸⁹⁴  25:33 But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.” ⁸⁹⁵  So Esau ⁸⁹⁶  swore an oath to him and sold his birthright ⁸⁹⁷  to Jacob.

25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. ⁸⁹⁸  So Esau despised his birthright. ⁸⁹⁹ 

Isaac and Abimelech

26:1 There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred ⁹⁰⁰  in the days of Abraham. ⁹⁰¹  Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar. 26:2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; ⁹⁰²  settle down in the land that I will point out to you. ⁹⁰³  26:3 Stay ⁹⁰⁴  in this land. Then I will be with you and will bless you, ⁹⁰⁵  for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants, ⁹⁰⁶  and I will fulfill ⁹⁰⁷  the solemn promise I made ⁹⁰⁸  to your father Abraham. 26:4 I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them ⁹⁰⁹  all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants. ⁹¹⁰  26:5 All this will come to pass ⁹¹¹  because Abraham obeyed me ⁹¹²  and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” ⁹¹³  26:6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.

26:7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he replied, “She is my sister.” ⁹¹⁴  He was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” for he thought to himself, ⁹¹⁵  “The men of this place will kill me to get ⁹¹⁶  Rebekah because she is very beautiful.”

26:8 After Isaac ⁹¹⁷  had been there a long time, ⁹¹⁸  Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed ⁹¹⁹  Isaac caressing ⁹²⁰  his wife Rebekah. 26:9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really ⁹²¹  your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.” ⁹²² 

26:10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us? ⁹²³  One of the men ⁹²⁴  might easily have had sexual relations with ⁹²⁵  your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!” 26:11 So Abimelech commanded all the people, “Whoever touches ⁹²⁶  this man or his wife will surely be put to death.” ⁹²⁷ 

26:12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown, ⁹²⁸  because the Lord blessed him. ⁹²⁹  26:13 The man became wealthy. ⁹³⁰  His influence continued to grow ⁹³¹  until he became very prominent. 26:14 He had ⁹³²  so many sheep ⁹³³  and cattle ⁹³⁴  and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous ⁹³⁵  of him. 26:15 So the Philistines took dirt and filled up ⁹³⁶  all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham.

26:16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere, ⁹³⁷  for you have become much more powerful ⁹³⁸  than we are.” 26:17 So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley. ⁹³⁹  26:18 Isaac reopened ⁹⁴⁰  the wells that had been dug ⁹⁴¹  back in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up ⁹⁴²  after Abraham died. Isaac ⁹⁴³  gave these wells ⁹⁴⁴  the same names his father had given them. ⁹⁴⁵ 

26:19 When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well with fresh flowing ⁹⁴⁶  water there, 26:20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled ⁹⁴⁷  with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water belongs to us!” So Isaac ⁹⁴⁸  named the well ⁹⁴⁹  Esek ⁹⁵⁰  because they argued with him about it. ⁹⁵¹  26:21 His servants ⁹⁵²  dug another well, but they quarreled over it too, so Isaac named it ⁹⁵³  Sitnah. ⁹⁵⁴  26:22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaac ⁹⁵⁵  named it ⁹⁵⁶  Rehoboth, ⁹⁵⁷  saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”

26:23 From there Isaac ⁹⁵⁸  went up to Beer Sheba. 26:24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” 26:25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped ⁹⁵⁹  the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well. ⁹⁶⁰ 

26:26 Now Abimelech had come ⁹⁶¹  to him from Gerar along with ⁹⁶²  Ahuzzah his friend ⁹⁶³  and Phicol the commander of his army. 26:27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You hate me ⁹⁶⁴  and sent me away from you.” 26:28 They replied, “We could plainly see ⁹⁶⁵  that the Lord is with you. So we decided there should be ⁹⁶⁶  a pact between us ⁹⁶⁷  – between us ⁹⁶⁸  and you. Allow us to make ⁹⁶⁹  a treaty with you 26:29 so that ⁹⁷⁰  you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmed ⁹⁷¹  you, but have always treated you well ⁹⁷²  before sending you away ⁹⁷³  in peace. Now you are blessed by the Lord.” ⁹⁷⁴ 

26:30 So Isaac ⁹⁷⁵  held a feast for them and they celebrated. ⁹⁷⁶  26:31 Early in the morning the men made a treaty with each other. ⁹⁷⁷  Isaac sent them off; they separated on good terms. ⁹⁷⁸ 

26:32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We’ve found water,” they reported. ⁹⁷⁹  26:33 So he named it Shibah; ⁹⁸⁰  that is why the name of the city has been Beer Sheba ⁹⁸¹  to this day.

26:34 When ⁹⁸²  Esau was forty years old, ⁹⁸³  he married ⁹⁸⁴  Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, as well as Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 26:35 They caused Isaac and Rebekah great anxiety. ⁹⁸⁵ 

Jacob Cheats Esau out of the Blessing

27:1 When ⁹⁸⁶  Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he was almost blind, ⁹⁸⁷  he called his older ⁹⁸⁸  son Esau and said to him, “My son!” “Here I am!” Esau ⁹⁸⁹  replied. 27:2 Isaac ⁹⁹⁰  said, “Since ⁹⁹¹  I am so old, I could die at any time. ⁹⁹²  27:3 Therefore, take your weapons – your quiver and your bow – and go out into the open fields and hunt down some wild game ⁹⁹³  for me. 27:4 Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then ⁹⁹⁴  I will eat it so that I may bless you ⁹⁹⁵  before I die.”

27:5 Now Rebekah had been listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. ⁹⁹⁶  When Esau went out to the open fields to hunt down some wild game and bring it back, ⁹⁹⁷  27:6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau, 27:7 ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare for me some tasty food. Then I will eat ⁹⁹⁸  it and bless you ⁹⁹⁹  in the presence of the Lord ¹⁰⁰⁰  before I die.’ 27:8 Now then, my son, do ¹⁰⁰¹  exactly what I tell you! ¹⁰⁰²  27:9 Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare ¹⁰⁰³  them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them. 27:10 Then you will take ¹⁰⁰⁴  it to your father. Thus he will eat it ¹⁰⁰⁵  and ¹⁰⁰⁶  bless you before he dies.”

27:11 “But Esau my brother is a hairy man,” Jacob protested to his mother Rebekah, “and I have smooth skin! ¹⁰⁰⁷  27:12 My father may touch me! Then he’ll think I’m mocking him ¹⁰⁰⁸  and I’ll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.” 27:13 So his mother told him, “Any curse against you will fall on me, ¹⁰⁰⁹  my son! Just obey me! ¹⁰¹⁰  Go and get them for me!”

27:14 So he went and got the goats ¹⁰¹¹  and brought them to his mother. She ¹⁰¹²  prepared some tasty food, just the way his father loved it. 27:15 Then Rebekah took her older son Esau’s best clothes, which she had with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 27:16 She put the skins of the young goats ¹⁰¹³  on his hands ¹⁰¹⁴  and the smooth part of his neck. 27:17 Then she handed ¹⁰¹⁵  the tasty food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.

27:18 He went to his father and said, “My father!” Isaac ¹⁰¹⁶  replied, “Here I am. Which are you, my son?” ¹⁰¹⁷  27:19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I’ve done as you told me. Now sit up ¹⁰¹⁸  and eat some of my wild game so that you can bless me.” ¹⁰¹⁹  27:20 But Isaac asked his son, “How in the world ¹⁰²⁰  did you find it so quickly, ¹⁰²¹  my son?” “Because the Lord your God brought it to me,” ¹⁰²²  he replied. ¹⁰²³  27:21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you, ¹⁰²⁴  my son, and know for certain if you really are my son Esau.” ¹⁰²⁵  27:22 So Jacob went over to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s.” 27:23 He did not recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So Isaac blessed Jacob. ¹⁰²⁶  27:24 Then he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” “I am,” Jacob ¹⁰²⁷  replied. 27:25 Isaac ¹⁰²⁸  said, “Bring some of the wild game for me to eat, my son. ¹⁰²⁹  Then I will bless you.” ¹⁰³⁰  So Jacob ¹⁰³¹  brought it to him, and he ate it. He also brought him wine, and Isaac ¹⁰³²  drank. 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here and kiss me, my son.” 27:27 So Jacob ¹⁰³³  went over and kissed him. When Isaac caught the scent ¹⁰³⁴  of his clothing, he blessed him, saying,

“Yes, ¹⁰³⁵  my son smells

like the scent of an open field

which the Lord has blessed.

27:28 May God give you

the dew of the sky ¹⁰³⁶ 

and the richness ¹⁰³⁷  of the earth,

and plenty of grain and new wine.

27:29 May peoples serve you

and nations bow down to you.

You will be ¹⁰³⁸  lord ¹⁰³⁹  over your brothers,

and the sons of your mother will bow down to you. ¹⁰⁴⁰ 

May those who curse you be cursed,

and those who bless you be blessed.”

27:30 Isaac had just finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely left ¹⁰⁴¹  his father’s ¹⁰⁴²  presence, when his brother Esau returned from the hunt. ¹⁰⁴³  27:31 He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Esau ¹⁰⁴⁴  said to him, “My father, get up ¹⁰⁴⁵  and eat some of your son’s wild game. Then you can bless me.” ¹⁰⁴⁶  27:32 His father Isaac asked, ¹⁰⁴⁷  “Who are you?” “I am your firstborn son,” ¹⁰⁴⁸  he replied, “Esau!” 27:33 Isaac began to shake violently ¹⁰⁴⁹  and asked, “Then who else hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it just before you arrived, and I blessed him. ¹⁰⁵⁰  He will indeed be blessed!”

27:34 When Esau heard ¹⁰⁵¹  his father’s words, he wailed loudly and bitterly. ¹⁰⁵²  He said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!” 27:35 But Isaac ¹⁰⁵³  replied, “Your brother came in here deceitfully and took away ¹⁰⁵⁴  your blessing.” 27:36 Esau exclaimed, “‘Jacob’ is the right name for him! ¹⁰⁵⁵  He has tripped me up ¹⁰⁵⁶  two times! He took away my birthright, and now, look, he has taken away my blessing!” Then he asked, “Have you not kept back a blessing for me?”

27:37 Isaac replied to Esau, “Look! I have made him lord over you. I have made all his relatives his servants and provided him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?” 27:38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” ¹⁰⁵⁷  Then Esau wept loudly. ¹⁰⁵⁸ 

27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,

“Indeed, ¹⁰⁵⁹  your home will be

away from the richness ¹⁰⁶⁰  of the earth,

and away from the dew of the sky above.

27:40 You will live by your sword

but you will serve your brother.

When you grow restless,

you will tear off his yoke

from your neck.” ¹⁰⁶¹ 

27:41 So Esau hated ¹⁰⁶²  Jacob because of the blessing his father had given to his brother. ¹⁰⁶³  Esau said privately, ¹⁰⁶⁴  “The time ¹⁰⁶⁵  of mourning for my father is near; then I will kill ¹⁰⁶⁶  my brother Jacob!”

27:42 When Rebekah heard what her older son Esau had said, ¹⁰⁶⁷  she quickly summoned ¹⁰⁶⁸  her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is planning to get revenge by killing you. ¹⁰⁶⁹  27:43 Now then, my son, do what I say. ¹⁰⁷⁰  Run away immediately ¹⁰⁷¹  to my brother Laban in Haran. 27:44 Live with him for a little while ¹⁰⁷²  until your brother’s rage subsides. 27:45 Stay there ¹⁰⁷³  until your brother’s anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I’ll send someone to bring you back from there. ¹⁰⁷⁴  Why should I lose both of you in one day?” ¹⁰⁷⁵ 

27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am deeply depressed ¹⁰⁷⁶  because of these daughters of Heth. ¹⁰⁷⁷  If Jacob were to marry one of these daughters of Heth who live in this land, I would want to die!” ¹⁰⁷⁸ 

28:1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman! ¹⁰⁷⁹  28:2 Leave immediately ¹⁰⁸⁰  for Paddan Aram! Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and find yourself a wife there, among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 28:3 May the sovereign God ¹⁰⁸¹  bless you! May he make you fruitful and give you a multitude of descendants! ¹⁰⁸²  Then you will become ¹⁰⁸³  a large nation. ¹⁰⁸⁴  28:4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing he gave to Abraham ¹⁰⁸⁵  so that you may possess the land ¹⁰⁸⁶  God gave to Abraham, the land where you have been living as a temporary resident.” ¹⁰⁸⁷  28:5 So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

28:6 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him off to Paddan Aram to find a wife there. ¹⁰⁸⁸  As he blessed him, ¹⁰⁸⁹  Isaac commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” ¹⁰⁹⁰  28:7 Jacob obeyed his father and mother and left for Paddan Aram. 28:8 Then Esau realized ¹⁰⁹¹  that the Canaanite women ¹⁰⁹²  were displeasing to ¹⁰⁹³  his father Isaac. 28:9 So Esau went to Ishmael and married ¹⁰⁹⁴  Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, along with the wives he already had.

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

28:10 Meanwhile Jacob left Beer Sheba and set out for Haran. 28:11 He reached a certain place ¹⁰⁹⁵  where he decided to camp because the sun had gone down. ¹⁰⁹⁶  He took one of the stones ¹⁰⁹⁷  and placed it near his head. ¹⁰⁹⁸  Then he fell asleep ¹⁰⁹⁹  in that place 28:12 and had a dream. ¹¹⁰⁰  He saw ¹¹⁰¹  a stairway ¹¹⁰²  erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it 28:13 and the Lord stood at its top. He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. ¹¹⁰³  I will give you and your descendants the ground ¹¹⁰⁴  you are lying on. 28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, ¹¹⁰⁵  and you will spread out ¹¹⁰⁶  to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ¹¹⁰⁷  using your name and that of your descendants. ¹¹⁰⁸  28:15 I am with you! ¹¹⁰⁹  I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you!”

28:16 Then Jacob woke up ¹¹¹⁰  and thought, ¹¹¹¹  “Surely the Lord is in this place, but I did not realize it!” 28:17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!”

28:18 Early ¹¹¹²  in the morning Jacob ¹¹¹³  took the stone he had placed near his head ¹¹¹⁴  and set it up as a sacred stone. ¹¹¹⁵  Then he poured oil on top of it. 28:19 He called that place Bethel, ¹¹¹⁶  although the former name of the town was Luz. 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food ¹¹¹⁷  to eat and clothing to wear, 28:21 and I return safely to my father’s home, ¹¹¹⁸  then the Lord will become my God. 28:22 Then this stone ¹¹¹⁹  that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely ¹¹²⁰  give you back a tenth of everything you give me.” ¹¹²¹ 

The Marriages of Jacob

29:1 So Jacob moved on ¹¹²²  and came to the land of the eastern people. ¹¹²³  29:2 He saw ¹¹²⁴  in the field a well with ¹¹²⁵  three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. Now ¹¹²⁶  a large stone covered the mouth of the well. 29:3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds ¹¹²⁷  would roll the stone off the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the well’s mouth.

29:4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” They replied, “We’re from Haran.” 29:5 So he said to them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson ¹¹²⁸  of Nahor?” “We know him,” ¹¹²⁹  they said. 29:6 “Is he well?” ¹¹³⁰  Jacob asked. They replied, “He is well. ¹¹³¹  Now look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.” 29:7 Then Jacob ¹¹³²  said, “Since it is still the middle of the day, ¹¹³³  it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more.” ¹¹³⁴  29:8 “We can’t,” they said, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled off the mouth of the well. Then we water ¹¹³⁵  the sheep.”

29:9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was tending them. ¹¹³⁶  29:10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, ¹¹³⁷  and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he ¹¹³⁸  went over ¹¹³⁹  and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. ¹¹⁴⁰  29:11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep loudly. ¹¹⁴¹  29:12 When Jacob explained ¹¹⁴²  to Rachel that he was a relative of her father ¹¹⁴³  and the son of Rebekah, she ran and told her father. 29:13 When Laban heard this news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he rushed out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob ¹¹⁴⁴  told Laban how he was related to him. ¹¹⁴⁵  29:14 Then Laban said to him, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” ¹¹⁴⁶  So Jacob ¹¹⁴⁷  stayed with him for a month. ¹¹⁴⁸ 

29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work ¹¹⁴⁹  for me for nothing because you are my relative? ¹¹⁵⁰  Tell me what your wages should be.” 29:16 (Now Laban had two daughters; ¹¹⁵¹  the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel. 29:17 Leah’s eyes were tender, ¹¹⁵²  but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.) ¹¹⁵³  29:18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with ¹¹⁵⁴  Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.” 29:19 Laban replied, “I’d rather give her to you than to another man. ¹¹⁵⁵  Stay with me.” 29:20 So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. ¹¹⁵⁶  But they seemed like only a few days to him ¹¹⁵⁷  because his love for her was so great. ¹¹⁵⁸ 

29:21 Finally Jacob said ¹¹⁵⁹  to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. ¹¹⁶⁰  I want to have marital relations with her.” ¹¹⁶¹  29:22 So Laban invited all the people ¹¹⁶²  of that place and prepared a feast. 29:23 In the evening he brought his daughter Leah ¹¹⁶³  to Jacob, ¹¹⁶⁴  and Jacob ¹¹⁶⁵  had marital relations with her. ¹¹⁶⁶  29:24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) ¹¹⁶⁷ 

29:25 In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! ¹¹⁶⁸  So Jacob ¹¹⁶⁹  said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me! ¹¹⁷⁰  Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked ¹¹⁷¹  me?” 29:26 “It is not our custom here,” ¹¹⁷²  Laban replied, “to give the younger daughter in marriage ¹¹⁷³  before the firstborn. 29:27 Complete my older daughter’s bridal week. ¹¹⁷⁴  Then we will give you the younger one ¹¹⁷⁵  too, in exchange for seven more years of work.” ¹¹⁷⁶ 

29:28 Jacob did as Laban said. ¹¹⁷⁷  When Jacob ¹¹⁷⁸  completed Leah’s bridal week, ¹¹⁷⁹  Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. ¹¹⁸⁰  29:29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) ¹¹⁸¹  29:30 Jacob ¹¹⁸²  had marital relations ¹¹⁸³  with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban ¹¹⁸⁴  for seven more years. ¹¹⁸⁵ 

The Family of Jacob

29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, ¹¹⁸⁶  he enabled her to become pregnant ¹¹⁸⁷  while Rachel remained childless. 29:32 So Leah became pregnant ¹¹⁸⁸  and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, ¹¹⁸⁹  for she said, “The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. ¹¹⁹⁰  Surely my husband will love me now.”

29:33 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Because the Lord heard that I was unloved, ¹¹⁹¹  he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. ¹¹⁹² 

29:34 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Now this time my husband will show me affection, ¹¹⁹³  because I have given birth to three sons for him.” That is why he was named Levi. ¹¹⁹⁴ 

29:35 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” That is why she named him Judah. ¹¹⁹⁵  Then she stopped having children.

30:1 When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she ¹¹⁹⁶  became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children ¹¹⁹⁷  or I’ll die!” 30:2 Jacob became furious ¹¹⁹⁸  with Rachel and exclaimed, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” ¹¹⁹⁹  30:3 She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with ¹²⁰⁰  her so that she can bear ¹²⁰¹  children ¹²⁰²  for me ¹²⁰³  and I can have a family through her.” ¹²⁰⁴ 

30:4 So Rachel ¹²⁰⁵  gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had marital relations with ¹²⁰⁶  her. 30:5 Bilhah became pregnant ¹²⁰⁷  and gave Jacob a son. ¹²⁰⁸  30:6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer ¹²⁰⁹  and given me a son.” That is why ¹²¹⁰  she named him Dan. ¹²¹¹ 

30:7 Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, became pregnant again and gave Jacob another son. ¹²¹²  30:8 Then Rachel said, “I have fought a desperate struggle with my sister, but I have won.” ¹²¹³  So she named him Naphtali. ¹²¹⁴ 

30:9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave ¹²¹⁵  her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. 30:10 Soon Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob a son. ¹²¹⁶  30:11 Leah said, “How fortunate!” ¹²¹⁷  So she named him Gad. ¹²¹⁸ 

30:12 Then Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob another son. ¹²¹⁹  30:13 Leah said, “How happy I am, ¹²²⁰  for women ¹²²¹  will call me happy!” So she named him Asher. ¹²²² 

30:14 At the time ¹²²³  of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants ¹²²⁴  in a field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 30:15 But Leah replied, ¹²²⁵  “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes too?” “All right,” ¹²²⁶  Rachel said, “he may sleep ¹²²⁷  with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 30:16 When Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must sleep ¹²²⁸  with me because I have paid for your services ¹²²⁹  with my son’s mandrakes.” So he had marital relations ¹²³⁰  with her that night. 30:17 God paid attention ¹²³¹  to Leah; she became pregnant ¹²³²  and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time. ¹²³³  30:18 Then Leah said, “God has granted me a reward ¹²³⁴  because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife.” ¹²³⁵  So she named him Issachar. ¹²³⁶ 

30:19 Leah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a son for the sixth time. ¹²³⁷  30:20 Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will honor me because I have given him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. ¹²³⁸ 

30:21 After that she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

30:22 Then God took note of ¹²³⁹  Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant. ¹²⁴⁰  30:23 She became pregnant ¹²⁴¹  and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.” ¹²⁴²  30:24 She named him Joseph, ¹²⁴³  saying, “May the Lord give me yet another son.”

The Flocks of Jacob

30:25 After Rachel had given birth ¹²⁴⁴  to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send ¹²⁴⁵  me on my way so that I can go ¹²⁴⁶  home to my own country. ¹²⁴⁷  30:26 Let me take my wives and my children whom I have acquired by working for you. ¹²⁴⁸  Then I’ll depart, ¹²⁴⁹  because you know how hard I’ve worked for you.” ¹²⁵⁰ 

30:27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, ¹²⁵¹  for I have learned by divination ¹²⁵²  that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.” 30:28 He added, “Just name your wages – I’ll pay whatever you want.” ¹²⁵³ 

30:29 “You know how I have worked for you,” Jacob replied, ¹²⁵⁴  “and how well your livestock have fared under my care. ¹²⁵⁵  30:30 Indeed, ¹²⁵⁶  you had little before I arrived, ¹²⁵⁷  but now your possessions have increased many times over. ¹²⁵⁸  The Lord has blessed you wherever I worked. ¹²⁵⁹  But now, how long must it be before I do something for my own family too?” ¹²⁶⁰ 

30:31 So Laban asked, ¹²⁶¹  “What should I give you?” “You don’t need to give me a thing,” ¹²⁶²  Jacob replied, ¹²⁶³  “but if you agree to this one condition, ¹²⁶⁴  I will continue to care for ¹²⁶⁵  your flocks and protect them: 30:32 Let me walk among ¹²⁶⁶  all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, ¹²⁶⁷  and the spotted or speckled goats. ¹²⁶⁸  These animals will be my wages. ¹²⁶⁹  30:33 My integrity will testify for me ¹²⁷⁰  later on. ¹²⁷¹  When you come to verify that I’ve taken only the wages we agreed on, ¹²⁷²  if I have in my possession any goat that is not speckled or spotted or any sheep that is not dark-colored, it will be considered stolen.” ¹²⁷³  30:34 “Agreed!” said Laban, “It will be as you say.” ¹²⁷⁴ 

30:35 So that day Laban ¹²⁷⁵  removed the male goats that were streaked or spotted, all the female goats that were speckled or spotted (all that had any white on them), and all the dark-colored lambs, and put them in the care ¹²⁷⁶  of his sons. 30:36 Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey, ¹²⁷⁷  while ¹²⁷⁸  Jacob was taking care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.

30:37 But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible. 30:38 Then he set up the peeled branches in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He set up the branches in front of the flocks when they were in heat and came to drink. ¹²⁷⁹  30:39 When the sheep mated ¹²⁸⁰  in front of the branches, they ¹²⁸¹  gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 30:40 Jacob removed these lambs, but he made the rest of the flock face ¹²⁸²  the streaked and completely dark-colored animals in Laban’s flock. So he made separate flocks for himself and did not mix them with Laban’s flocks. 30:41 When the stronger females were in heat, ¹²⁸³  Jacob would set up the branches in the troughs in front of the flock, so they would mate near the branches. 30:42 But if the animals were weaker, he did not set the branches there. ¹²⁸⁴  So the weaker animals ended up belonging to Laban ¹²⁸⁵  and the stronger animals to Jacob. 30:43 In this way Jacob ¹²⁸⁶  became extremely prosperous. He owned ¹²⁸⁷  large flocks, male and female servants, camels, and donkeys.

Jacob’s Flight from Laban

31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, ¹²⁸⁸  “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich ¹²⁸⁹  at our father’s expense!” ¹²⁹⁰  31:2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. ¹²⁹¹ 

31:3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers ¹²⁹²  and to your relatives. I will be with you.” ¹²⁹³  31:4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah ¹²⁹⁴  to come to the field ¹²⁹⁵  where his flocks were. ¹²⁹⁶  31:5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, ¹²⁹⁷  but the God of my father has been with me. 31:6 You know that I’ve worked for your father as hard as I could, ¹²⁹⁸  31:7 but your father has humiliated ¹²⁹⁹  me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. 31:8 If he said, ¹³⁰⁰  ‘The speckled animals ¹³⁰¹  will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled offspring. But if he said, ‘The streaked animals will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked offspring. 31:9 In this way God has snatched away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

31:10 “Once ¹³⁰²  during breeding season I saw ¹³⁰³  in a dream that the male goats mating with ¹³⁰⁴  the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 31:11 In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Here I am!’ I replied. 31:12 Then he said, ‘Observe ¹³⁰⁵  that all the male goats mating with ¹³⁰⁶  the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, ¹³⁰⁷  where you anointed ¹³⁰⁸  the sacred stone and made a vow to me. ¹³⁰⁹  Now leave this land immediately ¹³¹⁰  and return to your native land.’”

31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance ¹³¹¹  in our father’s house? 31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted ¹³¹²  the money paid for us! ¹³¹³  31:16 Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you.”

31:17 So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. ¹³¹⁴  31:18 He took ¹³¹⁵  away all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram and all his moveable property that he had accumulated. Then he set out toward the land of Canaan to return to his father Isaac. ¹³¹⁶ 

31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, ¹³¹⁷  Rachel stole the household idols ¹³¹⁸  that belonged to her father. 31:20 Jacob also deceived ¹³¹⁹  Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. ¹³²⁰  31:21 He left ¹³²¹  with all he owned. He quickly crossed ¹³²²  the Euphrates River ¹³²³  and headed for ¹³²⁴  the hill country of Gilead.

31:22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. ¹³²⁵  31:23 So he took his relatives ¹³²⁶  with him and pursued Jacob ¹³²⁷  for seven days. ¹³²⁸  He caught up with ¹³²⁹  him in the hill country of Gilead. 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, ¹³³⁰  “Be careful ¹³³¹  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” ¹³³² 

31:25 Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. ¹³³³  31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me ¹³³⁴  and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! ¹³³⁵  31:27 Why did you run away secretly ¹³³⁶  and deceive me? ¹³³⁷  Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? ¹³³⁸  31:28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren ¹³³⁹  good-bye. You have acted foolishly! 31:29 I have ¹³⁴⁰  the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful ¹³⁴¹  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ ¹³⁴²  31:30 Now I understand that ¹³⁴³  you have gone away ¹³⁴⁴  because you longed desperately ¹³⁴⁵  for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?” ¹³⁴⁶ 

31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” ¹³⁴⁷  Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought ¹³⁴⁸  you might take your daughters away from me by force. ¹³⁴⁹  31:32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! ¹³⁵⁰  In the presence of our relatives ¹³⁵¹  identify whatever is yours and take it.” ¹³⁵²  (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) ¹³⁵³ 

31:33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, and Leah’s tent, and the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find the idols. ¹³⁵⁴  Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. ¹³⁵⁵  31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle ¹³⁵⁶  and sat on them.) ¹³⁵⁷  Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. ¹³⁵⁸  31:35 Rachel ¹³⁵⁹  said to her father, “Don’t be angry, ¹³⁶⁰  my lord. I cannot stand up ¹³⁶¹  in your presence because I am having my period.” ¹³⁶²  So he searched thoroughly, ¹³⁶³  but did not find the idols.

31:36 Jacob became angry ¹³⁶⁴  and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. ¹³⁶⁵  “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? ¹³⁶⁶  31:37 When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you? ¹³⁶⁷  Set it here before my relatives and yours, ¹³⁶⁸  and let them settle the dispute between the two of us! ¹³⁶⁹ 

31:38 “I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 31:39 Animals torn by wild beasts I never brought to you; I always absorbed the loss myself. ¹³⁷⁰  You always made me pay for every missing animal, ¹³⁷¹  whether it was taken by day or at night. 31:40 I was consumed by scorching heat ¹³⁷²  during the day and by piercing cold ¹³⁷³  at night, and I went without sleep. ¹³⁷⁴  31:41 This was my lot ¹³⁷⁵  for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave ¹³⁷⁶  for you – fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, but you changed my wages ten times! 31:42 If the God of my father – the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears ¹³⁷⁷  – had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, ¹³⁷⁸  and he rebuked you last night.”

31:43 Laban replied ¹³⁷⁹  to Jacob, “These women ¹³⁸⁰  are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, ¹³⁸¹  and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today ¹³⁸²  or the children to whom they have given birth? 31:44 So now, come, let’s make a formal agreement, ¹³⁸³  you and I, and it will be ¹³⁸⁴  proof that we have made peace.” ¹³⁸⁵ 

31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. 31:46 Then he ¹³⁸⁶  said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they brought stones and put them in a pile. ¹³⁸⁷  They ate there by the pile of stones. 31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, ¹³⁸⁸  but Jacob called it Galeed. ¹³⁸⁹ 

31:48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement ¹³⁹⁰  today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 31:49 It was also called Mizpah ¹³⁹¹  because he said, “May the Lord watch ¹³⁹²  between us ¹³⁹³  when we are out of sight of one another. ¹³⁹⁴  31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize ¹³⁹⁵  that God is witness to your actions.” ¹³⁹⁶ 

31:51 “Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you,” Laban said to Jacob. ¹³⁹⁷  31:52 “This pile of stones and the pillar are reminders that I will not pass beyond this pile to come to harm you and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to come to harm me. ¹³⁹⁸  31:53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, ¹³⁹⁹  the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared. ¹⁴⁰⁰  31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice ¹⁴⁰¹  on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. ¹⁴⁰²  They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.

31:55 (32:1) ¹⁴⁰³  Early in the morning Laban kissed ¹⁴⁰⁴  his grandchildren ¹⁴⁰⁵  and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. ¹⁴⁰⁶ 

Jacob Wrestles at Peniel

32:1 So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God ¹⁴⁰⁷  met him. 32:2 When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, ¹⁴⁰⁸  “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. ¹⁴⁰⁹ 

32:3 Jacob sent messengers on ahead ¹⁴¹⁰  to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region ¹⁴¹¹  of Edom. 32:4 He commanded them, “This is what you must say to my lord Esau: ‘This is what your servant ¹⁴¹²  Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban until now. 32:5 I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent ¹⁴¹³  this message ¹⁴¹⁴  to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”

32:6 The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has four hundred men with him.” 32:7 Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels. 32:8 “If Esau attacks one camp,” ¹⁴¹⁵  he thought, ¹⁴¹⁶  “then the other camp will be able to escape.” ¹⁴¹⁷ 

32:9 Then Jacob prayed, ¹⁴¹⁸  “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said ¹⁴¹⁹  to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’ ¹⁴²⁰  32:10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love ¹⁴²¹  you have shown ¹⁴²²  your servant. With only my walking stick ¹⁴²³  I crossed the Jordan, ¹⁴²⁴  but now I have become two camps. 32:11 Rescue me, ¹⁴²⁵  I pray, from the hand ¹⁴²⁶  of my brother Esau, ¹⁴²⁷  for I am afraid he will come ¹⁴²⁸  and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children. ¹⁴²⁹  32:12 But you ¹⁴³⁰  said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper ¹⁴³¹  and will make ¹⁴³²  your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’” ¹⁴³³ 

32:13 Jacob ¹⁴³⁴  stayed there that night. Then he sent ¹⁴³⁵  as a gift ¹⁴³⁶  to his brother Esau 32:14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 32:15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 32:16 He entrusted them to ¹⁴³⁷  his servants, who divided them into herds. ¹⁴³⁸  He told his servants, “Pass over before me, and keep some distance between one herd and the next.” 32:17 He instructed the servant leading the first herd, ¹⁴³⁹  “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong? ¹⁴⁴⁰  Where are you going? Whose herds are you driving?’ ¹⁴⁴¹  32:18 then you must say, ¹⁴⁴²  ‘They belong ¹⁴⁴³  to your servant Jacob. ¹⁴⁴⁴  They have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau. ¹⁴⁴⁵  In fact Jacob himself is behind us.’” ¹⁴⁴⁶ 

32:19 He also gave these instructions to the second and third servants, as well as all those who were following the herds, saying, “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. ¹⁴⁴⁷  32:20 You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’” ¹⁴⁴⁸  Jacob thought, ¹⁴⁴⁹  “I will first appease him ¹⁴⁵⁰  by sending a gift ahead of me. ¹⁴⁵¹  After that I will meet him. ¹⁴⁵²  Perhaps he will accept me.” ¹⁴⁵³  32:21 So the gifts were sent on ahead of him ¹⁴⁵⁴  while he spent that night in the camp. ¹⁴⁵⁵ 

32:22 During the night Jacob quickly took ¹⁴⁵⁶  his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons ¹⁴⁵⁷  and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. ¹⁴⁵⁸  32:23 He took them and sent them across the stream along with all his possessions. ¹⁴⁵⁹  32:24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man ¹⁴⁶⁰  wrestled ¹⁴⁶¹  with him until daybreak. ¹⁴⁶²  32:25 When the man ¹⁴⁶³  saw that he could not defeat Jacob, ¹⁴⁶⁴  he struck ¹⁴⁶⁵  the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

32:26 Then the man ¹⁴⁶⁶  said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” ¹⁴⁶⁷  “I will not let you go,” Jacob replied, ¹⁴⁶⁸  “unless you bless me.” ¹⁴⁶⁹  32:27 The man asked him, ¹⁴⁷⁰  “What is your name?” ¹⁴⁷¹  He answered, “Jacob.” 32:28 “No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him, ¹⁴⁷²  “but Israel, ¹⁴⁷³  because you have fought ¹⁴⁷⁴  with God and with men and have prevailed.”

32:29 Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” ¹⁴⁷⁵  “Why ¹⁴⁷⁶  do you ask my name?” the man replied. ¹⁴⁷⁷  Then he blessed ¹⁴⁷⁸  Jacob ¹⁴⁷⁹  there. 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, ¹⁴⁸⁰  explaining, ¹⁴⁸¹  “Certainly ¹⁴⁸²  I have seen God face to face ¹⁴⁸³  and have survived.” ¹⁴⁸⁴ 

32:31 The sun rose ¹⁴⁸⁵  over him as he crossed over Penuel, ¹⁴⁸⁶  but ¹⁴⁸⁷  he was limping because of his hip. 32:32 That is why to this day ¹⁴⁸⁸  the Israelites do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the hip, because he struck ¹⁴⁸⁹  the socket of Jacob’s hip near the attached sinew.

Jacob Meets Esau

33:1 Jacob looked up ¹⁴⁹⁰  and saw that Esau was coming ¹⁴⁹¹  along with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants. 33:2 He put the servants and their children in front, with Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them. ¹⁴⁹²  33:3 But Jacob ¹⁴⁹³  himself went on ahead of them, and he bowed toward the ground seven times as he approached ¹⁴⁹⁴  his brother. 33:4 But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Then they both wept. 33:5 When Esau ¹⁴⁹⁵  looked up ¹⁴⁹⁶  and saw the women and the children, he asked, “Who are these people with you?” Jacob ¹⁴⁹⁷  replied, “The children whom God has graciously given ¹⁴⁹⁸  your servant.” 33:6 The female servants came forward with their children and bowed down. ¹⁴⁹⁹  33:7 Then Leah came forward with her children and they bowed down. Finally Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed down.

33:8 Esau ¹⁵⁰⁰  then asked, “What did you intend ¹⁵⁰¹  by sending all these herds to meet me?” ¹⁵⁰²  Jacob ¹⁵⁰³  replied, “To find favor in your sight, my lord.” 33:9 But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother. Keep what belongs to you.” 33:10 “No, please take them,” Jacob said. ¹⁵⁰⁴  “If I have found favor in your sight, accept ¹⁵⁰⁵  my gift from my hand. Now that I have seen your face and you have accepted me, ¹⁵⁰⁶  it is as if I have seen the face of God. ¹⁵⁰⁷  33:11 Please take my present ¹⁵⁰⁸  that was brought to you, for God has been generous ¹⁵⁰⁹  to me and I have all I need.” ¹⁵¹⁰  When Jacob urged him, he took it. ¹⁵¹¹ 

33:12 Then Esau ¹⁵¹²  said, “Let’s be on our way! ¹⁵¹³  I will go in front of you.” 33:13 But Jacob ¹⁵¹⁴  said to him, “My lord knows that the children are young, ¹⁵¹⁵  and that I have to look after the sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. ¹⁵¹⁶  If they are driven too hard for even a single day, all the animals will die. 33:14 Let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the herds and the children, ¹⁵¹⁷  until I come to my lord at Seir.”

33:15 So Esau said, “Let me leave some of my men with you.” ¹⁵¹⁸  “Why do that?” Jacob replied. ¹⁵¹⁹  “My lord has already been kind enough to me.” ¹⁵²⁰ 

33:16 So that same day Esau made his way back ¹⁵²¹  to Seir. 33:17 But ¹⁵²²  Jacob traveled to Succoth ¹⁵²³  where he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was called ¹⁵²⁴  Succoth. ¹⁵²⁵ 

33:18 After he left Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped near ¹⁵²⁶  the city. 33:19 Then he purchased the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent; he bought it ¹⁵²⁷  from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of money. ¹⁵²⁸  33:20 There he set up an altar and called it “The God of Israel is God.” ¹⁵²⁹ 

Dinah and the Shechemites

34:1 Now Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she bore to Jacob, went to meet ¹⁵³⁰  the young women ¹⁵³¹  of the land. 34:2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who ruled that area, saw her, he grabbed her, forced himself on her, ¹⁵³²  and sexually assaulted her. ¹⁵³³  34:3 Then he became very attached ¹⁵³⁴  to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her. ¹⁵³⁵  34:4 Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Acquire this young girl as my wife.” ¹⁵³⁶  34:5 When ¹⁵³⁷  Jacob heard that Shechem ¹⁵³⁸  had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field. So Jacob remained silent ¹⁵³⁹  until they came in.

34:6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went to speak with Jacob about Dinah. ¹⁵⁴⁰  34:7 Now Jacob’s sons had come in from the field when they heard the news. ¹⁵⁴¹  They ¹⁵⁴²  were offended ¹⁵⁴³  and very angry because Shechem ¹⁵⁴⁴  had disgraced Israel ¹⁵⁴⁵  by sexually assaulting ¹⁵⁴⁶  Jacob’s daughter, a crime that should not be committed. ¹⁵⁴⁷ 

34:8 But Hamor made this appeal to them: “My son Shechem is in love with your daughter. ¹⁵⁴⁸  Please give her to him as his wife. 34:9 Intermarry with us. ¹⁵⁴⁹  Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves. ¹⁵⁵⁰  34:10 You may live ¹⁵⁵¹  among us, and the land will be open to you. ¹⁵⁵²  Live in it, travel freely in it, ¹⁵⁵³  and acquire property in it.”

34:11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s ¹⁵⁵⁴  father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and whatever you require of me ¹⁵⁵⁵  I’ll give. ¹⁵⁵⁶  34:12 You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive, ¹⁵⁵⁷  and I’ll give ¹⁵⁵⁸  whatever you ask ¹⁵⁵⁹  of me. Just give me the young woman as my wife!”

34:13 Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem ¹⁵⁶⁰  had violated their sister Dinah. 34:14 They said to them, “We cannot give ¹⁵⁶¹  our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace ¹⁵⁶²  to us. 34:15 We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become ¹⁵⁶³  like us by circumcising ¹⁵⁶⁴  all your males. 34:16 Then we will give ¹⁵⁶⁵  you our daughters to marry, ¹⁵⁶⁶  and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. 34:17 But if you do not agree to our terms ¹⁵⁶⁷  by being circumcised, then we will take ¹⁵⁶⁸  our sister ¹⁵⁶⁹  and depart.”

34:18 Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem. ¹⁵⁷⁰  34:19 The young man did not delay in doing what they asked ¹⁵⁷¹  because he wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah ¹⁵⁷²  badly. (Now he was more important ¹⁵⁷³  than anyone in his father’s household.) ¹⁵⁷⁴  34:20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate ¹⁵⁷⁵  of their city and spoke to the men of their city, 34:21 “These men are at peace with us. So let them live in the land and travel freely in it, for the land is wide enough ¹⁵⁷⁶  for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry. ¹⁵⁷⁷  34:22 Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand ¹⁵⁷⁸  that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised. 34:23 If we do so, ¹⁵⁷⁹  won’t their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? So let’s consent to their demand, so they will live among us.”

34:24 All the men who assembled at the city gate ¹⁵⁸⁰  agreed with ¹⁵⁸¹  Hamor and his son Shechem. Every male who assembled at the city gate ¹⁵⁸²  was circumcised. 34:25 In three days, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword ¹⁵⁸³  and went to the unsuspecting city ¹⁵⁸⁴  and slaughtered every male. 34:26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. 34:27 Jacob’s sons killed them ¹⁵⁸⁵  and looted the city because their sister had been violated. ¹⁵⁸⁶  34:28 They took their flocks, herds, and donkeys, as well as everything in the city and in the surrounding fields. ¹⁵⁸⁷  34:29 They captured as plunder ¹⁵⁸⁸  all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, including everything in the houses.

34:30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought ruin ¹⁵⁸⁹  on me by making me a foul odor ¹⁵⁹⁰  among the inhabitants of the land – among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I ¹⁵⁹¹  am few in number; they will join forces against me and attack me, and both I and my family will be destroyed!” 34:31 But Simeon and Levi replied, ¹⁵⁹²  “Should he treat our sister like a common prostitute?”

The Return to Bethel

35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once ¹⁵⁹³  to Bethel ¹⁵⁹⁴  and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” ¹⁵⁹⁵  35:2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. ¹⁵⁹⁶  Purify yourselves and change your clothes. ¹⁵⁹⁷  35:3 Let us go up at once ¹⁵⁹⁸  to Bethel. Then I will make ¹⁵⁹⁹  an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress ¹⁶⁰⁰  and has been with me wherever I went.” ¹⁶⁰¹ 

35:4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession ¹⁶⁰²  and the rings that were in their ears. ¹⁶⁰³  Jacob buried them ¹⁶⁰⁴  under the oak ¹⁶⁰⁵  near Shechem 35:5 and they started on their journey. ¹⁶⁰⁶  The surrounding cities were afraid of God, ¹⁶⁰⁷  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) ¹⁶⁰⁸  in the land of Canaan. ¹⁶⁰⁹  35:7 He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel ¹⁶¹⁰  because there God had revealed himself ¹⁶¹¹  to him when he was fleeing from his brother. 35:8 (Deborah, ¹⁶¹²  Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel; thus it was named ¹⁶¹³  Oak of Weeping.) ¹⁶¹⁴ 

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. ¹⁶¹⁵  35:11 Then God said to him, “I am the sovereign God. ¹⁶¹⁶  Be fruitful and multiply! A nation – even a company of nations – will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants! ¹⁶¹⁷  35:12 The land I gave ¹⁶¹⁸  to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you. To your descendants ¹⁶¹⁹  I will also give this land.” 35:13 Then God went up from the place ¹⁶²⁰  where he spoke with him. 35:14 So Jacob set up a sacred stone pillar in the place where God spoke with him. ¹⁶²¹  He poured out a drink offering on it, and then he poured oil on it. ¹⁶²²  35:15 Jacob named the place ¹⁶²³  where God spoke with him Bethel. ¹⁶²⁴ 

35:16 They traveled on from Bethel, and when Ephrath was still some distance away, ¹⁶²⁵  Rachel went into labor ¹⁶²⁶  – and her labor was hard. 35:17 When her labor was at its hardest, ¹⁶²⁷  the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you are having another son.” ¹⁶²⁸  35:18 With her dying breath, ¹⁶²⁹  she named him Ben-Oni. ¹⁶³⁰  But his father called him Benjamin instead. ¹⁶³¹  35:19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). ¹⁶³²  35:20 Jacob set up a marker ¹⁶³³  over her grave; it is ¹⁶³⁴  the Marker of Rachel’s Grave to this day.

35:21 Then Israel traveled on and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. ¹⁶³⁵  35:22 While Israel was living in that land, Reuben had sexual relations with ¹⁶³⁶  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, ¹⁶³⁷  to Kiriath Arba ¹⁶³⁸  (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. ¹⁶³⁹  35:28 Isaac lived to be 180 years old. ¹⁶⁴⁰  35:29 Then Isaac breathed his last and joined his ancestors. ¹⁶⁴¹  He died an old man who had lived a full life. ¹⁶⁴²  His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

The Descendants of Esau

36:1 What follows is the account of Esau (also known as Edom). ¹⁶⁴³ 

36:2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: ¹⁶⁴⁴  Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter ¹⁶⁴⁵  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 ¹⁶⁴⁶  Jacob his brother 36:7 because they had too many possessions to be able to stay together and the land where they had settled ¹⁶⁴⁷  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. ¹⁶⁴⁸ 

36:9 This is the account of Esau, the father ¹⁶⁴⁹  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 ¹⁶⁵⁰  of Esau’s wife Adah.

36:13 These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons ¹⁶⁵¹  of Esau’s wife Basemath.

36:14 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter ¹⁶⁵²  of Zibeon: She bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah to Esau.

36:15 These were the chiefs ¹⁶⁵³  among the descendants ¹⁶⁵⁴  of Esau, the sons of Eliphaz, Esau’s firstborn: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 36:16 chief Korah, ¹⁶⁵⁵  chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons ¹⁶⁵⁶  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 ¹⁶⁵⁷  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, ¹⁶⁵⁸  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 ¹⁶⁵⁹  of Seir in the land of Edom.

36:22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam; ¹⁶⁶⁰  Lotan’s sister was Timna.

36:23 These were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, ¹⁶⁶¹  and Onam.

36:24 These were the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah (who discovered the hot springs ¹⁶⁶²  in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon).

36:25 These were the children ¹⁶⁶³  of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.

36:26 These were the sons of Dishon: ¹⁶⁶⁴  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: ¹⁶⁶⁵ 

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 ¹⁶⁶⁶  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 ¹⁶⁶⁷  reigned in his place; the name of his city was Pau. ¹⁶⁶⁸  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 ¹⁶⁶⁹  in the land they possessed. This was Esau, the father of the Edomites.

Joseph’s Dreams

37:1 But Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, ¹⁶⁷⁰  in the land of Canaan. ¹⁶⁷¹ 

37:2 This is the account of Jacob.

Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, ¹⁶⁷²  was taking care of ¹⁶⁷³  the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster ¹⁶⁷⁴  working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. ¹⁶⁷⁵  Joseph brought back a bad report about them ¹⁶⁷⁶  to their father.

37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons ¹⁶⁷⁷  because he was a son born to him late in life, ¹⁶⁷⁸  and he made a special ¹⁶⁷⁹  tunic for him. 37:4 When Joseph’s ¹⁶⁸⁰  brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, ¹⁶⁸¹  they hated Joseph ¹⁶⁸²  and were not able to speak to him kindly. ¹⁶⁸³ 

37:5 Joseph ¹⁶⁸⁴  had a dream, ¹⁶⁸⁵  and when he told his brothers about it, ¹⁶⁸⁶  they hated him even more. ¹⁶⁸⁷  37:6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: ¹⁶⁸⁸  37:7 There we were, ¹⁶⁸⁹  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 ¹⁶⁹⁰  to it!” 37:8 Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?” ¹⁶⁹¹  They hated him even more ¹⁶⁹²  because of his dream and because of what he said. ¹⁶⁹³ 

37:9 Then he had another dream, ¹⁶⁹⁴  and told it to his brothers. “Look,” ¹⁶⁹⁵  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? ¹⁶⁹⁶  Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?” ¹⁶⁹⁷  37:11 His brothers were jealous ¹⁶⁹⁸  of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said. ¹⁶⁹⁹ 

37:12 When his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 37:13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers ¹⁷⁰⁰  are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” ¹⁷⁰¹  Joseph replied. ¹⁷⁰²  37:14 So Jacob ¹⁷⁰³  said to him, “Go now and check on ¹⁷⁰⁴  the welfare ¹⁷⁰⁵  of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word.” So Jacob ¹⁷⁰⁶  sent him from the valley of Hebron.

37:15 When Joseph reached Shechem, ¹⁷⁰⁷  a man found him wandering ¹⁷⁰⁸  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 ¹⁷⁰⁹  me where they are grazing their flocks.” 37:17 The man said, “They left this area, ¹⁷¹⁰  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 ¹⁷¹¹  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! ¹⁷¹²  37:20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild ¹⁷¹³  animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!” ¹⁷¹⁴ 

37:21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph ¹⁷¹⁵  from their hands, ¹⁷¹⁶  saying, ¹⁷¹⁷  “Let’s not take his life!” ¹⁷¹⁸  37:22 Reuben continued, ¹⁷¹⁹  “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” ¹⁷²⁰  (Reuben said this ¹⁷²¹  so he could rescue Joseph ¹⁷²²  from them ¹⁷²³  and take him back to his father.)

37:23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him ¹⁷²⁴  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; ¹⁷²⁵  there was no water in it.)

37:25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up ¹⁷²⁶  and saw ¹⁷²⁷  a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. ¹⁷²⁸  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, ¹⁷²⁹  for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. ¹⁷³⁰  37:28 So when the Midianite ¹⁷³¹  merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled ¹⁷³²  him ¹⁷³³  out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites ¹⁷³⁴  then took Joseph to Egypt.

37:29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! ¹⁷³⁵  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, ¹⁷³⁶  and dipped the tunic in the blood. 37:32 Then they brought the special tunic to their father ¹⁷³⁷  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! ¹⁷³⁸  Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 37:34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, ¹⁷³⁹  and mourned for his son many days. 37:35 All his sons and daughters stood by ¹⁷⁴⁰  him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. “No,” he said, “I will go to the grave mourning my son.” ¹⁷⁴¹  So Joseph’s ¹⁷⁴²  father wept for him.

37:36 Now ¹⁷⁴³  in Egypt the Midianites ¹⁷⁴⁴  sold Joseph ¹⁷⁴⁵  to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. ¹⁷⁴⁶ 

Judah and Tamar

38:1 At that time Judah left ¹⁷⁴⁷  his brothers and stayed ¹⁷⁴⁸  with an Adullamite man ¹⁷⁴⁹  named Hirah.

38:2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man ¹⁷⁵⁰  named Shua. ¹⁷⁵¹  Judah acquired her as a wife ¹⁷⁵²  and had marital relations with her. ¹⁷⁵³  38:3 She became pregnant ¹⁷⁵⁴  and had a son. Judah named ¹⁷⁵⁵  him Er. 38:4 She became pregnant again and had another son, whom she named Onan. 38:5 Then she had ¹⁷⁵⁶  yet another son, whom she named Shelah. She gave birth to him in Kezib. ¹⁷⁵⁷ 

38:6 Judah acquired ¹⁷⁵⁸  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 ¹⁷⁵⁹  your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise ¹⁷⁶⁰  up a descendant for your brother.” ¹⁷⁶¹  38:9 But Onan knew that the child ¹⁷⁶²  would not be considered his. ¹⁷⁶³  So whenever ¹⁷⁶⁴  he had sexual relations with ¹⁷⁶⁵  his brother’s wife, he withdrew prematurely ¹⁷⁶⁶  so as not to give his brother a descendant. 38:10 What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord ¹⁷⁶⁷  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, ¹⁷⁶⁸  “I don’t want him to die like his brothers.” ¹⁷⁶⁹  So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

38:12 After some time ¹⁷⁷⁰  Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah was consoled, he left for Timnah to visit his sheepshearers, along with ¹⁷⁷¹  his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 38:13 Tamar was told, ¹⁷⁷²  “Look, your father-in-law is going up ¹⁷⁷³  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 ¹⁷⁷⁴  she saw that she had not been given to Shelah as a wife, even though he had now grown up.) ¹⁷⁷⁵ 

38:15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute ¹⁷⁷⁶  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.” ¹⁷⁷⁷  (He did not realize ¹⁷⁷⁸  it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, “What will you give me in exchange for having sex with you?” ¹⁷⁷⁹  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?” ¹⁷⁸⁰  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. ¹⁷⁸¹  She became pregnant by him. 38:19 She left immediately, ¹⁷⁸²  removed her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes.

38:20 Then Judah had his friend Hirah ¹⁷⁸³  the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge, ¹⁷⁸⁴  but Hirah ¹⁷⁸⁵  could not find her. 38:21 He asked the men who were there, ¹⁷⁸⁶  “Where is the cult prostitute ¹⁷⁸⁷  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 ¹⁷⁸⁸  for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. ¹⁷⁸⁹  I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”

38:24 After three months Judah was told, ¹⁷⁹⁰  “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, ¹⁷⁹¹  and as a result she has become pregnant.” ¹⁷⁹²  Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” 38:25 While they were bringing her out, she sent word ¹⁷⁹³  to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” ¹⁷⁹⁴  Then she said, “Identify ¹⁷⁹⁵  the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.” 38:26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright ¹⁷⁹⁶  than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He did not have sexual relations with her ¹⁷⁹⁷  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 ¹⁷⁹⁸  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. ¹⁷⁹⁹  She said, “How you have broken out of the womb!” ¹⁸⁰⁰  So he was named Perez. ¹⁸⁰¹  38:30 Afterward his brother came out – the one who had the scarlet thread on his hand – and he was named Zerah. ¹⁸⁰² 

Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

39:1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. ¹⁸⁰³  An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, ¹⁸⁰⁴  purchased him from ¹⁸⁰⁵  the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 39:2 The Lord was with Joseph. He was successful ¹⁸⁰⁶  and lived ¹⁸⁰⁷  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. ¹⁸⁰⁸  39:4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. ¹⁸⁰⁹  Potiphar appointed Joseph ¹⁸¹⁰  overseer of his household and put him in charge ¹⁸¹¹  of everything he owned. 39:5 From the time ¹⁸¹²  Potiphar ¹⁸¹³  appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed ¹⁸¹⁴  the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both ¹⁸¹⁵  in his house and in his fields. ¹⁸¹⁶  39:6 So Potiphar ¹⁸¹⁷  left ¹⁸¹⁸  everything he had in Joseph’s care; ¹⁸¹⁹  he gave no thought ¹⁸²⁰  to anything except the food he ate. ¹⁸²¹ 

Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. ¹⁸²²  39:7 Soon after these things, his master’s wife took notice of ¹⁸²³  Joseph and said, “Have sex with me.” ¹⁸²⁴  39:8 But he refused, saying ¹⁸²⁵  to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not give any thought ¹⁸²⁶  to his household with me here, ¹⁸²⁷  and everything that he owns he has put into my care. ¹⁸²⁸  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 ¹⁸²⁹  such a great evil and sin against God?” 39:10 Even though she continued to speak ¹⁸³⁰  to Joseph day after day, he did not respond ¹⁸³¹  to her invitation to have sex with her. ¹⁸³² 

39:11 One day ¹⁸³³  he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants ¹⁸³⁴  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 ¹⁸³⁵  outside. ¹⁸³⁶  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 ¹⁸³⁷  in a Hebrew man ¹⁸³⁸  to us to humiliate us. ¹⁸³⁹  He tried to have sex with me, ¹⁸⁴⁰  but I screamed loudly. ¹⁸⁴¹  39:15 When he heard me raise ¹⁸⁴²  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: ¹⁸⁴³  “That Hebrew slave ¹⁸⁴⁴  you brought to us tried to humiliate me, ¹⁸⁴⁵  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, ¹⁸⁴⁶  “This is the way ¹⁸⁴⁷  your slave treated me,” ¹⁸⁴⁸  he became furious. ¹⁸⁴⁹  39:20 Joseph’s master took him and threw him into the prison, ¹⁸⁵⁰  the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in the prison. ¹⁸⁵¹ 

39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness. ¹⁸⁵²  He granted him favor in the sight of the prison warden. ¹⁸⁵³  39:22 The warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care. He was in charge of whatever they were doing. ¹⁸⁵⁴  39:23 The warden did not concern himself ¹⁸⁵⁵  with anything that was in Joseph’s ¹⁸⁵⁶  care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.

The Cupbearer and the Baker

40:1 After these things happened, the cupbearer ¹⁸⁵⁷  to the king of Egypt and the royal baker ¹⁸⁵⁸  offended ¹⁸⁵⁹  their master, the king of Egypt. 40:2 Pharaoh was enraged with his two officials, ¹⁸⁶⁰  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. ¹⁸⁶¹ 

They spent some time in custody. ¹⁸⁶²  40:5 Both of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream ¹⁸⁶³  the same night. ¹⁸⁶⁴  Each man’s dream had its own meaning. ¹⁸⁶⁵  40:6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were looking depressed. ¹⁸⁶⁶  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?” ¹⁸⁶⁷  40:8 They told him, “We both had dreams, ¹⁸⁶⁸  but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph responded, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell them ¹⁸⁶⁹  to me.”

40:9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: ¹⁸⁷⁰  “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 ¹⁸⁷¹  cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” ¹⁸⁷² 

40:12 “This is its meaning,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches represent ¹⁸⁷³  three days. 40:13 In three more days Pharaoh will reinstate you ¹⁸⁷⁴  and restore you to your office. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did before ¹⁸⁷⁵  when you were cupbearer. 40:14 But remember me ¹⁸⁷⁶  when it goes well for you, and show ¹⁸⁷⁷  me kindness. ¹⁸⁷⁸  Make mention ¹⁸⁷⁹  of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this prison, ¹⁸⁸⁰  40:15 for I really was kidnapped ¹⁸⁸¹  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, ¹⁸⁸²  he said to Joseph, “I also appeared in my dream and there were three baskets of white bread ¹⁸⁸³  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 ¹⁸⁸⁴  three days. 40:19 In three more days Pharaoh will decapitate you ¹⁸⁸⁵  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” ¹⁸⁸⁶  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 ¹⁸⁸⁷  so that he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand, 40:22 but the chief baker he impaled, just as Joseph had predicted. ¹⁸⁸⁸  40:23 But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph – he forgot him. ¹⁸⁸⁹ 

Joseph’s Rise to Power

41:1 At the end of two full years ¹⁸⁹⁰  Pharaoh had a dream. ¹⁸⁹¹  As he was standing by the Nile, 41:2 seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile, ¹⁸⁹²  and they grazed in the reeds. 41:3 Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, ¹⁸⁹³  and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. ¹⁸⁹⁴  41:4 The bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

41:5 Then he fell asleep again and had a second dream: There were seven heads of grain growing ¹⁸⁹⁵  on one stalk, healthy ¹⁸⁹⁶  and good. 41:6 Then ¹⁸⁹⁷  seven heads of grain, thin and burned by the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 41:7 The thin heads swallowed up the seven healthy and full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream. ¹⁸⁹⁸ 

41:8 In the morning he ¹⁸⁹⁹  was troubled, so he called for ¹⁹⁰⁰  all the diviner-priests ¹⁹⁰¹  of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, ¹⁹⁰²  but no one could interpret ¹⁹⁰³  them for him. ¹⁹⁰⁴  41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. ¹⁹⁰⁵  41:10 Pharaoh was enraged with his servants, and he put me in prison in the house of the captain of the guards – me and the chief baker. 41:11 We each had a dream one night; each of us had a dream with its own meaning. ¹⁹⁰⁶  41:12 Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant ¹⁹⁰⁷  of the captain of the guards, ¹⁹⁰⁸  was with us there. We told him our dreams, ¹⁹⁰⁹  and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us. ¹⁹¹⁰  41:13 It happened just as he had said ¹⁹¹¹  to us – Pharaoh ¹⁹¹²  restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker.” ¹⁹¹³ 

41:14 Then Pharaoh summoned ¹⁹¹⁴  Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh. 41:15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, ¹⁹¹⁵  and there is no one who can interpret ¹⁹¹⁶  it. But I have heard about you, that ¹⁹¹⁷  you can interpret dreams.” ¹⁹¹⁸  41:16 Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “It is not within my power, ¹⁹¹⁹  but God will speak concerning ¹⁹²⁰  the welfare of Pharaoh.” ¹⁹²¹ 

41:17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing ¹⁹²²  by the edge of the Nile. 41:18 Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. ¹⁹²³  41:19 Then ¹⁹²⁴  seven other cows came up after them; they were scrawny, very bad-looking, and lean. I had never seen such bad-looking cows ¹⁹²⁵  as these in all the land of Egypt! 41:20 The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven ¹⁹²⁶  fat cows. 41:21 When they had eaten them, ¹⁹²⁷  no one would have known ¹⁹²⁸  that they had done so, for they were just as bad-looking as before. Then I woke up. 41:22 I also saw in my dream ¹⁹²⁹  seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good. 41:23 Then ¹⁹³⁰  seven heads of grain, withered and thin and burned with the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 41:24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. So I told all this ¹⁹³¹  to the diviner-priests, but no one could tell me its meaning.” ¹⁹³² 

41:25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning. ¹⁹³³  God has revealed ¹⁹³⁴  to Pharaoh what he is about to do. ¹⁹³⁵  41:26 The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning. ¹⁹³⁶  41:27 The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent ¹⁹³⁷  seven years of famine. 41:28 This is just what I told ¹⁹³⁸  Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 41:29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. 41:30 But seven years of famine will occur ¹⁹³⁹  after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate ¹⁹⁴⁰  the land. 41:31 The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered ¹⁹⁴¹  because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe. ¹⁹⁴²  41:32 The dream was repeated to Pharaoh ¹⁹⁴³  because the matter has been decreed ¹⁹⁴⁴  by God, and God will make it happen soon. ¹⁹⁴⁵ 

41:33 “So now Pharaoh should look ¹⁹⁴⁶  for a wise and discerning man ¹⁹⁴⁷  and give him authority ¹⁹⁴⁸  over all the land of Egypt. 41:34 Pharaoh should do ¹⁹⁴⁹  this – he should appoint ¹⁹⁵⁰  officials ¹⁹⁵¹  throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt ¹⁹⁵²  during the seven years of abundance. 41:35 They should gather all the excess food ¹⁹⁵³  during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority ¹⁹⁵⁴  they should store up grain so the cities will have food, ¹⁹⁵⁵  and they should preserve it. ¹⁹⁵⁶  41:36 This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.” ¹⁹⁵⁷ 

41:37 This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials. ¹⁹⁵⁸  41:38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find a man like Joseph, ¹⁹⁵⁹  one in whom the Spirit of God is present?” ¹⁹⁶⁰  41:39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning ¹⁹⁶¹  as you are! 41:40 You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. ¹⁹⁶²  Only I, the king, will be greater than you. ¹⁹⁶³ 

41:41 “See here,” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I place ¹⁹⁶⁴  you in authority over all the land of Egypt.” ¹⁹⁶⁵  41:42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph’s. He clothed him with fine linen ¹⁹⁶⁶  clothes and put a gold chain around his neck. 41:43 Pharaoh ¹⁹⁶⁷  had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, ¹⁹⁶⁸  and they cried out before him, “Kneel down!” ¹⁹⁶⁹  So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 41:44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission ¹⁹⁷⁰  no one ¹⁹⁷¹  will move his hand or his foot ¹⁹⁷²  in all the land of Egypt.” 41:45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. ¹⁹⁷³  He also gave him Asenath ¹⁹⁷⁴  daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, ¹⁹⁷⁵  to be his wife. So Joseph took charge of ¹⁹⁷⁶  all the land of Egypt.

41:46 Now Joseph was 30 years old ¹⁹⁷⁷  when he began serving ¹⁹⁷⁸  Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by ¹⁹⁷⁹  Pharaoh and was in charge of ¹⁹⁸⁰  all the land of Egypt. 41:47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests. ¹⁹⁸¹  41:48 Joseph ¹⁹⁸²  collected all the excess food ¹⁹⁸³  in the land of Egypt during the seven years and stored it in the cities. ¹⁹⁸⁴  In every city he put the food gathered from the fields around it. 41:49 Joseph stored up a vast amount of grain, like the sand of the sea, ¹⁹⁸⁵  until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure.

41:50 Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came. ¹⁹⁸⁶  Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, was their mother. ¹⁹⁸⁷  41:51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, ¹⁹⁸⁸  saying, ¹⁹⁸⁹  “Certainly ¹⁹⁹⁰  God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” 41:52 He named the second child Ephraim, ¹⁹⁹¹  saying, ¹⁹⁹²  “Certainly ¹⁹⁹³  God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

41:53 The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end. 41:54 Then the seven years of famine began, ¹⁹⁹⁴  just as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food. 41:55 When all the land of Egypt experienced the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh said to all the people of Egypt, ¹⁹⁹⁵  “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”

41:56 While the famine was over all the earth, ¹⁹⁹⁶  Joseph opened the storehouses ¹⁹⁹⁷  and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. 41:57 People from every country ¹⁹⁹⁸  came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth.

Joseph’s Brothers in Egypt

42:1 When Jacob heard ¹⁹⁹⁹  there was grain in Egypt, he ²⁰⁰⁰  said to his sons, “Why are you looking at each other?” ²⁰⁰¹  42:2 He then said, “Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us ²⁰⁰²  so that we may live ²⁰⁰³  and not die.” ²⁰⁰⁴ 

42:3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 42:4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, ²⁰⁰⁵  for he said, ²⁰⁰⁶  “What if some accident ²⁰⁰⁷  happens ²⁰⁰⁸  to him?” 42:5 So Israel’s sons came to buy grain among the other travelers, ²⁰⁰⁹  for the famine was severe in the land of Canaan.

42:6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the country, the one who sold grain to all the people of the country. ²⁰¹⁰  Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down ²⁰¹¹  before him with ²⁰¹²  their faces to the ground. 42:7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger ²⁰¹³  to them and spoke to them harshly. He asked, “Where do you come from?” They answered, ²⁰¹⁴  “From the land of Canaan, to buy grain for food.” ²⁰¹⁵ 

42:8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 42:9 Then Joseph remembered ²⁰¹⁶  the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see if our land is vulnerable!” ²⁰¹⁷ 

42:10 But they exclaimed, ²⁰¹⁸  “No, my lord! Your servants have come to buy grain for food! 42:11 We are all the sons of one man; we are honest men! Your servants are not spies.”

42:12 “No,” he insisted, “but you have come to see if our land is vulnerable.” ²⁰¹⁹  42:13 They replied, “Your servants are from a family of twelve brothers. ²⁰²⁰  We are the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father at this time, ²⁰²¹  and one is no longer alive.” ²⁰²² 

42:14 But Joseph told them, “It is just as I said to you: ²⁰²³  You are spies! 42:15 You will be tested in this way: As surely as Pharaoh lives, ²⁰²⁴  you will not depart from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 42:16 One of you must go and get ²⁰²⁵  your brother, while ²⁰²⁶  the rest of you remain in prison. ²⁰²⁷  In this way your words may be tested to see if ²⁰²⁸  you are telling the truth. ²⁰²⁹  If not, then, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 42:17 He imprisoned ²⁰³⁰  them all for three days. 42:18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do as I say ²⁰³¹  and you will live, ²⁰³²  for I fear God. ²⁰³³  42:19 If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers confined here in prison ²⁰³⁴  while the rest of you go ²⁰³⁵  and take grain back for your hungry families. ²⁰³⁶  42:20 But you must bring ²⁰³⁷  your youngest brother to me. Then ²⁰³⁸  your words will be verified ²⁰³⁹  and you will not die.” They did as he said. ²⁰⁴⁰ 

42:21 They said to one other, ²⁰⁴¹  “Surely we’re being punished ²⁰⁴²  because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was ²⁰⁴³  when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress ²⁰⁴⁴  has come on us!” 42:22 Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Don’t sin against the boy,’ but you wouldn’t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!” ²⁰⁴⁵  42:23 (Now ²⁰⁴⁶  they did not know that Joseph could understand them, ²⁰⁴⁷  for he was speaking through an interpreter.) ²⁰⁴⁸  42:24 He turned away from them and wept. When he turned around and spoke to them again, ²⁰⁴⁹  he had Simeon taken ²⁰⁵⁰  from them and tied up ²⁰⁵¹  before their eyes.

42:25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill ²⁰⁵²  their bags with grain, to return each man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. His orders were carried out. ²⁰⁵³  42:26 So they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. ²⁰⁵⁴ 

42:27 When one of them ²⁰⁵⁵  opened his sack to get feed for his donkey at their resting place, ²⁰⁵⁶  he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. ²⁰⁵⁷  42:28 He said to his brothers, “My money was returned! Here it is in my sack!” They were dismayed; ²⁰⁵⁸  they turned trembling one to another ²⁰⁵⁹  and said, “What in the world has God done to us?” ²⁰⁶⁰ 

42:29 They returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him all the things that had happened to them, saying, 42:30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us ²⁰⁶¹  as if we were ²⁰⁶²  spying on the land. 42:31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies! 42:32 We are from a family of twelve brothers; we are the sons of one father. ²⁰⁶³  One is no longer alive, ²⁰⁶⁴  and the youngest is with our father at this time ²⁰⁶⁵  in the land of Canaan.’

42:33 “Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain ²⁰⁶⁶  for your hungry households and go. 42:34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know ²⁰⁶⁷  that you are honest men and not spies. ²⁰⁶⁸  Then I will give your brother back to you and you may move about freely in the land.’” ²⁰⁶⁹ 

42:35 When they were emptying their sacks, there was each man’s bag of money in his sack! When they and their father saw the bags of money, they were afraid. 42:36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You are making me childless! Joseph is gone. ²⁰⁷⁰  Simeon is gone. ²⁰⁷¹  And now you want to take ²⁰⁷²  Benjamin! Everything is against me.”

42:37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may ²⁰⁷³  put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care ²⁰⁷⁴  and I will bring him back to you.” 42:38 But Jacob ²⁰⁷⁵  replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. ²⁰⁷⁶  If an accident happens to him on the journey you have to make, then you will bring down my gray hair ²⁰⁷⁷  in sorrow to the grave.” ²⁰⁷⁸ 

The Second Journey to Egypt

43:1 Now the famine was severe in the land. ²⁰⁷⁹  43:2 When they finished eating the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Return, buy us a little more food.”

43:3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned ²⁰⁸⁰  us, ‘You will not see my face ²⁰⁸¹  unless your brother is with you.’ 43:4 If you send ²⁰⁸²  our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy food for you. 43:5 But if you will not send him, we won’t go down there because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”

43:6 Israel said, “Why did you bring this trouble ²⁰⁸³  on me by telling ²⁰⁸⁴  the man you had one more brother?”

43:7 They replied, “The man questioned us ²⁰⁸⁵  thoroughly ²⁰⁸⁶  about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ ²⁰⁸⁷  So we answered him in this way. ²⁰⁸⁸  How could we possibly know ²⁰⁸⁹  that he would say, ²⁰⁹⁰  ‘Bring your brother down’?”

43:8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me and we will go immediately. ²⁰⁹¹  Then we will live ²⁰⁹²  and not die – we and you and our little ones. 43:9 I myself pledge security ²⁰⁹³  for him; you may hold me liable. If I do not bring him back to you and place him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. ²⁰⁹⁴  43:10 But if we had not delayed, we could have traveled there and back ²⁰⁹⁵  twice by now!”

43:11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and take a gift down to the man – a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. 43:12 Take double the money with you; ²⁰⁹⁶  you must take back ²⁰⁹⁷  the money that was returned in the mouths of your sacks – perhaps it was an oversight. 43:13 Take your brother too, and go right away ²⁰⁹⁸  to the man. ²⁰⁹⁹  43:14 May the sovereign God ²¹⁰⁰  grant you mercy before the man so that he may release ²¹⁰¹  your other brother ²¹⁰²  and Benjamin! As for me, if I lose my children I lose them.” ²¹⁰³ 

43:15 So the men took these gifts, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. Then they hurried down to Egypt ²¹⁰⁴  and stood before Joseph. 43:16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant who was over his household, “Bring the men to the house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for the men will eat with me at noon.” 43:17 The man did just as Joseph said; he ²¹⁰⁵  brought the men into Joseph’s house. ²¹⁰⁶ 

43:18 But the men were afraid when they were brought to Joseph’s house. They said, “We are being brought in because of ²¹⁰⁷  the money that was returned in our sacks last time. ²¹⁰⁸  He wants to capture us, ²¹⁰⁹  make us slaves, and take ²¹¹⁰  our donkeys!” 43:19 So they approached the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. 43:20 They said, “My lord, we did indeed come down ²¹¹¹  the first time ²¹¹²  to buy food. 43:21 But when we came to the place where we spent the night, we opened our sacks and each of us found his money – the full amount ²¹¹³  – in the mouth of his sack. So we have returned it. ²¹¹⁴  43:22 We have brought additional money with us to buy food. We do not know who put the money in our sacks!”

43:23 “Everything is fine,” ²¹¹⁵  the man in charge of Joseph’s household told them. “Don’t be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. ²¹¹⁶  I had your money.” ²¹¹⁷  Then he brought Simeon out to them.

43:24 The servant in charge ²¹¹⁸  brought the men into Joseph’s house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave food to their donkeys. 43:25 They got their gifts ready for Joseph’s arrival ²¹¹⁹  at noon, for they had heard ²¹²⁰  that they were to have a meal ²¹²¹  there.

43:26 When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought inside, ²¹²²  and they bowed down to the ground before him. 43:27 He asked them how they were doing. ²¹²³  Then he said, “Is your aging father well, the one you spoke about? Is he still alive?” 43:28 “Your servant our father is well,” they replied. “He is still alive.” They bowed down in humility. ²¹²⁴ 

43:29 When Joseph looked up ²¹²⁵  and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Is this your youngest brother, whom you told me about?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” ²¹²⁶  43:30 Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome by affection for his brother ²¹²⁷  and was at the point of tears. ²¹²⁸  So he went to his room and wept there.

43:31 Then he washed his face and came out. With composure he said, ²¹²⁹  “Set out the food.” 43:32 They set a place for him, a separate place for his brothers, ²¹³⁰  and another for the Egyptians who were eating with him. (The Egyptians are not able to eat with Hebrews, for the Egyptians think it is disgusting ²¹³¹  to do so.) ²¹³²  43:33 They sat before him, arranged by order of birth, beginning with the firstborn and ending with the youngest. ²¹³³  The men looked at each other in astonishment. ²¹³⁴  43:34 He gave them portions of the food set before him, ²¹³⁵  but the portion for Benjamin was five times greater than the portions for any of the others. They drank with Joseph until they all became drunk. ²¹³⁶ 

The Final Test

44:1 He instructed the servant who was over his household, “Fill the sacks of the men with as much food as they can carry and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack. 44:2 Then put ²¹³⁷  my cup – the silver cup – in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the money for his grain.” He did as Joseph instructed. ²¹³⁸ 

44:3 When morning came, ²¹³⁹  the men and their donkeys were sent off. ²¹⁴⁰  44:4 They had not gone very far from the city ²¹⁴¹  when Joseph said ²¹⁴²  to the servant who was over his household, “Pursue the men at once! ²¹⁴³  When you overtake ²¹⁴⁴  them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? 44:5 Doesn’t my master drink from this cup ²¹⁴⁵  and use it for divination? ²¹⁴⁶  You have done wrong!’” ²¹⁴⁷ 

44:6 When the man ²¹⁴⁸  overtook them, he spoke these words to them. 44:7 They answered him, “Why does my lord say such things? ²¹⁴⁹  Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! ²¹⁵⁰  44:8 Look, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. Why then would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? 44:9 If one of us has it, ²¹⁵¹  he will die, and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves!”

44:10 He replied, “You have suggested your own punishment! ²¹⁵²  The one who has it will become my slave, ²¹⁵³  but the rest of ²¹⁵⁴  you will go free.” ²¹⁵⁵  44:11 So each man quickly lowered ²¹⁵⁶  his sack to the ground and opened it. 44:12 Then the man ²¹⁵⁷  searched. He began with the oldest and finished with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack! 44:13 They all tore their clothes! Then each man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

44:14 So Judah and his brothers ²¹⁵⁸  came back to Joseph’s house. He was still there, ²¹⁵⁹  and they threw themselves to the ground before him. 44:15 Joseph said to them, “What did you think you were doing? ²¹⁶⁰  Don’t you know that a man like me can find out things like this by divination?” ²¹⁶¹ 

44:16 Judah replied, “What can we say ²¹⁶²  to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? ²¹⁶³  God has exposed the sin of your servants! ²¹⁶⁴  We are now my lord’s slaves, we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.”

44:17 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do this! The man in whose hand the cup was found will become my slave, but the rest of ²¹⁶⁵  you may go back ²¹⁶⁶  to your father in peace.”

44:18 Then Judah approached him and said, “My lord, please allow your servant to speak a word with you. ²¹⁶⁷  Please do not get angry with your servant, ²¹⁶⁸  for you are just like Pharaoh. ²¹⁶⁹  44:19 My lord asked his servants, ‘Do you have a father or a brother?’ 44:20 We said to my lord, ‘We have an aged father, and there is a young boy who was born when our father was old. ²¹⁷⁰  The boy’s ²¹⁷¹  brother is dead. He is the only one of his mother’s sons left, ²¹⁷²  and his father loves him.’

44:21 “Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see ²¹⁷³  him.’ ²¹⁷⁴  44:22 We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father ²¹⁷⁵  will die.’ ²¹⁷⁶  44:23 But you said to your servants, ‘If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you will not see my face again.’ 44:24 When we returned to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

44:25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ 44:26 But we replied, ‘We cannot go down there. ²¹⁷⁷  If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go, ²¹⁷⁸  for we won’t be permitted to see the man’s face if our youngest brother is not with us.’

44:27 “Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife gave me two sons. ²¹⁷⁹  44:28 The first disappeared ²¹⁸⁰  and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” I have not seen him since. 44:29 If you take ²¹⁸¹  this one from me too and an accident happens to him, then you will bring down my gray hair ²¹⁸²  in tragedy ²¹⁸³  to the grave.’ ²¹⁸⁴ 

44:30 “So now, when I return to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us – his very life is bound up in his son’s life. ²¹⁸⁵  44:31 When he sees the boy is not with us, ²¹⁸⁶  he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave. 44:32 Indeed, ²¹⁸⁷  your servant pledged security for the boy with my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame before my father all my life.’

44:33 “So now, please let your servant remain as my lord’s slave instead of the boy. As for the boy, let him go back with his brothers. 44:34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see ²¹⁸⁸  my father’s pain.” ²¹⁸⁹ 

The Reconciliation of the Brothers

45:1 Joseph was no longer able to control himself before all his attendants, ²¹⁹⁰  so he cried out, “Make everyone go out from my presence!” No one remained ²¹⁹¹  with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 45:2 He wept loudly; ²¹⁹²  the Egyptians heard it and Pharaoh’s household heard about it. ²¹⁹³ 

45:3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” His brothers could not answer him because they were dumbfounded before him. 45:4 Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me,” so they came near. Then he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 45:5 Now, do not be upset and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here, ²¹⁹⁴  for God sent me ²¹⁹⁵  ahead of you to preserve life! 45:6 For these past two years there has been famine in ²¹⁹⁶  the land and for five more years there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 45:7 God sent me ²¹⁹⁷  ahead of you to preserve you ²¹⁹⁸  on the earth and to save your lives ²¹⁹⁹  by a great deliverance. 45:8 So now, it is not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me an adviser ²²⁰⁰  to Pharaoh, lord over all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 45:9 Now go up to my father quickly ²²⁰¹  and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not delay! 45:10 You will live ²²⁰²  in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me – you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everything you have. 45:11 I will provide you with food ²²⁰³  there because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise you would become poor – you, your household, and everyone who belongs to you.”’ 45:12 You and my brother Benjamin can certainly see with your own eyes that I really am the one who speaks to you. ²²⁰⁴  45:13 So tell ²²⁰⁵  my father about all my honor in Egypt and about everything you have seen. But bring my father down here quickly!” ²²⁰⁶ 

45:14 Then he threw himself on the neck of his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 45:15 He kissed all his brothers and wept over them. After this his brothers talked with him.

45:16 Now it was reported ²²⁰⁷  in the household of Pharaoh, “Joseph’s brothers have arrived.” It pleased ²²⁰⁸  Pharaoh and his servants. 45:17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go ²²⁰⁹  to the land of Canaan! 45:18 Get your father and your households and come to me! Then I will give you ²²¹⁰  the best land in Egypt and you will eat ²²¹¹  the best ²²¹²  of the land.’ 45:19 You are also commanded to say, ²²¹³  ‘Do this: Take for yourselves wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives. Bring your father and come. 45:20 Don’t worry ²²¹⁴  about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt will be yours.’”

45:21 So the sons of Israel did as he said. ²²¹⁵  Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had instructed, ²²¹⁶  and he gave them provisions for the journey. 45:22 He gave sets of clothes to each one of them, ²²¹⁷  but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five sets of clothes. ²²¹⁸  45:23 To his father he sent the following: ²²¹⁹  ten donkeys loaded with the best products of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, food, and provisions for his father’s journey. 45:24 Then he sent his brothers on their way and they left. He said to them, “As you travel don’t be overcome with fear.” ²²²⁰ 

45:25 So they went up from Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. ²²²¹  45:26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned, ²²²²  for he did not believe them. 45:27 But when they related to him everything Joseph had said to them, ²²²³  and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, their father Jacob’s spirit revived. 45:28 Then Israel said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive! I will go and see him before I die.”

The Family of Jacob goes to Egypt

46:1 So Israel began his journey, taking with him all that he had. ²²²⁴  When he came to Beer Sheba ²²²⁵  he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 46:2 God spoke to Israel in a vision during the night ²²²⁶  and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He replied, “Here I am!” 46:3 He said, “I am God, ²²²⁷  the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 46:4 I will go down with you to Egypt and I myself will certainly bring you back from there. ²²²⁸  Joseph will close your eyes.” ²²²⁹ 

46:5 Then Jacob started out ²²³⁰  from Beer Sheba, and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little children, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent along to transport him. 46:6 Jacob and all his descendants took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and they went to Egypt. ²²³¹  46:7 He brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, ²²³²  his daughters and granddaughters – all his descendants.

46:8 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt – Jacob and his sons:

Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob.

46:9 The sons of Reuben:

Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

46:10 The sons of Simeon:

Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar,

and Shaul (the son of a Canaanite woman).

46:11 The sons of Levi:

Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

46:12 The sons of Judah:

Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah

(but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan).

The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

46:13 The sons of Issachar:

Tola, Puah, ²²³³  Jashub, ²²³⁴  and Shimron.

46:14 The sons of Zebulun:

Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

46:15 These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, along with Dinah his daughter. His sons and daughters numbered thirty-three in all. ²²³⁵ 

46:16 The sons of Gad:

Zephon, ²²³⁶  Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

46:17 The sons of Asher:

Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister.

The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel.

46:18 These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, sixteen in all.

46:19 The sons of Rachel the wife of Jacob:

Joseph and Benjamin.

46:20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, ²²³⁷  bore them to him.

46:21 The sons of Benjamin: ²²³⁸ 

Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.

46:22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob, fourteen in all.

46:23 The son of Dan: Hushim. ²²³⁹ 

46:24 The sons of Naphtali:

Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

46:25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, seven in all.

46:26 All the direct descendants of Jacob who went to Egypt with him were sixty-six in number. (This number does not include the wives of Jacob’s sons.) ²²⁴⁰  46:27 Counting the two sons ²²⁴¹  of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt, all the people of the household of Jacob who were in Egypt numbered seventy. ²²⁴² 

46:28 Jacob ²²⁴³  sent Judah before him to Joseph to accompany him to Goshen. ²²⁴⁴  So they came to the land of Goshen. 46:29 Joseph harnessed his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When he met him, ²²⁴⁵  he hugged his neck and wept on his neck for quite some time.

46:30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” ²²⁴⁶  46:31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, ²²⁴⁷  ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me. 46:32 The men are shepherds; ²²⁴⁸  they take care of livestock. ²²⁴⁹  They have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ 46:33 Pharaoh will summon you and say, ‘What is your occupation?’ 46:34 Tell him, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle ²²⁵⁰  from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen, ²²⁵¹  for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting ²²⁵²  to the Egyptians.”

Joseph’s Wise Administration

47:1 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father, my brothers, their flocks and herds, and all that they own have arrived from the land of

Canaan. They are now ²²⁵³  in the land of Goshen.” 47:2 He took five of his brothers and introduced them to Pharaoh. ²²⁵⁴ 

47:3 Pharaoh said to Joseph’s ²²⁵⁵  brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants take care of flocks, just as our ancestors did.” ²²⁵⁶  47:4 Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as temporary residents ²²⁵⁷  in the land. There ²²⁵⁸  is no pasture for your servants’ flocks because the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. So now, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen.”

47:5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 47:6 The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best region of the land. They may live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any highly capable men ²²⁵⁹  among them, put them in charge ²²⁶⁰  of my livestock.”

47:7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him ²²⁶¹  before Pharaoh. Jacob blessed ²²⁶²  Pharaoh. 47:8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How long have you lived?” ²²⁶³  47:9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, “All ²²⁶⁴  the years of my travels ²²⁶⁵  are 130. All ²²⁶⁶  the years of my life have been few and painful; ²²⁶⁷  the years of my travels are not as long as those of my ancestors.” ²²⁶⁸  47:10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. ²²⁶⁹ 

47:11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers. He gave them territory ²²⁷⁰  in the land of Egypt, in the best region of the land, the land of Rameses, ²²⁷¹  just as Pharaoh had commanded. 47:12 Joseph also provided food for his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household, according to the number of their little children.

47:13 But there was no food in all the land because the famine was very severe; the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan wasted away ²²⁷²  because of the famine. 47:14 Joseph collected all the money that could be found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan as payment ²²⁷³  for the grain they were buying. Then Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s palace. ²²⁷⁴  47:15 When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was used up, all the Egyptians ²²⁷⁵  came to Joseph and said, “Give us food! Why should we die ²²⁷⁶  before your very eyes because our money has run out?”

47:16 Then Joseph said, “If your money is gone, bring your livestock, and I will give you food ²²⁷⁷  in exchange for ²²⁷⁸  your livestock.” 47:17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for their horses, the livestock of their flocks and herds, and their donkeys. ²²⁷⁹  He got them through that year by giving them food in exchange for livestock.

47:18 When that year was over, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We cannot hide from our ²²⁸⁰  lord that the money is used up and the livestock and the animals belong to our lord. Nothing remains before our lord except our bodies and our land. 47:19 Why should we die before your very eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we, with our land, will become ²²⁸¹  Pharaoh’s slaves. ²²⁸²  Give us seed that we may live ²²⁸³  and not die. Then the land will not become desolate.” ²²⁸⁴ 

47:20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. Each ²²⁸⁵  of the Egyptians sold his field, for the famine was severe. ²²⁸⁶  So the land became Pharaoh’s. 47:21 Joseph ²²⁸⁷  made all the people slaves ²²⁸⁸  from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end of it. 47:22 But he did not purchase the land of the priests because the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh and they ate from their allotment that Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.

47:23 Joseph said to the people, “Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate ²²⁸⁹  the land. 47:24 When you gather in the crop, ²²⁹⁰  give ²²⁹¹  one-fifth of it to Pharaoh, and the rest ²²⁹²  will be yours for seed for the fields and for you to eat, including those in your households and your little children.” 47:25 They replied, “You have saved our lives! You are showing us favor, ²²⁹³  and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” ²²⁹⁴ 

47:26 So Joseph made it a statute, ²²⁹⁵  which is in effect ²²⁹⁶  to this day throughout the land of Egypt: One-fifth belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.

47:27 Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they owned land there. They were fruitful and increased rapidly in number.

47:28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; the years ²²⁹⁷  of Jacob’s life were 147 in all. 47:29 The time ²²⁹⁸  for Israel to die approached, so he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh ²²⁹⁹  and show me kindness and faithfulness. ²³⁰⁰  Do not bury me in Egypt, 47:30 but when I rest ²³⁰¹  with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” Joseph ²³⁰²  said, “I will do as you say.”

47:31 Jacob ²³⁰³  said, “Swear to me that you will do so.” ²³⁰⁴  So Joseph ²³⁰⁵  gave him his word. ²³⁰⁶  Then Israel bowed down ²³⁰⁷  at the head of his bed. ²³⁰⁸ 

Manasseh and Ephraim

48:1 After these things Joseph was told, ²³⁰⁹  “Your father is weakening.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 48:2 When Jacob was told, ²³¹⁰  “Your son Joseph has just ²³¹¹  come to you,” Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed. 48:3 Jacob said to Joseph, “The sovereign God ²³¹²  appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 48:4 He said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful ²³¹³  and will multiply you. ²³¹⁴  I will make you into a group of nations, and I will give this land to your descendants ²³¹⁵  as an everlasting possession.’ ²³¹⁶ 

48:5 “Now, as for your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, they will be mine. ²³¹⁷  Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine just as Reuben and Simeon are. 48:6 Any children that you father ²³¹⁸  after them will be yours; they will be listed ²³¹⁹  under the names of their brothers in their inheritance. ²³²⁰  48:7 But as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died – to my sorrow ²³²¹  – in the land of Canaan. It happened along the way, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there on the way to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem). ²³²² 

48:8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he asked, “Who are these?” 48:9 Joseph said to his father, “They are the ²³²³  sons God has given me in this place.” His father ²³²⁴  said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.” ²³²⁵  48:10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing ²³²⁶  because of his age; he was not able to see well. So Joseph ²³²⁷  brought his sons ²³²⁸  near to him, and his father ²³²⁹  kissed them and embraced them. 48:11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected ²³³⁰  to see you ²³³¹  again, but now God has allowed me to see your children ²³³²  too.”

48:12 So Joseph moved them from Israel’s knees ²³³³  and bowed down with his face to the ground. 48:13 Joseph positioned them; ²³³⁴  he put Ephraim on his right hand across from Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh on his left hand across from Israel’s right hand. Then Joseph brought them closer to his father. ²³³⁵  48:14 Israel stretched out his right hand and placed it on Ephraim’s head, although he was the younger. ²³³⁶  Crossing his hands, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, for Manasseh was the firstborn.

48:15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers

Abraham and Isaac walked –

the God who has been my shepherd ²³³⁷ 

all my life long to this day,

48:16 the Angel ²³³⁸  who has protected me ²³³⁹ 

from all harm –

bless these boys.

May my name be named in them, ²³⁴⁰ 

and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.

May they grow into a multitude on the earth.”

48:17 When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him. ²³⁴¹  So he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 48:18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”

48:19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a nation and he too will become great. In spite of this, his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will become a multitude ²³⁴²  of nations.” 48:20 So he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you ²³⁴³  will Israel bless, ²³⁴⁴  saying,

‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”

So he put Ephraim before Manasseh. ²³⁴⁵ 

48:21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you ²³⁴⁶  and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. 48:22 As one who is above your ²³⁴⁷  brothers, I give to you the mountain slope, ²³⁴⁸  which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

The Blessing of Jacob

49:1 Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather together so I can tell you ²³⁴⁹  what will happen to you in the future. ²³⁵⁰ 

49:2 “Assemble and listen, you sons of Jacob;

listen to Israel, your father.

49:3 Reuben, you are my firstborn,

my might and the beginning of my strength,

outstanding in dignity, outstanding in power.

49:4 You are destructive ²³⁵¹  like water and will not excel, ²³⁵² 

for you got on your father’s bed, ²³⁵³ 

then you defiled it – he got on my couch! ²³⁵⁴ 

49:5 Simeon and Levi are brothers,

weapons of violence are their knives! ²³⁵⁵ 

49:6 O my soul, do not come into their council,

do not be united to their assembly, my heart, ²³⁵⁶ 

for in their anger they have killed men,

and for pleasure they have hamstrung oxen.

49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce,

and their fury, for it was cruel.

I will divide them in Jacob,

and scatter them in Israel! ²³⁵⁷ 

49:8 Judah, ²³⁵⁸  your brothers will praise you.

Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies,

your father’s sons will bow down before you.

49:9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah,

from the prey, my son, you have gone up.

He crouches and lies down like a lion;

like a lioness – who will rouse him?

49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, ²³⁵⁹ 

until he comes to whom it belongs; ²³⁶⁰ 

the nations will obey him. ²³⁶¹ 

49:11 Binding his foal to the vine,

and his colt to the choicest vine,

he will wash ²³⁶²  his garments in wine,

his robes in the blood of grapes.

49:12 His eyes will be dark from wine,

and his teeth white from milk. ²³⁶³ 

49:13 Zebulun will live ²³⁶⁴  by the haven of the sea

and become a haven for ships;

his border will extend to Sidon. ²³⁶⁵ 

49:14 Issachar is a strong-boned donkey

lying down between two saddlebags.

49:15 When he sees ²³⁶⁶  a good resting place,

and the pleasant land,

he will bend his shoulder to the burden

and become a slave laborer. ²³⁶⁷ 

49:16 Dan ²³⁶⁸  will judge ²³⁶⁹  his people

as one of the tribes of Israel.

49:17 May Dan be a snake beside the road,

a viper by the path,

that bites the heels of the horse

so that its rider falls backward. ²³⁷⁰ 

49:18 I wait for your deliverance, O Lord. ²³⁷¹ 

49:19 Gad will be raided by marauding bands,

but he will attack them at their heels. ²³⁷² 

49:20 Asher’s ²³⁷³  food will be rich, ²³⁷⁴ 

and he will provide delicacies ²³⁷⁵  to royalty.

49:21 Naphtali is a free running doe, ²³⁷⁶ 

he speaks delightful words. ²³⁷⁷ 

49:22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, ²³⁷⁸ 

a fruitful bough near a spring

whose branches ²³⁷⁹  climb over the wall.

49:23 The archers will attack him, ²³⁸⁰ 

they will shoot at him and oppose him.

49:24 But his bow will remain steady,

and his hands ²³⁸¹  will be skillful;

because of the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,

because of ²³⁸²  the Shepherd, the Rock ²³⁸³  of Israel,

49:25 because of the God of your father,

who will help you, ²³⁸⁴ 

because of the sovereign God, ²³⁸⁵ 

who will bless you ²³⁸⁶ 

with blessings from the sky above,

blessings from the deep that lies below,

and blessings of the breasts and womb. ²³⁸⁷ 

49:26 The blessings of your father are greater

than ²³⁸⁸  the blessings of the eternal mountains ²³⁸⁹ 

or the desirable things of the age-old hills.

They will be on the head of Joseph

and on the brow of the prince of his brothers. ²³⁹⁰ 

49:27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;

in the morning devouring the prey,

and in the evening dividing the plunder.”

49:28 These ²³⁹¹  are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He gave each of them an appropriate blessing. ²³⁹² 

49:29 Then he instructed them, ²³⁹³  “I am about to go ²³⁹⁴  to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. 49:30 It is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought for a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite. 49:31 There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah; there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah; and there I buried Leah. 49:32 The field and the cave in it were acquired from the sons of Heth.” ²³⁹⁵ 

49:33 When Jacob finished giving these instructions to his sons, he pulled his feet up onto the bed, breathed his last breath, and went ²³⁹⁶  to his people.

The Burials of Jacob and Joseph

50:1 Then Joseph hugged his father’s face. ²³⁹⁷  He wept over him and kissed him. 50:2 Joseph instructed the physicians in his service ²³⁹⁸  to embalm his father, so the physicians embalmed Israel. 50:3 They took forty days, for that is the full time needed for embalming. ²³⁹⁹  The Egyptians mourned ²⁴⁰⁰  for him seventy days. ²⁴⁰¹ 

50:4 When the days of mourning ²⁴⁰²  had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s royal court, ²⁴⁰³  “If I have found favor in your sight, please say to Pharaoh, ²⁴⁰⁴  50:5 ‘My father made me swear an oath. He said, ²⁴⁰⁵  “I am about to die. Bury me ²⁴⁰⁶  in my tomb that I dug for myself there in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go and bury my father; then I will return.’” 50:6 So Pharaoh said, “Go and bury your father, just as he made you swear to do.” ²⁴⁰⁷ 

50:7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; all Pharaoh’s officials went with him – the senior courtiers ²⁴⁰⁸  of his household, all the senior officials of the land of Egypt, 50:8 all Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household. But they left their little children and their flocks and herds in the land of Goshen. 50:9 Chariots and horsemen also went up with him, so it was a very large entourage. ²⁴⁰⁹ 

50:10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad ²⁴¹⁰  on the other side of the Jordan, they mourned there with very great and bitter sorrow. ²⁴¹¹  There Joseph observed a seven day period of mourning for his father. 50:11 When the Canaanites who lived in the land saw them mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a very sad occasion ²⁴¹²  for the Egyptians.” That is why its name was called ²⁴¹³  Abel Mizraim, ²⁴¹⁴  which is beyond the Jordan.

50:12 So the sons of Jacob did for him just as he had instructed them. 50:13 His sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, near Mamre. This is the field Abraham purchased as a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite. 50:14 After he buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, along with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to bury his father.

50:15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge and wants to repay ²⁴¹⁵  us in full ²⁴¹⁶  for all the harm ²⁴¹⁷  we did to him?” 50:16 So they sent word ²⁴¹⁸  to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave these instructions before he died: 50:17 ‘Tell Joseph this: Please forgive the sin of your brothers and the wrong they did when they treated you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sin of the servants of the God of your father.” When this message was reported to him, Joseph wept. ²⁴¹⁹  50:18 Then his brothers also came and threw themselves down before him; they said, “Here we are; we are your slaves.” 50:19 But Joseph answered them, “Don’t be afraid. Am ²⁴²⁰  I in the place of God? 50:20 As for you, you meant to harm me, ²⁴²¹  but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day. ²⁴²²  50:21 So now, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little children.” Then he consoled them and spoke kindly ²⁴²³  to them.

50:22 Joseph lived in Egypt, along with his father’s family. ²⁴²⁴  Joseph lived 110 years. 50:23 Joseph saw the descendants of Ephraim to the third generation. ²⁴²⁵  He also saw the children of Makir the son of Manasseh; they were given special inheritance rights by Joseph. ²⁴²⁶ 

50:24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to you ²⁴²⁷  and lead you up from this land to the land he swore on oath to give ²⁴²⁸  to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 50:25 Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He said, “God will surely come to you. Then you must carry my bones up from this place.” 50:26 So Joseph died at the age of 110. ²⁴²⁹  After they embalmed him, his body ²⁴³⁰  was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

[11:1]  ¹ sn The whole earth. Here “earth” is a metonymy of subject, referring to the people who lived in the earth. Genesis 11 begins with everyone speaking a common language, but chap. 10 has the nations arranged by languages. It is part of the narrative art of Genesis to give the explanation of the event after the narration of the event. On this passage see A. P. Ross, “The Dispersion of the Nations in Genesis 11:1-9,” BSac 138 (1981): 119-38.

[11:1]  ² tn Heb “one lip and one [set of] words.” The term “lip” is a metonymy of cause, putting the instrument for the intended effect. They had one language. The term “words” refers to the content of their speech. They had the same vocabulary.

[11:2]  ³ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:2]  ⁴ tn Or perhaps “from the east” (NRSV) or “in the east.”

[11:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “in the land of Shinar.”

[11:2]  sn Shinar is the region of Babylonia.

[11:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “a man to his neighbor.” The Hebrew idiom may be translated “to each other” or “one to another.”

[11:3]  ⁷ tn The speech contains two cohortatives of exhortation followed by their respective cognate accusatives: “let us brick bricks” (נִלְבְּנָה לְבֵנִים, nilbbÿnah lÿvenim) and “burn for burning” (נִשְׂרְפָה לִשְׂרֵפָה, nisrÿfah lisrefah). This stresses the intensity of the undertaking; it also reflects the Akkadian text which uses similar constructions (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 75-76).

[11:3]  ⁸ tn Or “bitumen” (cf. NEB, NRSV).

[11:3]  ⁹ tn The disjunctive clause gives information parenthetical to the narrative.

[11:4]  ¹⁰ tn A translation of “heavens” for שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) fits this context because the Babylonian ziggurats had temples at the top, suggesting they reached to the heavens, the dwelling place of the gods.

[11:4]  ¹¹ tn The form וְנַעֲשֶׂה (vÿna’aseh, from the verb עשׂה, “do, make”) could be either the imperfect or the cohortative with a vav (ו) conjunction (“and let us make…”). Coming after the previous cohortative, this form expresses purpose.

[11:4]  ¹² tn The Hebrew particle פֶּן (pen) expresses a negative purpose; it means “that we be not scattered.”

[11:4]  ¹³ sn The Hebrew verb פָּוָץ (pavats, translated “scatter”) is a key term in this passage. The focal point of the account is the dispersion (“scattering”) of the nations rather than the Tower of Babel. But the passage also forms a polemic against Babylon, the pride of the east and a cosmopolitan center with a huge ziggurat. To the Hebrews it was a monument to the judgment of God on pride.

[11:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the sons of man.” The phrase is intended in this polemic to portray the builders as mere mortals, not the lesser deities that the Babylonians claimed built the city.

[11:5]  ¹⁵ tn The Hebrew text simply has בָּנוּ (banu), but since v. 8 says they left off building the city, an ingressive idea (“had started building”) should be understood here.

[11:6]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and one lip to all of them.”

[11:6]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and now.” The foundational clause beginning with הֵן (hen) expresses the condition, and the second clause the result. It could be rendered “If this…then now.”

[11:6]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “all that they purpose to do will not be withheld from them.”

[11:7]  ¹⁹ tn The cohortatives mirror the cohortatives of the people. They build to ascend the heavens; God comes down to destroy their language. God speaks here to his angelic assembly. See the notes on the word “make” in 1:26 and “know” in 3:5, as well as Jub. 10:22-23, where an angel recounts this incident and says “And the Lord our God said to us…. And the Lord went down and we went down with him. And we saw the city and the tower which the sons of men built.” On the chiastic structure of the story, see G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:235.

[11:7]  ²⁰ tn Heb “they will not hear, a man the lip of his neighbor.”

[11:8]  ²¹ tn The infinitive construct לִבְנֹת (livnot, “building”) here serves as the object of the verb “they ceased, stopped,” answering the question of what they stopped doing.

[11:9]  ²² tn The verb has no expressed subject and so can be rendered as a passive in the translation.

[11:9]  ²³ sn Babel. Here is the climax of the account, a parody on the pride of Babylon. In the Babylonian literature the name bab-ili meant “the gate of God,” but in Hebrew it sounds like the word for “confusion,” and so retained that connotation. The name “Babel” (בָּבֶל, bavel) and the verb translated “confused” (בָּלַל, balal) form a paronomasia (sound play). For the many wordplays and other rhetorical devices in Genesis, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).

[11:11]  ²⁴ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[11:13]  ²⁵ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[11:13]  ²⁶ tc The reading of the MT is followed in vv. 11-12; the LXX reads, “And [= when] Arphaxad had lived thirty-five years, [and] he fathered [= became the father of] Cainan. And after he fathered [= became the father of] Cainan, Arphaxad lived four hundred and thirty years and fathered [= had] [other] sons and daughters, and [then] he died. And [= when] Cainan had lived one hundred and thirty years, [and] he fathered [= became the father of] Sala [= Shelah]. And after he fathered [= became the father of] Sala [= Shelah], Cainan lived three hundred and thirty years and fathered [= had] [other] sons and daughters, and [then] he died.” See also the note on “Shelah” in Gen 10:24; the LXX reading also appears to lie behind Luke 3:35-36.

[11:15]  ²⁷ tn Here and in vv. 16, 19, 21, 23, 25 the word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[11:28]  ²⁸ sn The phrase of the Chaldeans is a later editorial clarification for the readers, designating the location of Ur. From all evidence there would have been no Chaldeans in existence at this early date; they are known in the time of the neo-Babylonian empire in the first millennium b.c.

[11:28]  ²⁹ tn Heb “upon the face of Terah his father.”

[11:29]  ³⁰ sn The name Sarai (a variant spelling of “Sarah”) means “princess” (or “lady”). Sharratu was the name of the wife of the moon god Sin. The original name may reflect the culture out of which the patriarch was called, for the family did worship other gods in Mesopotamia.

[11:29]  ³¹ sn The name Milcah means “Queen.” But more to the point here is the fact that Malkatu was a title for Ishtar, the daughter of the moon god. If the women were named after such titles (and there is no evidence that this was the motivation for naming the girls “Princess” or “Queen”), that would not necessarily imply anything about the faith of the two women themselves.

[11:32]  ³² tn Heb “And the days of Terah were.”

[11:32]  ³³ tn Heb “Terah”; the pronoun has been substituted for the proper name in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[12:1]  ³⁴ sn The Lord called Abram while he was in Ur (see Gen 15:7; Acts 7:2); but the sequence here makes it look like it was after the family left to migrate to Canaan (11:31-32). Genesis records the call of Abram at this place in the narrative because it is the formal beginning of the account of Abram. The record of Terah was brought to its end before this beginning.

[12:1]  ³⁵ tn The call of Abram begins with an imperative לֶךְ־לְךָ (lekh-lÿkha, “go out”) followed by three cohortatives (v. 2a) indicating purpose or consequence (“that I may” or “then I will”). If Abram leaves, then God will do these three things. The second imperative (v. 2b, literally “and be a blessing”) is subordinated to the preceding cohortatives and indicates God’s ultimate purpose in calling and blessing Abram. On the syntactical structure of vv. 1-2 see R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 37. For a similar sequence of volitive forms see Gen 45:18.

[12:1]  sn It would be hard to overestimate the value of this call and this divine plan for the theology of the Bible. Here begins God’s plan to bring redemption to the world. The promises to Abram will be turned into a covenant in Gen 15 and 22 (here it is a call with conditional promises) and will then lead through the Bible to the work of the Messiah.

[12:1]  ³⁶ tn The initial command is the direct imperative (לֶךְ, lekh) from the verb הָלַךְ (halakh). It is followed by the lamed preposition with a pronominal suffix (לְךָ, lÿkha) emphasizing the subject of the imperative: “you leave.”

[12:1]  ³⁷ sn To the land that I will show you. The call of Abram illustrates the leading of the Lord. The command is to leave. The Lord’s word is very specific about what Abram is to leave (the three prepositional phrases narrow to his father’s household), but is not specific at all about where he is to go. God required faith, a point that Heb 11:8 notes.

[12:2]  ³⁸ tn The three first person verbs in v. 2a should be classified as cohortatives. The first two have pronominal suffixes, so the form itself does not indicate a cohortative. The third verb form is clearly cohortative.

[12:2]  ³⁹ sn I will bless you. The blessing of creation is now carried forward to the patriarch. In the garden God blessed Adam and Eve; in that blessing he gave them (1) a fruitful place, (2) endowed them with fertility to multiply, and (3) made them rulers over creation. That was all ruined at the fall. Now God begins to build his covenant people; in Gen 12-22 he promises to give Abram (1) a land flowing with milk and honey, (2) a great nation without number, and (3) kingship.

[12:2]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “I will make you famous.”

[12:2]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and be a blessing.” The verb form הְיֵה (hÿyeh) is the Qal imperative of the verb הָיָה (hayah). The vav (ו) with the imperative after the cohortatives indicates purpose or consequence. What does it mean for Abram to “be a blessing”? Will he be a channel or source of blessing for others, or a prime example of divine blessing? A similar statement occurs in Zech 8:13, where God assures his people, “You will be a blessing,” in contrast to the past when they “were a curse.” Certainly “curse” here does not refer to Israel being a source of a curse, but rather to the fact that they became a curse-word or byword among the nations, who regarded them as the epitome of an accursed people (see 2 Kgs 22:19; Jer 42:18; 44:8, 12, 22). Therefore the statement “be a blessing” seems to refer to Israel being transformed into a prime example of a blessed people, whose name will be used in blessing formulae, rather than in curses. If the statement “be a blessing” is understood in the same way in Gen 12:2, then it means that God would so bless Abram that other nations would hear of his fame and hold him up as a paradigm of divine blessing in their blessing formulae.

[12:3]  ⁴² tn The Piel cohortative has as its object a Piel participle, masculine plural. Since the Lord binds himself to Abram by covenant, those who enrich Abram in any way share in the blessings.

[12:3]  ⁴³ tn In this part of God’s statement there are two significant changes that often go unnoticed. First, the parallel and contrasting participle מְקַלֶּלְךָ (mÿqallelkha) is now singular and not plural. All the versions and a few Masoretic mss read the plural. But if it had been plural, there would be no reason to change it to the singular and alter the parallelism. On the other hand, if it was indeed singular, it is easy to see why the versions would change it to match the first participle. The MT preserves the original reading: “the one who treats you lightly.” The point would be a contrast with the lavish way that God desires to bless many. The second change is in the vocabulary. The English usually says, “I will curse those who curse you.” But there are two different words for curse here. The first is קָלַל (qalal), which means “to be light” in the Qal, and in the Piel “to treat lightly, to treat with contempt, to curse.” The second verb is אָרַר (’arar), which means “to banish, to remove from the blessing.” The point is simple: Whoever treats Abram and the covenant with contempt as worthless God will banish from the blessing. It is important also to note that the verb is not a cohortative, but a simple imperfect. Since God is binding himself to Abram, this would then be an obligatory imperfect: “but the one who treats you with contempt I must curse.”

[12:3]  ⁴⁴ tn Theoretically the Niphal can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Abram were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in later formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless [i.e., “pronounce blessings on”] themselves [or “one another”].” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[12:4]  ⁴⁵ sn So Abram left. This is the report of Abram’s obedience to God’s command (see v. 1).

[12:4]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “just as the Lord said to him.”

[12:4]  ⁴⁷ tn The disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + implied “to be” verb) is parenthetical, telling the age of Abram when he left Haran.

[12:4]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “was the son of five years and seventy year[s].”

[12:4]  sn Terah was 70 years old when he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran (Gen 11:26). Terah was 205 when he died in Haran (11:32). Abram left Haran at the age of 75 after his father died. Abram was born when Terah was 130. Abram was not the firstborn – he is placed first in the list of three because of his importance. The same is true of the list in Gen 10:1 (Shem, Ham and Japheth). Ham was the youngest son (9:24). Japheth was the older brother of Shem (10:21), so the birth order of Noah’s sons was Japheth, Shem, and Ham.

[12:5]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “the son of his brother.”

[12:5]  ⁵⁰ tn For the semantic nuance “acquire [property]” for the verb עָשָׂה (’asah), see BDB 795 s.v. עָשָׂה.

[12:5]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “went out to go.”

[12:6]  ⁵² tn Or “terebinth.”

[12:6]  ⁵³ sn The Hebrew word Moreh (מוֹרֶה, moreh) means “teacher.” It may well be that the place of this great oak tree was a Canaanite shrine where instruction took place.

[12:6]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh.”

[12:6]  ⁵⁵ tn The disjunctive clause gives important information parenthetical in nature – the promised land was occupied by Canaanites.

[12:7]  ⁵⁶ tn The same Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[12:7]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[12:8]  ⁵⁸ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[12:8]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “he called in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 13:4; 21:33; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.

[12:9]  ⁶⁰ tn The Hebrew verb נָסַע (nasa’) means “to journey”; more specifically it means to pull up the tent and move to another place. The construction here uses the preterite of this verb with its infinitive absolute to stress the activity of traveling. But it also adds the infinitive absolute of הָלַךְ (halakh) to stress that the traveling was continually going on. Thus “Abram journeyed, going and journeying” becomes “Abram continually journeyed by stages.”

[12:9]  ⁶¹ tn Or “the South [country].”

[12:9]  sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.

[12:10]  ⁶² sn Abram went down to Egypt. The Abrahamic narrative foreshadows some of the events in the life of the nation of Israel. This sojourn in Egypt is typological of Israel’s bondage there. In both stories there is a famine that forces the family to Egypt, death is a danger to the males while the females are preserved alive, great plagues bring about their departure, there is a summons to stand before Pharaoh, and there is a return to the land of Canaan with great wealth.

[12:10]  ⁶³ tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” means “to stay for a while.” The “stranger” (traditionally “sojourner”) is one who is a temporary resident, a visitor, one who is passing through. Abram had no intention of settling down in Egypt or owning property. He was only there to wait out the famine.

[12:10]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “heavy in the land.” The words “in the land,” which also occur at the beginning of the verse in the Hebrew text, have not been repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[12:11]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “drew near to enter.”

[12:11]  ⁶⁶ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is deictic here; it draws attention to the following fact.

[12:11]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “a woman beautiful of appearance are you.”

[12:12]  ⁶⁸ tn The Piel of the verb חָיָה (khayah, “to live”) means “to keep alive, to preserve alive,” and in some places “to make alive.” See D. Marcus, “The Verb ‘to Live’ in Ugaritic,” JSS 17 (1972): 76-82.

[12:13]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “say.”

[12:13]  ⁷⁰ sn Tell them you are my sister. Abram’s motives may not be as selfish as they appear. He is aware of the danger to the family. His method of dealing with it is deception with a half truth, for Sarai really was his sister – but the Egyptians would not know that. Abram presumably thought that there would be negotiations for a marriage by anyone interested (as Laban does later for his sister Rebekah), giving him time to react. But the plan backfires because Pharaoh does not take the time to negotiate. There is a good deal of literature on the wife-sister issue. See (among others) E. A. Speiser, “The Wife-Sister Motif in the Patriarchal Narratives,” Oriental and Biblical Studies, 62-81; C. J. Mullo-Weir, “The Alleged Hurrian Wife-Sister Motif in Genesis,” GOT 22 (1967-1970): 14-25.

[12:13]  ⁷¹ tn The Hebrew verb translated “go well” can encompass a whole range of favorable treatment, but the following clause indicates it means here that Abram’s life will be spared.

[12:13]  ⁷² tn Heb “and my life will live.”

[12:15]  ⁷³ tn Heb “and the woman.” The word also means “wife”; the Hebrew article can express the possessive pronoun (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 19, §86). Here the proper name (Abram) has been used in the translation instead of a possessive pronoun (“his”) for clarity.

[12:15]  ⁷⁴ tn The Hebrew term וַתֻּקַּח (vattuqqakh, “was taken”) is a rare verbal form, an old Qal passive preterite from the verb “to take.” It is pointed as a Hophal would be by the Masoretes, but does not have a Hophal meaning.

[12:15]  ⁷⁵ tn The Hebrew text simply has “house of Pharaoh.” The word “house” refers to the household in general, more specifically to the royal harem.

[12:16]  ⁷⁶ sn He did treat Abram well. The construction of the parenthetical disjunctive clause, beginning with the conjunction on the prepositional phrase, draws attention to the irony of the story. Abram wanted Sarai to lie “so that it would go well” with him. Though he lost Sarai to Pharaoh, it did go well for him – he received a lavish bride price. See also G. W. Coats, “Despoiling the Egyptians,” VT 18 (1968): 450-57.

[12:16]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “and there was to him.”

[12:17]  ⁷⁸ tn The cognate accusative adds emphasis to the verbal sentence: “he plagued with great plagues,” meaning the Lord inflicted numerous plagues, probably diseases (see Exod 15:26). The adjective “great” emphasizes that the plagues were severe and overwhelming.

[12:18]  ⁷⁹ tn The demonstrative pronoun translated “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to me?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[12:19]  ⁸⁰ tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive here expresses consequence.

[12:19]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “to me for a wife.”

[12:19]  ⁸² tn Heb “Look, your wife!”

[12:19]  ⁸³ tn Heb “take and go.”

[12:20]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:1]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “the South [country]” (also in v. 3).

[13:1]  sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.

[13:1]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “And Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all which was his, and Lot with him, to the Negev.”

[13:2]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “heavy.”

[13:2]  ⁸⁸ tn This parenthetical clause, introduced by the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), provides information necessary to the point of the story.

[13:3]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “on his journeys”; the verb and noun combination means to pick up the tents and move from camp to camp.

[13:3]  ⁹⁰ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[13:3]  ⁹¹ tn The words “he returned” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:3]  ⁹² tn Heb “where his tent had been.”

[13:4]  ⁹³ tn Heb “to the place of the altar which he had made there in the beginning” (cf. Gen 12:7-8).

[13:4]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “he called in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 21:33; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.

[13:5]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “was going.”

[13:5]  ⁹⁶ tn The Hebrew idiom is “to Lot…there was,” the preposition here expressing possession.

[13:6]  ⁹⁷ tn The potential nuance for the perfect tense is necessary here, and supported by the parallel clause that actually uses “to be able.”

[13:6]  ⁹⁸ tn The infinitive construct לָשֶׁבֶת (lashevet, from יָשַׁב, yashav) explains what it was that the land could not support: “the land could not support them to live side by side.” See further J. C. de Moor, “Lexical Remarks Concerning Yahad and Yahdaw,” VT 7 (1957): 350-55.

[13:6]  ⁹⁹ tn The same infinitive occurs here, serving as the object of the verb.

[13:7]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The Hebrew term רִיב (riv) means “strife, conflict, quarreling.” In later texts it has the meaning of “legal controversy, dispute.” See B. Gemser, “The rîb – or Controversy – Pattern in Hebrew Mentality,” Wisdom in Israel and in the Ancient Near East [VTSup], 120-37.

[13:7]  ¹⁰¹ sn Since the quarreling was between the herdsmen, the dispute was no doubt over water and vegetation for the animals.

[13:7]  ¹⁰² tn This parenthetical clause, introduced with the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), again provides critical information. It tells in part why the land cannot sustain these two bedouins, and it also hints of the danger of weakening the family by inner strife.

[13:8]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “men, brothers [are] we.” Here “brothers” describes the closeness of the relationship, but could be misunderstood if taken literally, since Abram was Lot’s uncle.

[13:9]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The words “you go” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons both times in this verse.

[13:10]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.” The expression draws attention to the act of looking, indicating that Lot took a good look. It also calls attention to the importance of what was seen.

[13:10]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “plain”; Heb “circle.”

[13:10]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The words “he noticed” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:10]  ¹⁰⁸ sn Obliterated. The use of the term “destroy” (שַׁחֵת, shakhet) is reminiscent of the Noahic flood (Gen 6:13). Both at the flood and in Sodom the place was obliterated by catastrophe and only one family survived (see C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:178).

[13:10]  ¹⁰⁹ tn This short temporal clause (preposition + Piel infinitive construct + subjective genitive + direct object) is strategically placed in the middle of the lavish descriptions to sound an ominous note. The entire clause is parenthetical in nature. Most English translations place the clause at the end of v. 10 for stylistic reasons.

[13:10]  ¹¹⁰ sn The narrative places emphasis on what Lot saw so that the reader can appreciate how it aroused his desire for the best land. It makes allusion to the garden of the Lord and to the land of Egypt for comparison. Just as the tree in the garden of Eden had awakened Eve’s desire, so the fertile valley attracted Lot. And just as certain memories of Egypt would cause the Israelites to want to turn back and abandon the trek to the promised land, so Lot headed for the good life.

[13:11]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “Lot traveled.” The proper name has not been repeated in the translation at this point for stylistic reasons.

[13:11]  ¹¹² tn Heb “a man from upon his brother.”

[13:11]  sn Separated from each other. For a discussion of the significance of this event, see L. R. Helyer, “The Separation of Abram and Lot: Its Significance in the Patriarchal Narratives,” JSOT 26 (1983): 77-88.

[13:12]  ¹¹³ tn Or “the cities of the plain”; Heb “[the cities of] the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[13:13]  ¹¹⁴ tn Here is another significant parenthetical clause in the story, signaled by the vav (וו) disjunctive (translated “now”) on the noun at the beginning of the clause.

[13:13]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “men.” However, this is generic in sense; it is unlikely that only the male residents of Sodom were sinners.

[13:13]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “wicked and sinners against the Lord exceedingly.” The description of the sinfulness of the Sodomites is very emphatic. First, two nouns are used to form a hendiadys: “wicked and sinners” means “wicked sinners,” the first word becoming adjectival. The text is saying these were no ordinary sinners; they were wicked sinners, the type that cause pain for others. Then to this phrase is added “against the Lord,” stressing their violation of the laws of heaven and their culpability. Finally, to this is added מְאֹד (mÿ’od, “exceedingly,” translated here as “extremely”).

[13:14]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “and the Lord said to Abram after Lot separated himself from with him.” The disjunctive clause at the beginning of the verse signals a new scene.

[13:14]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “lift up your eyes and see.”

[13:14]  sn Look. Earlier Lot “looked up” (v. 10), but here Abram is told by God to do so. The repetition of the expression (Heb “lift up the eyes”) here underscores how the Lord will have the last word and actually do for Abram what Abram did for Lot – give him the land. It seems to be one of the ways that God rewards faith.

[13:15]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “for all the land which you see to you I will give it and to your descendants.”

[13:16]  ¹²⁰ tn The translation “can be counted” (potential imperfect) is suggested by the use of יוּכַל (yukhal, “is able”) in the preceding clause.

[13:17]  ¹²¹ tn The connective “and” is not present in the Hebrew text; it has been supplied for purposes of English style.

[13:17]  ¹²² tn The Hitpael form הִתְהַלֵּךְ (hithallekh) means “to walk about”; it also can carry the ideas of moving about, traversing, going back and forth, or living in an area. It here has the connotation of traversing the land to survey it, to look it over.

[13:17]  ¹²³ tn Heb “the land to its length and to its breadth.” This phrase has not been included in the translation because it is somewhat redundant (see the note on the word “throughout” in this verse).

[13:18]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “he came and lived.”

[13:18]  ¹²⁵ tn Or “terebinths.”

[14:1]  ¹²⁶ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayÿhi) followed by “in the days of.”

[14:1]  ¹²⁷ sn Shinar (also in v. 9) is the region of Babylonia.

[14:1]  ¹²⁸ tn Or “king of Goyim.” The Hebrew term גּוֹיִם (goyim) means “nations,” but a number of modern translations merely transliterate the Hebrew (cf. NEB “Goyim”; NIV, NRSV “Goiim”).

[14:2]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “made war.”

[14:2]  sn Went to war. The conflict here reflects international warfare in the Early and Middle Bronze periods. The countries operated with overlords and vassals. Kings ruled over city states, or sometimes a number of city states (i.e., nations). Due to their treaties, when one went to war, those confederate with him joined him in battle. It appears here that it is Kedorlaomer’s war, because the western city states have rebelled against him (meaning they did not send products as tribute to keep him from invading them).

[14:2]  ¹³⁰ sn On the geographical background of vv. 1-2 see J. P. Harland, “Sodom and Gomorrah,” The Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 1:41-75; and D. N. Freedman, “The Real Story of the Ebla Tablets, Ebla and the Cities of the Plain,” BA 41 (1978): 143-64.

[14:3]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “all these,” referring only to the last five kings named. The referent has been specified as “these last five kings” in the translation for clarity.

[14:3]  ¹³² tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to join together; to unite; to be allied.” It stresses close associations, especially of friendships, marriages, or treaties.

[14:3]  ¹³³ sn The Salt Sea is the older name for the Dead Sea.

[14:4]  ¹³⁴ tn The sentence simply begins with “twelve years”; it serves as an adverbial accusative giving the duration of their bondage.

[14:4]  ¹³⁵ tn This is another adverbial accusative of time.

[14:4]  ¹³⁶ sn The story serves as a foreshadowing of the plight of the kingdom of Israel later. Eastern powers came and forced the western kingdoms into submission. Each year, then, they would send tribute east – to keep them away. Here, in the thirteenth year, they refused to send the tribute (just as later Hezekiah rebelled against Assyria). And so in the fourteenth year the eastern powers came to put them down again. This account from Abram’s life taught future generations that God can give victory over such threats – that people did not have to live in servitude to tyrants from the east.

[14:5]  ¹³⁷ tn The Hebrew verb נָכָה (nakhah) means “to attack, to strike, to smite.” In this context it appears that the strike was successful, and so a translation of “defeated” is preferable.

[14:6]  ¹³⁸ sn The line of attack ran down the eastern side of the Jordan Valley into the desert, and then turned and came up the valley to the cities of the plain.

[14:7]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “they returned and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh).” The two verbs together form a verbal hendiadys, the first serving as the adverb: “they returned and came” means “they came again.” Most English translations do not treat this as a hendiadys, but translate “they turned back” or something similar. Since in the context, however, “came again to” does not simply refer to travel but an assault against the place, the present translation expresses this as “attacked…again.”

[14:8]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “against.”

[14:9]  ¹⁴¹ tn Or “Goyim.” See the note on the word “nations” in 14:1.

[14:9]  ¹⁴² tn The Hebrew text has simply “against.” The word “fought” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:10]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “Now the Valley of Siddim [was] pits, pits of tar.” This parenthetical disjunctive clause emphasizes the abundance of tar pits in the area through repetition of the noun “pits.”

[14:10]  sn The word for “tar” (or “bitumen”) occurs earlier in the story of the building of the tower in Babylon (see Gen 11:3).

[14:10]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Or “they were defeated there.” After a verb of motion the Hebrew particle שָׁם (sham) with the directional heh (שָׁמָּה, shammah) can mean “into it, therein” (BDB 1027 s.v. שָׁם).

[14:10]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “the rest.”

[14:10]  ¹⁴⁶ sn The reference to the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah must mean the kings along with their armies. Most of them were defeated in the valley, but some of them escaped to the hills.

[14:11]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the four victorious kings, see v. 9) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “Lot the son of his brother.”

[14:12]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “and.”

[14:12]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  ¹⁵¹ tn This disjunctive clause is circumstantial/causal, explaining that Lot was captured because he was living in Sodom at the time.

[14:13]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “the fugitive.” The article carries a generic force or indicates that this fugitive is definite in the mind of the speaker.

[14:13]  ¹⁵³ sn E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103) suggests that part of this chapter came from an outside source since it refers to Abram the Hebrew. That is not impossible, given that the narrator likely utilized traditions and genealogies that had been collected and transmitted over the years. The meaning of the word “Hebrew” has proved elusive. It may be related to the verb “to cross over,” perhaps meaning “immigrant.” Or it might be derived from the name of Abram’s ancestor Eber (see Gen 11:14-16).

[14:13]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Or “terebinths.”

[14:13]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Or “a brother”; or “a relative”; or perhaps “an ally.”

[14:13]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “possessors of a treaty with.” Since it is likely that the qualifying statement refers to all three (Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner) the words “all these” have been supplied in the translation to make this clear.

[14:13]  ¹⁵⁷ tn This parenthetical disjunctive clause explains how Abram came to be living in their territory, but it also explains why they must go to war with Abram.

[14:14]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “his brother,” by extension, “relative.” Here and in v. 16 the more specific term “nephew” has been used in the translation for clarity. Lot was the son of Haran, Abram’s brother (Gen 11:27).

[14:14]  ¹⁵⁹ tn The verb וַיָּרֶק (vayyareq) is a rare form, probably related to the word רֵיק (req, “to be empty”). If so, it would be a very figurative use: “he emptied out” (or perhaps “unsheathed”) his men. The LXX has “mustered” (cf. NEB). E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103-4) suggests reading with the Samaritan Pentateuch a verb diq, cognate with Akkadian deku, “to mobilize” troops. If this view is accepted, one must assume that a confusion of the Hebrew letters ד (dalet) and ר (resh) led to the error in the traditional Hebrew text. These two letters are easily confused in all phases of ancient Hebrew script development. The present translation is based on this view.

[14:14]  ¹⁶⁰ tn The words “the invaders” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:14]  ¹⁶¹ sn The use of the name Dan reflects a later perspective. The Danites did not migrate to this northern territory until centuries later (see Judg 18:29). Furthermore Dan was not even born until much later. By inserting this name a scribe has clarified the location of the region.

[14:15]  ¹⁶² tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.

[14:15]  ¹⁶³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:15]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”

[14:15]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.

[14:16]  ¹⁶⁶ tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:16]  ¹⁶⁷ tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:17]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:17]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:17]  ¹⁷⁰ sn The King’s Valley is possibly a reference to what came to be known later as the Kidron Valley.

[14:18]  ¹⁷¹ sn Salem is traditionally identified as the Jebusite stronghold of old Jerusalem. Accordingly, there has been much speculation about its king. Though some have identified him with the preincarnate Christ or with Noah’s son Shem, it is far more likely that Melchizedek was a Canaanite royal priest whom God used to renew the promise of the blessing to Abram, perhaps because Abram considered Melchizedek his spiritual superior. But Melchizedek remains an enigma. In a book filled with genealogical records he appears on the scene without a genealogy and then disappears from the narrative. In Psalm 110 the Lord declares that the Davidic king is a royal priest after the pattern of Melchizedek.

[14:18]  ¹⁷² tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause significantly identifies Melchizedek as a priest as well as a king.

[14:18]  sn It is his royal priestly status that makes Melchizedek a type of Christ: He was identified with Jerusalem, superior to the ancestor of Israel, and both a king and a priest. Unlike the normal Canaanites, this man served “God Most High” (אֵל עֶלְיוֹן, ’el ’elyon) – one sovereign God, who was the creator of all the universe. Abram had in him a spiritual brother.

[14:19]  ¹⁷³ tn The preposition לְ (lamed) introduces the agent after the passive participle.

[14:19]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Some translate “possessor of heaven and earth” (cf. NASB). But cognate evidence from Ugaritic indicates that there were two homonymic roots ָקנָה (qanah), one meaning “to create” (as in Gen 4:1) and the other “to obtain, to acquire, to possess.” While “possessor” would fit here, “creator” is the more likely due to the collocation with “heaven and earth.”

[14:19]  ¹⁷⁵ tn The terms translated “heaven” and “earth” are both objective genitives after the participle in construct.

[14:20]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “blessed be.” For God to be “blessed” means that is praised. His reputation is enriched in the world as his name is praised.

[14:20]  ¹⁷⁷ sn Who delivered. The Hebrew verb מִגֵּן (miggen, “delivered”) foreshadows the statement by God to Abram in Gen 15:1, “I am your shield” (מָגֵן, magen). Melchizedek provided a theological interpretation of Abram’s military victory.

[14:20]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:22]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Abram takes an oath, raising his hand as a solemn gesture. The translation understands the perfect tense as having an instantaneous nuance: “Here and now I raise my hand.”

[14:22]  ¹⁸⁰ tn The words “and vow” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:23]  ¹⁸¹ tn The oath formula is elliptical, reading simply: “…if I take.” It is as if Abram says, “[May the Lord deal with me] if I take,” meaning, “I will surely not take.” The positive oath would add the negative adverb and be the reverse: “[God will deal with me] if I do not take,” meaning, “I certainly will.”

[14:23]  ¹⁸² tn The Hebrew text adds the independent pronoun (“I”) to the verb form for emphasis.

[14:24]  ¹⁸³ tn The words “I will take nothing” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:24]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “except only what the young men have eaten.”

[15:1]  ¹⁸⁵ sn The noun “shield” recalls the words of Melchizedek in 14:20. If God is the shield, then God will deliver. Abram need not fear reprisals from those he has fought.

[15:1]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “your reward [in] great abundance.” When the phrase הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ (harbeh mÿod) follows a noun it invariably modifies the noun and carries the nuance “very great” or “in great abundance.” (See its use in Gen 41:49; Deut 3:5; Josh 22:8; 2 Sam 8:8; 12:2; 1 Kgs 4:29; 10:10-11; 2 Chr 14:13; 32:27; Jer 40:12.) Here the noun “reward” is in apposition to “shield” and refers by metonymy to God as the source of the reward. Some translate here “your reward will be very great” (cf. NASB, NRSV), taking the statement as an independent clause and understanding the Hiphil infinitive absolute as a substitute for a finite verb. However, the construction הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ is never used this way elsewhere, where it either modifies a noun (see the texts listed above) or serves as an adverb in relation to a finite verb (see Josh 13:1; 1 Sam 26:21; 2 Sam 12:30; 2 Kgs 21:16; 1 Chr 20:2; Neh 2:2).

[15:1]  sn Abram has just rejected all the spoils of war, and the Lord promises to reward him in great abundance. In walking by faith and living with integrity he cannot lose.

[15:2]  ¹⁸⁷ tn The Hebrew text has אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה (’adonay yehvih, “Master, Lord”). Since the tetragrammaton (YHWH) usually is pointed with the vowels for the Hebrew word אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “master”) to avoid pronouncing the divine name, that would lead in this place to a repetition of אֲדֹנָי. So the tetragrammaton is here pointed with the vowels for the word אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “God”) instead. That would produce the reading of the Hebrew as “Master, God” in the Jewish textual tradition. But the presence of “Master” before the holy name is rather compelling evidence that the original would have been “Master, Lord,” which is rendered here “sovereign Lord.”

[15:2]  ¹⁸⁸ tn The vav (ו) disjunctive at the beginning of the clause is circumstantial, expressing the cause or reason.

[15:2]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “I am going.”

[15:2]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “the son of the acquisition of my house.”

[15:2]  sn For the custom of designating a member of the household as heir, see C. H. Gordon, “Biblical Customs and the Nuzu Tablets,” Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 2:21-33.

[15:2]  ¹⁹¹ tn The pronoun is anaphoric here, equivalent to the verb “to be” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 23, §115).

[15:2]  ¹⁹² sn The sentence in the Hebrew text employs a very effective wordplay on the name Damascus: “The son of the acquisition (בֶּן־מֶשֶׁק, ben-mesheq) of my house is Eliezer of Damascus (דַּמֶּשֶׁק, dammesheq).” The words are not the same; they have different sibilants. But the sound play gives the impression that “in the nomen is the omen.” Eliezer the Damascene will be Abram’s heir if Abram dies childless because “Damascus” seems to mean that. See M. F. Unger, “Some Comments on the Text of Genesis 15:2-3,” JBL 72 (1953): 49-50; H. L. Ginsberg, “Abram’s ‘Damascene’ Steward,” BASOR 200 (1970): 31-32.

[15:3]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “And Abram said.”

[15:3]  ¹⁹⁴ tn The construction uses הֵן (hen) to introduce the foundational clause (“since…”), and וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh) to introduce the main clause (“then look…”).

[15:3]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “is inheriting me.”

[15:4]  ¹⁹⁶ tn The disjunctive draws attention to God’s response and the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, translated “look”) mirrors Abram’s statement in v. 3 and highlights the fact that God responded to Abram.

[15:4]  ¹⁹⁷ tn The subject of the verb is the demonstrative pronoun, which can be translated “this one” or “this man.” That the Lord does not mention him by name is significant; often in ancient times the use of the name would bring legitimacy to inheritance and adoption cases.

[15:4]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “inherit you.”

[15:4]  ¹⁹⁹ tn The Hebrew כִּי־אִם (ki-’im) forms a very strong adversative.

[15:4]  ²⁰⁰ tn Heb “he who”; the implied referent (Abram’s unborn son who will be his heir) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:4]  ²⁰¹ tn The pronoun could also be an emphatic subject: “whoever comes out of your body, he will inherit you.”

[15:4]  ²⁰² tn Heb “will inherit you.”

[15:5]  ²⁰³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  ²⁰⁴ tn The nonconsecutive vav (ו) is on a perfect verbal form. If the composer of the narrative had wanted to show simple sequence, he would have used the vav consecutive with the preterite. The perfect with vav conjunctive (where one expects the preterite with vav consecutive) in narrative contexts can have a variety of discourse functions, but here it probably serves to highlight Abram’s response to God’s promise. For a detailed discussion of the vav + perfect construction in Hebrew narrative, see R. Longacre, “Weqatal Forms in Biblical Hebrew Prose: A Discourse-modular Approach,” Biblical Hebrew and Discourse Linguistics, 50-98. The Hebrew verb אָמַן (’aman) means “to confirm, to support” in the Qal verbal stem. Its derivative nouns refer to something or someone that/who provides support, such as a “pillar,” “nurse,” or “guardian, trustee.” In the Niphal stem it comes to mean “to be faithful, to be reliable, to be dependable,” or “to be firm, to be sure.” In the Hiphil, the form used here, it takes on a declarative sense: “to consider something reliable [or “dependable”].” Abram regarded the God who made this promise as reliable and fully capable of making it a reality.

[15:6]  ²⁰⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  ²⁰⁶ tn Heb “and he reckoned it to him.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix refers back to Abram’s act of faith, mentioned in the preceding clause. On third feminine singular pronouns referring back to verbal ideas see GKC 440-41 §135.p. Some propose taking the suffix as proleptic, anticipating the following feminine noun (“righteousness”). In this case one might translate: “and he reckoned it to him – [namely] righteousness.” See O. P. Robertson, “Genesis 15:6: A New Covenant Exposition of an Old Covenant Text,” WTJ 42 (1980): 259-89.

[15:6]  ²⁰⁷ tn Or “righteousness”; or “evidence of steadfast commitment.” The noun is an adverbial accusative. The verb translated “considered” (Heb “reckoned”) also appears with צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) in Ps 106:31. Alluding to the events recorded in Numbers 25, the psalmist notes that Phinehas’ actions were “credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.” Reference is made to the unconditional, eternal covenant with which God rewarded Phinehas’ loyalty (Num 25:12-13). So צְדָקָה seems to carry by metonymy the meaning “loyal, rewardable behavior” here, a nuance that fits nicely in Genesis 15, where God responds to Abram’s faith by formally ratifying his promise to give Abram and his descendants the land. (See R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 40.) In Phoenician and Old Aramaic inscriptions cognate nouns glossed as “correct, justifiable conduct” sometimes carry this same semantic nuance (DNWSI 2:962).

[15:6]  sn This episode is basic to the NT teaching of Paul on justification (Romans 4). Paul weaves this passage and Psalm 32 together, for both use this word. Paul explains that for the one who believes in the Lord, like Abram, God credits him with righteousness but does not credit his sins against him because he is forgiven. Justification does not mean that the believer is righteous; it means that God credits him with righteousness, so that in the records of heaven (as it were) he is declared righteous. See M. G. Kline, “Abram’s Amen,” WTJ 31 (1968): 1-11.

[15:7]  ²⁰⁸ tn Heb “And he said.”

[15:7]  ²⁰⁹ sn I am the Lord. The Lord initiates the covenant-making ceremony with a declaration of who he is and what he has done for Abram. The same form appears at the beginning of the covenant made at Sinai (see Exod 20:1).

[15:7]  ²¹⁰ sn The phrase of the Chaldeans is a later editorial clarification for the readers, designating the location of Ur. From all evidence there would have been no Chaldeans in existence at this early date; they are known in the time of the neo-Babylonian empire in the first millennium b.c.

[15:8]  ²¹¹ tn Here the vav carries adversative force and is translated “but.”

[15:8]  ²¹² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:8]  ²¹³ tn See note on the phrase “sovereign Lord” in 15:2.

[15:8]  ²¹⁴ tn Or “how.”

[15:9]  ²¹⁵ tn Heb “He”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:10]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:10]  ²¹⁷ tn Heb “in the middle.”

[15:10]  ²¹⁸ tn Heb “to meet its neighbor.”

[15:10]  sn For discussion of this ritual see G. F. Hasel, “The Meaning of the Animal Rite in Genesis 15,” JSOT 19 (1981): 61-78.

[15:12]  ²¹⁹ tn Heb “a deep sleep fell on Abram.”

[15:12]  ²²⁰ tn Heb “and look, terror, a great darkness was falling on him.”

[15:13]  ²²¹ tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, with the Qal infinitive absolute followed by the imperfect from יָדַע (yada’, “know”). The imperfect here has an obligatory or imperatival force.

[15:13]  ²²² tn The Hebrew word גֵּר (ger, “sojourner, stranger”) is related to the verb גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn, to stay for awhile”). Abram’s descendants will stay in a land as resident aliens without rights of citizenship.

[15:13]  ²²³ tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”

[15:13]  ²²⁴ tn Heb “and they will serve them and they will oppress them.” The verb עִנּוּ, (’innu, a Piel form from עָנָה, ’anah, “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly”), is used in Exod 1:11 to describe the oppression of the Israelites in Egypt.

[15:14]  ²²⁵ tn The participle דָּן (dan, from דִּין, din) is used here for the future: “I am judging” = “I will surely judge.” The judgment in this case will be condemnation and punishment. The translation “execute judgment on” implies that the judgment will certainly be carried out.

[15:15]  ²²⁶ tn The vav with the pronoun before the verb calls special attention to the subject in contrast to the preceding subject.

[15:15]  ²²⁷ sn You will go to your ancestors. This is a euphemistic expression for death.

[15:15]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “in a good old age.”

[15:16]  ²²⁹ sn The term generation is being used here in its widest sense to refer to a full life span. When the chronological factors are considered and the genealogies tabulated, there are four hundred years of bondage. This suggests that in this context a generation is equivalent to one hundred years.

[15:16]  ²³⁰ tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[15:16]  ²³¹ tn Heb “is not yet complete.”

[15:16]  sn The sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit. The justice of God is apparent. He will wait until the Amorites are fully deserving of judgment before he annihilates them and gives the land to Israel.

[15:17]  ²³² sn A smoking pot with a flaming torch. These same implements were used in Mesopotamian rituals designed to ward off evil (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 113-14).

[15:17]  ²³³ tn Heb “these pieces.”

[15:18]  ²³⁴ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[15:18]  ²³⁵ tn The perfect verbal form is understood as instantaneous (“I here and now give”). Another option is to understand it as rhetorical, indicating certitude (“I have given” meaning it is as good as done, i.e., “I will surely give”).

[15:18]  sn To your descendants I give this land. The Lord here unconditionally promises that Abram’s descendants will possess the land, but he does not yet ratify his earlier promises to give Abram a multitude of descendants and eternal possession of the land. The fulfillment of those aspects of the promise remain conditional (see Gen 17:1-8) and are ratified after Abraham offers up his son Isaac (see Gen 22:1-19). For a fuller discussion see R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 35-54.

[15:18]  ²³⁶ sn The river of Egypt is a wadi (a seasonal stream) on the northeastern border of Egypt, not to the River Nile.

[15:19]  ²³⁷ tn The words “the land” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[15:21]  ²³⁸ tn Each of the names in the list has the Hebrew definite article, which is used here generically for the class of people identified.

[16:1]  ²³⁹ tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of a new episode in the story.

[16:1]  ²⁴⁰ sn On the cultural background of the story of Sarai’s childlessness see J. Van Seters, “The Problem of Childlessness in Near Eastern Law and the Patriarchs of Israel,” JBL 87 (1968): 401-8.

[16:1]  ²⁴¹ tn The Hebrew term שִׁפְחָה (shifkhah, translated “servant” here and in vv. 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8) refers to a menial female servant.

[16:1]  ²⁴² sn The passage records the birth of Ishmael to Abram through an Egyptian woman. The story illustrates the limits of Abram’s faith as he tries to obtain a son through social custom. The barrenness of Sarai poses a challenge to Abram’s faith, just as the famine did in chap. 12. As in chap. 12, an Egyptian figures prominently. (Perhaps Hagar was obtained as a slave during Abram’s stay in Egypt.)

[16:2]  ²⁴³ tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) introduces the foundational clause for the imperative to follow.

[16:2]  ²⁴⁴ tn Heb “enter to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual relations (also in v. 4).

[16:2]  sn The Hebrew expression translated have sexual relations with does not convey the intimacy of other expressions, such as “so and so knew his wife.” Sarai simply sees this as the social custom of having a child through a surrogate. For further discussion see C. F. Fensham, “The Son of a Handmaid in Northwest Semitic,” VT 19 (1969): 312-21.

[16:2]  ²⁴⁵ tn Heb “perhaps I will be built from her.” Sarai hopes to have a family established through this surrogate mother.

[16:2]  ²⁴⁶ tn Heb “listened to the voice of,” which is an idiom meaning “obeyed.”

[16:2]  sn Abram did what Sarai told him. This expression was first used in Gen 3:17 of Adam’s obeying his wife. In both cases the text highlights weak faith and how it jeopardized the plan of God.

[16:3]  ²⁴⁷ tn Heb “at the end of ten years, to live, Abram.” The prepositional phrase introduces the temporal clause, the infinitive construct serves as the verb, and the name “Abram” is the subject.

[16:3]  ²⁴⁸ tn Heb “the Egyptian, her female servant.”

[16:3]  ²⁴⁹ sn To be his wife. Hagar became a slave wife, not on equal standing with Sarai. However, if Hagar produced the heir, she would be the primary wife in the eyes of society. When this eventually happened, Hagar become insolent, prompting Sarai’s anger.

[16:4]  ²⁵⁰ tn Heb “entered to.” See the note on the same expression in v. 2.

[16:4]  ²⁵¹ tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 5)

[16:4]  ²⁵² tn Heb “and she saw that she was pregnant and her mistress was despised in her eyes.” The Hebrew verb קָלַל (qalal) means “to despise, to treat lightly, to treat with contempt.” In Hagar’s opinion Sarai had been demoted.

[16:5]  ²⁵³ tn Heb “my wrong is because of you.”

[16:5]  ²⁵⁴ tn Heb “I placed my female servant in your bosom.”

[16:5]  ²⁵⁵ tn Heb “saw.”

[16:5]  ²⁵⁶ tn Heb “I was despised in her eyes.” The passive verb has been translated as active for stylistic reasons. Sarai was made to feel supplanted and worthless by Hagar the servant girl.

[16:5]  ²⁵⁷ tn Heb “me and you.”

[16:5]  sn May the Lord judge between you and me. Sarai blamed Abram for Hagar’s attitude, not the pregnancy. Here she expects to be vindicated by the Lord who will prove Abram responsible. A colloquial rendering might be, “God will get you for this.” It may mean that she thought Abram had encouraged the servant girl in her elevated status.

[16:6]  ²⁵⁸ tn The clause is introduced with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), introducing a foundational clause for the coming imperative: “since…do.”

[16:6]  ²⁵⁹ tn Heb “in your hand.”

[16:6]  ²⁶⁰ tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”

[16:6]  ²⁶¹ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:6]  ²⁶² tn In the Piel stem the verb עָנָה (’anah) means “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly, to mistreat.”

[16:6]  ²⁶³ tn Heb “and she fled from her presence.” The referent of “her” (Sarai) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:7]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “the messenger of the Lord.” Some identify the angel of the Lord as the preincarnate Christ because in some texts the angel is identified with the Lord himself. However, it is more likely that the angel merely represents the Lord; he can speak for the Lord because he is sent with the Lord’s full authority. In some cases the angel is clearly distinct from the Lord (see Judg 6:11-23). It is not certain if the same angel is always in view. Though the proper name following the noun “angel” makes the construction definite, this may simply indicate that a definite angel sent from the Lord is referred to in any given context. It need not be the same angel on every occasion. Note the analogous expression “the servant of the Lord,” which refers to various individuals in the OT (see BDB 714 s.v. עֶבֶד).

[16:7]  ²⁶⁵ tn Heb “And the angel of the Lord found her near the spring of water in the desert, near the spring on the way to Shur.”

[16:8]  ²⁶⁶ tn Heb “from the presence of.”

[16:9]  ²⁶⁷ tn The imperative וְהִתְעַנִּי (vÿhit’anni) is the Hitpael of עָנָה (’anah, here translated “submit”), the same word used for Sarai’s harsh treatment of her. Hagar is instructed not only to submit to Sarai’s authority, but to whatever mistreatment that involves. God calls for Hagar to humble herself.

[16:10]  ²⁶⁸ tn Heb “The Lord’s angel said, ‘I will greatly multiply your descendants….” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:10]  ²⁶⁹ tn Heb “cannot be numbered because of abundance.”

[16:11]  ²⁷⁰ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) focuses on her immediate situation: “Here you are pregnant.”

[16:11]  ²⁷¹ tn The active participle refers here to something that is about to happen.

[16:11]  ²⁷² sn The name Ishmael consists of the imperfect or jussive form of the Hebrew verb with the theophoric element added as the subject. It means “God hears” or “may God hear.”

[16:11]  ²⁷³ tn Heb “affliction,” which must refer here to Hagar’s painful groans of anguish.

[16:11]  sn This clause gives the explanation of the name Ishmael, using a wordplay. Ishmael’s name will be a reminder that “God hears” Hagar’s painful cries.

[16:12]  ²⁷⁴ sn A wild donkey of a man. The prophecy is not an insult. The wild donkey lived a solitary existence in the desert away from society. Ishmael would be free-roaming, strong, and like a bedouin; he would enjoy the freedom his mother sought.

[16:12]  ²⁷⁵ tn Heb “His hand will be against everyone.” The “hand” by metonymy represents strength. His free-roaming life style would put him in conflict with those who follow social conventions. There would not be open warfare, only friction because of his antagonism to their way of life.

[16:12]  ²⁷⁶ tn Heb “And the hand of everyone will be against him.”

[16:12]  ²⁷⁷ tn Heb “opposite, across from.” Ishmael would live on the edge of society (cf. NASB “to the east of”). Some take this as an idiom meaning “be at odds with” (cf. NRSV, NLT) or “live in hostility toward” (cf. NIV).

[16:13]  ²⁷⁸ tn Heb “God of my seeing.” The pronominal suffix may be understood either as objective (“who sees me,” as in the translation) or subjective (“whom I see”).

[16:13]  ²⁷⁹ tn Heb “after one who sees me.”

[16:13]  sn For a discussion of Hagar’s exclamation, see T. Booij, “Hagar’s Words in Genesis 16:13b,” VT 30 (1980): 1-7.

[16:14]  ²⁸⁰ tn The verb does not have an expressed subject and so is rendered as passive in the translation.

[16:14]  ²⁸¹ sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” The text suggests that God takes up the cause of those who are oppressed.

[16:14]  ²⁸² tn Heb “look.” The words “it is located” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:15]  ²⁸³ tn Heb “and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”

[16:15]  sn Whom Abram named Ishmael. Hagar must have informed Abram of what the angel had told her. See the note on the name “Ishmael” in 16:11.

[16:16]  ²⁸⁴ tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is parenthetical to the narrative.

[16:16]  ²⁸⁵ tn Heb “the son of eighty-six years.”

[16:16]  ²⁸⁶ tn The Hebrew text adds, “for Abram.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons; it is somewhat redundant given the three occurrences of Abram’s name in this and the previous verse.

[17:1]  ²⁸⁷ tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”

[17:1]  ²⁸⁸ tn Heb “appeared to Abram and said to him.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) and the final phrase “to him” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

[17:1]  ²⁸⁹ tn The name אֵל שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72. Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world who grants, blesses, and judges. In the Book of Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name are uncertain (see discussion below) its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. In Gen 17:1-8 he appeared to Abram, introduced himself as El Shaddai, and announced his intention to make the patriarch fruitful. In the role of El Shaddai God repeated these words (now elevated to the status of a decree) to Jacob (35:11). Earlier Isaac had pronounced a blessing on Jacob in which he asked El Shaddai to make Jacob fruitful (28:3). Jacob later prayed that his sons would be treated with mercy when they returned to Egypt with Benjamin (43:14). The fertility theme is not as apparent here, though one must remember that Jacob viewed Benjamin as the sole remaining son of the favored and once-barren Rachel (see 29:31; 30:22-24; 35:16-18). It is quite natural that he would appeal to El Shaddai to preserve Benjamin’s life, for it was El Shaddai’s miraculous power which made it possible for Rachel to give him sons in the first place. In 48:3 Jacob, prior to blessing Joseph’s sons, told him how El Shaddai appeared to him at Bethel (see Gen 28) and promised to make him fruitful. When blessing Joseph on his deathbed Jacob referred to Shaddai (we should probably read “El Shaddai,” along with a few Hebrew mss, the Samaritan Pentateuch, the LXX, and Syriac) as the one who provides abundant blessings, including “blessings of the breast and womb” (49:25). (The direct association of the name with “breasts” suggests the name might mean “the one of the breast” [i.e., the one who gives fertility], but the juxtaposition is probably better explained as wordplay. Note the wordplay involving the name and the root שָׁדַד, shadad, “destroy”] in Isa 13:6 and in Joel 1:15.) Outside Genesis the name Shaddai (minus the element “El” [“God”]) is normally used when God is viewed as the sovereign king who blesses/protects or curses/brings judgment. The name appears in the introduction to two of Balaam’s oracles (Num 24:4, 16) of blessing upon Israel. Naomi employs the name when accusing the Lord of treating her bitterly by taking the lives of her husband and sons (Ruth 1:20-21). In Ps 68:14; Isa 13:6; and Joel 1:15 Shaddai judges his enemies through warfare, while Ps 91:1 depicts him as the protector of his people. (In Ezek 1:24 and 10:5 the sound of the cherubs’ wings is compared to Shaddai’s powerful voice. The reference may be to the mighty divine warrior’s battle cry which accompanies his angry judgment.) Finally, the name occurs 31 times in the Book of Job. Job and his “friends” assume that Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world (11:7; 37:23a) who is the source of life (33:4b) and is responsible for maintaining justice (8:3; 34:10-12; 37:23b). He provides abundant blessings, including children (22:17-18; 29:4-6), but he can also discipline, punish, and destroy (5:17; 6:4; 21:20; 23:16). It is not surprising to see the name so often in this book, where the theme of God’s justice is primary and even called into question (24:1; 27:2). The most likely proposal is that the name means “God, the one of the mountain” (an Akkadian cognate means “mountain,” to which the Hebrew שַׁד, shad, “breast”] is probably related). For a discussion of proposed derivations see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 70-71. The name may originally have depicted God as the sovereign judge who, in Canaanite style, ruled from a sacred mountain. Isa 14:13 and Ezek 28:14, 16 associate such a mountain with God, while Ps 48:2 refers to Zion as “Zaphon,” the Canaanite Olympus from which the high god El ruled. (In Isa 14 the Canaanite god El may be in view. Note that Isaiah pictures pagan kings as taunting the king of Babylon, suggesting that pagan mythology may provide the background for the language and imagery.)

[17:1]  ²⁹⁰ tn Or “Live out your life.” The Hebrew verb translated “walk” is the Hitpael; it means “to walk back and forth; to walk about; to live out one’s life.”

[17:1]  ²⁹¹ tn Or “in my presence.”

[17:1]  ²⁹² tn There are two imperatives here: “walk…and be blameless [or “perfect”].” The second imperative may be purely sequential (see the translation) or consequential: “walk before me and then you will be blameless.” How one interprets the sequence depends on the meaning of “walk before”: (1) If it simply refers in a neutral way to serving the Lord, then the second imperative is likely sequential. (2) But if it has a positive moral connotation (“serve me faithfully”), then the second imperative probably indicates purpose (or result). For other uses of the idiom see 1 Sam 2:30, 35 and 12:2 (where it occurs twice).

[17:2]  ²⁹³ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative indicates consequence. If Abram is blameless, then the Lord will ratify the covenant. Earlier the Lord ratified part of his promise to Abram (see Gen 15:18-21), guaranteeing him that his descendants would live in the land. But the expanded form of the promise, which includes numerous descendants and eternal possession of the land, remains to be ratified. This expanded form of the promise is in view here (see vv. 2b, 4-8). See the note at Gen 15:18 and R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 35-54.

[17:2]  ²⁹⁴ tn Heb “I will multiply you exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

[17:3]  ²⁹⁵ tn Heb “And Abram fell on his face.” This expression probably means that Abram sank to his knees and put his forehead to the ground, although it is possible that he completely prostrated himself. In either case the posture indicates humility and reverence.

[17:3]  ²⁹⁶ tn Heb “God spoke to him, saying.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:4]  ²⁹⁷ tn Heb “I.”

[17:4]  ²⁹⁸ tn Heb “is” (הִנֵּה, hinneh).

[17:5]  ²⁹⁹ tn Heb “will your name be called.”

[17:5]  ³⁰⁰ sn Your name will be Abraham. The renaming of Abram was a sign of confirmation to the patriarch. Every time the name was used it would be a reminder of God’s promise. “Abram” means “exalted father,” probably referring to Abram’s father Terah. The name looks to the past; Abram came from noble lineage. The name “Abraham” is a dialectical variant of the name Abram. But its significance is in the wordplay with אַב־הֲמוֹן (’av-hamon, “the father of a multitude,” which sounds like אַבְרָהָם, ’avraham, “Abraham”). The new name would be a reminder of God’s intention to make Abraham the father of a multitude. For a general discussion of renaming, see O. Eissfeldt, “Renaming in the Old Testament,” Words and Meanings, 70-83.

[17:5]  ³⁰¹ tn The perfect verbal form is used here in a rhetorical manner to emphasize God’s intention.

[17:6]  ³⁰² tn This verb starts a series of perfect verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive to express God’s intentions.

[17:6]  ³⁰³ tn Heb “exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

[17:6]  ³⁰⁴ tn Heb “and I will make you into nations, and kings will come out from you.”

[17:7]  ³⁰⁵ tn The verb קוּם (qum, “to arise, to stand up”) in the Hiphil verbal stem means “to confirm, to give effect to, to carry out” (i.e., a covenant or oath; see BDB 878-79 s.v. קוּם).

[17:7]  ³⁰⁶ tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:7]  ³⁰⁷ tn Heb “to be to you for God and to your descendants after you.”

[17:8]  ³⁰⁸ tn The verbal root is גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn, to reside temporarily,” i.e., as a resident alien). It is the land in which Abram resides, but does not yet possess as his very own.

[17:8]  ³⁰⁹ tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:9]  ³¹⁰ tn The imperfect tense could be translated “you shall keep” as a binding command; but the obligatory nuance (“must”) captures the binding sense better.

[17:9]  ³¹¹ tn Heb “my covenant.” The Hebrew word בְּרִית (bÿrit) can refer to (1) the agreement itself between two parties (see v. 7), (2) the promise made by one party to another (see vv. 2-3, 7), (3) an obligation placed by one party on another, or (4) a reminder of the agreement. In vv. 9-10 the word refers to a covenantal obligation which God gives to Abraham and his descendants.

[17:10]  ³¹² tn Heb “This is my covenant that you must keep between me and you and your descendants after you.”

[17:10]  ³¹³ sn For a discussion of male circumcision as the sign of the covenant in this passage see M. V. Fox, “The Sign of the Covenant: Circumcision in the Light of the Priestly ‘ot Etiologies,” RB 81 (1974): 557-96.

[17:11]  ³¹⁴ tn Or “sign.”

[17:12]  ³¹⁵ tn Heb “the son of eight days.”

[17:13]  ³¹⁶ tn The emphatic construction employs the Niphal imperfect tense (collective singular) and the Niphal infinitive.

[17:13]  ³¹⁷ tn Heb “my covenant.” Here in v. 13 the Hebrew word בְּרִית (bÿrit) refers to the outward, visible sign, or reminder, of the covenant. For the range of meaning of the term, see the note on the word “requirement” in v. 9.

[17:13]  ³¹⁸ tn Or “an eternal.”

[17:14]  ³¹⁹ tn The disjunctive clause calls attention to the “uncircumcised male” and what will happen to him.

[17:14]  ³²⁰ tn Heb “that person will be cut off.” The words “that person” have not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:14]  sn The meaning of “cut off” has been discussed at great length. An entire tractate in the Mishnah is devoted to this subject (tractate Keritot). Being ostracized from the community is involved at the least, but it is not certain whether this refers to the death penalty.

[17:14]  ³²¹ tn Heb “he has broken my covenant.” The noun בְּרִית (bÿrit) here refers to the obligation required by God in conjunction with the covenantal agreement. For the range of meaning of the term, see the note on the word “requirement” in v. 9.

[17:15]  ³²² tn Heb “[As for] Sarai your wife, you must not call her name Sarai, for Sarah [will be] her name.”

[17:15]  ³²³ sn Sarah. The name change seems to be a dialectical variation, both spellings meaning “princess” or “queen.” Like the name Abram, the name Sarai symbolized the past. The new name Sarah, like the name Abraham, would be a reminder of what God intended to do for Sarah in the future.

[17:16]  ³²⁴ tn Heb “she will become nations.”

[17:16]  ³²⁵ tn Heb “peoples.”

[17:17]  ³²⁶ sn Laughed. The Hebrew verb used here provides the basis for the naming of Isaac: “And he laughed” is וַיִּצְחָק (vayyitskhaq); the name “Isaac” is יִצְחָק (yitskhaq), “he laughs.” Abraham’s (and Sarah’s, see 18:12) laughter signals disbelief, but when the boy is born, the laughter signals surprise and joy.

[17:17]  ³²⁷ tn Heb “And he fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart.”

[17:17]  ³²⁸ tn The imperfect verbal form here carries a potential nuance, as it expresses the disbelief of Abraham.

[17:17]  ³²⁹ tn Heb “to the son of a hundred years.”

[17:17]  ³³⁰ sn It is important to note that even though Abraham staggers at the announcement of the birth of a son, finding it almost too incredible, he nonetheless calls his wife Sarah, the new name given to remind him of the promise of God (v. 15).

[17:17]  ³³¹ tn Heb “the daughter of ninety years.”

[17:18]  ³³² tn The wish is introduced with the Hebrew particle לוּ (lu), “O that.”

[17:18]  ³³³ tn Or “live with your blessing.”

[17:19]  ³³⁴ tn Heb “will call his name Isaac.” The name means “he laughs,” or perhaps “may he laugh” (see the note on the word “laughed” in v. 17).

[17:19]  ³³⁵ tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:20]  ³³⁶ sn The Hebrew verb translated “I have heard you” forms a wordplay with the name Ishmael, which means “God hears.” See the note on the name “Ishmael” in 16:11.

[17:20]  ³³⁷ tn Heb “And I will multiply him exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

[17:20]  ³³⁸ tn For a discussion of the Hebrew word translated “princes,” see E. A. Speiser, “Background and Function of the Biblical Nasi’,” CBQ 25 (1963): 111-17.

[17:22]  ³³⁹ tn Heb “And when he finished speaking with him, God went up from Abraham.” The sequence of pronouns and proper names has been modified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:22]  sn God went up from him. The text draws attention to God’s dramatic exit and in so doing brings full closure to the scene.

[17:23]  ³⁴⁰ tn Heb “Ishmael his son and all born in his house and all bought with money, every male among the men of the house of Abraham.”

[17:23]  ³⁴¹ tn Heb “circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.” The Hebrew expression is somewhat pleonastic and has been simplified in the translation.

[17:24]  ³⁴² tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”

[17:24]  ³⁴³ tn Heb “circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin” (also in v. 25).

[17:25]  ³⁴⁴ tn Heb “the son of thirteen years.”

[18:1]  ³⁴⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ³⁴⁶ tn Or “terebinths.”

[18:1]  ³⁴⁷ tn The disjunctive clause here is circumstantial to the main clause.

[18:1]  ³⁴⁸ tn The Hebrew noun translated “entrance” is an adverbial accusative of place.

[18:2]  ³⁴⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:2]  ³⁵⁰ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

[18:2]  ³⁵¹ tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to what he saw. The drawn-out description focuses the reader’s attention on Abraham’s deliberate, fixed gaze and indicates that what he is seeing is significant.

[18:2]  ³⁵² tn The Hebrew preposition עַל (’al) indicates the three men were nearby, but not close by, for Abraham had to run to meet them.

[18:2]  ³⁵³ tn The pronoun “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

[18:2]  ³⁵⁴ tn The form וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ (vayyishtakhu, “and bowed low”) is from the verb הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה (hishtakhavah, “to worship, bow low to the ground”). It is probably from a root חָוָה (khavah), though some derive it from שָׁחָה (shakhah).

[18:2]  ³⁵⁵ sn The reader knows this is a theophany. The three visitors are probably the Lord and two angels (see Gen 19:1). It is not certain how soon Abraham recognized the true identity of the visitors. His actions suggest he suspected this was something out of the ordinary, though it is possible that his lavish treatment of the visitors was done quite unwittingly. Bowing down to the ground would be reserved for obeisance of kings or worship of the Lord. Whether he was aware of it or not, Abraham’s action was most appropriate.

[18:3]  ³⁵⁶ tc The MT has the form אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “Master”) which is reserved for God. This may reflect later scribal activity. The scribes, knowing it was the Lord, may have put the proper pointing with the word instead of the more common אֲדֹנִי (’adoni, “my master”).

[18:3]  ³⁵⁷ tn Heb “do not pass by from upon your servant.”

[18:4]  ³⁵⁸ tn The imperative after the jussive indicates purpose here.

[18:4]  ³⁵⁹ tn The word “all” has been supplied in the translation because the Hebrew verb translated “wash” and the pronominal suffix on the word “feet” are plural, referring to all three of the visitors.

[18:5]  ³⁶⁰ tn The Qal cohortative here probably has the nuance of polite request.

[18:5]  ³⁶¹ tn Heb “a piece of bread.” The Hebrew word לֶחֶם (lekhem) can refer either to bread specifically or to food in general. Based on Abraham’s directions to Sarah in v. 6, bread was certainly involved, but v. 7 indicates that Abraham had a more elaborate meal in mind.

[18:5]  ³⁶² tn Heb “strengthen your heart.” The imperative after the cohortative indicates purpose here.

[18:5]  ³⁶³ tn Heb “so that you may refresh yourselves, after [which] you may be on your way – for therefore you passed by near your servant.”

[18:6]  ³⁶⁴ tn The word “take” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the sentence lacks a verb other than the imperative “hurry.” The elliptical structure of the language reflects Abraham’s haste to get things ready quickly.

[18:6]  ³⁶⁵ sn Three measures (Heb “three seahs”) was equivalent to about twenty quarts (twenty-two liters) of flour, which would make a lot of bread. The animal prepared for the meal was far more than the three visitors needed. This was a banquet for royalty. Either it had been a lonely time for Abraham and the presence of visitors made him very happy, or he sensed this was a momentous visit.

[18:6]  ³⁶⁶ sn The bread was the simple, round bread made by bedouins that is normally prepared quickly for visitors.

[18:7]  ³⁶⁷ tn Heb “the young man.”

[18:7]  ³⁶⁸ tn The construction uses the Piel preterite, “he hurried,” followed by the infinitive construct; the two probably form a verbal hendiadys: “he quickly prepared.”

[18:8]  ³⁶⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:8]  ³⁷⁰ tn The words “the food” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

[18:8]  ³⁷¹ tn The disjunctive clause is a temporal circumstantial clause subordinate to the main verb.

[18:9]  ³⁷² tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) often accompanies a gesture of pointing or a focused gaze.

[18:10]  ³⁷³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (one of the three men introduced in v. 2) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Some English translations have specified the referent as the Lord (cf. RSV, NIV) based on vv. 1, 13, but the Hebrew text merely has “he said” at this point, referring to one of the three visitors. Aside from the introductory statement in v. 1, the incident is narrated from Abraham’s point of view, and the suspense is built up for the reader as Abraham’s elaborate banquet preparations in the preceding verses suggest he suspects these are important guests. But not until the promise of a son later in this verse does it become clear who is speaking. In v. 13 the Hebrew text explicitly mentions the Lord.

[18:10]  ³⁷⁴ tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, using the infinitive absolute with the imperfect tense.

[18:10]  sn I will surely return. If Abraham had not yet figured out who this was, this interchange would have made it clear. Otherwise, how would a return visit from this man mean Sarah would have a son?

[18:10]  ³⁷⁵ tn Heb “as/when the time lives” or “revives,” possibly referring to the springtime.

[18:10]  ³⁷⁶ tn Heb “and there will be (הִנֵּה, hinneh) a son for Sarah.”

[18:10]  ³⁷⁷ tn This is the first of two disjunctive parenthetical clauses preparing the reader for Sarah’s response (see v. 12).

[18:11]  ³⁷⁸ tn Heb “days.”

[18:11]  ³⁷⁹ tn Heb “it had ceased to be for Sarah [after] a way like women.”

[18:12]  ³⁸⁰ tn Heb “saying.”

[18:12]  ³⁸¹ tn It has been suggested that this word should be translated “conception,” not “pleasure.” See A. A. McIntosh, “A Third Root ‘adah in Biblical Hebrew,” VT 24 (1974): 454-73.

[18:12]  ³⁸² tn The word “too” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[18:13]  ³⁸³ tn Heb “Why, this?” The demonstrative pronoun following the interrogative pronoun is enclitic, emphasizing the Lord’s amazement: “Why on earth did Sarah laugh?”

[18:13]  ³⁸⁴ tn The Hebrew construction uses both הַאַף (ha’af) and אֻמְנָם (’umnam): “Indeed, truly, will I have a child?”

[18:14]  ³⁸⁵ tn The Hebrew verb פָּלָא (pala’) means “to be wonderful, to be extraordinary, to be surpassing, to be amazing.”

[18:14]  ³⁸⁶ sn Sarah will have a son. The passage brings God’s promise into clear focus. As long as it was a promise for the future, it really could be believed without much involvement. But now, when it seemed so impossible from the human standpoint, when the Lord fixed an exact date for the birth of the child, the promise became rather overwhelming to Abraham and Sarah. But then this was the Lord of creation, the one they had come to trust. The point of these narratives is that the creation of Abraham’s offspring, which eventually became Israel, is no less a miraculous work of creation than the creation of the world itself.

[18:15]  ³⁸⁷ tn Heb “And he said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:16]  ³⁸⁸ tn Heb “And the men arose from there.”

[18:16]  ³⁸⁹ tn Heb “toward the face of.”

[18:16]  ³⁹⁰ tn The disjunctive parenthetical clause sets the stage for the following speech.

[18:16]  ³⁹¹ tn The Piel of שָׁלַח (shalakh) means “to lead out, to send out, to expel”; here it is used in the friendly sense of seeing the visitors on their way.

[18:17]  ³⁹² tn The active participle here refers to an action that is imminent.

[18:18]  ³⁹³ tn Heb “And Abraham.” The disjunctive clause is probably causal, giving a reason why God should not hide his intentions from Abraham. One could translate, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation?”

[18:18]  ³⁹⁴ tn The infinitive absolute lends emphasis to the finite verb that follows.

[18:18]  ³⁹⁵ tn Theoretically the Niphal can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Abram were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in later formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless [i.e., “pronounce blessings upon”] themselves [or “one another”].” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 18:18 (like 12:2) predicts that Abraham will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[18:19]  ³⁹⁶ tn Heb “For I have known him.” The verb יָדַע (yada’) here means “to recognize and treat in a special manner, to choose” (see Amos 3:2). It indicates that Abraham stood in a special covenantal relationship with the Lord.

[18:19]  ³⁹⁷ tn Heb “and they will keep.” The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the subjective nuance of the preceding imperfect verbal form (translated “so that he may command”).

[18:19]  ³⁹⁸ tn The infinitive construct here indicates manner, explaining how Abraham’s children and his household will keep the way of the Lord.

[18:19]  ³⁹⁹ tn Heb “bring on.” The infinitive after לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) indicates result here.

[18:19]  ⁴⁰⁰ tn Heb “spoke to.”

[18:20]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Heb “the outcry of Sodom,” which apparently refers to the outcry for divine justice from those (unidentified persons) who observe its sinful ways.

[18:20]  ⁴⁰² tn Heb “heavy.”

[18:21]  ⁴⁰³ tn The cohortative indicates the Lord’s resolve.

[18:21]  sn I must go down. The descent to “see” Sodom is a bold anthropomorphism, stressing the careful judgment of God. The language is reminiscent of the Lord going down to see the Tower of Babel in Gen 11:1-9.

[18:21]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn Heb “[if] according to the outcry that has come to me they have done completely.” Even the Lord, who is well aware of the human capacity to sin, finds it hard to believe that anyone could be as bad as the “outcry” against Sodom and Gomorrah suggests.

[18:21]  ⁴⁰⁵ sn The short phrase if not provides a ray of hope and inspires Abraham’s intercession.

[18:22]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn Heb “And the men turned from there.” The word “two” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied here for clarity. Gen 19:1 mentions only two individuals (described as “angels”), while Abraham had entertained three visitors (18:2). The implication is that the Lord was the third visitor, who remained behind with Abraham here. The words “from there” are not included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[18:22]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn Heb “went.”

[18:22]  ⁴⁰⁸ tc An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition reads “but the Lord remained standing before Abraham.” This reading is problematic because the phrase “standing before” typically indicates intercession, but the Lord would certainly not be interceding before Abraham.

[18:24]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn Heb “lift up,” perhaps in the sense of “bear with” (cf. NRSV “forgive”).

[18:25]  ⁴¹⁰ tn Or “ruler.”

[18:25]  ⁴¹¹ sn Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right? For discussion of this text see J. L. Crenshaw, “Popular Questioning of the Justice of God in Ancient Israel,” ZAW 82 (1970): 380-95, and C. S. Rodd, “Shall Not the Judge of All the Earth Do What Is Just?” ExpTim 83 (1972): 137-39.

[18:27]  ⁴¹² tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 30, 31, 32 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[18:27]  ⁴¹³ tn The disjunctive clause is a concessive clause here, drawing out the humility as a contrast to the Lord.

[18:28]  ⁴¹⁴ tn The Hebrew verb שָׁחַת (shakhat, “to destroy”) was used earlier to describe the effect of the flood.

[18:28]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Heb “because of five.”

[18:29]  ⁴¹⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:29]  ⁴¹⁷ tn The construction is a verbal hendiadys – the preterite (“he added”) is combined with an adverb “yet” and an infinitive “to speak.”

[18:30]  ⁴¹⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:30]  ⁴¹⁹ tn Heb “let it not be hot to the Lord.” This is an idiom which means “may the Lord not be angry.”

[18:30]  ⁴²⁰ tn After the jussive, the cohortative indicates purpose/result.

[18:31]  ⁴²¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:32]  ⁴²² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:33]  ⁴²³ tn Heb “And the Lord went.”

[18:33]  ⁴²⁴ tn The infinitive construct (“speaking”) serves as the direct object of the verb “finished.”

[18:33]  ⁴²⁵ tn Heb “to his place.”

[19:1]  ⁴²⁶ tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.

[19:1]  ⁴²⁷ tn Heb “sitting in the gate of Sodom.” The phrase “the gate of Sodom” has been translated “the city’s gateway” for stylistic reasons.

[19:1]  sn The expression sitting in the city’s gateway may mean that Lot was exercising some type of judicial function (see the use of the idiom in 2 Sam 19:8; Jer 26:10; 38:7; 39:3).

[19:2]  ⁴²⁸ tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.

[19:2]  ⁴²⁹ tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”

[19:2]  ⁴³⁰ sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.

[19:3]  ⁴³¹ tn The Hebrew verb פָּצַר (patsar, “to press, to insist”) ironically foreshadows the hostile actions of the men of the city (see v. 9, where the verb also appears). The repetition of the word serves to contrast Lot to his world.

[19:4]  ⁴³² tn The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) means “to lie down, to recline,” that is, “to go to bed.” Here what appears to be an imperfect is a preterite after the adverb טֶרֶם (terem). The nuance of potential (perfect) fits well.

[19:4]  ⁴³³ tn Heb “and the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from the young to the old, all the people from the end [of the city].” The repetition of the phrase “men of” stresses all kinds of men.

[19:5]  ⁴³⁴ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[19:5]  ⁴³⁵ tn The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’, “to know”) is used here in the sense of “to lie with” or “to have sex with” (as in Gen 4:1). That this is indeed the meaning is clear from Lot’s warning that they not do so wickedly, and his willingness to give them his daughters instead.

[19:5]  sn The sin of the men of Sodom is debated. The fact that the sin involved a sexual act (see note on the phrase “have sex” in 19:5) precludes an association of the sin with inhospitality as is sometimes asserted (see W. Roth, “What of Sodom and Gomorrah? Homosexual Acts in the Old Testament,” Explor 1 [1974]: 7-14). The text at a minimum condemns forced sexual intercourse, i.e., rape. Other considerations, though, point to a condemnation of homosexual acts more generally. The narrator emphasizes the fact that the men of Sodom wanted to have sex with men: They demand that Lot release the angelic messengers (seen as men) to them for sex, and when Lot offers his daughters as a substitute they refuse them and attempt to take the angelic messengers by force. In addition the wider context of the Pentateuch condemns homosexual acts as sin (see, e.g., Lev 18:22). Thus a reading of this text within its narrative context, both immediate and broad, condemns not only the attempted rape but also the attempted homosexual act.

[19:7]  ⁴³⁶ tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”

[19:8]  ⁴³⁷ tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[19:8]  ⁴³⁸ tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”

[19:8]  ⁴³⁹ tn Heb “shadow.”

[19:8]  ⁴⁴⁰ sn This chapter portrays Lot as a hypocrite. He is well aware of the way the men live in his city and is apparently comfortable in the midst of it. But when confronted by the angels, he finally draws the line. But he is nevertheless willing to sacrifice his daughters’ virginity to protect his guests. His opposition to the crowds leads to his rejection as a foreigner by those with whom he had chosen to live. The one who attempted to rescue his visitors ends up having to be rescued by them.

[19:9]  ⁴⁴¹ tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”

[19:9]  ⁴⁴² tn Heb “to live as a resident alien.”

[19:9]  ⁴⁴³ tn Heb “and he has judged, judging.” The infinitive absolute follows the finite verbal form for emphasis. This emphasis is reflected in the translation by the phrase “dares to judge.”

[19:9]  ⁴⁴⁴ tn The verb “to do wickedly” is repeated here (see v. 7). It appears that whatever “wickedness” the men of Sodom had intended to do to Lot’s visitors – probably nothing short of homosexual rape – they were now ready to inflict on Lot.

[19:9]  ⁴⁴⁵ tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”

[19:9]  ⁴⁴⁶ tn Heb “and they drew near.”

[19:10]  ⁴⁴⁷ tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “inside” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[19:10]  ⁴⁴⁸ tn The Hebrew text adds “their hand.” These words have not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[19:10]  ⁴⁴⁹ tn Heb “to them into the house.”

[19:11]  ⁴⁵⁰ tn Heb “from the least to the greatest.”

[19:11]  ⁴⁵¹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Sodom outside the door) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:12]  ⁴⁵² tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “visitors” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[19:12]  ⁴⁵³ tn Heb “Yet who [is there] to you here?”

[19:12]  ⁴⁵⁴ tn The words “Do you have” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:12]  ⁴⁵⁵ tn Heb “a son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and anyone who (is) to you in the city.”

[19:12]  ⁴⁵⁶ tn Heb “the place.” The Hebrew article serves here as a demonstrative.

[19:13]  ⁴⁵⁷ tn The Hebrew participle expresses an imminent action here.

[19:13]  ⁴⁵⁸ tn Heb “for their outcry.” The words “about this place” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:13]  ⁴⁵⁹ tn Heb “the Lord.” The repetition of the divine name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “he” for stylistic reasons.

[19:14]  ⁴⁶⁰ sn The language has to be interpreted in the light of the context and the social customs. The men are called “sons-in-law” (literally “the takers of his daughters”), but the daughters had not yet had sex with a man. It is better to translate the phrase “who were going to marry his daughters.” Since formal marriage contracts were binding, the husbands-to-be could already be called sons-in-law.

[19:14]  ⁴⁶¹ tn The Hebrew active participle expresses an imminent action.

[19:14]  ⁴⁶² tn Heb “and he was like one taunting in the eyes of his sons-in-law.” These men mistakenly thought Lot was ridiculing them and their lifestyle. Their response illustrates how morally insensitive they had become.

[19:15]  ⁴⁶³ tn Heb “When dawn came up.”

[19:15]  ⁴⁶⁴ tn Heb “who are found.” The wording might imply he had other daughters living in the city, but the text does not explicitly state this.

[19:15]  ⁴⁶⁵ tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).

[19:16]  ⁴⁶⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:16]  ⁴⁶⁷ tn Heb “in the compassion of the Lord to them.”

[19:16]  ⁴⁶⁸ tn Heb “brought him out and placed him.” The third masculine singular suffixes refer specifically to Lot, though his wife and daughters accompanied him (see v. 17). For stylistic reasons these have been translated as plural pronouns (“them”).

[19:17]  ⁴⁶⁹ tn Or “one of them”; Heb “he.” Several ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac) read the plural “they.” See also the note on “your” in v. 19.

[19:17]  ⁴⁷⁰ tn Heb “escape.”

[19:17]  ⁴⁷¹ tn The Hebrew verb translated “look” signifies an intense gaze, not a passing glance. This same verb is used later in v. 26 to describe Lot’s wife’s self-destructive look back at the city.

[19:17]  ⁴⁷² tn Or “in the plain”; Heb “in the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:18]  ⁴⁷³ tn Or “my lords.” See the following note on the problem of identifying the addressee here. The Hebrew term is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[19:19]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn The second person pronominal suffixes are singular in this verse (note “your eyes,” “you have made great,” and “you have acted”). Verse 18a seems to indicate that Lot is addressing the angels, but the use of the singular and the appearance of the divine title “Lord” (אֲדֹנָי, ’adonay) in v. 18b suggests he is speaking to God.

[19:19]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn Heb “in your eyes.”

[19:19]  ⁴⁷⁶ tn Heb “you made great your kindness.”

[19:19]  ⁴⁷⁷ sn The Hebrew word חֶסֶד (khesed) can refer to “faithful love” or to “kindness,” depending on the context. The precise nuance here is uncertain.

[19:19]  ⁴⁷⁸ tn The infinitive construct explains how God has shown Lot kindness.

[19:19]  ⁴⁷⁹ tn Heb “lest.”

[19:19]  ⁴⁸⁰ tn The Hebrew verb דָּבַק (davaq) normally means “to stick to, to cleave, to join.” Lot is afraid he cannot outrun the coming calamity.

[19:19]  ⁴⁸¹ tn The perfect verb form with vav consecutive carries the nuance of the imperfect verbal form before it.

[19:20]  ⁴⁸² tn The Hebrew word עִיר (’ir) can refer to either a city or a town, depending on the size of the place. Given that this place was described by Lot later in this verse as a “little place,” the translation uses “town.”

[19:20]  ⁴⁸³ tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”

[19:20]  ⁴⁸⁴ tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.

[19:20]  ⁴⁸⁵ tn Heb “Is it not little?”

[19:20]  ⁴⁸⁶ tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.

[19:21]  ⁴⁸⁷ tn Heb “And he said, ‘Look, I will grant.’” The order of the clauses has been rearranged for stylistic reasons. The referent of the speaker (“he”) is somewhat ambiguous: It could be taken as the angel to whom Lot has been speaking (so NLT; note the singular references in vv. 18-19), or it could be that Lot is speaking directly to the Lord here. Most English translations leave the referent of the pronoun unspecified and maintain the ambiguity.

[19:21]  ⁴⁸⁸ tn Heb “I have lifted up your face [i.e., shown you favor] also concerning this matter.”

[19:21]  ⁴⁸⁹ tn The negated infinitive construct indicates either the consequence of God’s granting the request (“I have granted this request, so that I will not”) or the manner in which he will grant it (“I have granted your request by not destroying”).

[19:22]  ⁴⁹⁰ tn Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.

[19:22]  ⁴⁹¹ tn Heb “Therefore the name of the city is called Zoar.” The name of the place, צוֹעַר (tso’ar) apparently means “Little Place,” in light of the wordplay with the term “little” (מִצְעָר, mits’ar) used twice by Lot to describe the town (v. 20).

[19:23]  ⁴⁹² sn The sun had just risen. There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15) and sunrise (here).

[19:23]  ⁴⁹³ tn The juxtaposition of the two disjunctive clauses indicates synchronic action. The first action (the sun’s rising) occurred as the second (Lot’s entering Zoar) took place. The disjunctive clauses also signal closure for the preceding scene.

[19:24]  ⁴⁹⁴ tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of the next scene and highlights God’s action.

[19:24]  ⁴⁹⁵ tn Or “burning sulfur” (the traditional “fire and brimstone”).

[19:24]  ⁴⁹⁶ tn Heb “from the Lord from the heavens.” The words “It was sent down” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:24]  sn The text explicitly states that the sulfur and fire that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah was sent down from the sky by the Lord. What exactly this was, and how it happened, can only be left to intelligent speculation, but see J. P. Harland, “The Destruction of the Cities of the Plain,” BA 6 (1943): 41-54.

[19:25]  ⁴⁹⁷ tn Or “and all the plain”; Heb “and all the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:25]  ⁴⁹⁸ tn Heb “and the vegetation of the ground.”

[19:26]  ⁴⁹⁹ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:26]  ⁵⁰⁰ tn The Hebrew verb means “to look intently; to gaze” (see 15:5).

[19:26]  sn Longingly. Lot’s wife apparently identified with the doomed city and thereby showed lack of respect for God’s provision of salvation. She, like her daughters later, had allowed her thinking to be influenced by the culture of Sodom.

[19:27]  ⁵⁰¹ tn The words “and went” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:28]  ⁵⁰² tn Heb “upon the face of.”

[19:28]  ⁵⁰³ tn Or “all the land of the plain”; Heb “and all the face of the land of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:28]  ⁵⁰⁴ tn Heb “And he saw, and look, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.”

[19:28]  sn It is hard to imagine what was going on in Abraham’s mind, but this brief section in the narrative enables the reader to think about the human response to the judgment. Abraham had family in that area. He had rescued those people from the invasion. That was why he interceded. Yet he surely knew how wicked they were. That was why he got the number down to ten when he negotiated with God to save the city. But now he must have wondered, “What was the point?”

[19:29]  ⁵⁰⁵ tn The construction is a temporal clause comprised of the temporal indicator, an infinitive construct with a preposition, and the subjective genitive.

[19:29]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn Or “of the plain”; Heb “of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:29]  ⁵⁰⁷ tn Heb “remembered,” but this means more than mental recollection here. Abraham’s request (Gen 18:23-32) was that the Lord not destroy the righteous with the wicked. While the requisite minimum number of righteous people (ten, v. 32) needed for God to spare the cities was not found, God nevertheless rescued the righteous before destroying the wicked.

[19:29]  sn God showed Abraham special consideration because of the covenantal relationship he had established with the patriarch. Yet the reader knows that God delivered the “righteous” (Lot’s designation in 2 Pet 2:7) before destroying their world – which is what he will do again at the end of the age.

[19:29]  ⁵⁰⁸ sn God’s removal of Lot before the judgment is paradigmatic. He typically delivers the godly before destroying their world.

[19:29]  ⁵⁰⁹ tn Heb “the overthrow when [he] overthrew.”

[19:31]  ⁵¹⁰ tn Heb “and the firstborn said.”

[19:31]  ⁵¹¹ tn Or perhaps “on earth,” in which case the statement would be hyperbolic; presumably there had been some men living in the town of Zoar to which Lot and his daughters had initially fled.

[19:31]  ⁵¹² tn Heb “to enter upon us.” This is a euphemism for sexual relations.

[19:32]  ⁵¹³ tn Heb “drink wine.”

[19:32]  ⁵¹⁴ tn Heb “and we will lie down.” The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive is subordinated to the preceding cohortative and indicates purpose/result.

[19:32]  ⁵¹⁵ tn Or “that we may preserve.” Here the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates their ultimate goal.

[19:32]  ⁵¹⁶ tn Heb “and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”

[19:32]  sn For a discussion of the cultural background of the daughters’ desire to preserve our family line see F. C. Fensham, “The Obliteration of the Family as Motif in the Near Eastern Literature,” AION 10 (1969): 191-99.

[19:33]  ⁵¹⁷ tn Heb “drink wine.”

[19:33]  ⁵¹⁸ tn Heb “the firstborn.”

[19:33]  ⁵¹⁹ tn Heb “and the firstborn came and lied down with her father.” The expression “lied down with” here and in the following verses is a euphemism for sexual relations.

[19:33]  ⁵²⁰ tn Heb “and he did not know when she lay down and when she arose.”

[19:34]  ⁵²¹ tn Heb “the firstborn.”

[19:34]  ⁵²² tn Heb “Look, I lied down with my father. Let’s make him drink wine again tonight.”

[19:34]  ⁵²³ tn Heb “And go, lie down with him and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”

[19:35]  ⁵²⁴ tn Heb “drink wine.”

[19:35]  ⁵²⁵ tn Heb “lied down with him.”

[19:35]  ⁵²⁶ tn Heb “And he did not know when she lied down and when she arose.”

[19:37]  ⁵²⁷ tn Heb “the firstborn.”

[19:37]  ⁵²⁸ sn The meaning of the name Moab is not certain. The name sounds like the Hebrew phrase “from our father” (מֵאָבִינוּ, me’avinu) which the daughters used twice (vv. 32, 34). This account is probably included in the narrative in order to portray the Moabites, who later became enemies of God’s people, in a negative light.

[19:38]  ⁵²⁹ sn The name Ben-Ammi means “son of my people.” Like the account of Moab’s birth, this story is probably included in the narrative to portray the Ammonites, another perennial enemy of Israel, in a negative light.

[20:1]  ⁵³⁰ tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”

[20:1]  sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.

[20:1]  ⁵³¹ tn Heb “and he sojourned.”

[20:3]  ⁵³² tn Heb “came.”

[20:3]  ⁵³³ tn Heb “Look, you [are] dead.” The Hebrew construction uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with a second person pronominal particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with by the participle. It is a highly rhetorical expression.

[20:3]  ⁵³⁴ tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.

[20:4]  ⁵³⁵ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[20:4]  ⁵³⁶ tn Apparently Abimelech assumes that God’s judgment will fall on his entire nation. Some, finding the reference to a nation problematic, prefer to emend the text and read, “Would you really kill someone who is innocent?” See E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 149.

[20:5]  ⁵³⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:5]  ⁵³⁸ tn Heb “and she, even she.”

[20:5]  ⁵³⁹ tn Heb “with the integrity of my heart.”

[20:6]  ⁵⁴⁰ tn Heb “with the integrity of your heart.”

[20:6]  ⁵⁴¹ tn Heb “and I, even I, kept you.”

[20:6]  ⁵⁴² tn Heb “therefore.”

[20:7]  ⁵⁴³ tn Or “for,” if the particle is understood as causal (as many English translations do) rather than asseverative.

[20:7]  ⁵⁴⁴ sn For a discussion of the term prophet see N. Walker, “What is a Nabhi?” ZAW 73 (1961): 99-100.

[20:7]  ⁵⁴⁵ tn After the preceding jussive (or imperfect), the imperative with vav conjunctive here indicates result.

[20:7]  sn He will pray for you that you may live. Abraham was known as a man of God whose prayer would be effectual. Ironically and sadly, he was also known as a liar.

[20:7]  ⁵⁴⁶ tn Heb “if there is not you returning.” The suffix on the particle becomes the subject of the negated clause.

[20:7]  ⁵⁴⁷ tn The imperfect is preceded by the infinitive absolute to make the warning emphatic.

[20:8]  ⁵⁴⁸ tn Heb “And Abimelech rose early in the morning and he summoned.”

[20:8]  ⁵⁴⁹ tn The verb קָרָא (qara’) followed by the preposition לְ (lamed) means “to summon.”

[20:8]  ⁵⁵⁰ tn Heb “And he spoke all these things in their ears.”

[20:8]  ⁵⁵¹ tn Heb “the men.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “they” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[20:9]  ⁵⁵² tn Heb “How did I sin against you that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin?” The expression “great sin” refers to adultery. For discussion of the cultural background of the passage, see J. J. Rabinowitz, “The Great Sin in Ancient Egyptian Marriage Contracts,” JNES 18 (1959): 73, and W. L. Moran, “The Scandal of the ‘Great Sin’ at Ugarit,” JNES 18 (1959): 280-81.

[20:9]  ⁵⁵³ tn Heb “Deeds which should not be done you have done to me.” The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here.

[20:10]  ⁵⁵⁴ tn Heb “And Abimelech said to.”

[20:10]  ⁵⁵⁵ tn Heb “What did you see that you did this thing?” The question implies that Abraham had some motive for deceiving Abimelech.

[20:11]  ⁵⁵⁶ tn Heb “Because I said.”

[20:11]  ⁵⁵⁷ tn Heb “over the matter of.”

[20:12]  ⁵⁵⁸ tn Heb “but also.”

[20:13]  ⁵⁵⁹ tn The Hebrew verb is plural. This may be a case of grammatical agreement with the name for God, which is plural in form. However, when this plural name refers to the one true God, accompanying predicates are usually singular in form. Perhaps Abraham is accommodating his speech to Abimelech’s polytheistic perspective. (See GKC 463 §145.i.) If so, one should translate, “when the gods made me wander.”

[20:13]  ⁵⁶⁰ tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”

[20:14]  ⁵⁶¹ tn Heb “took and gave.”

[20:15]  ⁵⁶² tn Heb “In the [place that is] good in your eyes live!”

[20:16]  ⁵⁶³ sn A thousand pieces [Heb “shekels”] of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 11.5 kilograms, or 400 ounces (about 25 pounds).

[20:16]  ⁵⁶⁴ sn To your ‘brother.’ Note the way that the king refers to Abraham. Was he being sarcastic? It was surely a rebuke to Sarah. What is amazing is how patient this king was. It is proof that the fear of God was in that place, contrary to what Abraham believed (see v. 11).

[20:16]  ⁵⁶⁵ tn Heb “Look, it is for you a covering of the eyes, for all who are with you, and with all, and you are set right.” The exact meaning of the statement is unclear. Apparently it means that the gift of money somehow exonerates her in other people’s eyes. They will not look on her as compromised (see G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 2:74).

[20:18]  ⁵⁶⁶ tn In the Hebrew text the clause begins with “because.”

[20:18]  ⁵⁶⁷ tn Heb had completely closed up every womb.” In the Hebrew text infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.

[20:18]  sn The Lord had closed up every womb. This fact indicates that Sarah was in Abimelech’s household for weeks or months before the dream revelation was given (20:6-7). No one in his household could have children after Sarah arrived on the scene.

[20:18]  ⁵⁶⁸ tn Heb “because of.” The words “he took” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[21:1]  ⁵⁶⁹ sn The Hebrew verb translated “visit” (פָּקַד, paqad ) often describes divine intervention for blessing or cursing; it indicates God’s special attention to an individual or a matter, always with respect to his people’s destiny. He may visit (that is, destroy) the Amalekites; he may visit (that is, deliver) his people in Egypt. Here he visits Sarah, to allow her to have the promised child. One’s destiny is changed when the Lord “visits.” For a more detailed study of the term, see G. André, Determining the Destiny (ConBOT).

[21:1]  ⁵⁷⁰ tn Heb “and the Lord did.” The divine name has not been repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[21:1]  ⁵⁷¹ tn Heb “spoken.”

[21:2]  ⁵⁷² tn Or “she conceived.”

[21:3]  ⁵⁷³ tn Heb “the one born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.” The two modifying clauses, the first introduced with an article and the second with the relative pronoun, are placed in the middle of the sentence, before the name Isaac is stated. They are meant to underscore that this was indeed an actual birth to Abraham and Sarah in fulfillment of the promise.

[21:4]  ⁵⁷⁴ tn Heb “Isaac his son, the son of eight days.” The name “Isaac” is repeated in the translation for clarity.

[21:4]  ⁵⁷⁵ sn Just as God had commanded him to do. With the birth of the promised child, Abraham obeyed the Lord by both naming (Gen 17:19) and circumcising Isaac (17:12).

[21:5]  ⁵⁷⁶ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause underscores how miraculous this birth was. Abraham was 100 years old. The fact that the genealogies give the ages of the fathers when their first son is born shows that this was considered a major milestone in one’s life (G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 2:80).

[21:6]  ⁵⁷⁷ tn Heb “Laughter God has made for me.”

[21:6]  ⁵⁷⁸ tn The words “about this” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[21:6]  ⁵⁷⁹ sn Sarah’s words play on the name “Isaac” in a final triumphant manner. God prepared “laughter” (צְחֹק, ysÿkhoq ) for her, and everyone who hears about this “will laugh” (יִצְחַק, yitskhaq ) with her. The laughter now signals great joy and fulfillment, not unbelief (cf. Gen 18:12-15).

[21:7]  ⁵⁸⁰ tn Heb “said.”

[21:7]  ⁵⁸¹ tn The perfect form of the verb is used here to describe a hypothetical situation.

[21:8]  ⁵⁸² tn Heb “made.”

[21:8]  ⁵⁸³ sn Children were weaned closer to the age of two or three in the ancient world, because infant mortality was high. If an infant grew to this stage, it was fairly certain he or she would live. Such an event called for a celebration, especially for parents who had waited so long for a child.

[21:9]  ⁵⁸⁴ tn Heb “saw.”

[21:9]  ⁵⁸⁵ tn The Piel participle used here is from the same root as the name “Isaac.” In the Piel stem the verb means “to jest; to make sport of; to play with,” not simply “to laugh,” which is the meaning of the verb in the Qal stem. What exactly Ishmael was doing is not clear. Interpreters have generally concluded that the boy was either (1) mocking Isaac (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT) or (2) merely playing with Isaac as if on equal footing (cf. NAB, NRSV). In either case Sarah saw it as a threat. The same participial form was used in Gen 19:14 to describe how some in Lot’s family viewed his attempt to warn them of impending doom. It also appears later in Gen 39:14, 17, where Potiphar accuses Joseph of mocking them.

[21:9]  sn Mocking. Here Sarah interprets Ishmael’s actions as being sinister. Ishmael probably did not take the younger child seriously and Sarah saw this as a threat to Isaac. Paul in Gal 4:29 says that Ishmael persecuted Isaac. He uses a Greek word that can mean “to put to flight; to chase away; to pursue” and may be drawing on a rabbinic interpretation of the passage. In Paul’s analogical application of the passage, he points out that once the promised child Isaac (symbolizing Christ as the fulfillment of God’s promise) has come, there is no room left for the slave woman and her son (who symbolize the Mosaic law).

[21:10]  ⁵⁸⁶ tn Heb “drive out.” The language may seem severe, but Sarah’s maternal instincts sensed a real danger in that Ishmael was not treating Isaac with the proper respect.

[21:11]  ⁵⁸⁷ tn Heb “and the word was very wrong in the eyes of Abraham on account of his son.” The verb רָעַע (ra’a’) often refers to what is morally or ethically “evil.” It usage here suggests that Abraham thought Sarah’s demand was ethically (and perhaps legally) wrong.

[21:12]  ⁵⁸⁸ tn Heb “Let it not be evil in your eyes.”

[21:12]  ⁵⁸⁹ tn Heb “listen to her voice.” The idiomatic expression means “obey; comply.” Here her advice, though harsh, is necessary and conforms to the will of God. Later (see Gen 25), when Abraham has other sons, he sends them all away as well.

[21:12]  ⁵⁹⁰ tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to an action that is underway.

[21:12]  ⁵⁹¹ tn Or perhaps “will be named”; Heb “for in Isaac offspring will be called to you.” The exact meaning of the statement is not clear, but it does indicate that God’s covenantal promises to Abraham will be realized through Isaac, not Ishmael.

[21:14]  ⁵⁹² tn Heb “and Abraham rose up early in the morning and he took.”

[21:14]  ⁵⁹³ tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.

[21:14]  ⁵⁹⁴ tn Heb “He put upon her shoulder, and the boy [or perhaps, “and with the boy”], and he sent her away.” It is unclear how “and the boy” relates syntactically to what precedes. Perhaps the words should be rearranged and the text read, “and he put [them] on her shoulder and he gave to Hagar the boy.”

[21:14]  ⁵⁹⁵ tn Heb “she went and wandered.”

[21:14]  ⁵⁹⁶ tn Or “desert,” although for English readers this usually connotes a sandy desert like the Sahara rather than the arid wasteland of this region with its sparse vegetation.

[21:15]  ⁵⁹⁷ tn Heb “threw,” but the child, who was now thirteen years old, would not have been carried, let alone thrown under a bush. The exaggerated language suggests Ishmael is limp from dehydration and is being abandoned to die. See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 2:85.

[21:16]  ⁵⁹⁸ sn A bowshot would be a distance of about a hundred yards (ninety meters).

[21:16]  ⁵⁹⁹ tn Heb “said.”

[21:16]  ⁶⁰⁰ tn Heb “I will not look on the death of the child.” The cohortative verbal form (note the negative particle אַל,’al) here expresses her resolve to avoid the stated action.

[21:16]  ⁶⁰¹ tn Heb “and she lifted up her voice and wept” (that is, she wept uncontrollably). The LXX reads “he” (referring to Ishmael) rather than “she” (referring to Hagar), but this is probably an attempt to harmonize this verse with the following one, which refers to the boy’s cries.

[21:17]  ⁶⁰² sn God heard the boy’s voice. The text has not to this point indicated that Ishmael was crying out, either in pain or in prayer. But the text here makes it clear that God heard him. Ishmael is clearly central to the story. Both the mother and the Lord are focused on the child’s imminent death.

[21:17]  ⁶⁰³ tn Heb “What to you?”

[21:17]  ⁶⁰⁴ sn Here the verb heard picks up the main motif of the name Ishmael (“God hears”), introduced back in chap. 16.

[21:19]  ⁶⁰⁵ tn Heb “And God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.” The referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:21]  ⁶⁰⁶ sn The wilderness of Paran is an area in the east central region of the Sinai peninsula, northeast from the traditional site of Mt. Sinai and with the Arabah and the Gulf of Aqaba as its eastern border.

[21:21]  ⁶⁰⁷ tn Heb “And his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt.”

[21:22]  ⁶⁰⁸ sn God is with you. Abimelech and Phicol recognized that Abraham enjoyed special divine provision and protection.

[21:23]  ⁶⁰⁹ tn Heb “And now swear to me by God here.”

[21:23]  ⁶¹⁰ tn Heb “my offspring and my descendants.”

[21:23]  ⁶¹¹ tn The word “land” refers by metonymy to the people in the land.

[21:23]  ⁶¹² tn The Hebrew verb means “to stay, to live, to sojourn” as a temporary resident without ownership rights.

[21:23]  ⁶¹³ tn Or “kindness.”

[21:23]  ⁶¹⁴ tn Heb “According to the loyalty which I have done with you, do with me and with the land in which you are staying.”

[21:24]  ⁶¹⁵ tn Heb “I swear.” No object is specified in the Hebrew text, but the content of the oath requested by Abimelech is the implied object.

[21:25]  ⁶¹⁶ tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to argue; to dispute”; it can focus on the beginning of the dispute (as here), the dispute itself, or the resolution of a dispute (Isa 1:18). Apparently the complaint was lodged before the actual oath was taken.

[21:25]  ⁶¹⁷ tn Heb “concerning the matter of the well of water.”

[21:25]  ⁶¹⁸ tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to steal; to rob; to take violently.” The statement reflects Abraham’s perspective.

[21:26]  ⁶¹⁹ tn Heb “and also.”

[21:27]  ⁶²⁰ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[21:29]  ⁶²¹ tn Heb “What are these?”

[21:30]  ⁶²² tn Heb “that it be for me for a witness.”

[21:30]  ⁶²³ sn This well. Since the king wanted a treaty to share in Abraham’s good fortune, Abraham used the treaty to secure ownership of and protection for the well he dug. It would be useless to make a treaty to live in this territory if he had no rights to the water. Abraham consented to the treaty, but added his rider to it.

[21:31]  ⁶²⁴ tn Heb “that is why he called that place.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive, “that is why that place was called.”

[21:31]  ⁶²⁵ sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of the oath” or “well of the seven.” Both the verb “to swear” and the number “seven” have been used throughout the account. Now they are drawn in as part of the explanation of the significance of the name.

[21:31]  ⁶²⁶ sn The verb forms a wordplay with the name Beer Sheba.

[21:32]  ⁶²⁷ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[21:32]  ⁶²⁸ tn Heb “arose and returned.”

[21:32]  ⁶²⁹ sn The Philistines mentioned here may not be ethnically related to those who lived in Palestine in the time of the judges and the united monarchy. See D. M. Howard, “Philistines,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 238.

[21:33]  ⁶³⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:33]  ⁶³¹ sn The planting of the tamarisk tree is a sign of Abraham’s intent to stay there for a long time, not a religious act. A growing tree in the Negev would be a lasting witness to God’s provision of water.

[21:33]  ⁶³² tn Heb “he called there in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.

[21:34]  ⁶³³ tn Heb “many days.”

[22:1]  ⁶³⁴ sn The Hebrew verb used here means “to test; to try; to prove.” In this passage God tests Abraham to see if he would be obedient. See T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 44-48. See also J. L. Crenshaw, A Whirlpool of Torment (OBT), 9-30; and J. I. Lawlor, “The Test of Abraham,” GTJ 1 (1980): 19-35.

[22:1]  ⁶³⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:2]  ⁶³⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:2]  ⁶³⁷ sn Take your son…Isaac. The instructions are very clear, but the details are deliberate. With every additional description the commandment becomes more challenging.

[22:2]  ⁶³⁸ sn There has been much debate over the location of Moriah; 2 Chr 3:1 suggests it may be the site where the temple was later built in Jerusalem.

[22:2]  ⁶³⁹ sn A whole burnt offering signified the complete surrender of the worshiper and complete acceptance by God. The demand for a human sacrifice was certainly radical and may have seemed to Abraham out of character for God. Abraham would have to obey without fully understanding what God was about.

[22:2]  ⁶⁴⁰ tn Heb “which I will say to.”

[22:3]  ⁶⁴¹ tn Heb “Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey.”

[22:3]  ⁶⁴² tn Heb “he arose and he went.”

[22:4]  ⁶⁴³ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.”

[22:5]  ⁶⁴⁴ tn Heb “And Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

[22:5]  ⁶⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew verb is masculine plural, referring to the two young servants who accompanied Abraham and Isaac on the journey.

[22:5]  ⁶⁴⁶ tn The disjunctive clause (with the compound subject preceding the verb) may be circumstantial and temporal.

[22:5]  ⁶⁴⁷ tn This Hebrew word literally means “to bow oneself close to the ground.” It often means “to worship.”

[22:5]  ⁶⁴⁸ sn It is impossible to know what Abraham was thinking when he said, “we will…return to you.” When he went he knew (1) that he was to sacrifice Isaac, and (2) that God intended to fulfill his earlier promises through Isaac. How he reconciled those facts is not clear in the text. Heb 11:17-19 suggests that Abraham believed God could restore Isaac to him through resurrection.

[22:6]  ⁶⁴⁹ sn He took the fire and the knife in his hand. These details anticipate the sacrifice that lies ahead.

[22:7]  ⁶⁵⁰ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said.” This is redundant and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[22:7]  ⁶⁵¹ tn Heb “Here I am” (cf. Gen 22:1).

[22:7]  ⁶⁵² tn Heb “and he said, ‘Here is the fire and the wood.’” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here and in the following verse the order of the introductory clauses and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:8]  ⁶⁵³ tn Heb “will see for himself.” The construction means “to look out for; to see to it; to provide.”

[22:8]  sn God will provide is the central theme of the passage and the turning point in the story. Note Paul’s allusion to the story in Rom 8:32 (“how shall he not freely give us all things?”) as well as H. J. Schoeps, “The Sacrifice of Isaac in Paul’s Theology,” JBL 65 (1946): 385-92.

[22:9]  ⁶⁵⁴ sn Abraham built an altar there. The theme of Abraham’s altar building culminates here. He has been a faithful worshiper. Will he continue to worship when called upon to make such a radical sacrifice?

[22:9]  ⁶⁵⁵ sn Then he tied up. This text has given rise to an important theme in Judaism known as the Aqedah, from the Hebrew word for “binding.” When sacrifices were made in the sanctuary, God remembered the binding of Isaac, for which a substitute was offered. See D. Polish, “The Binding of Isaac,” Jud 6 (1957): 17-21.

[22:10]  ⁶⁵⁶ tn Heb “in order to slaughter.”

[22:11]  ⁶⁵⁷ sn Heb “the messenger of the Lord” (also in v. 15). Some identify the angel of the Lord as the preincarnate Christ because in some texts the angel is identified with the Lord himself. However, see the note on the phrase “the Lord’s angel” in Gen 16:7.

[22:12]  ⁶⁵⁸ tn Heb “Do not extend your hand toward the boy.”

[22:12]  ⁶⁵⁹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Do not extend…’”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the context for clarity. The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:12]  ⁶⁶⁰ sn For now I know. The test was designed to see if Abraham would be obedient (see v. 1).

[22:12]  ⁶⁶¹ sn In this context fear refers by metonymy to obedience that grows from faith.

[22:13]  ⁶⁶² tn Heb “lifted his eyes.”

[22:13]  ⁶⁶³ tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) draws attention to what Abraham saw and invites the audience to view the scene through his eyes.

[22:13]  ⁶⁶⁴ tc The translation follows the reading of the MT; a number of Hebrew mss, the LXX, Syriac, and Samaritan Pentateuch read “one” (אֶחָד, ’ekhad) instead of “behind him” (אַחַר, ’akhar).

[22:13]  ⁶⁶⁵ tn Heb “Abraham”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:14]  ⁶⁶⁶ tn Heb “the Lord sees” (יְהוָה יִרְאֶה, yÿhvah yir’eh, traditionally transliterated “Jehovah Jireh”; see the note on the word “provide” in v. 8). By so naming the place Abraham preserved in the memory of God’s people the amazing event that took place there.

[22:14]  ⁶⁶⁷ sn On the expression to this day see B. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until this Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.

[22:14]  ⁶⁶⁸ sn The saying connected with these events has some ambiguity, which was probably intended. The Niphal verb could be translated (1) “in the mountain of the Lord it will be seen/provided” or (2) “in the mountain the Lord will appear.” If the temple later stood here (see the note on “Moriah” in Gen 22:2), the latter interpretation might find support, for the people went to the temple to appear before the Lord, who “appeared” to them by providing for them his power and blessings. See S. R. Driver, Genesis, 219.

[22:16]  ⁶⁶⁹ tn Heb “By myself I swear.”

[22:16]  ⁶⁷⁰ tn Heb “the oracle of the Lord.” The phrase refers to a formal oracle or decree from the Lord.

[22:17]  ⁶⁷¹ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.

[22:17]  ⁶⁷² tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).

[22:17]  sn I will greatly multiply. The Lord here ratifies his earlier promise to give Abram a multitude of descendants. For further discussion see R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 35-54.

[22:17]  ⁶⁷³ tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[22:17]  ⁶⁷⁴ tn Or “inherit.”

[22:17]  ⁶⁷⁵ tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. To break through the gate complex would be to conquer the city, for the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”).

[22:18]  ⁶⁷⁶ tn In the Hebrew text this causal clause comes at the end of the sentence. The translation alters the word order for stylistic reasons.

[22:18]  sn Because you have obeyed me. Abraham’s obedience brought God’s ratification of the earlier conditional promise (see Gen 12:2).

[22:18]  ⁶⁷⁷ tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 26:4). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)

[22:19]  ⁶⁷⁸ tn Heb “and they arose and went together.”

[22:19]  ⁶⁷⁹ tn Heb “and Abraham stayed in Beer Sheba. This has been translated as a relative clause for stylistic reasons.

[22:20]  ⁶⁸⁰ tn In the Hebrew text the sentence begins with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to the statement.

[22:21]  ⁶⁸¹ sn This parenthetical note about Kemuel’s descendant is probably a later insertion by the author/compiler of Genesis and not part of the original announcement.

[22:23]  ⁶⁸² tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is important but parenthetical to the narrative. Rebekah would become the wife of Isaac (Gen 24:15).

[23:1]  ⁶⁸³ tn Heb “And the years of Sarah were one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.”

[23:2]  ⁶⁸⁴ tn Heb “Sarah.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“she”) for stylistic reasons.

[23:2]  ⁶⁸⁵ sn Mourn…weep. The description here is of standard mourning rites (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 149-50). They would have been carried out in the presence of the corpse, probably in Sarah’s tent. So Abraham came in to mourn; then he rose up to go and bury his dead (v. 3).

[23:3]  ⁶⁸⁶ tn Heb “And Abraham arose from upon the face of his dead.”

[23:3]  ⁶⁸⁷ tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (also in vv. 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.

[23:4]  ⁶⁸⁸ tn Heb “a resident alien and a settler.”

[23:4]  ⁶⁸⁹ tn Heb “give,” which is used here as an idiom for “sell” (see v. 9). The idiom reflects the polite bartering that was done in the culture at the time.

[23:4]  ⁶⁹⁰ tn Or “possession.”

[23:4]  ⁶⁹¹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose.

[23:4]  ⁶⁹² tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:5]  ⁶⁹³ tn Heb “answered Abraham saying to him.”

[23:6]  ⁶⁹⁴ tn Heb “Hear us, my lord.”

[23:6]  ⁶⁹⁵ tn Heb “prince of God.” The divine name may be used here as a means of expressing the superlative, “mighty prince.” The word for “prince” probably means “tribal chief” here. See M. H. Gottstein, “Nasi’ ‘elohim (Gen 23:6),” VT 3 (1953) 298-99; and D. W. Thomas, “Consideration of Some Unusual Ways of Expressing the Superlative in Hebrew,” VT 3 (1953) 215-16.

[23:6]  ⁶⁹⁶ tn The phrase “to prevent you” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:7]  ⁶⁹⁷ tn Heb “to the people of the land” (also in v. 12).

[23:8]  ⁶⁹⁸ tn Heb “If it is with your purpose.” The Hebrew noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) here has the nuance “purpose” or perhaps “desire” (see BDB 661 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ).

[23:8]  ⁶⁹⁹ tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:8]  ⁷⁰⁰ tn Or “hear me.”

[23:8]  ⁷⁰¹ tn Heb “intercede for me with.”

[23:9]  ⁷⁰² tn Heb “give.” This is used here (also a second time later in this verse) as an idiom for “sell”; see the note on the word “grant” in v. 4.

[23:9]  ⁷⁰³ tn Heb “in your presence.”

[23:9]  ⁷⁰⁴ tn Heb “silver.”

[23:10]  ⁷⁰⁵ tn Or perhaps “Hittite,” but see the note on the name “Heth” in v. 3.

[23:10]  ⁷⁰⁶ tn Heb “ears.” By metonymy the “ears” stand for the presence or proximity (i.e., within earshot) of the persons named.

[23:10]  ⁷⁰⁷ sn On the expression all who entered the gate see E. A. Speiser, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate,” BASOR 144 (1956): 20-23; and G. Evans, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate: A Discussion of Professor Speiser’s Paper,” BASOR 150 (1958): 28-33.

[23:11]  ⁷⁰⁸ tn Heb “give.” The perfect tense has here a present nuance; this is a formal, legally binding declaration. Abraham asked only for a burial site/cave within the field; Ephron agrees to sell him the entire field.

[23:11]  ⁷⁰⁹ tn The Hebrew text adds “to you I give [i.e., sell] it.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[23:11]  ⁷¹⁰ tn Heb “in the presence of the sons of my people.”

[23:13]  ⁷¹¹ tn Heb “give.”

[23:13]  ⁷¹² tn Heb “silver.”

[23:13]  ⁷¹³ tn After the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose or result.

[23:15]  ⁷¹⁴ tn The word “worth” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:15]  ⁷¹⁵ sn Four hundred pieces of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 4.6 kilograms, or 160 ounces (about 10 pounds).

[23:16]  ⁷¹⁶ tn Heb “listened to Ephron.”

[23:16]  ⁷¹⁷ tn Heb “and Abraham weighed out.”

[23:16]  ⁷¹⁸ tn Heb “to Ephron.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:16]  ⁷¹⁹ tn Heb “silver.”

[23:16]  ⁷²⁰ tn Heb “that he had spoken.” The referent (Ephron) has been specified here in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[23:16]  ⁷²¹ tn Heb “passing for the merchant.” The final clause affirms that the measurement of silver was according to the standards used by the merchants of the time.

[23:17]  ⁷²² tn Heb “And it was conveyed.” The recipient, Abraham (mentioned in the Hebrew text at the beginning of v. 18) has been placed here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:18]  ⁷²³ tn Heb “his city”; the referent (Ephron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:18]  sn See G. M. Tucker, “The Legal Background of Genesis 23,” JBL 85 (1966):77-84; and M. R. Lehmann, “Abraham’s Purchase of Machpelah and Hittite Law,” BASOR 129 (1953): 15-18.

[23:20]  ⁷²⁴ tn Heb “possession of a grave.”

[24:1]  ⁷²⁵ tn Heb “days.”

[24:1]  ⁷²⁶ tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

[24:2]  ⁷²⁷ tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).

[24:2]  ⁷²⁸ sn Put your hand under my thigh. The taking of this oath had to do with the sanctity of the family and the continuation of the family line. See D. R. Freedman, “Put Your Hand Under My Thigh – the Patriarchal Oath,” BAR 2 (1976): 2-4, 42.

[24:3]  ⁷²⁹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.

[24:3]  ⁷³⁰ tn Heb “because you must not take.”

[24:4]  ⁷³¹ tn Heb “for to my country and my relatives you must go.”

[24:4]  ⁷³² tn Heb “and take.”

[24:5]  ⁷³³ tn Heb “to go after me.”

[24:5]  ⁷³⁴ tn In the Hebrew text the construction is emphatic; the infinitive absolute precedes the imperfect. However, it is difficult to reflect this emphasis in an English translation.

[24:6]  ⁷³⁵ tn Heb “guard yourself.”

[24:6]  ⁷³⁶ tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:7]  ⁷³⁷ tn Or “the land of my birth.”

[24:7]  ⁷³⁸ tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”

[24:7]  ⁷³⁹ tn Or “his messenger.”

[24:7]  ⁷⁴⁰ tn Heb “before you and you will take.”

[24:8]  ⁷⁴¹ tn Heb “ to go after you.”

[24:8]  ⁷⁴² sn You will be free. If the prospective bride was not willing to accompany the servant back to Canaan, the servant would be released from his oath to Abraham.

[24:9]  ⁷⁴³ tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”

[24:10]  ⁷⁴⁴ tn Heb “and every good thing of his master was in his hand.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, explaining that he took all kinds of gifts to be used at his discretion.

[24:10]  ⁷⁴⁵ tn Heb “and he arose and went.”

[24:10]  ⁷⁴⁶ tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:10]  sn Aram Naharaim means in Hebrew “Aram of the Two Rivers,” a region in northern Mesopotamia.

[24:11]  ⁷⁴⁷ tn Heb “well of water.”

[24:11]  ⁷⁴⁸ tn Heb “at the time of evening.”

[24:12]  ⁷⁴⁹ tn Heb “make it happen before me today.” Although a number of English translations understand this as a request for success in the task (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV) it is more likely that the servant is requesting an omen or sign from God (v. 14).

[24:12]  ⁷⁵⁰ tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”

[24:13]  ⁷⁵¹ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:13]  ⁷⁵² tn Heb “the men.”

[24:14]  ⁷⁵³ sn I will also give your camels water. It would be an enormous test for a young woman to water ten camels. The idea is that such a woman would not only be industrious but hospitable and generous.

[24:14]  ⁷⁵⁴ tn Heb “And let the young woman to whom I say, ‘Lower your jar that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I will also give your camels water,’ – her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac, and by it I will know that you have acted in faithfulness with my master.”

[24:15]  ⁷⁵⁵ tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out!” Using the participle introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator dramatically transports the audience back into the event and invites them to see Rebekah through the servant’s eyes.

[24:15]  ⁷⁵⁶ tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out – [she] who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham – and her jug [was] on her shoulder.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:16]  ⁷⁵⁷ tn Heb “And the young woman was very good of appearance, a virgin, and a man she had not known.” Some argue that the Hebrew noun translated “virgin” (בְּתוּלָה, bÿtulah) is better understood in a general sense, “young woman” (see Joel 1:8, where the word appears to refer to one who is married). In this case the circumstantial clause (“and a man she had not known”) would be restrictive, rather than descriptive. If the term actually means “virgin,” one wonders why the circumstantial clause is necessary (see Judg 21:12 as well). Perhaps the repetition emphasizes her sexual purity as a prerequisite for her role as the mother of the covenant community.

[24:17]  ⁷⁵⁸ tn Heb “and the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:18]  ⁷⁵⁹ tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”

[24:19]  ⁷⁶⁰ tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:20]  ⁷⁶¹ tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”

[24:21]  ⁷⁶² tn Heb “to know.”

[24:21]  ⁷⁶³ tn The Hebrew term צָלָה (tsalah), meaning “to make successful” in the Hiphil verbal stem, is a key term in the story (see vv. 40, 42, 56).

[24:22]  ⁷⁶⁴ sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).

[24:22]  ⁷⁶⁵ sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).

[24:22]  ⁷⁶⁶ tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:23]  ⁷⁶⁷ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:24]  ⁷⁶⁸ tn Heb “whom she bore to Nahor.” The referent (Milcah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:25]  ⁷⁶⁹ tn Heb “and she said, ‘We have plenty of both straw and feed.’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:25]  ⁷⁷⁰ tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:27]  ⁷⁷¹ tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”

[24:27]  ⁷⁷² tn Heb “As for me – in the way the Lord led me.”

[24:27]  ⁷⁷³ tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.

[24:27]  ⁷⁷⁴ tn Heb “brothers.”

[24:28]  ⁷⁷⁵ tn Heb “according to.”

[24:29]  ⁷⁷⁶ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.

[24:30]  ⁷⁷⁷ tn Heb “And it was when he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister.” The word order is altered in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[24:30]  ⁷⁷⁸ tn Heb “and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying.”

[24:30]  ⁷⁷⁹ tn Heb “and look, he was standing.” The disjunctive clause with the participle following the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites the audience to view the scene through Laban’s eyes.

[24:31]  ⁷⁸⁰ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:31]  ⁷⁸¹ sn Laban’s obsession with wealth is apparent; to him it represents how one is blessed by the Lord. Already the author is laying the foundation for subsequent events in the narrative, where Laban’s greed becomes his dominant characteristic.

[24:31]  ⁷⁸² tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.

[24:32]  ⁷⁸³ tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:32]  ⁷⁸⁴ tn Some translations (e.g., NEB, NASB, NRSV) understand Laban to be the subject of this and the following verbs or take the subject of this and the following verbs as indefinite (referring to an unnamed servant; e.g., NAB, NIV).

[24:32]  ⁷⁸⁵ tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.

[24:32]  ⁷⁸⁶ tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”

[24:33]  ⁷⁸⁷ tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”

[24:33]  ⁷⁸⁸ tn Heb “my words.”

[24:33]  ⁷⁸⁹ tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”

[24:33]  tn Heb “and he said, ‘Speak.’” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:35]  ⁷⁹⁰ tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.

[24:35]  ⁷⁹¹ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:36]  ⁷⁹² tn Heb “to my master.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:36]  ⁷⁹³ tn Heb “after her old age.”

[24:36]  ⁷⁹⁴ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the servant’s master, Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:38]  ⁷⁹⁵ tn Heb “but to the house of my father you must go and to my family and you must take a wife for my son.”

[24:39]  ⁷⁹⁶ tn The imperfect is used here in a modal sense to indicate desire.

[24:39]  ⁷⁹⁷ tn Heb “after me.”

[24:40]  ⁷⁹⁸ tn The verb is the Hitpael of הָלַךְ (halakh), meaning “live one’s life” (see Gen 17:1). The statement may simply refer to serving the Lord or it may have a more positive moral connotation (“serve faithfully”).

[24:41]  ⁷⁹⁹ tn Heb “my oath” (twice in this verse). From the Hebrew perspective the oath belonged to the person to whom it was sworn (Abraham), although in contemporary English an oath is typically viewed as belonging to the person who swears it (the servant).

[24:42]  ⁸⁰⁰ tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”

[24:42]  ⁸⁰¹ tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[24:43]  ⁸⁰² tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:43]  ⁸⁰³ tn Heb “and it will be.”

[24:45]  ⁸⁰⁴ tn Heb “As for me, before I finished speaking to my heart.” The adverb טֶרֶם (terem) indicates the verb is a preterite; the infinitive that follows is the direct object.

[24:45]  ⁸⁰⁵ tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out.” As in 24:15, the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is used here for dramatic effect.

[24:47]  ⁸⁰⁶ tn Heb “whom Milcah bore to him.” The referent (Nahor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:48]  ⁸⁰⁷ tn Heb “daughter.” Rebekah was actually the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. One can either translate the Hebrew term בַּת (bat) as “daughter,” in which case the term אָח (’akh) must be translated more generally as “relative” rather than “brother” (cf. NASB, NRSV) or one can translate בַּת as “granddaughter,” in which case אָח may be translated “brother” (cf. NIV).

[24:49]  ⁸⁰⁸ tn Heb “and I will turn to the right or to the left.” The expression apparently means that Abraham’s servant will know where he should go if there is no further business here.

[24:50]  ⁸⁰⁹ tn Heb “From the Lord the matter has gone out.”

[24:50]  ⁸¹⁰ tn Heb “We are not able to speak to you bad or good.” This means that Laban and Bethuel could not say one way or the other what they wanted, for they viewed it as God’s will.

[24:51]  ⁸¹¹ tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[24:51]  ⁸¹² tn Heb “as the Lord has spoken.”

[24:53]  ⁸¹³ tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:54]  ⁸¹⁴ tn Heb “And they ate and drank, he and the men who [were] with him and they spent the night.”

[24:54]  ⁸¹⁵ tn Heb “Send me away to my master.”

[24:55]  ⁸¹⁶ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Rebekah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:56]  ⁸¹⁷ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, indicating a reason for the preceding request.

[24:56]  ⁸¹⁸ tn After the preceding imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[24:57]  ⁸¹⁹ tn Heb “and we will ask her mouth.”

[24:58]  ⁸²⁰ tn The imperfect verbal form here has a modal nuance, expressing desire.

[24:60]  ⁸²¹ tn Heb “and said to her.”

[24:60]  ⁸²² tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”

[24:60]  sn May you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands. The blessing expresses their prayer that she produce children and start a family line that will greatly increase (cf. Gen 17:16).

[24:60]  ⁸²³ tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”). A similar phrase occurs in Gen 22:17.

[24:61]  ⁸²⁴ tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”

[24:61]  ⁸²⁵ tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:62]  ⁸²⁶ tn The disjunctive clause switches the audience’s attention to Isaac and signals a new episode in the story.

[24:62]  ⁸²⁷ tn Heb “from the way of.”

[24:62]  ⁸²⁸ sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” See Gen 16:14.

[24:62]  ⁸²⁹ tn This disjunctive clause is explanatory.

[24:62]  ⁸³⁰ tn Or “the South [country].”

[24:62]  sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.

[24:63]  ⁸³¹ tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:63]  ⁸³² tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain (cf. NASB, NIV “to meditate”; NRSV “to walk”).

[24:63]  ⁸³³ tn Heb “at the turning of the evening.”

[24:63]  ⁸³⁴ tn Heb “And he lifted up his eyes.” This idiom emphasizes the careful look Isaac had at the approaching caravan.

[24:63]  ⁸³⁵ tn Heb “and look.” The clause introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) invites the audience to view the scene through Isaac’s eyes.

[24:64]  ⁸³⁶ tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”

[24:65]  ⁸³⁷ tn Heb “and she said to.”

[24:65]  ⁸³⁸ tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:65]  ⁸³⁹ tn Heb “and the servant said.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:67]  ⁸⁴⁰ tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.

[24:67]  ⁸⁴¹ tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:67]  ⁸⁴² tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”

[24:67]  ⁸⁴³ tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.

[25:1]  ⁸⁴⁴ tn Or “took.”

[25:1]  sn Abraham had taken another wife. These events are not necessarily in chronological order following the events of the preceding chapter. They are listed here to summarize Abraham’s other descendants before the narrative of his death.

[25:1]  ⁸⁴⁵ tn Heb “And Abraham added and took.”

[25:3]  ⁸⁴⁶ sn The names Sheba and Dedan appear in Gen 10:7 as descendants of Ham through Cush and Raamah. Since these two names are usually interpreted to be place names, one plausible suggestion is that some of Abraham’s descendants lived in those regions and took names linked with it.

[25:4]  ⁸⁴⁷ tn Or “sons.”

[25:6]  ⁸⁴⁸ tn Heb “the sons of the concubines who [belonged] to Abraham.”

[25:6]  ⁸⁴⁹ tn Heb “And he sent them away from upon Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the land of the east.”

[25:7]  ⁸⁵⁰ tn Heb “and these are the days of the years of the lifetime of Abraham that he lived.” The normal genealogical formula is expanded here due to the importance of the life of Abraham.

[25:8]  ⁸⁵¹ tn Heb “old and full.”

[25:8]  ⁸⁵² tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.

[25:9]  ⁸⁵³ sn The cave of Machpelah was the place Abraham had purchased as a burial place for his wife Sarah (Gen 23:17-18).

[25:10]  ⁸⁵⁴ tn See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.

[25:11]  ⁸⁵⁵ sn God blessed Isaac. The Hebrew verb “bless” in this passage must include all the gifts that God granted to Isaac. But fertility was not one of them, at least not for twenty years, because Rebekah was barren as well (see v. 21).

[25:11]  ⁸⁵⁶ sn Beer Lahai Roi. See the note on this place name in Gen 24:62.

[25:12]  ⁸⁵⁷ sn This is the account of Ishmael. The Book of Genesis tends to tidy up the family records at every turning point. Here, before proceeding with the story of Isaac’s family, the narrative traces Ishmael’s family line. Later, before discussing Jacob’s family, the narrative traces Esau’s family line (see Gen 36).

[25:13]  ⁸⁵⁸ tn The meaning of this line is not easily understood. The sons of Ishmael are listed here “by their names” and “according to their descendants.”

[25:16]  ⁸⁵⁹ tn Or “tribal chieftains.”

[25:17]  ⁸⁶⁰ tn Heb “And these are the days of the years of Ishmael.”

[25:17]  ⁸⁶¹ tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.

[25:18]  ⁸⁶² tn Heb “they”; the referent (Ishmael’s descendants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:18]  ⁸⁶³ tn Heb “which is by the face of,” or near the border. The territory ran along the border of Egypt.

[25:18]  ⁸⁶⁴ tn Heb “as you go.”

[25:18]  ⁸⁶⁵ sn The name Asshur refers here to a tribal area in the Sinai.

[25:18]  ⁸⁶⁶ tn Heb “he fell.”

[25:18]  ⁸⁶⁷ tn Heb “upon the face of all his brothers.” This last expression, obviously alluding to the earlier oracle about Ishmael (Gen 16:12), could mean that the descendants of Ishmael lived in hostility to others or that they lived in a territory that was opposite the lands of their relatives. While there is some ambiguity about the meaning, the line probably does give a hint of the Ishmaelite-Israelite conflicts to come.

[25:19]  ⁸⁶⁸ sn This is the account of Isaac. What follows for several chapters is not the account of Isaac, except briefly, but the account of Jacob and Esau. The next chapters tell what became of Isaac and his family.

[25:20]  ⁸⁶⁹ tn Heb “And Isaac was the son of forty years when he took Rebekah.”

[25:20]  ⁸⁷⁰ sn Some valuable information is provided here. We learn here that Isaac married thirty-five years before Abraham died, that Rebekah was barren for twenty years, and that Abraham would have lived to see Jacob and Esau begin to grow up. The death of Abraham was recorded in the first part of the chapter as a “tidying up” of one generation before beginning the account of the next.

[25:21]  ⁸⁷¹ tn The Hebrew verb עָתַר (’atar), translated “prayed [to]” here, appears in the story of God’s judgment on Egypt in which Moses asked the Lord to remove the plagues. The cognate word in Arabic means “to slaughter for sacrifice,” and the word is used in Zeph 3:10 to describe worshipers who bring offerings. Perhaps some ritual accompanied Isaac’s prayer here.

[25:22]  ⁸⁷² tn The Hebrew word used here suggests a violent struggle that was out of the ordinary.

[25:22]  ⁸⁷³ tn Heb “If [it is] so, why [am] I this [way]?” Rebekah wanted to know what was happening to her, but the question itself reflects a growing despair over the struggle of the unborn children.

[25:22]  ⁸⁷⁴ sn Asked the Lord. In other passages (e.g., 1 Sam 9:9) this expression refers to inquiring of a prophet, but no details are provided here.

[25:23]  ⁸⁷⁵ sn By metonymy the two children in her womb are described as two nations of which the two children, Jacob and Esau, would become the fathers. The language suggests there would be a struggle between these nations, with one being stronger than the other. The oracle reveals that all of Jacob’s scheming was unnecessary in the final analysis. He would have become the dominant nation without using deception to steal his brother’s blessing.

[25:24]  ⁸⁷⁶ tn Heb “And her days were filled to give birth.”

[25:24]  ⁸⁷⁷ tn Heb “look!” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene as if they were actually present at the birth.

[25:25]  ⁸⁷⁸ sn Reddish. The Hebrew word translated “reddish” is אַדְמוֹנִי (’admoni), which forms a wordplay on the Edomites, Esau’s descendants. The writer sees in Esau’s appearance at birth a sign of what was to come. After all, the reader has already been made aware of the “nations” that were being born.

[25:25]  ⁸⁷⁹ tn Heb “all of him.”

[25:25]  ⁸⁸⁰ sn Hairy. Here is another wordplay involving the descendants of Esau. The Hebrew word translated “hairy” is שֵׂעָר (se’ar); the Edomites will later live in Mount Seir, perhaps named for its wooded nature.

[25:25]  ⁸⁸¹ tn Heb “And they called his name Esau.” The name “Esau” (עֵשָׂו, ’esav) is not etymologically related to שֵׂעָר (se’ar), but it draws on some of the sounds.

[25:26]  ⁸⁸² tn The disjunctive clause describes an important circumstance accompanying the birth. Whereas Esau was passive at birth, Jacob was active.

[25:26]  ⁸⁸³ tn Heb “And he called his name Jacob.” Some ancient witnesses read “they called his name Jacob” (see v. 25). In either case the subject is indefinite.

[25:26]  sn The name Jacob is a play on the Hebrew word for “heel” (עָקֵב, ’aqev). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. It did not have a negative connotation until Esau redefined it. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. After receiving such an oracle, the parents would have preserved in memory almost every detail of the unusual births.

[25:26]  ⁸⁸⁴ tn Heb “the son of sixty years.”

[25:27]  ⁸⁸⁵ tn Heb “knowing.”

[25:27]  ⁸⁸⁶ tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Jacob with Esau and draws attention to the striking contrasts. In contrast to Esau, a man of the field, Jacob was civilized, as the phrase “living in tents” signifies. Whereas Esau was a skillful hunter, Jacob was calm and even-tempered (תָּם, tam), which normally has the idea of “blameless.”

[25:28]  ⁸⁸⁷ tn Heb “the taste of game was in his mouth.” The word for “game,” “venison” is here the same Hebrew word as “hunter” in the last verse. Here it is a metonymy, referring to that which the hunter kills.

[25:28]  ⁸⁸⁸ tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Rebekah with Jacob and draws attention to the contrast. The verb here is a participle, drawing attention to Rebekah’s continuing, enduring love for her son.

[25:29]  ⁸⁸⁹ sn Jacob cooked some stew. There are some significant words and wordplays in this story that help clarify the points of the story. The verb “cook” is זִיד (zid), which sounds like the word for “hunter” (צַיִד, tsayid). This is deliberate, for the hunter becomes the hunted in this story. The word זִיד means “to cook, to boil,” but by the sound play with צַיִד it comes to mean “set a trap by cooking.” The usage of the word shows that it can also have the connotation of acting presumptuously (as in boiling over). This too may be a comment on the scene. For further discussion of the rhetorical devices in the Jacob narratives, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).

[25:30]  ⁸⁹⁰ tn The rare term לָעַט (la’at), translated “feed,” is used in later Hebrew for feeding animals (see Jastrow, 714). If this nuance was attached to the word in the biblical period, then it may depict Esau in a negative light, comparing him to a hungry animal. Famished Esau comes in from the hunt, only to enter the trap. He can only point at the red stew and ask Jacob to feed him.

[25:30]  ⁸⁹¹ tn The verb has no expressed subject and so is given a passive translation.

[25:30]  ⁸⁹² sn Esau’s descendants would eventually be called Edom. Edom was the place where they lived, so-named probably because of the reddish nature of the hills. The writer can use the word “red” to describe the stew that Esau gasped for to convey the nature of Esau and his descendants. They were a lusty, passionate, and profane people who lived for the moment. Again, the wordplay is meant to capture the “omen in the nomen.”

[25:31]  ⁸⁹³ tn Heb “today.”

[25:32]  ⁸⁹⁴ tn Heb “And what is this to me, a birthright?”

[25:33]  ⁸⁹⁵ tn Heb “Swear to me today.”

[25:33]  ⁸⁹⁶ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:33]  ⁸⁹⁷ sn And sold his birthright. There is evidence from Hurrian culture that rights of inheritance were occasionally sold or transferred. Here Esau is portrayed as a profane person who would at the moment rather have a meal than the right to inherit. He will soon forget this trade and seek his father’s blessing in spite of it.

[25:34]  ⁸⁹⁸ sn The style here is typical of Hebrew narrative; after the tension is resolved with the dialogue, the working out of it is recorded in a rapid sequence of verbs (“gave”; “ate”; “drank”; “got up”; “went out”). See also Gen 3:1-7 for another example.

[25:34]  ⁸⁹⁹ sn So Esau despised his birthright. This clause, which concludes the episode, is a summary statement which reveals the underlying significance of Esau’s actions. “To despise” means to treat something as worthless or with contempt. Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered it to be unimportant.

[26:1]  ⁹⁰⁰ tn Heb “in addition to the first famine which was.”

[26:1]  ⁹⁰¹ sn This account is parallel to two similar stories about Abraham (see Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Many scholars do not believe there were three similar incidents, only one that got borrowed and duplicated. Many regard the account about Isaac as the original, which then was attached to the more important person, Abraham, with supernatural elements being added. For a critique of such an approach, see R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 47-62. It is more likely that the story illustrates the proverb “like father, like son” (see T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 53). In typical human fashion the son follows his father’s example of lying to avoid problems. The appearance of similar events reported in a similar way underscores the fact that the blessing has now passed to Isaac, even if he fails as his father did.

[26:2]  ⁹⁰² sn Do not go down to Egypt. The words echo Gen 12:10, which reports that “Abram went down to Egypt,” but state the opposite.

[26:2]  ⁹⁰³ tn Heb “say to you.”

[26:3]  ⁹⁰⁴ tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur) means “to live temporarily without ownership of land.” Abraham’s family will not actually possess the land of Canaan until the Israelite conquest hundreds of years later.

[26:3]  ⁹⁰⁵ tn After the imperative “stay” the two prefixed verb forms with prefixed conjunction here indicate consequence.

[26:3]  sn I will be with you and I will bless you. The promise of divine presence is a promise to intervene to protect and to bless.

[26:3]  ⁹⁰⁶ tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[26:3]  sn To you and to your descendants. The Abrahamic blessing will pass to Isaac. Everything included in that blessing will now belong to the son, and in turn will be passed on to his sons. But there is a contingency involved: If they are to enjoy the full blessings, they will have to obey the word of the Lord. And so obedience is enjoined here with the example of how well Abraham obeyed.

[26:3]  ⁹⁰⁷ tn The Hiphil stem of the verb קוּם (qum) here means “to fulfill, to bring to realization.” For other examples of this use of this verb form, see Lev 26:9; Num 23:19; Deut 8:18; 9:5; 1 Sam 1:23; 1 Kgs 6:12; Jer 11:5.

[26:3]  ⁹⁰⁸ tn Heb “the oath which I swore.”

[26:3]  sn The solemn promise I made. See Gen 15:18-20; 22:16-18.

[26:4]  ⁹⁰⁹ tn Heb “your descendants.”

[26:4]  ⁹¹⁰ tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 22:18). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)

[26:5]  ⁹¹¹ tn The words “All this will come to pass” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[26:5]  ⁹¹² tn Heb “listened to my voice.”

[26:5]  ⁹¹³ sn My charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. The language of this verse is clearly interpretive, for Abraham did not have all these laws. The terms are legal designations for sections of the Mosaic law and presuppose the existence of the law. Some Rabbinic views actually conclude that Abraham had fulfilled the whole law before it was given (see m. Qiddushin 4:14). Some scholars argue that this story could only have been written after the law was given (C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:424-25). But the simplest explanation is that the narrator (traditionally taken to be Moses the Lawgiver) elaborated on the simple report of Abraham’s obedience by using terms with which the Israelites were familiar. In this way he depicts Abraham as the model of obedience to God’s commands, whose example Israel should follow.

[26:7]  ⁹¹⁴ sn Rebekah, unlike Sarah, was not actually her husband’s sister.

[26:7]  ⁹¹⁵ tn Heb “lest.” The words “for he thought to himself” are supplied because the next clause is written with a first person pronoun, showing that Isaac was saying or thinking this.

[26:7]  ⁹¹⁶ tn Heb “kill me on account of.”

[26:8]  ⁹¹⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:8]  ⁹¹⁸ tn Heb “and it happened when the days were long to him there.”

[26:8]  ⁹¹⁹ tn Heb “look, Isaac.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene through Abimelech’s eyes.

[26:8]  ⁹²⁰ tn Or “fondling.”

[26:8]  sn The Hebrew word מְצַחֵק (mÿtsakheq), from the root צָחַק (tsakhaq, “laugh”), forms a sound play with the name “Isaac” right before it. Here it depicts an action, probably caressing or fondling, that indicated immediately that Rebekah was Isaac’s wife, not his sister. Isaac’s deception made a mockery of God’s covenantal promise. Ignoring God’s promise to protect and bless him, Isaac lied to protect himself and acted in bad faith to the men of Gerar.

[26:9]  ⁹²¹ tn Heb “Surely, look!” See N. H. Snaith, “The meaning of Hebrew ‘ak,” VT 14 (1964): 221-25.

[26:9]  ⁹²² tn Heb “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” Since the verb “said” probably means “said to myself” (i.e., “thought”) here, the direct discourse in the Hebrew statement has been converted to indirect discourse in the translation. In addition the simple prepositional phrase “on account of her” has been clarified in the translation as “to get her” (cf. v. 7).

[26:10]  ⁹²³ tn Heb “What is this you have done to us?” The Hebrew demonstrative pronoun “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to us?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[26:10]  ⁹²⁴ tn Heb “people.”

[26:10]  ⁹²⁵ tn The Hebrew verb means “to lie down.” Here the expression “lie with” or “sleep with” is euphemistic for “have sexual relations with.”

[26:11]  ⁹²⁶ tn Heb “strikes.” Here the verb has the nuance “to harm in any way.” It would include assaulting the woman or killing the man.

[26:11]  ⁹²⁷ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the imperfect makes the construction emphatic.

[26:12]  ⁹²⁸ tn Heb “a hundredfold.”

[26:12]  ⁹²⁹ tn This final clause explains why Isaac had such a bountiful harvest.

[26:13]  ⁹³⁰ tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Isaac’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are included.

[26:13]  ⁹³¹ tn Heb “and he went, going and becoming great.” The construction stresses that his growth in possessions and power continued steadily.

[26:14]  ⁹³² tn Heb “and there was to him.”

[26:14]  ⁹³³ tn Heb “possessions of sheep.”

[26:14]  ⁹³⁴ tn Heb “possessions of cattle.”

[26:14]  ⁹³⁵ tn The Hebrew verb translated “became jealous” refers here to intense jealousy or envy that leads to hostile action (see v. 15).

[26:15]  ⁹³⁶ tn Heb “and the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with dirt.”

[26:16]  ⁹³⁷ tn Heb “Go away from us.”

[26:16]  ⁹³⁸ sn You have become much more powerful. This explanation for the expulsion of Isaac from Philistine territory foreshadows the words used later by the Egyptians to justify their oppression of Israel (see Exod 1:9).

[26:17]  ⁹³⁹ tn Heb “and he camped in the valley of Gerar and he lived there.”

[26:17]  sn This valley was actually a wadi (a dry river bed where the water would flow in the rainy season, but this would have been rare in the Negev). The water table under it would have been higher than in the desert because of water soaking in during the torrents, making it easier to find water when digging wells. However, this does not minimize the blessing of the Lord, for the men of the region knew this too, but did not have the same results.

[26:18]  ⁹⁴⁰ tn Heb “he returned and dug,” meaning “he dug again” or “he reopened.”

[26:18]  ⁹⁴¹ tn Heb “that they dug.” Since the subject is indefinite, the verb is translated as passive.

[26:18]  ⁹⁴² tn Heb “and the Philistines had stopped them up.” This clause explains why Isaac had to reopen them.

[26:18]  ⁹⁴³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:18]  ⁹⁴⁴ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the wells) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:18]  ⁹⁴⁵ tn Heb “called names to them according to the names that his father called them.”

[26:19]  ⁹⁴⁶ tn Heb “living.” This expression refers to a well supplied by subterranean streams (see Song 4:15).

[26:20]  ⁹⁴⁷ tn The Hebrew verb translated “quarreled” describes a conflict that often has legal ramifications.

[26:20]  ⁹⁴⁸ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:20]  ⁹⁴⁹ tn Heb “and he called the name of the well.”

[26:20]  ⁹⁵⁰ sn The name Esek means “argument” in Hebrew. The following causal clause explains that Isaac gave the well this name as a reminder of the conflict its discovery had created. In the Hebrew text there is a wordplay, for the name is derived from the verb translated “argued.”

[26:20]  ⁹⁵¹ tn The words “about it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:21]  ⁹⁵² tn Heb “they”; the referent (Isaac’s servants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:21]  ⁹⁵³ tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:21]  ⁹⁵⁴ sn The name Sitnah (שִׂטְנָה, sitnah) is derived from a Hebrew verbal root meaning “to oppose; to be an adversary” (cf. Job 1:6). The name was a reminder that the digging of this well caused “opposition” from the Philistines.

[26:22]  ⁹⁵⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:22]  ⁹⁵⁶ tn Heb “and he called its name.”

[26:22]  ⁹⁵⁷ sn The name Rehoboth (רְהֹבוֹת, rehovot) is derived from a verbal root meaning “to make room.” The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. The story shows Isaac’s patience with the opposition; it also shows how God’s blessing outdistanced the men of Gerar. They could not stop it or seize it any longer.

[26:23]  ⁹⁵⁸ tn Heb “and he went up from there”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:25]  ⁹⁵⁹ tn Heb “called in the name of.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; 21:33). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116.

[26:25]  ⁹⁶⁰ tn Heb “and they dug there, the servants of Isaac, a well.”

[26:26]  ⁹⁶¹ tn The disjunctive clause supplies pertinent supplemental information. The past perfect is used because the following narrative records the treaty at Beer Sheba. Prior to this we are told that Isaac settled in Beer Sheba; presumably this treaty would have allowed him to do that. However, it may be that he settled there and then made the treaty by which he renamed the place Beer Sheba. In this case one may translate “Now Abimelech came to him.”

[26:26]  ⁹⁶² tn Heb “and.”

[26:26]  ⁹⁶³ tn Many modern translations render the Hebrew term מֵרֵעַ (merea’) as “councillor” or “adviser,” but the term may not designate an official position but simply a close personal friend.

[26:27]  ⁹⁶⁴ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, expressing the reason for his question.

[26:28]  ⁹⁶⁵ tn The infinitive absolute before the verb emphasizes the clarity of their perception.

[26:28]  ⁹⁶⁶ tn Heb “And we said, ‘Let there be.’” The direct discourse in the Hebrew text has been rendered as indirect discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:28]  ⁹⁶⁷ tn The pronoun “us” here is inclusive – it refers to the Philistine contingent on the one hand and Isaac on the other.

[26:28]  ⁹⁶⁸ tn The pronoun “us” here is exclusive – it refers to just the Philistine contingent (the following “you” refers to Isaac).

[26:28]  ⁹⁶⁹ tn The translation assumes that the cohortative expresses their request. Another option is to understand the cohortative as indicating resolve: “We want to make.’”

[26:29]  ⁹⁷⁰ tn The oath formula is used: “if you do us harm” means “so that you will not do.”

[26:29]  ⁹⁷¹ tn Heb “touched.”

[26:29]  ⁹⁷² tn Heb “and just as we have done only good with you.”

[26:29]  ⁹⁷³ tn Heb “and we sent you away.”

[26:29]  ⁹⁷⁴ tn The Philistine leaders are making an observation, not pronouncing a blessing, so the translation reads “you are blessed” rather than “may you be blessed” (cf. NAB).

[26:30]  ⁹⁷⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:30]  ⁹⁷⁶ tn Heb “and they ate and drank.”

[26:31]  ⁹⁷⁷ tn Heb “and they got up early and they swore an oath, a man to his brother.”

[26:31]  ⁹⁷⁸ tn Heb “and they went from him in peace.”

[26:32]  ⁹⁷⁹ tn Heb “and they said to him, ‘We have found water.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:33]  ⁹⁸⁰ sn The name Shibah (שִׁבְעָה, shiv’ah) means (or at least sounds like) the word meaning “oath.” The name was a reminder of the oath sworn by Isaac and the Philistines to solidify their treaty.

[26:33]  ⁹⁸¹ sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of an oath” or “well of seven.” According to Gen 21:31 Abraham gave Beer Sheba its name when he made a treaty with the Philistines. Because of the parallels between this earlier story and the account in 26:26-33, some scholars see chaps. 21 and 26 as two versions (or doublets) of one original story. However, if one takes the text as it stands, it appears that Isaac made a later treaty agreement with the people of the land that was similar to his father’s. Abraham dug a well at the site and named the place Beer Sheba; Isaac dug another well there and named the well Shibah. Later generations then associated the name Beer Sheba with Isaac, even though Abraham gave the place its name at an earlier time.

[26:34]  ⁹⁸² tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making this clause subordinate to the next.

[26:34]  ⁹⁸³ tn Heb “the son of forty years.”

[26:34]  ⁹⁸⁴ tn Heb “took as a wife.”

[26:35]  ⁹⁸⁵ tn Heb “And they were [a source of ] bitterness in spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah.”

[27:1]  ⁹⁸⁶ tn The clause begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making it subordinate to the main clause that follows later in the sentence.

[27:1]  ⁹⁸⁷ tn Heb “and his eyes were weak from seeing.”

[27:1]  ⁹⁸⁸ tn Heb “greater” (in terms of age).

[27:1]  ⁹⁸⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Esau) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2]  ⁹⁹⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaac) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2]  ⁹⁹¹ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here introduces a logically foundational statement, upon which the coming instruction will be based.

[27:2]  ⁹⁹² tn Heb “I do not know the day of my death.”

[27:3]  ⁹⁹³ tn The Hebrew word is to be spelled either צַיִד (tsayid) following the marginal reading (Qere), or צֵידָה (tsedah) following the consonantal text (Kethib). Either way it is from the same root as the imperative צוּדָה (tsudah, “hunt down”).

[27:4]  ⁹⁹⁴ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:4]  ⁹⁹⁵ tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The use of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as the subject emphasizes that the blessing will be made with all Isaac’s desire and vitality. The conjunction “so that” closely relates the meal to the blessing, suggesting that this will be a ritual meal in conjunction with the giving of a formal blessing.

[27:5]  ⁹⁹⁶ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a conjunction with the subject, followed by the predicate) here introduces a new scene in the story.

[27:5]  ⁹⁹⁷ tc The LXX adds here “to his father,” which may have been accidentally omitted in the MT.

[27:7]  ⁹⁹⁸ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:7]  ⁹⁹⁹ tn The cohortative, with the prefixed conjunction, also expresses logical sequence. See vv. 4, 19, 27.

[27:7]  ¹⁰⁰⁰ tn In her report to Jacob, Rebekah plays down Isaac’s strong desire to bless Esau by leaving out נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”), but by adding the phrase “in the presence of the Lord,” she stresses how serious this matter is.

[27:8]  ¹⁰⁰¹ tn Heb “listen to my voice.” The Hebrew idiom means “to comply; to obey.”

[27:8]  ¹⁰⁰² tn Heb “to that which I am commanding you.”

[27:9]  ¹⁰⁰³ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:10]  ¹⁰⁰⁴ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive. It carries forward the tone of instruction initiated by the command to “go…and get” in the preceding verse.

[27:10]  ¹⁰⁰⁵ tn The form is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the future nuance of the preceding verbs of instruction, but by switching the subject to Jacob, indicates the expected result of the subterfuge.

[27:10]  ¹⁰⁰⁶ tn Heb “so that.” The conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:11]  ¹⁰⁰⁷ tn Heb “And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, but I am a smooth [skinned] man.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:12]  ¹⁰⁰⁸ tn Heb “Perhaps my father will feel me and I will be in his eyes like a mocker.” The Hebrew expression “I will be in his eyes like” means “I would appear to him as.”

[27:13]  ¹⁰⁰⁹ tn Heb “upon me your curse.”

[27:13]  ¹⁰¹⁰ tn Heb “only listen to my voice.”

[27:14]  ¹⁰¹¹ tn The words “the goats” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:14]  ¹⁰¹² tn Heb “his mother.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “she” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:16]  ¹⁰¹³ tn In the Hebrew text the object (“the skins of the young goats”) precedes the verb. The disjunctive clause draws attention to this key element in the subterfuge.

[27:16]  ¹⁰¹⁴ tn The word “hands” probably includes the forearms here. How the skins were attached is not specified in the Hebrew text; cf. NLT “she made him a pair of gloves.”

[27:17]  ¹⁰¹⁵ tn Heb “gave…into the hand of.”

[27:18]  ¹⁰¹⁶ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:18]  ¹⁰¹⁷ sn Which are you, my son? Isaac’s first question shows that the deception is going to require more subterfuge than Rebekah had anticipated. Jacob will have to pull off the deceit.

[27:19]  ¹⁰¹⁸ tn Heb “get up and sit.” This may mean simply “sit up,” or it may indicate that he was to get up from his couch and sit at a table.

[27:19]  ¹⁰¹⁹ tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.” These words, though not reported by Rebekah to Jacob (see v. 7) accurately reflect what Isaac actually said to Esau (see v. 4). Perhaps Jacob knew more than Rebekah realized, but it is more likely that this was an idiom for sincere blessing with which Jacob was familiar. At any rate, his use of the precise wording was a nice, convincing touch.

[27:20]  ¹⁰²⁰ tn Heb “What is this?” The enclitic pronoun “this” adds emphasis to the question, which is comparable to the English rhetorical question, “How in the world?”

[27:20]  ¹⁰²¹ tn Heb “you hastened to find.” In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb and the first verb becomes adverbial.

[27:20]  ¹⁰²² tn Heb “caused to meet before me.”

[27:20]  ¹⁰²³ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Because the Lord your God….’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:21]  ¹⁰²⁴ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:21]  ¹⁰²⁵ tn Heb “Are you this one, Esau, my son, or not?” On the use of the interrogative particle here, see BDB 210 s.v. הֲ.

[27:23]  ¹⁰²⁶ tn Heb “and he blessed him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” (Isaac) and “him” (Jacob) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:24]  ¹⁰²⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ¹⁰²⁸ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ¹⁰²⁹ tn Heb “Bring near to me and I will eat of the wild game, my son.” Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:25]  ¹⁰³⁰ tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The presence of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as subject emphasizes Isaac’s heartfelt desire to do this. The conjunction indicates that the ritual meal must be first eaten before the formal blessing may be given.

[27:25]  ¹⁰³¹ tn Heb “and he brought”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ¹⁰³² tn Heb “and he drank”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ¹⁰³³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ¹⁰³⁴ tn Heb “and he smelled the smell”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ¹⁰³⁵ tn Heb “see.”

[27:28]  ¹⁰³⁶ tn Heb “and from the dew of the sky.”

[27:28]  ¹⁰³⁷ tn Heb “and from the fatness.”

[27:29]  ¹⁰³⁸ tn Heb “and be.” The verb is an imperative, which is used rhetorically in this oracle of blessing. It is an invitation to exercise authority his brothers and indicates that he is granted such authority by the patriarch of the family. Furthermore, the blessing enables the recipient to accomplish this.

[27:29]  ¹⁰³⁹ tn The Hebrew word is גְבִיר (gevir, “lord, mighty one”). The one being blessed will be stronger and therefore more powerful than his brother. See Gen 25:23. The feminine form of this rare noun means “mistress” or “queen-mother.”

[27:29]  ¹⁰⁴⁰ tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (which is either an imperfect or a jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:30]  ¹⁰⁴¹ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite form of the verb makes the construction emphatic.

[27:30]  ¹⁰⁴² tn Heb “the presence of Isaac his father.” The repetition of the proper name (“Isaac”) was

[27:30]  ¹⁰⁴³ tn Heb “and Esau his brother came from his hunt.”

[27:31]  ¹⁰⁴⁴ tn Heb “and he said to his father”; the referent of “he” (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity, while the words “his father” have been replaced by the pronoun “him” for stylistic reasons.

[27:31]  ¹⁰⁴⁵ tn Or “arise” (i.e., sit up).

[27:31]  ¹⁰⁴⁶ tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.”

[27:32]  ¹⁰⁴⁷ tn Heb “said.”

[27:32]  ¹⁰⁴⁸ tn Heb “and he said, ‘I [am] your son, your firstborn.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[27:33]  ¹⁰⁴⁹ tn Heb “and Isaac trembled with a great trembling to excess.” The verb “trembled” is joined with a cognate accusative, which is modified by an adjective “great,” and a prepositional phrase “to excess.” All of this is emphatic, showing the violence of Isaac’s reaction to the news.

[27:33]  ¹⁰⁵⁰ tn Heb “Who then is he who hunted game and brought [it] to me so that I ate from all before you arrived and blessed him?”

[27:34]  ¹⁰⁵¹ tn The temporal clause is introduced with the temporal indicator and has the infinitive as its verb.

[27:34]  ¹⁰⁵² tn Heb “and he yelled [with] a great and bitter yell to excess.”

[27:35]  ¹⁰⁵³ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:35]  ¹⁰⁵⁴ tn Or “took”; “received.”

[27:36]  ¹⁰⁵⁵ tn Heb “Is he not rightly named Jacob?” The rhetorical question, since it expects a positive reply, has been translated as a declarative statement.

[27:36]  ¹⁰⁵⁶ sn He has tripped me up. When originally given, the name Jacob was a play on the word “heel” (see Gen 25:26). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. Esau gives the name “Jacob” a negative connotation here, the meaning “to trip up; to supplant.”

[27:38]  ¹⁰⁵⁷ tn Heb “Bless me, me also, my father.” The words “my father” have not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:38]  ¹⁰⁵⁸ tn Heb “and Esau lifted his voice and wept.”

[27:39]  ¹⁰⁵⁹ tn Heb “look.”

[27:39]  ¹⁰⁶⁰ tn Heb “from the fatness.”

[27:40]  ¹⁰⁶¹ sn You will tear off his yoke from your neck. It may be that this prophetic blessing found its fulfillment when Jerusalem fell and Edom got its revenge. The oracle makes Edom subservient to Israel and suggests the Edomites would live away from the best land and be forced to sustain themselves by violent measures.

[27:41]  ¹⁰⁶² tn Or “bore a grudge against” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV). The Hebrew verb שָׂטַם (satam) describes persistent hatred.

[27:41]  ¹⁰⁶³ tn Heb “because of the blessing which his father blessed him.”

[27:41]  ¹⁰⁶⁴ tn Heb “said in his heart.” The expression may mean “said to himself.” Even if this is the case, v. 42 makes it clear that he must have shared his intentions with someone, because the news reached Rebekah.

[27:41]  ¹⁰⁶⁵ tn Heb “days.”

[27:41]  ¹⁰⁶⁶ tn The cohortative here expresses Esau’s determined resolve to kill Jacob.

[27:42]  ¹⁰⁶⁷ tn Heb “and the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah.”

[27:42]  ¹⁰⁶⁸ tn Heb “she sent and called for.”

[27:42]  ¹⁰⁶⁹ tn Heb “is consoling himself with respect to you to kill you.” The only way Esau had of dealing with his anger at the moment was to plan to kill his brother after the death of Isaac.

[27:43]  ¹⁰⁷⁰ tn Heb “listen to my voice.”

[27:43]  ¹⁰⁷¹ tn Heb “arise, flee.”

[27:44]  ¹⁰⁷² tn Heb “a few days.” Rebekah probably downplays the length of time Jacob will be gone, perhaps to encourage him and assure him that things will settle down soon. She probably expects Esau’s anger to die down quickly. However, Jacob ends up being gone twenty years and he never sees Rebekah again.

[27:45]  ¹⁰⁷³ tn The words “stay there” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:45]  ¹⁰⁷⁴ tn Heb “and I will send and I will take you from there.” The verb “send” has no object in the Hebrew text; one must be supplied in the translation. Either “someone” or “a message” could be supplied, but since in those times a message would require a messenger, “someone” has been used.

[27:45]  ¹⁰⁷⁵ tn If Jacob stayed, he would be killed and Esau would be forced to run away.

[27:46]  ¹⁰⁷⁶ tn Heb “loathe my life.” The Hebrew verb translated “loathe” refers to strong disgust (see Lev 20:23).

[27:46]  ¹⁰⁷⁷ tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (see also Gen 23:3), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.

[27:46]  ¹⁰⁷⁸ tn Heb “If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, why to me life?”

[28:1]  ¹⁰⁷⁹ tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:2]  ¹⁰⁸⁰ tn Heb “Arise! Go!” The first of the two imperatives is adverbial and stresses the immediacy of the departure.

[28:3]  ¹⁰⁸¹ tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[28:3]  ¹⁰⁸² tn Heb “and make you fruitful and multiply you.” See Gen 17:6, 20 for similar terminology.

[28:3]  ¹⁰⁸³ tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here indicates consequence. The collocation הָיָה + preposition לְ (hayah + lÿ) means “become.”

[28:3]  ¹⁰⁸⁴ tn Heb “an assembly of peoples.”

[28:4]  ¹⁰⁸⁵ tn Heb “and may he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you.” The name “Abraham” is an objective genitive here; this refers to the blessing that God gave to Abraham.

[28:4]  ¹⁰⁸⁶ tn The words “the land” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[28:4]  ¹⁰⁸⁷ tn Heb “the land of your sojournings,” that is, the land where Jacob had been living as a resident alien, as his future descendants would after him.

[28:6]  ¹⁰⁸⁸ tn Heb “to take for himself from there a wife.”

[28:6]  ¹⁰⁸⁹ tn The infinitive construct with the preposition and the suffix form a temporal clause.

[28:6]  ¹⁰⁹⁰ tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:8]  ¹⁰⁹¹ tn Heb “saw.”

[28:8]  ¹⁰⁹² tn Heb “the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:8]  ¹⁰⁹³ tn Heb “evil in the eyes of.”

[28:9]  ¹⁰⁹⁴ tn Heb “took for a wife.”

[28:11]  ¹⁰⁹⁵ tn Heb “the place.” The article may indicate simply that the place is definite in the mind of the narrator. However, as the story unfolds the place is transformed into a holy place. See A. P. Ross, “Jacob’s Vision: The Founding of Bethel,” BSac 142 (1985): 224-37.

[28:11]  ¹⁰⁹⁶ tn Heb “and he spent the night there because the sun had gone down.”

[28:11]  ¹⁰⁹⁷ tn Heb “he took from the stones of the place,” which here means Jacob took one of the stones (see v. 18).

[28:11]  ¹⁰⁹⁸ tn Heb “and he put [it at] the place of his head.” The text does not actually say the stone was placed under his head to serve as a pillow, although most interpreters and translators assume this. It is possible the stone served some other purpose. Jacob does not seem to have been a committed monotheist yet (see v. 20-21) so he may have believed it contained some spiritual power. Note that later in the story he anticipates the stone becoming the residence of God (see v. 22). Many cultures throughout the world view certain types of stones as magical and/or sacred. See J. G. Fraser, Folklore in the Old Testament, 231-37.

[28:11]  ¹⁰⁹⁹ tn Heb “lay down.”

[28:12]  ¹¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “and dreamed.”

[28:12]  ¹¹⁰¹ tn Heb “and look.” The scene which Jacob witnessed is described in three clauses introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh). In this way the narrator invites the reader to witness the scene through Jacob’s eyes. J. P. Fokkelman points out that the particle goes with a lifted arm and an open mouth: “There, a ladder! Oh, angels! and look, the Lord himself” (Narrative Art in Genesis [SSN], 51-52).

[28:12]  ¹¹⁰² tn The Hebrew noun סֻלָּם (sullam, “ladder, stairway”) occurs only here in the OT, but there appears to be an Akkadian cognate simmiltu (with metathesis of the second and third consonants and a feminine ending) which has a specialized meaning of “stairway, ramp.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 34. For further discussion see C. Houtman, “What Did Jacob See in His Dream at Bethel? Some Remarks on Genesis 28:10-22,” VT 27 (1977): 337-52; J. G. Griffiths, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 76 (1964/65): 229-30; and A. R. Millard, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 78 (1966/67): 86-87.

[28:13]  ¹¹⁰³ tn Heb “the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.” The Hebrew word for “father” can typically be used in a broader sense than the English word, in this case referring to Abraham (who was Jacob’s grandfather). For stylistic reasons and for clarity, the words “your father” are supplied with “Isaac” in the translation.

[28:13]  ¹¹⁰⁴ tn The Hebrew term אֶרֶץ (’erets) can mean “[the] earth,” “land,” “region,” “piece of ground,” or “ground” depending on the context. Here the term specifically refers to the plot of ground on which Jacob was lying, but at the same time this stands by metonymy for the entire land of Canaan.

[28:14]  ¹¹⁰⁵ tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.

[28:14]  ¹¹⁰⁶ tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.

[28:14]  ¹¹⁰⁷ tn Theoretically the Niphal stem can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Jacob were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in other formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless (i.e., pronounce blessings upon) themselves/one another.” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 28:14 predicts that Jacob will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae (see Gen 12:2 and 18:18 as well, where Abram/Abraham receives this promise). For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[28:14]  ¹¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”

[28:15]  ¹¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “Look, I [am] with you.” The clause is a nominal clause; the verb to be supplied could be present (as in the translation) or future, “Look, I [will be] with you” (cf. NEB).

[28:16]  ¹¹¹⁰ tn Heb “woke up from his sleep.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[28:16]  ¹¹¹¹ tn Heb “said.”

[28:18]  ¹¹¹² tn Heb “and he got up early…and he took.”

[28:18]  ¹¹¹³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:18]  ¹¹¹⁴ tn See the note on this phrase in v. 11.

[28:18]  ¹¹¹⁵ tn Heb “standing stone.”

[28:18]  sn Sacred stone. Such a stone could be used as a boundary marker, a burial stone, or as a shrine. Here the stone is intended to be a reminder of the stairway that was “erected” and on which the Lord “stood.” (In Hebrew the word translated “sacred stone” is derived from the verb translated “erected” in v. 12 and “stood” in v. 13. Since the top of the stairway reached the heavens where the Lord stood, Jacob poured oil on the top of the stone. See C. F. Graesser, “Standing Stones in Ancient Palestine,” BA 35 (1972): 34-63; and E. Stockton, “Sacred Pillars in the Bible,” ABR 20 (1972): 16-32.

[28:19]  ¹¹¹⁶ tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew (see v. 17).

[28:19]  map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[28:20]  ¹¹¹⁷ tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.

[28:21]  ¹¹¹⁸ tn Heb “and I return in peace to the house of my father.”

[28:22]  ¹¹¹⁹ tn The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/subject) is used to highlight the statement.

[28:22]  ¹¹²⁰ tn The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb for emphasis.

[28:22]  ¹¹²¹ tn Heb “and all which you give to me I will surely give a tenth of it to you.” The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/object) highlights this statement as well.

[29:1]  ¹¹²² tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his feet.” This unusual expression suggests that Jacob had a new lease on life now that God had promised him the blessing he had so desperately tried to gain by his own efforts. The text portrays him as having a new step in his walk.

[29:1]  ¹¹²³ tn Heb “the land of the sons of the east.”

[29:2]  ¹¹²⁴ tn Heb “and he saw, and look.” As in Gen 28:12-15, the narrator uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here and in the next clause to draw the reader into the story.

[29:2]  ¹¹²⁵ tn Heb “and look, there.”

[29:2]  ¹¹²⁶ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the noun with the prefixed conjunction) provides supplemental information that is important to the story.

[29:3]  ¹¹²⁷ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the shepherds) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:5]  ¹¹²⁸ tn Heb “son.”

[29:5]  ¹¹²⁹ tn Heb “and they said, ‘We know.’” The word “him” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the translation several introductory clauses throughout this section have been placed after the direct discourse they introduce for stylistic reasons as well.

[29:6]  ¹¹³⁰ tn Heb “and he said to them, ‘Is there peace to him?’”

[29:6]  ¹¹³¹ tn Heb “peace.”

[29:7]  ¹¹³² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:7]  ¹¹³³ tn Heb “the day is great.”

[29:7]  ¹¹³⁴ tn Heb “water the sheep and go and pasture [them].” The verbal forms are imperatives, but Jacob would hardly be giving direct orders to someone else’s shepherds. The nuance here is probably one of advice.

[29:8]  ¹¹³⁵ tn The perfect verbal forms with the vav (ו) consecutive carry on the sequence begun by the initial imperfect form.

[29:9]  ¹¹³⁶ tn Heb “was a shepherdess.”

[29:10]  ¹¹³⁷ tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother” (twice in this verse).

[29:10]  ¹¹³⁸ tn Heb “Jacob.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:10]  ¹¹³⁹ tn Heb “drew near, approached.”

[29:10]  ¹¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother.” The text says nothing initially about the beauty of Rachel. But the reader is struck by the repetition of “Laban the brother of his mother.” G. J. Wenham is no doubt correct when he observes that Jacob’s primary motive at this stage is to ingratiate himself with Laban (Genesis [WBC], 2:231).

[29:11]  ¹¹⁴¹ tn Heb “and he lifted up his voice and wept.” The idiom calls deliberate attention to the fact that Jacob wept out loud.

[29:12]  ¹¹⁴² tn Heb “declared.”

[29:12]  ¹¹⁴³ tn Heb “that he [was] the brother of her father.”

[29:13]  ¹¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:13]  ¹¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “and he told to Laban all these things.” This might mean Jacob told Laban how he happened to be there, but Laban’s response (see v. 14) suggests “all these things” refers to what Jacob had previously told Rachel (see v. 12).

[29:14]  ¹¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “indeed, my bone and my flesh are you.” The expression sounds warm enough, but the presence of “indeed” may suggest that Laban had to be convinced of Jacob’s identity before permitting him to stay. To be one’s “bone and flesh” is to be someone’s blood relative. For example, the phrase describes the relationship between Abimelech and the Shechemites (Judg 9:2; his mother was a Shechemite); David and the Israelites (2 Sam 5:1); David and the elders of Judah (2 Sam 19:12,); and David and his nephew Amasa (2 Sam 19:13, see 2 Sam 17:2; 1 Chr 2:16-17).

[29:14]  ¹¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:14]  ¹¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “a month of days.”

[29:15]  ¹¹⁴⁹ tn The verb is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; the nuance in the question is deliberative.

[29:15]  ¹¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “my brother.” The term “brother” is used in a loose sense; actually Jacob was Laban’s nephew.

[29:16]  ¹¹⁵¹ tn Heb “and to Laban [there were] two daughters.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a prepositional phrase) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, vv. 16-17 have been set in parentheses in the translation.

[29:17]  ¹¹⁵² tn Heb “and the eyes of Leah were tender.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a noun) continues the parenthesis begun in v. 16. It is not clear what is meant by “tender” (or “delicate”) eyes. The expression may mean she had appealing eyes (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT), though some suggest that they were plain, not having the brightness normally expected. Either way, she did not measure up to her gorgeous sister.

[29:17]  ¹¹⁵³ tn Heb “and Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance.”

[29:18]  ¹¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “Jacob loved.”

[29:19]  ¹¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “Better my giving her to you than my giving her to another man.”

[29:20]  ¹¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “in exchange for Rachel.”

[29:20]  ¹¹⁵⁷ sn But they seemed like only a few days to him. This need not mean that the time passed quickly. More likely it means that the price seemed insignificant when compared to what he was getting in the bargain.

[29:20]  ¹¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “because of his love for her.” The words “was so great” are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[29:21]  ¹¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “and Jacob said.”

[29:21]  ¹¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “my days are fulfilled.”

[29:21]  ¹¹⁶¹ tn Heb “and I will go in to her.” The verb is a cohortative; it may be subordinated to the preceding request, “that I may go in,” or it may be an independent clause expressing his desire. The verb “go in” in this context refers to sexual intercourse (i.e., the consummation of the marriage).

[29:22]  ¹¹⁶² tn Heb “men.”

[29:23]  ¹¹⁶³ tn Heb “and it happened in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her.”

[29:23]  sn His daughter Leah. Laban’s deception of Jacob by giving him the older daughter instead of the younger was God’s way of disciplining the deceiver who tricked his older brother. D. Kidner says this account is “the very embodiment of anti-climax, and this moment a miniature of man’s disillusion, experienced from Eden onwards” (Genesis [TOTC], 160). G. von Rad notes, “That Laban secretly gave the unloved Leah to the man in love was, to be sure, a monstrous blow, a masterpiece of shameless treachery…It was certainly a move by which he won for himself far and wide the coarsest laughter” (Genesis [OTL], 291).

[29:23]  ¹¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “to him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:23]  ¹¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:23]  ¹¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “went in to her.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.

[29:24]  ¹¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “and Laban gave to her Zilpah his female servant, to Leah his daughter [for] a servant.” This clause gives information parenthetical to the narrative.

[29:25]  ¹¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “and it happened in the morning that look, it was Leah.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.

[29:25]  ¹¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:25]  ¹¹⁷⁰ tn Heb What is this you have done to me?” The use of the pronoun “this” is enclitic, adding emphasis to the question: “What in the world have you done to me?”

[29:25]  ¹¹⁷¹ sn The Hebrew verb translated tricked here (רָמָה, ramah) is cognate to the noun used in Gen 27:35 to describe Jacob’s deception of Esau. Jacob is discovering that what goes around, comes around. See J. A. Diamond, “The Deception of Jacob: A New Perspective on an Ancient Solution to the Problem,” VT 34 (1984): 211-13.

[29:26]  ¹¹⁷² tn Heb “and Laban said, ‘It is not done so in our place.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:26]  ¹¹⁷³ tn Heb “to give the younger.” The words “daughter” and “in marriage” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[29:27]  ¹¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “fulfill the period of seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as “my older daughter” for clarity.

[29:27]  sn Bridal week. An ancient Hebrew marriage ceremony included an entire week of festivities (cf. Judg 14:12).

[29:27]  ¹¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “this other one.”

[29:27]  ¹¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “and we will give to you also this one in exchange for labor which you will work with me, still seven other years.”

[29:27]  sn In exchange for seven more years of work. See C. H. Gordon, “The Story of Jacob and Laban in the Light of the Nuzi Tablets,” BASOR 66 (1937): 25-27; and J. Van Seters, “Jacob’s Marriages and Ancient Near Eastern Customs: A Reassessment,” HTR 62 (1969): 377-95.

[29:28]  ¹¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “and Jacob did so.” The words “as Laban said” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:28]  ¹¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:28]  ¹¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “the seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as Leah to avoid confusion with Rachel, mentioned later in the verse.

[29:28]  ¹¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “and he gave to him Rachel his daughter for him for a wife.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:29]  ¹¹⁸¹ tn Heb “and Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his female servant, for her for a servant.”

[29:30]  ¹¹⁸² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:30]  ¹¹⁸³ tn Heb “went in also to Rachel.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.

[29:30]  ¹¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:30]  ¹¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “and he loved also Rachel, more than Leah, and he served with him still seven other years.”

[29:31]  ¹¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “hated.” The rhetorical device of overstatement is used (note v. 30, which says simply that Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah) to emphasize that Rachel, as Jacob’s true love and the primary object of his affections, had an advantage over Leah.

[29:31]  ¹¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “he opened up her womb.”

[29:32]  ¹¹⁸⁸ tn Or “Leah conceived” (also in vv. 33, 34, 35).

[29:32]  ¹¹⁸⁹ sn The name Reuben (רְאוּבֵן, rÿ’uven) means “look, a son.”

[29:32]  ¹¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “looked on my affliction.”

[29:32]  sn Leah’s explanation of the name Reuben reflects a popular etymology, not an exact one. The name means literally “look, a son.” Playing on the Hebrew verb “look,” she observes that the Lord has “looked” with pity on her oppressed condition. See further S. R. Driver, Genesis, 273.

[29:33]  ¹¹⁹¹ tn Heb “hated.” See the note on the word “unloved” in v. 31.

[29:33]  ¹¹⁹² sn The name Simeon (שִׁמְעוֹן, shim’on) is derived from the verbal root שָׁמַע (shama’) and means “hearing.” The name is appropriate since it is reminder that the Lord “heard” about Leah’s unloved condition and responded with pity.

[29:34]  ¹¹⁹³ tn Heb “will be joined to me.”

[29:34]  ¹¹⁹⁴ sn The name Levi (לֵוִי, levi), the precise meaning of which is debated, was appropriate because it sounds like the verb לָוָה (lavah, “to join”), used in the statement recorded earlier in the verse.

[29:35]  ¹¹⁹⁵ sn The name Judah (יְהוּדָה, yÿhudah) means “he will be praised” and reflects the sentiment Leah expresses in the statement recorded earlier in the verse. For further discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names ‘Israel’ and ‘Judah’ with an Excursus on the Etymology of Todah and Torah,” JBL 46 (1927): 151-85; and A. R. Millard, “The Meaning of the Name Judah,” ZAW 86 (1974): 216-18.

[30:1]  ¹¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “Rachel.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“she”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:1]  ¹¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “sons.”

[30:2]  ¹¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “and the anger of Jacob was hot.”

[30:2]  ¹¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb.”

[30:3]  ¹²⁰⁰ tn Heb “go in to.” The expression “go in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.

[30:3]  ¹²⁰¹ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates the immediate purpose of the proposed activity.

[30:3]  ¹²⁰² tn The word “children” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:3]  ¹²⁰³ tn Heb “upon my knees.” This is an idiomatic way of saying that Bilhah will be simply a surrogate mother. Rachel will adopt the child as her own.

[30:3]  ¹²⁰⁴ tn Heb “and I will be built up, even I, from her.” The prefixed verbal form with the conjunction is subordinated to the preceding prefixed verbal form and gives the ultimate purpose for the proposed action. The idiom of “built up” here refers to having a family (see Gen 16:2, as well as Ruth 4:11 and BDB 125 s.v. בָנָה).

[30:4]  ¹²⁰⁵ tn Heb “and she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:4]  ¹²⁰⁶ tn Heb “went in to.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.

[30:5]  ¹²⁰⁷ tn Or “Bilhah conceived” (also in v. 7).

[30:5]  ¹²⁰⁸ tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a son.”

[30:6]  ¹²⁰⁹ tn Heb “and also he has heard my voice.” The expression means that God responded positively to Rachel’s cry and granted her request.

[30:6]  ¹²¹⁰ tn Or “therefore.”

[30:6]  ¹²¹¹ sn The name Dan means “he vindicated” or “he judged.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. The verb translated “vindicated” is from דִּין (din, “to judge, to vindicate”), the same verbal root from which the name is derived. Rachel sensed that God was righting the wrong.

[30:7]  ¹²¹² tn Heb “and she became pregnant again and Bilhah, the servant of Rachel, bore a second son for Jacob.”

[30:8]  ¹²¹³ tn Heb “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister, also I have prevailed.” The phrase “mighty struggle” reads literally “struggles of God.” The plural participle “struggles” reflects the ongoing nature of the struggle, while the divine name is used here idiomatically to emphasize the intensity of the struggle. See J. Skinner, Genesis (ICC), 387.

[30:8]  ¹²¹⁴ sn The name Naphtali (נַפְתָּלִי, naftali) must mean something like “my struggle” in view of the statement Rachel made in the preceding clause. The name plays on this earlier statement, “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister.”

[30:9]  ¹²¹⁵ tn Heb “she took her servant Zilpah and gave her.” The verbs “took” and “gave” are treated as a hendiadys in the translation: “she gave.”

[30:10]  ¹²¹⁶ tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore for Jacob a son.”

[30:11]  ¹²¹⁷ tc The statement in the Kethib (consonantal text) appears to mean literally “with good fortune,” if one takes the initial בְּ (bet) as a preposition indicating accompaniment. The Qere (marginal reading) means “good fortune has arrived.”

[30:11]  ¹²¹⁸ sn The name Gad (גָּד, gad) means “good fortune.” The name reflects Leah’s feeling that good fortune has come her way, as expressed in her statement recorded earlier in the verse.

[30:12]  ¹²¹⁹ tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore a second son for Jacob.”

[30:13]  ¹²²⁰ tn The Hebrew statement apparently means “with my happiness.”

[30:13]  ¹²²¹ tn Heb “daughters.”

[30:13]  ¹²²² sn The name Asher (אָשֶׁר, ’asher) apparently means “happy one.” The name plays on the words used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. Both the Hebrew noun and verb translated “happy” and “call me happy,” respectively, are derived from the same root as the name Asher.

[30:14]  ¹²²³ tn Heb “during the days.”

[30:14]  ¹²²⁴ sn Mandrake plants were popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac in the culture of the time.

[30:15]  ¹²²⁵ tn Heb “and she said to her”; the referent of the pronoun “she” (Leah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:15]  ¹²²⁶ tn Heb “therefore.”

[30:15]  ¹²²⁷ tn Heb “lie down.” The expression “lie down with” in this context (here and in the following verse) refers to sexual intercourse. The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.

[30:16]  ¹²²⁸ tn Heb “must come in to me.” The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. She has acquired him for the night and feels he is obligated to have sexual relations with her.

[30:16]  ¹²²⁹ tn Heb “I have surely hired.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form for emphasis. The name Issachar (see v. 18) seems to be related to this expression.

[30:16]  ¹²³⁰ tn This is the same Hebrew verb (שָׁכַב, shakhav) translated “sleep with” in v. 15. In direct discourse the more euphemistic “sleep with” was used, but here in the narrative “marital relations” reflects more clearly the emphasis on sexual intercourse.

[30:17]  ¹²³¹ tn Heb “listened to.”

[30:17]  ¹²³² tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 19).

[30:17]  ¹²³³ tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a fifth son,” i.e., this was the fifth son that Leah had given Jacob.

[30:18]  ¹²³⁴ tn Heb “God has given my reward.”

[30:18]  ¹²³⁵ tn The words “as a wife” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity (cf. v. 9).

[30:18]  sn Leah seems to regard the act of giving her servant Zilpah to her husband as a sacrifice, for which (she believes) God is now rewarding her with the birth of a son.

[30:18]  ¹²³⁶ sn The name Issachar (יְשָּׁשכָר, yishakhar) appears to mean “man of reward” or possibly “there is reward.” The name plays on the word used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew noun translated “reward” is derived from the same root as the name Issachar. The irony is that Rachel thought the mandrakes would work for her, and she was willing to trade one night for them. But in that one night Leah became pregnant.

[30:19]  ¹²³⁷ tn Heb “and she bore a sixth son for Jacob,” i.e., this was the sixth son that Leah had given Jacob.

[30:20]  ¹²³⁸ sn The name Zebulun (זְבֻלוּן, zevulun) apparently means “honor.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew verb translated “will honor” and the name Zebulun derive from the same root.

[30:22]  ¹²³⁹ tn Heb “remembered.”

[30:22]  ¹²⁴⁰ tn Heb “and God listened to her and opened up her womb.” Since “God” is the subject of the previous clause, the noun has been replaced by the pronoun “he” in the translation for stylistic reasons

[30:23]  ¹²⁴¹ tn Or “conceived.”

[30:23]  ¹²⁴² tn Heb “my reproach.” A “reproach” is a cutting taunt or painful ridicule, but here it probably refers by metonymy to Rachel’s barren condition, which was considered shameful in this culture and was the reason why she was the object of taunting and ridicule.

[30:24]  ¹²⁴³ sn The name Joseph (יוֹסֵף, yoseph) means “may he add.” The name expresses Rachel’s desire to have an additional son. In Hebrew the name sounds like the verb (אָסַף,’asasf) translated “taken away” in the earlier statement made in v. 23. So the name, while reflecting Rachel’s hope, was also a reminder that God had removed her shame.

[30:25]  ¹²⁴⁴ tn The perfect verbal form is translated as a past perfect because Rachel’s giving birth to Joseph preceded Jacob’s conversation with Laban.

[30:25]  ¹²⁴⁵ tn The imperatival form here expresses a request.

[30:25]  sn For Jacob to ask to leave would mean that seven more years had passed. Thus all Jacob’s children were born within the range of seven years of each other, with Joseph coming right at the end of the seven years.

[30:25]  ¹²⁴⁶ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[30:25]  ¹²⁴⁷ tn Heb “to my place and to my land.”

[30:26]  ¹²⁴⁸ tn Heb “give my wives and my children, for whom I have served you.” In one sense Laban had already “given” Jacob his two daughters as wives (Gen 29:21, 28). Here Jacob was asking for permission to take his own family along with him on the journey back to Canaan.

[30:26]  ¹²⁴⁹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[30:26]  ¹²⁵⁰ tn Heb “for you, you know my service [with] which I have served you.”

[30:27]  ¹²⁵¹ tn The words “please stay here” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[30:27]  ¹²⁵² tn Or perhaps “I have grown rich and the Lord has blessed me” (cf. NEB). See J. Finkelstein, “An Old Babylonian Herding Contract and Genesis 31:38f.,” JAOS 88 (1968): 34, n. 19.

[30:28]  ¹²⁵³ tn Heb “set your wage for me so I may give [it].”

[30:29]  ¹²⁵⁴ tn Heb “and he said to him, ‘You know how I have served you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons, and the referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:29]  ¹²⁵⁵ tn Heb “and how your cattle were with me.”

[30:30]  ¹²⁵⁶ tn Or “for.”

[30:30]  ¹²⁵⁷ tn Heb “before me.”

[30:30]  ¹²⁵⁸ tn Heb “and it has broken out with respect to abundance.”

[30:30]  ¹²⁵⁹ tn Heb “at my foot.”

[30:30]  ¹²⁶⁰ tn Heb “How long [until] I do, also I, for my house?”

[30:31]  ¹²⁶¹ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:31]  ¹²⁶² tn The negated imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance.

[30:31]  ¹²⁶³ tn The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:31]  ¹²⁶⁴ tn Heb “If you do for me this thing.”

[30:31]  ¹²⁶⁵ tn Heb “I will return, I will tend,” an idiom meaning “I will continue tending.”

[30:32]  ¹²⁶⁶ tn Heb “pass through.”

[30:32]  ¹²⁶⁷ tn Or “every black lamb”; Heb “and every dark sheep among the lambs.”

[30:32]  ¹²⁶⁸ tn Heb “and the spotted and speckled among the goats.”

[30:32]  ¹²⁶⁹ tn Heb “and it will be my wage.” The referent collective singular pronoun (“it) has been specified as “these animals” in the translation for clarity.

[30:33]  ¹²⁷⁰ tn Heb “will answer on my behalf.”

[30:33]  ¹²⁷¹ tn Heb “on the following day,” or “tomorrow.”

[30:33]  ¹²⁷² tn Heb “when you come concerning my wage before you.”

[30:33]  sn Only the wage we agreed on. Jacob would have to be considered completely honest here, for he would have no control over the kind of animals born; and there could be no disagreement over which animals were his wages.

[30:33]  ¹²⁷³ tn Heb “every one which is not speckled and spotted among the lambs and dark among the goats, stolen it is with me.”

[30:34]  ¹²⁷⁴ tn Heb “and Laban said, ‘Good, let it be according to your word.’” On the asseverative use of the particle לוּ (lu) here, see HALOT 521 s.v. לוּ.

[30:35]  ¹²⁷⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:35]  ¹²⁷⁶ tn Heb “and he gave [them] into the hand.”

[30:36]  ¹²⁷⁷ tn Heb “and he put a journey of three days between himself and Jacob.”

[30:36]  sn Three days’ traveling distance from Jacob. E. A. Speiser observes, “Laban is delighted with the terms, and promptly proceeds to violate the spirit of the bargain by removing to a safe distance all the grown animals that would be likely to produce the specified spots” (Genesis [AB], 238). Laban apparently thought that by separating out the spotted, striped, and dark colored animals he could minimize the production of spotted, striped, or dark offspring that would then belong to Jacob.

[30:36]  ¹²⁷⁸ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the vav with subject) is circumstantial/temporal; Laban removed the animals while Jacob was taking care of the rest.

[30:38]  ¹²⁷⁹ sn He put the branches in front of the flocks…when they came to drink. It was generally believed that placing such “visual aids” before the animals as they were mating, it was possible to influence the appearance of their offspring. E. A. Speiser notes that “Jacob finds a way to outwit his father-in-law, through prenatal conditioning of the flock by visual aids – in conformance with universal folk beliefs” (Genesis [AB], 238). Nevertheless, in spite of Jacob’s efforts at animal husbandry, he still attributes the resulting success to God (see 31:5).

[30:39]  ¹²⁸⁰ tn The Hebrew verb used here can mean “to be in heat” (see v. 38) or “to mate; to conceive; to become pregnant.” The latter nuance makes better sense in this verse, for the next clause describes them giving birth.

[30:39]  ¹²⁸¹ tn Heb “the sheep.” The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“they”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:40]  ¹²⁸² tn Heb “and he set the faces of.”

[30:41]  ¹²⁸³ tn Heb “and at every breeding-heat of the flock.”

[30:42]  ¹²⁸⁴ tn Heb “he did not put [them] in.” The referent of the [understood] direct object, “them,” has been specified as “the branches” in the translation for clarity.

[30:42]  ¹²⁸⁵ tn Heb “were for Laban.”

[30:43]  ¹²⁸⁶ tn Heb “the man”; Jacob’s name has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[30:43]  ¹²⁸⁷ tn Heb “and there were to him.”

[31:1]  ¹²⁸⁸ tn Heb “and he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying.”

[31:1]  ¹²⁸⁹ sn The Hebrew word translated “gotten rich” (כָּבוֹד, cavod) has the basic idea of “weight.” If one is heavy with possessions, then that one is wealthy (13:2). Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph all became wealthy when they left the promised land. Jacob’s wealth foreshadows what will happen to Israel when they leave the land of Egypt (Exod 12:35-38).

[31:1]  ¹²⁹⁰ tn Heb “and from that which belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.”

[31:2]  ¹²⁹¹ tn Heb “and Jacob saw the face of Laban, and look, he was not with him as formerly.” Jacob knew from the expression on Laban’s face that his attitude toward him had changed – Jacob had become persona non grata.

[31:3]  ¹²⁹² tn Or perhaps “ancestors” (so NRSV), although the only “ancestors” Jacob had there were his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac.

[31:3]  ¹²⁹³ sn I will be with you. Though Laban was no longer “with him,” the Lord promised to be.

[31:4]  ¹²⁹⁴ tn Heb “sent and called for Rachel and for Leah.” Jacob did not go in person, but probably sent a servant with a message for his wives to meet him in the field.

[31:4]  ¹²⁹⁵ tn Heb “the field.” The word is an adverbial accusative, indicating that this is where Jacob wanted them to meet him. The words “to come to” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.

[31:4]  ¹²⁹⁶ tn Heb “to his flock.”

[31:5]  ¹²⁹⁷ tn Heb “I see the face of your father, that he is not toward me as formerly.”

[31:6]  ¹²⁹⁸ tn Heb “with all my strength.”

[31:7]  ¹²⁹⁹ tn This rare verb means “to make a fool of” someone. It involves deceiving someone so that their public reputation suffers (see Exod 8:25).

[31:8]  ¹³⁰⁰ tn In the protasis (“if” section) of this conditional clause, the imperfect verbal form has a customary nuance – whatever he would say worked to Jacob’s benefit.

[31:8]  ¹³⁰¹ tn Heb “speckled” (twice this verse). The word “animals” (after the first occurrence of “speckled”) and “offspring” (after the second) have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The same two terms (“animals” and “offspring”) have been supplied after the two occurrences of “streaked” later in this verse.

[31:10]  ¹³⁰² tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator, “and it happened at the time of.”

[31:10]  ¹³⁰³ tn Heb “in the time of the breeding of the flock I lifted up my eyes and I saw.”

[31:10]  ¹³⁰⁴ tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

[31:12]  ¹³⁰⁵ tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”

[31:12]  ¹³⁰⁶ tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

[31:13]  ¹³⁰⁷ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[31:13]  ¹³⁰⁸ sn You anointed the sacred stone. In Gen 28:18 the text simply reported that Jacob poured oil on top of the stone. Now that pouring is interpreted by the Lord as an anointing. Jacob had consecrated the place.

[31:13]  ¹³⁰⁹ sn And made a vow to me. The second clause reminds Jacob of the vow he made to the Lord when he anointed the stone (Gen 28:20-22). God is now going to take him back to the land, and so he will have to fulfill his vow.

[31:13]  ¹³¹⁰ tn Heb “arise, leave!” The first imperative draws attention to the need for immediate action.

[31:13]  sn Leave this land immediately. The decision to leave was a wise one in view of the changed attitude in Laban and his sons. But more than that, it was the will of God. Jacob needed to respond to God’s call – the circumstances simply made it easier.

[31:14]  ¹³¹¹ tn The two nouns may form a hendiadys, meaning “a share in the inheritance” or “a portion to inherit.”

[31:15]  ¹³¹² tn Heb “and he devoured, even devouring.” The infinitive absolute (following the finite verb here) is used for emphasis.

[31:15]  sn He sold us and…wasted our money. The precise nature of Rachel’s and Leah’s complaint is not entirely clear. Since Jacob had to work to pay for them, they probably mean that their father has cheated Jacob and therefore cheated them as well. See M. Burrows, “The Complaint of Laban’s Daughters,” JAOS 57 (1937): 250-76.

[31:15]  ¹³¹³ tn Heb “our money.” The word “money” is used figuratively here; it means the price paid for Leah and Rachel. A literal translation (“our money”) makes it sound as if Laban wasted money that belonged to Rachel and Leah, rather than the money paid for them.

[31:17]  ¹³¹⁴ tn Heb “and Jacob arose and he lifted up his sons and his wives on to the camels.”

[31:18]  ¹³¹⁵ tn Heb “drove,” but this is subject to misunderstanding in contemporary English.

[31:18]  ¹³¹⁶ tn Heb “and he led away all his cattle and all his moveable property which he acquired, the cattle he obtained, which he acquired in Paddan Aram to go to Isaac his father to the land of Canaan.”

[31:19]  ¹³¹⁷ tn This disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new scene. In the English translation it may be subordinated to the following clause.

[31:19]  ¹³¹⁸ tn Or “household gods.” Some translations merely transliterate the Hebrew term תְּרָפִים (tÿrafim) as “teraphim,” which apparently refers to household idols. Some contend that possession of these idols guaranteed the right of inheritance, but it is more likely that they were viewed simply as protective deities. See M. Greenberg, “Another Look at Rachel’s Theft of the Teraphim,” JBL 81 (1962): 239-48.

[31:20]  ¹³¹⁹ tn Heb “stole the heart of,” an expression which apparently means “to deceive.” The repetition of the verb “to steal” shows that Jacob and Rachel are kindred spirits. Any thought that Laban would have resigned himself to their departure was now out of the question.

[31:20]  ¹³²⁰ tn Heb “fleeing,” which reflects Jacob’s viewpoint.

[31:21]  ¹³²¹ tn Heb “and he fled.”

[31:21]  ¹³²² tn Heb “he arose and crossed.” The first verb emphasizes that he wasted no time in getting across.

[31:21]  ¹³²³ tn Heb “the river”; the referent (the Euphrates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:21]  ¹³²⁴ tn Heb “he set his face.”

[31:22]  ¹³²⁵ tn Heb “and it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.”

[31:23]  ¹³²⁶ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[31:23]  ¹³²⁷ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:23]  ¹³²⁸ tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”

[31:23]  ¹³²⁹ tn Heb “drew close to.”

[31:24]  ¹³³⁰ tn Heb “said to him.”

[31:24]  ¹³³¹ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:24]  ¹³³² tn Heb “lest you speak with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 29, is uncertain. Since Laban proceeded to speak to Jacob at length, it cannot mean to maintain silence. Nor does it seem to be a prohibition against criticism (see vv. 26-30). Most likely it refers to a formal pronouncement, whether it be a blessing or a curse. Laban was to avoid saying anything to Jacob that would be intended to enhance him or to harm him.

[31:25]  ¹³³³ tn Heb “and Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban pitched with his brothers in the hill country of Gilead.” The juxtaposition of disjunctive clauses (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb in both clauses) indicates synchronism of action.

[31:26]  ¹³³⁴ tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).

[31:26]  ¹³³⁵ tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”

[31:27]  ¹³³⁶ tn Heb “Why did you hide in order to flee?” The verb “hide” and the infinitive “to flee” form a hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the other the adverb: “flee secretly.”

[31:27]  ¹³³⁷ tn Heb “and steal me.”

[31:27]  ¹³³⁸ tn Heb “And [why did] you not tell me so I could send you off with joy and with songs, with a tambourine and with a harp?”

[31:28]  ¹³³⁹ tn Heb “my sons and my daughters.” Here “sons” refers to “grandsons,” and has been translated “grandchildren” since at least one granddaughter, Dinah, was involved. The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:29]  ¹³⁴⁰ tn Heb “there is to my hand.”

[31:29]  ¹³⁴¹ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:29]  ¹³⁴² tn Heb “from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 24, is uncertain. See the note on the same phrase in v. 24.

[31:30]  ¹³⁴³ tn Heb “and now.” The words “I understand that” have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[31:30]  ¹³⁴⁴ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the certainty of the action.

[31:30]  ¹³⁴⁵ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of emotion involved.

[31:30]  ¹³⁴⁶ sn Yet why did you steal my gods? This last sentence is dropped into the speech rather suddenly. See C. Mabee, “Jacob and Laban: The Structure of Judicial Proceedings,” VT 30 (1980): 192-207, and G. W. Coats, “Self-Abasement and Insult Formulas,” JBL 91 (1972): 90-92.

[31:31]  ¹³⁴⁷ tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘Because I was afraid.’” This statement is a not a response to the question about Laban’s household gods that immediately precedes, but to the earlier question about Jacob’s motivation for leaving so quickly and secretly (see v. 27). For this reason the words “I left secretly” are supplied in the translation to indicate the connection to Laban’s earlier question in v. 27. Additionally the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:31]  ¹³⁴⁸ tn Heb “for I said.”

[31:31]  ¹³⁴⁹ tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”

[31:32]  ¹³⁵⁰ tn Heb “With whomever you find your gods, he will not live.”

[31:32]  ¹³⁵¹ tn Heb “brothers.”

[31:32]  ¹³⁵² tn Heb “recognize for yourself what is with me and take for yourself.”

[31:32]  ¹³⁵³ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, it has been placed in parentheses in the translation.

[31:33]  ¹³⁵⁴ tn No direct object is specified for the verb “find” in the Hebrew text. The words “the idols” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[31:33]  ¹³⁵⁵ tn Heb “and he went out from the tent of Leah and went into the tent of Rachel.”

[31:34]  ¹³⁵⁶ tn The “camel’s saddle” was probably some sort of basket-saddle, a cushioned saddle with a basket bound on. Cf. NAB “inside a camel cushion.”

[31:34]  ¹³⁵⁷ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides another parenthetical statement necessary to the storyline.

[31:34]  ¹³⁵⁸ tn The word “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[31:35]  ¹³⁵⁹ tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:35]  ¹³⁶⁰ tn Heb “let it not be hot in the eyes of my lord.” This idiom refers to anger, in this case as a result of Rachel’s failure to stand in the presence of her father as a sign of respect.

[31:35]  ¹³⁶¹ tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”

[31:35]  ¹³⁶² tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.

[31:35]  ¹³⁶³ tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

[31:36]  ¹³⁶⁴ tn Heb “it was hot to Jacob.” This idiom refers to anger.

[31:36]  ¹³⁶⁵ tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘What is my sin?’” The proper name “Jacob” has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation and the order of the introductory clause and direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[31:36]  ¹³⁶⁶ tn Heb “What is my sin that you have hotly pursued after me.” The Hebrew verb translated “pursue hotly” is used elsewhere of soldiers chasing defeated enemies (1 Sam 17:53).

[31:37]  ¹³⁶⁷ tn Heb “what did you find from all the goods of your house?”

[31:37]  ¹³⁶⁸ tn Heb “your relatives.” The word “relatives” has not been repeated in the translation here for stylistic reasons.

[31:37]  ¹³⁶⁹ tn Heb “that they may decide between us two.”

[31:39]  ¹³⁷⁰ tn The imperfect verbal form indicates that this was a customary or typical action.

[31:39]  ¹³⁷¹ tn Heb “from my hand you exacted it.” The imperfect verbal form again indicates that this was a customary or typical action. The words “for every missing animal” are supplied in the translation for clarity; the following clause in Hebrew, “stolen by day or stolen by night,” probably means “stolen by wild beasts” and refers to the same animals “torn by wild beasts” in the previous clause, although it may refer to animals stolen by people. The translation used here, “missing,” is ambiguous enough to cover either eventuality.

[31:40]  ¹³⁷² tn Or “by drought.”

[31:40]  ¹³⁷³ tn Heb “frost, ice,” though when contrasted with the חֹרֶב (khorev, “drought, parching heat”) of the day, “piercing cold” is more appropriate as a contrast.

[31:40]  ¹³⁷⁴ tn Heb “and my sleep fled from my eyes.”

[31:41]  ¹³⁷⁵ tn Heb “this to me.”

[31:41]  ¹³⁷⁶ tn Heb “served you,” but in this accusatory context the meaning is more “worked like a slave.”

[31:42]  ¹³⁷⁷ tn Heb “the fear of Isaac,” that is, the one whom Isaac feared and respected. For further discussion of this title see M. Malul, “More on pahad yitschaq (Gen. 31:42,53) and the Oath by the Thigh,” VT 35 (1985): 192-200.

[31:42]  ¹³⁷⁸ tn Heb “My oppression and the work of my hands God saw.”

[31:43]  ¹³⁷⁹ tn Heb “answered and said.”

[31:43]  ¹³⁸⁰ tn Heb “daughters.”

[31:43]  ¹³⁸¹ tn Heb “children.”

[31:43]  ¹³⁸² tn Heb “but to my daughters what can I do to these today?”

[31:44]  ¹³⁸³ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[31:44]  ¹³⁸⁴ tn The verb הָיָה (hayah) followed by the preposition לְ (lÿ) means “become.”

[31:44]  ¹³⁸⁵ tn Heb “and it will become a witness between me and you.”

[31:46]  ¹³⁸⁶ tn Heb “Jacob”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:46]  ¹³⁸⁷ sn The Hebrew word for “pile” is גַּל (gal), which sounds like the name “Galeed” (גַּלְעֵד, gal’ed). See v. 48.

[31:47]  ¹³⁸⁸ sn Jegar Sahadutha. Laban the Aramean gave the place an Aramaic name which means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness.”

[31:47]  ¹³⁸⁹ sn Galeed also means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness,” but this name is Canaanite or Western Semitic and closer to later Hebrew. Jacob, though certainly capable of speaking Aramaic, here prefers to use the western dialect.

[31:48]  ¹³⁹⁰ tn Heb “a witness between me and you.”

[31:49]  ¹³⁹¹ tn Heb “and Mizpah.”

[31:49]  ¹³⁹² sn The name Mizpah (מִצְפָּה, mitspah), which means “watchpost,” sounds like the verb translated “may he watch” (יִצֶף, yitsef). Neither Laban nor Jacob felt safe with each other, and so they agreed to go their separate ways, trusting the Lord to keep watch at the border. Jacob did not need this treaty, but Laban, perhaps because he had lost his household gods, felt he did.

[31:49]  ¹³⁹³ tn Heb “between me and you.”

[31:49]  ¹³⁹⁴ tn Heb “for we will be hidden, each man from his neighbor.”

[31:50]  ¹³⁹⁵ tn Heb “see.”

[31:50]  ¹³⁹⁶ tn Heb “between me and you.”

[31:51]  ¹³⁹⁷ tn Heb “and Laban said to Jacob, ‘Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between men and you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:52]  ¹³⁹⁸ tn Heb “This pile is a witness and the pillar is a witness, if I go past this pile to you and if you go past this pile and this pillar to me for harm.”

[31:53]  ¹³⁹⁹ tn The God of Abraham and the god of Nahor. The Hebrew verb translated “judge” is plural, suggesting that Laban has more than one “god” in mind. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX, apparently in an effort to make the statement monotheistic, have a singular verb. In this case one could translate, “May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” However, Laban had a polytheistic world view, as evidenced by his possession of household idols (cf. 31:19). The translation uses “God” when referring to Abraham’s God, for Genesis makes it clear that Abraham worshiped the one true God. It employs “god” when referring to Nahor’s god, for in the Hebrew text Laban refers to a different god here, probably one of the local deities.

[31:53]  ¹⁴⁰⁰ tn Heb “by the fear of his father Isaac.” See the note on the word “fears” in v. 42.

[31:54]  ¹⁴⁰¹ tn The construction is a cognate accusative with the verb, expressing a specific sacrifice.

[31:54]  ¹⁴⁰² tn Heb “bread, food.” Presumably this was a type of peace offering, where the person bringing the offering ate the animal being sacrificed.

[31:55]  ¹⁴⁰³ sn Beginning with 31:55, the verse numbers in the English Bible through 32:32 differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 31:55 ET = 32:1 HT, 32:1 ET = 32:2 HT, etc., through 32:32 ET = 32:33 HT. From 33:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.

[31:55]  ¹⁴⁰⁴ tn Heb “and Laban got up early in the morning and he kissed.”

[31:55]  ¹⁴⁰⁵ tn Heb “his sons.”

[31:55]  ¹⁴⁰⁶ tn Heb “to his place.”

[32:1]  ¹⁴⁰⁷ sn The phrase angels of God occurs only here and in Gen 28:12 in the OT. Jacob saw a vision of angels just before he left the promised land. Now he encounters angels as he prepares to return to it. The text does not give the details of the encounter, but Jacob’s response suggests it was amicable. This location was a spot where heaven made contact with earth, and where God made his presence known to the patriarch. See C. Houtman, “Jacob at Mahanaim: Some Remarks on Genesis XXXII 2-3,” VT 28 (1978): 37-44.

[32:2]  ¹⁴⁰⁸ tn Heb “and Jacob said when he saw them.”

[32:2]  ¹⁴⁰⁹ sn The name Mahanaim apparently means “two camps.” Perhaps the two camps were those of God and of Jacob.

[32:3]  ¹⁴¹⁰ tn Heb “before him.”

[32:3]  ¹⁴¹¹ tn Heb “field.”

[32:4]  ¹⁴¹² sn Your servant. The narrative recounts Jacob’s groveling in fear before Esau as he calls his brother his “lord,” as if to minimize what had been done twenty years ago.

[32:5]  ¹⁴¹³ tn Or “I am sending.” The form is a preterite with the vav consecutive; it could be rendered as an English present tense – as the Hebrew perfect/preterite allows – much like an epistolary aorist in Greek. The form assumes the temporal perspective of the one who reads the message.

[32:5]  ¹⁴¹⁴ tn The words “this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:8]  ¹⁴¹⁵ tn Heb “If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.”

[32:8]  ¹⁴¹⁶ tn Heb “and he said, ‘If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.” The Hebrew verb אָמַר (’amar) here represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “he thought.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:8]  ¹⁴¹⁷ tn Heb “the surviving camp will be for escape.” The word “escape” is a feminine noun. The term most often refers to refugees from war.

[32:9]  ¹⁴¹⁸ tn Heb “said.”

[32:9]  ¹⁴¹⁹ tn Heb “the one who said.”

[32:9]  ¹⁴²⁰ tn Heb “I will cause good” or “I will treat well [or “favorably”].” The idea includes more than prosperity, though that is its essential meaning. Here the form is subordinated to the preceding imperative and indicates purpose or result. Jacob is reminding God of his promise in the hope that God will honor his word.

[32:10]  ¹⁴²¹ tn Heb “the loving deeds and faithfulness” (see 24:27, 49).

[32:10]  ¹⁴²² tn Heb “you have done with.”

[32:10]  ¹⁴²³ tn Heb “for with my staff.” The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally translated “staff,” has been rendered as “walking stick” because a “staff” in contemporary English refers typically to the support personnel in an organization.

[32:10]  ¹⁴²⁴ tn Heb “this Jordan.”

[32:11]  ¹⁴²⁵ tn The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.

[32:11]  ¹⁴²⁶ tn The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”

[32:11]  ¹⁴²⁷ tn Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”

[32:11]  ¹⁴²⁸ tn Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”

[32:11]  ¹⁴²⁹ sn Heb “me, [the] mother upon [the] sons.” The first person pronoun “me” probably means here “me and mine,” as the following clause suggests.

[32:12]  ¹⁴³⁰ tn Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

[32:12]  sn Some commentators have thought this final verse of the prayer redundant, but it actually follows the predominant form of a lament in which God is motivated to act. The primary motivation Jacob can offer to God is God’s promise, and so he falls back on that at the end of the prayer.

[32:12]  ¹⁴³¹ tn Or “will certainly deal well with you.” The infinitive absolute appears before the imperfect, underscoring God’s promise to bless. The statement is more emphatic than in v. 9.

[32:12]  ¹⁴³² tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.

[32:12]  ¹⁴³³ tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.

[32:13]  ¹⁴³⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:13]  ¹⁴³⁵ tn Heb “and he took from that which was going into his hand,” meaning that he took some of what belonged to him.

[32:13]  ¹⁴³⁶ sn The Hebrew noun translated gift can in some contexts refer to the tribute paid by a subject to his lord. Such a nuance is possible here, because Jacob refers to Esau as his lord and to himself as Esau’s servant (v. 4).

[32:16]  ¹⁴³⁷ tn Heb “and he put them in the hand of.”

[32:16]  ¹⁴³⁸ tn Heb “a herd, a herd, by itself,” or “each herd by itself.” The distributive sense is expressed by repetition.

[32:17]  ¹⁴³⁹ tn Heb “the first”; this has been specified as “the servant leading the first herd” in the translation for clarity.

[32:17]  ¹⁴⁴⁰ tn Heb “to whom are you?”

[32:17]  ¹⁴⁴¹ tn Heb “and to whom are these before you?”

[32:18]  ¹⁴⁴² tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive; it has the nuance of an imperfect of instruction.

[32:18]  ¹⁴⁴³ tn The words “they belong” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:18]  ¹⁴⁴⁴ tn Heb “to your servant, to Jacob.”

[32:18]  ¹⁴⁴⁵ tn Heb “to my lord, to Esau.”

[32:18]  ¹⁴⁴⁶ tn Heb “and look, also he [is] behind us.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:19]  ¹⁴⁴⁷ tn Heb “And he commanded also the second, also the third, also all the ones going after the herds, saying: ‘According to this word you will speak when you find him.’”

[32:20]  ¹⁴⁴⁸ tn Heb “and look, your servant Jacob [is] behind us.”

[32:20]  ¹⁴⁴⁹ tn Heb “for he said.” The referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “thought.”

[32:20]  ¹⁴⁵⁰ tn Heb “I will appease his face.” The cohortative here expresses Jacob’s resolve. In the Book of Leviticus the Hebrew verb translated “appease” has the idea of removing anger due to sin or guilt, a nuance that fits this passage very well. Jacob wanted to buy Esau off with a gift of more than five hundred and fifty animals.

[32:20]  ¹⁴⁵¹ tn Heb “with a gift going before me.”

[32:20]  ¹⁴⁵² tn Heb “I will see his face.”

[32:20]  ¹⁴⁵³ tn Heb “Perhaps he will lift up my face.” In this context the idiom refers to acceptance.

[32:21]  ¹⁴⁵⁴ tn Heb “and the gift passed over upon his face.”

[32:21]  ¹⁴⁵⁵ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial/temporal.

[32:22]  ¹⁴⁵⁶ tn Heb “and he arose in that night and he took.” The first verb is adverbial, indicating that he carried out the crossing right away.

[32:22]  ¹⁴⁵⁷ tn The Hebrew term used here is יֶלֶד (yeled) which typically describes male offspring. Some translations render the term “children” but this is a problem because by this time Jacob had twelve children in all, including one daughter, Dinah, born to Leah (Gen 30:21). Benjamin, his twelfth son and thirteenth child, was not born until later (Gen 35:16-19).

[32:22]  ¹⁴⁵⁸ sn Hebrew narrative style often includes a summary statement of the whole passage followed by a more detailed report of the event. Here v. 22 is the summary statement, while v. 23 begins the detailed account.

[32:23]  ¹⁴⁵⁹ tn Heb “and he sent across what he had.”

[32:24]  ¹⁴⁶⁰ sn Reflecting Jacob’s perspective at the beginning of the encounter, the narrator calls the opponent simply “a man.” Not until later in the struggle does Jacob realize his true identity.

[32:24]  ¹⁴⁶¹ sn The verb translated “wrestled” (וַיֵּאָבֵק, vayye’aveq) sounds in Hebrew like the names “Jacob” (יַעֲקֹב, ya’aqov) and “Jabbok” (יַבֹּק, yabboq). In this way the narrator links the setting, the main action, and the main participant together in the mind of the reader or hearer.

[32:24]  ¹⁴⁶² tn Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”

[32:25]  ¹⁴⁶³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ¹⁴⁶⁴ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ¹⁴⁶⁵ tn Or “injured”; traditionally “touched.” The Hebrew verb translated “struck” has the primary meanings “to touch; to reach; to strike.” It can, however, carry the connotation “to harm; to molest; to injure.” God’s “touch” cripples Jacob – it would be comparable to a devastating blow.

[32:26]  ¹⁴⁶⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:26]  ¹⁴⁶⁷ tn Heb “dawn has arisen.”

[32:26]  ¹⁴⁶⁸ tn Heb “and he said, ‘I will not let you go.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:26]  ¹⁴⁶⁹ sn Jacob wrestled with a man thinking him to be a mere man, and on that basis was equal to the task. But when it had gone on long enough, the night visitor touched Jacob and crippled him. Jacob’s request for a blessing can only mean that he now knew that his opponent was supernatural. Contrary to many allegorical interpretations of the passage that make fighting equivalent to prayer, this passage shows that Jacob stopped fighting, and then asked for a blessing.

[32:27]  ¹⁴⁷⁰ tn Heb “and he said to him.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:27]  ¹⁴⁷¹ sn What is your name? The question is rhetorical, since the Lord obviously knew Jacob’s identity. But since the Lord is going to change Jacob’s name, this question is designed to bring focus Jacob’s attention on all that his name had come to signify.

[32:28]  ¹⁴⁷² tn Heb “and he said.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:28]  ¹⁴⁷³ sn The name Israel is a common construction, using a verb with a theophoric element (אֵל, ’el) that usually indicates the subject of the verb. Here it means “God fights.” This name will replace the name Jacob; it will be both a promise and a call for faith. In essence, the Lord was saying that Jacob would have victory and receive the promises because God would fight for him.

[32:28]  ¹⁴⁷⁴ sn You have fought. The explanation of the name Israel includes a sound play. In Hebrew the verb translated “you have fought” (שָׂרִיתָ, sarita) sounds like the name “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל, yisra’el ), meaning “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). The name would evoke the memory of the fight and what it meant. A. Dillmann says that ever after this the name would tell the Israelites that, when Jacob contended successfully with God, he won the battle with man (Genesis, 2:279). To be successful with God meant that he had to be crippled in his own self-sufficiency (A. P. Ross, “Jacob at the Jabboq, Israel at Peniel,” BSac 142 [1985]: 51-62).

[32:29]  ¹⁴⁷⁵ sn Tell me your name. In primitive thought to know the name of a deity or supernatural being would enable one to use it for magical manipulation or power (A. S. Herbert, Genesis 12-50 [TBC], 108). For a thorough structural analysis of the passage discussing the plays on the names and the request of Jacob, see R. Barthes, “The Struggle with the Angel: Textual Analysis of Genesis 32:23-33,” Structural Analysis and Biblical Exegesis (PTMS), 21-33.

[32:29]  ¹⁴⁷⁶ tn The question uses the enclitic pronoun “this” to emphasize the import of the question.

[32:29]  ¹⁴⁷⁷ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:29]  ¹⁴⁷⁸ tn The verb here means that the Lord endowed Jacob with success; he would be successful in everything he did, including meeting Esau.

[32:29]  ¹⁴⁷⁹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:30]  ¹⁴⁸⁰ sn The name Peniel means “face of God.” Since Jacob saw God face to face here, the name is appropriate.

[32:30]  ¹⁴⁸¹ tn The word “explaining” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:30]  ¹⁴⁸² tn Or “because.”

[32:30]  ¹⁴⁸³ sn I have seen God face to face. See the note on the name “Peniel” earlier in the verse.

[32:30]  ¹⁴⁸⁴ tn Heb “and my soul [= life] has been preserved.”

[32:30]  sn I have survived. It was commonly understood that no one could see God and live (Gen 48:16; Exod 19:21, 24:10; and Judg 6:11, 22). On the surface Jacob seems to be saying that he saw God and survived. But the statement may have a double meaning, in light of his prayer for deliverance in v. 11. Jacob recognizes that he has survived his encounter with God and that his safety has now been guaranteed.

[32:31]  ¹⁴⁸⁵ tn Heb “shone.”

[32:31]  ¹⁴⁸⁶ sn The name is spelled Penuel here, apparently a variant spelling of Peniel (see v. 30).

[32:31]  ¹⁴⁸⁷ tn The disjunctive clause draws attention to an important fact: He may have crossed the stream, but he was limping.

[32:32]  ¹⁴⁸⁸ sn On the use of the expression to this day, see B. S. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until This Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.

[32:32]  ¹⁴⁸⁹ tn Or “because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive. On the translation of the word “struck” see the note on this term in v. 25.

[33:1]  ¹⁴⁹⁰ tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his eyes.”

[33:1]  ¹⁴⁹¹ tn Or “and look, Esau was coming.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.

[33:2]  ¹⁴⁹² sn This kind of ranking according to favoritism no doubt fed the jealousy over Joseph that later becomes an important element in the narrative. It must have been painful to the family to see that they were expendable.

[33:3]  ¹⁴⁹³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:3]  ¹⁴⁹⁴ tn Heb “until his drawing near unto his brother.” The construction uses the preposition with the infinitive construct to express a temporal clause.

[33:5]  ¹⁴⁹⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:5]  ¹⁴⁹⁶ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

[33:5]  ¹⁴⁹⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:5]  ¹⁴⁹⁸ tn The Hebrew verb means “to be gracious; to show favor”; here it carries the nuance “to give graciously.”

[33:6]  ¹⁴⁹⁹ tn Heb “and the female servants drew near, they and their children and they bowed down.”

[33:8]  ¹⁵⁰⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:8]  ¹⁵⁰¹ tn Heb “Who to you?”

[33:8]  ¹⁵⁰² tn Heb “all this camp which I met.”

[33:8]  ¹⁵⁰³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:10]  ¹⁵⁰⁴ tn Heb “and Jacob said, ‘No, please.’” The words “take them” have been supplied in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[33:10]  ¹⁵⁰⁵ tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, expressing a contingent future nuance in the “then” section of the conditional sentence.

[33:10]  ¹⁵⁰⁶ tn The verbal form is the preterite with a vav (ו) consecutive, indicating result here.

[33:10]  ¹⁵⁰⁷ tn Heb “for therefore I have seen your face like seeing the face of God and you have accepted me.”

[33:10]  sn This is an allusion to the preceding episode (32:22-31) in which Jacob saw the face of God and realized his prayer was answered.

[33:11]  ¹⁵⁰⁸ tn Heb “blessing.” It is as if Jacob is trying to repay what he stole from his brother twenty years earlier.

[33:11]  ¹⁵⁰⁹ tn Or “gracious,” but in the specific sense of prosperity.

[33:11]  ¹⁵¹⁰ tn Heb “all.”

[33:11]  ¹⁵¹¹ tn Heb “and he urged him and he took.” The referent of the first pronoun in the sequence (“he”) has been specified as “Jacob” in the translation for clarity.

[33:12]  ¹⁵¹² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:12]  ¹⁵¹³ tn Heb “let us travel and let us go.” The two cohortatives are used in combination with the sense, “let’s travel along, get going, be on our way.”

[33:13]  ¹⁵¹⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:13]  ¹⁵¹⁵ tn Heb “weak.”

[33:13]  ¹⁵¹⁶ tn Heb “and the sheep and the cattle nursing [are] upon me.”

[33:14]  ¹⁵¹⁷ tn Heb “and I, I will move along according to my leisure at the foot of the property which is before me and at the foot of the children.”

[33:15]  ¹⁵¹⁸ tn The cohortative verbal form here indicates a polite offer of help.

[33:15]  ¹⁵¹⁹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why this?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[33:15]  ¹⁵²⁰ tn Heb “I am finding favor in the eyes of my lord.”

[33:16]  ¹⁵²¹ tn Heb “returned on his way.”

[33:17]  ¹⁵²² tn The disjunctive clause contrasts Jacob’s action with Esau’s.

[33:17]  ¹⁵²³ sn But Jacob traveled to Succoth. There are several reasons why Jacob chose not to go to Mt. Seir after Esau. First, as he said, his herds and children probably could not keep up with the warriors. Second, he probably did not fully trust his brother. The current friendliness could change, and he could lose everything. And third, God did tell him to return to his land, not Seir. But Jacob is still not able to deal truthfully, probably because of fear of Esau.

[33:17]  ¹⁵²⁴ tn Heb “why he called.” One could understand “Jacob” as the subject of the verb, but it is more likely that the subject is indefinite, in which case the verb is better translated as passive.

[33:17]  ¹⁵²⁵ sn The name Succoth means “shelters,” an appropriate name in light of the shelters Jacob built there for his livestock.

[33:18]  ¹⁵²⁶ tn Heb “in front of.”

[33:19]  ¹⁵²⁷ tn The words “he bought it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 19 is one long sentence.

[33:19]  ¹⁵²⁸ tn The Hebrew word קְשִׂיטָה (qÿsitah) is generally understood to refer to a unit of money, but the value is unknown. (However, cf. REB, which renders the term as “sheep”).

[33:20]  ¹⁵²⁹ tn Heb “God, the God of Israel.” Rather than translating the name, a number of modern translations merely transliterate it from the Hebrew as “El Elohe Israel” (cf. NIV, NRSV, REB). It is not entirely clear how the name should be interpreted grammatically. One option is to supply an equative verb, as in the translation: “The God of Israel [is] God.” Another interpretive option is “the God of Israel [is] strong [or “mighty”].” Buying the land and settling down for a while was a momentous step for the patriarch, so the commemorative naming of the altar is significant.

[34:1]  ¹⁵³⁰ tn Heb “went out to see.” The verb “to see,” followed by the preposition בְּ (bÿ), here has the idea of “look over.” The young girl wanted to meet these women and see what they were like.

[34:1]  ¹⁵³¹ tn Heb “daughters.”

[34:2]  ¹⁵³² tn Heb “and he took her and lay with her.” The suffixed form following the verb appears to be the sign of the accusative instead of the preposition, but see BDB 1012 s.v. שָׁכַב.

[34:2]  ¹⁵³³ tn The verb עָנָה (’anah) in the Piel stem can have various shades of meaning, depending on the context: “to defile; to mistreat; to violate; to rape; to shame; to afflict.” Here it means that Shechem violated or humiliated Dinah by raping her.

[34:3]  ¹⁵³⁴ tn Heb “his soul stuck to [or “joined with”],” meaning Shechem became very attached to Dinah emotionally.

[34:3]  ¹⁵³⁵ tn Heb “and he spoke to the heart of the young woman,” which apparently refers in this context to tender, romantic speech (Hos 2:14). Another option is to translate the expression “he reassured the young woman” (see Judg 19:3, 2 Sam 19:7; cf. NEB “comforted her”).

[34:4]  ¹⁵³⁶ tn Heb “Take for me this young woman for a wife.”

[34:5]  ¹⁵³⁷ tn The two disjunctive clauses in this verse (“Now Jacob heard…and his sons were”) are juxtaposed to indicate synchronic action.

[34:5]  ¹⁵³⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:5]  ¹⁵³⁹ sn The expected response would be anger or rage; but Jacob remained silent. He appears too indifferent or confused to act decisively. When the leader does not act decisively, the younger zealots will, and often with disastrous results.

[34:6]  ¹⁵⁴⁰ tn Heb “went out to Jacob to speak with him.” The words “about Dinah” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:7]  ¹⁵⁴¹ tn Heb “when they heard.” The words “the news” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[34:7]  ¹⁵⁴² tn Heb “the men.” This sounds as if a new group has been introduced into the narrative, so it has been translated as “they” to indicate that it refers to Jacob’s sons, mentioned in the first part of the verse.

[34:7]  ¹⁵⁴³ tn The Hebrew verb עָצַב (’atsav) can carry one of three semantic nuances depending on the context: (1) “to be injured” (Ps 56:5; Eccl 10:9; 1 Chr 4:10); (2) “to experience emotional pain; to be depressed emotionally; to be worried” (2 Sam 19:2; Isa 54:6; Neh 8:10-11); (3) “to be embarrassed; to be insulted; to be offended” (to the point of anger at another or oneself; Gen 6:6; 45:5; 1 Sam 20:3, 34; 1 Kgs 1:6; Isa 63:10; Ps 78:40). This third category develops from the second by metonymy. In certain contexts emotional pain leads to embarrassment and/or anger. In this last use the subject sometimes directs his anger against the source of grief (see especially Gen 6:6). The third category fits best in Gen 34:7 because Jacob’s sons were not merely wounded emotionally. On the contrary, Shechem’s action prompted them to strike out in judgment against the source of their distress.

[34:7]  ¹⁵⁴⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:7]  ¹⁵⁴⁵ tn Heb “a disgraceful thing he did against Israel.”

[34:7]  ¹⁵⁴⁶ tn Heb “by lying with the daughter of Jacob.” The infinitive here explains the preceding verb, indicating exactly how he had disgraced Jacob. The expression “to lie with” is a euphemism for sexual relations, or in this case, sexual assault.

[34:7]  ¹⁵⁴⁷ tn Heb “and so it should not be done.” The negated imperfect has an obligatory nuance here, but there is also a generalizing tone. The narrator emphasizes that this particular type of crime (sexual assault) is especially reprehensible.

[34:8]  ¹⁵⁴⁸ tn Heb “Shechem my son, his soul is attached to your daughter.” The verb means “to love” in the sense of being emotionally attached to or drawn to someone. This is a slightly different way of saying what was reported earlier (v. 3). However, there is no mention here of the offense. Even though Hamor is speaking to Dinah’s brothers, he refers to her as their daughter (see v. 17).

[34:9]  ¹⁵⁴⁹ tn Heb “form marriage alliances with us.”

[34:9]  sn Intermarry with us. This includes the idea of becoming allied by marriage. The incident foreshadows the temptations Israel would eventually face when they entered the promised land (see Deut 7:3; Josh 23:12).

[34:9]  ¹⁵⁵⁰ tn Heb “Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.” In the translation the words “let…marry” and “as wives” are supplied for clarity.

[34:10]  ¹⁵⁵¹ tn The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.

[34:10]  ¹⁵⁵² tn Heb “before you.”

[34:10]  ¹⁵⁵³ tn The verb seems to carry the basic meaning “travel about freely,” although the substantival participial form refers to a trader (see E. A. Speiser, “The Verb sh£r in Genesis and Early Hebrew Movements,” BASOR 164 [1961]: 23-28); cf. NIV, NRSV “trade in it.”

[34:11]  ¹⁵⁵⁴ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Dinah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:11]  ¹⁵⁵⁵ tn Heb “whatever you say.”

[34:11]  ¹⁵⁵⁶ tn Or “pay.”

[34:12]  ¹⁵⁵⁷ tn Heb “Make very great upon me the bride price and gift.” The imperatives are used in a rhetorical manner. Shechem’s point is that he will pay the price, no matter how expensive it might be.

[34:12]  ¹⁵⁵⁸ tn The cohortative expresses Shechem’s resolve to have Dinah as his wife.

[34:12]  ¹⁵⁵⁹ tn Heb “say.”

[34:13]  ¹⁵⁶⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:14]  ¹⁵⁶¹ tn Heb “we are not able to do this thing, to give.” The second infinitive is in apposition to the first, explaining what they are not able to do.

[34:14]  ¹⁵⁶² tn The Hebrew word translated “disgrace” usually means “ridicule; taunt; reproach.” It can also refer to the reason the condition of shame or disgrace causes ridicule or a reproach.

[34:15]  ¹⁵⁶³ tn Heb “if you are like us.”

[34:15]  ¹⁵⁶⁴ tn The infinitive here explains how they would become like them.

[34:16]  ¹⁵⁶⁵ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.

[34:16]  ¹⁵⁶⁶ tn The words “to marry” (and the words “as wives” in the following clause) are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:17]  ¹⁵⁶⁷ tn Heb “listen to us.”

[34:17]  ¹⁵⁶⁸ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.

[34:17]  ¹⁵⁶⁹ tn Heb “daughter.” Jacob’s sons call Dinah their daughter, even though she was their sister (see v. 8). This has been translated as “sister” for clarity.

[34:18]  ¹⁵⁷⁰ tn Heb “and their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem son of Hamor.”

[34:19]  ¹⁵⁷¹ tn Heb “doing the thing.”

[34:19]  ¹⁵⁷² tn Heb “Jacob’s daughter.” The proper name “Dinah” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:19]  ¹⁵⁷³ tn The Hebrew verb כָּבֵד (kaved), translated “was…important,” has the primary meaning “to be heavy,” but here carries a secondary sense of “to be important” (that is, “heavy” in honor or respect).

[34:19]  ¹⁵⁷⁴ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause explains why the community would respond to him (see vv. 20-24).

[34:20]  ¹⁵⁷⁵ sn The gate. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the location for conducting important public business.

[34:21]  ¹⁵⁷⁶ tn Heb “wide on both hands,” that is, in both directions.

[34:21]  ¹⁵⁷⁷ tn The words “to marry” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:22]  ¹⁵⁷⁸ tn Heb “when every one of our males is circumcised.”

[34:23]  ¹⁵⁷⁹ tn The words “If we do so” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[34:24]  ¹⁵⁸⁰ tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”

[34:24]  ¹⁵⁸¹ tn Heb “listened to.”

[34:24]  ¹⁵⁸² tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”

[34:25]  ¹⁵⁸³ tn Heb “a man his sword.”

[34:25]  ¹⁵⁸⁴ tn Heb “and they came upon the city, [which was] secure.” In this case “secure” means the city was caught unprepared and at peace, not expecting an attack.

[34:27]  ¹⁵⁸⁵ tn Heb “came upon the slain.” Because of this statement the preceding phrase “Jacob’s sons” is frequently taken to mean the other sons of Jacob besides Simeon and Levi, but the text does not clearly affirm this.

[34:27]  ¹⁵⁸⁶ tn Heb “because they violated their sister.” The plural verb is active in form, but with no expressed subject, it may be translated passive.

[34:28]  ¹⁵⁸⁷ tn Heb “and what was in the city and what was in the field they took.”

[34:29]  ¹⁵⁸⁸ tn Heb “they took captive and they plundered,” that is, “they captured as plunder.”

[34:30]  ¹⁵⁸⁹ tn The traditional translation is “troubled me” (KJV, ASV), but the verb refers to personal or national disaster and suggests complete ruin (see Josh 7:25, Judg 11:35, Prov 11:17). The remainder of the verse describes the “trouble” Simeon and Levi had caused.

[34:30]  ¹⁵⁹⁰ tn In the causative stem the Hebrew verb בָּאַשׁ (ba’ash) means “to cause to stink, to have a foul smell.” In the contexts in which it is used it describes foul smells, stenches, or things that are odious. Jacob senses that the people in the land will find this act terribly repulsive. See P. R. Ackroyd, “The Hebrew Root באשׁ,” JTS 2 (1951): 31-36.

[34:30]  ¹⁵⁹¹ tn Jacob speaks in the first person as the head and representative of the entire family.

[34:31]  ¹⁵⁹² tn Heb “but they said.” The referent of “they” (Simeon and Levi) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[35:1]  ¹⁵⁹³ tn Heb “arise, go up.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.

[35:1]  ¹⁵⁹⁴ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:1]  ¹⁵⁹⁵ sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).

[35:2]  ¹⁵⁹⁶ tn Heb “which are in your midst.”

[35:2]  ¹⁵⁹⁷ sn The actions of removing false gods, becoming ritually clean, and changing garments would become necessary steps in Israel when approaching the Lord in worship.

[35:3]  ¹⁵⁹⁸ tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.

[35:3]  ¹⁵⁹⁹ tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.

[35:3]  ¹⁶⁰⁰ tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.

[35:3]  ¹⁶⁰¹ 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]  ¹⁶⁰² tn Heb “in their hand.”

[35:4]  ¹⁶⁰³ 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]  ¹⁶⁰⁴ sn Jacob buried them. On the burial of the gods, see E. Nielson, “The Burial of the Foreign Gods,” ST 8 (1954/55): 102-22.

[35:4]  ¹⁶⁰⁵ tn Or “terebinth.”

[35:5]  ¹⁶⁰⁶ tn Heb “and they journeyed.”

[35:5]  ¹⁶⁰⁷ 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]  ¹⁶⁰⁸ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:6]  ¹⁶⁰⁹ 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]  ¹⁶¹⁰ sn The name El-Bethel means “God of Bethel.”

[35:7]  ¹⁶¹¹ 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]  ¹⁶¹² 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]  ¹⁶¹³ tn “and he called its name.” There is no expressed subject, so the verb can be translated as passive.

[35:8]  ¹⁶¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁶¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁶¹⁷ 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]  ¹⁶¹⁸ 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 Lord made it certain; but it has the sense “promised to give.”

[35:12]  ¹⁶¹⁹ tn Heb “and to your offspring after you.”

[35:13]  ¹⁶²⁰ tn Heb “went up from upon him in the place.”

[35:14]  ¹⁶²¹ 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]  ¹⁶²² 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]  ¹⁶²³ 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]  ¹⁶²⁴ 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]  ¹⁶²⁵ tn Heb “and there was still a stretch of the land to go to Ephrath.”

[35:16]  ¹⁶²⁶ 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]  ¹⁶²⁷ 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]  ¹⁶²⁸ 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]  ¹⁶²⁹ tn Heb “in the going out of her life, for she was dying.” Rachel named the child with her dying breath.

[35:18]  ¹⁶³⁰ 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]  ¹⁶³¹ 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]  ¹⁶³² 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]  ¹⁶³³ tn Heb “standing stone.”

[35:20]  ¹⁶³⁴ tn Or perhaps “it is known as” (cf. NEB).

[35:21]  ¹⁶³⁵ 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]  ¹⁶³⁶ 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]  ¹⁶³⁷ tn This is an adverbial accusative of location.

[35:27]  ¹⁶³⁸ tn The name “Kiriath Arba” is in apposition to the preceding name, “Mamre.”

[35:27]  ¹⁶³⁹ tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” refers to temporary settlement without ownership rights.

[35:28]  ¹⁶⁴⁰ tn Heb “And the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years.”

[35:29]  ¹⁶⁴¹ 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]  ¹⁶⁴² tn Heb “old and full of years.”

[36:1]  ¹⁶⁴³ 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]  ¹⁶⁴⁴ tn Heb “from the daughters of Canaan.”

[36:2]  ¹⁶⁴⁵ tn Heb “daughter,” but see Gen 36:24-25.

[36:6]  ¹⁶⁴⁶ tn Heb “from before.”

[36:7]  ¹⁶⁴⁷ tn Heb “land of their settlements.”

[36:8]  ¹⁶⁴⁸ 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]  ¹⁶⁴⁹ 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]  ¹⁶⁵⁰ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:13]  ¹⁶⁵¹ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:14]  ¹⁶⁵² tn Heb “daughter,” but see Gen 36:24-25.

[36:15]  ¹⁶⁵³ tn Or “clan leaders” (so also throughout this chapter).

[36:15]  ¹⁶⁵⁴ tn Or “sons.”

[36:16]  ¹⁶⁵⁵ tc The Samaritan Pentateuch omits the name “Korah” (see v. 11 and 1 Chr 1:36).

[36:16]  ¹⁶⁵⁶ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:17]  ¹⁶⁵⁷ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:20]  ¹⁶⁵⁸ 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).

[36:21]  ¹⁶⁵⁹ tn Or “sons.”

[36:22]  ¹⁶⁶⁰ tn Heb “Hemam”; this is probably a variant spelling of “Homam” (1 Chr 1:39); cf. NRSV, NLT “Heman.”

[36:23]  ¹⁶⁶¹ tn This name is given as “Shephi” in 1 Chr 1:40.

[36:24]  ¹⁶⁶² tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain; Syriac reads “water” and Vulgate reads “hot water.”

[36:25]  ¹⁶⁶³ tn Heb “sons,” but since a daughter is included in the list, the word must be translated “children.”

[36:26]  ¹⁶⁶⁴ 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]  ¹⁶⁶⁵ tn Or perhaps “before any Israelite king ruled over [them].”

[36:37]  ¹⁶⁶⁶ 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]  ¹⁶⁶⁷ tc Most mss of the MT read “Hadar” here; “Hadad” is the reading found in some Hebrew mss, the Samaritan Pentateuch, and Syriac (cf. also 1 Chr 1:50).

[36:39]  ¹⁶⁶⁸ tn The name of the city is given as “Pai” in 1 Chr 1:50.

[36:43]  ¹⁶⁶⁹ tn Or perhaps “territories”; Heb “dwelling places.”

[37:1]  ¹⁶⁷⁰ tn Heb “the land of the sojournings of his father.”

[37:1]  ¹⁶⁷¹ 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]  ¹⁶⁷² tn Heb “a son of seventeen years.” The word “son” is in apposition to the name “Joseph.”

[37:2]  ¹⁶⁷³ tn Or “tending”; Heb “shepherding” or “feeding.”

[37:2]  ¹⁶⁷⁴ 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]  ¹⁶⁷⁵ 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]  ¹⁶⁷⁶ 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]  ¹⁶⁷⁷ 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]  ¹⁶⁷⁸ 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]  ¹⁶⁷⁹ 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]  ¹⁶⁸⁰ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ¹⁶⁸¹ tn Heb “of his brothers.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “them.”

[37:4]  ¹⁶⁸² tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ¹⁶⁸³ tn Heb “speak to him for peace.”

[37:5]  ¹⁶⁸⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:5]  ¹⁶⁸⁵ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[37:5]  ¹⁶⁸⁶ 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]  ¹⁶⁸⁷ tn The construction uses a hendiadys, “they added to hate,” meaning they hated him even more.

[37:6]  ¹⁶⁸⁸ tn Heb “hear this dream which I dreamed.”

[37:7]  ¹⁶⁸⁹ 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]  ¹⁶⁹⁰ tn The verb means “to bow down to the ground.” It is used to describe worship and obeisance to masters.

[37:8]  ¹⁶⁹¹ 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]  ¹⁶⁹² tn This construction is identical to the one in Gen 37:5.

[37:8]  ¹⁶⁹³ 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]  ¹⁶⁹⁴ tn Heb “And he dreamed yet another dream.”

[37:9]  ¹⁶⁹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶⁹⁶ 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]  ¹⁶⁹⁷ 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]  ¹⁶⁹⁸ 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]  ¹⁶⁹⁹ 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]  ¹⁷⁰⁰ tn The text uses an interrogative clause: “Are not your brothers,” which means “your brothers are.”

[37:13]  ¹⁷⁰¹ sn With these words Joseph is depicted here as an obedient son who is ready to do what his father commands.

[37:13]  ¹⁷⁰² 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]  ¹⁷⁰³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:14]  ¹⁷⁰⁴ tn Heb “see.”

[37:14]  ¹⁷⁰⁵ tn Heb “peace.”

[37:14]  ¹⁷⁰⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ¹⁷⁰⁷ tn Heb “and he [i.e., Joseph] went to Shechem.” The referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ¹⁷⁰⁸ 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]  ¹⁷⁰⁹ tn The imperative in this sentence has more of the nuance of a request than a command.

[37:17]  ¹⁷¹⁰ tn Heb “they traveled from this place.”

[37:18]  ¹⁷¹¹ tn Heb “and they”; the referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:19]  ¹⁷¹² 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]  ¹⁷¹³ 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]  ¹⁷¹⁴ tn Heb “what his dreams will be.”

[37:21]  ¹⁷¹⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:21]  ¹⁷¹⁶ sn From their hands. The instigators of this plot may have been the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (see v. 2).

[37:21]  ¹⁷¹⁷ tn Heb “and he said.”

[37:21]  ¹⁷¹⁸ tn Heb “we must not strike him down [with respect to] life.”

[37:22]  ¹⁷¹⁹ tn Heb “and Reuben said to them.”

[37:22]  ¹⁷²⁰ 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]  ¹⁷²¹ tn The words “Reuben said this” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:22]  ¹⁷²² tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:22]  ¹⁷²³ tn Heb “from their hands” (cf. v. 21). This expression has been translated as “them” here for stylistic reasons.

[37:23]  ¹⁷²⁴ tn Heb “Joseph”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:24]  ¹⁷²⁵ tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that helps the reader or hearer to picture what happened.

[37:25]  ¹⁷²⁶ tn Heb “lifted up their eyes.”

[37:25]  ¹⁷²⁷ 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]  ¹⁷²⁸ tn Heb “and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh, going to go down to Egypt.”

[37:27]  ¹⁷²⁹ tn Heb “let not our hand be upon him.”

[37:27]  ¹⁷³⁰ tn Heb “listened.”

[37:28]  ¹⁷³¹ sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.

[37:28]  ¹⁷³² 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]  ¹⁷³³ 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]  ¹⁷³⁴ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:29]  ¹⁷³⁵ 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]  ¹⁷³⁶ 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]  ¹⁷³⁷ 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]  ¹⁷³⁸ 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]  ¹⁷³⁹ tn Heb “and put sackcloth on his loins.”

[37:35]  ¹⁷⁴⁰ tn Heb “arose, stood”; which here suggests that they stood by him in his time of grief.

[37:35]  ¹⁷⁴¹ 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]  ¹⁷⁴² tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:36]  ¹⁷⁴³ tn The disjunctive clause formally signals closure for this episode of Joseph’s story, which will be resumed in Gen 39.

[37:36]  ¹⁷⁴⁴ 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]  ¹⁷⁴⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:36]  ¹⁷⁴⁶ sn The expression captain of the guard might indicate that Potiphar was the chief executioner.

[38:1]  ¹⁷⁴⁷ tn Heb “went down from.”

[38:1]  ¹⁷⁴⁸ tn Heb “and he turned aside unto.”

[38:1]  ¹⁷⁴⁹ tn Heb “a man, an Adullamite.”

[38:2]  ¹⁷⁵⁰ tn Heb “a man, a Canaanite.”

[38:2]  ¹⁷⁵¹ tn Heb “and his name was Shua.”

[38:2]  ¹⁷⁵² tn Heb “and he took her.”

[38:2]  ¹⁷⁵³ tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:3]  ¹⁷⁵⁴ tn Or “she conceived” (also in the following verse).

[38:3]  ¹⁷⁵⁵ tc Some mss read this verb as feminine, “she called,” to match the pattern of the next two verses. But the MT, “he called,” should probably be retained as the more difficult reading.

[38:3]  tn Heb “and he called his name.” The referent (Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[38:5]  ¹⁷⁵⁶ 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]  ¹⁷⁵⁷ tn Or “and he [i.e., Judah] was in Kezib when she gave birth to him.”

[38:6]  ¹⁷⁵⁸ tn Heb “and Judah took.”

[38:8]  ¹⁷⁵⁹ tn Heb “go to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:8]  ¹⁷⁶⁰ tn The imperative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose.

[38:8]  ¹⁷⁶¹ 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]  ¹⁷⁶² tn Heb “offspring.”

[38:9]  ¹⁷⁶³ 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]  ¹⁷⁶⁴ 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]  ¹⁷⁶⁵ tn Heb “he went to.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:9]  ¹⁷⁶⁶ 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]  ¹⁷⁶⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[38:11]  ¹⁷⁶⁸ tn Heb “said.”

[38:11]  ¹⁷⁶⁹ 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]  ¹⁷⁷⁰ 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]  ¹⁷⁷¹ tn Heb “and he went up to the shearers of his sheep, he and.”

[38:13]  ¹⁷⁷² tn Heb “And it was told to Tamar, saying.”

[38:13]  ¹⁷⁷³ tn The active participle indicates the action was in progress or about to begin.

[38:14]  ¹⁷⁷⁴ 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]  ¹⁷⁷⁵ tn Heb “she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she was not given to him as a wife.”

[38:15]  ¹⁷⁷⁶ 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]  ¹⁷⁷⁷ 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]  ¹⁷⁷⁸ tn Heb “for he did not know that.”

[38:16]  ¹⁷⁷⁹ tn Heb “when you come to me.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:17]  ¹⁷⁸⁰ tn Heb “until you send.”

[38:18]  ¹⁷⁸¹ tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:19]  ¹⁷⁸² tn Heb “and she arose and left,” the first verb in the pair emphasizing that she wasted no time.

[38:20]  ¹⁷⁸³ 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]  ¹⁷⁸⁴ tn Heb “to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand.”

[38:20]  ¹⁷⁸⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Judah’s friend Hirah the Adullamite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[38:21]  ¹⁷⁸⁶ tn Heb “the men of her place,” that is, who lived at the place where she had been.

[38:21]  ¹⁷⁸⁷ 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]  ¹⁷⁸⁸ tn The words “the things” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:23]  ¹⁷⁸⁹ 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]  ¹⁷⁹⁰ tn Heb “it was told to Judah, saying.”

[38:24]  ¹⁷⁹¹ tn Or “has been sexually promiscuous.” The verb may refer here to loose or promiscuous activity, not necessarily prostitution.

[38:24]  ¹⁷⁹² tn Heb “and also look, she is with child by prostitution.”

[38:25]  ¹⁷⁹³ 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]  ¹⁷⁹⁴ tn Heb “who these to him.”

[38:25]  ¹⁷⁹⁵ 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]  ¹⁷⁹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷⁹⁷ tn Heb “and he did not add again to know her.” Here “know” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:28]  ¹⁷⁹⁸ tn The word “child” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:29]  ¹⁷⁹⁹ 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]  ¹⁸⁰⁰ 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]  ¹⁸⁰¹ 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]  ¹⁸⁰² 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]  ¹⁸⁰³ 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]  ¹⁸⁰⁴ sn Captain of the guard. See the note on this phrase in Gen 37:36.

[39:1]  ¹⁸⁰⁵ tn Heb “from the hand of.”

[39:2]  ¹⁸⁰⁶ 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]  ¹⁸⁰⁷ tn Heb “and he was.”

[39:3]  ¹⁸⁰⁸ tn The Hebrew text adds “in his hand,” a phrase not included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:4]  ¹⁸⁰⁹ 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]  ¹⁸¹⁰ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:4]  ¹⁸¹¹ tn Heb “put into his hand.”

[39:5]  ¹⁸¹² tn Heb “and it was from then.”

[39:5]  ¹⁸¹³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:5]  ¹⁸¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁸¹⁵ tn Heb “in the house and in the field.” The word “both” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:5]  ¹⁸¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁸¹⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:6]  ¹⁸¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁸¹⁹ tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.

[39:6]  ¹⁸²⁰ tn Heb “did not know.”

[39:6]  ¹⁸²¹ 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]  ¹⁸²² tn Heb “handsome of form and handsome of appearance.” The same Hebrew expressions were used in Gen 29:17 for Rachel.

[39:7]  ¹⁸²³ tn Heb “she lifted up her eyes toward,” an expression that emphasizes her deliberate and careful scrutiny of him.

[39:7]  ¹⁸²⁴ 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]  ¹⁸²⁵ tn Heb “and he said.”

[39:8]  ¹⁸²⁶ tn Heb “know.”

[39:8]  ¹⁸²⁷ tn The word “here” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:8]  ¹⁸²⁸ tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.

[39:9]  ¹⁸²⁹ tn The nuance of potential imperfect fits this context.

[39:10]  ¹⁸³⁰ 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]  ¹⁸³¹ tn Heb “listen to.”

[39:10]  ¹⁸³² tn Heb “to lie beside her to be with her.” Here the expression “to lie beside” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:11]  ¹⁸³³ tn Heb “and it was about this day.”

[39:11]  ¹⁸³⁴ tn Heb “the men of the house.”

[39:12]  ¹⁸³⁵ tn Heb “he fled and he went out.” The construction emphasizes the point that Joseph got out of there quickly.

[39:12]  ¹⁸³⁶ sn For discussion of this episode, see A. M. Honeyman, “The Occasion of Joseph’s Temptation,” VT 2 (1952): 85-87.

[39:14]  ¹⁸³⁷ 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]  ¹⁸³⁸ sn A Hebrew man. Potiphar’s wife raises the ethnic issue when talking to her servants about what their boss had done.

[39:14]  ¹⁸³⁹ 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]  ¹⁸⁴⁰ tn Heb “he came to me to lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:14]  ¹⁸⁴¹ tn Heb “and I cried out with a loud voice.”

[39:15]  ¹⁸⁴² tn Heb “that I raised.”

[39:17]  ¹⁸⁴³ tn Heb “and she spoke to him according to these words, saying.”

[39:17]  ¹⁸⁴⁴ 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]  ¹⁸⁴⁵ 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]  ¹⁸⁴⁶ tn Heb “and when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying.”

[39:19]  ¹⁸⁴⁷ tn Heb “according to these words.”

[39:19]  ¹⁸⁴⁸ tn Heb “did to me.”

[39:19]  ¹⁸⁴⁹ tn Heb “his anger burned.”

[39:20]  ¹⁸⁵⁰ tn Heb “the house of roundness,” suggesting that the prison might have been a fortress or citadel.

[39:20]  ¹⁸⁵¹ 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]  ¹⁸⁵² tn Heb “and he extended to him loyal love.”

[39:21]  ¹⁸⁵³ tn Or “the chief jailer” (also in the following verses).

[39:22]  ¹⁸⁵⁴ 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]  ¹⁸⁵⁵ tn Heb “was not looking at anything.”

[39:23]  ¹⁸⁵⁶ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[40:1]  ¹⁸⁵⁷ 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]  ¹⁸⁵⁸ sn The baker may be the Egyptian retehti, the head of the bakers, who had privileges in the royal court.

[40:1]  ¹⁸⁵⁹ 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]  ¹⁸⁶⁰ 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]  ¹⁸⁶¹ 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]  ¹⁸⁶² tn Heb “they were days in custody.”

[40:5]  ¹⁸⁶³ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[40:5]  ¹⁸⁶⁴ tn Heb “a man his dream in one night.”

[40:5]  ¹⁸⁶⁵ tn Heb “a man according to the interpretation of his dream.”

[40:6]  ¹⁸⁶⁶ 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]  ¹⁸⁶⁷ tn Heb “why are your faces sad today?”

[40:8]  ¹⁸⁶⁸ tn Heb “a dream we dreamed.”

[40:8]  ¹⁸⁶⁹ tn The word “them” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[40:9]  ¹⁸⁷⁰ tn The Hebrew text adds “and he said to him.” This has not been translated because it is redundant in English.

[40:11]  ¹⁸⁷¹ tn Heb “the cup of Pharaoh.” The pronoun “his” has been used here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[40:11]  ¹⁸⁷² 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]  ¹⁸⁷³ tn Heb “the three branches [are].”

[40:13]  ¹⁸⁷⁴ 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]  ¹⁸⁷⁵ tn Heb “according to the former custom.”

[40:14]  ¹⁸⁷⁶ 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]  ¹⁸⁷⁷ 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]  ¹⁸⁷⁸ tn Heb “deal with me [in] kindness.”

[40:14]  ¹⁸⁷⁹ 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]  ¹⁸⁸⁰ tn Heb “house.” The word “prison” has been substituted in the translation for clarity.

[40:15]  ¹⁸⁸¹ 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]  ¹⁸⁸² tn Heb “that [the] interpretation [was] good.” The words “the first dream” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[40:16]  ¹⁸⁸³ 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]  ¹⁸⁸⁴ tn Heb “the three baskets [are].”

[40:19]  ¹⁸⁸⁵ 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]  ¹⁸⁸⁶ 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]  ¹⁸⁸⁷ tn Heb “his cupbearing.”

[40:22]  ¹⁸⁸⁸ 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]  ¹⁸⁸⁹ tn The wayyiqtol verbal form here has a reiterative or emphasizing function.

[41:1]  ¹⁸⁹⁰ tn Heb “two years, days.”

[41:1]  ¹⁸⁹¹ tn Heb “was dreaming.”

[41:2]  ¹⁸⁹² tn Heb “And look, he was standing by the Nile, and look, from the Nile were coming up seven cows, attractive of appearance and fat of flesh.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to see the dream through Pharaoh’s eyes.

[41:3]  ¹⁸⁹³ tn Heb “And look, seven other cows were coming up after them from the Nile, bad of appearance and thin of flesh.”

[41:3]  ¹⁸⁹⁴ tn Heb “the Nile.” This has been replaced by “the river” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:5]  ¹⁸⁹⁵ tn Heb “coming up.”

[41:5]  ¹⁸⁹⁶ tn Heb “fat.”

[41:6]  ¹⁸⁹⁷ tn Heb “And look.”

[41:7]  ¹⁸⁹⁸ tn Heb “And look, a dream.”

[41:7]  sn Pharaoh’s two dreams, as explained in the following verses, pertained to the economy of Egypt. Because of the Nile River, the land of Egypt weathered all kinds of famines – there was usually grain in Egypt, and if there was grain and water the livestock would flourish. These two dreams, however, indicated that poverty would overtake plenty and that the blessing of the herd and the field would cease.

[41:8]  ¹⁸⁹⁹ tn Heb “his spirit.”

[41:8]  ¹⁹⁰⁰ tn Heb “he sent and called,” which indicates an official summons.

[41:8]  ¹⁹⁰¹ tn The Hebrew term חַרְטֹם (khartom) is an Egyptian loanword (hyr-tp) that describes a class of priests who were skilled in such interpretations.

[41:8]  ¹⁹⁰² tn The Hebrew text has the singular (though the Samaritan Pentateuch reads the plural). If retained, the singular must be collective for the set of dreams. Note the plural pronoun “them,” referring to the dreams, in the next clause. However, note that in v. 15 Pharaoh uses the singular to refer to the two dreams. In vv. 17-24 Pharaoh seems to treat the dreams as two parts of one dream (see especially v. 22).

[41:8]  ¹⁹⁰³ tn “there was no interpreter.”

[41:8]  ¹⁹⁰⁴ tn Heb “for Pharaoh.” The pronoun “him” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:9]  ¹⁹⁰⁵ tn Heb “sins, offenses.” He probably refers here to the offenses that landed him in prison (see 40:1).

[41:11]  ¹⁹⁰⁶ tn Heb “and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he, each according to the interpretation of his dream we dreamed.”

[41:12]  ¹⁹⁰⁷ tn Or “slave.”

[41:12]  ¹⁹⁰⁸ tn Heb “a servant to the captain of the guards.” On this construction see GKC 419-20 §129.c.

[41:12]  ¹⁹⁰⁹ tn The words “our dreams” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:12]  ¹⁹¹⁰ tn Heb “and he interpreted for us our dreams, each according to his dream he interpreted.”

[41:13]  ¹⁹¹¹ tn Heb “interpreted.”

[41:13]  ¹⁹¹² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:13]  ¹⁹¹³ tn Heb “him”; the referent (the baker) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:14]  ¹⁹¹⁴ tn Heb “and Pharaoh sent and called,” indicating a summons to the royal court.

[41:15]  ¹⁹¹⁵ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[41:15]  ¹⁹¹⁶ tn Heb “there is no one interpreting.”

[41:15]  ¹⁹¹⁷ tn Heb “saying.”

[41:15]  ¹⁹¹⁸ tn Heb “you hear a dream to interpret it,” which may mean, “you only have to hear a dream to be able to interpret it.”

[41:16]  ¹⁹¹⁹ tn Heb “not within me.”

[41:16]  ¹⁹²⁰ tn Heb “God will answer.”

[41:16]  ¹⁹²¹ tn The expression שְׁלוֹם פַּרְעֹה (shÿlom par’oh) is here rendered “the welfare of Pharaoh” because the dream will be about life in his land. Some interpret it to mean an answer of “peace” – one that will calm his heart, or give him the answer that he desires (cf. NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[41:17]  ¹⁹²² tn Heb “In my dream look, I was standing.” The use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here (and also in vv. 18, 19, 22, 23) invites the hearer (within the context of the narrative, Joseph; but in the broader sense the reader or hearer of the Book of Genesis) to observe the scene through Pharaoh’s eyes.

[41:18]  ¹⁹²³ tn Heb “and look, from the Nile seven cows were coming up, fat of flesh and attractive of appearance, and they grazed in the reeds.”

[41:19]  ¹⁹²⁴ tn Heb “And look.”

[41:19]  ¹⁹²⁵ tn The word “cows” is supplied here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:20]  ¹⁹²⁶ tn Heb “the seven first fat cows.”

[41:21]  ¹⁹²⁷ tn Heb “when they went inside them.”

[41:21]  ¹⁹²⁸ tn Heb “it was not known.”

[41:22]  ¹⁹²⁹ tn Heb “and I saw in my dream and look.”

[41:23]  ¹⁹³⁰ tn Heb “And look.”

[41:24]  ¹⁹³¹ tn The words “all this” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:24]  ¹⁹³² tn Heb “and there was no one telling me.”

[41:25]  ¹⁹³³ tn Heb “the dream of Pharaoh is one.”

[41:25]  ¹⁹³⁴ tn Heb “declared.”

[41:25]  ¹⁹³⁵ tn The active participle here indicates what is imminent.

[41:26]  ¹⁹³⁶ tn Heb “one dream it is.”

[41:27]  ¹⁹³⁷ tn Heb “are.” Another option is to translate, “There will be seven years of famine.”

[41:28]  ¹⁹³⁸ tn Heb “it is the word that I spoke.”

[41:30]  ¹⁹³⁹ tn The perfect with the vav consecutive continues the time frame of the preceding participle, which has an imminent future nuance here.

[41:30]  ¹⁹⁴⁰ tn The Hebrew verb כָּלָה (kalah) in the Piel stem means “to finish, to destroy, to bring an end to.” The severity of the famine will ruin the land of Egypt.

[41:31]  ¹⁹⁴¹ tn Heb “known.”

[41:31]  ¹⁹⁴² tn Or “heavy.”

[41:32]  ¹⁹⁴³ tn Heb “and concerning the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh two times.” The Niphal infinitive here is the object of the preposition; it is followed by the subjective genitive “of the dream.”

[41:32]  ¹⁹⁴⁴ tn Heb “established.”

[41:32]  ¹⁹⁴⁵ tn The clause combines a participle and an infinitive construct: God “is hurrying…to do it,” meaning he is going to do it soon.

[41:33]  ¹⁹⁴⁶ tn Heb “let Pharaoh look.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.

[41:33]  ¹⁹⁴⁷ tn Heb “a man discerning and wise.” The order of the terms is rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:33]  ¹⁹⁴⁸ tn Heb “and let him set him.”

[41:34]  ¹⁹⁴⁹ tn The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. The Samaritan Pentateuch has a jussive form here, “and let [Pharaoh] do.”

[41:34]  ¹⁹⁵⁰ tn Heb “and let him appoint.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.

[41:34]  ¹⁹⁵¹ tn Heb “appointees.” The noun is a cognate accusative of the preceding verb. Since “appoint appointees” would be redundant in English, the term “officials” was used in the translation instead.

[41:34]  ¹⁹⁵² tn Heb “and he shall collect a fifth of the land of Egypt.” The language is figurative (metonymy); it means what the land produces, i.e., the harvest.

[41:35]  ¹⁹⁵³ tn Heb “all the food.”

[41:35]  ¹⁹⁵⁴ tn Heb “under the hand of Pharaoh.”

[41:35]  ¹⁹⁵⁵ tn Heb “[for] food in the cities.” The noun translated “food” is an adverbial accusative in the sentence.

[41:35]  ¹⁹⁵⁶ tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same force as the sequence of jussives before it.

[41:36]  ¹⁹⁵⁷ tn Heb “and the land will not be cut off in the famine.”

[41:37]  ¹⁹⁵⁸ tn Heb “and the matter was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.”

[41:38]  ¹⁹⁵⁹ tn Heb “like this,” but the referent could be misunderstood to be a man like that described by Joseph in v. 33, rather than Joseph himself. For this reason the proper name “Joseph” has been supplied in the translation.

[41:38]  ¹⁹⁶⁰ tn The rhetorical question expects the answer “No, of course not!”

[41:39]  ¹⁹⁶¹ tn Heb “as discerning and wise.” The order has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:40]  ¹⁹⁶² tn Heb “and at your mouth (i.e., instructions) all my people will kiss.” G. J. Wenham translates this “shall kowtow to your instruction” (Genesis [WBC], 2:395). Although there is some textual support for reading “will be judged, ruled by you,” this is probably an attempt to capture the significance of this word. Wenham lists a number of references where individuals have tried to make connections with other words or expressions – such as a root meaning “order themselves” lying behind “kiss,” or an idiomatic idea of “kiss” meaning “seal the mouth,” and so “be silent and submit to.” See K. A. Kitchen, “The Term Nsq in Genesis 41:40,” ExpTim 69 (1957): 30; D. S. Sperling, “Genesis 41:40: A New Interpretation,” JANESCU 10 (1978): 113-19.

[41:40]  ¹⁹⁶³ tn Heb “only the throne, I will be greater than you.”

[41:41]  ¹⁹⁶⁴ tn The translation assumes that the perfect verbal form is descriptive of a present action. Another option is to understand it as rhetorical, in which case Pharaoh describes a still future action as if it had already occurred in order to emphasize its certainty. In this case one could translate “I have placed” or “I will place.” The verb נָתַן (natan) is translated here as “to place in authority [over].”

[41:41]  ¹⁹⁶⁵ sn Joseph became the grand vizier of the land of Egypt. See W. A. Ward, “The Egyptian Office of Joseph,” JSS 5 (1960): 144-50; and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 129-31.

[41:42]  ¹⁹⁶⁶ tn The Hebrew word שֵׁשׁ (shesh) is an Egyptian loanword that describes the fine linen robes that Egyptian royalty wore. The clothing signified Joseph’s rank.

[41:43]  ¹⁹⁶⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:43]  ¹⁹⁶⁸ tn Heb “and he caused him to ride in the second chariot which was his.”

[41:43]  ¹⁹⁶⁹ tn The verb form appears to be a causative imperative from a verbal root meaning “to kneel.” It is a homonym of the word “bless” (identical in root letters but not related etymologically).

[41:44]  ¹⁹⁷⁰ tn Heb “apart from you.”

[41:44]  ¹⁹⁷¹ tn Heb “no man,” but here “man” is generic, referring to people in general.

[41:44]  ¹⁹⁷² tn The idiom “lift up hand or foot” means “take any action” here.

[41:45]  ¹⁹⁷³ sn The meaning of Joseph’s Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah, is uncertain. Many recent commentators have followed the proposal of G. Steindorff that it means “the god has said, ‘he will live’” (“Der Name Josephs Saphenat-Pa‘neach,” ZÄS 31 [1889]: 41-42); others have suggested “the god speaks and lives” (see BDB 861 s.v. צָפְנָת פַּעְנֵחַ); “the man he knows” (J. Vergote, Joseph en Égypte, 145); or “Joseph [who is called] áIp-àankh” (K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 1262).

[41:45]  ¹⁹⁷⁴ sn The name Asenath may mean “she belongs to the goddess Neit” (see HALOT 74 s.v. אָֽסְנַת). A novel was written at the beginning of the first century entitled Joseph and Asenath, which included a legendary account of the conversion of Asenath to Joseph’s faith in Yahweh. However, all that can be determined from this chapter is that their children received Hebrew names. See also V. Aptowitzer, “Asenath, the Wife of Joseph – a Haggadic Literary-Historical Study,” HUCA 1 (1924): 239-306.

[41:45]  ¹⁹⁷⁵ sn On (also in v. 50) is another name for the city of Heliopolis.

[41:45]  ¹⁹⁷⁶ tn Heb “and he passed through.”

[41:46]  ¹⁹⁷⁷ tn Heb “a son of thirty years.”

[41:46]  ¹⁹⁷⁸ tn Heb “when he stood before.”

[41:46]  ¹⁹⁷⁹ tn Heb “went out from before.”

[41:46]  ¹⁹⁸⁰ tn Heb “and he passed through all the land of Egypt”; this phrase is interpreted by JPS to mean that Joseph “emerged in charge of the whole land.”

[41:47]  ¹⁹⁸¹ tn Heb “brought forth by handfuls.”

[41:48]  ¹⁹⁸² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:48]  ¹⁹⁸³ tn Heb “all the food.”

[41:48]  ¹⁹⁸⁴ tn Heb “of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt and placed food in the cities.”

[41:49]  ¹⁹⁸⁵ tn Heb “and Joseph gathered grain like the sand of the sea, multiplying much.” To emphasize the vast amount of grain he stored up, the Hebrew text modifies the verb “gathered” with an infinitive absolute and an adverb.

[41:50]  ¹⁹⁸⁶ tn Heb “before the year of the famine came.”

[41:50]  ¹⁹⁸⁷ tn Heb “gave birth for him.”

[41:51]  ¹⁹⁸⁸ sn The name Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, mÿnasheh) describes God’s activity on behalf of Joseph, explaining in general the significance of his change of fortune. The name is a Piel participle, suggesting the meaning “he who brings about forgetfulness.” The Hebrew verb נַשַּׁנִי (nashani) may have been used instead of the normal נִשַּׁנִי (nishani) to provide a closer sound play with the name. The giving of this Hebrew name to his son shows that Joseph retained his heritage and faith; and it shows that a brighter future was in store for him.

[41:51]  ¹⁹⁸⁹ tn The word “saying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:51]  ¹⁹⁹⁰ tn Or “for.”

[41:52]  ¹⁹⁹¹ sn The name Ephraim (אֶפְרַיִם, ’efrayim), a form of the Hebrew verb פָּרָה (parah), means “to bear fruit.” The theme of fruitfulness is connected with this line of the family from Rachel (30:2) on down (see Gen 49:22, Deut 33:13-17, and Hos 13:15). But there is some difficulty with the name “Ephraim” itself. It appears to be a dual, for which F. Delitzsch simply said it meant “double fruitfulness” (New Commentary on Genesis, 2:305). G. J. Spurrell suggested it was a diphthongal pronunciation of a name ending in -an or -am, often thought to be dual suffixes (Notes on the text of the book of Genesis, 334). Many, however, simply connect the name to the territory of Ephraim and interpret it to be “fertile land” (C. Fontinoy, “Les noms de lieux en -ayim dans la Bible,” UF 3 [1971]: 33-40). The dual would then be an old locative ending. There is no doubt that the name became attached to the land in which the tribe settled, and it is possible that is where the dual ending came from, but in this story it refers to Joseph’s God-given fruitfulness.

[41:52]  ¹⁹⁹² tn The word “saying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:52]  ¹⁹⁹³ tn Or “for.”

[41:54]  ¹⁹⁹⁴ tn Heb “began to arrive.”

[41:55]  ¹⁹⁹⁵ tn Heb “to all Egypt.” The name of the country is used by metonymy for the inhabitants.

[41:56]  ¹⁹⁹⁶ tn Or “over the entire land”; Heb “over all the face of the earth.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal to the next clause.

[41:56]  ¹⁹⁹⁷ tc The MT reads “he opened all that was in [or “among”] them.” The translation follows the reading of the LXX and Syriac versions.

[41:57]  ¹⁹⁹⁸ tn Heb “all the earth,” which refers here (by metonymy) to the people of the earth. Note that the following verb is plural in form, indicating that the inhabitants of the earth are in view.

[42:1]  ¹⁹⁹⁹ tn Heb “saw.”

[42:1]  ²⁰⁰⁰ tn Heb “Jacob.” Here the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:1]  ²⁰⁰¹ sn Why are you looking at each other? The point of Jacob’s question is that his sons should be going to get grain rather than sitting around doing nothing. Jacob, as the patriarch, still makes the decisions for the whole clan.

[42:2]  ²⁰⁰² tn Heb “and buy for us from there.” The word “grain,” the direct object of “buy,” has been supplied for clarity, and the words “from there” have been omitted in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:2]  ²⁰⁰³ tn Following the imperatives, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav expresses purpose of result.

[42:2]  ²⁰⁰⁴ tn The imperfect tense continues the nuance of the verb before it.

[42:4]  ²⁰⁰⁵ tn Heb “But Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, Jacob did not send with his brothers.” The disjunctive clause highlights the contrast between Benjamin and the other ten.

[42:4]  ²⁰⁰⁶ tn The Hebrew verb אָמַר (’amar, “to say”) could also be translated “thought” (i.e., “he said to himself”) here, giving Jacob’s reasoning rather than spoken words.

[42:4]  ²⁰⁰⁷ tn The Hebrew noun אָסוֹן (’ason) is a rare word meaning “accident, harm.” Apart from its use in these passages it occurs in Exodus 21:22-23 of an accident to a pregnant woman. The term is a rather general one, but Jacob was no doubt thinking of his loss of Joseph.

[42:4]  ²⁰⁰⁸ tn Heb “encounters.”

[42:5]  ²⁰⁰⁹ tn Heb “in the midst of the coming ones.”

[42:6]  ²⁰¹⁰ tn The disjunctive clause either introduces a new episode in the unfolding drama or provides the reader with supplemental information necessary to understanding the story.

[42:6]  ²⁰¹¹ sn Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him. Here is the beginning of the fulfillment of Joseph’s dreams (see Gen 37). But it is not the complete fulfillment, since all his brothers and his parents must come. The point of the dream, of course, was not simply to get the family to bow to Joseph, but that Joseph would be placed in a position of rule and authority to save the family and the world (41:57).

[42:6]  ²⁰¹² tn The word “faces” is an adverbial accusative, so the preposition has been supplied in the translation.

[42:7]  ²⁰¹³ sn But pretended to be a stranger. Joseph intends to test his brothers to see if they have changed and have the integrity to be patriarchs of the tribes of Israel. He will do this by putting them in the same situations that they and he were in before. The first test will be to awaken their conscience.

[42:7]  ²⁰¹⁴ tn Heb “said.”

[42:7]  ²⁰¹⁵ tn The verb is denominative, meaning “to buy grain”; the word “food” could simply be the direct object, but may also be an adverbial accusative.

[42:9]  ²⁰¹⁶ sn You are spies. Joseph wanted to see how his brothers would react if they were accused of spying.

[42:9]  ²⁰¹⁷ tn Heb “to see the nakedness of the land you have come.”

[42:10]  ²⁰¹⁸ tn Heb “and they said to him.” In context this is best understood as an exclamation.

[42:12]  ²⁰¹⁹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘No, for the nakedness of the land you have come to see.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for clarity.

[42:13]  ²⁰²⁰ tn Heb “twelve [were] your servants, brothers [are] we.”

[42:13]  ²⁰²¹ tn Heb “today.”

[42:13]  ²⁰²² tn Heb “and the one is not.”

[42:14]  ²⁰²³ tn Heb “to you, saying.”

[42:15]  ²⁰²⁴ tn Heb “[By] the life of Pharaoh.”

[42:15]  sn As surely as Pharaoh lives. Joseph uses an oath formula to let the brothers know the certainty of what he said. There is some discussion in the commentaries on swearing by the life of Pharaoh, but since the formulation here reflects the Hebrew practice, it would be hard to connect the ideas exactly to Egyptian practices. Joseph did this to make the point in a way that his Hebrew brothers would understand. See M. R. Lehmann, “Biblical Oaths,” ZAW 81 (1969): 74-92.

[42:16]  ²⁰²⁵ tn Heb “send from you one and let him take.” After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose.

[42:16]  ²⁰²⁶ tn The disjunctive clause is here circumstantial-temporal.

[42:16]  ²⁰²⁷ tn Heb “bound.”

[42:16]  ²⁰²⁸ tn The words “to see” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:16]  ²⁰²⁹ tn Heb “the truth [is] with you.”

[42:17]  ²⁰³⁰ sn The same Hebrew word is used for Joseph’s imprisonment in 40:3, 4, 7. There is some mirroring going on in the narrative. The Hebrew word used here (אָסַף, ’asaf, “to gather”) is not normally used in a context like this (for placing someone in prison), but it forms a wordplay on the name Joseph (יוֹסֵף, yosoef) and keeps the comparison working.

[42:18]  ²⁰³¹ tn Heb “Do this.”

[42:18]  ²⁰³² tn After the preceding imperative, the imperative with vav (ו) can, as here, indicate logical sequence.

[42:18]  ²⁰³³ sn For I fear God. Joseph brings God into the picture to awaken his brothers’ consciences. The godly person cares about the welfare of people, whether they live or die. So he will send grain back, but keep one of them in Egypt. This action contrasts with their crime of selling their brother into slavery.

[42:19]  ²⁰³⁴ tn Heb “bound in the house of your prison.”

[42:19]  ²⁰³⁵ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal.

[42:19]  ²⁰³⁶ tn Heb “[for] the hunger of your households.”

[42:20]  ²⁰³⁷ tn The imperfect here has an injunctive force.

[42:20]  ²⁰³⁸ tn After the injunctive imperfect, this imperfect with vav indicates purpose or result.

[42:20]  ²⁰³⁹ tn The Niphal form of the verb has the sense of “to be faithful; to be sure; to be reliable.” Joseph will test his brothers to see if their words are true.

[42:20]  ²⁰⁴⁰ tn Heb “and they did so.”

[42:21]  ²⁰⁴¹ tn Heb “a man to his neighbor.”

[42:21]  ²⁰⁴² tn Or “we are guilty”; the Hebrew word can also refer to the effect of being guilty, i.e., “we are being punished for guilt.”

[42:21]  ²⁰⁴³ tn Heb “the distress of his soul.”

[42:21]  ²⁰⁴⁴ sn The repetition of the Hebrew noun translated distress draws attention to the fact that they regard their present distress as appropriate punishment for their refusal to ignore their brother when he was in distress.

[42:22]  ²⁰⁴⁵ tn Heb “and also his blood, look, it is required.” God requires compensation, as it were, from those who shed innocent blood (see Gen 9:6). In other words, God exacts punishment for the crime of murder.

[42:23]  ²⁰⁴⁶ tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information that is important to the story.

[42:23]  ²⁰⁴⁷ tn “was listening.” The brothers were not aware that Joseph could understand them as they spoke the preceding words in their native language.

[42:23]  ²⁰⁴⁸ tn Heb “for [there was] an interpreter between them.” On the meaning of the word here translated “interpreter” see HALOT 590 s.v. מֵלִיץ and M. A. Canney, “The Hebrew melis (Prov IX 12; Gen XLII 2-3),” AJSL 40 (1923/24): 135-37.

[42:24]  ²⁰⁴⁹ tn Heb “and he turned to them and spoke to them.”

[42:24]  ²⁰⁵⁰ tn Heb “took Simeon.” This was probably done at Joseph’s command, however; the grand vizier of Egypt would not have personally seized a prisoner.

[42:24]  ²⁰⁵¹ tn Heb “and he bound him.” See the note on the preceding verb “taken.”

[42:25]  ²⁰⁵² tn Heb “and they filled.” The clause appears to be elliptical; one expects “Joseph gave orders to fill…and they filled.” See GKC 386 §120.f.

[42:25]  ²⁰⁵³ tn Heb “and he did for them so.” Joseph would appear to be the subject of the singular verb. If the text is retained, the statement seems to be a summary of the preceding, more detailed statement. However, some read the verb as plural, “and they did for them so.” In this case the statement indicates that Joseph’s subordinates carried out his orders. Another alternative is to read the singular verb as passive (with unspecified subject), “and this was done for them so” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).

[42:26]  ²⁰⁵⁴ tn Heb “and they went from there.”

[42:27]  ²⁰⁵⁵ tn Heb “and the one.” The article indicates that the individual is vivid in the mind of the narrator, yet it is not important to identify him by name.

[42:27]  ²⁰⁵⁶ tn Heb “at the lodging place.”

[42:27]  ²⁰⁵⁷ tn Heb “and look, it [was] in the mouth of his sack.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to look through the eyes of the character and thereby draws attention to the money.

[42:28]  ²⁰⁵⁸ tn Heb “and their heart went out.” Since this expression is used only here, the exact meaning is unclear. The following statement suggests that it may refer to a sudden loss of emotional strength, so “They were dismayed” adequately conveys the meaning (cf. NRSV); NIV has “Their hearts sank.”

[42:28]  ²⁰⁵⁹ tn Heb “and they trembled, a man to his neighbor.”

[42:28]  ²⁰⁶⁰ tn Heb “What is this God has done to us?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question.

[42:30]  ²⁰⁶¹ tn Heb “made us.”

[42:30]  ²⁰⁶² tn The words “if we were” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:32]  ²⁰⁶³ tn Heb “twelve [were] we, brothers, sons of our father [are] we.”

[42:32]  ²⁰⁶⁴ tn Heb “the one is not.”

[42:32]  ²⁰⁶⁵ tn Heb “today.”

[42:33]  ²⁰⁶⁶ tn The word “grain” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:34]  ²⁰⁶⁷ tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav indicates purpose/result.

[42:34]  ²⁰⁶⁸ tn Heb “that you are not spies, that you are honest men.”

[42:34]  ²⁰⁶⁹ sn Joseph’s brothers soften the news considerably, making it sound like Simeon was a guest of Joseph (Leave one of your brothers with me) instead of being bound in prison. They do not mention the threat of death and do not at this time speak of the money in the one sack.

[42:36]  ²⁰⁷⁰ tn Heb “is not.”

[42:36]  ²⁰⁷¹ tn Heb “is not.”

[42:36]  ²⁰⁷² tn The nuance of the imperfect verbal form is desiderative here.

[42:37]  ²⁰⁷³ tn The nuance of the imperfect verbal form is permissive here.

[42:37]  ²⁰⁷⁴ tn Heb “my hand.”

[42:38]  ²⁰⁷⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[42:38]  ²⁰⁷⁶ sn The expression he alone is left meant that (so far as Jacob knew) Benjamin was the only surviving child of his mother Rachel.

[42:38]  ²⁰⁷⁷ sn The expression bring down my gray hair is figurative, using a part for the whole – they would put Jacob in the grave. But the gray head signifies a long life of worry and trouble.

[42:38]  ²⁰⁷⁸ tn Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.

[43:1]  ²⁰⁷⁹ tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that is important to the storyline.

[43:3]  ²⁰⁸⁰ tn The infinitive absolute with the finite verb stresses the point. The primary meaning of the verb is “to witness; to testify.” It alludes to Joseph’s oath, which was tantamount to a threat or warning.

[43:3]  ²⁰⁸¹ tn The idiom “see my face” means “have an audience with me.”

[43:4]  ²⁰⁸² tn Heb “if there is you sending,” that is, “if you send.”

[43:6]  ²⁰⁸³ tn The verb may even have a moral connotation here, “Why did you do evil to me?”

[43:6]  ²⁰⁸⁴ tn The infinitive construct here explains how they brought trouble on Jacob.

[43:7]  ²⁰⁸⁵ tn The word “us” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[43:7]  ²⁰⁸⁶ tn The infinitive absolute with the perfect verbal form emphasizes that Joseph questioned them thoroughly.

[43:7]  ²⁰⁸⁷ sn The report given here concerning Joseph’s interrogation does not exactly match the previous account where they supplied the information to clear themselves (see 42:13). This section may reflect how they remembered the impact of his interrogation, whether he asked the specific questions or not. That may be twisting the truth to protect themselves, not wanting to admit that they volunteered the information. (They admitted as much in 42:31, but now they seem to be qualifying that comment.) On the other hand, when speaking to Joseph later (see 44:19), Judah claims that Joseph asked for the information about their family, making it possible that 42:13 leaves out some of the details of their first encounter.

[43:7]  ²⁰⁸⁸ tn Heb “and we told to him according to these words.”

[43:7]  ²⁰⁸⁹ tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the imperfect verbal form, which here is a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of a past time).

[43:7]  ²⁰⁹⁰ tn Once again the imperfect verbal form is used as a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of past time).

[43:8]  ²⁰⁹¹ tn Heb “and we will rise up and we will go.” The first verb is adverbial and gives the expression the sense of “we will go immediately.”

[43:8]  ²⁰⁹² tn After the preceding cohortatives, the prefixed verbal form (either imperfect or cohortative) with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or result.

[43:9]  ²⁰⁹³ tn The pronoun before the first person verbal form draws attention to the subject and emphasizes Judah’s willingness to be personally responsible for the boy.

[43:9]  ²⁰⁹⁴ sn I will bear the blame before you all my life. It is not clear how this would work out if Benjamin did not come back. But Judah is offering his life for Benjamin’s if Benjamin does not return.

[43:10]  ²⁰⁹⁵ tn Heb “we could have returned.”

[43:12]  ²⁰⁹⁶ tn Heb “in your hand.”

[43:12]  ²⁰⁹⁷ tn Heb “take back in your hand.” The imperfect verbal form probably has an injunctive or obligatory force here, since Jacob is instructing his sons.

[43:13]  ²⁰⁹⁸ tn Heb “arise, return,” meaning “get up and go back,” or “go back immediately.”

[43:13]  ²⁰⁹⁹ sn The man refers to the Egyptian official, whom the reader or hearer of the narrative knows is Joseph. In this context both the sons and Jacob refer to him simply as “the man” (see vv. 3-7).

[43:14]  ²¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[43:14]  ²¹⁰¹ tn Heb “release to you.” After the jussive this perfect verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) probably indicates logical consequence, as well as temporal sequence.

[43:14]  ²¹⁰² sn Several Jewish commentators suggest that the expression your other brother refers to Joseph. This would mean that Jacob prophesied unwittingly. However, it is much more likely that Simeon is the referent of the phrase “your other brother” (see Gen 42:24).

[43:14]  ²¹⁰³ tn Heb “if I am bereaved I am bereaved.” With this fatalistic sounding statement Jacob resolves himself to the possibility of losing both Benjamin and Simeon.

[43:15]  ²¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “they arose and went down to Egypt.” The first verb has an adverbial function and emphasizes that they departed right away.

[43:17]  ²¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “the man.” This has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “he” for stylistic reasons.

[43:17]  ²¹⁰⁶ sn This verse is a summary statement. The next verses delineate intermediate steps (see v. 24) in the process.

[43:18]  ²¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “over the matter of.”

[43:18]  ²¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “in the beginning,” that is, at the end of their first visit.

[43:18]  ²¹⁰⁹ 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.

[43:18]  ²¹¹⁰ tn The word “take” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[43:20]  ²¹¹¹ tn The infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the finite verbal form.

[43:20]  ²¹¹² tn Heb “in the beginning” (see the note on the phrase “last time” in v. 18).

[43:21]  ²¹¹³ tn Heb “in its weight.”

[43:21]  ²¹¹⁴ tn Heb “brought it back in our hand.”

[43:23]  ²¹¹⁵ tn Heb “and he said, ‘peace to you.’” Here the statement has the force of “everything is fine,” or perhaps even “calm down.” The referent of “he” (the man in charge of Joseph’ household) 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.

[43:23]  ²¹¹⁶ sn Your God and the God of your father…This is the first clear reference in the story to the theme of divine providence – that God works through the human actions to do his will.

[43:23]  ²¹¹⁷ tn Heb “your money came to me.”

[43:24]  ²¹¹⁸ tn Heb “the man.”

[43:25]  ²¹¹⁹ tn The construction uses the infinitive construct after the preposition, followed by the subjective genitive.

[43:25]  ²¹²⁰ tn The action precedes the action of preparing the gift, and so must be translated as past perfect.

[43:25]  ²¹²¹ tn Heb “eat bread.” The imperfect verbal form is used here as a historic future (future from the perspective of the past).

[43:26]  ²¹²² tn Heb “into the house.”

[43:27]  ²¹²³ tn Heb “concerning peace.”

[43:28]  ²¹²⁴ tn Heb “and they bowed low and they bowed down.” The use of synonyms here emphasizes the brothers’ humility.

[43:29]  ²¹²⁵ tn Heb “and he lifted his eyes.” The referent of “he” (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[43:29]  ²¹²⁶ sn Joseph’s language here becomes warmer and more personal, culminating in calling Benjamin my son.

[43:30]  ²¹²⁷ tn Heb “for his affection boiled up concerning his brother.” The same expression is used in 1 Kgs 3:26 for the mother’s feelings for her endangered child.

[43:30]  ²¹²⁸ tn Heb “and he sought to weep.”

[43:31]  ²¹²⁹ tn Heb “and he controlled himself and said.”

[43:32]  ²¹³⁰ tn Heb “them”; the referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[43:32]  ²¹³¹ tn Or “disgraceful.” The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “abomination”) describes something that is loathsome or off-limits. For other practices the Egyptians considered disgusting, see Gen 46:34 and Exod 8:22.

[43:32]  ²¹³² tn Heb “and they set for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, for the Egyptians are not able to eat food with the Hebrews, for it is an abomination for the Egyptians.” The imperfect verbal form in the explanatory clause is taken as habitual in force, indicating a practice that was still in effect in the narrator’s time.

[43:32]  sn That the Egyptians found eating with foreigners disgusting is well-attested in extra-biblical literature by writers like Herodotus, Diodorus, and Strabo.

[43:33]  ²¹³³ tn Heb “the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth.”

[43:33]  ²¹³⁴ sn The brothers’ astonishment indicates that Joseph arranged them in this way. They were astonished because there was no way, as far as they were concerned, that Joseph could have known the order of their birth.

[43:34]  ²¹³⁵ tn Heb “and he lifted up portions from before his face to them.”

[43:34]  ²¹³⁶ tn Heb “and they drank and were intoxicated with him” (cf. NIV “drank freely with him”; NEB “grew merry”; NRSV “were merry”). The brothers were apparently relaxed and set at ease, despite Joseph’s obvious favoritism toward Benjamin.

[44:2]  ²¹³⁷ tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express Joseph’s instructions.

[44:2]  ²¹³⁸ tn Heb “and he did according to the word of Joseph which he spoke.”

[44:3]  ²¹³⁹ tn Heb “the morning was light.”

[44:3]  ²¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “and the men were sent off, they and their donkeys.” This clause, like the preceding one, has the subject before the verb, indicating synchronic action.

[44:4]  ²¹⁴¹ tn Heb “they left the city, they were not far,” meaning “they had not gone very far.”

[44:4]  ²¹⁴² tn Heb “and Joseph said.” This clause, like the first one in the verse, has the subject before the verb, indicating synchronic action.

[44:4]  ²¹⁴³ tn Heb “arise, chase after the men.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.

[44:4]  ²¹⁴⁴ tn After the imperative this perfect verbal form with vav consecutive has the same nuance of instruction. In the translation it is subordinated to the verbal form that follows (also a perfect with vav consecutive): “and overtake them and say,” becomes “when you overtake them, say.”

[44:5]  ²¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “Is this not what my master drinks from.” The word “cup” is not in the Hebrew text, but is obviously the referent of “this,” and so has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[44:5]  ²¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “and he, divining, divines with it.” The infinitive absolute is emphatic, stressing the importance of the cup to Joseph.

[44:5]  ²¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “you have caused to be evil what you have done.”

[44:6]  ²¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[44:7]  ²¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “Why does my lord speak according to these words?”

[44:7]  ²¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “according to this thing.”

[44:9]  ²¹⁵¹ tn Heb “The one with whom it is found from your servants.” Here “your servants” (a deferential way of referring to the brothers themselves) has been translated by the pronoun “us” to avoid confusion with Joseph’s servants.

[44:10]  ²¹⁵² tn Heb “Also now, according to your words, so it is.” As the next statement indicates, this does mean that he will do exactly as they say. He does agree with them the culprit should be punished, but not as harshly as they suggest. Furthermore, the innocent parties will not be punished.

[44:10]  ²¹⁵³ tn Heb “The one with whom it is found will become my slave.”

[44:10]  ²¹⁵⁴ tn The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[44:10]  ²¹⁵⁵ tn The Hebrew word נָקִי (naqi) means “acquitted,” that is, free of guilt and the responsibility for it.

[44:10]  sn The rest of you will be free. Joseph’s purpose was to single out Benjamin to see if the brothers would abandon him as they had abandoned Joseph. He wanted to see if they had changed.

[44:11]  ²¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “and they hurried and they lowered.” Their speed in doing this shows their presumption of innocence.

[44:12]  ²¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[44:14]  ²¹⁵⁸ sn Judah and his brothers. The narrative is already beginning to bring Judah to the forefront.

[44:14]  ²¹⁵⁹ tn The disjunctive clause here provides supplemental information.

[44:15]  ²¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “What is this deed you have done?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question. A literal translation seems to contradict the following statement, in which Joseph affirms that he is able to divine such matters. Thus here the emotive force of the question has been reflected in the translation, “What did you think you were doing?”

[44:15]  ²¹⁶¹ tn Heb “[is] fully able to divine,” meaning that he can find things out by divination. The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis, stressing his ability to do this.

[44:16]  ²¹⁶² tn The imperfect verbal form here indicates the subject’s potential.

[44:16]  ²¹⁶³ tn The Hitpael form of the verb צָדֵק (tsadeq) here means “to prove ourselves just, to declare ourselves righteous, to prove our innocence.”

[44:16]  ²¹⁶⁴ sn God has exposed the sin of your servants. The first three questions are rhetorical; Judah is stating that there is nothing they can say to clear themselves. He therefore must conclude that they have been found guilty.

[44:17]  ²¹⁶⁵ tn The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[44:17]  ²¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “up” (reflecting directions from their point of view – “up” to Canaan; “down” to Egypt).

[44:18]  ²¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “Please my lord, let your servant speak a word into the ears of my lord.”

[44:18]  ²¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “and let not your anger burn against your servant.”

[44:18]  ²¹⁶⁹ sn You are just like Pharaoh. Judah’s speech begins with the fear and trembling of one who stands condemned. Joseph has as much power as Pharaoh, either to condemn or to pardon. Judah will make his appeal, wording his speech in such a way as to appeal to Joseph’s compassion for the father, whom he mentions no less than fourteen times in the speech.

[44:20]  ²¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “and a small boy of old age,” meaning that he was born when his father was elderly.

[44:20]  ²¹⁷¹ tn Heb “his”; the referent (the boy just mentioned) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[44:20]  ²¹⁷² tn Heb “he, only he, to his mother is left.”

[44:21]  ²¹⁷³ tn The cohortative after the imperative indicates purpose here.

[44:21]  ²¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “that I may set my eyes upon him.”

[44:22]  ²¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the boy’s father, i.e., Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[44:22]  ²¹⁷⁶ tn The last two verbs are perfect tenses with vav consecutive. The first is subordinated to the second as a conditional clause.

[44:26]  ²¹⁷⁷ tn The direct object is not specified in the Hebrew text, but is implied; “there” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[44:26]  ²¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “go down.”

[44:27]  ²¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “that two sons my wife bore to me.”

[44:28]  ²¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “went forth from me.”

[44:29]  ²¹⁸¹ tn The construction uses a perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive to introduce the conditional clause and then another perfect verbal form with a vav consecutive to complete the sentence: “if you take…then you will bring down.”

[44:29]  ²¹⁸² sn The expression bring down my gray hair is figurative, using a part for the whole – they would put Jacob in the grave. But the gray head signifies a long life of worry and trouble. See Gen 42:38.

[44:29]  ²¹⁸³ tn Heb “evil/calamity.” The term is different than the one used in the otherwise identical statement recorded in v. 31 (see also 42:38).

[44:29]  ²¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.

[44:30]  ²¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “his life is bound up in his life.”

[44:31]  ²¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “when he sees that there is no boy.”

[44:32]  ²¹⁸⁷ tn Or “for.”

[44:34]  ²¹⁸⁸ tn The Hebrew text has “lest I see,” which expresses a negative purpose – “I cannot go up lest I see.”

[44:34]  ²¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “the calamity which would find my father.”

[45:1]  ²¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “all the ones standing beside him.”

[45:1]  ²¹⁹¹ tn Heb “stood.”

[45:2]  ²¹⁹² tn Heb “and he gave his voice in weeping,” meaning that Joseph could not restrain himself and wept out loud.

[45:2]  ²¹⁹³ tn Heb “and the Egyptians heard and the household of Pharaoh heard.” Presumably in the latter case this was by means of a report.

[45:5]  ²¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “let there not be anger in your eyes.”

[45:5]  ²¹⁹⁵ sn You sold me here, for God sent me. The tension remains as to how the brothers’ wickedness and God’s intentions work together. Clearly God is able to transform the actions of wickedness to bring about some gracious end. But this is saying more than that; it is saying that from the beginning it was God who sent Joseph here. Although harmonization of these ideas remains humanly impossible, the divine intention is what should be the focus. Only that will enable reconciliation.

[45:6]  ²¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “the famine [has been] in the midst of.”

[45:7]  ²¹⁹⁷ sn God sent me. The repetition of this theme that God sent Joseph is reminiscent of commission narratives in which the leader could announce that God sent him (e.g., Exod 3:15).

[45:7]  ²¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “to make you a remnant.” The verb, followed here by the preposition לְ (lÿ), means “to make.”

[45:7]  ²¹⁹⁹ tn The infinitive gives a second purpose for God’s action.

[45:8]  ²²⁰⁰ tn Heb “a father.” The term is used here figuratively of one who gives advice, as a father would to his children.

[45:9]  ²²⁰¹ tn Heb “hurry and go up.”

[45:10]  ²²⁰² tn The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive here expresses instruction.

[45:11]  ²²⁰³ tn The verb כּוּל (kul) in the Pilpel stem means “to nourish, to support, to sustain.” As in 1 Kgs 20:27, it here means “to supply with food.”

[45:12]  ²²⁰⁴ tn Heb “And, look, your eyes see and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that my mouth is the one speaking to you.”

[45:13]  ²²⁰⁵ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive here expresses instruction.

[45:13]  ²²⁰⁶ tn Heb “and hurry and bring down my father to here.”

[45:16]  ²²⁰⁷ tn Heb “and the sound was heard.”

[45:16]  ²²⁰⁸ tn Heb “was good in the eyes of.”

[45:17]  ²²⁰⁹ tn Heb “and go! Enter!”

[45:18]  ²²¹⁰ tn After the imperatives in vv. 17-18a, the cohortative with vav indicates result.

[45:18]  ²²¹¹ tn After the cohortative the imperative with vav states the ultimate goal.

[45:18]  ²²¹² tn Heb “fat.”

[45:19]  ²²¹³ tn The words “to say” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[45:20]  ²²¹⁴ tn Heb “let not your eye regard.”

[45:21]  ²²¹⁵ tn Heb “and the sons of Israel did so.”

[45:21]  ²²¹⁶ tn Heb “according to the mouth of Pharaoh.”

[45:22]  ²²¹⁷ tn Heb “to all of them he gave, to each one, changes of outer garments.”

[45:22]  ²²¹⁸ tn Heb “changes of outer garments.”

[45:23]  ²²¹⁹ tn Heb “according to this.”

[45:24]  ²²²⁰ tn Heb “do not be stirred up in the way.” The verb means “stir up.” Some understand the Hebrew verb רָגָז (ragaz, “to stir up”) as a reference to quarreling (see Prov 29:9, where it has this connotation), but in Exod 15:14 and other passages it means “to fear.” This might refer to a fear of robbers, but more likely it is an assuring word that they need not be fearful about returning to Egypt. They might have thought that once Jacob was in Egypt, Joseph would take his revenge on them.

[45:25]  ²²²¹ tn Heb “and they entered the land of Canaan to their father.”

[45:26]  ²²²² tn Heb “and his heart was numb.” Jacob was stunned by the unbelievable news and was unable to respond.

[45:27]  ²²²³ tn Heb “and they spoke to him all the words of Joseph which he had spoke to them.”

[46:1]  ²²²⁴ tn Heb “and Israel journeyed, and all that was his.”

[46:1]  ²²²⁵ sn Beer Sheba. See Gen 21:31; 28:10.

[46:2]  ²²²⁶ tn Heb “in visions of the night.” The plural form has the singular meaning, probably as a plural of intensity.

[46:3]  ²²²⁷ tn Heb “the God.”

[46:4]  ²²²⁸ tn Heb “and I, I will bring you up, also bringing up.” The independent personal pronoun before the first person imperfect verbal form draws attention to the speaker/subject, while the infinitive absolute after the imperfect strongly emphasizes the statement: “I myself will certainly bring you up.”

[46:4]  ²²²⁹ tn Heb “and Joseph will put his hand upon your eyes.” This is a promise of peaceful death in Egypt with Joseph present to close his eyes.

[46:5]  ²²³⁰ tn Heb “arose.”

[46:6]  ²²³¹ tn Heb “and they took their livestock and their possessions which they had acquired in the land of Canaan and they went to Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[46:7]  ²²³² tn The Hebrew text adds “with him” here. This is omitted in the translation because it is redundant in English style (note the same phrase earlier in the verse).

[46:13]  ²²³³ tc The MT reads “Puvah” (cf. Num 26:23); the Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac read “Puah” (cf. 1 Chr 7:1).

[46:13]  ²²³⁴ tc The MT reads “Iob,” but the Samaritan Pentateuch and some LXX mss read “Jashub” (see Num 26:24; 1 Chr 7:1).

[46:15]  ²²³⁵ tn Heb “all the lives of his sons and his daughters, thirty-three.”

[46:16]  ²²³⁶ tc The MT reads “Ziphion,” but see Num 26:15, the Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX, all of which read “Zephon.”

[46:20]  ²²³⁷ sn On is another name for the city of Heliopolis.

[46:21]  ²²³⁸ sn The sons of Benjamin. It is questionable whether youthful Benjamin had ten sons by the time he went into Egypt, but it is not impossible. If Benjamin was born when Joseph was six or seven, he was ten when Joseph was sold into Egypt, and would have been thirty-two at this point. Some suggest that the list originally served another purpose and included the names of all who were in the immediate family of the sons, whether born in Canaan or later in Egypt.

[46:23]  ²²³⁹ tn This name appears as “Shuham” in Num 26:42. The LXX reads “Hashum” here.

[46:26]  ²²⁴⁰ tn Heb “All the people who went with Jacob to Egypt, the ones who came out of his body, apart from the wives of the sons of Jacob, all the people were sixty-six.”

[46:26]  sn The number sixty-six includes the seventy-one descendants (including Dinah) listed in vv. 8-25 minus Er and Onan (deceased), and Joseph, Manasseh, and Ephraim (already in Egypt).

[46:27]  ²²⁴¹ tn The LXX reads “nine sons,” probably counting the grandsons of Joseph born to Ephraim and Manasseh (cf. 1 Chr 7:14-20).

[46:27]  ²²⁴² tn Heb “And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two people; all the people belonging to the house of Jacob who came to Egypt were seventy.”

[46:27]  sn The number seventy includes Jacob himself and the seventy-one descendants (including Dinah, Joseph, Manasseh, and Ephraim) listed in vv. 8-25, minus Er and Onan (deceased). The LXX gives the number as “seventy-five” (cf. Acts 7:14).

[46:28]  ²²⁴³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[46:28]  ²²⁴⁴ tn Heb “to direct before him to Goshen.”

[46:29]  ²²⁴⁵ tn Heb “and he appeared to him.”

[46:30]  ²²⁴⁶ tn Heb “after my seeing your face that you are still alive.”

[46:31]  ²²⁴⁷ tn Heb “tell Pharaoh and say to him.”

[46:32]  ²²⁴⁸ tn Heb “feeders of sheep.”

[46:32]  ²²⁴⁹ tn Heb “for men of livestock they are.”

[46:34]  ²²⁵⁰ tn Heb “your servants are men of cattle.”

[46:34]  ²²⁵¹ sn So that you may live in the land of Goshen. Joseph is apparently trying to stress to Pharaoh that his family is self-sufficient, that they will not be a drain on the economy of Egypt. But they will need land for their animals and so Goshen, located on the edge of Egypt, would be a suitable place for them to live. The settled Egyptians were uneasy with nomadic people, but if Jacob and his family settled in Goshen they would represent no threat.

[46:34]  ²²⁵² tn Heb “is an abomination.” The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “abomination”) describes something that is loathsome or off-limits. For other practices the Egyptians considered disgusting, see Gen 43:32 and Exod 8:22.

[47:1]  ²²⁵³ tn Heb “Look they [are] in the land of Goshen.” Joseph draws attention to the fact of their presence in Goshen.

[47:2]  ²²⁵⁴ tn Heb “and from the whole of his brothers he took five men and presented them before Pharaoh.”

[47:3]  ²²⁵⁵ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[47:3]  ²²⁵⁶ tn Heb “both we and our fathers.”

[47:4]  ²²⁵⁷ tn Heb “to sojourn.”

[47:4]  ²²⁵⁸ tn Heb “for there.” The Hebrew uses a causal particle to connect what follows with what precedes. The translation divides the statement into two sentences for stylistic reasons.

[47:6]  ²²⁵⁹ tn Heb “men of skill.”

[47:6]  ²²⁶⁰ tn Heb “make them rulers.”

[47:6]  sn Put them in charge of my livestock. Pharaoh is, in effect, offering Joseph’s brothers jobs as royal keepers of livestock, a position mentioned often in Egyptian inscriptions, because the Pharaohs owned huge herds of cattle.

[47:7]  ²²⁶¹ tn Heb “caused him to stand.”

[47:7]  ²²⁶² sn The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb translated “blessed” is difficult in this passage, because the content of Jacob’s blessing is not given. The expression could simply mean that he greeted Pharaoh, but that seems insufficient in this setting. Jacob probably praised Pharaoh, for the verb is used this way for praising God. It is also possible that he pronounced a formal prayer of blessing, asking God to reward Pharaoh for his kindness.

[47:8]  ²²⁶³ tn Heb “How many are the days of the years of your life?”

[47:9]  ²²⁶⁴ tn Heb “the days of.”

[47:9]  ²²⁶⁵ tn Heb “sojournings.” Jacob uses a term that depicts him as one who has lived an unsettled life, temporarily residing in many different places.

[47:9]  ²²⁶⁶ tn Heb “the days of.”

[47:9]  ²²⁶⁷ tn The Hebrew word רַע (ra’) can sometimes mean “evil,” but that would give the wrong connotation here, where it refers to pain, difficulty, and sorrow. Jacob is thinking back through all the troubles he had to endure to get to this point.

[47:9]  ²²⁶⁸ tn Heb “and they have not reached the days of the years of my fathers in the days of their sojournings.”

[47:10]  ²²⁶⁹ tn Heb “from before Pharaoh.”

[47:11]  ²²⁷⁰ tn Heb “a possession,” or “a holding.” Joseph gave them a plot of land with rights of ownership in the land of Goshen.

[47:11]  ²²⁷¹ sn The land of Rameses is another designation for the region of Goshen. It is named Rameses because of a city in that region (Exod 1:11; 12:37). The use of this name may represent a modernization of the text for the understanding of the intended readers, substituting a later name for an earlier one. Alternatively, there may have been an earlier Rameses for which the region was named.

[47:13]  ²²⁷² tn The verb לַהַה (lahah, = לָאָה, la’ah) means “to faint, to languish”; it figuratively describes the land as wasting away, drooping, being worn out.

[47:14]  ²²⁷³ tn Or “in exchange.” On the use of the preposition here see BDB 90 s.v. בְּ.

[47:14]  ²²⁷⁴ tn Heb “house.”

[47:15]  ²²⁷⁵ tn Heb “all Egypt.” The expression is a metonymy and refers to all the people of Egypt.

[47:15]  ²²⁷⁶ tn The imperfect verbal form has a deliberative force here.

[47:16]  ²²⁷⁷ tn The word “food” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[47:16]  ²²⁷⁸ tn On the use of the preposition here see BDB 90 s.v. בְּ.

[47:17]  ²²⁷⁹ tn The definite article is translated here as a possessive pronoun.

[47:18]  ²²⁸⁰ tn Heb “my.” The expression “my lord” occurs twice more in this verse.

[47:19]  ²²⁸¹ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates consequence.

[47:19]  ²²⁸² sn Pharaoh’s slaves. The idea of slavery is not attractive to the modern mind, but in the ancient world it was the primary way of dealing with the poor and destitute. If the people became slaves of Pharaoh, it was Pharaoh’s responsibility to feed them and care for them. It was the best way for them to survive the famine.

[47:19]  ²²⁸³ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates purpose or result.

[47:19]  ²²⁸⁴ tn The disjunctive clause structure (vav [ו] + subject + negated verb) highlights the statement and brings their argument to a conclusion.

[47:20]  ²²⁸⁵ tn The Hebrew text connects this clause with the preceding one with a causal particle (כִּי, ki). The translation divides the clauses into two sentences for stylistic reasons.

[47:20]  ²²⁸⁶ tn The Hebrew text adds “upon them.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[47:21]  ²²⁸⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[47:21]  ²²⁸⁸ tc The MT reads “and the people he removed to the cities,” which does not make a lot of sense in this context. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX read “he enslaved them as slaves.”

[47:23]  ²²⁸⁹ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive is equivalent to a command here.

[47:24]  ²²⁹⁰ tn The words “the crop” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[47:24]  ²²⁹¹ tn The perfect form with the vav (ו) consecutive is equivalent to an imperfect of instruction here.

[47:24]  ²²⁹² tn Heb “four parts.”

[47:25]  ²²⁹³ tn Heb “we find favor in the eyes of my lord.” Some interpret this as a request, “may we find favor in the eyes of my lord.”

[47:25]  ²²⁹⁴ sn Slaves. See the note on this word in v. 21.

[47:26]  ²²⁹⁵ tn On the term translated “statute” see P. Victor, “A Note on Hoq in the Old Testament,” VT 16 (1966): 358-61.

[47:26]  ²²⁹⁶ tn The words “which is in effect” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[47:28]  ²²⁹⁷ tn Heb “the days of the years.”

[47:29]  ²²⁹⁸ tn Heb “days.”

[47:29]  ²²⁹⁹ sn On the expression put your hand under my thigh see Gen 24:2.

[47:29]  ²³⁰⁰ tn Or “deal with me in faithful love.”

[47:30]  ²³⁰¹ tn Heb “lie down.” Here the expression “lie down” refers to death.

[47:30]  ²³⁰² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[47:31]  ²³⁰³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[47:31]  ²³⁰⁴ tn Heb “swear on oath to me.” The words “that you will do so” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[47:31]  ²³⁰⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[47:31]  ²³⁰⁶ tn Heb “swore on oath to him.”

[47:31]  ²³⁰⁷ sn The Hebrew verb normally means “bow down,” especially in worship or prayer. Here it might simply mean “bend low,” perhaps from weakness or approaching death. The narrative is ambiguous at this point and remains open to all these interpretations.

[47:31]  ²³⁰⁸ tc The MT reads מִטָּה (mittah, “bed, couch”). The LXX reads the word as מַטֶּה (matteh, “staff, rod”) and interprets this to mean that Jacob bowed down in worship while leaning on the top of his staff. The LXX reading was used in turn by the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 11:21).

[48:1]  ²³⁰⁹ tn Heb “and one said.” With no expressed subject in the Hebrew text, the verb can be translated with the passive voice.

[48:2]  ²³¹⁰ tn Heb “and one told and said.” The verbs have no expressed subject and can be translated with the passive voice.

[48:2]  ²³¹¹ tn Heb “Look, your son Joseph.”

[48:3]  ²³¹² tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[48:4]  ²³¹³ tn Heb “Look, I am making you fruitful.” The participle following הִנֵּה (hinneh) has the nuance of a certain and often imminent future.

[48:4]  ²³¹⁴ tn The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the certain future idea.

[48:4]  ²³¹⁵ tn The Hebrew text adds “after you,” which has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[48:4]  ²³¹⁶ tn The Hebrew word אֲחֻזָּה (’akhuzzah), translated “possession,” describes a permanent holding in the land. It is the noun form of the same verb (אָחַז, ’akhaz) that was used for the land given to them in Goshen (Gen 47:27).

[48:5]  ²³¹⁷ sn They will be mine. Jacob is here adopting his two grandsons Manasseh and Ephraim as his sons, and so they will have equal share with the other brothers. They will be in the place of Joseph and Levi (who will become a priestly tribe) in the settlement of the land. See I. Mendelsohn, “A Ugaritic Parallel to the Adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh,” IEJ (1959): 180-83.

[48:6]  ²³¹⁸ tn Or “you fathered.”

[48:6]  ²³¹⁹ tn Heb “called” or “named.”

[48:6]  ²³²⁰ sn Listed under the names of their brothers in their inheritance. This means that any subsequent children of Joseph will be incorporated into the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.

[48:7]  ²³²¹ tn Heb “upon me, against me,” which might mean something like “to my sorrow.”

[48:7]  ²³²² map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[48:9]  ²³²³ tn Heb “my.”

[48:9]  ²³²⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:9]  ²³²⁵ tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the imperative.

[48:10]  ²³²⁶ tn Heb “heavy.”

[48:10]  sn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information that is important to the story. The weakness of Israel’s sight is one of several connections between this chapter and Gen 27. Here there are two sons, and it appears that the younger is being blessed over the older by a blind old man. While it was by Jacob’s deception in chap. 27, here it is with Jacob’s full knowledge.

[48:10]  ²³²⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:10]  ²³²⁸ tn Heb “them”; the referent (Joseph’s sons) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:10]  ²³²⁹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:11]  ²³³⁰ tn On the meaning of the Hebrew verb פָּלַל (palal) here, see E. A. Speiser, “The Stem pll in Hebrew,” JBL 82 (1963): 301-6. Speiser argues that this verb means “to estimate” as in Exod 21:22.

[48:11]  ²³³¹ tn Heb “your face.”

[48:11]  ²³³² tn Heb “offspring.”

[48:12]  ²³³³ tn Heb “and Joseph brought them out from with his knees.” The two boys had probably been standing by Israel’s knees when being adopted and blessed. The referent of the pronoun “his” (Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:13]  ²³³⁴ tn Heb “and Joseph took the two of them.”

[48:13]  ²³³⁵ tn Heb “and he brought near to him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” and “him” (Joseph and his father respectively) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:14]  ²³³⁶ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-concessive here.

[48:15]  ²³³⁷ tn Heb “shepherded me.” The verb has been translated as an English noun for stylistic reasons.

[48:16]  ²³³⁸ sn The Samaritan Pentateuch reads “king” here, but the traditional reading (“angel”) may be maintained. Jacob closely associates God with an angelic protective presence. This does not mean that Jacob viewed his God as a mere angel, but it does suggest that he was aware of an angelic presence sent by God to protect him. Here he so closely associates the two that they become virtually indistinguishable. In this culture messengers typically carried the authority of the one who sent them and could even be addressed as such. Perhaps Jacob thought that the divine blessing would be mediated through this angelic messenger.

[48:16]  ²³³⁹ tn The verb גָּאַל (ga’al) has the basic idea of “protect” as a near relative might do. It is used for buying someone out of bondage, marrying a deceased brother’s widow, paying off debts, avenging the family, and the like. The meanings of “deliver, protect, avenge” are most fitting when God is the subject (see A. R. Johnson, “The Primary Meaning of √גאל,” Congress Volume: Copenhagen, 1953 [VTSup], 67-77).

[48:16]  ²³⁴⁰ tn Or “be recalled through them.”

[48:17]  ²³⁴¹ tn Heb “it was bad in his eyes.”

[48:19]  ²³⁴² tn Heb “fullness.”

[48:20]  ²³⁴³ tn The pronoun is singular in the Hebrew text, apparently elevating Ephraim as the more prominent of the two. Note, however, that both are named in the blessing formula that follows.

[48:20]  ²³⁴⁴ tn Or “pronounce a blessing.”

[48:20]  ²³⁴⁵ sn On the elevation of Ephraim over Manasseh see E. C. Kingsbury, “He Set Ephraim Before Manasseh,” HUCA 38 (1967): 129-36; H. Mowvley, “The Concept and Content of ‘Blessing’ in the Old Testament,” BT 16 (1965): 74-80; and I. Mendelsohn, “On the Preferential Status of the Eldest Son,” BASOR 156 (1959): 38-40.

[48:21]  ²³⁴⁶ tn The pronouns translated “you,” “you,” and “your” in this verse are plural in the Hebrew text.

[48:22]  ²³⁴⁷ tn The pronouns translated “your” and “you” in this verse are singular in the Hebrew text.

[48:22]  ²³⁴⁸ 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).

[49:1]  ²³⁴⁹ tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.

[49:1]  ²³⁵⁰ tn The expression “in the future” (אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים, ’akharit hayyamim, “in the end of days”) is found most frequently in prophetic passages; it may refer to the end of the age, the eschaton, or to the distant future. The contents of some of the sayings in this chapter stretch from the immediate circumstances to the time of the settlement in the land to the coming of Messiah. There is a great deal of literature on this chapter, including among others C. Armerding, “The Last Words of Jacob: Genesis 49,” BSac 112 (1955): 320-28; H. Pehlke, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Genesis 49:1-28” (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1985); and B. Vawter, “The Canaanite Background of Genesis 49,” CBQ 17 (1955): 1-18.

[49:4]  ²³⁵¹ tn The Hebrew noun פַּחַז (pakhaz) only occurs here in the OT. A related verb occurs twice in the prophets (Jer 23:32; Zeph 3:4) for false prophets inventing their messages, and once in Judges for unscrupulous men bribed to murder (Judg 9:4). It would describe Reuben as being “frothy, boiling, turbulent” as water. The LXX has “run riot,” the Vulgate has “poured out,” and Tg. Onq. has “you followed your own direction.” It is a reference to Reuben’s misconduct in Gen 35, but the simile and the rare word invite some speculation. H. Pehlke suggests “destructive like water,” for Reuben acted with pride and presumption; see his “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Genesis 49:1-28” (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1985).

[49:4]  ²³⁵² tn Heb “Do not excel!” The Hiphil of the verb יָתַר (yatar) has this meaning only here. The negated jussive is rhetorical here. Rather than being a command, it anticipates what will transpire. The prophecy says that because of the character of the ancestor, the tribe of Reuben would not have the character to lead (see 1 Chr 5:1).

[49:4]  ²³⁵³ sn This is a euphemism for having sexual intercourse with Jacob’s wives (see Gen 35:22).

[49:4]  ²³⁵⁴ tn The last verb is third masculine singular, as if for the first time Jacob told the brothers, or let them know that he knew. For a discussion of this passage see S. Gevirtz, “The Reprimand of Reuben,” JNES 30 (1971): 87-98.

[49:5]  ²³⁵⁵ tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מְכֵרָה (mÿkherah) is uncertain. It has been rendered (1) “habitations”; (2) “merchandise”; (3) “counsels”; (4) “swords”; (5) “wedding feasts.” If it is from the verb כָּרַת (karat) and formed after noun patterns for instruments and tools (maqtil, miqtil form), then it would refer to “knives.” Since the verb is used in Exod 4:25 for circumcision, the idea would be “their circumcision knives,” an allusion to the events of Gen 34 (see M. J. Dahood, “‘MKRTYHM’ in Genesis 49,5,” CBQ 23 [1961]: 54-56). Another explanation also connects the word to the events of Gen 34 as a reference to the intended “wedding feast” for Dinah which could take place only after the men of Shechem were circumcised (see D. W. Young, “A Ghost Word in the Testament of Jacob (Gen 49:5)?” JBL 100 [1981]: 335-422).

[49:6]  ²³⁵⁶ tn The Hebrew text reads “my glory,” but it is preferable to repoint the form and read “my liver.” The liver was sometimes viewed as the seat of the emotions and will (see HALOT 456 s.v. II כָּבֵד) for which the heart is the modern equivalent.

[49:7]  ²³⁵⁷ sn Divide…scatter. What is predicted here is a division of their tribes. Most commentators see here an anticipation of Levi being in every area but not their own. That may be part of it, but not entirely what the curse intended. These tribes for their ruthless cruelty would be eliminated from the power and prestige of leadership.

[49:8]  ²³⁵⁸ sn There is a wordplay here; the name Judah (יְהוּדָה, yÿhudah) sounds in Hebrew like the verb translated praise (יוֹדוּךָ, yodukha). The wordplay serves to draw attention to the statement as having special significance.

[49:10]  ²³⁵⁹ tn Or perhaps “from his descendants,” taking the expression “from between his feet” as a euphemism referring to the genitals. In this case the phrase refers by metonymy to those who come forth from his genitals, i.e., his descendants.

[49:10]  ²³⁶⁰ tn The Hebrew form שִׁילֹה (shiloh) is a major interpretive problem. There are at least four major options (with many variations and less likely alternatives): (1) Some prefer to leave the text as it is, reading “Shiloh” and understanding it as the place where the ark rested for a while in the time of the Judges. (2) By repointing the text others arrive at the translation “until the [or “his”] ruler comes,” a reference to a Davidic ruler or the Messiah. (3) Another possibility that does not require emendation of the consonantal text, but only repointing, is “until tribute is brought to him” (so NEB, JPS, NRSV), which has the advantage of providing good parallelism with the following line, “the nations will obey him.” (4) The interpretation followed in the present translation, “to whom it [belongs]” (so RSV, NIV, REB), is based on the ancient versions. Again, this would refer to the Davidic dynasty or, ultimately, to the Messiah.

[49:10]  ²³⁶¹ tn “and to him [will be] the obedience of the nations.” For discussion of this verse see J. Blenkinsopp, “The Oracle of Judah and the Messianic Entry,” JBL 80 (1961): 55-64; and E. M. Good, “The ‘Blessing’ on Judah,” JBL 82 (1963): 427-32.

[49:11]  ²³⁶² tn The perfect verbal form is used rhetorically, describing coming events as though they have already taken place.

[49:12]  ²³⁶³ tn Some translate these as comparatives, “darker than wine…whiter than milk,” and so a reference to his appearance (so NEB, NIV, NRSV). But if it is in the age of abundance, symbolized by wine and milk, then the dark (i.e., red or perhaps dull) eyes would be from drinking wine, and the white teeth from drinking milk.

[49:13]  ²³⁶⁴ tn The verb שָׁכַן (shakhan) means “to settle,” but not necessarily as a permanent dwelling place. The tribal settlements by the sea would have been temporary and not the tribe’s territory.

[49:13]  ²³⁶⁵ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[49:15]  ²³⁶⁶ tn The verb forms in this verse (“sees,” “will bend,” and “[will] become”) are preterite; they is used in a rhetorical manner, describing the future as if it had already transpired.

[49:15]  ²³⁶⁷ sn The oracle shows that the tribe of Issachar will be willing to trade liberty for the material things of life. Issachar would work (become a slave laborer) for the Canaanites, a reversal of the oracle on Canaan. See C. M. Carmichael, “Some Sayings in Genesis 49,” JBL 88 (1969): 435-44; and S. Gevirtz, “The Issachar Oracle in the Testament of Jacob,” ErIsr 12 (1975): 104-12.

[49:16]  ²³⁶⁸ sn The name Dan (דָּן, dan) means “judge” and forms a wordplay with the following verb.

[49:16]  ²³⁶⁹ tn Or “govern.”

[49:17]  ²³⁷⁰ sn The comparison of the tribe of Dan to a venomous serpent is meant to say that Dan, though small, would be potent, gaining victory through its skill and shrewdness. Jewish commentators have linked the image in part with Samson. That link at least illustrates the point: Though a minority tribe, Dan would gain the upper hand over others.

[49:18]  ²³⁷¹ sn I wait for your deliverance, O Lord. As Jacob sees the conflicts that lie ahead for Dan and Gad (see v. 19), he offers a brief prayer for their security.

[49:19]  ²³⁷² tc Heb “heel.” The MT has suffered from misdivision at this point. The initial mem on the first word in the next verse should probably be taken as a plural ending on the word “heel.”

[49:19]  sn In Hebrew the name Gad (גָּד, gad ) sounds like the words translated “raided” (יְגוּדֶנּוּ, yÿgudennu) and “marauding bands” (גְּדוּד, gÿdud).

[49:20]  ²³⁷³ tc Heb “from Asher,” but the initial mem (מ) of the MT should probably be moved to the end of the preceding verse and taken as a plural ending on “heel.”

[49:20]  ²³⁷⁴ tn The Hebrew word translated “rich,” when applied to products of the ground, means abundant in quantity and quality.

[49:20]  ²³⁷⁵ tn The word translated “delicacies” refers to foods that were delightful, the kind fit for a king.

[49:21]  ²³⁷⁶ tn Heb “a doe set free.”

[49:21]  ²³⁷⁷ tn Heb “the one who gives words of beauty.” The deer imagery probably does not continue into this line; Naphtali is the likely antecedent of the substantival participle, which is masculine, not feminine, in form. If the animal imagery is retained from the preceding line, the image of a talking deer is preposterous. For this reason some read the second line “the one who bears beautiful fawns,” interpreting אִמְרֵי (’imre) as a reference to young animals, not words (see HALOT 67 s.v. *אִמֵּר).

[49:21]  sn Almost every word in the verse is difficult. Some take the imagery to mean that Naphtali will be swift and agile (like a doe), and be used to take good messages (reading “words of beauty”). Others argue that the tribe was free-spirited (free running), but then settled down with young children.

[49:22]  ²³⁷⁸ tn The Hebrew text appears to mean “[is] a son of fruitfulness.” The second word is an active participle, feminine singular, from the verb פָּרָה (parah, “to be fruitful”). The translation “bough” is employed for בֵּן (ben, elsewhere typically “son”) because Joseph is pictured as a healthy and fruitful vine growing by the wall. But there are difficulties with this interpretation. The word “son” nowhere else refers to a plant and the noun translated “branches” (Heb “daughters”) in the third line is a plural form whereas its verb is singular. In the other oracles of Gen 49 an animal is used for comparison and not a plant, leading some to translate the opening phrase בֵּן פָּרָה (ben parah, “fruitful bough”) as “wild donkey” (JPS, NAB). Various other interpretations involving more radical emendation of the text have also been offered.

[49:22]  ²³⁷⁹ tn Heb “daughters.”

[49:23]  ²³⁸⁰ tn The verb forms in vv. 23-24 are used in a rhetorical manner, describing future events as if they had already taken place.

[49:24]  ²³⁸¹ tn Heb “the arms of his hands.”

[49:24]  ²³⁸² tn Heb “from there,” but the phrase should be revocalized and read “from [i.e., because of] the name of.”

[49:24]  ²³⁸³ tn Or “Stone.”

[49:25]  ²³⁸⁴ tn Heb “and he will help you.”

[49:25]  ²³⁸⁵ tn Heb “Shaddai.” See the note on the title “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1. The preposition אֵת (’et) in the Hebrew text should probably be emended to אֵל (’el, “God”).

[49:25]  ²³⁸⁶ tn Heb “and he will bless you.”

[49:25]  ²³⁸⁷ sn Jacob envisions God imparting both agricultural (blessings from the sky above, blessings from the deep that lies below) and human fertility (blessings of the breasts and womb) to Joseph and his family.

[49:26]  ²³⁸⁸ tn Heb “have prevailed over.”

[49:26]  ²³⁸⁹ tn One could interpret the phrase הוֹרַי (horay) to mean “my progenitors” (literally, “the ones who conceived me”), but the masculine form argues against this. It is better to emend the text to הַרֲרֵי (harare, “mountains of”) because it forms a better parallel with the next clause. In this case the final yod (י) on the form is a construct plural marker, not a pronominal suffix.

[49:26]  ²³⁹⁰ tn For further discussion of this passage, see I. Sonne, “Genesis 49:24-26,” JBL 65 (1946): 303-6.

[49:28]  ²³⁹¹ tn Heb “All these.”

[49:28]  ²³⁹² tn Heb “and he blessed them, each of whom according to his blessing, he blessed them.”

[49:29]  ²³⁹³ tn The Hebrew text adds “and he said to them,” which is not included in the translation because it is redundant in English.

[49:29]  ²³⁹⁴ tn Heb “I am about to be gathered” The participle is used here to describe what is imminent.

[49:32]  ²³⁹⁵ tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (see also Gen 23:3), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.

[49:33]  ²³⁹⁶ tn Heb “was gathered.”

[50:1]  ²³⁹⁷ tn Heb “fell on.” The expression describes Joseph’s unrestrained sorrow over Jacob’s death; he probably threw himself across the body and embraced his father.

[50:2]  ²³⁹⁸ tn Heb “his servants the physicians.”

[50:3]  ²³⁹⁹ tn Heb “and forty days were fulfilled for him, for thus are fulfilled the days of embalming.”

[50:3]  ²⁴⁰⁰ tn Heb “wept.”

[50:3]  ²⁴⁰¹ sn Seventy days. This probably refers to a time of national mourning.

[50:4]  ²⁴⁰² tn Heb “weeping.”

[50:4]  ²⁴⁰³ tn Heb “the house of Pharaoh.”

[50:4]  ²⁴⁰⁴ tn Heb “in the ears of Pharaoh.”

[50:5]  ²⁴⁰⁵ tn Heb “saying.”

[50:5]  ²⁴⁰⁶ tn The imperfect verbal form here has the force of a command.

[50:6]  ²⁴⁰⁷ tn Heb “he made you swear on oath.”

[50:7]  ²⁴⁰⁸ tn Or “dignitaries”; Heb “elders.”

[50:9]  ²⁴⁰⁹ tn Heb “camp.”

[50:10]  ²⁴¹⁰ sn The location of the threshing floor of Atad is not certain. The expression the other side of the Jordan could refer to the eastern or western bank, depending on one’s perspective. However, it is commonly used in the OT for Transjordan. This would suggest that the entourage came up the Jordan Valley and crossed into the land at Jericho, just as the Israelites would in the time of Joshua.

[50:10]  ²⁴¹¹ tn Heb “and they mourned there [with] very great and heavy mourning.” The cognate accusative, as well as the two adjectives and the adverb, emphasize the degree of their sorrow.

[50:11]  ²⁴¹² tn Heb “this is heavy mourning for Egypt.”

[50:11]  ²⁴¹³ tn The verb has no expressed subject and so it may be translated as passive.

[50:11]  ²⁴¹⁴ sn The name Abel Mizraim means “the mourning of Egypt.”

[50:15]  ²⁴¹⁵ tn The imperfect tense could be a simple future; it could also have a desiderative nuance.

[50:15]  ²⁴¹⁶ tn The infinitive absolute makes the statement emphatic, “repay in full.”

[50:15]  ²⁴¹⁷ tn Or “evil.”

[50:16]  ²⁴¹⁸ tn The verb means “command,” but they would hardly be commanding him. It probably means they sent their father’s instructions to Joseph.

[50:17]  ²⁴¹⁹ tn Heb “and Joseph wept when they spoke to him.”

[50:19]  ²⁴²⁰ tn Heb “For am I.”

[50:20]  ²⁴²¹ tn Heb “you devised against me evil.”

[50:20]  ²⁴²² tn Heb “God devised it for good in order to do, like this day, to preserve alive a great nation.”

[50:21]  ²⁴²³ tn Heb “spoke to their heart.”

[50:22]  ²⁴²⁴ tn Heb “he and the house of his father.”

[50:23]  ²⁴²⁵ tn Heb “saw Ephraim, the children of the third.”

[50:23]  ²⁴²⁶ tn Heb “they were born on the knees of Joseph.” This expression implies their adoption by Joseph, which meant that they received an inheritance from him.

[50:24]  ²⁴²⁷ tn The verb פָּקַד (paqad) means “to visit,” i.e., to intervene for blessing or cursing; here Joseph announces that God would come to fulfill the promises by delivering them from Egypt. The statement is emphasized by the use of the infinitive absolute with the verb: “God will surely visit you.”

[50:24]  ²⁴²⁸ tn The words “to give” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[50:26]  ²⁴²⁹ tn Heb “son of a hundred and ten years.”

[50:26]  ²⁴³⁰ tn Heb “he.”