Kejadian 1:2

1:2 Now ¹  the earth ²  was without shape and empty, ³  and darkness ⁴  was over the surface of the watery deep, ⁵  but the Spirit of God ⁶  was moving ⁷  over the surface ⁸  of the water. ⁹ 

Kejadian 1:12

1:12 The land produced vegetation – plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. God saw that it was good.

Kejadian 1:20

1:20 God said, “Let the water swarm with swarms ¹⁰  of living creatures and let birds fly ¹¹  above the earth across the expanse of the sky.”

Kejadian 1:22

1:22 God blessed them ¹²  and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” ¹³ 

Kejadian 1:25

1:25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the cattle according to their kinds, and all the creatures that creep along the ground according to their kinds. God saw that it was good.

Kejadian 4:12

4:12 When you try to cultivate ¹⁴  the

ground it will no longer yield ¹⁵  its best ¹⁶  for you. You will be a homeless wanderer ¹⁷  on the earth.”

Kejadian 4:14

4:14 Look! You are driving me off the land ¹⁸  today, and I must hide from your presence. ¹⁹  I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me.”

Kejadian 6:5

6:5 But the Lord saw ²⁰  that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination ²¹  of the thoughts ²²  of their minds ²³  was only evil ²⁴  all the time. ²⁵ 

Kejadian 7:3

7:3 and also seven ²⁶  of every kind of bird in the sky, male and female, ²⁷  to preserve their offspring ²⁸  on the face of the earth.

Kejadian 7:19

7:19 The waters completely inundated ²⁹  the earth so that even ³⁰  all the high mountains under the entire sky were covered.

Kejadian 8:11

8:11 When ³¹  the dove returned to him in the evening, there was ³²  a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak! Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth.

Kejadian 8:19

8:19 Every living creature, every creeping thing, every bird, and everything that moves on the earth went out of the ark in their groups.

Kejadian 8:22--9:1

8:22 “While the earth continues to exist, ³³ 

planting time ³⁴  and harvest,

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

and day and night will not cease.”

God’s Covenant with Humankind through Noah

9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

Kejadian 9:11

9:11 I confirm ³⁵  my covenant with you: Never again will all living things ³⁶  be wiped out ³⁷  by the waters of a flood; ³⁸  never again will a flood destroy the earth.”

Kejadian 9:16-17

9:16 When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will notice it and remember ³⁹  the perpetual covenant between God and all living creatures of all kinds that are on the earth.”

9:17 So God said to Noah, “This is the guarantee of the covenant that I am confirming between me and all living things ⁴⁰  that are on the earth.”

Kejadian 10:11

10:11 From that land he went ⁴¹  to Assyria, ⁴²  where he built Nineveh, ⁴³  Rehoboth-Ir, ⁴⁴  Calah, ⁴⁵ 

Kejadian 10:25

10:25 Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg because in his days the earth was divided, ⁴⁶  and his brother’s name was Joktan.

Kejadian 11:4

11:4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens ⁴⁷  so that ⁴⁸  we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise ⁴⁹  we will be scattered ⁵⁰  across the face of the entire earth.”

Kejadian 12:7

12:7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants ⁵¹  I will give this land.” So Abram ⁵²  built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

Kejadian 13:6-7

13:6 But the land could ⁵³  not support them while they were living side by side. ⁵⁴  Because their possessions were so great, they were not able to live ⁵⁵  alongside one another. 13:7 So there were quarrels ⁵⁶  between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. ⁵⁷  (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.) ⁵⁸ 

Kejadian 13:9

13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself now from me. If you go ⁵⁹  to the left, then I’ll go to the right, but if you go to the right, then I’ll go to the left.”

Kejadian 14:22

14:22 But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I raise my hand ⁶⁰  to the Lord, the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, and vow ⁶¹ 

Kejadian 15:7

15:7 The Lord said ⁶²  to him, “I am the Lord ⁶³  who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans ⁶⁴  to give you this land to possess.”

Kejadian 15:13

15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain ⁶⁵  that your descendants will be strangers ⁶⁶  in a foreign country. ⁶⁷  They will be enslaved and oppressed ⁶⁸  for four hundred years.

Kejadian 18:2

18:2 Abraham ⁶⁹  looked up ⁷⁰  and saw ⁷¹  three men standing across ⁷²  from him. When he saw them ⁷³  he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low ⁷⁴  to the ground. ⁷⁵ 

Kejadian 19:1

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while ⁷⁶  Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway. ⁷⁷  When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face toward the ground.

Kejadian 21:32

21:32 So they made a treaty ⁷⁸  at Beer Sheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, returned ⁷⁹  to the land of the Philistines. ⁸⁰ 

Kejadian 23:2

23:2 Then she ⁸¹  died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. ⁸² 

Kejadian 23:15

23:15 “Hear me, my lord. The land is worth ⁸³  400 pieces of silver, ⁸⁴  but what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”

Kejadian 23:19

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.

Kejadian 24:3

24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise ⁸⁵  by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire ⁸⁶  a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living.

Kejadian 24:37

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,

Kejadian 25:6

25:6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines ⁸⁷  and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac. ⁸⁸ 

Kejadian 26:1

Isaac and Abimelech

26:1 There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred ⁸⁹  in the days of Abraham. ⁹⁰  Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.

Kejadian 27:39

27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,

“Indeed, ⁹¹  your home will be

away from the richness ⁹²  of the earth,

and away from the dew of the sky above.

Kejadian 28:4

28:4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing he gave to Abraham ⁹³  so that you may possess the land ⁹⁴  God gave to Abraham, the land where you have been living as a temporary resident.” ⁹⁵ 

Kejadian 28:12

28:12 and had a dream. ⁹⁶  He saw ⁹⁷  a stairway ⁹⁸  erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it

Kejadian 28:14

28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, ⁹⁹  and you will spread out ¹⁰⁰  to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ¹⁰¹  using your name and that of your descendants. ¹⁰² 

Kejadian 30:25

The Flocks of Jacob

30:25 After Rachel had given birth ¹⁰³  to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send ¹⁰⁴  me on my way so that I can go ¹⁰⁵  home to my own country. ¹⁰⁶ 

Kejadian 32:9

32:9 Then Jacob prayed, ¹⁰⁷  “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said ¹⁰⁸  to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’ ¹⁰⁹ 

Kejadian 33:18

33:18 After he left Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped near ¹¹⁰  the city.

Kejadian 34:2

34:2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who ruled that area, saw her, he grabbed her, forced himself on her, ¹¹¹  and sexually assaulted her. ¹¹² 

Kejadian 35:6

35:6 Jacob and all those who were with him arrived at Luz (that is, Bethel) ¹¹³  in the land of Canaan. ¹¹⁴ 

Kejadian 35:16

35:16 They traveled on from Bethel, and when Ephrath was still some distance away, ¹¹⁵  Rachel went into labor ¹¹⁶  – and her labor was hard.

Kejadian 36:5

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.

Kejadian 36:7

36:7 because they had too many possessions to be able to stay together and the land where they had settled ¹¹⁷  was not able to support them because of their livestock.

Kejadian 36:16

36:16 chief Korah, ¹¹⁸  chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons ¹¹⁹  of Adah.

Kejadian 36:43

36:43 chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements ¹²⁰  in the land they possessed. This was Esau, the father of the Edomites.

Kejadian 40:15

40:15 for I really was kidnapped ¹²¹  from the land of the Hebrews and I have done nothing wrong here for which they should put me in a dungeon.”

Kejadian 41:31

41:31 The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered ¹²²  because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe. ¹²³ 

Kejadian 41:43-44

41:43 Pharaoh ¹²⁴  had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, ¹²⁵  and they cried out before him, “Kneel down!” ¹²⁶  So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 41:44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission ¹²⁷  no one ¹²⁸  will move his hand or his foot ¹²⁹  in all the land of Egypt.”

Kejadian 41:46

41:46 Now Joseph was 30 years old ¹³⁰  when he began serving ¹³¹  Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by ¹³²  Pharaoh and was in charge of ¹³³  all the land of Egypt.

Kejadian 42:9

42:9 Then Joseph remembered ¹³⁴  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!” ¹³⁵ 

Kejadian 42:13

42:13 They replied, “Your servants are from a family of twelve brothers. ¹³⁶  We are the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father at this time, ¹³⁷  and one is no longer alive.” ¹³⁸ 

Kejadian 42:29

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,

Kejadian 42:32

42:32 We are from a family of twelve brothers; we are the sons of one father. ¹³⁹  One is no longer alive, ¹⁴⁰  and the youngest is with our father at this time ¹⁴¹  in the land of Canaan.’

Kejadian 43:26

43:26 When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought inside, ¹⁴²  and they bowed down to the ground before him.

Kejadian 44:8

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?

Kejadian 45:6

45:6 For these past two years there has been famine in ¹⁴³  the land and for five more years there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.

Kejadian 45:8

45:8 So now, it is not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me an adviser ¹⁴⁴  to Pharaoh, lord over all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Kejadian 45:10

45:10 You will live ¹⁴⁵  in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me – you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everything you have.

Kejadian 45:17

45:17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and go ¹⁴⁶  to the land of Canaan!

Kejadian 45:19

45:19 You are also commanded to say, ¹⁴⁷  ‘Do this: Take for yourselves wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives. Bring your father and come.

Kejadian 45:26

45:26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned, ¹⁴⁸  for he did not believe them.

Kejadian 46:6

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. ¹⁴⁹ 

Kejadian 46:12

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.

Kejadian 46:20

46:20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, ¹⁵⁰  bore them to him.

Kejadian 47:28

47:28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; the years ¹⁵¹  of Jacob’s life were 147 in all.

Kejadian 48:3-4

48:3 Jacob said to Joseph, “The sovereign God ¹⁵²  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 ¹⁵³  and will multiply you. ¹⁵⁴  I will make you into a group of nations, and I will give this land to your descendants ¹⁵⁵  as an everlasting possession.’ ¹⁵⁶ 

Kejadian 48:21

48:21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you ¹⁵⁷  and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.

Kejadian 49:15

49:15 When he sees ¹⁵⁸  a good resting place,

and the pleasant land,

he will bend his shoulder to the burden

and become a slave laborer. ¹⁵⁹ 

Kejadian 50:7-8

50:7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; all Pharaoh’s officials went with him – the senior courtiers ¹⁶⁰  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.

[1:2]  ¹ tn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) at the beginning of v. 2 gives background information for the following narrative, explaining the state of things when “God said…” (v. 3). Verse one is a title to the chapter, v. 2 provides information about the state of things when God spoke, and v. 3 begins the narrative per se with the typical narrative construction (vav [ו] consecutive followed by the prefixed verbal form). (This literary structure is paralleled in the second portion of the book: Gen 2:4 provides the title or summary of what follows, 2:5-6 use disjunctive clause structures to give background information for the following narrative, and 2:7 begins the narrative with the vav consecutive attached to a prefixed verbal form.) Some translate 1:2a “and the earth became,” arguing that v. 1 describes the original creation of the earth, while v. 2 refers to a judgment that reduced it to a chaotic condition. Verses 3ff. then describe the re-creation of the earth. However, the disjunctive clause at the beginning of v. 2 cannot be translated as if it were relating the next event in a sequence. If v. 2 were sequential to v. 1, the author would have used the vav consecutive followed by a prefixed verbal form and the subject.

[1:2]  ² tn That is, what we now call “the earth.” The creation of the earth as we know it is described in vv. 9-10. Prior to this the substance which became the earth (= dry land) lay dormant under the water.

[1:2]  ³ tn Traditional translations have followed a more literal rendering of “waste and void.” The words describe a condition that is without form and empty. What we now know as “the earth” was actually an unfilled mass covered by water and darkness. Later תֹהוּ (tohu) and בֹּהוּ (bohu), when used in proximity, describe a situation resulting from judgment (Isa 34:11; Jer 4:23). Both prophets may be picturing judgment as the reversal of creation in which God’s judgment causes the world to revert to its primordial condition. This later use of the terms has led some to conclude that Gen 1:2 presupposes the judgment of a prior world, but it is unsound method to read the later application of the imagery (in a context of judgment) back into Gen 1:2.

[1:2]  ⁴ sn Darkness. The Hebrew word simply means “darkness,” but in the Bible it has come to symbolize what opposes God, such as judgment (Exod 10:21), death (Ps 88:13), oppression (Isa 9:1), the wicked (1 Sam 2:9) and in general, sin. In Isa 45:7 it parallels “evil.” It is a fitting cover for the primeval waste, but it prepares the reader for the fact that God is about to reveal himself through his works.

[1:2]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew term תְּהוֹם (tÿhom, “deep”) refers to the watery deep, the salty ocean – especially the primeval ocean that surrounds and underlies the earth (see Gen 7:11).

[1:2]  sn The watery deep. In the Babylonian account of creation Marduk killed the goddess Tiamat (the salty sea) and used her carcass to create heaven and earth. The form of the Hebrew word for “deep” is distinct enough from the name “Tiamat” to deny direct borrowing; however, it is possible that there is a polemical stress here. Ancient Israel does not see the ocean as a powerful deity to be destroyed in creation, only a force of nature that can be controlled by God.

[1:2]  ⁶ tn The traditional rendering “Spirit of God” is preserved here, as opposed to a translation like “wind from/breath of God” (cf. NRSV) or “mighty wind” (cf. NEB), taking the word “God” to represent the superlative. Elsewhere in the OT the phrase refers consistently to the divine spirit that empowers and energizes individuals (see Gen 41:38; Exod 31:3; 35:31; Num 24:2; 1 Sam 10:10; 11:6; 19:20, 23; Ezek 11:24; 2 Chr 15:1; 24:20).

[1:2]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew verb has been translated “hovering” or “moving” (as a bird over her young, see Deut 32:11). The Syriac cognate term means “to brood over; to incubate.” How much of that sense might be attached here is hard to say, but the verb does depict the presence of the Spirit of God moving about mysteriously over the waters, presumably preparing for the acts of creation to follow. If one reads “mighty wind” (cf. NEB) then the verse describes how the powerful wind begins to blow in preparation for the creative act described in vv. 9-10. (God also used a wind to drive back the flood waters in Noah’s day. See Gen 8:1.)

[1:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “face.”

[1:2]  ⁹ sn The water. The text deliberately changes now from the term for the watery deep to the general word for water. The arena is now the life-giving water and not the chaotic abyss-like deep. The change may be merely stylistic, but it may also carry some significance. The deep carries with it the sense of the abyss, chaos, darkness – in short, that which is not good for life.

[1:20]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew text again uses a cognate construction (“swarm with swarms”) to emphasize the abundant fertility. The idea of the verb is one of swift movement back and forth, literally swarming. This verb is used in Exod 1:7 to describe the rapid growth of the Israelite population in bondage.

[1:20]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew text uses the Polel form of the verb instead of the simple Qal; it stresses a swarming flight again to underscore the abundant fruitfulness.

[1:22]  ¹² tn While the translation “blessed” has been retained here for the sake of simplicity, it would be most helpful to paraphrase it as “God endowed them with fruitfulness” or something similar, for here it refers to God’s giving the animals the capacity to reproduce. The expression “blessed” needs clarification in its different contexts, for it is one of the unifying themes of the Book of Genesis. The divine blessing occurs after works of creation and is intended to continue that work – the word of blessing guarantees success. The word means “to enrich; to endow,” and the most visible evidence of that enrichment is productivity or fruitfulness. See C. Westermann, Blessing in the Bible and the Life of the Church (OBT).

[1:22]  ¹³ sn The instruction God gives to creation is properly a fuller expression of the statement just made (“God blessed them”), that he enriched them with the ability to reproduce. It is not saying that these were rational creatures who heard and obeyed the word; rather, it stresses that fruitfulness in the animal world is a result of the divine decree and not of some pagan cultic ritual for fruitfulness. The repeated emphasis of “be fruitful – multiply – fill” adds to this abundance God has given to life. The meaning is underscored by the similar sounds: בָּרָךְ (barakh) with בָּרָא (bara’), and פָּרָה (parah) with רָבָה (ravah).

[4:12]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “work.”

[4:12]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “it will not again (תֹסֵף, tosef) give (תֵּת, tet),” meaning the ground will no longer yield. In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb, and the imperfect verb form becomes adverbial.

[4:12]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “its strength.”

[4:12]  ¹⁷ tn Two similar sounding synonyms are used here: נָע וָנָד (na’ vanad, “a wanderer and a fugitive”). This juxtaposition of synonyms emphasizes the single idea. In translation one can serve as the main description, the other as a modifier. Other translation options include “a wandering fugitive” and a “ceaseless wanderer” (cf. NIV).

[4:14]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “from upon the surface of the ground.”

[4:14]  ¹⁹ sn I must hide from your presence. The motif of hiding from the Lord as a result of sin also appears in Gen 3:8-10.

[6:5]  ²⁰ sn The Hebrew verb translated “saw” (רָאָה, ra’ah), used here of God’s evaluation of humankind’s evil deeds, contrasts with God’s evaluation of creative work in Gen 1, when he observed that everything was good.

[6:5]  ²¹ tn The noun יֵצֶר (yetser) is related to the verb יָצָר (yatsar, “to form, to fashion [with a design]”). Here it refers to human plans or intentions (see Gen 8:21; 1 Chr 28:9; 29:18). People had taken their God-given capacities and used them to devise evil. The word יֵצֶר (yetser) became a significant theological term in Rabbinic literature for what might be called the sin nature – the evil inclination (see also R. E. Murphy, “Yeser in the Qumran Literature,” Bib 39 [1958]: 334-44).

[6:5]  ²² tn The related verb הָשָׁב (hashav) means “to think, to devise, to reckon.” The noun (here) refers to thoughts or considerations.

[6:5]  ²³ tn Heb “his heart” (referring to collective “humankind”). The Hebrew term לֵב (lev, “heart”) frequently refers to the seat of one’s thoughts (see BDB 524 s.v. לֵב). In contemporary English this is typically referred to as the “mind.”

[6:5]  ²⁴ sn Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil. There is hardly a stronger statement of the wickedness of the human race than this. Here is the result of falling into the “knowledge of good and evil”: Evil becomes dominant, and the good is ruined by the evil.

[6:5]  ²⁵ tn Heb “all the day.”

[6:5]  sn The author of Genesis goes out of his way to emphasize the depth of human evil at this time. Note the expressions “every inclination,” “only evil,” and “all the time.”

[7:3]  ²⁶ tn Or “seven pairs” (cf. NRSV).

[7:3]  ²⁷ tn Here (and in v. 9) the Hebrew text uses the normal generic terms for “male and female” (זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, zakhar unÿqevah).

[7:3]  ²⁸ tn Heb “to keep alive offspring.”

[7:19]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and the waters were great exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition emphasizes the depth of the waters.

[7:19]  ³⁰ tn Heb “and.”

[8:11]  ³¹ tn The clause introduced by vav (ו) consecutive is translated as a temporal clause subordinated to the following clause.

[8:11]  ³² tn The deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to the olive leaf. It invites readers to enter into the story, as it were, and look at the olive leaf with their own eyes.

[8:22]  ³³ tn Heb “yet all the days of the earth.” The idea is “[while there are] yet all the days of the earth,” meaning, “as long as the earth exists.”

[8:22]  ³⁴ tn Heb “seed,” which stands here by metonymy for the time when seed is planted.

[9:11]  ³⁵ tn The verb וַהֲקִמֹתִי (vahaqimoti) is a perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive and should be translated with the English present tense, just as the participle at the beginning of the speech was (v. 9). Another option is to translate both forms with the English future tense (“I will confirm”).

[9:11]  ³⁶ tn Heb “all flesh.”

[9:11]  ³⁷ tn Heb “cut off.”

[9:11]  ³⁸ tn Heb “and all flesh will not be cut off again by the waters of the flood.”

[9:16]  ³⁹ tn The translation assumes that the infinitive לִזְכֹּר (lizkor, “to remember”) here expresses the result of seeing the rainbow. Another option is to understand it as indicating purpose, in which case it could be translated, “I will look at it so that I may remember.”

[9:17]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “all flesh.”

[10:11]  ⁴¹ tn The subject of the verb translated “went” is probably still Nimrod. However, it has also been interpreted that “Ashur went,” referring to a derivative power.

[10:11]  ⁴² tn Heb “Asshur.”

[10:11]  ⁴³ sn Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city situated on the Tigris River.

[10:11]  ⁴⁴ sn The name Rehoboth-Ir means “and broad streets of a city,” perhaps referring to a suburb of Nineveh.

[10:11]  ⁴⁵ sn Calah (modern Nimrud) was located twenty miles north of Nineveh.

[10:25]  ⁴⁶ tn The expression “the earth was divided” may refer to dividing the land with canals, but more likely it anticipates the division of languages at Babel (Gen 11). The verb פָּלָג (palag, “separate, divide”) is used in Ps 55:9 for a division of languages.

[11:4]  ⁴⁷ 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]  ⁴⁸ 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]  ⁴⁹ tn The Hebrew particle פֶּן (pen) expresses a negative purpose; it means “that we be not scattered.”

[11:4]  ⁵⁰ 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.

[12:7]  ⁵¹ 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]  ⁵² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[13:6]  ⁵³ 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]  ⁵⁴ 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]  ⁵⁵ tn The same infinitive occurs here, serving as the object of the verb.

[13:7]  ⁵⁶ 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]  ⁵⁷ sn Since the quarreling was between the herdsmen, the dispute was no doubt over water and vegetation for the animals.

[13:7]  ⁵⁸ 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.

[13:9]  ⁵⁹ tn The words “you go” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons both times in this verse.

[14:22]  ⁶⁰ 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]  ⁶¹ tn The words “and vow” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[15:7]  ⁶² tn Heb “And he said.”

[15:7]  ⁶³ 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]  ⁶⁴ 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.

[15:13]  ⁶⁵ 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]  ⁶⁶ 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]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”

[15:13]  ⁶⁸ 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.

[18:2]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:2]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

[18:2]  ⁷¹ 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]  ⁷² 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]  ⁷³ tn The pronoun “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

[18:2]  ⁷⁴ 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]  ⁷⁵ 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.

[19:1]  ⁷⁶ tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.

[19:1]  ⁷⁷ 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).

[21:32]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[21:32]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “arose and returned.”

[21:32]  ⁸⁰ 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.

[23:2]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “Sarah.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“she”) for stylistic reasons.

[23:2]  ⁸² 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).

[23:15]  ⁸³ tn The word “worth” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:15]  ⁸⁴ 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).

[24:3]  ⁸⁵ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.

[24:3]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “because you must not take.”

[25:6]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “the sons of the concubines who [belonged] to Abraham.”

[25:6]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “And he sent them away from upon Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the land of the east.”

[26:1]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “in addition to the first famine which was.”

[26:1]  ⁹⁰ 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.

[27:39]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “look.”

[27:39]  ⁹² tn Heb “from the fatness.”

[28:4]  ⁹³ 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]  ⁹⁴ tn The words “the land” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[28:4]  ⁹⁵ 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.

[28:12]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “and dreamed.”

[28:12]  ⁹⁷ 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]  ⁹⁸ 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.

[28:14]  ⁹⁹ tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.

[28:14]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.

[28:14]  ¹⁰¹ 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]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”

[30:25]  ¹⁰³ 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]  ¹⁰⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[30:25]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “to my place and to my land.”

[32:9]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “said.”

[32:9]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “the one who said.”

[32:9]  ¹⁰⁹ 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.

[33:18]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “in front of.”

[34:2]  ¹¹¹ 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]  ¹¹² 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.

[35:6]  ¹¹³ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:6]  ¹¹⁴ 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.”

[35:16]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “and there was still a stretch of the land to go to Ephrath.”

[35:16]  ¹¹⁶ 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.”

[36:7]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “land of their settlements.”

[36:16]  ¹¹⁸ tc The Samaritan Pentateuch omits the name “Korah” (see v. 11 and 1 Chr 1:36).

[36:16]  ¹¹⁹ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:43]  ¹²⁰ tn Or perhaps “territories”; Heb “dwelling places.”

[40:15]  ¹²¹ 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.

[41:31]  ¹²² tn Heb “known.”

[41:31]  ¹²³ tn Or “heavy.”

[41:43]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:43]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “and he caused him to ride in the second chariot which was his.”

[41:43]  ¹²⁶ 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]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “apart from you.”

[41:44]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “no man,” but here “man” is generic, referring to people in general.

[41:44]  ¹²⁹ tn The idiom “lift up hand or foot” means “take any action” here.

[41:46]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “a son of thirty years.”

[41:46]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “when he stood before.”

[41:46]  ¹³² tn Heb “went out from before.”

[41:46]  ¹³³ 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.”

[42:9]  ¹³⁴ sn You are spies. Joseph wanted to see how his brothers would react if they were accused of spying.

[42:9]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “to see the nakedness of the land you have come.”

[42:13]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “twelve [were] your servants, brothers [are] we.”

[42:13]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “today.”

[42:13]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “and the one is not.”

[42:32]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “twelve [were] we, brothers, sons of our father [are] we.”

[42:32]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “the one is not.”

[42:32]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “today.”

[43:26]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “into the house.”

[45:6]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “the famine [has been] in the midst of.”

[45:8]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “a father.” The term is used here figuratively of one who gives advice, as a father would to his children.

[45:10]  ¹⁴⁵ tn The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive here expresses instruction.

[45:17]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “and go! Enter!”

[45:19]  ¹⁴⁷ tn The words “to say” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[45:26]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “and his heart was numb.” Jacob was stunned by the unbelievable news and was unable to respond.

[46:6]  ¹⁴⁹ 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.

[46:20]  ¹⁵⁰ sn On is another name for the city of Heliopolis.

[47:28]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “the days of the years.”

[48:3]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[48:4]  ¹⁵³ 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]  ¹⁵⁴ tn The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the certain future idea.

[48:4]  ¹⁵⁵ tn The Hebrew text adds “after you,” which has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[48:4]  ¹⁵⁶ 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).

[48:21]  ¹⁵⁷ tn The pronouns translated “you,” “you,” and “your” in this verse are plural in the Hebrew text.

[49:15]  ¹⁵⁸ 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]  ¹⁵⁹ 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.

[50:7]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Or “dignitaries”; Heb “elders.”