Kejadian 1:9

1:9 God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place ¹  and let dry ground appear.” ²  It was so.

Kejadian 1:11

1:11 God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: ³  plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, ⁴  and ⁵  trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.” It was so.

Kejadian 1:14

1:14 God said, “Let there be lights ⁶  in the expanse ⁷  of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs ⁸  to indicate seasons and days and years,

Kejadian 1:24

1:24 God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” ⁹  It was so.

Kejadian 2:16

2:16 Then the Lord God commanded ¹⁰  the man, “You may freely eat ¹¹  fruit ¹²  from every tree of the orchard,

Kejadian 4:23

4:23 Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah! Listen to me!

You wives of Lamech, hear my words!

I have killed a man for wounding me,

a young man ¹³  for hurting me.

Kejadian 6:7

6:7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth – everything from humankind to animals, ¹⁴  including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them.”

Kejadian 12:1

The Obedience of Abram

12:1 Now the Lord said ¹⁵  to Abram, ¹⁶ 

“Go out ¹⁷  from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household

to the land that I will show you. ¹⁸ 

Kejadian 12:7

12:7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants ¹⁹  I will give this land.” So Abram ²⁰  built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

Kejadian 13:14

13:14 After Lot had departed, the Lord said to Abram, ²¹  “Look ²²  from the place where you stand to the north, south, east, and west.

Kejadian 15:1-2

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 ²³  and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” ²⁴ 

15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, ²⁵  what will you give me since ²⁶  I continue to be ²⁷  childless, and my heir ²⁸  is ²⁹  Eliezer of Damascus?” ³⁰ 

Kejadian 15:5

15:5 The Lord ³¹  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.”

Kejadian 15:7

15:7 The Lord said ³²  to him, “I am the Lord ³³  who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans ³⁴  to give you this land to possess.”

Kejadian 15:13

15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain ³⁵  that your descendants will be strangers ³⁶  in a foreign country. ³⁷  They will be enslaved and oppressed ³⁸  for four hundred years.

Kejadian 17:1

The Sign of the Covenant

17:1 When Abram was 99 years old, ³⁹  the Lord appeared to him and said, ⁴⁰  “I am the sovereign God. ⁴¹  Walk ⁴²  before me ⁴³  and be blameless. ⁴⁴ 

Kejadian 18:2

18:2 Abraham ⁴⁵  looked up ⁴⁶  and saw ⁴⁷  three men standing across ⁴⁸  from him. When he saw them ⁴⁹  he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low ⁵⁰  to the ground. ⁵¹ 

Kejadian 20:3

20:3 But God appeared ⁵²  to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead ⁵³  because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” ⁵⁴ 

Kejadian 20:11

20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ⁵⁵  ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of ⁵⁶  my wife.’

Kejadian 21:12

21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset ⁵⁷  about the boy or your slave wife. Do ⁵⁸  all that Sarah is telling ⁵⁹  you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted. ⁶⁰ 

Kejadian 21:26

21:26 “I do not know who has done this thing,” Abimelech replied. “Moreover, ⁶¹  you did not tell me. I did not hear about it until today.”

Kejadian 24:29

24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) ⁶²  Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring.

Kejadian 24:31

24:31 Laban said to him, ⁶³  “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! ⁶⁴  Why are you standing out here when I have prepared ⁶⁵  the house and a place for the camels?”

Kejadian 24:47

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.’ ⁶⁶  I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists.

Kejadian 26:10

26:10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us? ⁶⁷  One of the men ⁶⁸  might easily have had sexual relations with ⁶⁹  your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!”

Kejadian 27:38

27:38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” ⁷⁰  Then Esau wept loudly. ⁷¹ 

Kejadian 28:13

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. ⁷²  I will give you and your descendants the ground ⁷³  you are lying on.

Kejadian 29:33

29:33 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Because the Lord heard that I was unloved, ⁷⁴  he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. ⁷⁵ 

Kejadian 29:35

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. ⁷⁶  Then she stopped having children.

Kejadian 30:6

30:6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer ⁷⁷  and given me a son.” That is why ⁷⁸  she named him Dan. ⁷⁹ 

Kejadian 31:12

31:12 Then he said, ‘Observe ⁸⁰  that all the male goats mating with ⁸¹  the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you.

Kejadian 31:24

31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, ⁸²  “Be careful ⁸³  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” ⁸⁴ 

Kejadian 31:35

31:35 Rachel ⁸⁵  said to her father, “Don’t be angry, ⁸⁶  my lord. I cannot stand up ⁸⁷  in your presence because I am having my period.” ⁸⁸  So he searched thoroughly, ⁸⁹  but did not find the idols.

Kejadian 33:15

33:15 So Esau said, “Let me leave some of my men with you.” ⁹⁰  “Why do that?” Jacob replied. ⁹¹  “My lord has already been kind enough to me.” ⁹² 

Kejadian 35:1

The Return to Bethel

35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once ⁹³  to Bethel ⁹⁴  and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” ⁹⁵ 

Kejadian 37:8

37:8 Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?” ⁹⁶  They hated him even more ⁹⁷  because of his dream and because of what he said. ⁹⁸ 

Kejadian 37:32

37:32 Then they brought the special tunic to their father ⁹⁹  and said, “We found this. Determine now whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”

Kejadian 40:16

40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation of the first dream was favorable, ¹⁰⁰  he said to Joseph, “I also appeared in my dream and there were three baskets of white bread ¹⁰¹  on my head.

Kejadian 43:3

43:3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned ¹⁰²  us, ‘You will not see my face ¹⁰³  unless your brother is with you.’

Kejadian 46:32

46:32 The men are shepherds; ¹⁰⁴  they take care of livestock. ¹⁰⁵  They have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’

Kejadian 48:4

48:4 He said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful ¹⁰⁶  and will multiply you. ¹⁰⁷  I will make you into a group of nations, and I will give this land to your descendants ¹⁰⁸  as an everlasting possession.’ ¹⁰⁹ 

[1:9]  ¹ sn Let the water…be gathered to one place. In the beginning the water covered the whole earth; now the water was to be restricted to an area to form the ocean. The picture is one of the dry land as an island with the sea surrounding it. Again the sovereignty of God is revealed. Whereas the pagans saw the sea as a force to be reckoned with, God controls the boundaries of the sea. And in the judgment at the flood he will blur the boundaries so that chaos returns.

[1:9]  ² tn When the waters are collected to one place, dry land emerges above the surface of the receding water.

[1:11]  ³ tn The Hebrew construction employs a cognate accusative, where the nominal object (“vegetation”) derives from the verbal root employed. It stresses the abundant productivity that God created.

[1:11]  sn Vegetation. The Hebrew word translated “vegetation” (דֶּשֶׁא, deshe’) normally means “grass,” but here it probably refers more generally to vegetation that includes many of the plants and trees. In the verse the plants and the trees are qualified as self-perpetuating with seeds, but not the word “vegetation,” indicating it is the general term and the other two terms are sub-categories of it. Moreover, in vv. 29 and 30 the word vegetation/grass does not appear. The Samaritan Pentateuch adds an “and” before the fruit trees, indicating it saw the arrangement as bipartite (The Samaritan Pentateuch tends to eliminate asyndetic constructions).

[1:11]  ⁴ sn After their kinds. The Hebrew word translated “kind” (מִין, min) indicates again that God was concerned with defining and dividing time, space, and species. The point is that creation was with order, as opposed to chaos. And what God created and distinguished with boundaries was not to be confused (see Lev 19:19 and Deut 22:9-11).

[1:11]  ⁵ tn The conjunction “and” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation to clarify the relationship of the clauses.

[1:14]  ⁶ sn Let there be lights. Light itself was created before the light-bearers. The order would not seem strange to the ancient Hebrew mind that did not automatically link daylight with the sun (note that dawn and dusk appear to have light without the sun).

[1:14]  ⁷ tn The language describing the cosmos, which reflects a prescientific view of the world, must be interpreted as phenomenal, describing what appears to be the case. The sun and the moon are not in the sky (below the clouds), but from the viewpoint of a person standing on the earth, they appear that way. Even today we use similar phenomenological expressions, such as “the sun is rising” or “the stars in the sky.”

[1:14]  ⁸ tn The text has “for signs and for seasons and for days and years.” It seems likely from the meanings of the words involved that “signs” is the main idea, followed by two categories, “seasons” and “days and years.” This is the simplest explanation, and one that matches vv. 11-13. It could even be rendered “signs for the fixed seasons, that is [explicative vav (ו)] days and years.”

[1:14]  sn Let them be for signs. The point is that the sun and the moon were important to fix the days for the seasonal celebrations for the worshiping community.

[1:24]  ⁹ tn There are three groups of land animals here: the cattle or livestock (mostly domesticated), things that creep or move close to the ground (such as reptiles or rodents), and the wild animals (all animals of the field). The three terms are general classifications without specific details.

[2:16]  ¹⁰ sn This is the first time in the Bible that the verb tsavah (צָוָה, “to command”) appears. Whatever the man had to do in the garden, the main focus of the narrative is on keeping God’s commandments. God created humans with the capacity to obey him and then tested them with commands.

[2:16]  ¹¹ tn The imperfect verb form probably carries the nuance of permission (“you may eat”) since the man is not being commanded to eat from every tree. The accompanying infinitive absolute adds emphasis: “you may freely eat,” or “you may eat to your heart’s content.”

[2:16]  ¹² tn The word “fruit” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied as the direct object of the verb “eat.” Presumably the only part of the tree the man would eat would be its fruit (cf. 3:2).

[4:23]  ¹³ tn The Hebrew term יֶלֶד (yeled) probably refers to a youthful warrior here, not a child.

[6:7]  ¹⁴ tn The text simply has “from man to beast, to creatures, and to birds of the air.” The use of the prepositions עַד…מִן (min...’ad) stresses the extent of the judgment in creation.

[12:1]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ 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]  ¹⁸ 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.

[12:7]  ¹⁹ 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]  ²⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[13:14]  ²¹ 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]  ²² 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.

[15:1]  ²³ 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]  ²⁴ 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]  ²⁵ 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]  ²⁶ tn The vav (ו) disjunctive at the beginning of the clause is circumstantial, expressing the cause or reason.

[15:2]  ²⁷ tn Heb “I am going.”

[15:2]  ²⁸ 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]  ²⁹ tn The pronoun is anaphoric here, equivalent to the verb “to be” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 23, §115).

[15:2]  ³⁰ 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.

[15:5]  ³¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:7]  ³² tn Heb “And he said.”

[15:7]  ³³ 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]  ³⁴ 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]  ³⁵ 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]  ³⁶ 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]  ³⁷ tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”

[15:13]  ³⁸ 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.

[17:1]  ³⁹ tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”

[17:1]  ⁴⁰ 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]  ⁴¹ 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]  ⁴² 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]  ⁴³ tn Or “in my presence.”

[17:1]  ⁴⁴ 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).

[18:2]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:2]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

[18:2]  ⁴⁷ 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]  ⁴⁸ 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]  ⁴⁹ tn The pronoun “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

[18:2]  ⁵⁰ 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]  ⁵¹ 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.

[20:3]  ⁵² tn Heb “came.”

[20:3]  ⁵³ 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]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.

[20:11]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “Because I said.”

[20:11]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “over the matter of.”

[21:12]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “Let it not be evil in your eyes.”

[21:12]  ⁵⁸ 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]  ⁵⁹ tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to an action that is underway.

[21:12]  ⁶⁰ 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.

[21:26]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “and also.”

[24:29]  ⁶² tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.

[24:31]  ⁶³ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:31]  ⁶⁴ 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]  ⁶⁵ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.

[24:47]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “whom Milcah bore to him.” The referent (Nahor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:10]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “people.”

[26:10]  ⁶⁹ tn The Hebrew verb means “to lie down.” Here the expression “lie with” or “sleep with” is euphemistic for “have sexual relations with.”

[27:38]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “Bless me, me also, my father.” The words “my father” have not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:38]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “and Esau lifted his voice and wept.”

[28:13]  ⁷² 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]  ⁷³ 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.

[29:33]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “hated.” See the note on the word “unloved” in v. 31.

[29:33]  ⁷⁵ 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.

[29:35]  ⁷⁶ 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.

[30:6]  ⁷⁷ 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]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “therefore.”

[30:6]  ⁷⁹ 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.

[31:12]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”

[31:12]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

[31:24]  ⁸² tn Heb “said to him.”

[31:24]  ⁸³ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:24]  ⁸⁴ 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.

[31:35]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:35]  ⁸⁶ 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]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”

[31:35]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.

[31:35]  ⁸⁹ tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

[33:15]  ⁹⁰ tn The cohortative verbal form here indicates a polite offer of help.

[33:15]  ⁹¹ 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]  ⁹² tn Heb “I am finding favor in the eyes of my lord.”

[35:1]  ⁹³ tn Heb “arise, go up.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.

[35:1]  ⁹⁴ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:1]  ⁹⁵ sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).

[37:8]  ⁹⁶ 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]  ⁹⁷ tn This construction is identical to the one in Gen 37:5.

[37:8]  ⁹⁸ 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.

[37:32]  ⁹⁹ 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.

[40:16]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “that [the] interpretation [was] good.” The words “the first dream” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[40:16]  ¹⁰¹ 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).

[43:3]  ¹⁰² 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]  ¹⁰³ tn The idiom “see my face” means “have an audience with me.”

[46:32]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “feeders of sheep.”

[46:32]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “for men of livestock they are.”

[48:4]  ¹⁰⁶ 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]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the certain future idea.

[48:4]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The Hebrew text adds “after you,” which has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[48:4]  ¹⁰⁹ 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).