Kejadian 14:14

14:14 When Abram heard that his nephew ¹  had been taken captive, he mobilized ²  his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders ³  as far as Dan. ⁴ 

Kejadian 23:6

23:6 “Listen, sir, ⁵  you are a mighty prince ⁶  among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent you ⁷  from burying your dead.”

Kejadian 34:21

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 ⁸  for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry. ⁹ 

Kejadian 35:2

35:2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. ¹⁰  Purify yourselves and change your clothes. ¹¹ 

[14:14]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ tn The words “the invaders” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:14]  ⁴ 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.

[23:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “Hear us, my lord.”

[23:6]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn The phrase “to prevent you” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[34:21]  ⁸ tn Heb “wide on both hands,” that is, in both directions.

[34:21]  ⁹ tn The words “to marry” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[35:2]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “which are in your midst.”

[35:2]  ¹¹ 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.