Kejadian 25:27

25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled ¹  hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. ² 

Kejadian 44:11

44:11 So each man quickly lowered ³  his sack to the ground and opened it.

Kejadian 9:20

9:20 Noah, a man of the soil, ⁴  began to plant a vineyard. ⁵ 

Kejadian 7:2

7:2 You must take with you seven ⁶  of every kind of clean animal, ⁷  the male and its mate, ⁸  two of every kind of unclean animal, the male and its mate,

Kejadian 27:11

27:11 “But Esau my brother is a hairy man,” Jacob protested to his mother Rebekah, “and I have smooth skin! ⁹ 

Kejadian 44:13

44:13 They all tore their clothes! Then each man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

Kejadian 10:5

10:5 From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to its language, according to their families, by their nations.

Kejadian 11:7

11:7 Come, let’s go down and confuse ¹⁰  their language so they won’t be able to understand each other.” ¹¹ 

Kejadian 26:31

26:31 Early in the morning the men made a treaty with each other. ¹²  Isaac sent them off; they separated on good terms. ¹³ 

Kejadian 31:49

31:49 It was also called Mizpah ¹⁴  because he said, “May the Lord watch ¹⁵  between us ¹⁶  when we are out of sight of one another. ¹⁷ 

Kejadian 32:24

32:24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man ¹⁸  wrestled ¹⁹  with him until daybreak. ²⁰ 

Kejadian 37:15

37:15 When Joseph reached Shechem, ²¹  a man found him wandering ²²  in the field, so the man asked him, “What are you looking for?”

Kejadian 37:19

37:19 They said to one another, “Here comes this master of dreams! ²³ 

Kejadian 38:2

38:2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man ²⁴  named Shua. ²⁵  Judah acquired her as a wife ²⁶  and had marital relations with her. ²⁷ 

Kejadian 39:2

39:2 The Lord was with Joseph. He was successful ²⁸  and lived ²⁹  in the household of his Egyptian master.

Kejadian 41:11

41:11 We each had a dream one night; each of us had a dream with its own meaning. ³⁰ 

Kejadian 41:33

41:33 “So now Pharaoh should look ³¹  for a wise and discerning man ³²  and give him authority ³³  over all the land of Egypt.

Kejadian 41:38

41:38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find a man like Joseph, ³⁴  one in whom the Spirit of God is present?” ³⁵ 

Kejadian 42:11

42:11 We are all the sons of one man; we are honest men! Your servants are not spies.”

Kejadian 43:33

43:33 They sat before him, arranged by order of birth, beginning with the firstborn and ending with the youngest. ³⁶  The men looked at each other in astonishment. ³⁷ 

Kejadian 40:5

40:5 Both of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream ³⁸  the same night. ³⁹  Each man’s dream had its own meaning. ⁴⁰ 

Kejadian 45:1

The Reconciliation of the Brothers

45:1 Joseph was no longer able to control himself before all his attendants, ⁴¹  so he cried out, “Make everyone go out from my presence!” No one remained ⁴²  with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.

Kejadian 2:24

2:24 That is why ⁴³  a man leaves ⁴⁴  his father and mother and unites with ⁴⁵  his wife, and they become a new family. ⁴⁶ 

Kejadian 4:1

The Story of Cain and Abel

4:1 Now ⁴⁷  the man had marital relations with ⁴⁸  his wife Eve, and she became pregnant ⁴⁹  and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created ⁵⁰  a man just as the Lord did!” ⁵¹ 

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 ⁵²  for hurting me.

Kejadian 6:9

The Judgment of the Flood

6:9 This is the account of Noah. ⁵³ 

Noah was a godly man; he was blameless ⁵⁴ 

among his contemporaries. ⁵⁵  He ⁵⁶  walked with ⁵⁷  God.

Kejadian 9:5

9:5 For your lifeblood ⁵⁸  I will surely exact punishment, ⁵⁹  from ⁶⁰  every living creature I will exact punishment. From each person ⁶¹  I will exact punishment for the life of the individual ⁶²  since the man was his relative. ⁶³ 

Kejadian 11:3

11:3 Then they said to one another, ⁶⁴  “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” ⁶⁵  (They had brick instead of stone and tar ⁶⁶  instead of mortar.) ⁶⁷ 

Kejadian 13:11

13:11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled ⁶⁸  toward the east.

So the relatives separated from each other. ⁶⁹ 

Kejadian 13:16

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. ⁷⁰ 

Kejadian 15:10

15:10 So Abram ⁷¹  took all these for him and then cut them in two ⁷²  and placed each half opposite the other, ⁷³  but he did not cut the birds in half.

Kejadian 31:50

31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize ⁷⁴  that God is witness to your actions.” ⁷⁵ 

Kejadian 32:6

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.”

Kejadian 38:1

Judah and Tamar

38:1 At that time Judah left ⁷⁶  his brothers and stayed ⁷⁷  with an Adullamite man ⁷⁸  named Hirah.

Kejadian 39:1

Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

39:1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. ⁷⁹  An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, ⁸⁰  purchased him from ⁸¹  the Ishmaelites who had brought him there.

Kejadian 39:11

39:11 One day ⁸²  he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants ⁸³  were there in the house.

Kejadian 41:12

41:12 Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant ⁸⁴  of the captain of the guards, ⁸⁵  was with us there. We told him our dreams, ⁸⁶  and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us. ⁸⁷ 

Kejadian 41:44

41:44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission ⁸⁸  no one ⁸⁹  will move his hand or his foot ⁹⁰  in all the land of Egypt.”

Kejadian 42:13

42:13 They replied, “Your servants are from a family of twelve brothers. ⁹¹  We are the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father at this time, ⁹²  and one is no longer alive.” ⁹³ 

Kejadian 42:25

42:25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill ⁹⁴  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. ⁹⁵ 

Kejadian 42:35

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.

Kejadian 43:21

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 ⁹⁶  – in the mouth of his sack. So we have returned it. ⁹⁷ 

Kejadian 44:15

44:15 Joseph said to them, “What did you think you were doing? ⁹⁸  Don’t you know that a man like me can find out things like this by divination?” ⁹⁹ 

Kejadian 49:6

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

do not be united to their assembly, my heart, ¹⁰⁰ 

for in their anger they have killed men,

and for pleasure they have hamstrung oxen.

Kejadian 49:28

49:28 These ¹⁰¹  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. ¹⁰² 

Kejadian 19:8

19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with ¹⁰³  a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. ¹⁰⁴  Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection ¹⁰⁵  of my roof.” ¹⁰⁶ 

Kejadian 23:6

23:6 “Listen, sir, ¹⁰⁷  you are a mighty prince ¹⁰⁸  among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent you ¹⁰⁹  from burying your dead.”

Kejadian 33:1

Jacob Meets Esau

33:1 Jacob looked up ¹¹⁰  and saw that Esau was coming ¹¹¹  along with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants.

Kejadian 34:25

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 ¹¹²  and went to the unsuspecting city ¹¹³  and slaughtered every male.

Kejadian 39:14

39:14 she called for her household servants and said to them, “See, my husband brought ¹¹⁴  in a Hebrew man ¹¹⁵  to us to humiliate us. ¹¹⁶  He tried to have sex with me, ¹¹⁷  but I screamed loudly. ¹¹⁸ 

Kejadian 42:21

42:21 They said to one other, ¹¹⁹  “Surely we’re being punished ¹²⁰  because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was ¹²¹  when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress ¹²²  has come on us!”

Kejadian 42:28

42:28 He said to his brothers, “My money was returned! Here it is in my sack!” They were dismayed; ¹²³  they turned trembling one to another ¹²⁴  and said, “What in the world has God done to us?” ¹²⁵ 

Kejadian 44:1

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.

Kejadian 47:20

47:20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. Each ¹²⁶  of the Egyptians sold his field, for the famine was severe. ¹²⁷  So the land became Pharaoh’s.

[25:27]  ¹ tn Heb “knowing.”

[25:27]  ² 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.”

[44:11]  ³ tn Heb “and they hurried and they lowered.” Their speed in doing this shows their presumption of innocence.

[9:20]  ⁴ sn The epithet a man of the soil indicates that Noah was a farmer.

[9:20]  ⁵ tn Or “Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard”; Heb “and Noah, a man of the ground, began and he planted a vineyard.”

[7:2]  ⁶ tn Or “seven pairs” (cf. NRSV).

[7:2]  ⁷ sn For a study of the Levitical terminology of “clean” and “unclean,” see L. E. Toombs, IDB 1:643.

[7:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “a male and his female” (also a second time at the end of this verse). The terms used here for male and female animals (אִישׁ, ’ish) and אִשָּׁה, ’ishah) normally refer to humans.

[27:11]  ⁹ 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.

[11:7]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ tn Heb “they will not hear, a man the lip of his neighbor.”

[26:31]  ¹² tn Heb “and they got up early and they swore an oath, a man to his brother.”

[26:31]  ¹³ tn Heb “and they went from him in peace.”

[31:49]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and Mizpah.”

[31:49]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “between me and you.”

[31:49]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “for we will be hidden, each man from his neighbor.”

[32:24]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ 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]  ²⁰ tn Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”

[37:15]  ²¹ tn Heb “and he [i.e., Joseph] went to Shechem.” The referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ²² 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.

[37:19]  ²³ tn Heb “Look, this master of dreams is coming.” The brothers’ words have a sarcastic note and indicate that they resent his dreams.

[38:2]  ²⁴ tn Heb “a man, a Canaanite.”

[38:2]  ²⁵ tn Heb “and his name was Shua.”

[38:2]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and he took her.”

[38:2]  ²⁷ tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:2]  ²⁸ 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]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and he was.”

[41:11]  ³⁰ tn Heb “and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he, each according to the interpretation of his dream we dreamed.”

[41:33]  ³¹ tn Heb “let Pharaoh look.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.

[41:33]  ³² tn Heb “a man discerning and wise.” The order of the terms is rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:33]  ³³ tn Heb “and let him set him.”

[41:38]  ³⁴ 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]  ³⁵ tn The rhetorical question expects the answer “No, of course not!”

[43:33]  ³⁶ tn Heb “the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth.”

[43:33]  ³⁷ 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.

[40:5]  ³⁸ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[40:5]  ³⁹ tn Heb “a man his dream in one night.”

[40:5]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “a man according to the interpretation of his dream.”

[45:1]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “all the ones standing beside him.”

[45:1]  ⁴² tn Heb “stood.”

[2:24]  ⁴³ tn This statement, introduced by the Hebrew phrase עַל־כֵּן (’al-ken, “therefore” or “that is why”), is an editorial comment, not an extension of the quotation. The statement is describing what typically happens, not what will or should happen. It is saying, “This is why we do things the way we do.” It links a contemporary (with the narrator) practice with the historical event being narrated. The historical event narrated in v. 23 provides the basis for the contemporary practice described in v. 24. That is why the imperfect verb forms are translated with the present tense rather than future.

[2:24]  ⁴⁴ tn The imperfect verb form has a habitual or characteristic nuance. For other examples of עַל־כֵּן (’al-ken, “therefore, that is why”) with the imperfect in a narrative framework, see Gen 10:9; 32:32 (the phrase “to this day” indicates characteristic behavior is in view); Num 21:14, 27; 1 Sam 5:5 (note “to this day”); 19:24 (perhaps the imperfect is customary here, “were saying”); 2 Sam 5:8. The verb translated “leave” (עָזָב, ’azab) normally means “to abandon, to forsake, to leave behind, to discard,” when used with human subject and object (see Josh 22:3; 1 Sam 30:13; Ps 27:10; Prov 2:17; Isa 54:6; 60:15; 62:4; Jer 49:11). Within the context of the ancient Israelite extended family structure, this cannot refer to emotional or geographical separation. The narrator is using hyperbole to emphasize the change in perspective that typically overtakes a young man when his thoughts turn to love and marriage.

[2:24]  ⁴⁵ tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same habitual or characteristic nuance as the preceding imperfect. The verb is traditionally translated “cleaves [to]”; it has the basic idea of “stick with/to” (e.g., it is used of Ruth resolutely staying with her mother-in-law in Ruth 1:14). In this passage it describes the inseparable relationship between the man and the woman in marriage as God intended it.

[2:24]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “and they become one flesh.” The perfect with vav consecutive carries the same habitual or characteristic nuance as the preceding verbs in the verse. The retention of the word “flesh” (בָּשָׂר, basar) in the translation often leads to improper or incomplete interpretations. The Hebrew word refers to more than just a sexual union. When they unite in marriage, the man and woman bring into being a new family unit (הָיָה + לְ, hayah + lamed preposition means “become”). The phrase “one flesh” occurs only here and must be interpreted in light of v. 23. There the man declares that the woman is bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. To be one’s “bone and flesh” is to be related by blood to someone. For example, the phrase describes the relationship between Laban and Jacob (Gen 29:14); 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). The expression “one flesh” seems to indicate that they become, as it were, “kin,” at least legally (a new family unit is created) or metaphorically. In this first marriage in human history, the woman was literally formed from the man’s bone and flesh. Even though later marriages do not involve such a divine surgical operation, the first marriage sets the pattern for how later marriages are understood and explains why marriage supersedes the parent-child relationship.

[4:1]  ⁴⁷ tn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new episode in the ongoing narrative.

[4:1]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “the man knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.

[4:1]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “she conceived.”

[4:1]  ⁵⁰ tn Here is another sound play (paronomasia) on a name. The sound of the verb קָנִיתִי (qaniti, “I have created”) reflects the sound of the name Cain in Hebrew (קַיִן, qayin) and gives meaning to it. The saying uses the Qal perfect of קָנָה (qanah). There are two homonymic verbs with this spelling, one meaning “obtain, acquire” and the other meaning “create” (see Gen 14:19, 22; Deut 32:6; Ps 139:13; Prov 8:22). The latter fits this context very well. Eve has created a man.

[4:1]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “with the Lord.” The particle אֶת־ (’et) is not the accusative/object sign, but the preposition “with” as the ancient versions attest. Some take the preposition in the sense of “with the help of” (see BDB 85 s.v. אֵת; cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV), while others prefer “along with” in the sense of “like, equally with, in common with” (see Lev 26:39; Isa 45:9; Jer 23:28). Either works well in this context; the latter is reflected in the present translation. Some understand אֶת־ as the accusative/object sign and translate, “I have acquired a man – the Lord.” They suggest that the woman thought (mistakenly) that she had given birth to the incarnate Lord, the Messiah who would bruise the Serpent’s head. This fanciful suggestion is based on a questionable allegorical interpretation of Gen 3:15 (see the note there on the word “heel”).

[4:1]  sn Since Exod 6:3 seems to indicate that the name Yahweh (יְהוָה, yÿhvah, translated Lord) was first revealed to Moses (see also Exod 3:14), it is odd to see it used in quotations in Genesis by people who lived long before Moses. This problem has been resolved in various ways: (1) Source critics propose that Exod 6:3 is part of the “P” (or priestly) tradition, which is at odds with the “J” (or Yahwistic) tradition. (2) Many propose that “name” in Exod 6:3 does not refer to the divine name per se, but to the character suggested by the name. God appeared to the patriarchs primarily in the role of El Shaddai, the giver of fertility, not as Yahweh, the one who fulfills his promises. In this case the patriarchs knew the name Yahweh, but had not experienced the full significance of the name. In this regard it is possible that Exod 6:3b should not be translated as a statement of denial, but as an affirmation followed by a rhetorical question implying that the patriarchs did indeed know God by the name of Yahweh, just as they knew him as El Shaddai. D. A. Garrett, following the lead of F. Andersen, sees Exod 6:2-3 as displaying a paneled A/B parallelism and translates them as follows: (A) “I am Yahweh.” (B) “And I made myself known to Abraham…as El Shaddai.” (A') “And my name is Yahweh”; (B') “Did I not make myself known to them?” (D. A. Garrett, Rethinking Genesis, 21). However, even if one translates the text this way, the Lord’s words do not necessarily mean that he made the name Yahweh known to the fathers. God is simply affirming that he now wants to be called Yahweh (see Exod 3:14-16) and that he revealed himself in prior times as El Shaddai. If we stress the parallelism with B, the implied answer to the concluding question might be: “Yes, you did make yourself known to them – as El Shaddai!” The main point of the verse would be that El Shaddai, the God of the fathers, and the God who has just revealed himself to Moses as Yahweh are one and the same. (3) G. J. Wenham suggests that pre-Mosaic references to Yahweh are the product of the author/editor of Genesis, who wanted to be sure that Yahweh was identified with the God of the fathers. In this regard, note how Yahweh is joined with another divine name or title in Gen 9:26-27; 14:22; 15:2, 8; 24:3, 7, 12, 27, 42, 48; 27:20; 32:9. The angel uses the name Yahweh when instructing Hagar concerning her child’s name, but the actual name (Ishma-el, “El hears”) suggests that El, not Yahweh, originally appeared in the angel’s statement (16:11). In her response to the angel Hagar calls God El, not Yahweh (16:13). In 22:14 Abraham names the place of sacrifice “Yahweh Will Provide” (cf. v. 16), but in v. 8 he declares, “God will provide.” God uses the name Yahweh when speaking to Jacob at Bethel (28:13) and Jacob also uses the name when he awakens from the dream (28:16). Nevertheless he names the place Beth-el (“house of El”). In 31:49 Laban prays, “May Yahweh keep watch,” but in v. 50 he declares, “God is a witness between you and me.” Yahweh’s use of the name in 15:7 and 18:14 may reflect theological idiom, while the use in 18:19 is within a soliloquy. (Other uses of Yahweh in quotations occur in 16:2, 5; 24:31, 35, 40, 42, 44, 48, 50, 51, 56; 26:22, 28-29; 27:7, 27; 29:32-35; 30:24, 30; 49:18. In these cases there is no contextual indication that a different name was originally used.) For a fuller discussion of this proposal, see G. J. Wenham, “The Religion of the Patriarchs,” Essays on the Patriarchal Narratives, 189-93.

[4:23]  ⁵² tn The Hebrew term יֶלֶד (yeled) probably refers to a youthful warrior here, not a child.

[6:9]  ⁵³ sn There is a vast body of scholarly literature about the flood story. The following studies are particularly helpful: A. Heidel, The Gilgamesh Epic and the Old Testament Parallels; M. Kessler, “Rhetorical Criticism of Genesis 7,” Rhetorical Criticism: Essays in Honor of James Muilenburg (PTMS), 1-17; I. M. Kikawada and A. Quinn, Before Abraham Was; A. R. Millard, “A New Babylonian ‘Genesis Story’,” TynBul 18 (1967): 3-18; G. J. Wenham, “The Coherence of the Flood Narrative,” VT 28 (1978): 336-48.

[6:9]  ⁵⁴ tn The Hebrew term תָּמִים (tamim, “blameless”) is used of men in Gen 17:1 (associated with the idiom “walk before,” which means “maintain a proper relationship with,” see 24:40); Deut 18:13 (where it means “blameless” in the sense of not guilty of the idolatrous practices listed before this; see Josh 24:14); Pss 18:23, 26 (“blameless” in the sense of not having violated God’s commands); 37:18 (in contrast to the wicked); 101:2, 6 (in contrast to proud, deceitful slanderers; see 15:2); Prov 2:21; 11:5 (in contrast to the wicked); 28:10; Job 12:4.

[6:9]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “Noah was a godly man, blameless in his generations.” The singular “generation” can refer to one’s contemporaries, i.e., those living at a particular point in time. The plural “generations” can refer to successive generations in the past or the future. Here, where it is qualified by “his” (i.e., Noah’s), it refers to Noah’s contemporaries, comprised of the preceding generation (his father’s generation), those of Noah’s generation, and the next generation (those the same age as his children). In other words, “his generations” means the generations contemporary with him. See BDB 190 s.v. דוֹר.

[6:9]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “Noah.” The proper name has been replaced with the pronoun in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[6:9]  ⁵⁷ tn The construction translated “walked with” is used in Gen 5:22, 24 (see the note on this phrase in 5:22) and in 1 Sam 25:15, where it refers to David’s and Nabal’s men “rubbing shoulders” in the fields. Based on the use in 1 Sam 25:15, the expression seems to mean “live in close proximity to,” which may, by metonymy, mean “maintain cordial relations with.”

[9:5]  ⁵⁸ tn Again the text uses apposition to clarify what kind of blood is being discussed: “your blood, [that is] for your life.” See C. L. Dewar, “The Biblical Use of the Term ‘Blood,’” JTS 4 (1953): 204-8.

[9:5]  ⁵⁹ tn The word “punishment” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification. The verb דָּרָשׁ (darash) means “to require, to seek, to ask for, to exact.” Here it means that God will exact punishment for the taking of a life. See R. Mawdsley, “Capital Punishment in Gen. 9:6,” CentBib 18 (1975): 20-25.

[9:5]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “from the hand of,” which means “out of the hand of” or “out of the power of” and is nearly identical in sense to the preposition מִן (min) alone.

[9:5]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “and from the hand of the man.” The article has a generic function, indicating the class, i.e., humankind.

[9:5]  ⁶² tn Heb “of the man.”

[9:5]  ⁶³ tn Heb “from the hand of a man, his brother.” The point is that God will require the blood of someone who kills, since the person killed is a relative (“brother”) of the killer. The language reflects Noah’s situation (after the flood everyone would be part of Noah’s extended family), but also supports the concept of the brotherhood of humankind. According to the Genesis account the entire human race descended from Noah.

[11:3]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “a man to his neighbor.” The Hebrew idiom may be translated “to each other” or “one to another.”

[11:3]  ⁶⁵ 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]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “bitumen” (cf. NEB, NRSV).

[11:3]  ⁶⁷ tn The disjunctive clause gives information parenthetical to the narrative.

[13:11]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “Lot traveled.” The proper name has not been repeated in the translation at this point for stylistic reasons.

[13:11]  ⁶⁹ 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.

[13:16]  ⁷⁰ tn The translation “can be counted” (potential imperfect) is suggested by the use of יוּכַל (yukhal, “is able”) in the preceding clause.

[15:10]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:10]  ⁷² tn Heb “in the middle.”

[15:10]  ⁷³ 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.

[31:50]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “see.”

[31:50]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “between me and you.”

[38:1]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “went down from.”

[38:1]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “and he turned aside unto.”

[38:1]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “a man, an Adullamite.”

[39:1]  ⁷⁹ 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]  ⁸⁰ sn Captain of the guard. See the note on this phrase in Gen 37:36.

[39:1]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “from the hand of.”

[39:11]  ⁸² tn Heb “and it was about this day.”

[39:11]  ⁸³ tn Heb “the men of the house.”

[41:12]  ⁸⁴ tn Or “slave.”

[41:12]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “a servant to the captain of the guards.” On this construction see GKC 419-20 §129.c.

[41:12]  ⁸⁶ tn The words “our dreams” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:12]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “and he interpreted for us our dreams, each according to his dream he interpreted.”

[41:44]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “apart from you.”

[41:44]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “no man,” but here “man” is generic, referring to people in general.

[41:44]  ⁹⁰ tn The idiom “lift up hand or foot” means “take any action” here.

[42:13]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “twelve [were] your servants, brothers [are] we.”

[42:13]  ⁹² tn Heb “today.”

[42:13]  ⁹³ tn Heb “and the one is not.”

[42:25]  ⁹⁴ 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]  ⁹⁵ 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).

[43:21]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “in its weight.”

[43:21]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “brought it back in our hand.”

[44:15]  ⁹⁸ 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]  ⁹⁹ 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.

[49:6]  ¹⁰⁰ 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.

[49:28]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “All these.”

[49:28]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “and he blessed them, each of whom according to his blessing, he blessed them.”

[19:8]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[19:8]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”

[19:8]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “shadow.”

[19:8]  ¹⁰⁶ 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.

[23:6]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “Hear us, my lord.”

[23:6]  ¹⁰⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁹ tn The phrase “to prevent you” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[33:1]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his eyes.”

[33:1]  ¹¹¹ 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.

[34:25]  ¹¹² tn Heb “a man his sword.”

[34:25]  ¹¹³ 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.

[39:14]  ¹¹⁴ 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]  ¹¹⁵ sn A Hebrew man. Potiphar’s wife raises the ethnic issue when talking to her servants about what their boss had done.

[39:14]  ¹¹⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “he came to me to lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:14]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “and I cried out with a loud voice.”

[42:21]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “a man to his neighbor.”

[42:21]  ¹²⁰ 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]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “the distress of his soul.”

[42:21]  ¹²² 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.

[42:28]  ¹²³ 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]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “and they trembled, a man to his neighbor.”

[42:28]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “What is this God has done to us?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question.

[47:20]  ¹²⁶ 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]  ¹²⁷ tn The Hebrew text adds “upon them.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.