Kejadian 41:9

41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. ¹ 

Kejadian 40:1

The Cupbearer and the Baker

40:1 After these things happened, the cupbearer ²  to the king of Egypt and the royal baker ³  offended ⁴  their master, the king of Egypt.

Kejadian 26:10

26:10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us? ⁵  One of the men ⁶  might easily have had sexual relations with ⁷  your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!”

Kejadian 50:17

50:17 ‘Tell Joseph this: Please forgive the sin of your brothers and the wrong they did when they treated you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sin of the servants of the God of your father.” When this message was reported to him, Joseph wept. ⁸ 

Kejadian 31:36

31:36 Jacob became angry ⁹  and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. ¹⁰  “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? ¹¹ 

Kejadian 2:21

2:21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, ¹²  and while he was asleep, ¹³  he took part of the man’s side ¹⁴  and closed up the place with flesh. ¹⁵ 

Kejadian 38:28

38:28 While she was giving birth, one child ¹⁶  put out his hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.”

Kejadian 43:9

43:9 I myself pledge security ¹⁷  for him; you may hold me liable. If I do not bring him back to you and place him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. ¹⁸ 

Kejadian 20:9

20:9 Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom? ¹⁹  You have done things to me that should not be done!” ²⁰ 

Kejadian 44:16

44:16 Judah replied, “What can we say ²¹  to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? ²²  God has exposed the sin of your servants! ²³  We are now my lord’s slaves, we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.”

Kejadian 42:27

42:27 When one of them ²⁴  opened his sack to get feed for his donkey at their resting place, ²⁵  he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. ²⁶ 

Kejadian 3:22

3:22 And the Lord God said, “Now ²⁷  that the man has become like one of us, ²⁸  knowing ²⁹  good and evil, he must not be allowed ³⁰  to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

Kejadian 22:2

22:2 God ³¹  said, “Take your son – your only son, whom you love, Isaac ³²  – and go to the land of Moriah! ³³  Offer him up there as a burnt offering ³⁴  on one of the mountains which I will indicate to ³⁵  you.”

Kejadian 20:16

20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver ³⁶  to your ‘brother.’ ³⁷  This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.” ³⁸ 

Kejadian 4:13

4:13 Then Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment ³⁹  is too great to endure! ⁴⁰ 

Kejadian 42:19

42:19 If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers confined here in prison ⁴¹  while the rest of you go ⁴²  and take grain back for your hungry families. ⁴³ 

Kejadian 44:32

44:32 Indeed, ⁴⁴  your servant pledged security for the boy with my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I will bear the blame before my father all my life.’

Kejadian 45:5

45:5 Now, do not be upset and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here, ⁴⁵  for God sent me ⁴⁶  ahead of you to preserve life!

Kejadian 42:16

42:16 One of you must go and get ⁴⁷  your brother, while ⁴⁸  the rest of you remain in prison. ⁴⁹  In this way your words may be tested to see if ⁵⁰  you are telling the truth. ⁵¹  If not, then, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”

Kejadian 42:33

42:33 “Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain ⁵²  for your hungry households and go.

Kejadian 20:4

20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, ⁵³  would you really slaughter an innocent nation? ⁵⁴ 

Kejadian 49:16

49:16 Dan ⁵⁵  will judge ⁵⁶  his people

as one of the tribes of Israel.

Kejadian 18:23

18:23 Abraham approached and said, “Will you sweep away the godly along with the wicked?

Kejadian 44:10

44:10 He replied, “You have suggested your own punishment! ⁵⁷  The one who has it will become my slave, ⁵⁸  but the rest of ⁵⁹  you will go free.” ⁶⁰ 

Kejadian 28:2

28:2 Leave immediately ⁶¹  for Paddan Aram! Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and find yourself a wife there, among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.

Kejadian 32:8

32:8 “If Esau attacks one camp,” ⁶²  he thought, ⁶³  “then the other camp will be able to escape.” ⁶⁴ 

Kejadian 44:9

44:9 If one of us has it, ⁶⁵  he will die, and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves!”

Kejadian 18:25

18:25 Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge ⁶⁶  of the whole earth do what is right?” ⁶⁷ 

Kejadian 37:20

37:20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild ⁶⁸  animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!” ⁶⁹ 

Kejadian 38:26

38:26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright ⁷⁰  than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He did not have sexual relations with her ⁷¹  again.

Kejadian 5:1

From Adam to Noah

5:1 This is the record ⁷²  of the family line ⁷³  of Adam.

When God created humankind, ⁷⁴  he made them ⁷⁵  in the likeness of God.

Kejadian 29:31

The Family of Jacob

29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, ⁷⁶  he enabled her to become pregnant ⁷⁷  while Rachel remained childless.

Kejadian 1:4

1:4 God saw ⁷⁸  that the light was good, ⁷⁹  so God separated ⁸⁰  the light from the darkness.

Kejadian 2:22

2:22 Then the Lord God made ⁸¹  a woman from the part he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

Kejadian 4:4

4:4 But Abel brought ⁸²  some of the firstborn of his flock – even the fattest ⁸³  of them. And the Lord was pleased with ⁸⁴  Abel and his offering,

Kejadian 11:10

The Genealogy of Shem

11:10 This is the account of Shem.

Shem was 100 old when he became the father of Arphaxad, two years after the flood.

Kejadian 18:26

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

Kejadian 19:25

19:25 So he overthrew those cities and all that region, ⁸⁵  including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew ⁸⁶  from the ground.

Kejadian 48:18

48:18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”

Kejadian 16:5

16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! ⁸⁷  I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, ⁸⁸  but when she realized ⁸⁹  that she was pregnant, she despised me. ⁹⁰  May the Lord judge between you and me!” ⁹¹ 

Kejadian 18:28

18:28 what if there are five less than the fifty godly people? Will you destroy ⁹²  the whole city because five are lacking?” ⁹³  He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

Kejadian 24:14

24:14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ ⁹⁴  In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” ⁹⁵ 

Kejadian 42:21

42:21 They said to one other, ⁹⁶  “Surely we’re being punished ⁹⁷  because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was ⁹⁸  when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress ⁹⁹  has come on us!”

Kejadian 6:9

The Judgment of the Flood

6:9 This is the account of Noah. ¹⁰⁰ 

Noah was a godly man; he was blameless ¹⁰¹ 

among his contemporaries. ¹⁰²  He ¹⁰³  walked with ¹⁰⁴  God.

Kejadian 17:12

17:12 Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old ¹⁰⁵  must be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not one of your descendants.

Kejadian 18:24

18:24 What if there are fifty godly people in the city? Will you really wipe it out and not spare ¹⁰⁶  the place for the sake of the fifty godly people who are in it?

Kejadian 19:29

19:29 So when God destroyed ¹⁰⁷  the cities of the region, ¹⁰⁸  God honored ¹⁰⁹  Abraham’s request. He removed Lot ¹¹⁰  from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed ¹¹¹  the cities Lot had lived in.

Kejadian 20:5

20:5 Did Abraham ¹¹²  not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ¹¹³  ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience ¹¹⁴  and with innocent hands!”

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 31:39

31:39 Animals torn by wild beasts I never brought to you; I always absorbed the loss myself. ¹¹⁵  You always made me pay for every missing animal, ¹¹⁶  whether it was taken by day or at night.

Kejadian 43:12

43:12 Take double the money with you; ¹¹⁷  you must take back ¹¹⁸  the money that was returned in the mouths of your sacks – perhaps it was an oversight.

Kejadian 49:4

49:4 You are destructive ¹¹⁹  like water and will not excel, ¹²⁰ 

for you got on your father’s bed, ¹²¹ 

then you defiled it – he got on my couch! ¹²² 

Kejadian 2:19

2:19 The Lord God formed ¹²³  out of the ground every living animal of the field and every bird of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would ¹²⁴  name them, and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.

Kejadian 3:24

3:24 When he drove ¹²⁵  the man out, he placed on the eastern side ¹²⁶  of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries ¹²⁷  who used the flame of a whirling sword ¹²⁸  to guard the way to the tree of life.

Kejadian 4:7

4:7 Is it not true ¹²⁹  that if you do what is right, you will be fine? ¹³⁰  But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching ¹³¹  at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” ¹³² 

Kejadian 14:13

14:13 A fugitive ¹³³  came and told Abram the Hebrew. ¹³⁴  Now Abram was living by the oaks ¹³⁵  of Mamre the Amorite, the brother ¹³⁶  of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty ¹³⁷  with Abram.) ¹³⁸ 

Kejadian 18:32

18:32 Finally Abraham ¹³⁹  said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”

[41:9]  ¹ tn Heb “sins, offenses.” He probably refers here to the offenses that landed him in prison (see 40:1).

[40:1]  ² sn The Hebrew term cupbearer corresponds to the Egyptian wb’, an official (frequently a foreigner) who often became a confidant of the king and wielded political power (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 248). Nehemiah held this post in Persia.

[40:1]  ³ sn The baker may be the Egyptian retehti, the head of the bakers, who had privileges in the royal court.

[40:1]  ⁴ sn The Hebrew verb translated offended here is the same one translated “sin” in 39:9. Perhaps there is an intended contrast between these officials, who deserve to be imprisoned, and Joseph, who refused to sin against God, but was thrown into prison in spite of his innocence.

[26:10]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Heb “people.”

[26:10]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew verb means “to lie down.” Here the expression “lie with” or “sleep with” is euphemistic for “have sexual relations with.”

[50:17]  ⁸ tn Heb “and Joseph wept when they spoke to him.”

[31:36]  ⁹ tn Heb “it was hot to Jacob.” This idiom refers to anger.

[31:36]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘What is my sin?’” The proper name “Jacob” has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation and the order of the introductory clause and direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[31:36]  ¹¹ tn Heb “What is my sin that you have hotly pursued after me.” The Hebrew verb translated “pursue hotly” is used elsewhere of soldiers chasing defeated enemies (1 Sam 17:53).

[2:21]  ¹² tn Heb “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on the man.”

[2:21]  ¹³ tn Heb “and he slept.” In the sequence the verb may be subordinated to the following verb to indicate a temporal clause (“while…”).

[2:21]  ¹⁴ tn Traditionally translated “rib,” the Hebrew word actually means “side.” The Hebrew text reads, “and he took one from his sides,” which could be rendered “part of his sides.” That idea may fit better the explanation by the man that the woman is his flesh and bone.

[2:21]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “closed up the flesh under it.”

[38:28]  ¹⁶ tn The word “child” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[43:9]  ¹⁷ tn The pronoun before the first person verbal form draws attention to the subject and emphasizes Judah’s willingness to be personally responsible for the boy.

[43:9]  ¹⁸ sn I will bear the blame before you all my life. It is not clear how this would work out if Benjamin did not come back. But Judah is offering his life for Benjamin’s if Benjamin does not return.

[20:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “How did I sin against you that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin?” The expression “great sin” refers to adultery. For discussion of the cultural background of the passage, see J. J. Rabinowitz, “The Great Sin in Ancient Egyptian Marriage Contracts,” JNES 18 (1959): 73, and W. L. Moran, “The Scandal of the ‘Great Sin’ at Ugarit,” JNES 18 (1959): 280-81.

[20:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb “Deeds which should not be done you have done to me.” The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here.

[44:16]  ²¹ tn The imperfect verbal form here indicates the subject’s potential.

[44:16]  ²² tn The Hitpael form of the verb צָדֵק (tsadeq) here means “to prove ourselves just, to declare ourselves righteous, to prove our innocence.”

[44:16]  ²³ sn God has exposed the sin of your servants. The first three questions are rhetorical; Judah is stating that there is nothing they can say to clear themselves. He therefore must conclude that they have been found guilty.

[42:27]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and the one.” The article indicates that the individual is vivid in the mind of the narrator, yet it is not important to identify him by name.

[42:27]  ²⁵ tn Heb “at the lodging place.”

[42:27]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and look, it [was] in the mouth of his sack.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to look through the eyes of the character and thereby draws attention to the money.

[3:22]  ²⁷ tn The particle הֵן (hen) introduces a foundational clause, usually beginning with “since, because, now.”

[3:22]  ²⁸ sn The man has become like one of us. See the notes on Gen 1:26 and 3:5.

[3:22]  ²⁹ tn The infinitive explains in what way the man had become like God: “knowing good and evil.”

[3:22]  ³⁰ tn Heb “and now, lest he stretch forth.” Following the foundational clause, this clause forms the main point. It is introduced with the particle פֶּן (pen) which normally introduces a negative purpose, “lest….” The construction is elliptical; something must be done lest the man stretch forth his hand. The translation interprets the point intended.

[22:2]  ³¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:2]  ³² sn Take your son…Isaac. The instructions are very clear, but the details are deliberate. With every additional description the commandment becomes more challenging.

[22:2]  ³³ sn There has been much debate over the location of Moriah; 2 Chr 3:1 suggests it may be the site where the temple was later built in Jerusalem.

[22:2]  ³⁴ sn A whole burnt offering signified the complete surrender of the worshiper and complete acceptance by God. The demand for a human sacrifice was certainly radical and may have seemed to Abraham out of character for God. Abraham would have to obey without fully understanding what God was about.

[22:2]  ³⁵ tn Heb “which I will say to.”

[20:16]  ³⁶ sn A thousand pieces [Heb “shekels”] of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 11.5 kilograms, or 400 ounces (about 25 pounds).

[20:16]  ³⁷ sn To your ‘brother.’ Note the way that the king refers to Abraham. Was he being sarcastic? It was surely a rebuke to Sarah. What is amazing is how patient this king was. It is proof that the fear of God was in that place, contrary to what Abraham believed (see v. 11).

[20:16]  ³⁸ tn Heb “Look, it is for you a covering of the eyes, for all who are with you, and with all, and you are set right.” The exact meaning of the statement is unclear. Apparently it means that the gift of money somehow exonerates her in other people’s eyes. They will not look on her as compromised (see G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 2:74).

[4:13]  ³⁹ tn The primary meaning of the Hebrew word עָוֹן (’avon) is “sin, iniquity.” But by metonymy it can refer to the “guilt” of sin, or to “punishment” for sin. The third meaning applies here. Just before this the Lord announces the punishment for Cain’s actions, and right after this statement Cain complains of the severity of the punishment. Cain is not portrayed as repenting of his sin.

[4:13]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “great is my punishment from bearing.” The preposition מִן (min, “from”) is used here in a comparative sense.

[42:19]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “bound in the house of your prison.”

[42:19]  ⁴² tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal.

[42:19]  ⁴³ tn Heb “[for] the hunger of your households.”

[44:32]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “for.”

[45:5]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “let there not be anger in your eyes.”

[45:5]  ⁴⁶ sn You sold me here, for God sent me. The tension remains as to how the brothers’ wickedness and God’s intentions work together. Clearly God is able to transform the actions of wickedness to bring about some gracious end. But this is saying more than that; it is saying that from the beginning it was God who sent Joseph here. Although harmonization of these ideas remains humanly impossible, the divine intention is what should be the focus. Only that will enable reconciliation.

[42:16]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “send from you one and let him take.” After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose.

[42:16]  ⁴⁸ tn The disjunctive clause is here circumstantial-temporal.

[42:16]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “bound.”

[42:16]  ⁵⁰ tn The words “to see” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:16]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “the truth [is] with you.”

[42:33]  ⁵² tn The word “grain” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[20:4]  ⁵³ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[20:4]  ⁵⁴ tn Apparently Abimelech assumes that God’s judgment will fall on his entire nation. Some, finding the reference to a nation problematic, prefer to emend the text and read, “Would you really kill someone who is innocent?” See E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 149.

[49:16]  ⁵⁵ sn The name Dan (דָּן, dan) means “judge” and forms a wordplay with the following verb.

[49:16]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “govern.”

[44:10]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “Also now, according to your words, so it is.” As the next statement indicates, this does mean that he will do exactly as they say. He does agree with them the culprit should be punished, but not as harshly as they suggest. Furthermore, the innocent parties will not be punished.

[44:10]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “The one with whom it is found will become my slave.”

[44:10]  ⁵⁹ tn The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[44:10]  ⁶⁰ tn The Hebrew word נָקִי (naqi) means “acquitted,” that is, free of guilt and the responsibility for it.

[44:10]  sn The rest of you will be free. Joseph’s purpose was to single out Benjamin to see if the brothers would abandon him as they had abandoned Joseph. He wanted to see if they had changed.

[28:2]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “Arise! Go!” The first of the two imperatives is adverbial and stresses the immediacy of the departure.

[32:8]  ⁶² tn Heb “If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.”

[32:8]  ⁶³ tn Heb “and he said, ‘If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.” The Hebrew verb אָמַר (’amar) here represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “he thought.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:8]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “the surviving camp will be for escape.” The word “escape” is a feminine noun. The term most often refers to refugees from war.

[44:9]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “The one with whom it is found from your servants.” Here “your servants” (a deferential way of referring to the brothers themselves) has been translated by the pronoun “us” to avoid confusion with Joseph’s servants.

[18:25]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “ruler.”

[18:25]  ⁶⁷ sn Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right? For discussion of this text see J. L. Crenshaw, “Popular Questioning of the Justice of God in Ancient Israel,” ZAW 82 (1970): 380-95, and C. S. Rodd, “Shall Not the Judge of All the Earth Do What Is Just?” ExpTim 83 (1972): 137-39.

[37:20]  ⁶⁸ tn The Hebrew word can sometimes carry the nuance “evil,” but when used of an animal it refers to a dangerous wild animal.

[37:20]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “what his dreams will be.”

[38:26]  ⁷⁰ tn Traditionally “more righteous”; cf. NCV, NRSV, NLT “more in the right.”

[38:26]  sn She is more upright than I. Judah had been irresponsible and unfaithful to his duty to see that the family line continued through the levirate marriage of his son Shelah. Tamar fought for her right to be the mother of Judah’s line. When she was not given Shelah and Judah’s wife died, she took action on her own to ensure that the line did not die out. Though deceptive, it was a desperate and courageous act. For Tamar it was within her rights; she did nothing that the law did not entitle her to do. But for Judah it was wrong because he thought he was going to a prostitute. See also Susan Niditch, “The Wronged Woman Righted: An Analysis of Genesis 38,” HTR 72 (1979): 143-48.

[38:26]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “and he did not add again to know her.” Here “know” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[5:1]  ⁷² tn Heb “book” or “roll.” Cf. NIV “written account”; NRSV “list.”

[5:1]  ⁷³ tn Heb “generations.” See the note on the phrase “this is the account of” in 2:4.

[5:1]  ⁷⁴ tn The Hebrew text has אָדָם (’adam).

[5:1]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “him.” The Hebrew text uses the third masculine singular pronominal suffix on the accusative sign. The pronoun agrees grammatically with its antecedent אָדָם (’adam). However, the next verse makes it clear that אָדָם is collective here and refers to “humankind,” so it is preferable to translate the pronoun with the English plural.

[29:31]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “hated.” The rhetorical device of overstatement is used (note v. 30, which says simply that Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah) to emphasize that Rachel, as Jacob’s true love and the primary object of his affections, had an advantage over Leah.

[29:31]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “he opened up her womb.”

[1:4]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “And God saw the light, that it was good.” The verb “saw” in this passage carries the meaning “reflected on,” “surveyed,” “concluded,” “noted.” It is a description of reflection of the mind – it is God’s opinion.

[1:4]  ⁷⁹ tn The Hebrew word טוֹב (tov) in this context signifies whatever enhances, promotes, produces, or is conducive for life. It is the light that God considers “good,” not the darkness. Whatever is conducive to life in God’s creation is good, for God himself is good, and that goodness is reflected in all of his works.

[1:4]  ⁸⁰ tn The verb “separate, divide” here explains how God used the light to dispel the darkness. It did not do away with the darkness completely, but made a separation. The light came alongside the darkness, but they are mutually exclusive – a theme that will be developed in the Gospel of John (cf. John 1:5).

[1:4]  sn The idea of separation is critical to this chapter. God separated light from darkness, upper water from lower water, day from night, etc. The verb is important to the Law in general. In Leviticus God separates between clean and unclean, holy and profane (Lev 10:10, 11:47 and 20:24); in Exodus God separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (Exod 26:33). There is a preference for the light over the darkness, just as there will be a preference for the upper waters, the rain water which is conducive to life, over the sea water.

[2:22]  ⁸¹ tn The Hebrew verb is בָּנָה (banah, “to make, to build, to construct”). The text states that the Lord God built the rib into a woman. Again, the passage gives no indication of precisely how this was done.

[4:4]  ⁸² tn Heb “But Abel brought, also he….” The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) stresses the contrast between Cain’s offering and Abel’s.

[4:4]  ⁸³ tn Two prepositional phrases are used to qualify the kind of sacrifice that Abel brought: “from the firstborn” and “from the fattest of them.” These also could be interpreted as a hendiadys: “from the fattest of the firstborn of the flock.” Another option is to understand the second prepositional phrase as referring to the fat portions of the sacrificial sheep. In this case one may translate, “some of the firstborn of his flock, even some of their fat portions” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).

[4:4]  sn Here are two types of worshipers – one (Cain) merely discharges a duty at the proper time, while the other (Abel) goes out of his way to please God with the first and the best.

[4:4]  ⁸⁴ tn The Hebrew verb שָׁעָה (sha’ah) simply means “to gaze at, to have regard for, to look on with favor [or “with devotion”].” The text does not indicate how this was communicated, but it indicates that Cain and Abel knew immediately. Either there was some manifestation of divine pleasure given to Abel and withheld from Cain (fire consuming the sacrifice?), or there was an inner awareness of divine response.

[19:25]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “and all the plain”; Heb “and all the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:25]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “and the vegetation of the ground.”

[16:5]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “my wrong is because of you.”

[16:5]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “I placed my female servant in your bosom.”

[16:5]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “saw.”

[16:5]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “I was despised in her eyes.” The passive verb has been translated as active for stylistic reasons. Sarai was made to feel supplanted and worthless by Hagar the servant girl.

[16:5]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “me and you.”

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

[18:28]  ⁹² tn The Hebrew verb שָׁחַת (shakhat, “to destroy”) was used earlier to describe the effect of the flood.

[18:28]  ⁹³ tn Heb “because of five.”

[24:14]  ⁹⁴ sn I will also give your camels water. It would be an enormous test for a young woman to water ten camels. The idea is that such a woman would not only be industrious but hospitable and generous.

[24:14]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “And let the young woman to whom I say, ‘Lower your jar that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I will also give your camels water,’ – her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac, and by it I will know that you have acted in faithfulness with my master.”

[42:21]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “a man to his neighbor.”

[42:21]  ⁹⁷ 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]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “the distress of his soul.”

[42:21]  ⁹⁹ 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.

[6:9]  ¹⁰⁰ 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]  ¹⁰¹ 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]  ¹⁰² 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]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “Noah.” The proper name has been replaced with the pronoun in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[6:9]  ¹⁰⁴ 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.”

[17:12]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “the son of eight days.”

[18:24]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “lift up,” perhaps in the sense of “bear with” (cf. NRSV “forgive”).

[19:29]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The construction is a temporal clause comprised of the temporal indicator, an infinitive construct with a preposition, and the subjective genitive.

[19:29]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Or “of the plain”; Heb “of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:29]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “remembered,” but this means more than mental recollection here. Abraham’s request (Gen 18:23-32) was that the Lord not destroy the righteous with the wicked. While the requisite minimum number of righteous people (ten, v. 32) needed for God to spare the cities was not found, God nevertheless rescued the righteous before destroying the wicked.

[19:29]  sn God showed Abraham special consideration because of the covenantal relationship he had established with the patriarch. Yet the reader knows that God delivered the “righteous” (Lot’s designation in 2 Pet 2:7) before destroying their world – which is what he will do again at the end of the age.

[19:29]  ¹¹⁰ sn God’s removal of Lot before the judgment is paradigmatic. He typically delivers the godly before destroying their world.

[19:29]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “the overthrow when [he] overthrew.”

[20:5]  ¹¹² tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:5]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and she, even she.”

[20:5]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “with the integrity of my heart.”

[31:39]  ¹¹⁵ tn The imperfect verbal form indicates that this was a customary or typical action.

[31:39]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “from my hand you exacted it.” The imperfect verbal form again indicates that this was a customary or typical action. The words “for every missing animal” are supplied in the translation for clarity; the following clause in Hebrew, “stolen by day or stolen by night,” probably means “stolen by wild beasts” and refers to the same animals “torn by wild beasts” in the previous clause, although it may refer to animals stolen by people. The translation used here, “missing,” is ambiguous enough to cover either eventuality.

[43:12]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “in your hand.”

[43:12]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “take back in your hand.” The imperfect verbal form probably has an injunctive or obligatory force here, since Jacob is instructing his sons.

[49:4]  ¹¹⁹ tn The Hebrew noun פַּחַז (pakhaz) only occurs here in the OT. A related verb occurs twice in the prophets (Jer 23:32; Zeph 3:4) for false prophets inventing their messages, and once in Judges for unscrupulous men bribed to murder (Judg 9:4). It would describe Reuben as being “frothy, boiling, turbulent” as water. The LXX has “run riot,” the Vulgate has “poured out,” and Tg. Onq. has “you followed your own direction.” It is a reference to Reuben’s misconduct in Gen 35, but the simile and the rare word invite some speculation. H. Pehlke suggests “destructive like water,” for Reuben acted with pride and presumption; see his “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Genesis 49:1-28” (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1985).

[49:4]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “Do not excel!” The Hiphil of the verb יָתַר (yatar) has this meaning only here. The negated jussive is rhetorical here. Rather than being a command, it anticipates what will transpire. The prophecy says that because of the character of the ancestor, the tribe of Reuben would not have the character to lead (see 1 Chr 5:1).

[49:4]  ¹²¹ sn This is a euphemism for having sexual intercourse with Jacob’s wives (see Gen 35:22).

[49:4]  ¹²² tn The last verb is third masculine singular, as if for the first time Jacob told the brothers, or let them know that he knew. For a discussion of this passage see S. Gevirtz, “The Reprimand of Reuben,” JNES 30 (1971): 87-98.

[2:19]  ¹²³ tn Or “fashioned.” To harmonize the order of events with the chronology of chapter one, some translate the prefixed verb form with vav (ו) consecutive as a past perfect (“had formed,” cf. NIV) here. (In chapter one the creation of the animals preceded the creation of man; here the animals are created after the man.) However, it is unlikely that the Hebrew construction can be translated in this way in the middle of this pericope, for the criteria for unmarked temporal overlay are not present here. See S. R. Driver, A Treatise on the Use of the Tenses in Hebrew, 84-88, and especially R. Buth, “Methodological Collision between Source Criticism and Discourse Analysis,” Biblical Hebrew and Discourse Linguistics, 138-54. For a contrary viewpoint see IBHS 552-53 §33.2.3 and C. J. Collins, “The Wayyiqtol as ‘Pluperfect’: When and Why,” TynBul 46 (1995): 117-40.

[2:19]  ¹²⁴ tn The imperfect verb form is future from the perspective of the past time narrative.

[3:24]  ¹²⁵ tn The verb with the vav (ו) consecutive is made subordinate to the next verb forming a temporal clause. This avoids any tautology with the previous verse that already stated that the Lord expelled the man.

[3:24]  ¹²⁶ tn Or “placed in front.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.

[3:24]  ¹²⁷ tn The Hebrew word is traditionally transliterated “the cherubim.”

[3:24]  sn Angelic sentries (Heb “cherubim”). The cherubim in the Bible seem to be a class of angels that are composite in appearance. Their main task seems to be guarding. Here they guard the way to the tree of life. The curtain in the tabernacle was to be embroidered with cherubim as well, symbolically guarding the way to God. (See in addition A. S. Kapelrud, “The Gates of Hell and the Guardian Angels of Paradise,” JAOS 70 [1950]: 151-56; and D. N. Freedman and M. P. O’Connor, TDOT 7:307-19.)

[3:24]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “the flame of the sword that turns round and round.” The noun “flame” is qualified by the genitive of specification, “the sword,” which in turn is modified by the attributive participle “whirling.” The Hitpael of the verb “turn” has an iterative function here, indicating repeated action. The form is used in Job 37:12 of swirling clouds and in Judg 7:13 of a tumbling roll of bread. Verse 24 depicts the sword as moving from side to side to prevent anyone from passing or as whirling around, ready to cut to shreds anyone who tries to pass.

[4:7]  ¹²⁹ tn The introduction of the conditional clause with an interrogative particle prods the answer from Cain, as if he should have known this. It is not a condemnation, but an encouragement to do what is right.

[4:7]  ¹³⁰ tn The Hebrew text is difficult, because only one word occurs, שְׂאֵת (sÿ’et), which appears to be the infinitive construct from the verb “to lift up” (נָאָשׂ, na’as). The sentence reads: “If you do well, uplifting.” On the surface it seems to be the opposite of the fallen face. Everything will be changed if he does well. God will show him favor, he will not be angry, and his face will reflect that. But more may be intended since the second half of the verse forms the contrast: “If you do not do well, sin is crouching….” Not doing well leads to sinful attack; doing well leads to victory and God’s blessing.

[4:7]  ¹³¹ tn The Hebrew term translated “crouching” (רֹבֵץ, rovets) is an active participle. Sin is portrayed with animal imagery here as a beast crouching and ready to pounce (a figure of speech known as zoomorphism). An Akkadian cognate refers to a type of demon; in this case perhaps one could translate, “Sin is the demon at the door” (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 29, 32-33).

[4:7]  ¹³² tn Heb “and toward you [is] its desire, but you must rule over it.” As in Gen 3:16, the Hebrew noun “desire” refers to an urge to control or dominate. Here the desire is that which sin has for Cain, a desire to control for the sake of evil, but Cain must have mastery over it. The imperfect is understood as having an obligatory sense. Another option is to understand it as expressing potential (“you can have [or “are capable of having”] mastery over it.”). It will be a struggle, but sin can be defeated by righteousness. In addition to this connection to Gen 3, other linguistic and thematic links between chaps. 3 and 4 are discussed by A. J. Hauser, “Linguistic and Thematic Links Between Genesis 4:1-6 and Genesis 2–3,” JETS 23 (1980): 297-306.

[14:13]  ¹³³ tn Heb “the fugitive.” The article carries a generic force or indicates that this fugitive is definite in the mind of the speaker.

[14:13]  ¹³⁴ sn E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103) suggests that part of this chapter came from an outside source since it refers to Abram the Hebrew. That is not impossible, given that the narrator likely utilized traditions and genealogies that had been collected and transmitted over the years. The meaning of the word “Hebrew” has proved elusive. It may be related to the verb “to cross over,” perhaps meaning “immigrant.” Or it might be derived from the name of Abram’s ancestor Eber (see Gen 11:14-16).

[14:13]  ¹³⁵ tn Or “terebinths.”

[14:13]  ¹³⁶ tn Or “a brother”; or “a relative”; or perhaps “an ally.”

[14:13]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “possessors of a treaty with.” Since it is likely that the qualifying statement refers to all three (Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner) the words “all these” have been supplied in the translation to make this clear.

[14:13]  ¹³⁸ tn This parenthetical disjunctive clause explains how Abram came to be living in their territory, but it also explains why they must go to war with Abram.

[18:32]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.