Kejadian 9:27

9:27 May God enlarge Japheth’s territory and numbers! ¹ 

May he live ²  in the tents of Shem

and may Canaan be his slave!”

Kejadian 25:16

25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their settlements and their camps – twelve princes ³  according to their clans.

Kejadian 27:16

27:16 She put the skins of the young goats ⁴  on his hands ⁵  and the smooth part of his neck.

Kejadian 32:21

32:21 So the gifts were sent on ahead of him ⁶  while he spent that night in the camp. ⁷ 

[9:27]  ¹ tn Heb “may God enlarge Japheth.” The words “territory and numbers” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:27]  sn There is a wordplay (paronomasia) on the name Japheth. The verb יַפְתְּ (yaft, “may he enlarge”) sounds like the name יֶפֶת (yefet, “Japheth”). The name itself suggested the idea. The blessing for Japheth extends beyond the son to the descendants. Their numbers and their territories will be enlarged, so much so that they will share in Shem’s territories. Again, in this oracle, Noah is looking beyond his immediate family to future generations. For a helpful study of this passage and the next chapter, see T. O. Figart, A Biblical Perspective on the Race Problem, 55-58.

[9:27]  ² tn In this context the prefixed verbal form is a jussive (note the distinct jussive forms both before and after this in vv. 26 and 27).

[25:16]  ³ tn Or “tribal chieftains.”

[27:16]  ⁴ tn In the Hebrew text the object (“the skins of the young goats”) precedes the verb. The disjunctive clause draws attention to this key element in the subterfuge.

[27:16]  ⁵ tn The word “hands” probably includes the forearms here. How the skins were attached is not specified in the Hebrew text; cf. NLT “she made him a pair of gloves.”

[32:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “and the gift passed over upon his face.”

[32:21]  ⁷ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial/temporal.