Kejadian 32:1--34:31
Konteks32:1 So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God 1 met him. 32:2 When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, 2 “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. 3
32:3 Jacob sent messengers on ahead 4 to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region 5 of Edom. 32:4 He commanded them, “This is what you must say to my lord Esau: ‘This is what your servant 6 Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban until now. 32:5 I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent 7 this message 8 to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”
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.” 32:7 Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels. 32:8 “If Esau attacks one camp,” 9 he thought, 10 “then the other camp will be able to escape.” 11
32:9 Then Jacob prayed, 12 “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said 13 to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’ 14 32:10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love 15 you have shown 16 your servant. With only my walking stick 17 I crossed the Jordan, 18 but now I have become two camps. 32:11 Rescue me, 19 I pray, from the hand 20 of my brother Esau, 21 for I am afraid he will come 22 and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children. 23 32:12 But you 24 said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper 25 and will make 26 your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’” 27
32:13 Jacob 28 stayed there that night. Then he sent 29 as a gift 30 to his brother Esau 32:14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 32:15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 32:16 He entrusted them to 31 his servants, who divided them into herds. 32 He told his servants, “Pass over before me, and keep some distance between one herd and the next.” 32:17 He instructed the servant leading the first herd, 33 “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong? 34 Where are you going? Whose herds are you driving?’ 35 32:18 then you must say, 36 ‘They belong 37 to your servant Jacob. 38 They have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau. 39 In fact Jacob himself is behind us.’” 40
32:19 He also gave these instructions to the second and third servants, as well as all those who were following the herds, saying, “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 41 32:20 You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’” 42 Jacob thought, 43 “I will first appease him 44 by sending a gift ahead of me. 45 After that I will meet him. 46 Perhaps he will accept me.” 47 32:21 So the gifts were sent on ahead of him 48 while he spent that night in the camp. 49
32:22 During the night Jacob quickly took 50 his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons 51 and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 52 32:23 He took them and sent them across the stream along with all his possessions. 53 32:24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man 54 wrestled 55 with him until daybreak. 56 32:25 When the man 57 saw that he could not defeat Jacob, 58 he struck 59 the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.
32:26 Then the man 60 said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” 61 “I will not let you go,” Jacob replied, 62 “unless you bless me.” 63 32:27 The man asked him, 64 “What is your name?” 65 He answered, “Jacob.” 32:28 “No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him, 66 “but Israel, 67 because you have fought 68 with God and with men and have prevailed.”
32:29 Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” 69 “Why 70 do you ask my name?” the man replied. 71 Then he blessed 72 Jacob 73 there. 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, 74 explaining, 75 “Certainly 76 I have seen God face to face 77 and have survived.” 78
32:31 The sun rose 79 over him as he crossed over Penuel, 80 but 81 he was limping because of his hip. 32:32 That is why to this day 82 the Israelites do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the hip, because he struck 83 the socket of Jacob’s hip near the attached sinew.
33:1 Jacob looked up 84 and saw that Esau was coming 85 along with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants. 33:2 He put the servants and their children in front, with Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them. 86 33:3 But Jacob 87 himself went on ahead of them, and he bowed toward the ground seven times as he approached 88 his brother. 33:4 But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Then they both wept. 33:5 When Esau 89 looked up 90 and saw the women and the children, he asked, “Who are these people with you?” Jacob 91 replied, “The children whom God has graciously given 92 your servant.” 33:6 The female servants came forward with their children and bowed down. 93 33:7 Then Leah came forward with her children and they bowed down. Finally Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed down.
33:8 Esau 94 then asked, “What did you intend 95 by sending all these herds to meet me?” 96 Jacob 97 replied, “To find favor in your sight, my lord.” 33:9 But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother. Keep what belongs to you.” 33:10 “No, please take them,” Jacob said. 98 “If I have found favor in your sight, accept 99 my gift from my hand. Now that I have seen your face and you have accepted me, 100 it is as if I have seen the face of God. 101 33:11 Please take my present 102 that was brought to you, for God has been generous 103 to me and I have all I need.” 104 When Jacob urged him, he took it. 105
33:12 Then Esau 106 said, “Let’s be on our way! 107 I will go in front of you.” 33:13 But Jacob 108 said to him, “My lord knows that the children are young, 109 and that I have to look after the sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. 110 If they are driven too hard for even a single day, all the animals will die. 33:14 Let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the herds and the children, 111 until I come to my lord at Seir.”
33:15 So Esau said, “Let me leave some of my men with you.” 112 “Why do that?” Jacob replied. 113 “My lord has already been kind enough to me.” 114
33:16 So that same day Esau made his way back 115 to Seir. 33:17 But 116 Jacob traveled to Succoth 117 where he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was called 118 Succoth. 119
33:18 After he left Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped near 120 the city. 33:19 Then he purchased the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent; he bought it 121 from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of money. 122 33:20 There he set up an altar and called it “The God of Israel is God.” 123
34:1 Now Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she bore to Jacob, went to meet 124 the young women 125 of the land. 34:2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who ruled that area, saw her, he grabbed her, forced himself on her, 126 and sexually assaulted her. 127 34:3 Then he became very attached 128 to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her. 129 34:4 Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Acquire this young girl as my wife.” 130 34:5 When 131 Jacob heard that Shechem 132 had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field. So Jacob remained silent 133 until they came in.
34:6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went to speak with Jacob about Dinah. 134 34:7 Now Jacob’s sons had come in from the field when they heard the news. 135 They 136 were offended 137 and very angry because Shechem 138 had disgraced Israel 139 by sexually assaulting 140 Jacob’s daughter, a crime that should not be committed. 141
34:8 But Hamor made this appeal to them: “My son Shechem is in love with your daughter. 142 Please give her to him as his wife. 34:9 Intermarry with us. 143 Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves. 144 34:10 You may live 145 among us, and the land will be open to you. 146 Live in it, travel freely in it, 147 and acquire property in it.”
34:11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s 148 father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and whatever you require of me 149 I’ll give. 150 34:12 You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive, 151 and I’ll give 152 whatever you ask 153 of me. Just give me the young woman as my wife!”
34:13 Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem 154 had violated their sister Dinah. 34:14 They said to them, “We cannot give 155 our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace 156 to us. 34:15 We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become 157 like us by circumcising 158 all your males. 34:16 Then we will give 159 you our daughters to marry, 160 and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. 34:17 But if you do not agree to our terms 161 by being circumcised, then we will take 162 our sister 163 and depart.”
34:18 Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem. 164 34:19 The young man did not delay in doing what they asked 165 because he wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah 166 badly. (Now he was more important 167 than anyone in his father’s household.) 168 34:20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate 169 of their city and spoke to the men of their city, 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 170 for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry. 171 34:22 Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand 172 that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised. 34:23 If we do so, 173 won’t their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? So let’s consent to their demand, so they will live among us.”
34:24 All the men who assembled at the city gate 174 agreed with 175 Hamor and his son Shechem. Every male who assembled at the city gate 176 was circumcised. 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 177 and went to the unsuspecting city 178 and slaughtered every male. 34:26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. 34:27 Jacob’s sons killed them 179 and looted the city because their sister had been violated. 180 34:28 They took their flocks, herds, and donkeys, as well as everything in the city and in the surrounding fields. 181 34:29 They captured as plunder 182 all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, including everything in the houses.
34:30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought ruin 183 on me by making me a foul odor 184 among the inhabitants of the land – among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I 185 am few in number; they will join forces against me and attack me, and both I and my family will be destroyed!” 34:31 But Simeon and Levi replied, 186 “Should he treat our sister like a common prostitute?”
[32:1] 1 sn The phrase angels of God occurs only here and in Gen 28:12 in the OT. Jacob saw a vision of angels just before he left the promised land. Now he encounters angels as he prepares to return to it. The text does not give the details of the encounter, but Jacob’s response suggests it was amicable. This location was a spot where heaven made contact with earth, and where God made his presence known to the patriarch. See C. Houtman, “Jacob at Mahanaim: Some Remarks on Genesis XXXII 2-3,” VT 28 (1978): 37-44.
[32:2] 2 tn Heb “and Jacob said when he saw them.”
[32:2] 3 sn The name Mahanaim apparently means “two camps.” Perhaps the two camps were those of God and of Jacob.
[32:4] 6 sn Your servant. The narrative recounts Jacob’s groveling in fear before Esau as he calls his brother his “lord,” as if to minimize what had been done twenty years ago.
[32:5] 7 tn Or “I am sending.” The form is a preterite with the vav consecutive; it could be rendered as an English present tense – as the Hebrew perfect/preterite allows – much like an epistolary aorist in Greek. The form assumes the temporal perspective of the one who reads the message.
[32:5] 8 tn The words “this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:8] 9 tn Heb “If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.”
[32:8] 10 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] 11 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.
[32:9] 13 tn Heb “the one who said.”
[32:9] 14 tn Heb “I will cause good” or “I will treat well [or “favorably”].” The idea includes more than prosperity, though that is its essential meaning. Here the form is subordinated to the preceding imperative and indicates purpose or result. Jacob is reminding God of his promise in the hope that God will honor his word.
[32:10] 15 tn Heb “the loving deeds and faithfulness” (see 24:27, 49).
[32:10] 16 tn Heb “you have done with.”
[32:10] 17 tn Heb “for with my staff.” The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally translated “staff,” has been rendered as “walking stick” because a “staff” in contemporary English refers typically to the support personnel in an organization.
[32:10] 18 tn Heb “this Jordan.”
[32:11] 19 tn The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.
[32:11] 20 tn The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”
[32:11] 21 tn Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”
[32:11] 22 tn Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”
[32:11] 23 sn Heb “me, [the] mother upon [the] sons.” The first person pronoun “me” probably means here “me and mine,” as the following clause suggests.
[32:12] 24 tn Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.
[32:12] sn Some commentators have thought this final verse of the prayer redundant, but it actually follows the predominant form of a lament in which God is motivated to act. The primary motivation Jacob can offer to God is God’s promise, and so he falls back on that at the end of the prayer.
[32:12] 25 tn Or “will certainly deal well with you.” The infinitive absolute appears before the imperfect, underscoring God’s promise to bless. The statement is more emphatic than in v. 9.
[32:12] 26 tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.
[32:12] 27 tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.
[32:13] 28 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:13] 29 tn Heb “and he took from that which was going into his hand,” meaning that he took some of what belonged to him.
[32:13] 30 sn The Hebrew noun translated gift can in some contexts refer to the tribute paid by a subject to his lord. Such a nuance is possible here, because Jacob refers to Esau as his lord and to himself as Esau’s servant (v. 4).
[32:16] 31 tn Heb “and he put them in the hand of.”
[32:16] 32 tn Heb “a herd, a herd, by itself,” or “each herd by itself.” The distributive sense is expressed by repetition.
[32:17] 33 tn Heb “the first”; this has been specified as “the servant leading the first herd” in the translation for clarity.
[32:17] 34 tn Heb “to whom are you?”
[32:17] 35 tn Heb “and to whom are these before you?”
[32:18] 36 tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive; it has the nuance of an imperfect of instruction.
[32:18] 37 tn The words “they belong” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:18] 38 tn Heb “to your servant, to Jacob.”
[32:18] 39 tn Heb “to my lord, to Esau.”
[32:18] 40 tn Heb “and look, also he [is] behind us.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:19] 41 tn Heb “And he commanded also the second, also the third, also all the ones going after the herds, saying: ‘According to this word you will speak when you find him.’”
[32:20] 42 tn Heb “and look, your servant Jacob [is] behind us.”
[32:20] 43 tn Heb “for he said.” The referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “thought.”
[32:20] 44 tn Heb “I will appease his face.” The cohortative here expresses Jacob’s resolve. In the Book of Leviticus the Hebrew verb translated “appease” has the idea of removing anger due to sin or guilt, a nuance that fits this passage very well. Jacob wanted to buy Esau off with a gift of more than five hundred and fifty animals.
[32:20] 45 tn Heb “with a gift going before me.”
[32:20] 46 tn Heb “I will see his face.”
[32:20] 47 tn Heb “Perhaps he will lift up my face.” In this context the idiom refers to acceptance.
[32:21] 48 tn Heb “and the gift passed over upon his face.”
[32:21] 49 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial/temporal.
[32:22] 50 tn Heb “and he arose in that night and he took.” The first verb is adverbial, indicating that he carried out the crossing right away.
[32:22] 51 tn The Hebrew term used here is יֶלֶד (yeled) which typically describes male offspring. Some translations render the term “children” but this is a problem because by this time Jacob had twelve children in all, including one daughter, Dinah, born to Leah (Gen 30:21). Benjamin, his twelfth son and thirteenth child, was not born until later (Gen 35:16-19).
[32:22] 52 sn Hebrew narrative style often includes a summary statement of the whole passage followed by a more detailed report of the event. Here v. 22 is the summary statement, while v. 23 begins the detailed account.
[32:23] 53 tn Heb “and he sent across what he had.”
[32:24] 54 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] 55 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] 56 tn Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”
[32:25] 57 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:25] 58 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:25] 59 tn Or “injured”; traditionally “touched.” The Hebrew verb translated “struck” has the primary meanings “to touch; to reach; to strike.” It can, however, carry the connotation “to harm; to molest; to injure.” God’s “touch” cripples Jacob – it would be comparable to a devastating blow.
[32:26] 60 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:26] 61 tn Heb “dawn has arisen.”
[32:26] 62 tn Heb “and he said, ‘I will not let you go.’” 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.
[32:26] 63 sn Jacob wrestled with a man thinking him to be a mere man, and on that basis was equal to the task. But when it had gone on long enough, the night visitor touched Jacob and crippled him. Jacob’s request for a blessing can only mean that he now knew that his opponent was supernatural. Contrary to many allegorical interpretations of the passage that make fighting equivalent to prayer, this passage shows that Jacob stopped fighting, and then asked for a blessing.
[32:27] 64 tn Heb “and he said to him.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:27] 65 sn What is your name? The question is rhetorical, since the
[32:28] 66 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with 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.
[32:28] 67 sn The name Israel is a common construction, using a verb with a theophoric element (אֵל, ’el) that usually indicates the subject of the verb. Here it means “God fights.” This name will replace the name Jacob; it will be both a promise and a call for faith. In essence, the
[32:28] 68 sn You have fought. The explanation of the name Israel includes a sound play. In Hebrew the verb translated “you have fought” (שָׂרִיתָ, sarita) sounds like the name “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל, yisra’el ), meaning “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). The name would evoke the memory of the fight and what it meant. A. Dillmann says that ever after this the name would tell the Israelites that, when Jacob contended successfully with God, he won the battle with man (Genesis, 2:279). To be successful with God meant that he had to be crippled in his own self-sufficiency (A. P. Ross, “Jacob at the Jabboq, Israel at Peniel,” BSac 142 [1985]: 51-62).
[32:29] 69 sn Tell me your name. In primitive thought to know the name of a deity or supernatural being would enable one to use it for magical manipulation or power (A. S. Herbert, Genesis 12-50 [TBC], 108). For a thorough structural analysis of the passage discussing the plays on the names and the request of Jacob, see R. Barthes, “The Struggle with the Angel: Textual Analysis of Genesis 32:23-33,” Structural Analysis and Biblical Exegesis (PTMS), 21-33.
[32:29] 70 tn The question uses the enclitic pronoun “this” to emphasize the import of the question.
[32:29] 71 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with 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.
[32:29] 72 tn The verb here means that the
[32:29] 73 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:30] 74 sn The name Peniel means “face of God.” Since Jacob saw God face to face here, the name is appropriate.
[32:30] 75 tn The word “explaining” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:30] 77 sn I have seen God face to face. See the note on the name “Peniel” earlier in the verse.
[32:30] 78 tn Heb “and my soul [= life] has been preserved.”
[32:30] sn I have survived. It was commonly understood that no one could see God and live (Gen 48:16; Exod 19:21, 24:10; and Judg 6:11, 22). On the surface Jacob seems to be saying that he saw God and survived. But the statement may have a double meaning, in light of his prayer for deliverance in v. 11. Jacob recognizes that he has survived his encounter with God and that his safety has now been guaranteed.
[32:31] 80 sn The name is spelled Penuel here, apparently a variant spelling of Peniel (see v. 30).
[32:31] 81 tn The disjunctive clause draws attention to an important fact: He may have crossed the stream, but he was limping.
[32:32] 82 sn On the use of the expression to this day, see B. S. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until This Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.
[32:32] 83 tn Or “because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive. On the translation of the word “struck” see the note on this term in v. 25.
[33:1] 84 tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his eyes.”
[33:1] 85 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.
[33:2] 86 sn This kind of ranking according to favoritism no doubt fed the jealousy over Joseph that later becomes an important element in the narrative. It must have been painful to the family to see that they were expendable.
[33:3] 87 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:3] 88 tn Heb “until his drawing near unto his brother.” The construction uses the preposition with the infinitive construct to express a temporal clause.
[33:5] 89 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:5] 90 tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”
[33:5] 91 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:5] 92 tn The Hebrew verb means “to be gracious; to show favor”; here it carries the nuance “to give graciously.”
[33:6] 93 tn Heb “and the female servants drew near, they and their children and they bowed down.”
[33:8] 94 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:8] 95 tn Heb “Who to you?”
[33:8] 96 tn Heb “all this camp which I met.”
[33:8] 97 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:10] 98 tn Heb “and Jacob said, ‘No, please.’” The words “take them” have been supplied in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.
[33:10] 99 tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, expressing a contingent future nuance in the “then” section of the conditional sentence.
[33:10] 100 tn The verbal form is the preterite with a vav (ו) consecutive, indicating result here.
[33:10] 101 tn Heb “for therefore I have seen your face like seeing the face of God and you have accepted me.”
[33:10] sn This is an allusion to the preceding episode (32:22-31) in which Jacob saw the face of God and realized his prayer was answered.
[33:11] 102 tn Heb “blessing.” It is as if Jacob is trying to repay what he stole from his brother twenty years earlier.
[33:11] 103 tn Or “gracious,” but in the specific sense of prosperity.
[33:11] 105 tn Heb “and he urged him and he took.” The referent of the first pronoun in the sequence (“he”) has been specified as “Jacob” in the translation for clarity.
[33:12] 106 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:12] 107 tn Heb “let us travel and let us go.” The two cohortatives are used in combination with the sense, “let’s travel along, get going, be on our way.”
[33:13] 108 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[33:13] 110 tn Heb “and the sheep and the cattle nursing [are] upon me.”
[33:14] 111 tn Heb “and I, I will move along according to my leisure at the foot of the property which is before me and at the foot of the children.”
[33:15] 112 tn The cohortative verbal form here indicates a polite offer of help.
[33:15] 113 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] 114 tn Heb “I am finding favor in the eyes of my lord.”
[33:16] 115 tn Heb “returned on his way.”
[33:17] 116 tn The disjunctive clause contrasts Jacob’s action with Esau’s.
[33:17] 117 sn But Jacob traveled to Succoth. There are several reasons why Jacob chose not to go to Mt. Seir after Esau. First, as he said, his herds and children probably could not keep up with the warriors. Second, he probably did not fully trust his brother. The current friendliness could change, and he could lose everything. And third, God did tell him to return to his land, not Seir. But Jacob is still not able to deal truthfully, probably because of fear of Esau.
[33:17] 118 tn Heb “why he called.” One could understand “Jacob” as the subject of the verb, but it is more likely that the subject is indefinite, in which case the verb is better translated as passive.
[33:17] 119 sn The name Succoth means “shelters,” an appropriate name in light of the shelters Jacob built there for his livestock.
[33:18] 120 tn Heb “in front of.”
[33:19] 121 tn The words “he bought it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 19 is one long sentence.
[33:19] 122 tn The Hebrew word קְשִׂיטָה (qÿsitah) is generally understood to refer to a unit of money, but the value is unknown. (However, cf. REB, which renders the term as “sheep”).
[33:20] 123 tn Heb “God, the God of Israel.” Rather than translating the name, a number of modern translations merely transliterate it from the Hebrew as “El Elohe Israel” (cf. NIV, NRSV, REB). It is not entirely clear how the name should be interpreted grammatically. One option is to supply an equative verb, as in the translation: “The God of Israel [is] God.” Another interpretive option is “the God of Israel [is] strong [or “mighty”].” Buying the land and settling down for a while was a momentous step for the patriarch, so the commemorative naming of the altar is significant.
[34:1] 124 tn Heb “went out to see.” The verb “to see,” followed by the preposition בְּ (bÿ), here has the idea of “look over.” The young girl wanted to meet these women and see what they were like.
[34:1] 125 tn Heb “daughters.”
[34:2] 126 tn Heb “and he took her and lay with her.” The suffixed form following the verb appears to be the sign of the accusative instead of the preposition, but see BDB 1012 s.v. שָׁכַב.
[34:2] 127 tn The verb עָנָה (’anah) in the Piel stem can have various shades of meaning, depending on the context: “to defile; to mistreat; to violate; to rape; to shame; to afflict.” Here it means that Shechem violated or humiliated Dinah by raping her.
[34:3] 128 tn Heb “his soul stuck to [or “joined with”],” meaning Shechem became very attached to Dinah emotionally.
[34:3] 129 tn Heb “and he spoke to the heart of the young woman,” which apparently refers in this context to tender, romantic speech (Hos 2:14). Another option is to translate the expression “he reassured the young woman” (see Judg 19:3, 2 Sam 19:7; cf. NEB “comforted her”).
[34:4] 130 tn Heb “Take for me this young woman for a wife.”
[34:5] 131 tn The two disjunctive clauses in this verse (“Now Jacob heard…and his sons were”) are juxtaposed to indicate synchronic action.
[34:5] 132 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:5] 133 sn The expected response would be anger or rage; but Jacob remained silent. He appears too indifferent or confused to act decisively. When the leader does not act decisively, the younger zealots will, and often with disastrous results.
[34:6] 134 tn Heb “went out to Jacob to speak with him.” The words “about Dinah” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[34:7] 135 tn Heb “when they heard.” The words “the news” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[34:7] 136 tn Heb “the men.” This sounds as if a new group has been introduced into the narrative, so it has been translated as “they” to indicate that it refers to Jacob’s sons, mentioned in the first part of the verse.
[34:7] 137 tn The Hebrew verb עָצַב (’atsav) can carry one of three semantic nuances depending on the context: (1) “to be injured” (Ps 56:5; Eccl 10:9; 1 Chr 4:10); (2) “to experience emotional pain; to be depressed emotionally; to be worried” (2 Sam 19:2; Isa 54:6; Neh 8:10-11); (3) “to be embarrassed; to be insulted; to be offended” (to the point of anger at another or oneself; Gen 6:6; 45:5; 1 Sam 20:3, 34; 1 Kgs 1:6; Isa 63:10; Ps 78:40). This third category develops from the second by metonymy. In certain contexts emotional pain leads to embarrassment and/or anger. In this last use the subject sometimes directs his anger against the source of grief (see especially Gen 6:6). The third category fits best in Gen 34:7 because Jacob’s sons were not merely wounded emotionally. On the contrary, Shechem’s action prompted them to strike out in judgment against the source of their distress.
[34:7] 138 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:7] 139 tn Heb “a disgraceful thing he did against Israel.”
[34:7] 140 tn Heb “by lying with the daughter of Jacob.” The infinitive here explains the preceding verb, indicating exactly how he had disgraced Jacob. The expression “to lie with” is a euphemism for sexual relations, or in this case, sexual assault.
[34:7] 141 tn Heb “and so it should not be done.” The negated imperfect has an obligatory nuance here, but there is also a generalizing tone. The narrator emphasizes that this particular type of crime (sexual assault) is especially reprehensible.
[34:8] 142 tn Heb “Shechem my son, his soul is attached to your daughter.” The verb means “to love” in the sense of being emotionally attached to or drawn to someone. This is a slightly different way of saying what was reported earlier (v. 3). However, there is no mention here of the offense. Even though Hamor is speaking to Dinah’s brothers, he refers to her as their daughter (see v. 17).
[34:9] 143 tn Heb “form marriage alliances with us.”
[34:9] sn Intermarry with us. This includes the idea of becoming allied by marriage. The incident foreshadows the temptations Israel would eventually face when they entered the promised land (see Deut 7:3; Josh 23:12).
[34:9] 144 tn Heb “Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.” In the translation the words “let…marry” and “as wives” are supplied for clarity.
[34:10] 145 tn The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.
[34:10] 146 tn Heb “before you.”
[34:10] 147 tn The verb seems to carry the basic meaning “travel about freely,” although the substantival participial form refers to a trader (see E. A. Speiser, “The Verb sh£r in Genesis and Early Hebrew Movements,” BASOR 164 [1961]: 23-28); cf. NIV, NRSV “trade in it.”
[34:11] 148 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Dinah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:11] 149 tn Heb “whatever you say.”
[34:12] 151 tn Heb “Make very great upon me the bride price and gift.” The imperatives are used in a rhetorical manner. Shechem’s point is that he will pay the price, no matter how expensive it might be.
[34:12] 152 tn The cohortative expresses Shechem’s resolve to have Dinah as his wife.
[34:13] 154 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[34:14] 155 tn Heb “we are not able to do this thing, to give.” The second infinitive is in apposition to the first, explaining what they are not able to do.
[34:14] 156 tn The Hebrew word translated “disgrace” usually means “ridicule; taunt; reproach.” It can also refer to the reason the condition of shame or disgrace causes ridicule or a reproach.
[34:15] 157 tn Heb “if you are like us.”
[34:15] 158 tn The infinitive here explains how they would become like them.
[34:16] 159 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.
[34:16] 160 tn The words “to marry” (and the words “as wives” in the following clause) are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[34:17] 161 tn Heb “listen to us.”
[34:17] 162 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.
[34:17] 163 tn Heb “daughter.” Jacob’s sons call Dinah their daughter, even though she was their sister (see v. 8). This has been translated as “sister” for clarity.
[34:18] 164 tn Heb “and their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem son of Hamor.”
[34:19] 165 tn Heb “doing the thing.”
[34:19] 166 tn Heb “Jacob’s daughter.” The proper name “Dinah” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
[34:19] 167 tn The Hebrew verb כָּבֵד (kaved), translated “was…important,” has the primary meaning “to be heavy,” but here carries a secondary sense of “to be important” (that is, “heavy” in honor or respect).
[34:19] 168 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause explains why the community would respond to him (see vv. 20-24).
[34:20] 169 sn The gate. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the location for conducting important public business.
[34:21] 170 tn Heb “wide on both hands,” that is, in both directions.
[34:21] 171 tn The words “to marry” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[34:22] 172 tn Heb “when every one of our males is circumcised.”
[34:23] 173 tn The words “If we do so” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[34:24] 174 tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”
[34:24] 175 tn Heb “listened to.”
[34:24] 176 tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”
[34:25] 177 tn Heb “a man his sword.”
[34:25] 178 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.
[34:27] 179 tn Heb “came upon the slain.” Because of this statement the preceding phrase “Jacob’s sons” is frequently taken to mean the other sons of Jacob besides Simeon and Levi, but the text does not clearly affirm this.
[34:27] 180 tn Heb “because they violated their sister.” The plural verb is active in form, but with no expressed subject, it may be translated passive.
[34:28] 181 tn Heb “and what was in the city and what was in the field they took.”
[34:29] 182 tn Heb “they took captive and they plundered,” that is, “they captured as plunder.”
[34:30] 183 tn The traditional translation is “troubled me” (KJV, ASV), but the verb refers to personal or national disaster and suggests complete ruin (see Josh 7:25, Judg 11:35, Prov 11:17). The remainder of the verse describes the “trouble” Simeon and Levi had caused.
[34:30] 184 tn In the causative stem the Hebrew verb בָּאַשׁ (ba’ash) means “to cause to stink, to have a foul smell.” In the contexts in which it is used it describes foul smells, stenches, or things that are odious. Jacob senses that the people in the land will find this act terribly repulsive. See P. R. Ackroyd, “The Hebrew Root באשׁ,” JTS 2 (1951): 31-36.
[34:30] 185 tn Jacob speaks in the first person as the head and representative of the entire family.
[34:31] 186 tn Heb “but they said.” The referent of “they” (Simeon and Levi) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
