1:27 God created humankind 1 in his own image,
in the image of God he created them, 2
male and female he created them. 3
6:9 This is the account of Noah. 8
Noah was a godly man; he was blameless 9
among his contemporaries. 10 He 11 walked with 12 God.
9:6 “Whoever sheds human blood, 13
by other humans 14
must his blood be shed;
for in God’s image 15
God 16 has made humankind.”
9:27 May God enlarge Japheth’s territory and numbers! 17
May he live 18 in the tents of Shem
and may Canaan be his slave!”
13:18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live 21 by the oaks 22 of Mamre in Hebron, and he built an altar to the Lord there.
16:3 So after Abram had lived 27 in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, 28 to her husband to be his wife. 29
18:1 The Lord appeared to Abraham 30 by the oaks 31 of Mamre while 32 he was sitting at the entrance 33 to his tent during the hottest time of the day.
20:14 So Abimelech gave 37 sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him.
20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children.
21:22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you 39 in all that you do.
21:32 So they made a treaty 40 at Beer Sheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, returned 41 to the land of the Philistines. 42
23:19 After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
24:59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham’s servant and his men.
25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. 55 So Esau despised his birthright. 56
26:8 After Isaac 57 had been there a long time, 58 Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed 59 Isaac caressing 60 his wife Rebekah.
27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,
“Indeed, 69 your home will be
away from the richness 70 of the earth,
and away from the dew of the sky above.
27:40 You will live by your sword
but you will serve your brother.
When you grow restless,
you will tear off his yoke
from your neck.” 71
34:8 But Hamor made this appeal to them: “My son Shechem is in love with your daughter. 89 Please give her to him as his wife.
34:13 Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem 90 had violated their sister Dinah.
34:24 All the men who assembled at the city gate 92 agreed with 93 Hamor and his son Shechem. Every male who assembled at the city gate 94 was circumcised.
Jacob had twelve sons:
35:27 So Jacob came back to his father Isaac in Mamre, 100 to Kiriath Arba 101 (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 102
36:2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: 103 Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter 104 of Zibeon the Hivite,
36:24 These were the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah (who discovered the hot springs 105 in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon).
37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons 106 because he was a son born to him late in life, 107 and he made a special 108 tunic for him.
39:11 One day 109 he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants 110 were there in the house.
41:14 Then Pharaoh summoned 114 Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh.
44:14 So Judah and his brothers 121 came back to Joseph’s house. He was still there, 122 and they threw themselves to the ground before him.
44:33 “So now, please let your servant remain as my lord’s slave instead of the boy. As for the boy, let him go back with his brothers.
45:16 Now it was reported 123 in the household of Pharaoh, “Joseph’s brothers have arrived.” It pleased 124 Pharaoh and his servants.
46:8 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt – Jacob and his sons:
Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob.
46:18 These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, sixteen in all.
46:25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, seven in all.
48:1 After these things Joseph was told, 127 “Your father is weakening.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 48:2 When Jacob was told, 128 “Your son Joseph has just 129 come to you,” Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed.
49:1 Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather together so I can tell you 130 what will happen to you in the future. 131
49:13 Zebulun will live 132 by the haven of the sea
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend to Sidon. 133
49:15 When he sees 134 a good resting place,
and the pleasant land,
he will bend his shoulder to the burden
and become a slave laborer. 135
1 tn The Hebrew text has the article prefixed to the noun (הָאָדָם, ha’adam). The article does not distinguish man from woman here (“the man” as opposed to “the woman”), but rather indicates previous reference (see v. 26, where the noun appears without the article). It has the same function as English “the aforementioned.”
2 tn The third person suffix on the particle אֵת (’et) is singular here, but collective.
3 sn The distinction of “humankind” as “male” and “female” is another point of separation in God’s creation. There is no possibility that the verse is teaching that humans were first androgynous (having both male and female physical characteristics) and afterward were separated. The mention of male and female prepares for the blessing to follow.
4 tn Or “fashioned.” The prefixed verb form with vav (ו) consecutive initiates narrative sequence. The Hebrew word יָצַר (yatsar) means “to form” or “to fashion,” usually by plan or design (see the related noun יֵצֶר [yetser] in Gen 6:5). It is the term for an artist’s work (the Hebrew term יוֹצֵר [yotser] refers to a potter; see Jer 18:2-4.)
sn Various traditions in the ancient Near East reflect this idea of creation. Egyptian drawings show a deity turning little people off of the potter’s wheel with another deity giving them life. In the Bible humans are related to the soil and return to it (see 3:19; see also Job 4:19, 20:9; and Isa 29:16).
5 tn The line literally reads “And Yahweh God formed the man, soil, from the ground.” “Soil” is an adverbial accusative, identifying the material from which the man was made.
6 tn The Hebrew word נְשָׁמָה (nÿshamah, “breath”) is used for God and for the life imparted to humans, not animals (see T. C. Mitchell, “The Old Testament Usage of Nÿshama,” VT 11 [1961]: 177-87). Its usage in the Bible conveys more than a breathing living organism (נֶפֶשׁ חַיַּה, nefesh khayyah). Whatever is given this breath of life becomes animated with the life from God, has spiritual understanding (Job 32:8), and has a functioning conscience (Prov 20:27).
sn Human life is described here as consisting of a body (made from soil from the ground) and breath (given by God). Both animals and humans are called “a living being” (נֶפֶשׁ חַיַּה) but humankind became that in a different and more significant way.
7 tn The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being”) is often translated “soul,” but the word usually refers to the whole person. The phrase נֶפֶשׁ חַיַּה (nefesh khayyah, “living being”) is used of both animals and human beings (see 1:20, 24, 30; 2:19).
8 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.
9 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.
10 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.
11 tn Heb “Noah.” The proper name has been replaced with the pronoun in the translation for stylistic reasons.
12 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.”
13 tn Heb “the blood of man.”
14 tn Heb “by man,” a generic term here for other human beings.
15 sn See the notes on the words “humankind” and “likeness” in Gen 1:26, as well as J. Barr, “The Image of God in the Book of Genesis – A Study of Terminology,” BJRL 51 (1968/69): 11-26.
16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
17 tn Heb “may God enlarge Japheth.” The words “territory and numbers” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
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.
18 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).
19 tn The Piel of the verb חָיָה (khayah, “to live”) means “to keep alive, to preserve alive,” and in some places “to make alive.” See D. Marcus, “The Verb ‘to Live’ in Ugaritic,” JSS 17 (1972): 76-82.
20 tn Or “the cities of the plain”; Heb “[the cities of] the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
21 tn Heb “he came and lived.”
22 tn Or “terebinths.”
23 tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.
24 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
25 tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”
26 tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.
27 tn Heb “at the end of ten years, to live, Abram.” The prepositional phrase introduces the temporal clause, the infinitive construct serves as the verb, and the name “Abram” is the subject.
28 tn Heb “the Egyptian, her female servant.”
29 sn To be his wife. Hagar became a slave wife, not on equal standing with Sarai. However, if Hagar produced the heir, she would be the primary wife in the eyes of society. When this eventually happened, Hagar become insolent, prompting Sarai’s anger.
30 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
31 tn Or “terebinths.”
32 tn The disjunctive clause here is circumstantial to the main clause.
33 tn The Hebrew noun translated “entrance” is an adverbial accusative of place.
34 tn Heb “And Abraham.” The disjunctive clause is probably causal, giving a reason why God should not hide his intentions from Abraham. One could translate, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation?”
35 tn The infinitive absolute lends emphasis to the finite verb that follows.
36 tn Theoretically the Niphal can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Abram were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in later formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless [i.e., “pronounce blessings upon”] themselves [or “one another”].” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 18:18 (like 12:2) predicts that Abraham will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.
37 tn Heb “took and gave.”
38 tn Or “she conceived.”
39 sn God is with you. Abimelech and Phicol recognized that Abraham enjoyed special divine provision and protection.
40 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
41 tn Heb “arose and returned.”
42 sn The Philistines mentioned here may not be ethnically related to those who lived in Palestine in the time of the judges and the united monarchy. See D. M. Howard, “Philistines,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 238.
43 tn Heb “his city”; the referent (Ephron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
sn See G. M. Tucker, “The Legal Background of Genesis 23,” JBL 85 (1966):77-84; and M. R. Lehmann, “Abraham’s Purchase of Machpelah and Hittite Law,” BASOR 129 (1953): 15-18.
44 tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”
45 sn The cave of Machpelah was the place Abraham had purchased as a burial place for his wife Sarah (Gen 23:17-18).
46 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Ishmael’s descendants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
47 tn Heb “which is by the face of,” or near the border. The territory ran along the border of Egypt.
48 tn Heb “as you go.”
49 sn The name Asshur refers here to a tribal area in the Sinai.
50 tn Heb “he fell.”
51 tn Heb “upon the face of all his brothers.” This last expression, obviously alluding to the earlier oracle about Ishmael (Gen 16:12), could mean that the descendants of Ishmael lived in hostility to others or that they lived in a territory that was opposite the lands of their relatives. While there is some ambiguity about the meaning, the line probably does give a hint of the Ishmaelite-Israelite conflicts to come.
52 tn Heb “Swear to me today.”
53 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
54 sn And sold his birthright. There is evidence from Hurrian culture that rights of inheritance were occasionally sold or transferred. Here Esau is portrayed as a profane person who would at the moment rather have a meal than the right to inherit. He will soon forget this trade and seek his father’s blessing in spite of it.
55 sn The style here is typical of Hebrew narrative; after the tension is resolved with the dialogue, the working out of it is recorded in a rapid sequence of verbs (“gave”; “ate”; “drank”; “got up”; “went out”). See also Gen 3:1-7 for another example.
56 sn So Esau despised his birthright. This clause, which concludes the episode, is a summary statement which reveals the underlying significance of Esau’s actions. “To despise” means to treat something as worthless or with contempt. Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered it to be unimportant.
57 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
58 tn Heb “and it happened when the days were long to him there.”
59 tn Heb “look, Isaac.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene through Abimelech’s eyes.
60 tn Or “fondling.”
sn The Hebrew word מְצַחֵק (mÿtsakheq), from the root צָחַק (tsakhaq, “laugh”), forms a sound play with the name “Isaac” right before it. Here it depicts an action, probably caressing or fondling, that indicated immediately that Rebekah was Isaac’s wife, not his sister. Isaac’s deception made a mockery of God’s covenantal promise. Ignoring God’s promise to protect and bless him, Isaac lied to protect himself and acted in bad faith to the men of Gerar.
61 tn Heb “upon me your curse.”
62 tn Heb “only listen to my voice.”
63 tn Heb “What is this?” The enclitic pronoun “this” adds emphasis to the question, which is comparable to the English rhetorical question, “How in the world?”
64 tn Heb “you hastened to find.” In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb and the first verb becomes adverbial.
65 tn Heb “caused to meet before me.”
66 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Because the
67 tn Heb “Bless me, me also, my father.” The words “my father” have not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
68 tn Heb “and Esau lifted his voice and wept.”
69 tn Heb “look.”
70 tn Heb “from the fatness.”
71 sn You will tear off his yoke from your neck. It may be that this prophetic blessing found its fulfillment when Jerusalem fell and Edom got its revenge. The oracle makes Edom subservient to Israel and suggests the Edomites would live away from the best land and be forced to sustain themselves by violent measures.
72 tn Heb “in exchange for Rachel.”
73 sn But they seemed like only a few days to him. This need not mean that the time passed quickly. More likely it means that the price seemed insignificant when compared to what he was getting in the bargain.
74 tn Heb “because of his love for her.” The words “was so great” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
75 tn Heb “his brothers.”
76 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
77 tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”
78 tn Heb “drew close to.”
79 tn Heb “Jacob”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
80 sn The Hebrew word for “pile” is גַּל (gal), which sounds like the name “Galeed” (גַּלְעֵד, gal’ed). See v. 48.
81 tn The construction is a cognate accusative with the verb, expressing a specific sacrifice.
82 tn Heb “bread, food.” Presumably this was a type of peace offering, where the person bringing the offering ate the animal being sacrificed.
83 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
84 tn Heb “until his drawing near unto his brother.” The construction uses the preposition with the infinitive construct to express a temporal clause.
85 tn The disjunctive clause contrasts Jacob’s action with Esau’s.
86 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.
87 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.
88 sn The name Succoth means “shelters,” an appropriate name in light of the shelters Jacob built there for his livestock.
89 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).
90 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
91 sn The gate. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the location for conducting important public business.
92 tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”
93 tn Heb “listened to.”
94 tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”
95 tn Heb “which are in your midst.”
96 sn The actions of removing false gods, becoming ritually clean, and changing garments would become necessary steps in Israel when approaching the
97 sn The name El-Bethel means “God of Bethel.”
98 tn Heb “revealed themselves.” The verb נִגְלוּ (niglu), translated “revealed himself,” is plural, even though one expects the singular form with the plural of majesty. Perhaps אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a numerical plural, referring both to God and the angelic beings that appeared to Jacob. See the note on the word “know” in Gen 3:5.
99 tn Heb “and Reuben went and lay with.” The expression “lay with” is a euphemism for having sexual intercourse.
sn Reuben’s act of having sexual relations with Bilhah probably had other purposes than merely satisfying his sexual desire. By having sex with Bilhah, Reuben (Leah’s oldest son) would have prevented Bilhah from succeeding Rachel as the favorite wife, and by sleeping with his father’s concubine he would also be attempting to take over leadership of the clan – something Absalom foolishly attempted later on in Israel’s history (2 Sam 16:21-22).
100 tn This is an adverbial accusative of location.
101 tn The name “Kiriath Arba” is in apposition to the preceding name, “Mamre.”
102 tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” refers to temporary settlement without ownership rights.
103 tn Heb “from the daughters of Canaan.”
104 tn Heb “daughter,” but see Gen 36:24-25.
105 tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain; Syriac reads “water” and Vulgate reads “hot water.”
106 tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information vital to the story. It explains in part the brothers’ animosity toward Joseph.
sn The statement Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons brings forward a motif that played an important role in the family of Isaac – parental favoritism. Jacob surely knew what that had done to him and his brother Esau, and to his own family. But now he showers affection on Rachel’s son Joseph.
107 tn Heb “a son of old age was he to him.” This expression means “a son born to him when he [i.e., Jacob] was old.”
108 tn It is not clear what this tunic was like, because the meaning of the Hebrew word that describes it is uncertain. The idea that it was a coat of many colors comes from the Greek translation of the OT. An examination of cognate terms in Semitic suggests it was either a coat or tunic with long sleeves (cf. NEB, NRSV), or a tunic that was richly embroidered (cf. NIV). It set Joseph apart as the favored one.
109 tn Heb “and it was about this day.”
110 tn Heb “the men of the house.”
111 tn Heb “why are your faces sad today?”
112 tn Heb “the cup of Pharaoh.” The pronoun “his” has been used here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
113 sn The cupbearer’s dream is dominated by sets of three: three branches, three stages of growth, and three actions of the cupbearer.
114 tn Heb “and Pharaoh sent and called,” indicating a summons to the royal court.
115 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.
116 tn The rhetorical question expects the answer “No, of course not!”
117 tn Heb “But Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, Jacob did not send with his brothers.” The disjunctive clause highlights the contrast between Benjamin and the other ten.
118 tn The Hebrew verb אָמַר (’amar, “to say”) could also be translated “thought” (i.e., “he said to himself”) here, giving Jacob’s reasoning rather than spoken words.
119 tn The Hebrew noun אָסוֹן (’ason) is a rare word meaning “accident, harm.” Apart from its use in these passages it occurs in Exodus 21:22-23 of an accident to a pregnant woman. The term is a rather general one, but Jacob was no doubt thinking of his loss of Joseph.
120 tn Heb “encounters.”
121 sn Judah and his brothers. The narrative is already beginning to bring Judah to the forefront.
122 tn The disjunctive clause here provides supplemental information.
123 tn Heb “and the sound was heard.”
124 tn Heb “was good in the eyes of.”
125 tn Heb “do not be stirred up in the way.” The verb means “stir up.” Some understand the Hebrew verb רָגָז (ragaz, “to stir up”) as a reference to quarreling (see Prov 29:9, where it has this connotation), but in Exod 15:14 and other passages it means “to fear.” This might refer to a fear of robbers, but more likely it is an assuring word that they need not be fearful about returning to Egypt. They might have thought that once Jacob was in Egypt, Joseph would take his revenge on them.
126 tn Heb “and they took their livestock and their possessions which they had acquired in the land of Canaan and they went to Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
127 tn Heb “and one said.” With no expressed subject in the Hebrew text, the verb can be translated with the passive voice.
128 tn Heb “and one told and said.” The verbs have no expressed subject and can be translated with the passive voice.
129 tn Heb “Look, your son Joseph.”
130 tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.
131 tn The expression “in the future” (אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים, ’akharit hayyamim, “in the end of days”) is found most frequently in prophetic passages; it may refer to the end of the age, the eschaton, or to the distant future. The contents of some of the sayings in this chapter stretch from the immediate circumstances to the time of the settlement in the land to the coming of Messiah. There is a great deal of literature on this chapter, including among others C. Armerding, “The Last Words of Jacob: Genesis 49,” BSac 112 (1955): 320-28; H. Pehlke, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Genesis 49:1-28” (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1985); and B. Vawter, “The Canaanite Background of Genesis 49,” CBQ 17 (1955): 1-18.
132 tn The verb שָׁכַן (shakhan) means “to settle,” but not necessarily as a permanent dwelling place. The tribal settlements by the sea would have been temporary and not the tribe’s territory.
133 map For location see Map1-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.
134 tn The verb forms in this verse (“sees,” “will bend,” and “[will] become”) are preterite; they is used in a rhetorical manner, describing the future as if it had already transpired.
135 sn The oracle shows that the tribe of Issachar will be willing to trade liberty for the material things of life. Issachar would work (become a slave laborer) for the Canaanites, a reversal of the oracle on Canaan. See C. M. Carmichael, “Some Sayings in Genesis 49,” JBL 88 (1969): 435-44; and S. Gevirtz, “The Issachar Oracle in the Testament of Jacob,” ErIsr 12 (1975): 104-12.
136 tn Heb “son of a hundred and ten years.”
137 tn Heb “he.”