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
5:3 When 4 Adam had lived 130 years he fathered a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and he named him Seth.
30:25 After Rachel had given birth 10 to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send 11 me on my way so that I can go 12 home to my own country. 13
44:10 He replied, “You have suggested your own punishment! 14 The one who has it will become my slave, 15 but the rest of 16 you will go free.” 17
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 Heb “and Adam lived 130 years.” In the translation the verb is subordinated to the following verb, “and he fathered,” and rendered as a temporal clause.
5 tn Heb “By myself I swear.”
6 tn Heb “the oracle of the
7 tn Heb “indeed, my bone and my flesh are you.” The expression sounds warm enough, but the presence of “indeed” may suggest that Laban had to be convinced of Jacob’s identity before permitting him to stay. To be one’s “bone and flesh” is to be someone’s blood relative. For example, the phrase describes the relationship between Abimelech and the Shechemites (Judg 9:2; his mother was a Shechemite); David and the Israelites (2 Sam 5:1); David and the elders of Judah (2 Sam 19:12,); and David and his nephew Amasa (2 Sam 19:13, see 2 Sam 17:2; 1 Chr 2:16-17).
8 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 tn Heb “a month of days.”
10 tn The perfect verbal form is translated as a past perfect because Rachel’s giving birth to Joseph preceded Jacob’s conversation with Laban.
11 tn The imperatival form here expresses a request.
sn For Jacob to ask to leave would mean that seven more years had passed. Thus all Jacob’s children were born within the range of seven years of each other, with Joseph coming right at the end of the seven years.
12 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
13 tn Heb “to my place and to my land.”
14 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.
15 tn Heb “The one with whom it is found will become my slave.”
16 tn The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
17 tn The Hebrew word נָקִי (naqi) means “acquitted,” that is, free of guilt and the responsibility for it.
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.
18 tn Heb “And, look, your eyes see and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that my mouth is the one speaking to you.”