“Cursed 4 be Canaan! 5
The lowest of slaves 6
he will be to his brothers.”
16:15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. 7
29:1 So Jacob moved on 20 and came to the land of the eastern people. 21
31:17 So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. 23
31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar.
32:1 So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God 24 met him.
33:16 So that same day Esau made his way back 28 to Seir.
39:16 So she laid his outer garment beside her until his master came home.
42:3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.
44:21 “Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see 32 him.’ 33
50:12 So the sons of Jacob did for him just as he had instructed them.
1 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.
2 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.
3 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).
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.
4 sn For more on the curse, see H. C. Brichto, The Problem of “Curse” in the Hebrew Bible (JBLMS), and J. Scharbert, TDOT 1:405-18.
5 sn Cursed be Canaan. The curse is pronounced on Canaan, not Ham. Noah sees a problem in Ham’s character, and on the basis of that he delivers a prophecy about the future descendants who will live in slavery to such things and then be controlled by others. (For more on the idea of slavery in general, see E. M. Yamauchi, “Slaves of God,” BETS 9 [1966]: 31-49). In a similar way Jacob pronounced oracles about his sons based on their revealed character (see Gen 49).
6 tn Heb “a servant of servants” (עֶבֶד עֲבָדִים, ’eved ’avadim), an example of the superlative genitive. It means Canaan will become the most abject of slaves.
7 tn Heb “and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”
sn Whom Abram named Ishmael. Hagar must have informed Abram of what the angel had told her. See the note on the name “Ishmael” in 16:11.
8 tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”
9 tn Heb “many days.”
10 sn Reddish. The Hebrew word translated “reddish” is אַדְמוֹנִי (’admoni), which forms a wordplay on the Edomites, Esau’s descendants. The writer sees in Esau’s appearance at birth a sign of what was to come. After all, the reader has already been made aware of the “nations” that were being born.
11 tn Heb “all of him.”
12 sn Hairy. Here is another wordplay involving the descendants of Esau. The Hebrew word translated “hairy” is שֵׂעָר (se’ar); the Edomites will later live in Mount Seir, perhaps named for its wooded nature.
13 tn Heb “And they called his name Esau.” The name “Esau” (עֵשָׂו, ’esav) is not etymologically related to שֵׂעָר (se’ar), but it draws on some of the sounds.
14 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Isaac’s servants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15 tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
16 sn The name Sitnah (שִׂטְנָה, sitnah) is derived from a Hebrew verbal root meaning “to oppose; to be an adversary” (cf. Job 1:6). The name was a reminder that the digging of this well caused “opposition” from the Philistines.
17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaac) is specified in the translation for clarity.
18 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here introduces a logically foundational statement, upon which the coming instruction will be based.
19 tn Heb “I do not know the day of my death.”
20 tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his feet.” This unusual expression suggests that Jacob had a new lease on life now that God had promised him the blessing he had so desperately tried to gain by his own efforts. The text portrays him as having a new step in his walk.
21 tn Heb “the land of the sons of the east.”
22 tn Heb “men.”
23 tn Heb “and Jacob arose and he lifted up his sons and his wives on to the camels.”
24 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.
25 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.
26 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.
27 tn Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”
28 tn Heb “returned on his way.”
29 sn This explanatory note links the earlier name Ephrath with the later name Bethlehem.
map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.
30 tn Traditionally “Mount Seir,” but in this case the expression בְּהַר שֵׂעִיר (bÿhar se’ir) refers to the hill country or highlands of Seir.
31 tn Heb “and they hurried and they lowered.” Their speed in doing this shows their presumption of innocence.
32 tn The cohortative after the imperative indicates purpose here.
33 tn Heb “that I may set my eyes upon him.”
34 tn Heb “his servants the physicians.”
35 tn Heb “he made you swear on oath.”
36 tn Heb “camp.”
37 tn The verb means “command,” but they would hardly be commanding him. It probably means they sent their father’s instructions to Joseph.