1:9 God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place 1 and let dry ground appear.” 2 It was so.
1:24 God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” 3 It was so.
9:17 So God said to Noah, “This is the guarantee of the covenant that I am confirming between me and all living things 21 that are on the earth.”
12:2 Then I will make you 24 into a great nation, and I will bless you, 25
and I will make your name great, 26
so that you will exemplify divine blessing. 27
12:4 So Abram left, 28 just as the Lord had told him to do, 29 and Lot went with him. (Now 30 Abram was 75 years old 31 when he departed from Haran.)
12:10 There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt 32 to stay for a while 33 because the famine was severe. 34
13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt into the Negev. 39 He took his wife and all his possessions with him, as well as Lot. 40
So the relatives separated from each other. 45
13:18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live 46 by the oaks 47 of Mamre in Hebron, and he built an altar to the Lord there.
16:3 So after Abram had lived 48 in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, 49 to her husband to be his wife. 50
16:13 So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” 53 for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” 54
18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Take 55 three measures 56 of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.” 57
18:26 So the Lord replied, “If I find in the city of Sodom fifty godly people, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
20:14 So Abimelech gave 72 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.
21:32 So they made a treaty 74 at Beer Sheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, returned 75 to the land of the Philistines. 76
24:59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham’s servant and his men.
24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with 91 the man. So Abraham’s servant 92 took Rebekah and left.
25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. 96 So Esau despised his birthright. 97
27:14 So he went and got the goats 105 and brought them to his mother. She 106 prepared some tasty food, just the way his father loved it.
27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,
“Indeed, 114 your home will be
away from the richness 115 of the earth,
and away from the dew of the sky above.
30:25 After Rachel had given birth 135 to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send 136 me on my way so that I can go 137 home to my own country. 138
33:1 Jacob looked up 153 and saw that Esau was coming 154 along with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants.
33:15 So Esau said, “Let me leave some of my men with you.” 155 “Why do that?” Jacob replied. 156 “My lord has already been kind enough to me.” 157
35:27 So Jacob came back to his father Isaac in Mamre, 165 to Kiriath Arba 166 (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 167
37:15 When Joseph reached Shechem, 168 a man found him wandering 169 in the field, so the man asked him, “What are you looking for?”
41:14 Then Pharaoh summoned 175 Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh.
41:33 “So now Pharaoh should look 176 for a wise and discerning man 177 and give him authority 178 over all the land of Egypt.
43:15 So the men took these gifts, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. Then they hurried down to Egypt 186 and stood before Joseph.
44:14 So Judah and his brothers 189 came back to Joseph’s house. He was still there, 190 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.
45:21 So the sons of Israel did as he said. 193 Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had instructed, 194 and he gave them provisions for the journey.
46:1 So Israel began his journey, taking with him all that he had. 195 When he came to Beer Sheba 196 he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
48:1 After these things Joseph was told, 197 “Your father is weakening.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.
49:1 Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather together so I can tell you 201 what will happen to you in the future. 202
49:17 May Dan be a snake beside the road,
a viper by the path,
that bites the heels of the horse
so that its rider falls backward. 203
1 sn Let the water…be gathered to one place. In the beginning the water covered the whole earth; now the water was to be restricted to an area to form the ocean. The picture is one of the dry land as an island with the sea surrounding it. Again the sovereignty of God is revealed. Whereas the pagans saw the sea as a force to be reckoned with, God controls the boundaries of the sea. And in the judgment at the flood he will blur the boundaries so that chaos returns.
2 tn When the waters are collected to one place, dry land emerges above the surface of the receding water.
3 tn There are three groups of land animals here: the cattle or livestock (mostly domesticated), things that creep or move close to the ground (such as reptiles or rodents), and the wild animals (all animals of the field). The three terms are general classifications without specific details.
4 tn Heb “and he said.”
5 tn Heb “your sound.” If one sees a storm theophany here (see the note on the word “time” in v. 8), then one could translate, “your powerful voice.”
6 tn The use of the demonstrative pronoun is enclitic, serving as an undeclined particle for emphasis. It gives the sense of “What in the world have you done?” (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).
7 sn The Hebrew word order puts the subject (“the serpent”) before the verb here, giving prominence to it.
8 tn This verb (the Hiphil of נָשָׁא, nasha) is used elsewhere of a king or god misleading his people into false confidence (2 Kgs 18:29 = 2 Chr 32:15 = Isa 36:14; 2 Kgs 19:10 = Isa 37:10), of an ally deceiving a partner (Obad 7), of God deceiving his sinful people as a form of judgment (Jer 4:10), of false prophets instilling their audience with false hope (Jer 29:8), and of pride and false confidence producing self-deception (Jer 37:9; 49:16; Obad 3).
9 tn The verb is the Piel preterite of שָׁלַח (shalakh), forming a wordplay with the use of the same verb (in the Qal stem) in v. 22: To prevent the man’s “sending out” his hand, the
10 tn Heb “cursed are you from the ground.” As in Gen 3:14, the word “cursed,” a passive participle from אָרָר (’arar), either means “punished” or “banished,” depending on how one interprets the following preposition. If the preposition is taken as indicating source, then the idea is “cursed (i.e., punished) are you from [i.e., “through the agency of”] the ground” (see v. 12a). If the preposition is taken as separative, then the idea is “cursed and banished from the ground.” In this case the ground rejects Cain’s efforts in such a way that he is banished from the ground and forced to become a fugitive out in the earth (see vv. 12b, 14).
11 tn The verb form יָדוֹן (yadon) only occurs here. Some derive it from the verbal root דִּין (din, “to judge”) and translate “strive” or “contend with” (so NIV), but in this case one expects the form to be יָדִין (yadin). The Old Greek has “remain with,” a rendering which may find support from an Arabic cognate (see C. Westermann, Genesis, 1:375). If one interprets the verb in this way, then it is possible to understand רוּחַ (ruakh) as a reference to the divine life-giving spirit or breath, rather than the
12 tn Or “forever.”
13 tn The form בְּשַׁגַּם (bÿshagam) appears to be a compound of the preposition בְּ (beth, “in”), the relative שֶׁ (she, “who” or “which”), and the particle גַּם (gam, “also, even”). It apparently means “because even” (see BDB 980 s.v. שֶׁ).
14 tn Heb “he”; the plural pronoun has been used in the translation since “man” earlier in the verse has been understood as a collective (“humankind”).
15 tn Heb “flesh.”
16 tn See the note on “they” earlier in this verse.
17 tn Heb “his days will be 120 years.” Some interpret this to mean that the age expectancy of people from this point on would be 120, but neither the subsequent narrative nor reality favors this. It is more likely that this refers to the time remaining between this announcement of judgment and the coming of the flood.
18 tn The construction combines a Qal preterite from שׁוּב (shuv) with its infinitive absolute to indicate continuous action. The infinitive absolute from הָלָךְ (halakh) is included for emphasis: “the waters returned…going and returning.”
19 tn Heb “the waters.” The pronoun (“they”) has been employed in the translation for stylistic reasons.
20 tn The vav (ו) consecutive with the preterite here describes the consequence of the preceding action.
21 tn Heb “all flesh.”
22 tn The cohortatives mirror the cohortatives of the people. They build to ascend the heavens; God comes down to destroy their language. God speaks here to his angelic assembly. See the notes on the word “make” in 1:26 and “know” in 3:5, as well as Jub. 10:22-23, where an angel recounts this incident and says “And the
23 tn Heb “they will not hear, a man the lip of his neighbor.”
24 tn The three first person verbs in v. 2a should be classified as cohortatives. The first two have pronominal suffixes, so the form itself does not indicate a cohortative. The third verb form is clearly cohortative.
25 sn I will bless you. The blessing of creation is now carried forward to the patriarch. In the garden God blessed Adam and Eve; in that blessing he gave them (1) a fruitful place, (2) endowed them with fertility to multiply, and (3) made them rulers over creation. That was all ruined at the fall. Now God begins to build his covenant people; in Gen 12-22 he promises to give Abram (1) a land flowing with milk and honey, (2) a great nation without number, and (3) kingship.
26 tn Or “I will make you famous.”
27 tn Heb “and be a blessing.” The verb form הְיֵה (hÿyeh) is the Qal imperative of the verb הָיָה (hayah). The vav (ו) with the imperative after the cohortatives indicates purpose or consequence. What does it mean for Abram to “be a blessing”? Will he be a channel or source of blessing for others, or a prime example of divine blessing? A similar statement occurs in Zech 8:13, where God assures his people, “You will be a blessing,” in contrast to the past when they “were a curse.” Certainly “curse” here does not refer to Israel being a source of a curse, but rather to the fact that they became a curse-word or byword among the nations, who regarded them as the epitome of an accursed people (see 2 Kgs 22:19; Jer 42:18; 44:8, 12, 22). Therefore the statement “be a blessing” seems to refer to Israel being transformed into a prime example of a blessed people, whose name will be used in blessing formulae, rather than in curses. If the statement “be a blessing” is understood in the same way in Gen 12:2, then it means that God would so bless Abram that other nations would hear of his fame and hold him up as a paradigm of divine blessing in their blessing formulae.
28 sn So Abram left. This is the report of Abram’s obedience to God’s command (see v. 1).
29 tn Heb “just as the
30 tn The disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + implied “to be” verb) is parenthetical, telling the age of Abram when he left Haran.
31 tn Heb “was the son of five years and seventy year[s].”
sn Terah was 70 years old when he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran (Gen 11:26). Terah was 205 when he died in Haran (11:32). Abram left Haran at the age of 75 after his father died. Abram was born when Terah was 130. Abram was not the firstborn – he is placed first in the list of three because of his importance. The same is true of the list in Gen 10:1 (Shem, Ham and Japheth). Ham was the youngest son (9:24). Japheth was the older brother of Shem (10:21), so the birth order of Noah’s sons was Japheth, Shem, and Ham.
32 sn Abram went down to Egypt. The Abrahamic narrative foreshadows some of the events in the life of the nation of Israel. This sojourn in Egypt is typological of Israel’s bondage there. In both stories there is a famine that forces the family to Egypt, death is a danger to the males while the females are preserved alive, great plagues bring about their departure, there is a summons to stand before Pharaoh, and there is a return to the land of Canaan with great wealth.
33 tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” means “to stay for a while.” The “stranger” (traditionally “sojourner”) is one who is a temporary resident, a visitor, one who is passing through. Abram had no intention of settling down in Egypt or owning property. He was only there to wait out the famine.
34 tn Heb “heavy in the land.” The words “in the land,” which also occur at the beginning of the verse in the Hebrew text, have not been repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
35 tn Heb “and the woman.” The word also means “wife”; the Hebrew article can express the possessive pronoun (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 19, §86). Here the proper name (Abram) has been used in the translation instead of a possessive pronoun (“his”) for clarity.
36 tn The Hebrew term וַתֻּקַּח (vattuqqakh, “was taken”) is a rare verbal form, an old Qal passive preterite from the verb “to take.” It is pointed as a Hophal would be by the Masoretes, but does not have a Hophal meaning.
37 tn The Hebrew text simply has “house of Pharaoh.” The word “house” refers to the household in general, more specifically to the royal harem.
38 tn The demonstrative pronoun translated “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to me?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).
39 tn Or “the South [country]” (also in v. 3).
sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
40 tn Heb “And Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all which was his, and Lot with him, to the Negev.”
41 tn The Hebrew term רִיב (riv) means “strife, conflict, quarreling.” In later texts it has the meaning of “legal controversy, dispute.” See B. Gemser, “The rîb – or Controversy – Pattern in Hebrew Mentality,” Wisdom in Israel and in the Ancient Near East [VTSup], 120-37.
42 sn Since the quarreling was between the herdsmen, the dispute was no doubt over water and vegetation for the animals.
43 tn This parenthetical clause, introduced with the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), again provides critical information. It tells in part why the land cannot sustain these two bedouins, and it also hints of the danger of weakening the family by inner strife.
44 tn Heb “Lot traveled.” The proper name has not been repeated in the translation at this point for stylistic reasons.
45 tn Heb “a man from upon his brother.”
sn Separated from each other. For a discussion of the significance of this event, see L. R. Helyer, “The Separation of Abram and Lot: Its Significance in the Patriarchal Narratives,” JSOT 26 (1983): 77-88.
46 tn Heb “he came and lived.”
47 tn Or “terebinths.”
48 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.
49 tn Heb “the Egyptian, her female servant.”
50 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.
51 tn Heb “The
52 tn Heb “cannot be numbered because of abundance.”
53 tn Heb “God of my seeing.” The pronominal suffix may be understood either as objective (“who sees me,” as in the translation) or subjective (“whom I see”).
54 tn Heb “after one who sees me.”
sn For a discussion of Hagar’s exclamation, see T. Booij, “Hagar’s Words in Genesis 16:13b,” VT 30 (1980): 1-7.
55 tn The word “take” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the sentence lacks a verb other than the imperative “hurry.” The elliptical structure of the language reflects Abraham’s haste to get things ready quickly.
56 sn Three measures (Heb “three seahs”) was equivalent to about twenty quarts (twenty-two liters) of flour, which would make a lot of bread. The animal prepared for the meal was far more than the three visitors needed. This was a banquet for royalty. Either it had been a lonely time for Abraham and the presence of visitors made him very happy, or he sensed this was a momentous visit.
57 sn The bread was the simple, round bread made by bedouins that is normally prepared quickly for visitors.
58 tn Heb “saying.”
59 tn It has been suggested that this word should be translated “conception,” not “pleasure.” See A. A. McIntosh, “A Third Root ‘adah in Biblical Hebrew,” VT 24 (1974): 454-73.
60 tn The word “too” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
61 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
62 tn The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’, “to know”) is used here in the sense of “to lie with” or “to have sex with” (as in Gen 4:1). That this is indeed the meaning is clear from Lot’s warning that they not do so wickedly, and his willingness to give them his daughters instead.
sn The sin of the men of Sodom is debated. The fact that the sin involved a sexual act (see note on the phrase “have sex” in 19:5) precludes an association of the sin with inhospitality as is sometimes asserted (see W. Roth, “What of Sodom and Gomorrah? Homosexual Acts in the Old Testament,” Explor 1 [1974]: 7-14). The text at a minimum condemns forced sexual intercourse, i.e., rape. Other considerations, though, point to a condemnation of homosexual acts more generally. The narrator emphasizes the fact that the men of Sodom wanted to have sex with men: They demand that Lot release the angelic messengers (seen as men) to them for sex, and when Lot offers his daughters as a substitute they refuse them and attempt to take the angelic messengers by force. In addition the wider context of the Pentateuch condemns homosexual acts as sin (see, e.g., Lev 18:22). Thus a reading of this text within its narrative context, both immediate and broad, condemns not only the attempted rape but also the attempted homosexual act.
63 tn The Hebrew participle expresses an imminent action here.
64 tn Heb “for their outcry.” The words “about this place” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
65 tn Heb “the
66 tn Or “and all the plain”; Heb “and all the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
67 tn Heb “and the vegetation of the ground.”
68 tn Heb “drink wine.”
69 tn Heb “and we will lie down.” The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive is subordinated to the preceding cohortative and indicates purpose/result.
70 tn Or “that we may preserve.” Here the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates their ultimate goal.
71 tn Heb “and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”
sn For a discussion of the cultural background of the daughters’ desire to preserve our family line see F. C. Fensham, “The Obliteration of the Family as Motif in the Near Eastern Literature,” AION 10 (1969): 191-99.
72 tn Heb “took and gave.”
73 tn Or “she conceived.”
74 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
75 tn Heb “arose and returned.”
76 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.
77 tn Heb “a resident alien and a settler.”
78 tn Heb “give,” which is used here as an idiom for “sell” (see v. 9). The idiom reflects the polite bartering that was done in the culture at the time.
79 tn Or “possession.”
80 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose.
81 tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
82 tn The word “worth” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
83 sn Four hundred pieces of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 4.6 kilograms, or 160 ounces (about 10 pounds).
84 tn Heb “possession of a grave.”
85 tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”
86 tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
87 tn Heb “and I will turn to the right or to the left.” The expression apparently means that Abraham’s servant will know where he should go if there is no further business here.
88 tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
89 tn Heb “as the
90 tn The imperfect verbal form here has a modal nuance, expressing desire.
91 tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”
92 tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
93 tn Heb “Swear to me today.”
94 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
95 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.
96 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.
97 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.
98 tn Heb “and there was to him.”
99 tn Heb “possessions of sheep.”
100 tn Heb “possessions of cattle.”
101 tn The Hebrew verb translated “became jealous” refers here to intense jealousy or envy that leads to hostile action (see v. 15).
102 tn Heb “and the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with dirt.”
103 tn Heb “upon me your curse.”
104 tn Heb “only listen to my voice.”
105 tn The words “the goats” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
106 tn Heb “his mother.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “she” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
107 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?”
108 tn Heb “you hastened to find.” In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb and the first verb becomes adverbial.
109 tn Heb “caused to meet before me.”
110 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Because the
111 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
112 tn Heb “Are you this one, Esau, my son, or not?” On the use of the interrogative particle here, see BDB 210 s.v. הֲ.
113 tn Heb “and he blessed him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” (Isaac) and “him” (Jacob) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
114 tn Heb “look.”
115 tn Heb “from the fatness.”
116 tn Heb “took for a wife.”
117 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).
118 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
119 tn Heb “a month of days.”
120 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
121 tn Heb “went in also to Rachel.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.
122 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
123 tn Heb “and he loved also Rachel, more than Leah, and he served with him still seven other years.”
124 tn Heb “go in to.” The expression “go in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.
125 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates the immediate purpose of the proposed activity.
126 tn The word “children” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
127 tn Heb “upon my knees.” This is an idiomatic way of saying that Bilhah will be simply a surrogate mother. Rachel will adopt the child as her own.
128 tn Heb “and I will be built up, even I, from her.” The prefixed verbal form with the conjunction is subordinated to the preceding prefixed verbal form and gives the ultimate purpose for the proposed action. The idiom of “built up” here refers to having a family (see Gen 16:2, as well as Ruth 4:11 and BDB 125 s.v. בָנָה).
129 tn Heb “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister, also I have prevailed.” The phrase “mighty struggle” reads literally “struggles of God.” The plural participle “struggles” reflects the ongoing nature of the struggle, while the divine name is used here idiomatically to emphasize the intensity of the struggle. See J. Skinner, Genesis (ICC), 387.
130 sn The name Naphtali (נַפְתָּלִי, naftali) must mean something like “my struggle” in view of the statement Rachel made in the preceding clause. The name plays on this earlier statement, “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister.”
131 tn Heb “God has given my reward.”
132 tn The words “as a wife” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity (cf. v. 9).
sn Leah seems to regard the act of giving her servant Zilpah to her husband as a sacrifice, for which (she believes) God is now rewarding her with the birth of a son.
133 sn The name Issachar (יְשָּׁשכָר, yishakhar) appears to mean “man of reward” or possibly “there is reward.” The name plays on the word used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew noun translated “reward” is derived from the same root as the name Issachar. The irony is that Rachel thought the mandrakes would work for her, and she was willing to trade one night for them. But in that one night Leah became pregnant.
134 sn The name Zebulun (זְבֻלוּן, zevulun) apparently means “honor.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew verb translated “will honor” and the name Zebulun derive from the same root.
135 tn The perfect verbal form is translated as a past perfect because Rachel’s giving birth to Joseph preceded Jacob’s conversation with Laban.
136 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.
137 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
138 tn Heb “to my place and to my land.”
139 tn Heb “and at every breeding-heat of the flock.”
140 tn Heb “he did not put [them] in.” The referent of the [understood] direct object, “them,” has been specified as “the branches” in the translation for clarity.
141 tn Heb “were for Laban.”
142 tn Heb “his brothers.”
143 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
144 tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”
145 tn Heb “drew close to.”
146 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
147 tn The verb הָיָה (hayah) followed by the preposition לְ (lÿ) means “become.”
148 tn Heb “and it will become a witness between me and you.”
149 tn Heb “Jacob”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
150 sn The Hebrew word for “pile” is גַּל (gal), which sounds like the name “Galeed” (גַּלְעֵד, gal’ed). See v. 48.
151 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.
152 tn The words “this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
153 tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his eyes.”
154 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.
155 tn The cohortative verbal form here indicates a polite offer of help.
156 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.
157 tn Heb “I am finding favor in the eyes of my lord.”
158 tn The two disjunctive clauses in this verse (“Now Jacob heard…and his sons were”) are juxtaposed to indicate synchronic action.
159 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
160 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.
161 sn The gate. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the location for conducting important public business.
162 tn Heb “which are in your midst.”
163 sn The actions of removing false gods, becoming ritually clean, and changing garments would become necessary steps in Israel when approaching the
164 tn Heb “and he called his name Israel.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
sn The name Israel means “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). See Gen 32:28.
165 tn This is an adverbial accusative of location.
166 tn The name “Kiriath Arba” is in apposition to the preceding name, “Mamre.”
167 tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” refers to temporary settlement without ownership rights.
168 tn Heb “and he [i.e., Joseph] went to Shechem.” The referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
169 tn Heb “and a man found him and look, he was wandering in the field.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the action through this unnamed man’s eyes.
170 sn The Hebrew verb translated became his personal attendant refers to higher domestic service, usually along the lines of a personal attendant. Here Joseph is made the household steward, a position well-attested in Egyptian literature.
171 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
172 tn Heb “put into his hand.”
173 tn Heb “the cup of Pharaoh.” The pronoun “his” has been used here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
174 sn The cupbearer’s dream is dominated by sets of three: three branches, three stages of growth, and three actions of the cupbearer.
175 tn Heb “and Pharaoh sent and called,” indicating a summons to the royal court.
176 tn Heb “let Pharaoh look.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.
177 tn Heb “a man discerning and wise.” The order of the terms is rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
178 tn Heb “and let him set him.”
179 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.
180 tn The rhetorical question expects the answer “No, of course not!”
181 tn Heb “as discerning and wise.” The order has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
182 tn Heb “and buy for us from there.” The word “grain,” the direct object of “buy,” has been supplied for clarity, and the words “from there” have been omitted in the translation for stylistic reasons.
183 tn Following the imperatives, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav expresses purpose of result.
184 tn The imperfect tense continues the nuance of the verb before it.
185 tn Heb “in the midst of the coming ones.”
186 tn Heb “they arose and went down to Egypt.” The first verb has an adverbial function and emphasizes that they departed right away.
187 tn Heb “for his affection boiled up concerning his brother.” The same expression is used in 1 Kgs 3:26 for the mother’s feelings for her endangered child.
188 tn Heb “and he sought to weep.”
189 sn Judah and his brothers. The narrative is already beginning to bring Judah to the forefront.
190 tn The disjunctive clause here provides supplemental information.
191 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive here expresses instruction.
192 tn Heb “and hurry and bring down my father to here.”
193 tn Heb “and the sons of Israel did so.”
194 tn Heb “according to the mouth of Pharaoh.”
195 tn Heb “and Israel journeyed, and all that was his.”
196 sn Beer Sheba. See Gen 21:31; 28:10.
197 tn Heb “and one said.” With no expressed subject in the Hebrew text, the verb can be translated with the passive voice.
198 tn Heb “my.”
199 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
200 tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the imperative.
201 tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.
202 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.
203 sn The comparison of the tribe of Dan to a venomous serpent is meant to say that Dan, though small, would be potent, gaining victory through its skill and shrewdness. Jewish commentators have linked the image in part with Samson. That link at least illustrates the point: Though a minority tribe, Dan would gain the upper hand over others.
204 tn Heb “spoke to their heart.”
205 tn Heb “son of a hundred and ten years.”
206 tn Heb “he.”