Genesis 11:5

11:5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people 1  had started 2  building.

Genesis 24:52

24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.

Genesis 43:4

43:4 If you send 3  our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy food for you.

Genesis 43:28

43:28 “Your servant our father is well,” they replied. “He is still alive.” They bowed down in humility. 4 

Genesis 48:12

48:12 So Joseph moved them from Israel’s knees 5  and bowed down with his face to the ground.

Genesis 50:18

50:18 Then his brothers also came and threw themselves down before him; they said, “Here we are; we are your slaves.”

1 tn Heb “the sons of man.” The phrase is intended in this polemic to portray the builders as mere mortals, not the lesser deities that the Babylonians claimed built the city.

2 tn The Hebrew text simply has בָּנוּ (banu), but since v. 8 says they left off building the city, an ingressive idea (“had started building”) should be understood here.

3 tn Heb “if there is you sending,” that is, “if you send.”

4 tn Heb “and they bowed low and they bowed down.” The use of synonyms here emphasizes the brothers’ humility.

5 tn Heb “and Joseph brought them out from with his knees.” The two boys had probably been standing by Israel’s knees when being adopted and blessed. The referent of the pronoun “his” (Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.