13:3 And he journeyed from place to place 1 from the Negev as far as Bethel. 2 He returned 3 to the place where he had pitched his tent 4 at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai.
16:12 He will be a wild donkey 5 of a man.
He will be hostile to everyone, 6
and everyone will be hostile to him. 7
He will live away from 8 his brothers.”
Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. 24
1 tn Heb “on his journeys”; the verb and noun combination means to pick up the tents and move from camp to camp.
2 map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
3 tn The words “he returned” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
4 tn Heb “where his tent had been.”
5 sn A wild donkey of a man. The prophecy is not an insult. The wild donkey lived a solitary existence in the desert away from society. Ishmael would be free-roaming, strong, and like a bedouin; he would enjoy the freedom his mother sought.
6 tn Heb “His hand will be against everyone.” The “hand” by metonymy represents strength. His free-roaming life style would put him in conflict with those who follow social conventions. There would not be open warfare, only friction because of his antagonism to their way of life.
7 tn Heb “And the hand of everyone will be against him.”
8 tn Heb “opposite, across from.” Ishmael would live on the edge of society (cf. NASB “to the east of”). Some take this as an idiom meaning “be at odds with” (cf. NRSV, NLT) or “live in hostility toward” (cf. NIV).
9 tn Heb “upon the face of.”
10 tn Or “all the land of the plain”; Heb “and all the face of the land of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
11 tn Heb “And he saw, and look, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.”
sn It is hard to imagine what was going on in Abraham’s mind, but this brief section in the narrative enables the reader to think about the human response to the judgment. Abraham had family in that area. He had rescued those people from the invasion. That was why he interceded. Yet he surely knew how wicked they were. That was why he got the number down to ten when he negotiated with God to save the city. But now he must have wondered, “What was the point?”
12 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13 tn Heb “and he told to Laban all these things.” This might mean Jacob told Laban how he happened to be there, but Laban’s response (see v. 14) suggests “all these things” refers to what Jacob had previously told Rachel (see v. 12).
14 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
16 tn Or “injured”; traditionally “touched.” The Hebrew verb translated “struck” has the primary meanings “to touch; to reach; to strike.” It can, however, carry the connotation “to harm; to molest; to injure.” God’s “touch” cripples Jacob – it would be comparable to a devastating blow.
17 tn The words “he bought it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 19 is one long sentence.
18 tn The Hebrew word קְשִׂיטָה (qÿsitah) is generally understood to refer to a unit of money, but the value is unknown. (However, cf. REB, which renders the term as “sheep”).
19 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
20 sn The Hebrew verb translated left indicates he relinquished the care of it to Joseph. This is stronger than what was said earlier. Apparently Potiphar had come to trust Joseph so much that he knew it was in better care with Joseph than with anyone else.
21 tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.
22 tn Heb “did not know.”
23 sn The expression except the food he ate probably refers to Potiphar’s private affairs and should not be limited literally to what he ate.
24 tn Heb “handsome of form and handsome of appearance.” The same Hebrew expressions were used in Gen 29:17 for Rachel.
25 tn Heb “and he said.”
26 tn Heb “know.”
27 tn The word “here” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
28 tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.