17:23 Abraham took his son Ishmael and every male in his household (whether born in his house or bought with money) 5 and circumcised them 6 on that very same day, just as God had told him to do.
24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. 7 He journeyed 8 to the region of Aram Naharaim 9 and the city of Nahor.
36:39 When Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor died, Hadad 18 reigned in his place; the name of his city was Pau. 19 His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.
48:17 When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him. 35 So he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.
1 tn Heb “his brother,” by extension, “relative.” Here and in v. 16 the more specific term “nephew” has been used in the translation for clarity. Lot was the son of Haran, Abram’s brother (Gen 11:27).
2 tn The verb וַיָּרֶק (vayyareq) is a rare form, probably related to the word רֵיק (req, “to be empty”). If so, it would be a very figurative use: “he emptied out” (or perhaps “unsheathed”) his men. The LXX has “mustered” (cf. NEB). E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103-4) suggests reading with the Samaritan Pentateuch a verb diq, cognate with Akkadian deku, “to mobilize” troops. If this view is accepted, one must assume that a confusion of the Hebrew letters ד (dalet) and ר (resh) led to the error in the traditional Hebrew text. These two letters are easily confused in all phases of ancient Hebrew script development. The present translation is based on this view.
3 tn The words “the invaders” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.
4 sn The use of the name Dan reflects a later perspective. The Danites did not migrate to this northern territory until centuries later (see Judg 18:29). Furthermore Dan was not even born until much later. By inserting this name a scribe has clarified the location of the region.
5 tn Heb “Ishmael his son and all born in his house and all bought with money, every male among the men of the house of Abraham.”
6 tn Heb “circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.” The Hebrew expression is somewhat pleonastic and has been simplified in the translation.
7 tn Heb “and every good thing of his master was in his hand.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, explaining that he took all kinds of gifts to be used at his discretion.
8 tn Heb “and he arose and went.”
9 tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
sn Aram Naharaim means in Hebrew “Aram of the Two Rivers,” a region in northern Mesopotamia.
10 tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.
11 tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
12 tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”
13 tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.
14 tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother” (twice in this verse).
15 tn Heb “Jacob.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
16 tn Heb “drew near, approached.”
17 tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother.” The text says nothing initially about the beauty of Rachel. But the reader is struck by the repetition of “Laban the brother of his mother.” G. J. Wenham is no doubt correct when he observes that Jacob’s primary motive at this stage is to ingratiate himself with Laban (Genesis [WBC], 2:231).
18 tc Most
19 tn The name of the city is given as “Pai” in 1 Chr 1:50.
20 sn The question What is this dream that you had? expresses Jacob’s dismay at what he perceives to be Joseph’s audacity.
21 tn Heb “Coming, will we come, I and your mother and your brothers, to bow down to you to the ground?” The verb “come” is preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Jacob said, “You don’t really think we will come…to bow down…do you?”
22 tn Heb “offspring.”
23 tn Heb “would not be his,” that is, legally speaking. Under the levirate system the child would be legally considered the child of his deceased brother.
24 tn The construction shows that this was a repeated practice and not merely one action.
sn The text makes it clear that the purpose of the custom was to produce an heir for the deceased brother. Onan had no intention of doing that. But he would have sex with the girl as much as he wished. He was willing to use the law to gratify his desires, but was not willing to do the responsible thing.
25 tn Heb “he went to.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
26 tn Heb “he spoiled [his semen] to the ground.” Onan withdrew prematurely and ejaculated on the ground to prevent his brother’s widow from becoming pregnant.
27 tn The Hebrew word שֵׁשׁ (shesh) is an Egyptian loanword that describes the fine linen robes that Egyptian royalty wore. The clothing signified Joseph’s rank.
28 tn Heb “heavy.”
sn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information that is important to the story. The weakness of Israel’s sight is one of several connections between this chapter and Gen 27. Here there are two sons, and it appears that the younger is being blessed over the older by a blind old man. While it was by Jacob’s deception in chap. 27, here it is with Jacob’s full knowledge.
29 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
30 tn Heb “them”; the referent (Joseph’s sons) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
31 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
32 tn Heb “and Joseph took the two of them.”
33 tn Heb “and he brought near to him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” and “him” (Joseph and his father respectively) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
34 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-concessive here.
35 tn Heb “it was bad in his eyes.”