32:19 He also gave these instructions to the second and third servants, as well as all those who were following the herds, saying, “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 27
Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. 35
1 tn Heb “they returned and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh).” The two verbs together form a verbal hendiadys, the first serving as the adverb: “they returned and came” means “they came again.” Most English translations do not treat this as a hendiadys, but translate “they turned back” or something similar. Since in the context, however, “came again to” does not simply refer to travel but an assault against the place, the present translation expresses this as “attacked…again.”
2 tn Heb “drink wine.”
3 tn Heb “lied down with him.”
4 tn Heb “And he did not know when she lied down and when she arose.”
5 tn The Hebrew verb translated “quarreled” describes a conflict that often has legal ramifications.
6 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn Heb “and he called the name of the well.”
8 sn The name Esek means “argument” in Hebrew. The following causal clause explains that Isaac gave the well this name as a reminder of the conflict its discovery had created. In the Hebrew text there is a wordplay, for the name is derived from the verb translated “argued.”
9 tn The words “about it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
10 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 tn Heb “and he called its name.”
12 sn The name Rehoboth (רְהֹבוֹת, rehovot) is derived from a verbal root meaning “to make room.” The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. The story shows Isaac’s patience with the opposition; it also shows how God’s blessing outdistanced the men of Gerar. They could not stop it or seize it any longer.
13 tn The oath formula is used: “if you do us harm” means “so that you will not do.”
14 tn Heb “touched.”
15 tn Heb “and just as we have done only good with you.”
16 tn Heb “and we sent you away.”
17 tn The Philistine leaders are making an observation, not pronouncing a blessing, so the translation reads “you are blessed” rather than “may you be blessed” (cf. NAB).
18 tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother” (twice in this verse).
19 tn Heb “Jacob.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
20 tn Heb “drew near, approached.”
21 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).
22 tn The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.
23 tn The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”
24 tn Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”
25 tn Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”
26 sn Heb “me, [the] mother upon [the] sons.” The first person pronoun “me” probably means here “me and mine,” as the following clause suggests.
27 tn Heb “And he commanded also the second, also the third, also all the ones going after the herds, saying: ‘According to this word you will speak when you find him.’”
28 tn The Hebrew word can sometimes carry the nuance “evil,” but when used of an animal it refers to a dangerous wild animal.
29 tn Heb “what his dreams will be.”
30 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
31 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.
32 tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.
33 tn Heb “did not know.”
34 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.
35 tn Heb “handsome of form and handsome of appearance.” The same Hebrew expressions were used in Gen 29:17 for Rachel.
36 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.
37 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
38 tn Heb “them”; the referent (Joseph’s sons) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
39 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.