31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance 7 in our father’s house?
43:24 The servant in charge 20 brought the men into Joseph’s house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave food to their donkeys.
44:14 So Judah and his brothers 21 came back to Joseph’s house. He was still there, 22 and they threw themselves to the ground before him.
1 tn Heb “And Abram said.”
2 tn The construction uses הֵן (hen) to introduce the foundational clause (“since…”), and וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh) to introduce the main clause (“then look…”).
3 tn Heb “is inheriting me.”
4 tn The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) means “to lie down, to recline,” that is, “to go to bed.” Here what appears to be an imperfect is a preterite after the adverb טֶרֶם (terem). The nuance of potential (perfect) fits well.
5 tn Heb “and the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from the young to the old, all the people from the end [of the city].” The repetition of the phrase “men of” stresses all kinds of men.
6 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
7 tn The two nouns may form a hendiadys, meaning “a share in the inheritance” or “a portion to inherit.”
8 tn Heb “and now.” The words “I understand that” have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
9 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the certainty of the action.
10 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of emotion involved.
11 sn Yet why did you steal my gods? This last sentence is dropped into the speech rather suddenly. See C. Mabee, “Jacob and Laban: The Structure of Judicial Proceedings,” VT 30 (1980): 192-207, and G. W. Coats, “Self-Abasement and Insult Formulas,” JBL 91 (1972): 90-92.
12 tn The disjunctive clause contrasts Jacob’s action with Esau’s.
13 sn But Jacob traveled to Succoth. There are several reasons why Jacob chose not to go to Mt. Seir after Esau. First, as he said, his herds and children probably could not keep up with the warriors. Second, he probably did not fully trust his brother. The current friendliness could change, and he could lose everything. And third, God did tell him to return to his land, not Seir. But Jacob is still not able to deal truthfully, probably because of fear of Esau.
14 tn Heb “why he called.” One could understand “Jacob” as the subject of the verb, but it is more likely that the subject is indefinite, in which case the verb is better translated as passive.
15 sn The name Succoth means “shelters,” an appropriate name in light of the shelters Jacob built there for his livestock.
16 tn Heb “why are your faces sad today?”
17 sn The name Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, mÿnasheh) describes God’s activity on behalf of Joseph, explaining in general the significance of his change of fortune. The name is a Piel participle, suggesting the meaning “he who brings about forgetfulness.” The Hebrew verb נַשַּׁנִי (nashani) may have been used instead of the normal נִשַּׁנִי (nishani) to provide a closer sound play with the name. The giving of this Hebrew name to his son shows that Joseph retained his heritage and faith; and it shows that a brighter future was in store for him.
18 tn The word “saying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
19 tn Or “for.”
20 tn Heb “the man.”
21 sn Judah and his brothers. The narrative is already beginning to bring Judah to the forefront.
22 tn The disjunctive clause here provides supplemental information.