Genesis 18:21

18:21 that I must go down ¹  and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. ²  If not, ³  I want to know.”

Genesis 24:19

24:19 When she had done so, ⁴  she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.”

Genesis 24:33

24:33 When food was served, ⁵  he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” ⁶  “Tell us,” Laban said. ⁷ 

Genesis 42:36

42:36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You are making me childless! Joseph is gone. ⁸  Simeon is gone. ⁹  And now you want to take ¹⁰  Benjamin! Everything is against me.”

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¹ tn The cohortative indicates the Lord’s resolve.

sn I must go down. The descent to “see” Sodom is a bold anthropomorphism, stressing the careful judgment of God. The language is reminiscent of the Lord going down to see the Tower of Babel in Gen 11:1-9.

² tn Heb “[if] according to the outcry that has come to me they have done completely.” Even the Lord, who is well aware of the human capacity to sin, finds it hard to believe that anyone could be as bad as the “outcry” against Sodom and Gomorrah suggests.

³ sn The short phrase if not provides a ray of hope and inspires Abraham’s intercession.

⁴ tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁵ tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”

⁶ tn Heb “my words.”

⁷ tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”

tn Heb “and he said, ‘Speak.’” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸ tn Heb “is not.”

⁹ tn Heb “is not.”

¹⁰ tn The nuance of the imperfect verbal form is desiderative here.