Genesis 18:3

18:3 He said, “My lord,¹ if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by and leave your servant.²

Genesis 18:27

18:27 Then Abraham asked, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord³ (although I am but dust and ashes),⁴

Genesis 21:29

21:29 Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these⁵ seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?”

Genesis 24:25

24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added,⁶ “and room for you⁷ to spend the night.”

Genesis 26:16

26:16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere,⁸ for you have become much more powerful⁹ than we are.”

Genesis 26:27

26:27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You hate me¹⁰ and sent me away from you.”

Genesis 27:11

27:11 “But Esau my brother is a hairy man,” Jacob protested to his mother Rebekah, “and I have smooth skin!¹¹

Genesis 39:7

39:7 Soon after these things, his master’s wife took notice of¹² Joseph and said, “Have sex with me.”¹³

Genesis 44:5

44:5 Doesn’t my master drink from this cup¹⁴ and use it for divination?¹⁵ You have done wrong!’”¹⁶

Genesis 44:28

44:28 The first disappeared¹⁷ and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” I have not seen him since.

Genesis 47:25

47:25 They replied, “You have saved our lives! You are showing us favor,¹⁸ and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.”¹⁹

¹tc The MT has the form אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “Master”) which is reserved for God. This may reflect later scribal activity. The scribes, knowing it was the Lord, may have put the proper pointing with the word instead of the more common אֲדֹנִי (’adoni, “my master”).

²tn Heb “do not pass by from upon your servant.”

³tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 30, 31, 32 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

⁴tn The disjunctive clause is a concessive clause here, drawing out the humility as a contrast to the Lord.

⁵tn Heb “What are these?”

⁶tn Heb “and she said, ‘We have plenty of both straw and feed.’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁷tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

⁸tn Heb “Go away from us.”

⁹sn You have become much more powerful. This explanation for the expulsion of Isaac from Philistine territory foreshadows the words used later by the Egyptians to justify their oppression of Israel (see Exod 1:9).

¹⁰tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, expressing the reason for his question.

¹¹tn Heb “And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, but I am a smooth [skinned] man.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹²tn Heb “she lifted up her eyes toward,” an expression that emphasizes her deliberate and careful scrutiny of him.

¹³tn Heb “lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

sn The story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife has long been connected with the wisdom warnings about the strange woman who tries to seduce the young man with her boldness and directness (see Prov 5-7, especially 7:6-27). This is part of the literary background of the story of Joseph that gives it a wisdom flavor. See G. von Rad, God at Work in Israel, 19-35; and G. W. Coats, “The Joseph Story and Ancient Wisdom: A Reappraisal,” CBQ 35 (1973): 285-97.

¹⁴tn Heb “Is this not what my master drinks from.” The word “cup” is not in the Hebrew text, but is obviously the referent of “this,” and so has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

¹⁵tn Heb “and he, divining, divines with it.” The infinitive absolute is emphatic, stressing the importance of the cup to Joseph.

¹⁶tn Heb “you have caused to be evil what you have done.”

¹⁷tn Heb “went forth from me.”

¹⁸tn Heb “we find favor in the eyes of my lord.” Some interpret this as a request, “may we find favor in the eyes of my lord.”

¹⁹sn Slaves. See the note on this word in v. 21.