29:25 In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! 19 So Jacob 20 said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me! 21 Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked 22 me?”
1 tn The second person pronominal suffixes are singular in this verse (note “your eyes,” “you have made great,” and “you have acted”). Verse 18a seems to indicate that Lot is addressing the angels, but the use of the singular and the appearance of the divine title “Lord” (אֲדֹנָי, ’adonay) in v. 18b suggests he is speaking to God.
2 tn Heb “in your eyes.”
3 tn Heb “you made great your kindness.”
4 sn The Hebrew word חֶסֶד (khesed) can refer to “faithful love” or to “kindness,” depending on the context. The precise nuance here is uncertain.
5 tn The infinitive construct explains how God has shown Lot kindness.
6 tn Heb “lest.”
7 tn The Hebrew verb דָּבַק (davaq) normally means “to stick to, to cleave, to join.” Lot is afraid he cannot outrun the coming calamity.
8 tn The perfect verb form with vav consecutive carries the nuance of the imperfect verbal form before it.
9 tn Heb “give.”
10 tn Heb “silver.”
11 tn After the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose or result.
12 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
13 tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The use of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as the subject emphasizes that the blessing will be made with all Isaac’s desire and vitality. The conjunction “so that” closely relates the meal to the blessing, suggesting that this will be a ritual meal in conjunction with the giving of a formal blessing.
14 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
15 tn The cohortative, with the prefixed conjunction, also expresses logical sequence. See vv. 4, 19, 27.
16 tn In her report to Jacob, Rebekah plays down Isaac’s strong desire to bless Esau by leaving out נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”), but by adding the phrase “in the presence of the
17 tn Heb “get up and sit.” This may mean simply “sit up,” or it may indicate that he was to get up from his couch and sit at a table.
18 tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.” These words, though not reported by Rebekah to Jacob (see v. 7) accurately reflect what Isaac actually said to Esau (see v. 4). Perhaps Jacob knew more than Rebekah realized, but it is more likely that this was an idiom for sincere blessing with which Jacob was familiar. At any rate, his use of the precise wording was a nice, convincing touch.
19 tn Heb “and it happened in the morning that look, it was Leah.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.
20 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
21 tn Heb What is this you have done to me?” The use of the pronoun “this” is enclitic, adding emphasis to the question: “What in the world have you done to me?”
22 sn The Hebrew verb translated tricked here (רָמָה, ramah) is cognate to the noun used in Gen 27:35 to describe Jacob’s deception of Esau. Jacob is discovering that what goes around, comes around. See J. A. Diamond, “The Deception of Jacob: A New Perspective on an Ancient Solution to the Problem,” VT 34 (1984): 211-13.
23 tn Heb “Why did you hide in order to flee?” The verb “hide” and the infinitive “to flee” form a hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the other the adverb: “flee secretly.”
24 tn Heb “and steal me.”
25 tn Heb “And [why did] you not tell me so I could send you off with joy and with songs, with a tambourine and with a harp?”
26 tn The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.
27 tn The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”
28 tn Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”
29 tn Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”
30 sn Heb “me, [the] mother upon [the] sons.” The first person pronoun “me” probably means here “me and mine,” as the following clause suggests.
31 tn Heb “and look, your servant Jacob [is] behind us.”
32 tn Heb “for he said.” The referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “thought.”
33 tn Heb “I will appease his face.” The cohortative here expresses Jacob’s resolve. In the Book of Leviticus the Hebrew verb translated “appease” has the idea of removing anger due to sin or guilt, a nuance that fits this passage very well. Jacob wanted to buy Esau off with a gift of more than five hundred and fifty animals.
34 tn Heb “with a gift going before me.”
35 tn Heb “I will see his face.”
36 tn Heb “Perhaps he will lift up my face.” In this context the idiom refers to acceptance.
37 tn Heb “Make very great upon me the bride price and gift.” The imperatives are used in a rhetorical manner. Shechem’s point is that he will pay the price, no matter how expensive it might be.
38 tn The cohortative expresses Shechem’s resolve to have Dinah as his wife.
39 tn Heb “say.”
40 tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.
41 tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.
42 tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.
43 tn Heb “in the way in which I went.” Jacob alludes here to God’s promise to be with him (see Gen 28:20).
44 tn Heb “a father.” The term is used here figuratively of one who gives advice, as a father would to his children.
45 tn Heb “hurry and go up.”