Genesis 19:2

19:2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night ¹  and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” ²  “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” ³ 

Genesis 19:8

19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with ⁴  a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. ⁵  Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection ⁶  of my roof.” ⁷ 

Genesis 24:14

24:14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ ⁸  In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” ⁹ 

Genesis 33:10

33:10 “No, please take them,” Jacob said. ¹⁰  “If I have found favor in your sight, accept ¹¹  my gift from my hand. Now that I have seen your face and you have accepted me, ¹²  it is as if I have seen the face of God. ¹³ 

Genesis 47:4

47:4 Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as temporary residents ¹⁴  in the land. There ¹⁵  is no pasture for your servants’ flocks because the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. So now, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen.”

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¹ tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.

² tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”

³ sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.

⁴ tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

⁵ tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”

⁶ tn Heb “shadow.”

⁷ sn This chapter portrays Lot as a hypocrite. He is well aware of the way the men live in his city and is apparently comfortable in the midst of it. But when confronted by the angels, he finally draws the line. But he is nevertheless willing to sacrifice his daughters’ virginity to protect his guests. His opposition to the crowds leads to his rejection as a foreigner by those with whom he had chosen to live. The one who attempted to rescue his visitors ends up having to be rescued by them.

⁸ sn I will also give your camels water. It would be an enormous test for a young woman to water ten camels. The idea is that such a woman would not only be industrious but hospitable and generous.

⁹ tn Heb “And let the young woman to whom I say, ‘Lower your jar that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I will also give your camels water,’ – her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac, and by it I will know that you have acted in faithfulness with my master.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “and Jacob said, ‘No, please.’” The words “take them” have been supplied in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.

¹¹ tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, expressing a contingent future nuance in the “then” section of the conditional sentence.

¹² tn The verbal form is the preterite with a vav (ו) consecutive, indicating result here.

¹³ tn Heb “for therefore I have seen your face like seeing the face of God and you have accepted me.”

sn This is an allusion to the preceding episode (32:22-31) in which Jacob saw the face of God and realized his prayer was answered.

¹⁴ tn Heb “to sojourn.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “for there.” The Hebrew uses a causal particle to connect what follows with what precedes. The translation divides the statement into two sentences for stylistic reasons.