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 24:7

24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, ⁴  promised me with a solemn oath, ⁵  ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel ⁶  before you so that you may find ⁷  a wife for my son from there.

Genesis 39:5

39:5 From the time ⁸  Potiphar ⁹  appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed ¹⁰  the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both ¹¹  in his house and in his fields. ¹² 

Genesis 43:18

43:18 But the men were afraid when they were brought to Joseph’s house. They said, “We are being brought in because of ¹³  the money that was returned in our sacks last time. ¹⁴  He wants to capture us, ¹⁵  make us slaves, and take ¹⁶  our donkeys!”

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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 Or “the land of my birth.”

⁵ tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”

⁶ tn Or “his messenger.”

⁷ tn Heb “before you and you will take.”

⁸ tn Heb “and it was from then.”

⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰ sn The Hebrew word translated blessed carries the idea of enrichment, prosperity, success. It is the way believers describe success at the hand of God. The text illustrates the promise made to Abraham that whoever blesses his descendants will be blessed (Gen 12:1-3).

¹¹ tn Heb “in the house and in the field.” The word “both” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹² sn The passage gives us a good picture of Joseph as a young man who was responsible and faithful, both to his master and to his God. This happened within a very short time of his being sold into Egypt. It undermines the view that Joseph was a liar, a tattletale, and an arrogant adolescent.

¹³ tn Heb “over the matter of.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “in the beginning,” that is, at the end of their first visit.

¹⁵ tn Heb “to roll himself upon us and to cause himself to fall upon us.” The infinitives here indicate the purpose (as viewed by the brothers) for their being brought to Joseph’s house.

¹⁶ tn The word “take” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.