43:7 They replied, “The man questioned us 14 thoroughly 15 about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ 16 So we answered him in this way. 17 How could we possibly know 18 that he would say, 19 ‘Bring your brother down’?”
1 tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
2 tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”
3 tn Heb “shadow.”
4 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.
5 tn Heb “How did I sin against you that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin?” The expression “great sin” refers to adultery. For discussion of the cultural background of the passage, see J. J. Rabinowitz, “The Great Sin in Ancient Egyptian Marriage Contracts,” JNES 18 (1959): 73, and W. L. Moran, “The Scandal of the ‘Great Sin’ at Ugarit,” JNES 18 (1959): 280-81.
6 tn Heb “Deeds which should not be done you have done to me.” The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here.
7 tn The words “stay there” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
8 tn Heb “and I will send and I will take you from there.” The verb “send” has no object in the Hebrew text; one must be supplied in the translation. Either “someone” or “a message” could be supplied, but since in those times a message would require a messenger, “someone” has been used.
9 tn If Jacob stayed, he would be killed and Esau would be forced to run away.
10 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 sn The expression he alone is left meant that (so far as Jacob knew) Benjamin was the only surviving child of his mother Rachel.
12 sn The expression bring down my gray hair is figurative, using a part for the whole – they would put Jacob in the grave. But the gray head signifies a long life of worry and trouble.
13 tn Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.
14 tn The word “us” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
15 tn The infinitive absolute with the perfect verbal form emphasizes that Joseph questioned them thoroughly.
16 sn The report given here concerning Joseph’s interrogation does not exactly match the previous account where they supplied the information to clear themselves (see 42:13). This section may reflect how they remembered the impact of his interrogation, whether he asked the specific questions or not. That may be twisting the truth to protect themselves, not wanting to admit that they volunteered the information. (They admitted as much in 42:31, but now they seem to be qualifying that comment.) On the other hand, when speaking to Joseph later (see 44:19), Judah claims that Joseph asked for the information about their family, making it possible that 42:13 leaves out some of the details of their first encounter.
17 tn Heb “and we told to him according to these words.”
18 tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the imperfect verbal form, which here is a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of a past time).
19 tn Once again the imperfect verbal form is used as a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of past time).