18:9 Then they asked him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, 7 in the tent.”
24:6 “Be careful 11 never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. 12
25:24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, 13 there were 14 twins in her womb.
32:13 Jacob 15 stayed there that night. Then he sent 16 as a gift 17 to his brother Esau
38:27 When it was time for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb.
1 tn Heb “good.”
2 tn The Hebrew term translated “pearls” may be a reference to resin (cf. NIV “aromatic resin”) or another precious stone (cf. NEB, NASB, NRSV “bdellium”).
3 tn Or “onyx.”
4 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn Or perhaps “from the east” (NRSV) or “in the east.”
6 tn Heb “in the land of Shinar.”
sn Shinar is the region of Babylonia.
7 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) often accompanies a gesture of pointing or a focused gaze.
8 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 sn The planting of the tamarisk tree is a sign of Abraham’s intent to stay there for a long time, not a religious act. A growing tree in the Negev would be a lasting witness to God’s provision of water.
10 tn Heb “he called there in the name of the
11 tn Heb “guard yourself.”
12 tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.
13 tn Heb “And her days were filled to give birth.”
14 tn Heb “look!” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene as if they were actually present at the birth.
15 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
16 tn Heb “and he took from that which was going into his hand,” meaning that he took some of what belonged to him.
17 sn The Hebrew noun translated gift can in some contexts refer to the tribute paid by a subject to his lord. Such a nuance is possible here, because Jacob refers to Esau as his lord and to himself as Esau’s servant (v. 4).
18 tn Heb “God, the God of Israel.” Rather than translating the name, a number of modern translations merely transliterate it from the Hebrew as “El Elohe Israel” (cf. NIV, NRSV, REB). It is not entirely clear how the name should be interpreted grammatically. One option is to supply an equative verb, as in the translation: “The God of Israel [is] God.” Another interpretive option is “the God of Israel [is] strong [or “mighty”].” Buying the land and settling down for a while was a momentous step for the patriarch, so the commemorative naming of the altar is significant.
19 tn Heb “we could have returned.”