18:9 Then they asked him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, 6 in the tent.”
29:4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” They replied, “We’re from Haran.”
42:10 But they exclaimed, 16 “No, my lord! Your servants have come to buy grain for food!
49:23 The archers will attack him, 19
they will shoot at him and oppose him.
1 tn Heb “And the two of them were naked, the man and his wife.”
sn Naked. The motif of nakedness is introduced here and plays an important role in the next chapter. In the Bible nakedness conveys different things. In this context it signifies either innocence or integrity, depending on how those terms are defined. There is no fear of exploitation, no sense of vulnerability. But after the entrance of sin into the race, nakedness takes on a negative sense. It is then usually connected with the sense of vulnerability, shame, exploitation, and exposure (such as the idea of “uncovering nakedness” either in sexual exploitation or in captivity in war).
2 tn The imperfect verb form here has a customary nuance, indicating a continuing condition in past time. The meaning of the Hebrew term בּוֹשׁ (bosh) is “to be ashamed, to put to shame,” but its meaning is stronger than “to be embarrassed.” The word conveys the fear of exploitation or evil – enemies are put to shame through military victory. It indicates the feeling of shame that approximates a fear of evil.
3 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Or perhaps “from the east” (NRSV) or “in the east.”
5 tn Heb “in the land of Shinar.”
sn Shinar is the region of Babylonia.
6 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) often accompanies a gesture of pointing or a focused gaze.
7 sn Reddish. The Hebrew word translated “reddish” is אַדְמוֹנִי (’admoni), which forms a wordplay on the Edomites, Esau’s descendants. The writer sees in Esau’s appearance at birth a sign of what was to come. After all, the reader has already been made aware of the “nations” that were being born.
8 tn Heb “all of him.”
9 sn Hairy. Here is another wordplay involving the descendants of Esau. The Hebrew word translated “hairy” is שֵׂעָר (se’ar); the Edomites will later live in Mount Seir, perhaps named for its wooded nature.
10 tn Heb “And they called his name Esau.” The name “Esau” (עֵשָׂו, ’esav) is not etymologically related to שֵׂעָר (se’ar), but it draws on some of the sounds.
11 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Isaac’s servants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12 tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13 sn The name Sitnah (שִׂטְנָה, sitnah) is derived from a Hebrew verbal root meaning “to oppose; to be an adversary” (cf. Job 1:6). The name was a reminder that the digging of this well caused “opposition” from the Philistines.
14 tn Heb “Look, this master of dreams is coming.” The brothers’ words have a sarcastic note and indicate that they resent his dreams.
15 tn The verb זָעַף (za’af) only occurs here and Dan 1:10. It means “to be sick, to be emaciated,” probably in this case because of depression.
16 tn Heb “and they said to him.” In context this is best understood as an exclamation.
17 tn The infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the finite verbal form.
18 tn Heb “in the beginning” (see the note on the phrase “last time” in v. 18).
19 tn The verb forms in vv. 23-24 are used in a rhetorical manner, describing future events as if they had already taken place.
20 tn The verb means “command,” but they would hardly be commanding him. It probably means they sent their father’s instructions to Joseph.