24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, 1 and the Lord had blessed him 2 in everything.
35:9 God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan Aram and blessed him.
47:7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him 5 before Pharaoh. Jacob blessed 6 Pharaoh.
1 tn Heb “days.”
2 tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
3 sn God blessed Isaac. The Hebrew verb “bless” in this passage must include all the gifts that God granted to Isaac. But fertility was not one of them, at least not for twenty years, because Rebekah was barren as well (see v. 21).
4 sn Beer Lahai Roi. See the note on this place name in Gen 24:62.
5 tn Heb “caused him to stand.”
6 sn The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb translated “blessed” is difficult in this passage, because the content of Jacob’s blessing is not given. The expression could simply mean that he greeted Pharaoh, but that seems insufficient in this setting. Jacob probably praised Pharaoh, for the verb is used this way for praising God. It is also possible that he pronounced a formal prayer of blessing, asking God to reward Pharaoh for his kindness.