Genesis 24:60

24:60 They blessed Rebekah with these words:

“Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands!

May your descendants possess the strongholds of their enemies.”

Genesis 27:34

27:34 When Esau heard his father’s words, he wailed loudly and bitterly. He said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!”

Genesis 42:20

42:20 But you must bring your youngest brother to me. Then your words will be verified and you will not die.” They did as he said.


tn Heb “and said to her.”

tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”

sn May you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands. The blessing expresses their prayer that she produce children and start a family line that will greatly increase (cf. Gen 17:16).

tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”). A similar phrase occurs in Gen 22:17.

tn The temporal clause is introduced with the temporal indicator and has the infinitive as its verb.

tn Heb “and he yelled [with] a great and bitter yell to excess.”

tn The imperfect here has an injunctive force.

tn After the injunctive imperfect, this imperfect with vav indicates purpose or result.

tn The Niphal form of the verb has the sense of “to be faithful; to be sure; to be reliable.” Joseph will test his brothers to see if their words are true.

tn Heb “and they did so.”