Genesis 27:36

27:36 Esau exclaimed, “‘Jacob’ is the right name for him! ¹  He has tripped me up ²  two times! He took away my birthright, and now, look, he has taken away my blessing!” Then he asked, “Have you not kept back a blessing for me?”

Genesis 30:15

30:15 But Leah replied, ³  “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes too?” “All right,” ⁴  Rachel said, “he may sleep ⁵  with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”

Genesis 30:33

30:33 My integrity will testify for me ⁶  later on. ⁷  When you come to verify that I’ve taken only the wages we agreed on, ⁸  if I have in my possession any goat that is not speckled or spotted or any sheep that is not dark-colored, it will be considered stolen.” ⁹ 

Genesis 46:34

46:34 Tell him, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle ¹⁰  from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen, ¹¹  for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting ¹²  to the Egyptians.”

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¹ tn Heb “Is he not rightly named Jacob?” The rhetorical question, since it expects a positive reply, has been translated as a declarative statement.

² sn He has tripped me up. When originally given, the name Jacob was a play on the word “heel” (see Gen 25:26). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. Esau gives the name “Jacob” a negative connotation here, the meaning “to trip up; to supplant.”

³ tn Heb “and she said to her”; the referent of the pronoun “she” (Leah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴ tn Heb “therefore.”

⁵ tn Heb “lie down.” The expression “lie down with” in this context (here and in the following verse) refers to sexual intercourse. The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.

⁶ tn Heb “will answer on my behalf.”

⁷ tn Heb “on the following day,” or “tomorrow.”

⁸ tn Heb “when you come concerning my wage before you.”

sn Only the wage we agreed on. Jacob would have to be considered completely honest here, for he would have no control over the kind of animals born; and there could be no disagreement over which animals were his wages.

⁹ tn Heb “every one which is not speckled and spotted among the lambs and dark among the goats, stolen it is with me.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “your servants are men of cattle.”

¹¹ sn So that you may live in the land of Goshen. Joseph is apparently trying to stress to Pharaoh that his family is self-sufficient, that they will not be a drain on the economy of Egypt. But they will need land for their animals and so Goshen, located on the edge of Egypt, would be a suitable place for them to live. The settled Egyptians were uneasy with nomadic people, but if Jacob and his family settled in Goshen they would represent no threat.

¹² tn Heb “is an abomination.” The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “abomination”) describes something that is loathsome or off-limits. For other practices the Egyptians considered disgusting, see Gen 43:32 and Exod 8:22.