Genesis 29:8

29:8 “We can’t,” they said, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled off the mouth of the well. Then we water ¹  the sheep.”

Genesis 30:36

30:36 Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey, ²  while ³  Jacob was taking care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.

Genesis 31:38

31:38 “I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks.

Genesis 32:7

32:7 Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels.

Genesis 37:13

37:13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers ⁴  are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” ⁵  Joseph replied. ⁶ 

Genesis 45:10

45:10 You will live ⁷  in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me – you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everything you have.

Genesis 46:32

46:32 The men are shepherds; ⁸  they take care of livestock. ⁹  They have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’

Genesis 47:3

47:3 Pharaoh said to Joseph’s ¹⁰  brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants take care of flocks, just as our ancestors did.” ¹¹ 

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¹ tn The perfect verbal forms with the vav (ו) consecutive carry on the sequence begun by the initial imperfect form.

² tn Heb “and he put a journey of three days between himself and Jacob.”

sn Three days’ traveling distance from Jacob. E. A. Speiser observes, “Laban is delighted with the terms, and promptly proceeds to violate the spirit of the bargain by removing to a safe distance all the grown animals that would be likely to produce the specified spots” (Genesis [AB], 238). Laban apparently thought that by separating out the spotted, striped, and dark colored animals he could minimize the production of spotted, striped, or dark offspring that would then belong to Jacob.

³ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the vav with subject) is circumstantial/temporal; Laban removed the animals while Jacob was taking care of the rest.

⁴ tn The text uses an interrogative clause: “Are not your brothers,” which means “your brothers are.”

⁵ sn With these words Joseph is depicted here as an obedient son who is ready to do what his father commands.

⁶ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Here I am.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.

⁷ tn The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive here expresses instruction.

⁸ tn Heb “feeders of sheep.”

⁹ tn Heb “for men of livestock they are.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹¹ tn Heb “both we and our fathers.”