Genesis 3:13

3:13 So the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this ¹  you have done?” And the woman replied, “The serpent ²  tricked ³  me, and I ate.”

Genesis 4:10

4:10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? ⁴  The voice ⁵  of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!

Genesis 12:18

12:18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this ⁶  you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife?

Genesis 21:26

21:26 “I do not know who has done this thing,” Abimelech replied. “Moreover, ⁷  you did not tell me. I did not hear about it until today.”

Genesis 22:16

22:16 and said, “‘I solemnly swear by my own name,’ ⁸  decrees the Lord, ⁹  ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,

Genesis 24:19

24:19 When she had done so, ¹⁰  she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.”

Genesis 31:26

31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me ¹¹  and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! ¹² 

Genesis 40:15

40:15 for I really was kidnapped ¹³  from the land of the Hebrews and I have done nothing wrong here for which they should put me in a dungeon.”

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¹ tn The use of the demonstrative pronoun is enclitic, serving as an undeclined particle for emphasis. It gives the sense of “What in the world have you done?” (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

² sn The Hebrew word order puts the subject (“the serpent”) before the verb here, giving prominence to it.

³ tn This verb (the Hiphil of נָשָׁא, nasha) is used elsewhere of a king or god misleading his people into false confidence (2 Kgs 18:29 = 2 Chr 32:15 = Isa 36:14; 2 Kgs 19:10 = Isa 37:10), of an ally deceiving a partner (Obad 7), of God deceiving his sinful people as a form of judgment (Jer 4:10), of false prophets instilling their audience with false hope (Jer 29:8), and of pride and false confidence producing self-deception (Jer 37:9; 49:16; Obad 3).

⁴ sn What have you done? Again the Lord’s question is rhetorical (see Gen 3:13), condemning Cain for his sin.

⁵ tn The word “voice” is a personification; the evidence of Abel’s shed blood condemns Cain, just as a human eyewitness would testify in court. For helpful insights, see G. von Rad, Biblical Interpretations in Preaching; and L. Morris, “The Biblical Use of the Term ‘Blood,’” JTS 6 (1955/56): 77-82.

⁶ tn The demonstrative pronoun translated “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to me?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

⁷ tn Heb “and also.”

⁸ tn Heb “By myself I swear.”

⁹ tn Heb “the oracle of the Lord.” The phrase refers to a formal oracle or decree from the Lord.

¹⁰ tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹¹ tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).

¹² tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”

¹³ tn The verb גָּנַב (ganav) means “to steal,” but in the Piel/Pual stem “to steal away.” The idea of “kidnap” would be closer to the sense, meaning he was stolen and carried off. The preceding infinitive absolute underscores the point Joseph is making.