4:6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast?
“Cursed 6 be Canaan! 7
The lowest of slaves 8
he will be to his brothers.”
17:3 Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, 9 and God said to him, 10
21:6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. 16 Everyone who hears about this 17 will laugh 18 with me.”
23:3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife 19 and said to the sons of Heth, 20
40:12 “This is its meaning,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches represent 29 three days.
42:14 But Joseph told them, “It is just as I said to you: 31 You are spies!
43:31 Then he washed his face and came out. With composure he said, 36 “Set out the food.”
44:25 “Then our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’
47:5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.
1 tn The response of the serpent includes the infinitive absolute with a blatant negation equal to saying: “Not – you will surely die” (לֹא מוֹת תִּמֻתען, lo’ mot tÿmutun). The construction makes this emphatic because normally the negative particle precedes the finite verb. The serpent is a liar, denying that there is a penalty for sin (see John 8:44).
sn Surely you will not die. Here the serpent is more aware of what the
2 tn The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to call”) followed by the preposition אֶל־ or לְ (’el- or lÿ, “to, unto”) often carries the connotation of “summon.”
3 sn Where are you? The question is probably rhetorical (a figure of speech called erotesis) rather than literal, because it was spoken to the man, who answers it with an explanation of why he was hiding rather than a location. The question has more the force of “Why are you hiding?”
4 tn The primary meaning of the Hebrew word עָוֹן (’avon) is “sin, iniquity.” But by metonymy it can refer to the “guilt” of sin, or to “punishment” for sin. The third meaning applies here. Just before this the
5 tn Heb “great is my punishment from bearing.” The preposition מִן (min, “from”) is used here in a comparative sense.
6 sn For more on the curse, see H. C. Brichto, The Problem of “Curse” in the Hebrew Bible (JBLMS), and J. Scharbert, TDOT 1:405-18.
7 sn Cursed be Canaan. The curse is pronounced on Canaan, not Ham. Noah sees a problem in Ham’s character, and on the basis of that he delivers a prophecy about the future descendants who will live in slavery to such things and then be controlled by others. (For more on the idea of slavery in general, see E. M. Yamauchi, “Slaves of God,” BETS 9 [1966]: 31-49). In a similar way Jacob pronounced oracles about his sons based on their revealed character (see Gen 49).
8 tn Heb “a servant of servants” (עֶבֶד עֲבָדִים, ’eved ’avadim), an example of the superlative genitive. It means Canaan will become the most abject of slaves.
9 tn Heb “And Abram fell on his face.” This expression probably means that Abram sank to his knees and put his forehead to the ground, although it is possible that he completely prostrated himself. In either case the posture indicates humility and reverence.
10 tn Heb “God spoke to him, saying.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
11 tn The wish is introduced with the Hebrew particle לוּ (lu), “O that.”
12 tn Or “live with your blessing.”
13 tn The active participle here refers to an action that is imminent.
14 tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”
15 tn Heb “In the [place that is] good in your eyes live!”
16 tn Heb “Laughter God has made for me.”
17 tn The words “about this” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
18 sn Sarah’s words play on the name “Isaac” in a final triumphant manner. God prepared “laughter” (צְחֹק, ysÿkhoq ) for her, and everyone who hears about this “will laugh” (יִצְחַק, yitskhaq ) with her. The laughter now signals great joy and fulfillment, not unbelief (cf. Gen 18:12-15).
19 tn Heb “And Abraham arose from upon the face of his dead.”
20 tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (also in vv. 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.
21 tn Heb “And what is this to me, a birthright?”
22 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaac) is specified in the translation for clarity.
23 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here introduces a logically foundational statement, upon which the coming instruction will be based.
24 tn Heb “I do not know the day of my death.”
25 tn Heb “Take for me this young woman for a wife.”
26 sn Joseph’s brothers were already jealous of him, but this made it even worse. Such jealousy easily leads to action, as the next episode in the story shows. Yet dreams were considered a form of revelation, and their jealousy was not only of the favoritism of their father, but of the dreams. This is why Jacob kept the matter in mind.
27 tn Heb “kept the word.” The referent of the Hebrew term “word” has been specified as “what Joseph said” in the translation for clarity, and the words “in mind” have been supplied for stylistic reasons.
28 tn Heb “Look, this master of dreams is coming.” The brothers’ words have a sarcastic note and indicate that they resent his dreams.
29 tn Heb “the three branches [are].”
30 tn Heb “sins, offenses.” He probably refers here to the offenses that landed him in prison (see 40:1).
31 tn Heb “to you, saying.”
32 tn Heb “the man.” This has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “he” for stylistic reasons.
33 sn This verse is a summary statement. The next verses delineate intermediate steps (see v. 24) in the process.
34 tn The infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the finite verbal form.
35 tn Heb “in the beginning” (see the note on the phrase “last time” in v. 18).
36 tn Heb “and he controlled himself and said.”
37 tn Heb “he made you swear on oath.”