4:9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” 4 And he replied, “I don’t know! Am I my brother’s guardian?” 5 4:10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? 6 The voice 7 of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!
7:1 The Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, for I consider you godly among this generation. 8
12:2 Then I will make you 9 into a great nation, and I will bless you, 10
and I will make your name great, 11
so that you will exemplify divine blessing. 12
13:8 Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no quarreling between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are close relatives. 14
17:9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep 23 the covenantal requirement 24 I am imposing on you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
17:15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for your wife, you must no longer call her Sarai; 25 Sarah 26 will be her name.
“Our sister, may you become the mother 38 of thousands of ten thousands!
May your descendants possess the strongholds 39 of their enemies.”
27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,
“Indeed, 44 your home will be
away from the richness 45 of the earth,
and away from the dew of the sky above.
29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work 46 for me for nothing because you are my relative? 47 Tell me what your wages should be.”
31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” 58 Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought 59 you might take your daughters away from me by force. 60
32:6 The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has four hundred men with him.”
32:29 Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” 78 “Why 79 do you ask my name?” the man replied. 80 Then he blessed 81 Jacob 82 there.
33:8 Esau 83 then asked, “What did you intend 84 by sending all these herds to meet me?” 85 Jacob 86 replied, “To find favor in your sight, my lord.”
34:8 But Hamor made this appeal to them: “My son Shechem is in love with your daughter. 87 Please give her to him as his wife.
34:11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s 88 father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and whatever you require of me 89 I’ll give. 90
43:3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned 106 us, ‘You will not see my face 107 unless your brother is with you.’
44:10 He replied, “You have suggested your own punishment! 113 The one who has it will become my slave, 114 but the rest of 115 you will go free.” 116
44:33 “So now, please let your servant remain as my lord’s slave instead of the boy. As for the boy, let him go back with his brothers.
46:30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” 123
47:23 Joseph said to the people, “Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate 124 the land.
48:1 After these things Joseph was told, 125 “Your father is weakening.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 48:2 When Jacob was told, 126 “Your son Joseph has just 127 come to you,” Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed.
48:21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you 131 and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. 48:22 As one who is above your 132 brothers, I give to you the mountain slope, 133 which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”
49:4 You are destructive 134 like water and will not excel, 135
for you got on your father’s bed, 136
then you defiled it – he got on my couch! 137
50:4 When the days of mourning 138 had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s royal court, 139 “If I have found favor in your sight, please say to Pharaoh, 140
1 tn Or “you will have understanding.” This obviously refers to the acquisition of the “knowledge of good and evil,” as the next statement makes clear.
2 tn Or perhaps “like God, knowing.” It is unclear how the plural participle translated “knowing” is functioning. On the one hand, יֹדְעֵי (yodÿ’e) could be taken as a substantival participle functioning as a predicative adjective in the sentence. In this case one might translate: “You will be, like God himself, knowers of good and evil.” On the other hand, it could be taken as an attributive adjective modifying אֱלֹהִים (’elohim). In this case אֱלֹהִים has to be taken as a numerical plural referring to “gods,” “divine beings,” for if the one true God were the intended referent, a singular form of the participle would almost certainly appear as a modifier. Following this line of interpretation, one could translate, “You will be like divine beings who know good and evil.” The following context may favor this translation, for in 3:22 God says to an unidentified group, “Look, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil.” It is probable that God is addressing his heavenly court (see the note on the word “make” in 1:26), the members of which can be called “gods” or “divine beings” from the ancient Israelite perspective. (We know some of these beings as messengers or “angels.”) An examination of parallel constructions shows that a predicative understanding (“you will be, like God himself, knowers of good and evil,” cf. NIV, NRSV) is possible, but rare (see Gen 27:23, where “hairy” is predicative, complementing the verb “to be”). The statistical evidence strongly suggests that the participle is attributive, modifying “divine beings” (see Ps 31:12; Isa 1:30; 13:14; 16:2; 29:5; 58:11; Jer 14:9; 20:9; 23:9; 31:12; 48:41; 49:22; Hos 7:11; Amos 4:11). In all of these texts, where a comparative clause and accompanying adjective/participle follow a copulative (“to be”) verb, the adjective/participle is attributive after the noun in the comparative clause.
3 sn You will be like divine beings who know good and evil. The serpent raises doubts about the integrity of God. He implies that the only reason for the prohibition was that God was protecting the divine domain. If the man and woman were to eat, they would enter into that domain. The temptation is to overstep divinely established boundaries. (See D. E. Gowan, When Man Becomes God [PTMS], 25.)
4 sn Where is Abel your brother? Again the
5 tn Heb “The one guarding my brother [am] I?”
sn Am I my brother’s guardian? Cain lies and then responds with a defiant rhetorical question of his own in which he repudiates any responsibility for his brother. But his question is ironic, for he is responsible for his brother’s fate, especially if he wanted to kill him. See P. A. Riemann, “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?” Int 24 (1970): 482-91.
6 sn What have you done? Again the
7 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.
8 tn Heb “for you I see [as] godly before me in this generation.” The direct object (“you”) is placed first in the clause to give it prominence. The verb “to see” here signifies God’s evaluative discernment.
9 tn The three first person verbs in v. 2a should be classified as cohortatives. The first two have pronominal suffixes, so the form itself does not indicate a cohortative. The third verb form is clearly cohortative.
10 sn I will bless you. The blessing of creation is now carried forward to the patriarch. In the garden God blessed Adam and Eve; in that blessing he gave them (1) a fruitful place, (2) endowed them with fertility to multiply, and (3) made them rulers over creation. That was all ruined at the fall. Now God begins to build his covenant people; in Gen 12-22 he promises to give Abram (1) a land flowing with milk and honey, (2) a great nation without number, and (3) kingship.
11 tn Or “I will make you famous.”
12 tn Heb “and be a blessing.” The verb form הְיֵה (hÿyeh) is the Qal imperative of the verb הָיָה (hayah). The vav (ו) with the imperative after the cohortatives indicates purpose or consequence. What does it mean for Abram to “be a blessing”? Will he be a channel or source of blessing for others, or a prime example of divine blessing? A similar statement occurs in Zech 8:13, where God assures his people, “You will be a blessing,” in contrast to the past when they “were a curse.” Certainly “curse” here does not refer to Israel being a source of a curse, but rather to the fact that they became a curse-word or byword among the nations, who regarded them as the epitome of an accursed people (see 2 Kgs 22:19; Jer 42:18; 44:8, 12, 22). Therefore the statement “be a blessing” seems to refer to Israel being transformed into a prime example of a blessed people, whose name will be used in blessing formulae, rather than in curses. If the statement “be a blessing” is understood in the same way in Gen 12:2, then it means that God would so bless Abram that other nations would hear of his fame and hold him up as a paradigm of divine blessing in their blessing formulae.
13 tn The demonstrative pronoun translated “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to me?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).
14 tn Heb “men, brothers [are] we.” Here “brothers” describes the closeness of the relationship, but could be misunderstood if taken literally, since Abram was Lot’s uncle.
15 sn The term generation is being used here in its widest sense to refer to a full life span. When the chronological factors are considered and the genealogies tabulated, there are four hundred years of bondage. This suggests that in this context a generation is equivalent to one hundred years.
16 tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
17 tn Heb “is not yet complete.”
sn The sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit. The justice of God is apparent. He will wait until the Amorites are fully deserving of judgment before he annihilates them and gives the land to Israel.
18 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
19 tn The perfect verbal form is understood as instantaneous (“I here and now give”). Another option is to understand it as rhetorical, indicating certitude (“I have given” meaning it is as good as done, i.e., “I will surely give”).
sn To your descendants I give this land. The
20 sn The river of Egypt is a wadi (a seasonal stream) on the northeastern border of Egypt, not to the River Nile.
21 tn Heb “The
22 tn Heb “cannot be numbered because of abundance.”
23 tn The imperfect tense could be translated “you shall keep” as a binding command; but the obligatory nuance (“must”) captures the binding sense better.
24 tn Heb “my covenant.” The Hebrew word בְּרִית (bÿrit) can refer to (1) the agreement itself between two parties (see v. 7), (2) the promise made by one party to another (see vv. 2-3, 7), (3) an obligation placed by one party on another, or (4) a reminder of the agreement. In vv. 9-10 the word refers to a covenantal obligation which God gives to Abraham and his descendants.
25 tn Heb “[As for] Sarai your wife, you must not call her name Sarai, for Sarah [will be] her name.”
26 sn Sarah. The name change seems to be a dialectical variation, both spellings meaning “princess” or “queen.” Like the name Abram, the name Sarai symbolized the past. The new name Sarah, like the name Abraham, would be a reminder of what God intended to do for Sarah in the future.
27 tn In the Hebrew text this causal clause comes at the end of the sentence. The translation alters the word order for stylistic reasons.
sn Because you have obeyed me. Abraham’s obedience brought God’s ratification of the earlier conditional promise (see Gen 12:2).
28 tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 26:4). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)
29 tn The word “worth” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
30 sn Four hundred pieces of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 4.6 kilograms, or 160 ounces (about 10 pounds).
31 tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).
32 sn Put your hand under my thigh. The taking of this oath had to do with the sanctity of the family and the continuation of the family line. See D. R. Freedman, “Put Your Hand Under My Thigh – the Patriarchal Oath,” BAR 2 (1976): 2-4, 42.
33 tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
34 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
35 tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
36 tn Heb “as the
37 tn Heb “and said to her.”
38 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).
39 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.
40 tn Heb “What is this?” The enclitic pronoun “this” adds emphasis to the question, which is comparable to the English rhetorical question, “How in the world?”
41 tn Heb “you hastened to find.” In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb and the first verb becomes adverbial.
42 tn Heb “caused to meet before me.”
43 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Because the
44 tn Heb “look.”
45 tn Heb “from the fatness.”
46 tn The verb is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; the nuance in the question is deliberative.
47 tn Heb “my brother.” The term “brother” is used in a loose sense; actually Jacob was Laban’s nephew.
48 tn Heb “Jacob loved.”
49 tn Heb “I see the face of your father, that he is not toward me as formerly.”
50 tn This rare verb means “to make a fool of” someone. It involves deceiving someone so that their public reputation suffers (see Exod 8:25).
51 tn Heb “there is to my hand.”
52 tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.
53 tn Heb “from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 24, is uncertain. See the note on the same phrase in v. 24.
54 tn Heb “and now.” The words “I understand that” have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
55 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the certainty of the action.
56 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of emotion involved.
57 sn Yet why did you steal my gods? This last sentence is dropped into the speech rather suddenly. See C. Mabee, “Jacob and Laban: The Structure of Judicial Proceedings,” VT 30 (1980): 192-207, and G. W. Coats, “Self-Abasement and Insult Formulas,” JBL 91 (1972): 90-92.
58 tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘Because I was afraid.’” This statement is a not a response to the question about Laban’s household gods that immediately precedes, but to the earlier question about Jacob’s motivation for leaving so quickly and secretly (see v. 27). For this reason the words “I left secretly” are supplied in the translation to indicate the connection to Laban’s earlier question in v. 27. Additionally the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
59 tn Heb “for I said.”
60 tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”
61 tn Heb “see.”
62 tn Heb “between me and you.”
63 sn Your servant. The narrative recounts Jacob’s groveling in fear before Esau as he calls his brother his “lord,” as if to minimize what had been done twenty years ago.
64 tn Or “I am sending.” The form is a preterite with the vav consecutive; it could be rendered as an English present tense – as the Hebrew perfect/preterite allows – much like an epistolary aorist in Greek. The form assumes the temporal perspective of the one who reads the message.
65 tn The words “this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
66 tn Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.
sn Some commentators have thought this final verse of the prayer redundant, but it actually follows the predominant form of a lament in which God is motivated to act. The primary motivation Jacob can offer to God is God’s promise, and so he falls back on that at the end of the prayer.
67 tn Or “will certainly deal well with you.” The infinitive absolute appears before the imperfect, underscoring God’s promise to bless. The statement is more emphatic than in v. 9.
68 tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.
69 tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.
70 tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive; it has the nuance of an imperfect of instruction.
71 tn The words “they belong” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
72 tn Heb “to your servant, to Jacob.”
73 tn Heb “to my lord, to Esau.”
74 tn Heb “and look, also he [is] behind us.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
75 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
76 sn The name Israel is a common construction, using a verb with a theophoric element (אֵל, ’el) that usually indicates the subject of the verb. Here it means “God fights.” This name will replace the name Jacob; it will be both a promise and a call for faith. In essence, the
77 sn You have fought. The explanation of the name Israel includes a sound play. In Hebrew the verb translated “you have fought” (שָׂרִיתָ, sarita) sounds like the name “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל, yisra’el ), meaning “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). The name would evoke the memory of the fight and what it meant. A. Dillmann says that ever after this the name would tell the Israelites that, when Jacob contended successfully with God, he won the battle with man (Genesis, 2:279). To be successful with God meant that he had to be crippled in his own self-sufficiency (A. P. Ross, “Jacob at the Jabboq, Israel at Peniel,” BSac 142 [1985]: 51-62).
78 sn Tell me your name. In primitive thought to know the name of a deity or supernatural being would enable one to use it for magical manipulation or power (A. S. Herbert, Genesis 12-50 [TBC], 108). For a thorough structural analysis of the passage discussing the plays on the names and the request of Jacob, see R. Barthes, “The Struggle with the Angel: Textual Analysis of Genesis 32:23-33,” Structural Analysis and Biblical Exegesis (PTMS), 21-33.
79 tn The question uses the enclitic pronoun “this” to emphasize the import of the question.
80 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
81 tn The verb here means that the
82 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
83 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
84 tn Heb “Who to you?”
85 tn Heb “all this camp which I met.”
86 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
87 tn Heb “Shechem my son, his soul is attached to your daughter.” The verb means “to love” in the sense of being emotionally attached to or drawn to someone. This is a slightly different way of saying what was reported earlier (v. 3). However, there is no mention here of the offense. Even though Hamor is speaking to Dinah’s brothers, he refers to her as their daughter (see v. 17).
88 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Dinah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
89 tn Heb “whatever you say.”
90 tn Or “pay.”
91 tn Heb “which are in your midst.”
92 sn The actions of removing false gods, becoming ritually clean, and changing garments would become necessary steps in Israel when approaching the
93 tn The Hebrew verb translated “gave” refers to the Abrahamic promise of the land. However, the actual possession of that land lay in the future. The decree of the
94 tn Heb “and to your offspring after you.”
95 tn The text uses an interrogative clause: “Are not your brothers,” which means “your brothers are.”
96 sn With these words Joseph is depicted here as an obedient son who is ready to do what his father commands.
97 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.
98 tn Heb “and they sent the special tunic and they brought [it] to their father.” The text as it stands is problematic. It sounds as if they sent the tunic on ahead and then came and brought it to their father. Some emend the second verb to a Qal form and read “and they came.” In this case, they sent the tunic on ahead.
99 tn Heb “Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you.” Joseph repeats the same expression from the first interpretation (see v. 13), but with the added words “from upon you,” which allow the statement to have a more literal and ominous meaning – the baker will be decapitated.
100 tn Heb “and at your mouth (i.e., instructions) all my people will kiss.” G. J. Wenham translates this “shall kowtow to your instruction” (Genesis [WBC], 2:395). Although there is some textual support for reading “will be judged, ruled by you,” this is probably an attempt to capture the significance of this word. Wenham lists a number of references where individuals have tried to make connections with other words or expressions – such as a root meaning “order themselves” lying behind “kiss,” or an idiomatic idea of “kiss” meaning “seal the mouth,” and so “be silent and submit to.” See K. A. Kitchen, “The Term Nsq in Genesis 41:40,” ExpTim 69 (1957): 30; D. S. Sperling, “Genesis 41:40: A New Interpretation,” JANESCU 10 (1978): 113-19.
101 tn Heb “only the throne, I will be greater than you.”
102 tn Heb “apart from you.”
103 tn Heb “no man,” but here “man” is generic, referring to people in general.
104 tn The idiom “lift up hand or foot” means “take any action” here.
105 tn Heb “[By] the life of Pharaoh.”
sn As surely as Pharaoh lives. Joseph uses an oath formula to let the brothers know the certainty of what he said. There is some discussion in the commentaries on swearing by the life of Pharaoh, but since the formulation here reflects the Hebrew practice, it would be hard to connect the ideas exactly to Egyptian practices. Joseph did this to make the point in a way that his Hebrew brothers would understand. See M. R. Lehmann, “Biblical Oaths,” ZAW 81 (1969): 74-92.
106 tn The infinitive absolute with the finite verb stresses the point. The primary meaning of the verb is “to witness; to testify.” It alludes to Joseph’s oath, which was tantamount to a threat or warning.
107 tn The idiom “see my face” means “have an audience with me.”
108 tn Heb “in your hand.”
109 tn Heb “take back in your hand.” The imperfect verbal form probably has an injunctive or obligatory force here, since Jacob is instructing his sons.
110 tn Heb “concerning peace.”
111 tn Heb “Why does my lord speak according to these words?”
112 tn Heb “according to this thing.”
113 tn Heb “Also now, according to your words, so it is.” As the next statement indicates, this does mean that he will do exactly as they say. He does agree with them the culprit should be punished, but not as harshly as they suggest. Furthermore, the innocent parties will not be punished.
114 tn Heb “The one with whom it is found will become my slave.”
115 tn The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
116 tn The Hebrew word נָקִי (naqi) means “acquitted,” that is, free of guilt and the responsibility for it.
sn The rest of you will be free. Joseph’s purpose was to single out Benjamin to see if the brothers would abandon him as they had abandoned Joseph. He wanted to see if they had changed.
117 sn God sent me. The repetition of this theme that God sent Joseph is reminiscent of commission narratives in which the leader could announce that God sent him (e.g., Exod 3:15).
118 tn Heb “to make you a remnant.” The verb, followed here by the preposition לְ (lÿ), means “to make.”
119 tn The infinitive gives a second purpose for God’s action.
120 tn Heb “And, look, your eyes see and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that my mouth is the one speaking to you.”
121 tn Heb “and I, I will bring you up, also bringing up.” The independent personal pronoun before the first person imperfect verbal form draws attention to the speaker/subject, while the infinitive absolute after the imperfect strongly emphasizes the statement: “I myself will certainly bring you up.”
122 tn Heb “and Joseph will put his hand upon your eyes.” This is a promise of peaceful death in Egypt with Joseph present to close his eyes.
123 tn Heb “after my seeing your face that you are still alive.”
124 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive is equivalent to a command here.
125 tn Heb “and one said.” With no expressed subject in the Hebrew text, the verb can be translated with the passive voice.
126 tn Heb “and one told and said.” The verbs have no expressed subject and can be translated with the passive voice.
127 tn Heb “Look, your son Joseph.”
128 tn On the meaning of the Hebrew verb פָּלַל (palal) here, see E. A. Speiser, “The Stem pll in Hebrew,” JBL 82 (1963): 301-6. Speiser argues that this verb means “to estimate” as in Exod 21:22.
129 tn Heb “your face.”
130 tn Heb “offspring.”
131 tn The pronouns translated “you,” “you,” and “your” in this verse are plural in the Hebrew text.
132 tn The pronouns translated “your” and “you” in this verse are singular in the Hebrew text.
133 tn The Hebrew word שְׁכֶם (shÿkhem) could be translated either as “mountain slope” or “shoulder, portion,” or even taken as the proper name “Shechem.” Jacob was giving Joseph either (1) one portion above his brothers, or (2) the mountain ridge he took from the Amorites, or (3) Shechem. The ambiguity actually allows for all three to be the referent. He could be referring to the land in Shechem he bought in Gen 33:18-19, but he mentions here that it was acquired by warfare, suggesting that the events of 34:25-29 are in view (even though at the time he denounced it, 34:30). Joseph was later buried in Shechem (Josh 24:32).
134 tn The Hebrew noun פַּחַז (pakhaz) only occurs here in the OT. A related verb occurs twice in the prophets (Jer 23:32; Zeph 3:4) for false prophets inventing their messages, and once in Judges for unscrupulous men bribed to murder (Judg 9:4). It would describe Reuben as being “frothy, boiling, turbulent” as water. The LXX has “run riot,” the Vulgate has “poured out,” and Tg. Onq. has “you followed your own direction.” It is a reference to Reuben’s misconduct in Gen 35, but the simile and the rare word invite some speculation. H. Pehlke suggests “destructive like water,” for Reuben acted with pride and presumption; see his “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Genesis 49:1-28” (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1985).
135 tn Heb “Do not excel!” The Hiphil of the verb יָתַר (yatar) has this meaning only here. The negated jussive is rhetorical here. Rather than being a command, it anticipates what will transpire. The prophecy says that because of the character of the ancestor, the tribe of Reuben would not have the character to lead (see 1 Chr 5:1).
136 sn This is a euphemism for having sexual intercourse with Jacob’s wives (see Gen 35:22).
137 tn The last verb is third masculine singular, as if for the first time Jacob told the brothers, or let them know that he knew. For a discussion of this passage see S. Gevirtz, “The Reprimand of Reuben,” JNES 30 (1971): 87-98.
138 tn Heb “weeping.”
139 tn Heb “the house of Pharaoh.”
140 tn Heb “in the ears of Pharaoh.”
141 tn Heb “spoke to their heart.”