Genesis 30:16

30:16 When Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must sleep ¹  with me because I have paid for your services ²  with my son’s mandrakes.” So he had marital relations ³  with her that night.

Genesis 39:5

39:5 From the time ⁴  Potiphar ⁵  appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed ⁶  the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both ⁷  in his house and in his fields. ⁸ 

---

¹ tn Heb “must come in to me.” The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. She has acquired him for the night and feels he is obligated to have sexual relations with her.

² tn Heb “I have surely hired.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form for emphasis. The name Issachar (see v. 18) seems to be related to this expression.

³ tn This is the same Hebrew verb (שָׁכַב, shakhav) translated “sleep with” in v. 15. In direct discourse the more euphemistic “sleep with” was used, but here in the narrative “marital relations” reflects more clearly the emphasis on sexual intercourse.

⁴ tn Heb “and it was from then.”

⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ sn The Hebrew word translated blessed carries the idea of enrichment, prosperity, success. It is the way believers describe success at the hand of God. The text illustrates the promise made to Abraham that whoever blesses his descendants will be blessed (Gen 12:1-3).

⁷ tn Heb “in the house and in the field.” The word “both” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁸ sn The passage gives us a good picture of Joseph as a young man who was responsible and faithful, both to his master and to his God. This happened within a very short time of his being sold into Egypt. It undermines the view that Joseph was a liar, a tattletale, and an arrogant adolescent.