Genesis 31:8

31:8 If he said, ¹  ‘The speckled animals ²  will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled offspring. But if he said, ‘The streaked animals will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked offspring.

Genesis 4:2

4:2 Then she gave birth ³  to his brother Abel. ⁴  Abel took care of the flocks, while Cain cultivated the ground. ⁵ 

Genesis 4:20

4:20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the first ⁶  of those who live in tents and keep ⁷  livestock.

Genesis 11:28

11:28 Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans, ⁸  while his father Terah was still alive. ⁹ 

Genesis 30:23

30:23 She became pregnant ¹⁰  and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.” ¹¹ 

Genesis 38:5

38:5 Then she had ¹²  yet another son, whom she named Shelah. She gave birth to him in Kezib. ¹³ 

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¹ tn In the protasis (“if” section) of this conditional clause, the imperfect verbal form has a customary nuance – whatever he would say worked to Jacob’s benefit.

² tn Heb “speckled” (twice this verse). The word “animals” (after the first occurrence of “speckled”) and “offspring” (after the second) have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The same two terms (“animals” and “offspring”) have been supplied after the two occurrences of “streaked” later in this verse.

³ tn Heb “And she again gave birth.”

⁴ sn The name Abel is not defined here in the text, but the tone is ominous. Abel’s name, the Hebrew word הֶבֶל (hevel), means “breath, vapor, vanity,” foreshadowing Abel’s untimely and premature death.

⁵ tn Heb “and Abel was a shepherd of the flock, and Cain was a worker of the ground.” The designations of the two occupations are expressed with active participles, רֹעֵה (ro’eh, “shepherd”) and עֹבֵד (’oved, “worker”). Abel is occupied with sheep, whereas Cain is living under the curse, cultivating the ground.

⁶ tn Heb “father.” In this passage the word “father” means “founder,” referring to the first to establish such lifestyles and occupations.

⁷ tn The word “keep” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation. Other words that might be supplied instead are “tend,” “raise” (NIV), or “have” (NRSV).

⁸ sn The phrase of the Chaldeans is a later editorial clarification for the readers, designating the location of Ur. From all evidence there would have been no Chaldeans in existence at this early date; they are known in the time of the neo-Babylonian empire in the first millennium b.c.

⁹ tn Heb “upon the face of Terah his father.”

¹⁰ tn Or “conceived.”

¹¹ tn Heb “my reproach.” A “reproach” is a cutting taunt or painful ridicule, but here it probably refers by metonymy to Rachel’s barren condition, which was considered shameful in this culture and was the reason why she was the object of taunting and ridicule.

¹² tn Heb “and she added again and she gave birth.” The first verb and the adverb emphasize that she gave birth once more.

¹³ tn Or “and he [i.e., Judah] was in Kezib when she gave birth to him.”