Genesis 46:31

46:31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, ¹  ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me.

Genesis 50:8

50:8 all Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household. But they left their little children and their flocks and herds in the land of Goshen.

Genesis 12:17

12:17 But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases ²  because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

Genesis 31:19

31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, ³  Rachel stole the household idols ⁴  that belonged to her father.

Genesis 39:2

39:2 The Lord was with Joseph. He was successful ⁵  and lived ⁶  in the household of his Egyptian master.

---

¹ tn Heb “tell Pharaoh and say to him.”

² tn The cognate accusative adds emphasis to the verbal sentence: “he plagued with great plagues,” meaning the Lord inflicted numerous plagues, probably diseases (see Exod 15:26). The adjective “great” emphasizes that the plagues were severe and overwhelming.

³ tn This disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new scene. In the English translation it may be subordinated to the following clause.

⁴ tn Or “household gods.” Some translations merely transliterate the Hebrew term תְּרָפִים (tÿrafim) as “teraphim,” which apparently refers to household idols. Some contend that possession of these idols guaranteed the right of inheritance, but it is more likely that they were viewed simply as protective deities. See M. Greenberg, “Another Look at Rachel’s Theft of the Teraphim,” JBL 81 (1962): 239-48.

⁵ tn Heb “and he was a prosperous man.” This does not mean that Joseph became wealthy, but that he was successful in what he was doing, or making progress in his situation (see 24:21).

⁶ tn Heb “and he was.”