Genesis 6:3

6:3 So the Lord said, “My spirit will not remain in ¹  humankind indefinitely, ²  since ³  they ⁴  are mortal. ⁵  They ⁶  will remain for 120 more years.” ⁷ 

Genesis 15:2-3

15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, ⁸  what will you give me since ⁹  I continue to be ¹⁰  childless, and my heir ¹¹  is ¹²  Eliezer of Damascus?” ¹³  15:3 Abram added, ¹⁴  “Since ¹⁵  you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!” ¹⁶ 

Genesis 29:18

29:18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with ¹⁷  Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.”

Genesis 46:30

46:30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” ¹⁸ 

Genesis 47:23

47:23 Joseph said to the people, “Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate ¹⁹  the land.

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¹ tn The verb form יָדוֹן (yadon) only occurs here. Some derive it from the verbal root דִּין (din, “to judge”) and translate “strive” or “contend with” (so NIV), but in this case one expects the form to be יָדִין (yadin). The Old Greek has “remain with,” a rendering which may find support from an Arabic cognate (see C. Westermann, Genesis, 1:375). If one interprets the verb in this way, then it is possible to understand רוּחַ (ruakh) as a reference to the divine life-giving spirit or breath, rather than the Lord’s personal Spirit. E. A. Speiser argues that the term is cognate with an Akkadian word meaning “protect” or “shield.” In this case, the Lord’s Spirit will not always protect humankind, for the race will suddenly be destroyed (E. A. Speiser, “YDWN, Gen. 6:3,” JBL 75 [1956]: 126-29).

² tn Or “forever.”

³ tn The form בְּשַׁגַּם (bÿshagam) appears to be a compound of the preposition בְּ (beth, “in”), the relative שֶׁ (she, “who” or “which”), and the particle גַּם (gam, “also, even”). It apparently means “because even” (see BDB 980 s.v. שֶׁ).

⁴ tn Heb “he”; the plural pronoun has been used in the translation since “man” earlier in the verse has been understood as a collective (“humankind”).

⁵ tn Heb “flesh.”

⁶ tn See the note on “they” earlier in this verse.

⁷ tn Heb “his days will be 120 years.” Some interpret this to mean that the age expectancy of people from this point on would be 120, but neither the subsequent narrative nor reality favors this. It is more likely that this refers to the time remaining between this announcement of judgment and the coming of the flood.

⁸ tn The Hebrew text has אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה (’adonay yehvih, “Master, Lord”). Since the tetragrammaton (YHWH) usually is pointed with the vowels for the Hebrew word אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “master”) to avoid pronouncing the divine name, that would lead in this place to a repetition of אֲדֹנָי. So the tetragrammaton is here pointed with the vowels for the word אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “God”) instead. That would produce the reading of the Hebrew as “Master, God” in the Jewish textual tradition. But the presence of “Master” before the holy name is rather compelling evidence that the original would have been “Master, Lord,” which is rendered here “sovereign Lord.”

⁹ tn The vav (ו) disjunctive at the beginning of the clause is circumstantial, expressing the cause or reason.

¹⁰ tn Heb “I am going.”

¹¹ tn Heb “the son of the acquisition of my house.”

sn For the custom of designating a member of the household as heir, see C. H. Gordon, “Biblical Customs and the Nuzu Tablets,” Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 2:21-33.

¹² tn The pronoun is anaphoric here, equivalent to the verb “to be” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 23, §115).

¹³ sn The sentence in the Hebrew text employs a very effective wordplay on the name Damascus: “The son of the acquisition (בֶּן־מֶשֶׁק, ben-mesheq) of my house is Eliezer of Damascus (דַּמֶּשֶׁק, dammesheq).” The words are not the same; they have different sibilants. But the sound play gives the impression that “in the nomen is the omen.” Eliezer the Damascene will be Abram’s heir if Abram dies childless because “Damascus” seems to mean that. See M. F. Unger, “Some Comments on the Text of Genesis 15:2-3,” JBL 72 (1953): 49-50; H. L. Ginsberg, “Abram’s ‘Damascene’ Steward,” BASOR 200 (1970): 31-32.

¹⁴ tn Heb “And Abram said.”

¹⁵ tn The construction uses הֵן (hen) to introduce the foundational clause (“since…”), and וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh) to introduce the main clause (“then look…”).

¹⁶ tn Heb “is inheriting me.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “Jacob loved.”

¹⁸ tn Heb “after my seeing your face that you are still alive.”

¹⁹ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive is equivalent to a command here.