24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, 1 and the Lord had blessed him 2 in everything. 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one 3 in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh 4 24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise 5 by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire 6 a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 24:4 You must go instead to my country and to my relatives 7 to find 8 a wife for my son Isaac.”
24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with me 9 to this land? Must I then 10 take your son back to the land from which you came?”
24:6 “Be careful 11 never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. 12 24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, 13 promised me with a solemn oath, 14 ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel 15 before you so that you may find 16 a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, 17 you will be free 18 from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!” 24:9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. 19
24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. 20 He journeyed 21 to the region of Aram Naharaim 22 and the city of Nahor. 24:11 He made the camels kneel down by the well 23 outside the city. It was evening, 24 the time when the women would go out to draw water. 24:12 He prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, guide me today. 25 Be faithful 26 to my master Abraham. 24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, 27 and the daughters of the people 28 who live in the town are coming out to draw water. 24:14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ 29 In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” 30
24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah 31 with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor). 32 24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. 33 She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant 34 ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.” 24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering 35 her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, 36 she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied 37 her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels. 24:21 Silently the man watched her with interest to determine 38 if the Lord had made his journey successful 39 or not.
24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka 40 and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels 41 and gave them to her. 42 24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. 43 “Tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24:24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor. 44 24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, 45 “and room for you 46 to spend the night.”
24:26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, 24:27 saying “Praised be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love 47 for my master! The Lord has led me 48 to the house 49 of my master’s relatives!” 50
24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about 51 these things. 24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) 52 Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring. 24:30 When he saw the bracelets on his sister’s wrists and the nose ring 53 and heard his sister Rebekah say, 54 “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing 55 by the camels near the spring. 24:31 Laban said to him, 56 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! 57 Why are you standing out here when I have prepared 58 the house and a place for the camels?”
24:32 So Abraham’s servant 59 went to the house and unloaded 60 the camels. Straw and feed were given 61 to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. 62 24:33 When food was served, 63 he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” 64 “Tell us,” Laban said. 65
24:34 “I am the servant of Abraham,” he began. 24:35 “The Lord has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. 66 The Lord 67 has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 24:36 My master’s wife Sarah bore a son to him 68 when she was old, 69 and my master 70 has given him everything he owns. 24:37 My master made me swear an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 24:38 but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find 71 a wife for my son.’ 24:39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to go 72 with me?’ 73 24:40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, 74 will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 24:41 You will be free from your oath 75 if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’ 24:42 When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, 76 may events unfold as follows: 77 24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. 78 When 79 the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.” 24:44 Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’
24:45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, 80 along came Rebekah 81 with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 24:46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels water. 24:47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.’ 82 I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 24:48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to find the granddaughter 83 of my master’s brother for his son. 24:49 Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way.” 84
24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is the Lord’s doing. 85 Our wishes are of no concern. 86 24:51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become 87 the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.” 88
24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 24:53 Then he 89 brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother. 24:54 After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. 90
When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” 91 24:55 But Rebekah’s 92 brother and her mother replied, “Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go.” 24:56 But he said to them, “Don’t detain me – the Lord 93 has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return 94 to my master.” 24:57 Then they said, “We’ll call the girl and find out what she wants to do.” 95 24:58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want 96 to go with this man?” She replied, “I want to go.”
24:59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham’s servant and his men. 24:60 They blessed Rebekah with these words: 97
“Our sister, may you become the mother 98 of thousands of ten thousands!
May your descendants possess the strongholds 99 of their enemies.”
24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with 100 the man. So Abraham’s servant 101 took Rebekah and left.
24:62 Now 102 Isaac came from 103 Beer Lahai Roi, 104 for 105 he was living in the Negev. 106 24:63 He 107 went out to relax 108 in the field in the early evening. 109 Then he looked up 110 and saw that 111 there were camels approaching. 24:64 Rebekah looked up 112 and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 24:65 and asked 113 Abraham’s servant, 114 “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied. 115 So she took her veil and covered herself.
24:66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah 116 into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her 117 as his wife and loved her. 118 So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. 119
25:1 Abraham had taken 120 another 121 wife, named Keturah. 25:2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 25:3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. 122 The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 25:4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants 123 of Keturah.
25:5 Everything he owned Abraham left to his son Isaac. 25:6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines 124 and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac. 125
25:7 Abraham lived a total of 126 175 years. 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a full life. 127 He joined his ancestors. 128 25:9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah 129 near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hethite. 25:10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. 130 There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 25:11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed 131 his son Isaac. Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi. 132
25:12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, 133 whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.
25:13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons, by their names according to their records: 134 Nebaioth (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 25:14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 25:15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their settlements and their camps – twelve princes 135 according to their clans.
25:17 Ishmael lived a total of 136 137 years. He breathed his last and died; then he joined his ancestors. 137 25:18 His descendants 138 settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs next 139 to Egypt all the way 140 to Asshur. 141 They settled 142 away from all their relatives. 143
25:19 This is the account of Isaac, 144 the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac. 25:20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, 145 the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. 146
25:21 Isaac prayed to 147 the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 25:22 But the children struggled 148 inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” 149 So she asked the Lord, 150 25:23 and the Lord said to her,
“Two nations 151 are in your womb,
and two peoples will be separated from within you.
One people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”
25:24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, 152 there were 153 twins in her womb. 25:25 The first came out reddish 154 all over, 155 like a hairy 156 garment, so they named him Esau. 157 25:26 When his brother came out with 158 his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob. 159 Isaac was sixty years old 160 when they were born.
25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled 161 hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. 162 25:28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, 163 but Rebekah loved 164 Jacob.
25:29 Now Jacob cooked some stew, 165 and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished. 25:30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed 166 me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called 167 Edom.) 168
25:31 But Jacob replied, “First 169 sell me your birthright.” 25:32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” 170 25:33 But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.” 171 So Esau 172 swore an oath to him and sold his birthright 173 to Jacob.
25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. 174 So Esau despised his birthright. 175
26:1 There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred 176 in the days of Abraham. 177 Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar. 26:2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; 178 settle down in the land that I will point out to you. 179 26:3 Stay 180 in this land. Then I will be with you and will bless you, 181 for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants, 182 and I will fulfill 183 the solemn promise I made 184 to your father Abraham. 26:4 I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them 185 all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants. 186 26:5 All this will come to pass 187 because Abraham obeyed me 188 and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” 189 26:6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.
26:7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he replied, “She is my sister.” 190 He was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” for he thought to himself, 191 “The men of this place will kill me to get 192 Rebekah because she is very beautiful.”
26:8 After Isaac 193 had been there a long time, 194 Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed 195 Isaac caressing 196 his wife Rebekah. 26:9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really 197 your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.” 198
26:10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us? 199 One of the men 200 might easily have had sexual relations with 201 your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!” 26:11 So Abimelech commanded all the people, “Whoever touches 202 this man or his wife will surely be put to death.” 203
26:12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown, 204 because the Lord blessed him. 205 26:13 The man became wealthy. 206 His influence continued to grow 207 until he became very prominent. 26:14 He had 208 so many sheep 209 and cattle 210 and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous 211 of him. 26:15 So the Philistines took dirt and filled up 212 all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham.
26:16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere, 213 for you have become much more powerful 214 than we are.” 26:17 So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley. 215 26:18 Isaac reopened 216 the wells that had been dug 217 back in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up 218 after Abraham died. Isaac 219 gave these wells 220 the same names his father had given them. 221
26:19 When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well with fresh flowing 222 water there, 26:20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled 223 with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water belongs to us!” So Isaac 224 named the well 225 Esek 226 because they argued with him about it. 227 26:21 His servants 228 dug another well, but they quarreled over it too, so Isaac named it 229 Sitnah. 230 26:22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaac 231 named it 232 Rehoboth, 233 saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”
26:23 From there Isaac 234 went up to Beer Sheba. 26:24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” 26:25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped 235 the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well. 236
26:26 Now Abimelech had come 237 to him from Gerar along with 238 Ahuzzah his friend 239 and Phicol the commander of his army. 26:27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You hate me 240 and sent me away from you.” 26:28 They replied, “We could plainly see 241 that the Lord is with you. So we decided there should be 242 a pact between us 243 – between us 244 and you. Allow us to make 245 a treaty with you 26:29 so that 246 you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmed 247 you, but have always treated you well 248 before sending you away 249 in peace. Now you are blessed by the Lord.” 250
26:30 So Isaac 251 held a feast for them and they celebrated. 252 26:31 Early in the morning the men made a treaty with each other. 253 Isaac sent them off; they separated on good terms. 254
26:32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We’ve found water,” they reported. 255 26:33 So he named it Shibah; 256 that is why the name of the city has been Beer Sheba 257 to this day.
26:34 When 258 Esau was forty years old, 259 he married 260 Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, as well as Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 26:35 They caused Isaac and Rebekah great anxiety. 261
27:1 When 262 Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he was almost blind, 263 he called his older 264 son Esau and said to him, “My son!” “Here I am!” Esau 265 replied. 27:2 Isaac 266 said, “Since 267 I am so old, I could die at any time. 268 27:3 Therefore, take your weapons – your quiver and your bow – and go out into the open fields and hunt down some wild game 269 for me. 27:4 Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then 270 I will eat it so that I may bless you 271 before I die.”
27:5 Now Rebekah had been listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. 272 When Esau went out to the open fields to hunt down some wild game and bring it back, 273 27:6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau, 27:7 ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare for me some tasty food. Then I will eat 274 it and bless you 275 in the presence of the Lord 276 before I die.’ 27:8 Now then, my son, do 277 exactly what I tell you! 278 27:9 Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare 279 them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them. 27:10 Then you will take 280 it to your father. Thus he will eat it 281 and 282 bless you before he dies.”
27:11 “But Esau my brother is a hairy man,” Jacob protested to his mother Rebekah, “and I have smooth skin! 283 27:12 My father may touch me! Then he’ll think I’m mocking him 284 and I’ll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.” 27:13 So his mother told him, “Any curse against you will fall on me, 285 my son! Just obey me! 286 Go and get them for me!”
27:14 So he went and got the goats 287 and brought them to his mother. She 288 prepared some tasty food, just the way his father loved it. 27:15 Then Rebekah took her older son Esau’s best clothes, which she had with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 27:16 She put the skins of the young goats 289 on his hands 290 and the smooth part of his neck. 27:17 Then she handed 291 the tasty food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.
27:18 He went to his father and said, “My father!” Isaac 292 replied, “Here I am. Which are you, my son?” 293 27:19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I’ve done as you told me. Now sit up 294 and eat some of my wild game so that you can bless me.” 295 27:20 But Isaac asked his son, “How in the world 296 did you find it so quickly, 297 my son?” “Because the Lord your God brought it to me,” 298 he replied. 299 27:21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you, 300 my son, and know for certain if you really are my son Esau.” 301 27:22 So Jacob went over to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s.” 27:23 He did not recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So Isaac blessed Jacob. 302 27:24 Then he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” “I am,” Jacob 303 replied. 27:25 Isaac 304 said, “Bring some of the wild game for me to eat, my son. 305 Then I will bless you.” 306 So Jacob 307 brought it to him, and he ate it. He also brought him wine, and Isaac 308 drank. 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here and kiss me, my son.” 27:27 So Jacob 309 went over and kissed him. When Isaac caught the scent 310 of his clothing, he blessed him, saying,
“Yes, 311 my son smells
like the scent of an open field
which the Lord has blessed.
27:28 May God give you
the dew of the sky 312
and the richness 313 of the earth,
and plenty of grain and new wine.
27:29 May peoples serve you
and nations bow down to you.
You will be 314 lord 315 over your brothers,
and the sons of your mother will bow down to you. 316
May those who curse you be cursed,
and those who bless you be blessed.”
27:30 Isaac had just finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely left 317 his father’s 318 presence, when his brother Esau returned from the hunt. 319 27:31 He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Esau 320 said to him, “My father, get up 321 and eat some of your son’s wild game. Then you can bless me.” 322 27:32 His father Isaac asked, 323 “Who are you?” “I am your firstborn son,” 324 he replied, “Esau!” 27:33 Isaac began to shake violently 325 and asked, “Then who else hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it just before you arrived, and I blessed him. 326 He will indeed be blessed!”
27:34 When Esau heard 327 his father’s words, he wailed loudly and bitterly. 328 He said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!” 27:35 But Isaac 329 replied, “Your brother came in here deceitfully and took away 330 your blessing.” 27:36 Esau exclaimed, “‘Jacob’ is the right name for him! 331 He has tripped me up 332 two times! He took away my birthright, and now, look, he has taken away my blessing!” Then he asked, “Have you not kept back a blessing for me?”
27:37 Isaac replied to Esau, “Look! I have made him lord over you. I have made all his relatives his servants and provided him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?” 27:38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” 333 Then Esau wept loudly. 334
27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,
“Indeed, 335 your home will be
away from the richness 336 of the earth,
and away from the dew of the sky above.
27:40 You will live by your sword
but you will serve your brother.
When you grow restless,
you will tear off his yoke
from your neck.” 337
27:41 So Esau hated 338 Jacob because of the blessing his father had given to his brother. 339 Esau said privately, 340 “The time 341 of mourning for my father is near; then I will kill 342 my brother Jacob!”
27:42 When Rebekah heard what her older son Esau had said, 343 she quickly summoned 344 her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is planning to get revenge by killing you. 345 27:43 Now then, my son, do what I say. 346 Run away immediately 347 to my brother Laban in Haran. 27:44 Live with him for a little while 348 until your brother’s rage subsides. 27:45 Stay there 349 until your brother’s anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I’ll send someone to bring you back from there. 350 Why should I lose both of you in one day?” 351
27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am deeply depressed 352 because of these daughters of Heth. 353 If Jacob were to marry one of these daughters of Heth who live in this land, I would want to die!” 354
1 tn Heb “days.”
2 tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
3 tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).
4 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.
5 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.
6 tn Heb “because you must not take.”
7 tn Heb “for to my country and my relatives you must go.”
8 tn Heb “and take.”
9 tn Heb “to go after me.”
10 tn In the Hebrew text the construction is emphatic; the infinitive absolute precedes the imperfect. However, it is difficult to reflect this emphasis in an English translation.
11 tn Heb “guard yourself.”
12 tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.
13 tn Or “the land of my birth.”
14 tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”
15 tn Or “his messenger.”
16 tn Heb “before you and you will take.”
17 tn Heb “ to go after you.”
18 sn You will be free. If the prospective bride was not willing to accompany the servant back to Canaan, the servant would be released from his oath to Abraham.
19 tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”
20 tn Heb “and every good thing of his master was in his hand.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, explaining that he took all kinds of gifts to be used at his discretion.
21 tn Heb “and he arose and went.”
22 tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
sn Aram Naharaim means in Hebrew “Aram of the Two Rivers,” a region in northern Mesopotamia.
23 tn Heb “well of water.”
24 tn Heb “at the time of evening.”
25 tn Heb “make it happen before me today.” Although a number of English translations understand this as a request for success in the task (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV) it is more likely that the servant is requesting an omen or sign from God (v. 14).
26 tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”
27 tn Heb “the spring of water.”
28 tn Heb “the men.”
29 sn I will also give your camels water. It would be an enormous test for a young woman to water ten camels. The idea is that such a woman would not only be industrious but hospitable and generous.
30 tn Heb “And let the young woman to whom I say, ‘Lower your jar that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I will also give your camels water,’ – her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac, and by it I will know that you have acted in faithfulness with my master.”
31 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out!” Using the participle introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator dramatically transports the audience back into the event and invites them to see Rebekah through the servant’s eyes.
32 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out – [she] who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham – and her jug [was] on her shoulder.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
33 tn Heb “And the young woman was very good of appearance, a virgin, and a man she had not known.” Some argue that the Hebrew noun translated “virgin” (בְּתוּלָה, bÿtulah) is better understood in a general sense, “young woman” (see Joel 1:8, where the word appears to refer to one who is married). In this case the circumstantial clause (“and a man she had not known”) would be restrictive, rather than descriptive. If the term actually means “virgin,” one wonders why the circumstantial clause is necessary (see Judg 21:12 as well). Perhaps the repetition emphasizes her sexual purity as a prerequisite for her role as the mother of the covenant community.
34 tn Heb “and the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
35 tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”
36 tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
37 tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”
38 tn Heb “to know.”
39 tn The Hebrew term צָלָה (tsalah), meaning “to make successful” in the Hiphil verbal stem, is a key term in the story (see vv. 40, 42, 56).
40 sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).
41 sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).
42 tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
43 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
44 tn Heb “whom she bore to Nahor.” The referent (Milcah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
45 tn Heb “and she said, ‘We have plenty of both straw and feed.’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
46 tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
47 tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”
48 tn Heb “As for me – in the way the
49 tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.
50 tn Heb “brothers.”
51 tn Heb “according to.”
52 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.
53 tn Heb “And it was when he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister.” The word order is altered in the translation for the sake of clarity.
54 tn Heb “and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying.”
55 tn Heb “and look, he was standing.” The disjunctive clause with the participle following the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites the audience to view the scene through Laban’s eyes.
56 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.
57 sn Laban’s obsession with wealth is apparent; to him it represents how one is blessed by the
58 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.
59 tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
60 tn Some translations (e.g., NEB, NASB, NRSV) understand Laban to be the subject of this and the following verbs or take the subject of this and the following verbs as indefinite (referring to an unnamed servant; e.g., NAB, NIV).
61 tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.
62 tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”
63 tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”
64 tn Heb “my words.”
65 tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”
tn Heb “and he said, ‘Speak.’” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
66 tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.
67 tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the
68 tn Heb “to my master.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
69 tn Heb “after her old age.”
70 tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the servant’s master, Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
71 tn Heb “but to the house of my father you must go and to my family and you must take a wife for my son.”
72 tn The imperfect is used here in a modal sense to indicate desire.
73 tn Heb “after me.”
74 tn The verb is the Hitpael of הָלַךְ (halakh), meaning “live one’s life” (see Gen 17:1). The statement may simply refer to serving the
75 tn Heb “my oath” (twice in this verse). From the Hebrew perspective the oath belonged to the person to whom it was sworn (Abraham), although in contemporary English an oath is typically viewed as belonging to the person who swears it (the servant).
76 tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”
77 tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
78 tn Heb “the spring of water.”
79 tn Heb “and it will be.”
80 tn Heb “As for me, before I finished speaking to my heart.” The adverb טֶרֶם (terem) indicates the verb is a preterite; the infinitive that follows is the direct object.
81 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out.” As in 24:15, the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is used here for dramatic effect.
82 tn Heb “whom Milcah bore to him.” The referent (Nahor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
83 tn Heb “daughter.” Rebekah was actually the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. One can either translate the Hebrew term בַּת (bat) as “daughter,” in which case the term אָח (’akh) must be translated more generally as “relative” rather than “brother” (cf. NASB, NRSV) or one can translate בַּת as “granddaughter,” in which case אָח may be translated “brother” (cf. NIV).
84 tn Heb “and I will turn to the right or to the left.” The expression apparently means that Abraham’s servant will know where he should go if there is no further business here.
85 tn Heb “From the
86 tn Heb “We are not able to speak to you bad or good.” This means that Laban and Bethuel could not say one way or the other what they wanted, for they viewed it as God’s will.
87 tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
88 tn Heb “as the
89 tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
90 tn Heb “And they ate and drank, he and the men who [were] with him and they spent the night.”
91 tn Heb “Send me away to my master.”
92 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Rebekah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
93 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, indicating a reason for the preceding request.
94 tn After the preceding imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
95 tn Heb “and we will ask her mouth.”
96 tn The imperfect verbal form here has a modal nuance, expressing desire.
97 tn Heb “and said to her.”
98 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).
99 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.
100 tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”
101 tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
102 tn The disjunctive clause switches the audience’s attention to Isaac and signals a new episode in the story.
103 tn Heb “from the way of.”
104 sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” See Gen 16:14.
105 tn This disjunctive clause is explanatory.
106 tn Or “the South [country].”
sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
107 tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
108 tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain (cf. NASB, NIV “to meditate”; NRSV “to walk”).
109 tn Heb “at the turning of the evening.”
110 tn Heb “And he lifted up his eyes.” This idiom emphasizes the careful look Isaac had at the approaching caravan.
111 tn Heb “and look.” The clause introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) invites the audience to view the scene through Isaac’s eyes.
112 tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”
113 tn Heb “and she said to.”
114 tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
115 tn Heb “and the servant said.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
116 tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.
117 tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
118 tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”
119 tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.
120 tn Or “took.”
sn Abraham had taken another wife. These events are not necessarily in chronological order following the events of the preceding chapter. They are listed here to summarize Abraham’s other descendants before the narrative of his death.
121 tn Heb “And Abraham added and took.”
122 sn The names Sheba and Dedan appear in Gen 10:7 as descendants of Ham through Cush and Raamah. Since these two names are usually interpreted to be place names, one plausible suggestion is that some of Abraham’s descendants lived in those regions and took names linked with it.
123 tn Or “sons.”
124 tn Heb “the sons of the concubines who [belonged] to Abraham.”
125 tn Heb “And he sent them away from upon Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the land of the east.”
126 tn Heb “and these are the days of the years of the lifetime of Abraham that he lived.” The normal genealogical formula is expanded here due to the importance of the life of Abraham.
127 tn Heb “old and full.”
128 tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.
129 sn The cave of Machpelah was the place Abraham had purchased as a burial place for his wife Sarah (Gen 23:17-18).
130 tn See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.
131 sn God blessed Isaac. The Hebrew verb “bless” in this passage must include all the gifts that God granted to Isaac. But fertility was not one of them, at least not for twenty years, because Rebekah was barren as well (see v. 21).
132 sn Beer Lahai Roi. See the note on this place name in Gen 24:62.
133 sn This is the account of Ishmael. The Book of Genesis tends to tidy up the family records at every turning point. Here, before proceeding with the story of Isaac’s family, the narrative traces Ishmael’s family line. Later, before discussing Jacob’s family, the narrative traces Esau’s family line (see Gen 36).
134 tn The meaning of this line is not easily understood. The sons of Ishmael are listed here “by their names” and “according to their descendants.”
135 tn Or “tribal chieftains.”
136 tn Heb “And these are the days of the years of Ishmael.”
137 tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.
138 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Ishmael’s descendants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
139 tn Heb “which is by the face of,” or near the border. The territory ran along the border of Egypt.
140 tn Heb “as you go.”
141 sn The name Asshur refers here to a tribal area in the Sinai.
142 tn Heb “he fell.”
143 tn Heb “upon the face of all his brothers.” This last expression, obviously alluding to the earlier oracle about Ishmael (Gen 16:12), could mean that the descendants of Ishmael lived in hostility to others or that they lived in a territory that was opposite the lands of their relatives. While there is some ambiguity about the meaning, the line probably does give a hint of the Ishmaelite-Israelite conflicts to come.
144 sn This is the account of Isaac. What follows for several chapters is not the account of Isaac, except briefly, but the account of Jacob and Esau. The next chapters tell what became of Isaac and his family.
145 tn Heb “And Isaac was the son of forty years when he took Rebekah.”
146 sn Some valuable information is provided here. We learn here that Isaac married thirty-five years before Abraham died, that Rebekah was barren for twenty years, and that Abraham would have lived to see Jacob and Esau begin to grow up. The death of Abraham was recorded in the first part of the chapter as a “tidying up” of one generation before beginning the account of the next.
147 tn The Hebrew verb עָתַר (’atar), translated “prayed [to]” here, appears in the story of God’s judgment on Egypt in which Moses asked the
148 tn The Hebrew word used here suggests a violent struggle that was out of the ordinary.
149 tn Heb “If [it is] so, why [am] I this [way]?” Rebekah wanted to know what was happening to her, but the question itself reflects a growing despair over the struggle of the unborn children.
150 sn Asked the
151 sn By metonymy the two children in her womb are described as two nations of which the two children, Jacob and Esau, would become the fathers. The language suggests there would be a struggle between these nations, with one being stronger than the other. The oracle reveals that all of Jacob’s scheming was unnecessary in the final analysis. He would have become the dominant nation without using deception to steal his brother’s blessing.
152 tn Heb “And her days were filled to give birth.”
153 tn Heb “look!” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene as if they were actually present at the birth.
154 sn Reddish. The Hebrew word translated “reddish” is אַדְמוֹנִי (’admoni), which forms a wordplay on the Edomites, Esau’s descendants. The writer sees in Esau’s appearance at birth a sign of what was to come. After all, the reader has already been made aware of the “nations” that were being born.
155 tn Heb “all of him.”
156 sn Hairy. Here is another wordplay involving the descendants of Esau. The Hebrew word translated “hairy” is שֵׂעָר (se’ar); the Edomites will later live in Mount Seir, perhaps named for its wooded nature.
157 tn Heb “And they called his name Esau.” The name “Esau” (עֵשָׂו, ’esav) is not etymologically related to שֵׂעָר (se’ar), but it draws on some of the sounds.
158 tn The disjunctive clause describes an important circumstance accompanying the birth. Whereas Esau was passive at birth, Jacob was active.
159 tn Heb “And he called his name Jacob.” Some ancient witnesses read “they called his name Jacob” (see v. 25). In either case the subject is indefinite.
sn The name Jacob is a play on the Hebrew word for “heel” (עָקֵב, ’aqev). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. It did not have a negative connotation until Esau redefined it. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. After receiving such an oracle, the parents would have preserved in memory almost every detail of the unusual births.
160 tn Heb “the son of sixty years.”
161 tn Heb “knowing.”
162 tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Jacob with Esau and draws attention to the striking contrasts. In contrast to Esau, a man of the field, Jacob was civilized, as the phrase “living in tents” signifies. Whereas Esau was a skillful hunter, Jacob was calm and even-tempered (תָּם, tam), which normally has the idea of “blameless.”
163 tn Heb “the taste of game was in his mouth.” The word for “game,” “venison” is here the same Hebrew word as “hunter” in the last verse. Here it is a metonymy, referring to that which the hunter kills.
164 tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Rebekah with Jacob and draws attention to the contrast. The verb here is a participle, drawing attention to Rebekah’s continuing, enduring love for her son.
165 sn Jacob cooked some stew. There are some significant words and wordplays in this story that help clarify the points of the story. The verb “cook” is זִיד (zid), which sounds like the word for “hunter” (צַיִד, tsayid). This is deliberate, for the hunter becomes the hunted in this story. The word זִיד means “to cook, to boil,” but by the sound play with צַיִד it comes to mean “set a trap by cooking.” The usage of the word shows that it can also have the connotation of acting presumptuously (as in boiling over). This too may be a comment on the scene. For further discussion of the rhetorical devices in the Jacob narratives, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).
166 tn The rare term לָעַט (la’at), translated “feed,” is used in later Hebrew for feeding animals (see Jastrow, 714). If this nuance was attached to the word in the biblical period, then it may depict Esau in a negative light, comparing him to a hungry animal. Famished Esau comes in from the hunt, only to enter the trap. He can only point at the red stew and ask Jacob to feed him.
167 tn The verb has no expressed subject and so is given a passive translation.
168 sn Esau’s descendants would eventually be called Edom. Edom was the place where they lived, so-named probably because of the reddish nature of the hills. The writer can use the word “red” to describe the stew that Esau gasped for to convey the nature of Esau and his descendants. They were a lusty, passionate, and profane people who lived for the moment. Again, the wordplay is meant to capture the “omen in the nomen.”
169 tn Heb “today.”
170 tn Heb “And what is this to me, a birthright?”
171 tn Heb “Swear to me today.”
172 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
173 sn And sold his birthright. There is evidence from Hurrian culture that rights of inheritance were occasionally sold or transferred. Here Esau is portrayed as a profane person who would at the moment rather have a meal than the right to inherit. He will soon forget this trade and seek his father’s blessing in spite of it.
174 sn The style here is typical of Hebrew narrative; after the tension is resolved with the dialogue, the working out of it is recorded in a rapid sequence of verbs (“gave”; “ate”; “drank”; “got up”; “went out”). See also Gen 3:1-7 for another example.
175 sn So Esau despised his birthright. This clause, which concludes the episode, is a summary statement which reveals the underlying significance of Esau’s actions. “To despise” means to treat something as worthless or with contempt. Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered it to be unimportant.
176 tn Heb “in addition to the first famine which was.”
177 sn This account is parallel to two similar stories about Abraham (see Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Many scholars do not believe there were three similar incidents, only one that got borrowed and duplicated. Many regard the account about Isaac as the original, which then was attached to the more important person, Abraham, with supernatural elements being added. For a critique of such an approach, see R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 47-62. It is more likely that the story illustrates the proverb “like father, like son” (see T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 53). In typical human fashion the son follows his father’s example of lying to avoid problems. The appearance of similar events reported in a similar way underscores the fact that the blessing has now passed to Isaac, even if he fails as his father did.
178 sn Do not go down to Egypt. The words echo Gen 12:10, which reports that “Abram went down to Egypt,” but state the opposite.
179 tn Heb “say to you.”
180 tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur) means “to live temporarily without ownership of land.” Abraham’s family will not actually possess the land of Canaan until the Israelite conquest hundreds of years later.
181 tn After the imperative “stay” the two prefixed verb forms with prefixed conjunction here indicate consequence.
sn I will be with you and I will bless you. The promise of divine presence is a promise to intervene to protect and to bless.
182 tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.
sn To you and to your descendants. The Abrahamic blessing will pass to Isaac. Everything included in that blessing will now belong to the son, and in turn will be passed on to his sons. But there is a contingency involved: If they are to enjoy the full blessings, they will have to obey the word of the
183 tn The Hiphil stem of the verb קוּם (qum) here means “to fulfill, to bring to realization.” For other examples of this use of this verb form, see Lev 26:9; Num 23:19; Deut 8:18; 9:5; 1 Sam 1:23; 1 Kgs 6:12; Jer 11:5.
184 tn Heb “the oath which I swore.”
sn The solemn promise I made. See Gen 15:18-20; 22:16-18.
185 tn Heb “your descendants.”
186 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 22:18). 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.)
187 tn The words “All this will come to pass” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons.
188 tn Heb “listened to my voice.”
189 sn My charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. The language of this verse is clearly interpretive, for Abraham did not have all these laws. The terms are legal designations for sections of the Mosaic law and presuppose the existence of the law. Some Rabbinic views actually conclude that Abraham had fulfilled the whole law before it was given (see m. Qiddushin 4:14). Some scholars argue that this story could only have been written after the law was given (C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:424-25). But the simplest explanation is that the narrator (traditionally taken to be Moses the Lawgiver) elaborated on the simple report of Abraham’s obedience by using terms with which the Israelites were familiar. In this way he depicts Abraham as the model of obedience to God’s commands, whose example Israel should follow.
190 sn Rebekah, unlike Sarah, was not actually her husband’s sister.
191 tn Heb “lest.” The words “for he thought to himself” are supplied because the next clause is written with a first person pronoun, showing that Isaac was saying or thinking this.
192 tn Heb “kill me on account of.”
193 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
194 tn Heb “and it happened when the days were long to him there.”
195 tn Heb “look, Isaac.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene through Abimelech’s eyes.
196 tn Or “fondling.”
sn The Hebrew word מְצַחֵק (mÿtsakheq), from the root צָחַק (tsakhaq, “laugh”), forms a sound play with the name “Isaac” right before it. Here it depicts an action, probably caressing or fondling, that indicated immediately that Rebekah was Isaac’s wife, not his sister. Isaac’s deception made a mockery of God’s covenantal promise. Ignoring God’s promise to protect and bless him, Isaac lied to protect himself and acted in bad faith to the men of Gerar.
197 tn Heb “Surely, look!” See N. H. Snaith, “The meaning of Hebrew ‘ak,” VT 14 (1964): 221-25.
198 tn Heb “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” Since the verb “said” probably means “said to myself” (i.e., “thought”) here, the direct discourse in the Hebrew statement has been converted to indirect discourse in the translation. In addition the simple prepositional phrase “on account of her” has been clarified in the translation as “to get her” (cf. v. 7).
199 tn Heb “What is this you have done to us?” The Hebrew demonstrative pronoun “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to us?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).
200 tn Heb “people.”
201 tn The Hebrew verb means “to lie down.” Here the expression “lie with” or “sleep with” is euphemistic for “have sexual relations with.”
202 tn Heb “strikes.” Here the verb has the nuance “to harm in any way.” It would include assaulting the woman or killing the man.
203 tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the imperfect makes the construction emphatic.
204 tn Heb “a hundredfold.”
205 tn This final clause explains why Isaac had such a bountiful harvest.
206 tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Isaac’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are included.
207 tn Heb “and he went, going and becoming great.” The construction stresses that his growth in possessions and power continued steadily.
208 tn Heb “and there was to him.”
209 tn Heb “possessions of sheep.”
210 tn Heb “possessions of cattle.”
211 tn The Hebrew verb translated “became jealous” refers here to intense jealousy or envy that leads to hostile action (see v. 15).
212 tn Heb “and the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with dirt.”
213 tn Heb “Go away from us.”
214 sn You have become much more powerful. This explanation for the expulsion of Isaac from Philistine territory foreshadows the words used later by the Egyptians to justify their oppression of Israel (see Exod 1:9).
215 tn Heb “and he camped in the valley of Gerar and he lived there.”
sn This valley was actually a wadi (a dry river bed where the water would flow in the rainy season, but this would have been rare in the Negev). The water table under it would have been higher than in the desert because of water soaking in during the torrents, making it easier to find water when digging wells. However, this does not minimize the blessing of the
216 tn Heb “he returned and dug,” meaning “he dug again” or “he reopened.”
217 tn Heb “that they dug.” Since the subject is indefinite, the verb is translated as passive.
218 tn Heb “and the Philistines had stopped them up.” This clause explains why Isaac had to reopen them.
219 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
220 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the wells) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
221 tn Heb “called names to them according to the names that his father called them.”
222 tn Heb “living.” This expression refers to a well supplied by subterranean streams (see Song 4:15).
223 tn The Hebrew verb translated “quarreled” describes a conflict that often has legal ramifications.
224 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
225 tn Heb “and he called the name of the well.”
226 sn The name Esek means “argument” in Hebrew. The following causal clause explains that Isaac gave the well this name as a reminder of the conflict its discovery had created. In the Hebrew text there is a wordplay, for the name is derived from the verb translated “argued.”
227 tn The words “about it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
228 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Isaac’s servants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
229 tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
230 sn The name Sitnah (שִׂטְנָה, sitnah) is derived from a Hebrew verbal root meaning “to oppose; to be an adversary” (cf. Job 1:6). The name was a reminder that the digging of this well caused “opposition” from the Philistines.
231 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
232 tn Heb “and he called its name.”
233 sn The name Rehoboth (רְהֹבוֹת, rehovot) is derived from a verbal root meaning “to make room.” The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. The story shows Isaac’s patience with the opposition; it also shows how God’s blessing outdistanced the men of Gerar. They could not stop it or seize it any longer.
234 tn Heb “and he went up from there”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
235 tn Heb “called in the name of.” The expression refers to worshiping the
236 tn Heb “and they dug there, the servants of Isaac, a well.”
237 tn The disjunctive clause supplies pertinent supplemental information. The past perfect is used because the following narrative records the treaty at Beer Sheba. Prior to this we are told that Isaac settled in Beer Sheba; presumably this treaty would have allowed him to do that. However, it may be that he settled there and then made the treaty by which he renamed the place Beer Sheba. In this case one may translate “Now Abimelech came to him.”
238 tn Heb “and.”
239 tn Many modern translations render the Hebrew term מֵרֵעַ (merea’) as “councillor” or “adviser,” but the term may not designate an official position but simply a close personal friend.
240 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, expressing the reason for his question.
241 tn The infinitive absolute before the verb emphasizes the clarity of their perception.
242 tn Heb “And we said, ‘Let there be.’” The direct discourse in the Hebrew text has been rendered as indirect discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.
243 tn The pronoun “us” here is inclusive – it refers to the Philistine contingent on the one hand and Isaac on the other.
244 tn The pronoun “us” here is exclusive – it refers to just the Philistine contingent (the following “you” refers to Isaac).
245 tn The translation assumes that the cohortative expresses their request. Another option is to understand the cohortative as indicating resolve: “We want to make.’”
246 tn The oath formula is used: “if you do us harm” means “so that you will not do.”
247 tn Heb “touched.”
248 tn Heb “and just as we have done only good with you.”
249 tn Heb “and we sent you away.”
250 tn The Philistine leaders are making an observation, not pronouncing a blessing, so the translation reads “you are blessed” rather than “may you be blessed” (cf. NAB).
251 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
252 tn Heb “and they ate and drank.”
253 tn Heb “and they got up early and they swore an oath, a man to his brother.”
254 tn Heb “and they went from him in peace.”
255 tn Heb “and they said to him, ‘We have found water.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
256 sn The name Shibah (שִׁבְעָה, shiv’ah) means (or at least sounds like) the word meaning “oath.” The name was a reminder of the oath sworn by Isaac and the Philistines to solidify their treaty.
257 sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of an oath” or “well of seven.” According to Gen 21:31 Abraham gave Beer Sheba its name when he made a treaty with the Philistines. Because of the parallels between this earlier story and the account in 26:26-33, some scholars see chaps. 21 and 26 as two versions (or doublets) of one original story. However, if one takes the text as it stands, it appears that Isaac made a later treaty agreement with the people of the land that was similar to his father’s. Abraham dug a well at the site and named the place Beer Sheba; Isaac dug another well there and named the well Shibah. Later generations then associated the name Beer Sheba with Isaac, even though Abraham gave the place its name at an earlier time.
258 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making this clause subordinate to the next.
259 tn Heb “the son of forty years.”
260 tn Heb “took as a wife.”
261 tn Heb “And they were [a source of ] bitterness in spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah.”
262 tn The clause begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making it subordinate to the main clause that follows later in the sentence.
263 tn Heb “and his eyes were weak from seeing.”
264 tn Heb “greater” (in terms of age).
265 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Esau) is specified in the translation for clarity.
266 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaac) is specified in the translation for clarity.
267 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here introduces a logically foundational statement, upon which the coming instruction will be based.
268 tn Heb “I do not know the day of my death.”
269 tn The Hebrew word is to be spelled either צַיִד (tsayid) following the marginal reading (Qere), or צֵידָה (tsedah) following the consonantal text (Kethib). Either way it is from the same root as the imperative צוּדָה (tsudah, “hunt down”).
270 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
271 tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The use of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as the subject emphasizes that the blessing will be made with all Isaac’s desire and vitality. The conjunction “so that” closely relates the meal to the blessing, suggesting that this will be a ritual meal in conjunction with the giving of a formal blessing.
272 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a conjunction with the subject, followed by the predicate) here introduces a new scene in the story.
273 tc The LXX adds here “to his father,” which may have been accidentally omitted in the MT.
274 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
275 tn The cohortative, with the prefixed conjunction, also expresses logical sequence. See vv. 4, 19, 27.
276 tn In her report to Jacob, Rebekah plays down Isaac’s strong desire to bless Esau by leaving out נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”), but by adding the phrase “in the presence of the
277 tn Heb “listen to my voice.” The Hebrew idiom means “to comply; to obey.”
278 tn Heb “to that which I am commanding you.”
279 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
280 tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive. It carries forward the tone of instruction initiated by the command to “go…and get” in the preceding verse.
281 tn The form is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the future nuance of the preceding verbs of instruction, but by switching the subject to Jacob, indicates the expected result of the subterfuge.
282 tn Heb “so that.” The conjunction indicates purpose or result.
283 tn Heb “And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, but I am a smooth [skinned] man.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
284 tn Heb “Perhaps my father will feel me and I will be in his eyes like a mocker.” The Hebrew expression “I will be in his eyes like” means “I would appear to him as.”
285 tn Heb “upon me your curse.”
286 tn Heb “only listen to my voice.”
287 tn The words “the goats” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
288 tn Heb “his mother.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “she” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
289 tn In the Hebrew text the object (“the skins of the young goats”) precedes the verb. The disjunctive clause draws attention to this key element in the subterfuge.
290 tn The word “hands” probably includes the forearms here. How the skins were attached is not specified in the Hebrew text; cf. NLT “she made him a pair of gloves.”
291 tn Heb “gave…into the hand of.”
292 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
293 sn Which are you, my son? Isaac’s first question shows that the deception is going to require more subterfuge than Rebekah had anticipated. Jacob will have to pull off the deceit.
294 tn Heb “get up and sit.” This may mean simply “sit up,” or it may indicate that he was to get up from his couch and sit at a table.
295 tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.” These words, though not reported by Rebekah to Jacob (see v. 7) accurately reflect what Isaac actually said to Esau (see v. 4). Perhaps Jacob knew more than Rebekah realized, but it is more likely that this was an idiom for sincere blessing with which Jacob was familiar. At any rate, his use of the precise wording was a nice, convincing touch.
296 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?”
297 tn Heb “you hastened to find.” In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb and the first verb becomes adverbial.
298 tn Heb “caused to meet before me.”
299 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Because the
300 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.
301 tn Heb “Are you this one, Esau, my son, or not?” On the use of the interrogative particle here, see BDB 210 s.v. הֲ.
302 tn Heb “and he blessed him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” (Isaac) and “him” (Jacob) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
303 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
304 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
305 tn Heb “Bring near to me and I will eat of the wild game, my son.” Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
306 tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The presence of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as subject emphasizes Isaac’s heartfelt desire to do this. The conjunction indicates that the ritual meal must be first eaten before the formal blessing may be given.
307 tn Heb “and he brought”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
308 tn Heb “and he drank”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
309 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
310 tn Heb “and he smelled the smell”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
311 tn Heb “see.”
312 tn Heb “and from the dew of the sky.”
313 tn Heb “and from the fatness.”
314 tn Heb “and be.” The verb is an imperative, which is used rhetorically in this oracle of blessing. It is an invitation to exercise authority his brothers and indicates that he is granted such authority by the patriarch of the family. Furthermore, the blessing enables the recipient to accomplish this.
315 tn The Hebrew word is גְבִיר (gevir, “lord, mighty one”). The one being blessed will be stronger and therefore more powerful than his brother. See Gen 25:23. The feminine form of this rare noun means “mistress” or “queen-mother.”
316 tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (which is either an imperfect or a jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
317 tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite form of the verb makes the construction emphatic.
318 tn Heb “the presence of Isaac his father.” The repetition of the proper name (“Isaac”) was
319 tn Heb “and Esau his brother came from his hunt.”
320 tn Heb “and he said to his father”; the referent of “he” (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity, while the words “his father” have been replaced by the pronoun “him” for stylistic reasons.
321 tn Or “arise” (i.e., sit up).
322 tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.”
323 tn Heb “said.”
324 tn Heb “and he said, ‘I [am] your son, your firstborn.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.
325 tn Heb “and Isaac trembled with a great trembling to excess.” The verb “trembled” is joined with a cognate accusative, which is modified by an adjective “great,” and a prepositional phrase “to excess.” All of this is emphatic, showing the violence of Isaac’s reaction to the news.
326 tn Heb “Who then is he who hunted game and brought [it] to me so that I ate from all before you arrived and blessed him?”
327 tn The temporal clause is introduced with the temporal indicator and has the infinitive as its verb.
328 tn Heb “and he yelled [with] a great and bitter yell to excess.”
329 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
330 tn Or “took”; “received.”
331 tn Heb “Is he not rightly named Jacob?” The rhetorical question, since it expects a positive reply, has been translated as a declarative statement.
332 sn He has tripped me up. When originally given, the name Jacob was a play on the word “heel” (see Gen 25:26). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. Esau gives the name “Jacob” a negative connotation here, the meaning “to trip up; to supplant.”
333 tn Heb “Bless me, me also, my father.” The words “my father” have not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
334 tn Heb “and Esau lifted his voice and wept.”
335 tn Heb “look.”
336 tn Heb “from the fatness.”
337 sn You will tear off his yoke from your neck. It may be that this prophetic blessing found its fulfillment when Jerusalem fell and Edom got its revenge. The oracle makes Edom subservient to Israel and suggests the Edomites would live away from the best land and be forced to sustain themselves by violent measures.
338 tn Or “bore a grudge against” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV). The Hebrew verb שָׂטַם (satam) describes persistent hatred.
339 tn Heb “because of the blessing which his father blessed him.”
340 tn Heb “said in his heart.” The expression may mean “said to himself.” Even if this is the case, v. 42 makes it clear that he must have shared his intentions with someone, because the news reached Rebekah.
341 tn Heb “days.”
342 tn The cohortative here expresses Esau’s determined resolve to kill Jacob.
343 tn Heb “and the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah.”
344 tn Heb “she sent and called for.”
345 tn Heb “is consoling himself with respect to you to kill you.” The only way Esau had of dealing with his anger at the moment was to plan to kill his brother after the death of Isaac.
346 tn Heb “listen to my voice.”
347 tn Heb “arise, flee.”
348 tn Heb “a few days.” Rebekah probably downplays the length of time Jacob will be gone, perhaps to encourage him and assure him that things will settle down soon. She probably expects Esau’s anger to die down quickly. However, Jacob ends up being gone twenty years and he never sees Rebekah again.
349 tn The words “stay there” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
350 tn Heb “and I will send and I will take you from there.” The verb “send” has no object in the Hebrew text; one must be supplied in the translation. Either “someone” or “a message” could be supplied, but since in those times a message would require a messenger, “someone” has been used.
351 tn If Jacob stayed, he would be killed and Esau would be forced to run away.
352 tn Heb “loathe my life.” The Hebrew verb translated “loathe” refers to strong disgust (see Lev 20:23).
353 tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (see also Gen 23:3), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.
354 tn Heb “If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, why to me life?”