¹ tn The Hebrew text has the article prefixed to the noun (הָאָדָם, ha’adam). The article does not distinguish man from woman here (“the man” as opposed to “the woman”), but rather indicates previous reference (see v. 26, where the noun appears without the article). It has the same function as English “the aforementioned.”

² tn The third person suffix on the particle אֵת (’et) is singular here, but collective.

³ sn The distinction of “humankind” as “male” and “female” is another point of separation in God’s creation. There is no possibility that the verse is teaching that humans were first androgynous (having both male and female physical characteristics) and afterward were separated. The mention of male and female prepares for the blessing to follow.

⁴ tn Heb “And the men arose from there.”

⁵ tn Heb “toward the face of.”

⁶ tn The disjunctive parenthetical clause sets the stage for the following speech.

⁷ tn The Piel of שָׁלַח (shalakh) means “to lead out, to send out, to expel”; here it is used in the friendly sense of seeing the visitors on their way.

⁸ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

⁹ tn The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’, “to know”) is used here in the sense of “to lie with” or “to have sex with” (as in Gen 4:1). That this is indeed the meaning is clear from Lot’s warning that they not do so wickedly, and his willingness to give them his daughters instead.

sn The sin of the men of Sodom is debated. The fact that the sin involved a sexual act (see note on the phrase “have sex” in 19:5) precludes an association of the sin with inhospitality as is sometimes asserted (see W. Roth, “What of Sodom and Gomorrah? Homosexual Acts in the Old Testament,” Explor 1 [1974]: 7-14). The text at a minimum condemns forced sexual intercourse, i.e., rape. Other considerations, though, point to a condemnation of homosexual acts more generally. The narrator emphasizes the fact that the men of Sodom wanted to have sex with men: They demand that Lot release the angelic messengers (seen as men) to them for sex, and when Lot offers his daughters as a substitute they refuse them and attempt to take the angelic messengers by force. In addition the wider context of the Pentateuch condemns homosexual acts as sin (see, e.g., Lev 18:22). Thus a reading of this text within its narrative context, both immediate and broad, condemns not only the attempted rape but also the attempted homosexual act.

¹⁰ sn This kind of ranking according to favoritism no doubt fed the jealousy over Joseph that later becomes an important element in the narrative. It must have been painful to the family to see that they were expendable.

¹¹ tn Heb “a dream we dreamed.”

¹² tn The word “them” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹³ sn You are spies. Joseph wanted to see how his brothers would react if they were accused of spying.

¹⁴ tn Heb “to see the nakedness of the land you have come.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “and the sons of Israel did so.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “according to the mouth of Pharaoh.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “my.”

¹⁸ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁹ tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the imperative.

²⁰ sn Divide…scatter. What is predicted here is a division of their tribes. Most commentators see here an anticipation of Levi being in every area but not their own. That may be part of it, but not entirely what the curse intended. These tribes for their ruthless cruelty would be eliminated from the power and prestige of leadership.

²¹ tn Heb “spoke to their heart.”