¹ tn The chapter begins with a disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + predicate) that introduces a new character and a new scene in the story.

² sn Many theologians identify or associate the serpent with Satan. In this view Satan comes in the disguise of a serpent or speaks through a serpent. This explains the serpent’s capacity to speak. While later passages in the Bible may indicate there was a satanic presence behind the serpent (see, for example, Rev 12:9), the immediate context pictures the serpent as simply one of the animals of the field created by God (see vv. 1, 14). An ancient Jewish interpretation explains the reference to the serpent in a literal manner, attributing the capacity to speak to all the animals in the orchard. This text (Jub. 3:28) states, “On that day [the day the man and woman were expelled from the orchard] the mouth of all the beasts and cattle and birds and whatever walked or moved was stopped from speaking because all of them used to speak to one another with one speech and one language [presumed to be Hebrew, see 12:26].” Josephus, Ant. 1.1.4 (1.41) attributes the serpent’s actions to jealousy. He writes that “the serpent, living in the company of Adam and his wife, grew jealous of the blessings which he supposed were destined for them if they obeyed God’s behests, and, believing that disobedience would bring trouble on them, he maliciously persuaded the woman to taste of the tree of wisdom.”

³ tn The Hebrew word עָרוּם (’arum) basically means “clever.” This idea then polarizes into the nuances “cunning” (in a negative sense, see Job 5:12; 15:5), and “prudent” in a positive sense (Prov 12:16, 23; 13:16; 14:8, 15, 18; 22:3; 27:12). This same polarization of meaning can be detected in related words derived from the same root (see Exod 21:14; Josh 9:4; 1 Sam 23:22; Job 5:13; Ps 83:3). The negative nuance obviously applies in Gen 3, where the snake attempts to talk the woman into disobeying God by using half-truths and lies.

sn There is a wordplay in Hebrew between the words “naked” (עֲרוּמִּים, ’arummim) in 2:25 and “shrewd” (עָרוּם, ’arum) in 3:1. The point seems to be that the integrity of the man and the woman is the focus of the serpent’s craftiness. At the beginning they are naked and he is shrewd; afterward, they will be covered and he will be cursed.

⁴ tn Heb “animals of the field.”

⁵ tn Heb “Indeed that God said.” The beginning of the quotation is elliptical and therefore difficult to translate. One must supply a phrase like “is it true”: “Indeed, [is it true] that God said.”

⁶ sn God. The serpent does not use the expression “Yahweh God” [Lord God] because there is no covenant relationship involved between God and the serpent. He only speaks of “God.” In the process the serpent draws the woman into his manner of speech so that she too only speaks of “God.”

⁷ tn Heb “you must not eat from all the tree[s] of the orchard.” After the negated prohibitive verb, מִכֹּל (mikkol, “from all”) has the meaning “from any.” Note the construction in Lev 18:26, where the statement “you must not do from all these abominable things” means “you must not do any of these abominable things.” See Lev 22:25 and Deut 28:14 as well.

⁸ tn Heb “knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.

⁹ tn Or “she conceived.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “according to the name of.”

¹¹ sn The name Noah appears to be related to the Hebrew word נוּחַ (nuakh, “to rest”). There are several wordplays on the name “Noah” in the story of the flood.

¹² tn The Hebrew verb יְנַחֲמֵנוּ (yÿnakhamenu) is from the root נָחָם (nakham), which means “to comfort” in the Piel verbal stem. The letters נ (nun) and ח (heth) pick up the sounds in the name “Noah,” forming a paronomasia on the name. They are not from the same verbal root, and so the connection is only by sound. Lamech’s sentiment reflects the oppression of living under the curse on the ground, but also expresses the hope for relief in some way through the birth of Noah. His words proved to be ironic but prophetic. The relief would come with a new beginning after the flood. See E. G. Kraeling, “The Interpretations of the Name Noah in Genesis 5:29,” JBL 48 (1929): 138-43.

¹³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁵ tn Heb “in the middle.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “to meet its neighbor.”

sn For discussion of this ritual see G. F. Hasel, “The Meaning of the Animal Rite in Genesis 15,” JSOT 19 (1981): 61-78.

¹⁷ tn The disjunctive clause calls attention to the “uncircumcised male” and what will happen to him.

¹⁸ tn Heb “that person will be cut off.” The words “that person” have not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

sn The meaning of “cut off” has been discussed at great length. An entire tractate in the Mishnah is devoted to this subject (tractate Keritot). Being ostracized from the community is involved at the least, but it is not certain whether this refers to the death penalty.

¹⁹ tn Heb “he has broken my covenant.” The noun בְּרִית (bÿrit) here refers to the obligation required by God in conjunction with the covenantal agreement. For the range of meaning of the term, see the note on the word “requirement” in v. 9.

²⁰ sn The Hebrew verb translated “I have heard you” forms a wordplay with the name Ishmael, which means “God hears.” See the note on the name “Ishmael” in 16:11.

²¹ tn Heb “And I will multiply him exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

²² tn For a discussion of the Hebrew word translated “princes,” see E. A. Speiser, “Background and Function of the Biblical Nasi’,” CBQ 25 (1963): 111-17.

²³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁴ tn The words “the food” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

²⁵ tn The disjunctive clause is a temporal circumstantial clause subordinate to the main verb.

²⁶ tn The Hebrew verb שָׁחַת (shakhat, “to destroy”) was used earlier to describe the effect of the flood.

²⁷ tn Heb “because of five.”

²⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁹ tn Heb “let it not be hot to the Lord.” This is an idiom which means “may the Lord not be angry.”

³⁰ tn After the jussive, the cohortative indicates purpose/result.

³¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³³ tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.

³⁴ tn Heb “sitting in the gate of Sodom.” The phrase “the gate of Sodom” has been translated “the city’s gateway” for stylistic reasons.

sn The expression sitting in the city’s gateway may mean that Lot was exercising some type of judicial function (see the use of the idiom in 2 Sam 19:8; Jer 26:10; 38:7; 39:3).

³⁵ tn Heb “drink wine.”

³⁶ tn Heb “the firstborn.”

³⁷ tn Heb “and the firstborn came and lied down with her father.” The expression “lied down with” here and in the following verses is a euphemism for sexual relations.

³⁸ tn Heb “and he did not know when she lay down and when she arose.”

³⁹ tn Heb “drink wine.”

⁴⁰ tn Heb “lied down with him.”

⁴¹ tn Heb “And he did not know when she lied down and when she arose.”

⁴² tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴³ tn Heb “and she, even she.”

⁴⁴ tn Heb “with the integrity of my heart.”

⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew verb is plural. This may be a case of grammatical agreement with the name for God, which is plural in form. However, when this plural name refers to the one true God, accompanying predicates are usually singular in form. Perhaps Abraham is accommodating his speech to Abimelech’s polytheistic perspective. (See GKC 463 §145.i.) If so, one should translate, “when the gods made me wander.”

⁴⁶ tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”

⁴⁷ sn A thousand pieces [Heb “shekels”] of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 11.5 kilograms, or 400 ounces (about 25 pounds).

⁴⁸ sn To your ‘brother.’ Note the way that the king refers to Abraham. Was he being sarcastic? It was surely a rebuke to Sarah. What is amazing is how patient this king was. It is proof that the fear of God was in that place, contrary to what Abraham believed (see v. 11).

⁴⁹ tn Heb “Look, it is for you a covering of the eyes, for all who are with you, and with all, and you are set right.” The exact meaning of the statement is unclear. Apparently it means that the gift of money somehow exonerates her in other people’s eyes. They will not look on her as compromised (see G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 2:74).

⁵⁰ tn Heb “And Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

⁵¹ tn The Hebrew verb is masculine plural, referring to the two young servants who accompanied Abraham and Isaac on the journey.

⁵² tn The disjunctive clause (with the compound subject preceding the verb) may be circumstantial and temporal.

⁵³ tn This Hebrew word literally means “to bow oneself close to the ground.” It often means “to worship.”

⁵⁴ sn It is impossible to know what Abraham was thinking when he said, “we will…return to you.” When he went he knew (1) that he was to sacrifice Isaac, and (2) that God intended to fulfill his earlier promises through Isaac. How he reconciled those facts is not clear in the text. Heb 11:17-19 suggests that Abraham believed God could restore Isaac to him through resurrection.

⁵⁵ sn He took the fire and the knife in his hand. These details anticipate the sacrifice that lies ahead.

⁵⁶ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said.” This is redundant and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

⁵⁷ tn Heb “Here I am” (cf. Gen 22:1).

⁵⁸ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Here is the fire and the wood.’” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here and in the following verse the order of the introductory clauses and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁵⁹ sn Abraham built an altar there. The theme of Abraham’s altar building culminates here. He has been a faithful worshiper. Will he continue to worship when called upon to make such a radical sacrifice?

⁶⁰ sn Then he tied up. This text has given rise to an important theme in Judaism known as the Aqedah, from the Hebrew word for “binding.” When sacrifices were made in the sanctuary, God remembered the binding of Isaac, for which a substitute was offered. See D. Polish, “The Binding of Isaac,” Jud 6 (1957): 17-21.

⁶¹ tn Heb “lifted his eyes.”

⁶² tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) draws attention to what Abraham saw and invites the audience to view the scene through his eyes.

⁶³ tc The translation follows the reading of the MT; a number of Hebrew mss, the LXX, Syriac, and Samaritan Pentateuch read “one” (אֶחָד, ’ekhad) instead of “behind him” (אַחַר, ’akhar).

⁶⁴ tn Heb “Abraham”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁶⁵ 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.

⁶⁶ tn Heb “and he arose and went.”

⁶⁷ 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.

⁶⁸ 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.

⁶⁹ 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.

⁷⁰ tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷¹ 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).

⁷² tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.

⁷³ tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”

⁷⁴ tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.

⁷⁵ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷⁶ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, indicating a reason for the preceding request.

⁷⁷ tn After the preceding imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

⁷⁸ tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.

⁷⁹ tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁸⁰ tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”

⁸¹ tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.

⁸² 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.

⁸³ tn The verb has no expressed subject and so is given a passive translation.

⁸⁴ 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.”

⁸⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸⁶ tn Heb “and he called its name.”

⁸⁷ 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.

⁸⁸ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

⁸⁹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁹⁰ tn Heb “and he smelled the smell”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁹¹ tn Heb “see.”

⁹² 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.

⁹³ tn Or “arise” (i.e., sit up).

⁹⁴ tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.”

⁹⁵ 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.

⁹⁶ 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?”

⁹⁷ tn Heb “to take for himself from there a wife.”

⁹⁸ tn The infinitive construct with the preposition and the suffix form a temporal clause.

⁹⁹ tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”

¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “and dreamed.”

¹⁰¹ tn Heb “and look.” The scene which Jacob witnessed is described in three clauses introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh). In this way the narrator invites the reader to witness the scene through Jacob’s eyes. J. P. Fokkelman points out that the particle goes with a lifted arm and an open mouth: “There, a ladder! Oh, angels! and look, the Lord himself” (Narrative Art in Genesis [SSN], 51-52).

¹⁰² tn The Hebrew noun סֻלָּם (sullam, “ladder, stairway”) occurs only here in the OT, but there appears to be an Akkadian cognate simmiltu (with metathesis of the second and third consonants and a feminine ending) which has a specialized meaning of “stairway, ramp.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 34. For further discussion see C. Houtman, “What Did Jacob See in His Dream at Bethel? Some Remarks on Genesis 28:10-22,” VT 27 (1977): 337-52; J. G. Griffiths, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 76 (1964/65): 229-30; and A. R. Millard, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 78 (1966/67): 86-87.

¹⁰³ tn Heb “the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.” The Hebrew word for “father” can typically be used in a broader sense than the English word, in this case referring to Abraham (who was Jacob’s grandfather). For stylistic reasons and for clarity, the words “your father” are supplied with “Isaac” in the translation.

¹⁰⁴ tn The Hebrew term אֶרֶץ (’erets) can mean “[the] earth,” “land,” “region,” “piece of ground,” or “ground” depending on the context. Here the term specifically refers to the plot of ground on which Jacob was lying, but at the same time this stands by metonymy for the entire land of Canaan.

¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “and he saw, and look.” As in Gen 28:12-15, the narrator uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here and in the next clause to draw the reader into the story.

¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “and look, there.”

¹⁰⁷ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the noun with the prefixed conjunction) provides supplemental information that is important to the story.

¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother” (twice in this verse).

¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “Jacob.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹¹⁰ tn Heb “drew near, approached.”

¹¹¹ tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother.” The text says nothing initially about the beauty of Rachel. But the reader is struck by the repetition of “Laban the brother of his mother.” G. J. Wenham is no doubt correct when he observes that Jacob’s primary motive at this stage is to ingratiate himself with Laban (Genesis [WBC], 2:231).

¹¹² tn Heb “hated.” See the note on the word “unloved” in v. 31.

¹¹³ sn The name Simeon (שִׁמְעוֹן, shim’on) is derived from the verbal root שָׁמַע (shama’) and means “hearing.” The name is appropriate since it is reminder that the Lord “heard” about Leah’s unloved condition and responded with pity.

¹¹⁴ tn Heb “will be joined to me.”

¹¹⁵ sn The name Levi (לֵוִי, levi), the precise meaning of which is debated, was appropriate because it sounds like the verb לָוָה (lavah, “to join”), used in the statement recorded earlier in the verse.

¹¹⁶ tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”

¹¹⁷ tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

¹¹⁸ tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹¹⁹ tn Heb “let it not be hot in the eyes of my lord.” This idiom refers to anger, in this case as a result of Rachel’s failure to stand in the presence of her father as a sign of respect.

¹²⁰ tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”

¹²¹ tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.

¹²² tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

¹²³ tn Heb “it was hot to Jacob.” This idiom refers to anger.

¹²⁴ tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘What is my sin?’” The proper name “Jacob” has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation and the order of the introductory clause and direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.

¹²⁵ tn Heb “What is my sin that you have hotly pursued after me.” The Hebrew verb translated “pursue hotly” is used elsewhere of soldiers chasing defeated enemies (1 Sam 17:53).

¹²⁶ tn The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.

¹²⁷ tn The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”

¹²⁸ tn Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”

¹²⁹ tn Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”

¹³⁰ sn Heb “me, [the] mother upon [the] sons.” The first person pronoun “me” probably means here “me and mine,” as the following clause suggests.

¹³¹ tn Heb “the first”; this has been specified as “the servant leading the first herd” in the translation for clarity.

¹³² tn Heb “to whom are you?”

¹³³ tn Heb “and to whom are these before you?”

¹³⁴ tn Heb “And he commanded also the second, also the third, also all the ones going after the herds, saying: ‘According to this word you will speak when you find him.’”

¹³⁵ tn Heb “and look, your servant Jacob [is] behind us.”

¹³⁶ tn Heb “for he said.” The referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “thought.”

¹³⁷ tn Heb “I will appease his face.” The cohortative here expresses Jacob’s resolve. In the Book of Leviticus the Hebrew verb translated “appease” has the idea of removing anger due to sin or guilt, a nuance that fits this passage very well. Jacob wanted to buy Esau off with a gift of more than five hundred and fifty animals.

¹³⁸ tn Heb “with a gift going before me.”

¹³⁹ tn Heb “I will see his face.”

¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “Perhaps he will lift up my face.” In this context the idiom refers to acceptance.

¹⁴¹ sn On the use of the expression to this day, see B. S. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until This Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.

¹⁴² tn Or “because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive. On the translation of the word “struck” see the note on this term in v. 25.

¹⁴³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁴⁶ tn The Hebrew verb means “to be gracious; to show favor”; here it carries the nuance “to give graciously.”

¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “blessing.” It is as if Jacob is trying to repay what he stole from his brother twenty years earlier.

¹⁴⁸ tn Or “gracious,” but in the specific sense of prosperity.

¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “all.”

¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “and he urged him and he took.” The referent of the first pronoun in the sequence (“he”) has been specified as “Jacob” in the translation for clarity.

¹⁵¹ tn Heb “Ruling, will you rule over us, or reigning, will you reign over us?” The statement has a poetic style, with the two questions being in synonymous parallelism. Both verbs in this statement are preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Joseph’s brothers said, “You don’t really think you will rule over us, do you? You don’t really think you will have dominion over us, do you?”

¹⁵² tn This construction is identical to the one in Gen 37:5.

¹⁵³ sn The response of Joseph’s brothers is understandable, given what has already been going on in the family. But here there is a hint of uneasiness – they hated him because of his dream and because of his words. The dream bothered them, as well as his telling them. And their words in the rhetorical question are ironic, for this is exactly what would happen. The dream was God’s way of revealing it.

¹⁵⁴ sn The question What is this dream that you had? expresses Jacob’s dismay at what he perceives to be Joseph’s audacity.

¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “Coming, will we come, I and your mother and your brothers, to bow down to you to the ground?” The verb “come” is preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Jacob said, “You don’t really think we will come…to bow down…do you?”

¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “let not our hand be upon him.”

¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “listened.”

¹⁵⁸ sn After some time. There is not enough information in the narrative to know how long this was. The text says “the days increased.” It was long enough for Shelah to mature and for Tamar to realize she would not have him.

¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “and he went up to the shearers of his sheep, he and.”

¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “sent by the hand of his friend.” Here the name of the friend (“Hirah”) has been included in the translation for clarity.

¹⁶¹ tn Heb “to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand.”

¹⁶² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Judah’s friend Hirah the Adullamite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁶³ tn Heb “the men of her place,” that is, who lived at the place where she had been.

¹⁶⁴ sn The Hebrew noun translated “cult prostitute” is derived from a verb meaning “to be set apart; to be distinct.” Thus the term refers to a woman who did not marry, but was dedicated to temple service as a cult prostitute. The masculine form of this noun is used for male cult prostitutes. Judah thought he had gone to an ordinary prostitute (v. 15); but Hirah went looking for a cult prostitute, perhaps because it had been a sheep-shearing festival. For further discussion see E. M. Yamauchi, “Cultic Prostitution,” Orient and Occident (AOAT), 213-23.

¹⁶⁵ tn Traditionally “more righteous”; cf. NCV, NRSV, NLT “more in the right.”

sn She is more upright than I. Judah had been irresponsible and unfaithful to his duty to see that the family line continued through the levirate marriage of his son Shelah. Tamar fought for her right to be the mother of Judah’s line. When she was not given Shelah and Judah’s wife died, she took action on her own to ensure that the line did not die out. Though deceptive, it was a desperate and courageous act. For Tamar it was within her rights; she did nothing that the law did not entitle her to do. But for Judah it was wrong because he thought he was going to a prostitute. See also Susan Niditch, “The Wronged Woman Righted: An Analysis of Genesis 38,” HTR 72 (1979): 143-48.

¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “and he did not add again to know her.” Here “know” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

¹⁶⁷ tn The nuance of potential imperfect fits this context.

¹⁶⁸ tn The verb has no expressed subject, and so it could be treated as a passive (“a Hebrew man was brought in”; cf. NIV). But it is clear from the context that her husband brought Joseph into the household, so Potiphar is the apparent referent here. Thus the translation supplies “my husband” as the referent of the unspecified pronominal subject of the verb (cf. NEB, NRSV).

¹⁶⁹ sn A Hebrew man. Potiphar’s wife raises the ethnic issue when talking to her servants about what their boss had done.

¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “to make fun of us.” The verb translated “to humiliate us” here means to hold something up for ridicule, or to toy with something harmfully. Attempted rape would be such an activity, for it would hold the victim in contempt.

¹⁷¹ tn Heb “he came to me to lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

¹⁷² tn Heb “and I cried out with a loud voice.”

¹⁷³ tn Heb “the house of roundness,” suggesting that the prison might have been a fortress or citadel.

¹⁷⁴ sn The story of Joseph is filled with cycles and repetition: He has two dreams (chap. 37), he interprets two dreams in prison (chap. 40) and the two dreams of Pharaoh (chap. 41), his brothers make two trips to see him (chaps. 42-43), and here, for the second time (see 37:24), he is imprisoned for no good reason, with only his coat being used as evidence. For further discussion see H. Jacobsen, “A Legal Note on Potiphar’s Wife,” HTR 69 (1976): 177.

¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “was not looking at anything.”

¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “that [the] interpretation [was] good.” The words “the first dream” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

¹⁷⁸ tn Or “three wicker baskets.” The meaning of the Hebrew noun חֹרִי (khori, “white bread, cake”) is uncertain; some have suggested the meaning “wicker” instead. Comparison with texts from Ebla suggests the meaning “pastries made with white flour” (M. Dahood, “Eblaite h¬a-rí and Genesis 40,16 h£o„rî,” BN 13 [1980]: 14-16).

¹⁷⁹ tn Or “slave.”

¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “a servant to the captain of the guards.” On this construction see GKC 419-20 §129.c.

¹⁸¹ tn The words “our dreams” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹⁸² tn Heb “and he interpreted for us our dreams, each according to his dream he interpreted.”

¹⁸³ tn The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. The Samaritan Pentateuch has a jussive form here, “and let [Pharaoh] do.”

¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “and let him appoint.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.

¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “appointees.” The noun is a cognate accusative of the preceding verb. Since “appoint appointees” would be redundant in English, the term “officials” was used in the translation instead.

¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “and he shall collect a fifth of the land of Egypt.” The language is figurative (metonymy); it means what the land produces, i.e., the harvest.

¹⁸⁷ tn The Hebrew word שֵׁשׁ (shesh) is an Egyptian loanword that describes the fine linen robes that Egyptian royalty wore. The clothing signified Joseph’s rank.

¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “and he caused him to ride in the second chariot which was his.”

¹⁹⁰ tn The verb form appears to be a causative imperative from a verbal root meaning “to kneel.” It is a homonym of the word “bless” (identical in root letters but not related etymologically).

¹⁹¹ sn The meaning of Joseph’s Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah, is uncertain. Many recent commentators have followed the proposal of G. Steindorff that it means “the god has said, ‘he will live’” (“Der Name Josephs Saphenat-Pa‘neach,” ZÄS 31 [1889]: 41-42); others have suggested “the god speaks and lives” (see BDB 861 s.v. צָפְנָת פַּעְנֵחַ); “the man he knows” (J. Vergote, Joseph en Égypte, 145); or “Joseph [who is called] áIp-àankh” (K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 1262).

¹⁹² sn The name Asenath may mean “she belongs to the goddess Neit” (see HALOT 74 s.v. אָֽסְנַת). A novel was written at the beginning of the first century entitled Joseph and Asenath, which included a legendary account of the conversion of Asenath to Joseph’s faith in Yahweh. However, all that can be determined from this chapter is that their children received Hebrew names. See also V. Aptowitzer, “Asenath, the Wife of Joseph – a Haggadic Literary-Historical Study,” HUCA 1 (1924): 239-306.

¹⁹³ sn On (also in v. 50) is another name for the city of Heliopolis.

¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “and he passed through.”

¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “a son of thirty years.”

¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “when he stood before.”

¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “went out from before.”

¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “and he passed through all the land of Egypt”; this phrase is interpreted by JPS to mean that Joseph “emerged in charge of the whole land.”

¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁰⁰ tn Heb “all the food.”

²⁰¹ tn Heb “of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt and placed food in the cities.”

²⁰² tn Heb “to all Egypt.” The name of the country is used by metonymy for the inhabitants.

²⁰³ tn Heb “and their heart went out.” Since this expression is used only here, the exact meaning is unclear. The following statement suggests that it may refer to a sudden loss of emotional strength, so “They were dismayed” adequately conveys the meaning (cf. NRSV); NIV has “Their hearts sank.”

²⁰⁴ tn Heb “and they trembled, a man to his neighbor.”

²⁰⁵ tn Heb “What is this God has done to us?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question.

²⁰⁶ tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

²⁰⁷ tn Heb “release to you.” After the jussive this perfect verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) probably indicates logical consequence, as well as temporal sequence.

²⁰⁸ sn Several Jewish commentators suggest that the expression your other brother refers to Joseph. This would mean that Jacob prophesied unwittingly. However, it is much more likely that Simeon is the referent of the phrase “your other brother” (see Gen 42:24).

²⁰⁹ tn Heb “if I am bereaved I am bereaved.” With this fatalistic sounding statement Jacob resolves himself to the possibility of losing both Benjamin and Simeon.

²¹⁰ tn Heb “and he lifted up portions from before his face to them.”

²¹¹ tn Heb “and they drank and were intoxicated with him” (cf. NIV “drank freely with him”; NEB “grew merry”; NRSV “were merry”). The brothers were apparently relaxed and set at ease, despite Joseph’s obvious favoritism toward Benjamin.

²¹² tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express Joseph’s instructions.

²¹³ tn Heb “and he did according to the word of Joseph which he spoke.”

²¹⁴ tn Heb “a father.” The term is used here figuratively of one who gives advice, as a father would to his children.

²¹⁵ tn Heb “according to this.”

²¹⁶ tn Heb “and they spoke to him all the words of Joseph which he had spoke to them.”

²¹⁷ tn Heb “the God.”

²¹⁸ tn Heb “a possession,” or “a holding.” Joseph gave them a plot of land with rights of ownership in the land of Goshen.

²¹⁹ sn The land of Rameses is another designation for the region of Goshen. It is named Rameses because of a city in that region (Exod 1:11; 12:37). The use of this name may represent a modernization of the text for the understanding of the intended readers, substituting a later name for an earlier one. Alternatively, there may have been an earlier Rameses for which the region was named.

²²⁰ tn Heb “Look, I am making you fruitful.” The participle following הִנֵּה (hinneh) has the nuance of a certain and often imminent future.

²²¹ tn The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the certain future idea.

²²² tn The Hebrew text adds “after you,” which has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

²²³ tn The Hebrew word אֲחֻזָּה (’akhuzzah), translated “possession,” describes a permanent holding in the land. It is the noun form of the same verb (אָחַז, ’akhaz) that was used for the land given to them in Goshen (Gen 47:27).

²²⁴ tn Heb “heavy.”

sn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information that is important to the story. The weakness of Israel’s sight is one of several connections between this chapter and Gen 27. Here there are two sons, and it appears that the younger is being blessed over the older by a blind old man. While it was by Jacob’s deception in chap. 27, here it is with Jacob’s full knowledge.

²²⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²²⁶ tn Heb “them”; the referent (Joseph’s sons) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²²⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²²⁸ tn Heb “and Joseph took the two of them.”

²²⁹ tn Heb “and he brought near to him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” and “him” (Joseph and his father respectively) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

²³⁰ tn Heb “shepherded me.” The verb has been translated as an English noun for stylistic reasons.

²³¹ tn Heb “it was bad in his eyes.”

²³² tn Or perhaps “from his descendants,” taking the expression “from between his feet” as a euphemism referring to the genitals. In this case the phrase refers by metonymy to those who come forth from his genitals, i.e., his descendants.

²³³ tn The Hebrew form שִׁילֹה (shiloh) is a major interpretive problem. There are at least four major options (with many variations and less likely alternatives): (1) Some prefer to leave the text as it is, reading “Shiloh” and understanding it as the place where the ark rested for a while in the time of the Judges. (2) By repointing the text others arrive at the translation “until the [or “his”] ruler comes,” a reference to a Davidic ruler or the Messiah. (3) Another possibility that does not require emendation of the consonantal text, but only repointing, is “until tribute is brought to him” (so NEB, JPS, NRSV), which has the advantage of providing good parallelism with the following line, “the nations will obey him.” (4) The interpretation followed in the present translation, “to whom it [belongs]” (so RSV, NIV, REB), is based on the ancient versions. Again, this would refer to the Davidic dynasty or, ultimately, to the Messiah.

²³⁴ tn “and to him [will be] the obedience of the nations.” For discussion of this verse see J. Blenkinsopp, “The Oracle of Judah and the Messianic Entry,” JBL 80 (1961): 55-64; and E. M. Good, “The ‘Blessing’ on Judah,” JBL 82 (1963): 427-32.

²³⁵ tn Heb “you devised against me evil.”

²³⁶ tn Heb “God devised it for good in order to do, like this day, to preserve alive a great nation.”

²³⁷ tn Heb “saw Ephraim, the children of the third.”

²³⁸ tn Heb “they were born on the knees of Joseph.” This expression implies their adoption by Joseph, which meant that they received an inheritance from him.

²³⁹ tn The verb פָּקַד (paqad) means “to visit,” i.e., to intervene for blessing or cursing; here Joseph announces that God would come to fulfill the promises by delivering them from Egypt. The statement is emphasized by the use of the infinitive absolute with the verb: “God will surely visit you.”

²⁴⁰ tn The words “to give” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.