Discovery BoxGenesis 4:15 
Context4:15 But the Lord said to him, “All right then, 1 if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much.” 2 Then the Lord put a special mark 3 on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down. 4
Genesis 17:17
Context17:17 Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed 5 as he said to himself, 6 “Can 7 a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? 8 Can Sarah 9 bear a child at the age of ninety?” 10
Genesis 19:9
Context19:9 “Out of our way!” 11 they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, 12 and now he dares to judge us! 13 We’ll do more harm 14 to you than to them!” They kept 15 pressing in on Lot until they were close enough 16 to break down the door.
Genesis 43:7
Context43:7 They replied, “The man questioned us 17 thoroughly 18 about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ 19 So we answered him in this way. 20 How could we possibly know 21 that he would say, 22 ‘Bring your brother down’?”
Genesis 43:11
Context43:11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and take a gift down to the man – a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
Genesis 44:26
Context44:26 But we replied, ‘We cannot go down there. 23 If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go, 24 for we won’t be permitted to see the man’s face if our youngest brother is not with us.’
1 tn The Hebrew term לָכֵן (lakhen, “therefore”) in this context carries the sense of “Okay,” or “in that case then I will do this.”
2 sn The symbolic number seven is used here to emphasize that the offender will receive severe punishment. For other rhetorical and hyperbolic uses of the expression “seven times over,” see Pss 12:6; 79:12; Prov 6:31; Isa 30:26.
3 tn Heb “sign”; “reminder.” The term “sign” is not used in the translation because it might imply to an English reader that God hung a sign on Cain. The text does not identify what the “sign” was. It must have been some outward, visual reminder of Cain’s special protected status.
4 sn God becomes Cain’s protector. Here is common grace – Cain and his community will live on under God’s care, but without salvation.
5 sn Laughed. The Hebrew verb used here provides the basis for the naming of Isaac: “And he laughed” is וַיִּצְחָק (vayyitskhaq); the name “Isaac” is יִצְחָק (yitskhaq), “he laughs.” Abraham’s (and Sarah’s, see 18:12) laughter signals disbelief, but when the boy is born, the laughter signals surprise and joy.
6 tn Heb “And he fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart.”
7 tn The imperfect verbal form here carries a potential nuance, as it expresses the disbelief of Abraham.
8 tn Heb “to the son of a hundred years.”
9 sn It is important to note that even though Abraham staggers at the announcement of the birth of a son, finding it almost too incredible, he nonetheless calls his wife Sarah, the new name given to remind him of the promise of God (v. 15).
10 tn Heb “the daughter of ninety years.”
11 tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”
12 tn Heb “to live as a resident alien.”
13 tn Heb “and he has judged, judging.” The infinitive absolute follows the finite verbal form for emphasis. This emphasis is reflected in the translation by the phrase “dares to judge.”
14 tn The verb “to do wickedly” is repeated here (see v. 7). It appears that whatever “wickedness” the men of Sodom had intended to do to Lot’s visitors – probably nothing short of homosexual rape – they were now ready to inflict on Lot.
15 tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”
16 tn Heb “and they drew near.”
17 tn The word “us” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
18 tn The infinitive absolute with the perfect verbal form emphasizes that Joseph questioned them thoroughly.
19 sn The report given here concerning Joseph’s interrogation does not exactly match the previous account where they supplied the information to clear themselves (see 42:13). This section may reflect how they remembered the impact of his interrogation, whether he asked the specific questions or not. That may be twisting the truth to protect themselves, not wanting to admit that they volunteered the information. (They admitted as much in 42:31, but now they seem to be qualifying that comment.) On the other hand, when speaking to Joseph later (see 44:19), Judah claims that Joseph asked for the information about their family, making it possible that 42:13 leaves out some of the details of their first encounter.
20 tn Heb “and we told to him according to these words.”
21 tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the imperfect verbal form, which here is a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of a past time).
22 tn Once again the imperfect verbal form is used as a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of past time).
23 tn The direct object is not specified in the Hebrew text, but is implied; “there” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
24 tn Heb “go down.”
