Discovery BoxGenesis 4:7 
Context4:7 Is it not true 1 that if you do what is right, you will be fine? 2 But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching 3 at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” 4
Genesis 15:5
Context15:5 The Lord 5 took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”
Genesis 20:13
Context20:13 When God made me wander 6 from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: 7 Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”
Genesis 22:12
Context22:12 “Do not harm the boy!” 8 the angel said. 9 “Do not do anything to him, for now I know 10 that you fear 11 God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”
Genesis 26:29
Context26:29 so that 12 you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmed 13 you, but have always treated you well 14 before sending you away 15 in peace. Now you are blessed by the Lord.” 16
Genesis 27:34
Context27:34 When Esau heard 17 his father’s words, he wailed loudly and bitterly. 18 He said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!”
Genesis 30:14
Context30:14 At the time 19 of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants 20 in a field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
Genesis 38:9
Context38:9 But Onan knew that the child 21 would not be considered his. 22 So whenever 23 he had sexual relations with 24 his brother’s wife, he withdrew prematurely 25 so as not to give his brother a descendant.
Genesis 42:33-34
Context42:33 “Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain 26 for your hungry households and go. 42:34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know 27 that you are honest men and not spies. 28 Then I will give your brother back to you and you may move about freely in the land.’” 29
Genesis 42:37
Context42:37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may 30 put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care 31 and I will bring him back to you.”
Genesis 44:26
Context44:26 But we replied, ‘We cannot go down there. 32 If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go, 33 for we won’t be permitted to see the man’s face if our youngest brother is not with us.’
Genesis 48:9
Context48:9 Joseph said to his father, “They are the 34 sons God has given me in this place.” His father 35 said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.” 36
1 tn The introduction of the conditional clause with an interrogative particle prods the answer from Cain, as if he should have known this. It is not a condemnation, but an encouragement to do what is right.
2 tn The Hebrew text is difficult, because only one word occurs, שְׂאֵת (sÿ’et), which appears to be the infinitive construct from the verb “to lift up” (נָאָשׂ, na’as). The sentence reads: “If you do well, uplifting.” On the surface it seems to be the opposite of the fallen face. Everything will be changed if he does well. God will show him favor, he will not be angry, and his face will reflect that. But more may be intended since the second half of the verse forms the contrast: “If you do not do well, sin is crouching….” Not doing well leads to sinful attack; doing well leads to victory and God’s blessing.
3 tn The Hebrew term translated “crouching” (רֹבֵץ, rovets) is an active participle. Sin is portrayed with animal imagery here as a beast crouching and ready to pounce (a figure of speech known as zoomorphism). An Akkadian cognate refers to a type of demon; in this case perhaps one could translate, “Sin is the demon at the door” (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 29, 32-33).
4 tn Heb “and toward you [is] its desire, but you must rule over it.” As in Gen 3:16, the Hebrew noun “desire” refers to an urge to control or dominate. Here the desire is that which sin has for Cain, a desire to control for the sake of evil, but Cain must have mastery over it. The imperfect is understood as having an obligatory sense. Another option is to understand it as expressing potential (“you can have [or “are capable of having”] mastery over it.”). It will be a struggle, but sin can be defeated by righteousness. In addition to this connection to Gen 3, other linguistic and thematic links between chaps. 3 and 4 are discussed by A. J. Hauser, “Linguistic and Thematic Links Between Genesis 4:1-6 and Genesis 2–3,” JETS 23 (1980): 297-306.
5 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
6 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.”
7 tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”
8 tn Heb “Do not extend your hand toward the boy.”
9 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Do not extend…’”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the context for clarity. The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
10 sn For now I know. The test was designed to see if Abraham would be obedient (see v. 1).
11 sn In this context fear refers by metonymy to obedience that grows from faith.
12 tn The oath formula is used: “if you do us harm” means “so that you will not do.”
13 tn Heb “touched.”
14 tn Heb “and just as we have done only good with you.”
15 tn Heb “and we sent you away.”
16 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).
17 tn The temporal clause is introduced with the temporal indicator and has the infinitive as its verb.
18 tn Heb “and he yelled [with] a great and bitter yell to excess.”
19 tn Heb “during the days.”
20 sn Mandrake plants were popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac in the culture of the time.
21 tn Heb “offspring.”
22 tn Heb “would not be his,” that is, legally speaking. Under the levirate system the child would be legally considered the child of his deceased brother.
23 tn The construction shows that this was a repeated practice and not merely one action.
sn The text makes it clear that the purpose of the custom was to produce an heir for the deceased brother. Onan had no intention of doing that. But he would have sex with the girl as much as he wished. He was willing to use the law to gratify his desires, but was not willing to do the responsible thing.
24 tn Heb “he went to.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
25 tn Heb “he spoiled [his semen] to the ground.” Onan withdrew prematurely and ejaculated on the ground to prevent his brother’s widow from becoming pregnant.
26 tn The word “grain” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
27 tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav indicates purpose/result.
28 tn Heb “that you are not spies, that you are honest men.”
29 sn Joseph’s brothers soften the news considerably, making it sound like Simeon was a guest of Joseph (Leave one of your brothers with me) instead of being bound in prison. They do not mention the threat of death and do not at this time speak of the money in the one sack.
30 tn The nuance of the imperfect verbal form is permissive here.
31 tn Heb “my hand.”
32 tn The direct object is not specified in the Hebrew text, but is implied; “there” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
33 tn Heb “go down.”
34 tn Heb “my.”
35 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
36 tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the imperative.
