Discovery BoxGenesis 9:27 
Context9:27 May God enlarge Japheth’s territory and numbers! 1
May he live 2 in the tents of Shem
and may Canaan be his slave!”
Genesis 13:18
Context13:18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live 3 by the oaks 4 of Mamre in Hebron, and he built an altar to the Lord there.
Genesis 24:13
Context24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, 5 and the daughters of the people 6 who live in the town are coming out to draw water.
Genesis 27:40
Context27:40 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.” 7
Genesis 42:2
Context42:2 He then said, “Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us 8 so that we may live 9 and not die.” 10
Genesis 45:10
Context45:10 You will live 11 in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me – you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everything you have.
Genesis 49:13
Context49:13 Zebulun will live 12 by the haven of the sea
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend to Sidon. 13
1 tn Heb “may God enlarge Japheth.” The words “territory and numbers” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
sn There is a wordplay (paronomasia) on the name Japheth. The verb יַפְתְּ (yaft, “may he enlarge”) sounds like the name יֶפֶת (yefet, “Japheth”). The name itself suggested the idea. The blessing for Japheth extends beyond the son to the descendants. Their numbers and their territories will be enlarged, so much so that they will share in Shem’s territories. Again, in this oracle, Noah is looking beyond his immediate family to future generations. For a helpful study of this passage and the next chapter, see T. O. Figart, A Biblical Perspective on the Race Problem, 55-58.
2 tn In this context the prefixed verbal form is a jussive (note the distinct jussive forms both before and after this in vv. 26 and 27).
3 tn Heb “he came and lived.”
4 tn Or “terebinths.”
5 tn Heb “the spring of water.”
6 tn Heb “the men.”
7 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.
8 tn Heb “and buy for us from there.” The word “grain,” the direct object of “buy,” has been supplied for clarity, and the words “from there” have been omitted in the translation for stylistic reasons.
9 tn Following the imperatives, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav expresses purpose of result.
10 tn The imperfect tense continues the nuance of the verb before it.
11 tn The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive here expresses instruction.
12 tn The verb שָׁכַן (shakhan) means “to settle,” but not necessarily as a permanent dwelling place. The tribal settlements by the sea would have been temporary and not the tribe’s territory.
