¹ tc The translation reads with one medieval Hebrew MS, the LXX, and the Syriac Peshitta אֲמַרוּ (ʾamaru, “they said”) rather than the reading אֲמַרְנָא (ʾamarnaʾ, “we said”) of the MT.

¹ tn The Hebrew text has “the sons of Eliezer were,” but only one name appears after this in the verse, and we are specifically told that Eliezer had no other sons.

¹ tn The Hebrew text reads literally, “in all which we heard with our ears,” but בְּכֹל (b^ekhol, “in all”) should probably be emended to כְּכֹל (k^ekhol, “according to all”).

¹ tn Heb “because for what was at first [i.e., formerly] you [were] not, the Lord our God broke out against us because we did not seek him concerning the procedure.”

¹ sn The narrative is elliptical and telescoped here. The account of Elijah encountering the messengers and delivering the Lord’s message is omitted; we only hear of it as the messengers report what happened to the king.

¹ tn Heb “Do you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, and we hesitate to take it from the hand of the king of Aram?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course, you must know!”

¹ tc For the MT בַּעֲבוּר (baʿavur, “for the sake of”) we should probably read בְּעוֹד (b^eʿod, “while”). See the Lucianic Greek recension, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum.

¹ tn Heb “in all which we heard with our ears.” The phrase translated “in all” בְּכֹל (b^ekhol) should probably be emended to “according to all” כְּכֹל (k^ekhol).

¹ tc The LXX adds “and stood before the Lord.” This is probably a textual expansion due to the terseness of the statement in the Hebrew text, but we do know from context that she went up to the tabernacle.

² sn The Lord will judge…if we do not do as you say. The statement by the leaders of Gilead takes the form of a legally binding oath, which obligates them to the terms of the agreement.

¹ tn Heb “Was the sin of Peor too insignificant for us, from which we have not made purification to this day? And there was a plague in the assembly of the Lord.”

¹ tn Heb “We are free from this oath of yours which you made us swear.” The words “unless the following conditions are met” are not in the Hebrew text, but are added for clarification.

² tn The clause uses the infinitive construct with the preposition ל (lamed) preposition. The clause would be a result clause in this sentence: “Why have you brought us here…with the result that we will all die?”

¹ tn The name of the tent now attests to the centrality of the ark of the covenant. Instead of the “tent of meeting” (מוֹעֵד, moʿed) we now find the “the tent of the testimony” (הָעֵדֻת, haʿedut).

⁴ tn The form is a cohortative with a vav (ו) prefixed. After the preceding cohortative this could also be interpreted as a purpose or result clause—in order that we may return.

¹ tn Several major ancient versions have the passive form of the verb (see BHS v. 31 note c; cf. Lev 8:35; 10:13). In that case we would translate, “just as I was commanded.”

⁴ tn The question is cryptic; it simply says, “What is this?” but certainly refers to the custom just mentioned. It asks, “What does this mean?” or “Why do we do this?”

¹ tn All three clauses in this dream report begin with וְהִנֵּה (v^ehinneh, “and look”), which lends vividness to the report. This is represented in the translation by the expression “there we were.”

³ sn Only the wage we agreed on. Jacob would have to be considered completely honest here, for he would have no control over the kind of animals born; and there could be no disagreement over which animals were his wages.

¹ tn Heb “and they said to him, ‘We have found water.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.