31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, 1 “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich 2 at our father’s expense!” 3 31:2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. 4
31:3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers 5 and to your relatives. I will be with you.” 6 31:4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah 7 to come to the field 8 where his flocks were. 9 31:5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, 10 but the God of my father has been with me. 31:6 You know that I’ve worked for your father as hard as I could, 11 31:7 but your father has humiliated 12 me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. 31:8 If he said, 13 ‘The speckled animals 14 will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled offspring. But if he said, ‘The streaked animals will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked offspring. 31:9 In this way God has snatched away your father’s livestock and given them to me.
31:10 “Once 15 during breeding season I saw 16 in a dream that the male goats mating with 17 the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 31:11 In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Here I am!’ I replied. 31:12 Then he said, ‘Observe 18 that all the male goats mating with 19 the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, 20 where you anointed 21 the sacred stone and made a vow to me. 22 Now leave this land immediately 23 and return to your native land.’”
31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance 24 in our father’s house? 31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted 25 the money paid for us! 26 31:16 Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you.”
31:17 So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. 27 31:18 He took 28 away all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram and all his moveable property that he had accumulated. Then he set out toward the land of Canaan to return to his father Isaac. 29
31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, 30 Rachel stole the household idols 31 that belonged to her father. 31:20 Jacob also deceived 32 Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. 33 31:21 He left 34 with all he owned. He quickly crossed 35 the Euphrates River 36 and headed for 37 the hill country of Gilead.
31:22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. 38 31:23 So he took his relatives 39 with him and pursued Jacob 40 for seven days. 41 He caught up with 42 him in the hill country of Gilead. 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, 43 “Be careful 44 that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” 45
31:25 Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. 46 31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me 47 and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! 48 31:27 Why did you run away secretly 49 and deceive me? 50 Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? 51 31:28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren 52 good-bye. You have acted foolishly! 31:29 I have 53 the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful 54 that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ 55 31:30 Now I understand that 56 you have gone away 57 because you longed desperately 58 for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?” 59
31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” 60 Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought 61 you might take your daughters away from me by force. 62 31:32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! 63 In the presence of our relatives 64 identify whatever is yours and take it.” 65 (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) 66
31:33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, and Leah’s tent, and the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find the idols. 67 Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. 68 31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle 69 and sat on them.) 70 Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. 71 31:35 Rachel 72 said to her father, “Don’t be angry, 73 my lord. I cannot stand up 74 in your presence because I am having my period.” 75 So he searched thoroughly, 76 but did not find the idols.
31:36 Jacob became angry 77 and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. 78 “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? 79 31:37 When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you? 80 Set it here before my relatives and yours, 81 and let them settle the dispute between the two of us! 82
31:38 “I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 31:39 Animals torn by wild beasts I never brought to you; I always absorbed the loss myself. 83 You always made me pay for every missing animal, 84 whether it was taken by day or at night. 31:40 I was consumed by scorching heat 85 during the day and by piercing cold 86 at night, and I went without sleep. 87 31:41 This was my lot 88 for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave 89 for you – fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, but you changed my wages ten times! 31:42 If the God of my father – the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears 90 – had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, 91 and he rebuked you last night.”
31:43 Laban replied 92 to Jacob, “These women 93 are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, 94 and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today 95 or the children to whom they have given birth? 31:44 So now, come, let’s make a formal agreement, 96 you and I, and it will be 97 proof that we have made peace.” 98
31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. 31:46 Then he 99 said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they brought stones and put them in a pile. 100 They ate there by the pile of stones. 31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, 101 but Jacob called it Galeed. 102
31:48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement 103 today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 31:49 It was also called Mizpah 104 because he said, “May the Lord watch 105 between us 106 when we are out of sight of one another. 107 31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize 108 that God is witness to your actions.” 109
31:51 “Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you,” Laban said to Jacob. 110 31:52 “This pile of stones and the pillar are reminders that I will not pass beyond this pile to come to harm you and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to come to harm me. 111 31:53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, 112 the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared. 113 31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice 114 on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. 115 They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.
31:55 (32:1) 116 Early in the morning Laban kissed 117 his grandchildren 118 and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. 119
12:4 So Abram left, 120 just as the Lord had told him to do, 121 and Lot went with him. (Now 122 Abram was 75 years old 123 when he departed from Haran.)
13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt into the Negev. 124 He took his wife and all his possessions with him, as well as Lot. 125 13:2 (Now Abram was very wealthy 126 in livestock, silver, and gold.) 127
13:3 And he journeyed from place to place 128 from the Negev as far as Bethel. 129 He returned 130 to the place where he had pitched his tent 131 at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai. 13:4 This was the place where he had first built the altar, 132 and there Abram worshiped the Lord. 133
13:5 Now Lot, who was traveling 134 with Abram, also had 135 flocks, herds, and tents. 13:6 But the land could 136 not support them while they were living side by side. 137 Because their possessions were so great, they were not able to live 138 alongside one another. 13:7 So there were quarrels 139 between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. 140 (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.) 141
13:8 Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no quarreling between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are close relatives. 142 13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself now from me. If you go 143 to the left, then I’ll go to the right, but if you go to the right, then I’ll go to the left.”
13:10 Lot looked up and saw 144 the whole region 145 of the Jordan. He noticed 146 that all of it was well-watered (before the Lord obliterated 147 Sodom and Gomorrah) 148 like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, 149 all the way to Zoar. 13:11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled 150 toward the east.
So the relatives separated from each other. 151
19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while 156 Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway. 157 When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face toward the ground.
19:2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night 158 and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” 159 “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” 160
19:3 But he urged 161 them persistently, so they turned aside with him and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them, including bread baked without yeast, and they ate. 19:4 Before they could lie down to sleep, 162 all the men – both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom – surrounded the house. 163 19:5 They shouted to Lot, 164 “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex 165 with them!”
19:6 Lot went outside to them, shutting the door behind him. 19:7 He said, “No, my brothers! Don’t act so wickedly! 166 19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with 167 a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. 168 Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection 169 of my roof.” 170
19:9 “Out of our way!” 171 they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, 172 and now he dares to judge us! 173 We’ll do more harm 174 to you than to them!” They kept 175 pressing in on Lot until they were close enough 176 to break down the door.
19:10 So the men inside 177 reached out 178 and pulled Lot back into the house 179 as they shut the door. 19:11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, from the youngest to the oldest, 180 with blindness. The men outside 181 wore themselves out trying to find the door. 19:12 Then the two visitors 182 said to Lot, “Who else do you have here? 183 Do you have 184 any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city? 185 Get them out of this 186 place 19:13 because we are about to destroy 187 it. The outcry against this place 188 is so great before the Lord that he 189 has sent us to destroy it.”
19:14 Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters. 190 He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy 191 the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them. 192
19:15 At dawn 193 the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, 194 or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!” 195 19:16 When Lot 196 hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. 197 They led them away and placed them 198 outside the city. 19:17 When they had brought them outside, they 199 said, “Run 200 for your lives! Don’t look 201 behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! 202 Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”
19:18 But Lot said to them, “No, please, Lord! 203 19:19 Your 204 servant has found favor with you, 205 and you have shown me great 206 kindness 207 by sparing 208 my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because 209 this disaster will overtake 210 me and I’ll die. 211 19:20 Look, this town 212 over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one. 213 Let me go there. 214 It’s just a little place, isn’t it? 215 Then I’ll survive.” 216
19:21 “Very well,” he replied, 217 “I will grant this request too 218 and will not overthrow 219 the town you mentioned. 19:22 Run there quickly, 220 for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.) 221
19:23 The sun had just risen 222 over the land as Lot reached Zoar. 223 19:24 Then the Lord rained down 224 sulfur and fire 225 on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord. 226 19:25 So he overthrew those cities and all that region, 227 including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew 228 from the ground. 19:26 But Lot’s 229 wife looked back longingly 230 and was turned into a pillar of salt.
19:27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went 231 to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 19:28 He looked out toward 232 Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region. 233 As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace. 234
19:29 So when God destroyed 235 the cities of the region, 236 God honored 237 Abraham’s request. He removed Lot 238 from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed 239 the cities Lot had lived in.
19:2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night 240 and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” 241 “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” 242
1 tn Heb “and he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying.”
2 sn The Hebrew word translated “gotten rich” (כָּבוֹד, cavod) has the basic idea of “weight.” If one is heavy with possessions, then that one is wealthy (13:2). Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph all became wealthy when they left the promised land. Jacob’s wealth foreshadows what will happen to Israel when they leave the land of Egypt (Exod 12:35-38).
3 tn Heb “and from that which belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.”
4 tn Heb “and Jacob saw the face of Laban, and look, he was not with him as formerly.” Jacob knew from the expression on Laban’s face that his attitude toward him had changed – Jacob had become persona non grata.
5 tn Or perhaps “ancestors” (so NRSV), although the only “ancestors” Jacob had there were his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac.
6 sn I will be with you. Though Laban was no longer “with him,” the
7 tn Heb “sent and called for Rachel and for Leah.” Jacob did not go in person, but probably sent a servant with a message for his wives to meet him in the field.
8 tn Heb “the field.” The word is an adverbial accusative, indicating that this is where Jacob wanted them to meet him. The words “to come to” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
9 tn Heb “to his flock.”
10 tn Heb “I see the face of your father, that he is not toward me as formerly.”
11 tn Heb “with all my strength.”
12 tn This rare verb means “to make a fool of” someone. It involves deceiving someone so that their public reputation suffers (see Exod 8:25).
13 tn In the protasis (“if” section) of this conditional clause, the imperfect verbal form has a customary nuance – whatever he would say worked to Jacob’s benefit.
14 tn Heb “speckled” (twice this verse). The word “animals” (after the first occurrence of “speckled”) and “offspring” (after the second) have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The same two terms (“animals” and “offspring”) have been supplied after the two occurrences of “streaked” later in this verse.
15 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator, “and it happened at the time of.”
16 tn Heb “in the time of the breeding of the flock I lifted up my eyes and I saw.”
17 tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.
18 tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”
19 tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.
20 map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
21 sn You anointed the sacred stone. In Gen 28:18 the text simply reported that Jacob poured oil on top of the stone. Now that pouring is interpreted by the
22 sn And made a vow to me. The second clause reminds Jacob of the vow he made to the
23 tn Heb “arise, leave!” The first imperative draws attention to the need for immediate action.
24 tn The two nouns may form a hendiadys, meaning “a share in the inheritance” or “a portion to inherit.”
25 tn Heb “and he devoured, even devouring.” The infinitive absolute (following the finite verb here) is used for emphasis.
26 tn Heb “our money.” The word “money” is used figuratively here; it means the price paid for Leah and Rachel. A literal translation (“our money”) makes it sound as if Laban wasted money that belonged to Rachel and Leah, rather than the money paid for them.
27 tn Heb “and Jacob arose and he lifted up his sons and his wives on to the camels.”
28 tn Heb “drove,” but this is subject to misunderstanding in contemporary English.
29 tn Heb “and he led away all his cattle and all his moveable property which he acquired, the cattle he obtained, which he acquired in Paddan Aram to go to Isaac his father to the land of Canaan.”
30 tn This disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new scene. In the English translation it may be subordinated to the following clause.
31 tn Or “household gods.” Some translations merely transliterate the Hebrew term תְּרָפִים (tÿrafim) as “teraphim,” which apparently refers to household idols. Some contend that possession of these idols guaranteed the right of inheritance, but it is more likely that they were viewed simply as protective deities. See M. Greenberg, “Another Look at Rachel’s Theft of the Teraphim,” JBL 81 (1962): 239-48.
32 tn Heb “stole the heart of,” an expression which apparently means “to deceive.” The repetition of the verb “to steal” shows that Jacob and Rachel are kindred spirits. Any thought that Laban would have resigned himself to their departure was now out of the question.
33 tn Heb “fleeing,” which reflects Jacob’s viewpoint.
34 tn Heb “and he fled.”
35 tn Heb “he arose and crossed.” The first verb emphasizes that he wasted no time in getting across.
36 tn Heb “the river”; the referent (the Euphrates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
37 tn Heb “he set his face.”
38 tn Heb “and it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.”
39 tn Heb “his brothers.”
40 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
41 tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”
42 tn Heb “drew close to.”
43 tn Heb “said to him.”
44 tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.
45 tn Heb “lest you speak with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 29, is uncertain. Since Laban proceeded to speak to Jacob at length, it cannot mean to maintain silence. Nor does it seem to be a prohibition against criticism (see vv. 26-30). Most likely it refers to a formal pronouncement, whether it be a blessing or a curse. Laban was to avoid saying anything to Jacob that would be intended to enhance him or to harm him.
46 tn Heb “and Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban pitched with his brothers in the hill country of Gilead.” The juxtaposition of disjunctive clauses (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb in both clauses) indicates synchronism of action.
47 tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).
48 tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”
49 tn Heb “Why did you hide in order to flee?” The verb “hide” and the infinitive “to flee” form a hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the other the adverb: “flee secretly.”
50 tn Heb “and steal me.”
51 tn Heb “And [why did] you not tell me so I could send you off with joy and with songs, with a tambourine and with a harp?”
52 tn Heb “my sons and my daughters.” Here “sons” refers to “grandsons,” and has been translated “grandchildren” since at least one granddaughter, Dinah, was involved. The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.
53 tn Heb “there is to my hand.”
54 tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.
55 tn Heb “from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 24, is uncertain. See the note on the same phrase in v. 24.
56 tn Heb “and now.” The words “I understand that” have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
57 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the certainty of the action.
58 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of emotion involved.
59 sn Yet why did you steal my gods? This last sentence is dropped into the speech rather suddenly. See C. Mabee, “Jacob and Laban: The Structure of Judicial Proceedings,” VT 30 (1980): 192-207, and G. W. Coats, “Self-Abasement and Insult Formulas,” JBL 91 (1972): 90-92.
60 tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘Because I was afraid.’” This statement is a not a response to the question about Laban’s household gods that immediately precedes, but to the earlier question about Jacob’s motivation for leaving so quickly and secretly (see v. 27). For this reason the words “I left secretly” are supplied in the translation to indicate the connection to Laban’s earlier question in v. 27. Additionally the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
61 tn Heb “for I said.”
62 tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”
63 tn Heb “With whomever you find your gods, he will not live.”
64 tn Heb “brothers.”
65 tn Heb “recognize for yourself what is with me and take for yourself.”
66 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, it has been placed in parentheses in the translation.
67 tn No direct object is specified for the verb “find” in the Hebrew text. The words “the idols” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.
68 tn Heb “and he went out from the tent of Leah and went into the tent of Rachel.”
69 tn The “camel’s saddle” was probably some sort of basket-saddle, a cushioned saddle with a basket bound on. Cf. NAB “inside a camel cushion.”
70 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides another parenthetical statement necessary to the storyline.
71 tn The word “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
72 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
73 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.
74 tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”
75 tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.
76 tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
77 tn Heb “it was hot to Jacob.” This idiom refers to anger.
78 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.
79 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).
80 tn Heb “what did you find from all the goods of your house?”
81 tn Heb “your relatives.” The word “relatives” has not been repeated in the translation here for stylistic reasons.
82 tn Heb “that they may decide between us two.”
83 tn The imperfect verbal form indicates that this was a customary or typical action.
84 tn Heb “from my hand you exacted it.” The imperfect verbal form again indicates that this was a customary or typical action. The words “for every missing animal” are supplied in the translation for clarity; the following clause in Hebrew, “stolen by day or stolen by night,” probably means “stolen by wild beasts” and refers to the same animals “torn by wild beasts” in the previous clause, although it may refer to animals stolen by people. The translation used here, “missing,” is ambiguous enough to cover either eventuality.
85 tn Or “by drought.”
86 tn Heb “frost, ice,” though when contrasted with the חֹרֶב (khorev, “drought, parching heat”) of the day, “piercing cold” is more appropriate as a contrast.
87 tn Heb “and my sleep fled from my eyes.”
88 tn Heb “this to me.”
89 tn Heb “served you,” but in this accusatory context the meaning is more “worked like a slave.”
90 tn Heb “the fear of Isaac,” that is, the one whom Isaac feared and respected. For further discussion of this title see M. Malul, “More on pahad yitschaq (Gen. 31:42,53) and the Oath by the Thigh,” VT 35 (1985): 192-200.
91 tn Heb “My oppression and the work of my hands God saw.”
92 tn Heb “answered and said.”
93 tn Heb “daughters.”
94 tn Heb “children.”
95 tn Heb “but to my daughters what can I do to these today?”
96 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
97 tn The verb הָיָה (hayah) followed by the preposition לְ (lÿ) means “become.”
98 tn Heb “and it will become a witness between me and you.”
99 tn Heb “Jacob”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
100 sn The Hebrew word for “pile” is גַּל (gal), which sounds like the name “Galeed” (גַּלְעֵד, gal’ed). See v. 48.
101 sn Jegar Sahadutha. Laban the Aramean gave the place an Aramaic name which means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness.”
102 sn Galeed also means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness,” but this name is Canaanite or Western Semitic and closer to later Hebrew. Jacob, though certainly capable of speaking Aramaic, here prefers to use the western dialect.
103 tn Heb “a witness between me and you.”
104 tn Heb “and Mizpah.”
105 sn The name Mizpah (מִצְפָּה, mitspah), which means “watchpost,” sounds like the verb translated “may he watch” (יִצֶף, yitsef). Neither Laban nor Jacob felt safe with each other, and so they agreed to go their separate ways, trusting the
106 tn Heb “between me and you.”
107 tn Heb “for we will be hidden, each man from his neighbor.”
108 tn Heb “see.”
109 tn Heb “between me and you.”
110 tn Heb “and Laban said to Jacob, ‘Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between men and you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
111 tn Heb “This pile is a witness and the pillar is a witness, if I go past this pile to you and if you go past this pile and this pillar to me for harm.”
112 tn The God of Abraham and the god of Nahor. The Hebrew verb translated “judge” is plural, suggesting that Laban has more than one “god” in mind. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX, apparently in an effort to make the statement monotheistic, have a singular verb. In this case one could translate, “May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” However, Laban had a polytheistic world view, as evidenced by his possession of household idols (cf. 31:19). The translation uses “God” when referring to Abraham’s God, for Genesis makes it clear that Abraham worshiped the one true God. It employs “god” when referring to Nahor’s god, for in the Hebrew text Laban refers to a different god here, probably one of the local deities.
113 tn Heb “by the fear of his father Isaac.” See the note on the word “fears” in v. 42.
114 tn The construction is a cognate accusative with the verb, expressing a specific sacrifice.
115 tn Heb “bread, food.” Presumably this was a type of peace offering, where the person bringing the offering ate the animal being sacrificed.
116 sn Beginning with 31:55, the verse numbers in the English Bible through 32:32 differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 31:55 ET = 32:1 HT, 32:1 ET = 32:2 HT, etc., through 32:32 ET = 32:33 HT. From 33:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
117 tn Heb “and Laban got up early in the morning and he kissed.”
118 tn Heb “his sons.”
119 tn Heb “to his place.”
120 sn So Abram left. This is the report of Abram’s obedience to God’s command (see v. 1).
121 tn Heb “just as the
122 tn The disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + implied “to be” verb) is parenthetical, telling the age of Abram when he left Haran.
123 tn Heb “was the son of five years and seventy year[s].”
124 tn Or “the South [country]” (also in v. 3).
125 tn Heb “And Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all which was his, and Lot with him, to the Negev.”
126 tn Heb “heavy.”
127 tn This parenthetical clause, introduced by the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), provides information necessary to the point of the story.
128 tn Heb “on his journeys”; the verb and noun combination means to pick up the tents and move from camp to camp.
129 map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
130 tn The words “he returned” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
131 tn Heb “where his tent had been.”
132 tn Heb “to the place of the altar which he had made there in the beginning” (cf. Gen 12:7-8).
133 tn Heb “he called in the name of the
134 tn Heb “was going.”
135 tn The Hebrew idiom is “to Lot…there was,” the preposition here expressing possession.
136 tn The potential nuance for the perfect tense is necessary here, and supported by the parallel clause that actually uses “to be able.”
137 tn The infinitive construct לָשֶׁבֶת (lashevet, from יָשַׁב, yashav) explains what it was that the land could not support: “the land could not support them to live side by side.” See further J. C. de Moor, “Lexical Remarks Concerning Yahad and Yahdaw,” VT 7 (1957): 350-55.
138 tn The same infinitive occurs here, serving as the object of the verb.
139 tn The Hebrew term רִיב (riv) means “strife, conflict, quarreling.” In later texts it has the meaning of “legal controversy, dispute.” See B. Gemser, “The rîb – or Controversy – Pattern in Hebrew Mentality,” Wisdom in Israel and in the Ancient Near East [VTSup], 120-37.
140 sn Since the quarreling was between the herdsmen, the dispute was no doubt over water and vegetation for the animals.
141 tn This parenthetical clause, introduced with the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), again provides critical information. It tells in part why the land cannot sustain these two bedouins, and it also hints of the danger of weakening the family by inner strife.
142 tn Heb “men, brothers [are] we.” Here “brothers” describes the closeness of the relationship, but could be misunderstood if taken literally, since Abram was Lot’s uncle.
143 tn The words “you go” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons both times in this verse.
144 tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.” The expression draws attention to the act of looking, indicating that Lot took a good look. It also calls attention to the importance of what was seen.
145 tn Or “plain”; Heb “circle.”
146 tn The words “he noticed” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
147 sn Obliterated. The use of the term “destroy” (שַׁחֵת, shakhet) is reminiscent of the Noahic flood (Gen 6:13). Both at the flood and in Sodom the place was obliterated by catastrophe and only one family survived (see C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:178).
148 tn This short temporal clause (preposition + Piel infinitive construct + subjective genitive + direct object) is strategically placed in the middle of the lavish descriptions to sound an ominous note. The entire clause is parenthetical in nature. Most English translations place the clause at the end of v. 10 for stylistic reasons.
149 sn The narrative places emphasis on what Lot saw so that the reader can appreciate how it aroused his desire for the best land. It makes allusion to the garden of the
150 tn Heb “Lot traveled.” The proper name has not been repeated in the translation at this point for stylistic reasons.
151 tn Heb “a man from upon his brother.”
152 tn Heb “Lot the son of his brother.”
153 tn Heb “and.”
154 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
155 tn This disjunctive clause is circumstantial/causal, explaining that Lot was captured because he was living in Sodom at the time.
156 tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.
157 tn Heb “sitting in the gate of Sodom.” The phrase “the gate of Sodom” has been translated “the city’s gateway” for stylistic reasons.
158 tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.
159 tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”
160 sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.
161 tn The Hebrew verb פָּצַר (patsar, “to press, to insist”) ironically foreshadows the hostile actions of the men of the city (see v. 9, where the verb also appears). The repetition of the word serves to contrast Lot to his world.
162 tn The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) means “to lie down, to recline,” that is, “to go to bed.” Here what appears to be an imperfect is a preterite after the adverb טֶרֶם (terem). The nuance of potential (perfect) fits well.
163 tn Heb “and the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from the young to the old, all the people from the end [of the city].” The repetition of the phrase “men of” stresses all kinds of men.
164 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
165 tn The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’, “to know”) is used here in the sense of “to lie with” or “to have sex with” (as in Gen 4:1). That this is indeed the meaning is clear from Lot’s warning that they not do so wickedly, and his willingness to give them his daughters instead.
166 tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”
167 tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
168 tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”
169 tn Heb “shadow.”
170 sn This chapter portrays Lot as a hypocrite. He is well aware of the way the men live in his city and is apparently comfortable in the midst of it. But when confronted by the angels, he finally draws the line. But he is nevertheless willing to sacrifice his daughters’ virginity to protect his guests. His opposition to the crowds leads to his rejection as a foreigner by those with whom he had chosen to live. The one who attempted to rescue his visitors ends up having to be rescued by them.
171 tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”
172 tn Heb “to live as a resident alien.”
173 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.”
174 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.
175 tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”
176 tn Heb “and they drew near.”
177 tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “inside” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
178 tn The Hebrew text adds “their hand.” These words have not been translated for stylistic reasons.
179 tn Heb “to them into the house.”
180 tn Heb “from the least to the greatest.”
181 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Sodom outside the door) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
182 tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “visitors” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
183 tn Heb “Yet who [is there] to you here?”
184 tn The words “Do you have” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
185 tn Heb “a son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and anyone who (is) to you in the city.”
186 tn Heb “the place.” The Hebrew article serves here as a demonstrative.
187 tn The Hebrew participle expresses an imminent action here.
188 tn Heb “for their outcry.” The words “about this place” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
189 tn Heb “the
190 sn The language has to be interpreted in the light of the context and the social customs. The men are called “sons-in-law” (literally “the takers of his daughters”), but the daughters had not yet had sex with a man. It is better to translate the phrase “who were going to marry his daughters.” Since formal marriage contracts were binding, the husbands-to-be could already be called sons-in-law.
191 tn The Hebrew active participle expresses an imminent action.
192 tn Heb “and he was like one taunting in the eyes of his sons-in-law.” These men mistakenly thought Lot was ridiculing them and their lifestyle. Their response illustrates how morally insensitive they had become.
193 tn Heb “When dawn came up.”
194 tn Heb “who are found.” The wording might imply he had other daughters living in the city, but the text does not explicitly state this.
195 tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
196 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
197 tn Heb “in the compassion of the
198 tn Heb “brought him out and placed him.” The third masculine singular suffixes refer specifically to Lot, though his wife and daughters accompanied him (see v. 17). For stylistic reasons these have been translated as plural pronouns (“them”).
199 tn Or “one of them”; Heb “he.” Several ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac) read the plural “they.” See also the note on “your” in v. 19.
200 tn Heb “escape.”
201 tn The Hebrew verb translated “look” signifies an intense gaze, not a passing glance. This same verb is used later in v. 26 to describe Lot’s wife’s self-destructive look back at the city.
202 tn Or “in the plain”; Heb “in the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
203 tn Or “my lords.” See the following note on the problem of identifying the addressee here. The Hebrew term is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
204 tn The second person pronominal suffixes are singular in this verse (note “your eyes,” “you have made great,” and “you have acted”). Verse 18a seems to indicate that Lot is addressing the angels, but the use of the singular and the appearance of the divine title “Lord” (אֲדֹנָי, ’adonay) in v. 18b suggests he is speaking to God.
205 tn Heb “in your eyes.”
206 tn Heb “you made great your kindness.”
207 sn The Hebrew word חֶסֶד (khesed) can refer to “faithful love” or to “kindness,” depending on the context. The precise nuance here is uncertain.
208 tn The infinitive construct explains how God has shown Lot kindness.
209 tn Heb “lest.”
210 tn The Hebrew verb דָּבַק (davaq) normally means “to stick to, to cleave, to join.” Lot is afraid he cannot outrun the coming calamity.
211 tn The perfect verb form with vav consecutive carries the nuance of the imperfect verbal form before it.
212 tn The Hebrew word עִיר (’ir) can refer to either a city or a town, depending on the size of the place. Given that this place was described by Lot later in this verse as a “little place,” the translation uses “town.”
213 tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”
214 tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.
215 tn Heb “Is it not little?”
216 tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.
217 tn Heb “And he said, ‘Look, I will grant.’” The order of the clauses has been rearranged for stylistic reasons. The referent of the speaker (“he”) is somewhat ambiguous: It could be taken as the angel to whom Lot has been speaking (so NLT; note the singular references in vv. 18-19), or it could be that Lot is speaking directly to the
218 tn Heb “I have lifted up your face [i.e., shown you favor] also concerning this matter.”
219 tn The negated infinitive construct indicates either the consequence of God’s granting the request (“I have granted this request, so that I will not”) or the manner in which he will grant it (“I have granted your request by not destroying”).
220 tn Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.
221 tn Heb “Therefore the name of the city is called Zoar.” The name of the place, צוֹעַר (tso’ar) apparently means “Little Place,” in light of the wordplay with the term “little” (מִצְעָר, mits’ar) used twice by Lot to describe the town (v. 20).
222 sn The sun had just risen. There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15) and sunrise (here).
223 tn The juxtaposition of the two disjunctive clauses indicates synchronic action. The first action (the sun’s rising) occurred as the second (Lot’s entering Zoar) took place. The disjunctive clauses also signal closure for the preceding scene.
224 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of the next scene and highlights God’s action.
225 tn Or “burning sulfur” (the traditional “fire and brimstone”).
226 tn Heb “from the
227 tn Or “and all the plain”; Heb “and all the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
228 tn Heb “and the vegetation of the ground.”
229 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
230 tn The Hebrew verb means “to look intently; to gaze” (see 15:5).
231 tn The words “and went” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
232 tn Heb “upon the face of.”
233 tn Or “all the land of the plain”; Heb “and all the face of the land of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
234 tn Heb “And he saw, and look, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.”
235 tn The construction is a temporal clause comprised of the temporal indicator, an infinitive construct with a preposition, and the subjective genitive.
236 tn Or “of the plain”; Heb “of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
237 tn Heb “remembered,” but this means more than mental recollection here. Abraham’s request (Gen 18:23-32) was that the
238 sn God’s removal of Lot before the judgment is paradigmatic. He typically delivers the godly before destroying their world.
239 tn Heb “the overthrow when [he] overthrew.”
240 tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.
241 tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”
242 sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.
243 tn Or “fashioned.” The prefixed verb form with vav (ו) consecutive initiates narrative sequence. The Hebrew word יָצַר (yatsar) means “to form” or “to fashion,” usually by plan or design (see the related noun יֵצֶר [yetser] in Gen 6:5). It is the term for an artist’s work (the Hebrew term יוֹצֵר [yotser] refers to a potter; see Jer 18:2-4.)
244 tn The line literally reads “And Yahweh God formed the man, soil, from the ground.” “Soil” is an adverbial accusative, identifying the material from which the man was made.
245 tn The Hebrew word נְשָׁמָה (nÿshamah, “breath”) is used for God and for the life imparted to humans, not animals (see T. C. Mitchell, “The Old Testament Usage of Nÿshama,” VT 11 [1961]: 177-87). Its usage in the Bible conveys more than a breathing living organism (נֶפֶשׁ חַיַּה, nefesh khayyah). Whatever is given this breath of life becomes animated with the life from God, has spiritual understanding (Job 32:8), and has a functioning conscience (Prov 20:27).
246 tn The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being”) is often translated “soul,” but the word usually refers to the whole person. The phrase נֶפֶשׁ חַיַּה (nefesh khayyah, “living being”) is used of both animals and human beings (see 1:20, 24, 30; 2:19).