38:1 At that time Judah left 1 his brothers and stayed 2 with an Adullamite man 3 named Hirah.
38:2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man 4 named Shua. 5 Judah acquired her as a wife 6 and had marital relations with her. 7 38:3 She became pregnant 8 and had a son. Judah named 9 him Er. 38:4 She became pregnant again and had another son, whom she named Onan. 38:5 Then she had 10 yet another son, whom she named Shelah. She gave birth to him in Kezib. 11
38:6 Judah acquired 12 a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar. 38:7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord killed him.
38:8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Have sexual relations with 13 your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise 14 up a descendant for your brother.” 15 38:9 But Onan knew that the child 16 would not be considered his. 17 So whenever 18 he had sexual relations with 19 his brother’s wife, he withdrew prematurely 20 so as not to give his brother a descendant. 38:10 What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord 21 killed him too.
38:11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until Shelah my son grows up.” For he thought, 22 “I don’t want him to die like his brothers.” 23 So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
38:12 After some time 24 Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah was consoled, he left for Timnah to visit his sheepshearers, along with 25 his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 38:13 Tamar was told, 26 “Look, your father-in-law is going up 27 to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 38:14 So she removed her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil. She wrapped herself and sat at the entrance to Enaim which is on the way to Timnah. (She did this because 28 she saw that she had not been given to Shelah as a wife, even though he had now grown up.) 29
38:15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute 30 because she had covered her face. 38:16 He turned aside to her along the road and said, “Come on! I want to have sex with you.” 31 (He did not realize 32 it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, “What will you give me in exchange for having sex with you?” 33 38:17 He replied, “I’ll send you a young goat from the flock.” She asked, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?” 34 38:18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?” She replied, “Your seal, your cord, and the staff that’s in your hand.” So he gave them to her and had sex with her. 35 She became pregnant by him. 38:19 She left immediately, 36 removed her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes.
38:20 Then Judah had his friend Hirah 37 the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge, 38 but Hirah 39 could not find her. 38:21 He asked the men who were there, 40 “Where is the cult prostitute 41 who was at Enaim by the road?” But they replied, “There has been no cult prostitute here.” 38:22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I couldn’t find her. Moreover, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’” 38:23 Judah said, “Let her keep the things 42 for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. 43 I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”
38:24 After three months Judah was told, 44 “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, 45 and as a result she has become pregnant.” 46 Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” 38:25 While they were bringing her out, she sent word 47 to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” 48 Then she said, “Identify 49 the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.” 38:26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright 50 than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He did not have sexual relations with her 51 again.
38:27 When it was time for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb. 38:28 While she was giving birth, one child 52 put out his hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 38:29 But then he drew back his hand, and his brother came out before him. 53 She said, “How you have broken out of the womb!” 54 So he was named Perez. 55 38:30 Afterward his brother came out – the one who had the scarlet thread on his hand – and he was named Zerah. 56
39:1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. 57 An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, 58 purchased him from 59 the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 39:2 The Lord was with Joseph. He was successful 60 and lived 61 in the household of his Egyptian master. 39:3 His master observed that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he was doing successful. 62 39:4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. 63 Potiphar appointed Joseph 64 overseer of his household and put him in charge 65 of everything he owned. 39:5 From the time 66 Potiphar 67 appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed 68 the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both 69 in his house and in his fields. 70 39:6 So Potiphar 71 left 72 everything he had in Joseph’s care; 73 he gave no thought 74 to anything except the food he ate. 75
Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. 76 39:7 Soon after these things, his master’s wife took notice of 77 Joseph and said, “Have sex with me.” 78 39:8 But he refused, saying 79 to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not give any thought 80 to his household with me here, 81 and everything that he owns he has put into my care. 82 39:9 There is no one greater in this household than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I do 83 such a great evil and sin against God?” 39:10 Even though she continued to speak 84 to Joseph day after day, he did not respond 85 to her invitation to have sex with her. 86
39:11 One day 87 he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants 88 were there in the house. 39:12 She grabbed him by his outer garment, saying, “Have sex with me!” But he left his outer garment in her hand and ran 89 outside. 90 39:13 When she saw that he had left his outer garment in her hand and had run outside, 39:14 she called for her household servants and said to them, “See, my husband brought 91 in a Hebrew man 92 to us to humiliate us. 93 He tried to have sex with me, 94 but I screamed loudly. 95 39:15 When he heard me raise 96 my voice and scream, he left his outer garment beside me and ran outside.”
39:16 So she laid his outer garment beside her until his master came home. 39:17 This is what she said to him: 97 “That Hebrew slave 98 you brought to us tried to humiliate me, 99 39:18 but when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his outer garment and ran outside.”
39:19 When his master heard his wife say, 100 “This is the way 101 your slave treated me,” 102 he became furious. 103 39:20 Joseph’s master took him and threw him into the prison, 104 the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in the prison. 105
39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness. 106 He granted him favor in the sight of the prison warden. 107 39:22 The warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care. He was in charge of whatever they were doing. 108 39:23 The warden did not concern himself 109 with anything that was in Joseph’s 110 care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.
40:1 After these things happened, the cupbearer 111 to the king of Egypt and the royal baker 112 offended 113 their master, the king of Egypt. 40:2 Pharaoh was enraged with his two officials, 114 the cupbearer and the baker, 40:3 so he imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard in the same facility where Joseph was confined. 40:4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be their attendant, and he served them. 115
They spent some time in custody. 116 40:5 Both of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream 117 the same night. 118 Each man’s dream had its own meaning. 119 40:6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were looking depressed. 120 40:7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials, who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” 121 40:8 They told him, “We both had dreams, 122 but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph responded, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell them 123 to me.”
40:9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: 124 “In my dream, there was a vine in front of me. 40:10 On the vine there were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes. 40:11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes, squeezed them into his 125 cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” 126
40:12 “This is its meaning,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches represent 127 three days. 40:13 In three more days Pharaoh will reinstate you 128 and restore you to your office. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did before 129 when you were cupbearer. 40:14 But remember me 130 when it goes well for you, and show 131 me kindness. 132 Make mention 133 of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this prison, 134 40:15 for I really was kidnapped 135 from the land of the Hebrews and I have done nothing wrong here for which they should put me in a dungeon.”
40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation of the first dream was favorable, 136 he said to Joseph, “I also appeared in my dream and there were three baskets of white bread 137 on my head. 40:17 In the top basket there were baked goods of every kind for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them from the basket that was on my head.”
40:18 Joseph replied, “This is its meaning: The three baskets represent 138 three days. 40:19 In three more days Pharaoh will decapitate you 139 and impale you on a pole. Then the birds will eat your flesh from you.”
40:20 On the third day it was Pharaoh’s birthday, so he gave a feast for all his servants. He “lifted up” 140 the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants. 40:21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his former position 141 so that he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand, 40:22 but the chief baker he impaled, just as Joseph had predicted. 142 40:23 But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph – he forgot him. 143
41:1 At the end of two full years 144 Pharaoh had a dream. 145 As he was standing by the Nile, 41:2 seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile, 146 and they grazed in the reeds. 41:3 Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, 147 and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. 148 41:4 The bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
41:5 Then he fell asleep again and had a second dream: There were seven heads of grain growing 149 on one stalk, healthy 150 and good. 41:6 Then 151 seven heads of grain, thin and burned by the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 41:7 The thin heads swallowed up the seven healthy and full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream. 152
41:8 In the morning he 153 was troubled, so he called for 154 all the diviner-priests 155 of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, 156 but no one could interpret 157 them for him. 158 41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. 159 41:10 Pharaoh was enraged with his servants, and he put me in prison in the house of the captain of the guards – me and the chief baker. 41:11 We each had a dream one night; each of us had a dream with its own meaning. 160 41:12 Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant 161 of the captain of the guards, 162 was with us there. We told him our dreams, 163 and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us. 164 41:13 It happened just as he had said 165 to us – Pharaoh 166 restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker.” 167
41:14 Then Pharaoh summoned 168 Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh. 41:15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, 169 and there is no one who can interpret 170 it. But I have heard about you, that 171 you can interpret dreams.” 172 41:16 Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “It is not within my power, 173 but God will speak concerning 174 the welfare of Pharaoh.” 175
41:17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing 176 by the edge of the Nile. 41:18 Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. 177 41:19 Then 178 seven other cows came up after them; they were scrawny, very bad-looking, and lean. I had never seen such bad-looking cows 179 as these in all the land of Egypt! 41:20 The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven 180 fat cows. 41:21 When they had eaten them, 181 no one would have known 182 that they had done so, for they were just as bad-looking as before. Then I woke up. 41:22 I also saw in my dream 183 seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good. 41:23 Then 184 seven heads of grain, withered and thin and burned with the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 41:24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. So I told all this 185 to the diviner-priests, but no one could tell me its meaning.” 186
41:25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning. 187 God has revealed 188 to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 189 41:26 The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning. 190 41:27 The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent 191 seven years of famine. 41:28 This is just what I told 192 Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 41:29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. 41:30 But seven years of famine will occur 193 after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate 194 the land. 41:31 The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered 195 because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe. 196 41:32 The dream was repeated to Pharaoh 197 because the matter has been decreed 198 by God, and God will make it happen soon. 199
41:33 “So now Pharaoh should look 200 for a wise and discerning man 201 and give him authority 202 over all the land of Egypt. 41:34 Pharaoh should do 203 this – he should appoint 204 officials 205 throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt 206 during the seven years of abundance. 41:35 They should gather all the excess food 207 during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority 208 they should store up grain so the cities will have food, 209 and they should preserve it. 210 41:36 This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.” 211
41:37 This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials. 212 41:38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find a man like Joseph, 213 one in whom the Spirit of God is present?” 214 41:39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning 215 as you are! 41:40 You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. 216 Only I, the king, will be greater than you. 217
41:41 “See here,” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I place 218 you in authority over all the land of Egypt.” 219 41:42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph’s. He clothed him with fine linen 220 clothes and put a gold chain around his neck. 41:43 Pharaoh 221 had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, 222 and they cried out before him, “Kneel down!” 223 So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 41:44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission 224 no one 225 will move his hand or his foot 226 in all the land of Egypt.” 41:45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. 227 He also gave him Asenath 228 daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, 229 to be his wife. So Joseph took charge of 230 all the land of Egypt.
41:46 Now Joseph was 30 years old 231 when he began serving 232 Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by 233 Pharaoh and was in charge of 234 all the land of Egypt. 41:47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests. 235 41:48 Joseph 236 collected all the excess food 237 in the land of Egypt during the seven years and stored it in the cities. 238 In every city he put the food gathered from the fields around it. 41:49 Joseph stored up a vast amount of grain, like the sand of the sea, 239 until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure.
41:50 Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came. 240 Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, was their mother. 241 41:51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, 242 saying, 243 “Certainly 244 God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” 41:52 He named the second child Ephraim, 245 saying, 246 “Certainly 247 God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
41:53 The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end. 41:54 Then the seven years of famine began, 248 just as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food. 41:55 When all the land of Egypt experienced the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh said to all the people of Egypt, 249 “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”
41:56 While the famine was over all the earth, 250 Joseph opened the storehouses 251 and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. 41:57 People from every country 252 came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth.
42:1 When Jacob heard 253 there was grain in Egypt, he 254 said to his sons, “Why are you looking at each other?” 255 42:2 He then said, “Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us 256 so that we may live 257 and not die.” 258
42:3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 42:4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, 259 for he said, 260 “What if some accident 261 happens 262 to him?” 42:5 So Israel’s sons came to buy grain among the other travelers, 263 for the famine was severe in the land of Canaan.
42:6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the country, the one who sold grain to all the people of the country. 264 Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down 265 before him with 266 their faces to the ground. 42:7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger 267 to them and spoke to them harshly. He asked, “Where do you come from?” They answered, 268 “From the land of Canaan, to buy grain for food.” 269
42:8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 42:9 Then Joseph remembered 270 the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see if our land is vulnerable!” 271
42:10 But they exclaimed, 272 “No, my lord! Your servants have come to buy grain for food! 42:11 We are all the sons of one man; we are honest men! Your servants are not spies.”
42:12 “No,” he insisted, “but you have come to see if our land is vulnerable.” 273 42:13 They replied, “Your servants are from a family of twelve brothers. 274 We are the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father at this time, 275 and one is no longer alive.” 276
42:14 But Joseph told them, “It is just as I said to you: 277 You are spies! 42:15 You will be tested in this way: As surely as Pharaoh lives, 278 you will not depart from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 42:16 One of you must go and get 279 your brother, while 280 the rest of you remain in prison. 281 In this way your words may be tested to see if 282 you are telling the truth. 283 If not, then, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 42:17 He imprisoned 284 them all for three days. 42:18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do as I say 285 and you will live, 286 for I fear God. 287 42:19 If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers confined here in prison 288 while the rest of you go 289 and take grain back for your hungry families. 290 42:20 But you must bring 291 your youngest brother to me. Then 292 your words will be verified 293 and you will not die.” They did as he said. 294
42:21 They said to one other, 295 “Surely we’re being punished 296 because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was 297 when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress 298 has come on us!” 42:22 Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Don’t sin against the boy,’ but you wouldn’t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!” 299 42:23 (Now 300 they did not know that Joseph could understand them, 301 for he was speaking through an interpreter.) 302 42:24 He turned away from them and wept. When he turned around and spoke to them again, 303 he had Simeon taken 304 from them and tied up 305 before their eyes.
42:25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill 306 their bags with grain, to return each man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. His orders were carried out. 307 42:26 So they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. 308
42:27 When one of them 309 opened his sack to get feed for his donkey at their resting place, 310 he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. 311 42:28 He said to his brothers, “My money was returned! Here it is in my sack!” They were dismayed; 312 they turned trembling one to another 313 and said, “What in the world has God done to us?” 314
42:29 They returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him all the things that had happened to them, saying, 42:30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us 315 as if we were 316 spying on the land. 42:31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies! 42:32 We are from a family of twelve brothers; we are the sons of one father. 317 One is no longer alive, 318 and the youngest is with our father at this time 319 in the land of Canaan.’
42:33 “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 320 for your hungry households and go. 42:34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know 321 that you are honest men and not spies. 322 Then I will give your brother back to you and you may move about freely in the land.’” 323
42:35 When they were emptying their sacks, there was each man’s bag of money in his sack! When they and their father saw the bags of money, they were afraid. 42:36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You are making me childless! Joseph is gone. 324 Simeon is gone. 325 And now you want to take 326 Benjamin! Everything is against me.”
42:37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may 327 put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care 328 and I will bring him back to you.” 42:38 But Jacob 329 replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. 330 If an accident happens to him on the journey you have to make, then you will bring down my gray hair 331 in sorrow to the grave.” 332
30:29 “You know how I have worked for you,” Jacob replied, 333 “and how well your livestock have fared under my care. 334
6:5 Slaves, 335 obey your human masters 336 with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ, 6:6 not like those who do their work only when someone is watching 337 – as people-pleasers – but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart. 338 6:7 Obey 339 with enthusiasm, as though serving the Lord 340 and not people, 6:8 because you know that each person, whether slave or free, if he does something good, this 341 will be rewarded by the Lord.
2:1 But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with 356 sound teaching.
2:1 But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with 357 sound teaching.
1 tn Heb “went down from.”
2 tn Heb “and he turned aside unto.”
3 tn Heb “a man, an Adullamite.”
4 tn Heb “a man, a Canaanite.”
5 tn Heb “and his name was Shua.”
6 tn Heb “and he took her.”
7 tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
8 tn Or “she conceived” (also in the following verse).
9 tc Some
10 tn Heb “and she added again and she gave birth.” The first verb and the adverb emphasize that she gave birth once more.
11 tn Or “and he [i.e., Judah] was in Kezib when she gave birth to him.”
12 tn Heb “and Judah took.”
13 tn Heb “go to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
14 tn The imperative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose.
15 sn Raise up a descendant for your brother. The purpose of this custom, called the levirate system, was to ensure that no line of the family would become extinct. The name of the deceased was to be maintained through this custom of having a child by the nearest relative. See M. Burrows, “Levirate Marriage in Israel,” JBL 59 (1940): 23-33.
16 tn Heb “offspring.”
17 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.
18 tn The construction shows that this was a repeated practice and not merely one action.
19 tn Heb “he went to.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
20 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.
21 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
22 tn Heb “said.”
23 tn Heb “Otherwise he will die, also he, like his brothers.”
24 sn After some time. There is not enough information in the narrative to know how long this was. The text says “the days increased.” It was long enough for Shelah to mature and for Tamar to realize she would not have him.
25 tn Heb “and he went up to the shearers of his sheep, he and.”
26 tn Heb “And it was told to Tamar, saying.”
27 tn The active participle indicates the action was in progress or about to begin.
28 tn The Hebrew text simply has “because,” connecting this sentence to what precedes. For stylistic reasons the words “she did this” are supplied in the translation and a new sentence begun.
29 tn Heb “she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she was not given to him as a wife.”
30 tn Heb “he reckoned her for a prostitute,” which was what Tamar had intended for him to do. She obviously had some idea of his inclinations, or she would not have tried this risky plan.
31 tn Heb “I will go to you.” The imperfect verbal form probably indicates his desire here. The expression “go to” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
32 tn Heb “for he did not know that.”
33 tn Heb “when you come to me.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
34 tn Heb “until you send.”
35 tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
36 tn Heb “and she arose and left,” the first verb in the pair emphasizing that she wasted no time.
37 tn Heb “sent by the hand of his friend.” Here the name of the friend (“Hirah”) has been included in the translation for clarity.
38 tn Heb “to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand.”
39 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Judah’s friend Hirah the Adullamite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
40 tn Heb “the men of her place,” that is, who lived at the place where she had been.
41 sn The Hebrew noun translated “cult prostitute” is derived from a verb meaning “to be set apart; to be distinct.” Thus the term refers to a woman who did not marry, but was dedicated to temple service as a cult prostitute. The masculine form of this noun is used for male cult prostitutes. Judah thought he had gone to an ordinary prostitute (v. 15); but Hirah went looking for a cult prostitute, perhaps because it had been a sheep-shearing festival. For further discussion see E. M. Yamauchi, “Cultic Prostitution,” Orient and Occident (AOAT), 213-23.
42 tn The words “the things” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
43 tn Heb “we will become contemptible.” The Hebrew word בּוּז (buz) describes the contempt that a respectable person would have for someone who is worthless, foolish, or disreputable.
44 tn Heb “it was told to Judah, saying.”
45 tn Or “has been sexually promiscuous.” The verb may refer here to loose or promiscuous activity, not necessarily prostitution.
46 tn Heb “and also look, she is with child by prostitution.”
47 tn Heb “she was being brought out and she sent.” The juxtaposition of two clauses, both of which place the subject before the predicate, indicates synchronic action.
48 tn Heb “who these to him.”
49 tn Or “ recognize; note.” This same Hebrew verb (נָכַר, nakhar) is used at the beginning of v. 26, where it is translated “recognized.”
50 tn Traditionally “more righteous”; cf. NCV, NRSV, NLT “more in the right.”
51 tn Heb “and he did not add again to know her.” Here “know” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
52 tn The word “child” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
53 tn Heb “Look, his brother came out.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through the midwife’s eyes. The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
54 tn Heb “How you have made a breach for yourself!” The Hebrew verb translated “make a breach” frequently occurs, as here, with a cognate accusative. The event provided the meaningful name Perez, “he who breaks through.”
55 sn The name Perez means “he who breaks through,” referring to Perez reaching out his hand at birth before his brother was born. The naming signified the completion of Tamar’s struggle and also depicted the destiny of the tribe of Perez who later became dominant (Gen 46:12 and Num 26:20). Judah and his brothers had sold Joseph into slavery, thinking they could thwart God’s plan that the elder brothers should serve the younger. God demonstrated that principle through these births in Judah’s own family, affirming that the elder will serve the younger, and that Joseph’s leadership could not so easily be set aside. See J. Goldin, “The Youngest Son; or, Where Does Genesis 38 Belong?” JBL 96 (1977): 27-44.
56 sn Perhaps the child was named Zerah because of the scarlet thread. Though the Hebrew word used for “scarlet thread” in v. 28 is not related to the name Zerah, there is a related root in Babylonian and western Aramaic that means “scarlet” or “scarlet thread.” In Hebrew the name appears to be derived from a root meaning “to shine.” The name could have originally meant something like “shining one” or “God has shined.” Zerah became the head of a tribe (Num 26:20) from whom Achan descended (Josh 7:1).
57 tn The disjunctive clause resumes the earlier narrative pertaining to Joseph by recapitulating the event described in 37:36. The perfect verbal form is given a past perfect translation to restore the sequence of the narrative for the reader.
58 sn Captain of the guard. See the note on this phrase in Gen 37:36.
59 tn Heb “from the hand of.”
60 tn Heb “and he was a prosperous man.” This does not mean that Joseph became wealthy, but that he was successful in what he was doing, or making progress in his situation (see 24:21).
61 tn Heb “and he was.”
62 tn The Hebrew text adds “in his hand,” a phrase not included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
63 sn The Hebrew verb translated became his personal attendant refers to higher domestic service, usually along the lines of a personal attendant. Here Joseph is made the household steward, a position well-attested in Egyptian literature.
64 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
65 tn Heb “put into his hand.”
66 tn Heb “and it was from then.”
67 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
68 sn The Hebrew word translated blessed carries the idea of enrichment, prosperity, success. It is the way believers describe success at the hand of God. The text illustrates the promise made to Abraham that whoever blesses his descendants will be blessed (Gen 12:1-3).
69 tn Heb “in the house and in the field.” The word “both” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
70 sn The passage gives us a good picture of Joseph as a young man who was responsible and faithful, both to his master and to his God. This happened within a very short time of his being sold into Egypt. It undermines the view that Joseph was a liar, a tattletale, and an arrogant adolescent.
71 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
72 sn The Hebrew verb translated left indicates he relinquished the care of it to Joseph. This is stronger than what was said earlier. Apparently Potiphar had come to trust Joseph so much that he knew it was in better care with Joseph than with anyone else.
73 tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.
74 tn Heb “did not know.”
75 sn The expression except the food he ate probably refers to Potiphar’s private affairs and should not be limited literally to what he ate.
76 tn Heb “handsome of form and handsome of appearance.” The same Hebrew expressions were used in Gen 29:17 for Rachel.
77 tn Heb “she lifted up her eyes toward,” an expression that emphasizes her deliberate and careful scrutiny of him.
78 tn Heb “lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
79 tn Heb “and he said.”
80 tn Heb “know.”
81 tn The word “here” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
82 tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.
83 tn The nuance of potential imperfect fits this context.
84 tn The verse begins with the temporal indicator, followed by the infinitive construct with the preposition כְּ (kÿ). This clause could therefore be taken as temporal.
85 tn Heb “listen to.”
86 tn Heb “to lie beside her to be with her.” Here the expression “to lie beside” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
87 tn Heb “and it was about this day.”
88 tn Heb “the men of the house.”
89 tn Heb “he fled and he went out.” The construction emphasizes the point that Joseph got out of there quickly.
90 sn For discussion of this episode, see A. M. Honeyman, “The Occasion of Joseph’s Temptation,” VT 2 (1952): 85-87.
91 tn The verb has no expressed subject, and so it could be treated as a passive (“a Hebrew man was brought in”; cf. NIV). But it is clear from the context that her husband brought Joseph into the household, so Potiphar is the apparent referent here. Thus the translation supplies “my husband” as the referent of the unspecified pronominal subject of the verb (cf. NEB, NRSV).
92 sn A Hebrew man. Potiphar’s wife raises the ethnic issue when talking to her servants about what their boss had done.
93 tn Heb “to make fun of us.” The verb translated “to humiliate us” here means to hold something up for ridicule, or to toy with something harmfully. Attempted rape would be such an activity, for it would hold the victim in contempt.
94 tn Heb “he came to me to lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
95 tn Heb “and I cried out with a loud voice.”
96 tn Heb “that I raised.”
97 tn Heb “and she spoke to him according to these words, saying.”
98 sn That Hebrew slave. Now, when speaking to her husband, Potiphar’s wife refers to Joseph as a Hebrew slave, a very demeaning description.
99 tn Heb “came to me to make fun of me.” The statement needs no explanation because of the connotations of “came to me” and “to make fun of me.” See the note on the expression “humiliate us” in v. 14.
100 tn Heb “and when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying.”
101 tn Heb “according to these words.”
102 tn Heb “did to me.”
103 tn Heb “his anger burned.”
104 tn Heb “the house of roundness,” suggesting that the prison might have been a fortress or citadel.
105 sn The story of Joseph is filled with cycles and repetition: He has two dreams (chap. 37), he interprets two dreams in prison (chap. 40) and the two dreams of Pharaoh (chap. 41), his brothers make two trips to see him (chaps. 42-43), and here, for the second time (see 37:24), he is imprisoned for no good reason, with only his coat being used as evidence. For further discussion see H. Jacobsen, “A Legal Note on Potiphar’s Wife,” HTR 69 (1976): 177.
106 tn Heb “and he extended to him loyal love.”
107 tn Or “the chief jailer” (also in the following verses).
108 tn Heb “all which they were doing there, he was doing.” This probably means that Joseph was in charge of everything that went on in the prison.
109 tn Heb “was not looking at anything.”
110 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
111 sn The Hebrew term cupbearer corresponds to the Egyptian wb’, an official (frequently a foreigner) who often became a confidant of the king and wielded political power (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD3 248). Nehemiah held this post in Persia.
112 sn The baker may be the Egyptian retehti, the head of the bakers, who had privileges in the royal court.
113 sn The Hebrew verb translated offended here is the same one translated “sin” in 39:9. Perhaps there is an intended contrast between these officials, who deserve to be imprisoned, and Joseph, who refused to sin against God, but was thrown into prison in spite of his innocence.
114 tn The Hebrew word סָרִיס (saris), used here of these two men and of Potiphar (see 39:1), normally means “eunuch.” But evidence from Akkadian texts shows that in early times the title was used of a court official in general. Only later did it become more specialized in its use.
115 sn He served them. This is the same Hebrew verb, meaning “to serve as a personal attendant,” that was translated “became [his] servant” in 39:4.
116 tn Heb “they were days in custody.”
117 tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”
118 tn Heb “a man his dream in one night.”
119 tn Heb “a man according to the interpretation of his dream.”
120 tn The verb זָעַף (za’af) only occurs here and Dan 1:10. It means “to be sick, to be emaciated,” probably in this case because of depression.
121 tn Heb “why are your faces sad today?”
122 tn Heb “a dream we dreamed.”
123 tn The word “them” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
124 tn The Hebrew text adds “and he said to him.” This has not been translated because it is redundant in English.
125 tn Heb “the cup of Pharaoh.” The pronoun “his” has been used here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
126 sn The cupbearer’s dream is dominated by sets of three: three branches, three stages of growth, and three actions of the cupbearer.
127 tn Heb “the three branches [are].”
128 tn Heb “Pharaoh will lift up your head.” This Hebrew idiom usually refers to restoring dignity, office, or power. It is comparable to the modern saying “someone can hold his head up high.”
129 tn Heb “according to the former custom.”
130 tn Heb “but you have remembered me with you.” The perfect verbal form may be used rhetorically here to emphasize Joseph’s desire to be remembered. He speaks of the action as already being accomplished in order to make it clear that he expects it to be done. The form can be translated as volitional, expressing a plea or a request.
131 tn This perfect verbal form with the prefixed conjunction (and the two that immediately follow) carry the same force as the preceding perfect.
132 tn Heb “deal with me [in] kindness.”
133 tn The verb זָכַר (zakhar) in the Hiphil stem means “to cause to remember, to make mention, to boast.” The implication is that Joseph would be pleased for them to tell his story and give him the credit due him so that Pharaoh would release him. Since Pharaoh had never met Joseph, the simple translation of “cause him to remember me” would mean little.
134 tn Heb “house.” The word “prison” has been substituted in the translation for clarity.
135 tn The verb גָּנַב (ganav) means “to steal,” but in the Piel/Pual stem “to steal away.” The idea of “kidnap” would be closer to the sense, meaning he was stolen and carried off. The preceding infinitive absolute underscores the point Joseph is making.
136 tn Heb “that [the] interpretation [was] good.” The words “the first dream” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
137 tn Or “three wicker baskets.” The meaning of the Hebrew noun חֹרִי (khori, “white bread, cake”) is uncertain; some have suggested the meaning “wicker” instead. Comparison with texts from Ebla suggests the meaning “pastries made with white flour” (M. Dahood, “Eblaite h¬a-rí and Genesis 40,16 h£o„rî,” BN 13 [1980]: 14-16).
138 tn Heb “the three baskets [are].”
139 tn Heb “Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you.” Joseph repeats the same expression from the first interpretation (see v. 13), but with the added words “from upon you,” which allow the statement to have a more literal and ominous meaning – the baker will be decapitated.
140 tn The translation puts the verb in quotation marks because it is used rhetorically here and has a double meaning. With respect to the cup bearer it means “reinstate” (see v. 13), but with respect to the baker it means “decapitate” (see v. 19).
141 tn Heb “his cupbearing.”
142 tn Heb “had interpreted for them.”
143 tn The wayyiqtol verbal form here has a reiterative or emphasizing function.
144 tn Heb “two years, days.”
145 tn Heb “was dreaming.”
146 tn Heb “And look, he was standing by the Nile, and look, from the Nile were coming up seven cows, attractive of appearance and fat of flesh.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to see the dream through Pharaoh’s eyes.
147 tn Heb “And look, seven other cows were coming up after them from the Nile, bad of appearance and thin of flesh.”
148 tn Heb “the Nile.” This has been replaced by “the river” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
149 tn Heb “coming up.”
150 tn Heb “fat.”
151 tn Heb “And look.”
152 tn Heb “And look, a dream.”
153 tn Heb “his spirit.”
154 tn Heb “he sent and called,” which indicates an official summons.
155 tn The Hebrew term חַרְטֹם (khartom) is an Egyptian loanword (hyr-tp) that describes a class of priests who were skilled in such interpretations.
156 tn The Hebrew text has the singular (though the Samaritan Pentateuch reads the plural). If retained, the singular must be collective for the set of dreams. Note the plural pronoun “them,” referring to the dreams, in the next clause. However, note that in v. 15 Pharaoh uses the singular to refer to the two dreams. In vv. 17-24 Pharaoh seems to treat the dreams as two parts of one dream (see especially v. 22).
157 tn “there was no interpreter.”
158 tn Heb “for Pharaoh.” The pronoun “him” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
159 tn Heb “sins, offenses.” He probably refers here to the offenses that landed him in prison (see 40:1).
160 tn Heb “and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he, each according to the interpretation of his dream we dreamed.”
161 tn Or “slave.”
162 tn Heb “a servant to the captain of the guards.” On this construction see GKC 419-20 §129.c.
163 tn The words “our dreams” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
164 tn Heb “and he interpreted for us our dreams, each according to his dream he interpreted.”
165 tn Heb “interpreted.”
166 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
167 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the baker) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
168 tn Heb “and Pharaoh sent and called,” indicating a summons to the royal court.
169 tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”
170 tn Heb “there is no one interpreting.”
171 tn Heb “saying.”
172 tn Heb “you hear a dream to interpret it,” which may mean, “you only have to hear a dream to be able to interpret it.”
173 tn Heb “not within me.”
174 tn Heb “God will answer.”
175 tn The expression שְׁלוֹם פַּרְעֹה (shÿlom par’oh) is here rendered “the welfare of Pharaoh” because the dream will be about life in his land. Some interpret it to mean an answer of “peace” – one that will calm his heart, or give him the answer that he desires (cf. NIV, NRSV, NLT).
176 tn Heb “In my dream look, I was standing.” The use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here (and also in vv. 18, 19, 22, 23) invites the hearer (within the context of the narrative, Joseph; but in the broader sense the reader or hearer of the Book of Genesis) to observe the scene through Pharaoh’s eyes.
177 tn Heb “and look, from the Nile seven cows were coming up, fat of flesh and attractive of appearance, and they grazed in the reeds.”
178 tn Heb “And look.”
179 tn The word “cows” is supplied here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
180 tn Heb “the seven first fat cows.”
181 tn Heb “when they went inside them.”
182 tn Heb “it was not known.”
183 tn Heb “and I saw in my dream and look.”
184 tn Heb “And look.”
185 tn The words “all this” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
186 tn Heb “and there was no one telling me.”
187 tn Heb “the dream of Pharaoh is one.”
188 tn Heb “declared.”
189 tn The active participle here indicates what is imminent.
190 tn Heb “one dream it is.”
191 tn Heb “are.” Another option is to translate, “There will be seven years of famine.”
192 tn Heb “it is the word that I spoke.”
193 tn The perfect with the vav consecutive continues the time frame of the preceding participle, which has an imminent future nuance here.
194 tn The Hebrew verb כָּלָה (kalah) in the Piel stem means “to finish, to destroy, to bring an end to.” The severity of the famine will ruin the land of Egypt.
195 tn Heb “known.”
196 tn Or “heavy.”
197 tn Heb “and concerning the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh two times.” The Niphal infinitive here is the object of the preposition; it is followed by the subjective genitive “of the dream.”
198 tn Heb “established.”
199 tn The clause combines a participle and an infinitive construct: God “is hurrying…to do it,” meaning he is going to do it soon.
200 tn Heb “let Pharaoh look.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.
201 tn Heb “a man discerning and wise.” The order of the terms is rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
202 tn Heb “and let him set him.”
203 tn The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. The Samaritan Pentateuch has a jussive form here, “and let [Pharaoh] do.”
204 tn Heb “and let him appoint.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.
205 tn Heb “appointees.” The noun is a cognate accusative of the preceding verb. Since “appoint appointees” would be redundant in English, the term “officials” was used in the translation instead.
206 tn Heb “and he shall collect a fifth of the land of Egypt.” The language is figurative (metonymy); it means what the land produces, i.e., the harvest.
207 tn Heb “all the food.”
208 tn Heb “under the hand of Pharaoh.”
209 tn Heb “[for] food in the cities.” The noun translated “food” is an adverbial accusative in the sentence.
210 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same force as the sequence of jussives before it.
211 tn Heb “and the land will not be cut off in the famine.”
212 tn Heb “and the matter was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.”
213 tn Heb “like this,” but the referent could be misunderstood to be a man like that described by Joseph in v. 33, rather than Joseph himself. For this reason the proper name “Joseph” has been supplied in the translation.
214 tn The rhetorical question expects the answer “No, of course not!”
215 tn Heb “as discerning and wise.” The order has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
216 tn Heb “and at your mouth (i.e., instructions) all my people will kiss.” G. J. Wenham translates this “shall kowtow to your instruction” (Genesis [WBC], 2:395). Although there is some textual support for reading “will be judged, ruled by you,” this is probably an attempt to capture the significance of this word. Wenham lists a number of references where individuals have tried to make connections with other words or expressions – such as a root meaning “order themselves” lying behind “kiss,” or an idiomatic idea of “kiss” meaning “seal the mouth,” and so “be silent and submit to.” See K. A. Kitchen, “The Term Nsq in Genesis 41:40,” ExpTim 69 (1957): 30; D. S. Sperling, “Genesis 41:40: A New Interpretation,” JANESCU 10 (1978): 113-19.
217 tn Heb “only the throne, I will be greater than you.”
218 tn The translation assumes that the perfect verbal form is descriptive of a present action. Another option is to understand it as rhetorical, in which case Pharaoh describes a still future action as if it had already occurred in order to emphasize its certainty. In this case one could translate “I have placed” or “I will place.” The verb נָתַן (natan) is translated here as “to place in authority [over].”
219 sn Joseph became the grand vizier of the land of Egypt. See W. A. Ward, “The Egyptian Office of Joseph,” JSS 5 (1960): 144-50; and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 129-31.
220 tn The Hebrew word שֵׁשׁ (shesh) is an Egyptian loanword that describes the fine linen robes that Egyptian royalty wore. The clothing signified Joseph’s rank.
221 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
222 tn Heb “and he caused him to ride in the second chariot which was his.”
223 tn The verb form appears to be a causative imperative from a verbal root meaning “to kneel.” It is a homonym of the word “bless” (identical in root letters but not related etymologically).
224 tn Heb “apart from you.”
225 tn Heb “no man,” but here “man” is generic, referring to people in general.
226 tn The idiom “lift up hand or foot” means “take any action” here.
227 sn The meaning of Joseph’s Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah, is uncertain. Many recent commentators have followed the proposal of G. Steindorff that it means “the god has said, ‘he will live’” (“Der Name Josephs Saphenat-Pa‘neach,” ZÄS 31 [1889]: 41-42); others have suggested “the god speaks and lives” (see BDB 861 s.v. צָפְנָת פַּעְנֵחַ); “the man he knows” (J. Vergote, Joseph en Égypte, 145); or “Joseph [who is called] áIp-àankh” (K. A. Kitchen, NBD3 1262).
228 sn The name Asenath may mean “she belongs to the goddess Neit” (see HALOT 74 s.v. אָֽסְנַת). A novel was written at the beginning of the first century entitled Joseph and Asenath, which included a legendary account of the conversion of Asenath to Joseph’s faith in Yahweh. However, all that can be determined from this chapter is that their children received Hebrew names. See also V. Aptowitzer, “Asenath, the Wife of Joseph – a Haggadic Literary-Historical Study,” HUCA 1 (1924): 239-306.
229 sn On (also in v. 50) is another name for the city of Heliopolis.
230 tn Heb “and he passed through.”
231 tn Heb “a son of thirty years.”
232 tn Heb “when he stood before.”
233 tn Heb “went out from before.”
234 tn Heb “and he passed through all the land of Egypt”; this phrase is interpreted by JPS to mean that Joseph “emerged in charge of the whole land.”
235 tn Heb “brought forth by handfuls.”
236 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
237 tn Heb “all the food.”
238 tn Heb “of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt and placed food in the cities.”
239 tn Heb “and Joseph gathered grain like the sand of the sea, multiplying much.” To emphasize the vast amount of grain he stored up, the Hebrew text modifies the verb “gathered” with an infinitive absolute and an adverb.
240 tn Heb “before the year of the famine came.”
241 tn Heb “gave birth for him.”
242 sn The name Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, mÿnasheh) describes God’s activity on behalf of Joseph, explaining in general the significance of his change of fortune. The name is a Piel participle, suggesting the meaning “he who brings about forgetfulness.” The Hebrew verb נַשַּׁנִי (nashani) may have been used instead of the normal נִשַּׁנִי (nishani) to provide a closer sound play with the name. The giving of this Hebrew name to his son shows that Joseph retained his heritage and faith; and it shows that a brighter future was in store for him.
243 tn The word “saying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
244 tn Or “for.”
245 sn The name Ephraim (אֶפְרַיִם, ’efrayim), a form of the Hebrew verb פָּרָה (parah), means “to bear fruit.” The theme of fruitfulness is connected with this line of the family from Rachel (30:2) on down (see Gen 49:22, Deut 33:13-17, and Hos 13:15). But there is some difficulty with the name “Ephraim” itself. It appears to be a dual, for which F. Delitzsch simply said it meant “double fruitfulness” (New Commentary on Genesis, 2:305). G. J. Spurrell suggested it was a diphthongal pronunciation of a name ending in -an or -am, often thought to be dual suffixes (Notes on the text of the book of Genesis, 334). Many, however, simply connect the name to the territory of Ephraim and interpret it to be “fertile land” (C. Fontinoy, “Les noms de lieux en -ayim dans la Bible,” UF 3 [1971]: 33-40). The dual would then be an old locative ending. There is no doubt that the name became attached to the land in which the tribe settled, and it is possible that is where the dual ending came from, but in this story it refers to Joseph’s God-given fruitfulness.
246 tn The word “saying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
247 tn Or “for.”
248 tn Heb “began to arrive.”
249 tn Heb “to all Egypt.” The name of the country is used by metonymy for the inhabitants.
250 tn Or “over the entire land”; Heb “over all the face of the earth.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal to the next clause.
251 tc The MT reads “he opened all that was in [or “among”] them.” The translation follows the reading of the LXX and Syriac versions.
252 tn Heb “all the earth,” which refers here (by metonymy) to the people of the earth. Note that the following verb is plural in form, indicating that the inhabitants of the earth are in view.
253 tn Heb “saw.”
254 tn Heb “Jacob.” Here the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
255 sn Why are you looking at each other? The point of Jacob’s question is that his sons should be going to get grain rather than sitting around doing nothing. Jacob, as the patriarch, still makes the decisions for the whole clan.
256 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.
257 tn Following the imperatives, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav expresses purpose of result.
258 tn The imperfect tense continues the nuance of the verb before it.
259 tn Heb “But Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, Jacob did not send with his brothers.” The disjunctive clause highlights the contrast between Benjamin and the other ten.
260 tn The Hebrew verb אָמַר (’amar, “to say”) could also be translated “thought” (i.e., “he said to himself”) here, giving Jacob’s reasoning rather than spoken words.
261 tn The Hebrew noun אָסוֹן (’ason) is a rare word meaning “accident, harm.” Apart from its use in these passages it occurs in Exodus 21:22-23 of an accident to a pregnant woman. The term is a rather general one, but Jacob was no doubt thinking of his loss of Joseph.
262 tn Heb “encounters.”
263 tn Heb “in the midst of the coming ones.”
264 tn The disjunctive clause either introduces a new episode in the unfolding drama or provides the reader with supplemental information necessary to understanding the story.
265 sn Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him. Here is the beginning of the fulfillment of Joseph’s dreams (see Gen 37). But it is not the complete fulfillment, since all his brothers and his parents must come. The point of the dream, of course, was not simply to get the family to bow to Joseph, but that Joseph would be placed in a position of rule and authority to save the family and the world (41:57).
266 tn The word “faces” is an adverbial accusative, so the preposition has been supplied in the translation.
267 sn But pretended to be a stranger. Joseph intends to test his brothers to see if they have changed and have the integrity to be patriarchs of the tribes of Israel. He will do this by putting them in the same situations that they and he were in before. The first test will be to awaken their conscience.
268 tn Heb “said.”
269 tn The verb is denominative, meaning “to buy grain”; the word “food” could simply be the direct object, but may also be an adverbial accusative.
270 sn You are spies. Joseph wanted to see how his brothers would react if they were accused of spying.
271 tn Heb “to see the nakedness of the land you have come.”
272 tn Heb “and they said to him.” In context this is best understood as an exclamation.
273 tn Heb “and he said, ‘No, for the nakedness of the land you have come to see.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for clarity.
274 tn Heb “twelve [were] your servants, brothers [are] we.”
275 tn Heb “today.”
276 tn Heb “and the one is not.”
277 tn Heb “to you, saying.”
278 tn Heb “[By] the life of Pharaoh.”
279 tn Heb “send from you one and let him take.” After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose.
280 tn The disjunctive clause is here circumstantial-temporal.
281 tn Heb “bound.”
282 tn The words “to see” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
283 tn Heb “the truth [is] with you.”
284 sn The same Hebrew word is used for Joseph’s imprisonment in 40:3, 4, 7. There is some mirroring going on in the narrative. The Hebrew word used here (אָסַף, ’asaf, “to gather”) is not normally used in a context like this (for placing someone in prison), but it forms a wordplay on the name Joseph (יוֹסֵף, yosoef) and keeps the comparison working.
285 tn Heb “Do this.”
286 tn After the preceding imperative, the imperative with vav (ו) can, as here, indicate logical sequence.
287 sn For I fear God. Joseph brings God into the picture to awaken his brothers’ consciences. The godly person cares about the welfare of people, whether they live or die. So he will send grain back, but keep one of them in Egypt. This action contrasts with their crime of selling their brother into slavery.
288 tn Heb “bound in the house of your prison.”
289 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal.
290 tn Heb “[for] the hunger of your households.”
291 tn The imperfect here has an injunctive force.
292 tn After the injunctive imperfect, this imperfect with vav indicates purpose or result.
293 tn The Niphal form of the verb has the sense of “to be faithful; to be sure; to be reliable.” Joseph will test his brothers to see if their words are true.
294 tn Heb “and they did so.”
295 tn Heb “a man to his neighbor.”
296 tn Or “we are guilty”; the Hebrew word can also refer to the effect of being guilty, i.e., “we are being punished for guilt.”
297 tn Heb “the distress of his soul.”
298 sn The repetition of the Hebrew noun translated distress draws attention to the fact that they regard their present distress as appropriate punishment for their refusal to ignore their brother when he was in distress.
299 tn Heb “and also his blood, look, it is required.” God requires compensation, as it were, from those who shed innocent blood (see Gen 9:6). In other words, God exacts punishment for the crime of murder.
300 tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information that is important to the story.
301 tn “was listening.” The brothers were not aware that Joseph could understand them as they spoke the preceding words in their native language.
302 tn Heb “for [there was] an interpreter between them.” On the meaning of the word here translated “interpreter” see HALOT 590 s.v. מֵלִיץ and M. A. Canney, “The Hebrew melis (Prov IX 12; Gen XLII 2-3),” AJSL 40 (1923/24): 135-37.
303 tn Heb “and he turned to them and spoke to them.”
304 tn Heb “took Simeon.” This was probably done at Joseph’s command, however; the grand vizier of Egypt would not have personally seized a prisoner.
305 tn Heb “and he bound him.” See the note on the preceding verb “taken.”
306 tn Heb “and they filled.” The clause appears to be elliptical; one expects “Joseph gave orders to fill…and they filled.” See GKC 386 §120.f.
307 tn Heb “and he did for them so.” Joseph would appear to be the subject of the singular verb. If the text is retained, the statement seems to be a summary of the preceding, more detailed statement. However, some read the verb as plural, “and they did for them so.” In this case the statement indicates that Joseph’s subordinates carried out his orders. Another alternative is to read the singular verb as passive (with unspecified subject), “and this was done for them so” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).
308 tn Heb “and they went from there.”
309 tn Heb “and the one.” The article indicates that the individual is vivid in the mind of the narrator, yet it is not important to identify him by name.
310 tn Heb “at the lodging place.”
311 tn Heb “and look, it [was] in the mouth of his sack.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to look through the eyes of the character and thereby draws attention to the money.
312 tn Heb “and their heart went out.” Since this expression is used only here, the exact meaning is unclear. The following statement suggests that it may refer to a sudden loss of emotional strength, so “They were dismayed” adequately conveys the meaning (cf. NRSV); NIV has “Their hearts sank.”
313 tn Heb “and they trembled, a man to his neighbor.”
314 tn Heb “What is this God has done to us?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question.
315 tn Heb “made us.”
316 tn The words “if we were” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
317 tn Heb “twelve [were] we, brothers, sons of our father [are] we.”
318 tn Heb “the one is not.”
319 tn Heb “today.”
320 tn The word “grain” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
321 tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav indicates purpose/result.
322 tn Heb “that you are not spies, that you are honest men.”
323 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.
324 tn Heb “is not.”
325 tn Heb “is not.”
326 tn The nuance of the imperfect verbal form is desiderative here.
327 tn The nuance of the imperfect verbal form is permissive here.
328 tn Heb “my hand.”
329 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
330 sn The expression he alone is left meant that (so far as Jacob knew) Benjamin was the only surviving child of his mother Rachel.
331 sn The expression bring down my gray hair is figurative, using a part for the whole – they would put Jacob in the grave. But the gray head signifies a long life of worry and trouble.
332 tn Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.
333 tn Heb “and he said to him, ‘You know how I have served you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons, and the referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
334 tn Heb “and how your cattle were with me.”
335 tn Traditionally, “Servants” (KJV). Though δοῦλος (doulos) is often translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
336 tn Grk “the masters according to the flesh.” In the translation above, the article τοῖς (tois) governing κυρίοις (kuriois) is rendered in English as a possessive pronoun (i.e., “your”) and the prepositional phrase κατὰ σάρκα (kata sarka) is taken as modifying κυρίοις (indicating that the author is referring to human masters) and not modifying the imperative ὑπακούετε (Jupakouete, which would indicate that obedience was according to a human standard or limitation).
337 tn Grk “not according to eye-service.”
338 tn Grk “from the soul.”
339 tn Though the verb does not appear again at this point in the passage, it is nonetheless implied and supplied in the English translation for the sake of clarity.
340 tn Grk “serving as to the Lord.”
341 sn The pronoun “this” (τοῦτο, touto) stands first in its clause for emphasis, and stresses the fact that God will reward those, who in seeking him, do good.
342 tn On this word here and in 4:1, see the note on “fellow slave” in 1:7.
343 tn The prepositional phrase κατὰ σάρκα (kata sarka) does not necessarily qualify the masters as earthly or human (as opposed to the Master in heaven, the Lord), but could also refer to the sphere in which “the service-relation holds true.” See BDAG 577 s.v. κύριος 1.b.
344 tn The present progressive “are doing” was used in the translation of ποιῆτε (poihte) to bring out the idea that Paul is probably referring to what they already do for work.
345 tn Grk “from the soul.”
346 tn Grk “men”; here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is used in a generic sense and refers to people in general.
347 tn The article τῆς (ths) has been translated as a possessive pronoun, “your” (ExSyn 215). It may also be functioning to indicate a well-known concept (inheritance as eternal life). See BDAG 548 s.v. κληρονομία 3: “common in Christian usage (corresp. to the LXX) (the possession of) transcendent salvation (as the inheritance of God’s children).”
348 tn The genitive τῆς κληρονομίας (th" klhronomia") is a genitive of apposition: The reward consists of the inheritance.
349 tn The form of the term δουλεύετε (douleuete) is ambiguous; it can be read as either indicative or imperative. In favor of the indicative: (1) it seems to explain better the first part of v. 24, esp. “from the Lord” which would then read as: “because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as a reward for it is the Lord you are serving.” The “for” is supplied to make the relation explicit (it is actually added in many
350 tn Grk “that which he did wrong.”
351 tn The Greek word used here is προσωπολημψία (proswpolhmyia) and is usually translated “partiality.” It is used to describe unjust or unrighteous favoritism (Rom 2:11, Eph 6:9, Jas 2:1). When it comes to disciplining his children for their sins, God will treat all equally with no partiality.
352 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 1:1.
353 tn Or “to be subject to their own masters, to do what is wanted in everything.”
354 tn Or “showing that genuine faith is productive.” At issue between these two translations is the force of ἀγαθήν (agaqhn): Is it attributive (as the text has it) or predicate (as in this note)? A number of considerations point in the direction of a predicate ἀγαθήν (e.g., separation from the noun πίστιν (pistin) by the verb, the possibility that the construction is an object-complement, etc.), though is not usually seen as an option in either translations or commentaries. Cf. ExSyn 188-89, 312-13, for a discussion. Contextually, it makes an intriguing statement, for it suggests a synthetic or synonymous parallel: “‘Slaves should be wholly subject to their masters…demonstrating that all [genuine] faith is productive, with the result [ecbatic ἵνα] that they will completely adorn the doctrine of God.’ The point of the text, then, if this understanding is correct, is an exhortation to slaves to demonstrate that their faith is sincere and results in holy behavior. If taken this way, the text seems to support the idea that saving faith does not fail, but even results in good works” (ExSyn 312-13). The translation of ἀγαθήν as an attributive adjective, however, also makes good sense.
355 tn Or “adorn,” “show the beauty of.”
356 tn Grk “say what is fitting for sound teaching” (introducing the behavior called for in this chapter.).
357 tn Grk “say what is fitting for sound teaching” (introducing the behavior called for in this chapter.).