8:1 But God remembered 1 Noah and all the wild animals and domestic animals that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to blow over 2 the earth and the waters receded. 8:2 The fountains of the deep and the floodgates of heaven were closed, 3 and the rain stopped falling from the sky. 8:3 The waters kept receding steadily 4 from the earth, so that they 5 had gone down 6 by the end of the 150 days. 8:4 On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on one of the mountains of Ararat. 7 8:5 The waters kept on receding 8 until the tenth month. On the first day of the tenth month, the tops of the mountains became visible. 9
8:6 At the end of forty days, 10 Noah opened the window he had made in the ark 11 8:7 and sent out a raven; it kept flying 12 back and forth until the waters had dried up on the earth.
8:8 Then Noah 13 sent out a dove 14 to see if the waters had receded 15 from the surface of the ground. 8:9 The dove could not find a resting place for its feet because water still covered 16 the surface of the entire earth, and so it returned to Noah 17 in the ark. He stretched out his hand, took the dove, 18 and brought it back into the ark. 19 8:10 He waited seven more days and then sent out the dove again from the ark. 8:11 When 20 the dove returned to him in the evening, there was 21 a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak! Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 8:12 He waited another seven days and sent the dove out again, 22 but it did not return to him this time. 23
8:13 In Noah’s six hundred and first year, 24 in the first day of the first month, the waters had dried up from the earth, and Noah removed the covering from the ark and saw that 25 the surface of the ground was dry. 8:14 And by the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth 26 was dry.
8:15 Then God spoke to Noah and said, 8:16 “Come out of the ark, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. 8:17 Bring out with you all the living creatures that are with you. Bring out 27 every living thing, including the birds, animals, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. Let them increase 28 and be fruitful and multiply on the earth!” 29
8:18 Noah went out along with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives. 8:19 Every living creature, every creeping thing, every bird, and everything that moves on the earth went out of the ark in their groups.
8:20 Noah built an altar to the Lord. He then took some of every kind of clean animal and clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 30 8:21 And the Lord smelled the soothing aroma 31 and said 32 to himself, 33 “I will never again curse 34 the ground because of humankind, even though 35 the inclination of their minds 36 is evil from childhood on. 37 I will never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done.
8:22 “While the earth continues to exist, 38
planting time 39 and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
and day and night will not cease.”
9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 9:2 Every living creature of the earth and every bird of the sky will be terrified of you. 40 Everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea are under your authority. 41 9:3 You may eat any moving thing that lives. 42 As I gave you 43 the green plants, I now give 44 you everything.
9:4 But 45 you must not eat meat 46 with its life (that is, 47 its blood) in it. 48 9:5 For your lifeblood 49 I will surely exact punishment, 50 from 51 every living creature I will exact punishment. From each person 52 I will exact punishment for the life of the individual 53 since the man was his relative. 54
9:6 “Whoever sheds human blood, 55
by other humans 56
must his blood be shed;
for in God’s image 57
God 58 has made humankind.”
9:7 But as for you, 59 be fruitful and multiply; increase abundantly on the earth and multiply on it.”
9:8 God said to Noah and his sons, 60 9:9 “Look! I now confirm 61 my covenant with you and your descendants after you 62 9:10 and with every living creature that is with you, including the birds, the domestic animals, and every living creature of the earth with you, all those that came out of the ark with you – every living creature of the earth. 63 9:11 I confirm 64 my covenant with you: Never again will all living things 65 be wiped out 66 by the waters of a flood; 67 never again will a flood destroy the earth.”
9:12 And God said, “This is the guarantee 68 of the covenant I am making 69 with you 70 and every living creature with you, a covenant 71 for all subsequent 72 generations: 9:13 I will place 73 my rainbow 74 in the clouds, and it will become 75 a guarantee of the covenant between me and the earth. 9:14 Whenever 76 I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 9:15 then I will remember my covenant with you 77 and with all living creatures of all kinds. 78 Never again will the waters become a flood and destroy 79 all living things. 80 9:16 When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will notice it and remember 81 the perpetual covenant between God and all living creatures of all kinds that are on the earth.”
9:17 So God said to Noah, “This is the guarantee of the covenant that I am confirming between me and all living things 82 that are on the earth.”
9:18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Now Ham was the father of Canaan.) 83 9:19 These were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was populated. 84
9:20 Noah, a man of the soil, 85 began to plant a vineyard. 86 9:21 When he drank some of the wine, he got drunk and uncovered himself 87 inside his tent. 9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, 88 saw his father’s nakedness 89 and told his two brothers who were outside. 9:23 Shem and Japheth took the garment 90 and placed it on their shoulders. Then they walked in backwards and covered up their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned 91 the other way so they did not see their father’s nakedness.
9:24 When Noah awoke from his drunken stupor 92 he learned 93 what his youngest son had done 94 to him. 9:25 So he said,
“Cursed 95 be Canaan! 96
The lowest of slaves 97
he will be to his brothers.”
9:26 He also said,
“Worthy of praise is 98 the Lord, the God of Shem!
May Canaan be the slave of Shem! 99
9:27 May God enlarge Japheth’s territory and numbers! 100
May he live 101 in the tents of Shem
and may Canaan be his slave!”
9:28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 9:29 The entire lifetime of Noah was 950 years, and then he died.
10:1 This is the account 102 of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons 103 were born 104 to them after the flood.
10:2 The sons of Japheth 105 were Gomer, 106 Magog, 107 Madai, 108 Javan, 109 Tubal, 110 Meshech, 111 and Tiras. 112 10:3 The sons of Gomer were 113 Askenaz, 114 Riphath, 115 and Togarmah. 116 10:4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, 117 Tarshish, 118 the Kittim, 119 and the Dodanim. 120 10:5 From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to its language, according to their families, by their nations.
10:6 The sons of Ham were Cush, 121 Mizraim, 122 Put, 123 and Canaan. 124 10:7 The sons of Cush were Seba, 125 Havilah, 126 Sabtah, 127 Raamah, 128 and Sabteca. 129 The sons of Raamah were Sheba 130 and Dedan. 131
10:8 Cush was the father of 132 Nimrod; he began to be a valiant warrior on the earth. 10:9 He was a mighty hunter 133 before the Lord. 134 (That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.”) 10:10 The primary regions 135 of his kingdom were Babel, 136 Erech, 137 Akkad, 138 and Calneh 139 in the land of Shinar. 140 10:11 From that land he went 141 to Assyria, 142 where he built Nineveh, 143 Rehoboth-Ir, 144 Calah, 145 10:12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city Calah. 146
10:13 Mizraim 147 was the father of 148 the Ludites, 149 Anamites, 150 Lehabites, 151 Naphtuhites, 152 10:14 Pathrusites, 153 Casluhites 154 (from whom the Philistines came), 155 and Caphtorites. 156
10:15 Canaan was the father of 157 Sidon his firstborn, 158 Heth, 159 10:16 the Jebusites, 160 Amorites, 161 Girgashites, 162 10:17 Hivites, 163 Arkites, 164 Sinites, 165 10:18 Arvadites, 166 Zemarites, 167 and Hamathites. 168 Eventually the families of the Canaanites were scattered 10:19 and the borders of Canaan extended 169 from Sidon 170 all the way to 171 Gerar as far as Gaza, and all the way to 172 Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 10:20 These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, and by their nations.
10:21 And sons were also born 173 to Shem (the older brother of Japheth), 174 the father of all the sons of Eber.
10:22 The sons of Shem were Elam, 175 Asshur, 176 Arphaxad, 177 Lud, 178 and Aram. 179 10:23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 180 10:24 Arphaxad was the father of 181 Shelah, 182 and Shelah was the father of Eber. 183 10:25 Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg because in his days the earth was divided, 184 and his brother’s name was Joktan. 10:26 Joktan was the father of 185 Almodad, 186 Sheleph, 187 Hazarmaveth, 188 Jerah, 189 10:27 Hadoram, Uzal, 190 Diklah, 191 10:28 Obal, 192 Abimael, 193 Sheba, 194 10:29 Ophir, 195 Havilah, 196 and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. 10:30 Their dwelling place was from Mesha all the way to 197 Sephar in the eastern hills. 10:31 These are the sons of Shem according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, and according to their nations.
10:32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations, and from these the nations spread 198 over the earth after the flood.
26:1 There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred 199 in the days of Abraham. 200 Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar. 26:2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; 201 settle down in the land that I will point out to you. 202 26:3 Stay 203 in this land. Then I will be with you and will bless you, 204 for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants, 205 and I will fulfill 206 the solemn promise I made 207 to your father Abraham. 26:4 I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them 208 all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants. 209 26:5 All this will come to pass 210 because Abraham obeyed me 211 and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” 212 26:6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.
26:7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he replied, “She is my sister.” 213 He was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” for he thought to himself, 214 “The men of this place will kill me to get 215 Rebekah because she is very beautiful.”
26:8 After Isaac 216 had been there a long time, 217 Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed 218 Isaac caressing 219 his wife Rebekah. 26:9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really 220 your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.” 221
26:10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us? 222 One of the men 223 might easily have had sexual relations with 224 your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!” 26:11 So Abimelech commanded all the people, “Whoever touches 225 this man or his wife will surely be put to death.” 226
26:12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown, 227 because the Lord blessed him. 228 26:13 The man became wealthy. 229 His influence continued to grow 230 until he became very prominent. 26:14 He had 231 so many sheep 232 and cattle 233 and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous 234 of him. 26:15 So the Philistines took dirt and filled up 235 all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham.
26:16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere, 236 for you have become much more powerful 237 than we are.” 26:17 So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley. 238 26:18 Isaac reopened 239 the wells that had been dug 240 back in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up 241 after Abraham died. Isaac 242 gave these wells 243 the same names his father had given them. 244
26:19 When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well with fresh flowing 245 water there, 26:20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled 246 with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water belongs to us!” So Isaac 247 named the well 248 Esek 249 because they argued with him about it. 250 26:21 His servants 251 dug another well, but they quarreled over it too, so Isaac named it 252 Sitnah. 253 26:22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaac 254 named it 255 Rehoboth, 256 saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”
26:23 From there Isaac 257 went up to Beer Sheba. 26:24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” 26:25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped 258 the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well. 259
26:26 Now Abimelech had come 260 to him from Gerar along with 261 Ahuzzah his friend 262 and Phicol the commander of his army. 26:27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You hate me 263 and sent me away from you.” 26:28 They replied, “We could plainly see 264 that the Lord is with you. So we decided there should be 265 a pact between us 266 – between us 267 and you. Allow us to make 268 a treaty with you 26:29 so that 269 you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmed 270 you, but have always treated you well 271 before sending you away 272 in peace. Now you are blessed by the Lord.” 273
26:30 So Isaac 274 held a feast for them and they celebrated. 275 26:31 Early in the morning the men made a treaty with each other. 276 Isaac sent them off; they separated on good terms. 277
26:32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We’ve found water,” they reported. 278 26:33 So he named it Shibah; 279 that is why the name of the city has been Beer Sheba 280 to this day.
26:34 When 281 Esau was forty years old, 282 he married 283 Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, as well as Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 26:35 They caused Isaac and Rebekah great anxiety. 284
31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, 285 “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich 286 at our father’s expense!” 287 31:2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. 288
31:3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers 289 and to your relatives. I will be with you.” 290 31:4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah 291 to come to the field 292 where his flocks were. 293 31:5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, 294 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, 295 31:7 but your father has humiliated 296 me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. 31:8 If he said, 297 ‘The speckled animals 298 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 299 during breeding season I saw 300 in a dream that the male goats mating with 301 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 302 that all the male goats mating with 303 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, 304 where you anointed 305 the sacred stone and made a vow to me. 306 Now leave this land immediately 307 and return to your native land.’”
31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance 308 in our father’s house? 31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted 309 the money paid for us! 310 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. 311 31:18 He took 312 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. 313
31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, 314 Rachel stole the household idols 315 that belonged to her father. 31:20 Jacob also deceived 316 Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. 317 31:21 He left 318 with all he owned. He quickly crossed 319 the Euphrates River 320 and headed for 321 the hill country of Gilead.
31:22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. 322 31:23 So he took his relatives 323 with him and pursued Jacob 324 for seven days. 325 He caught up with 326 him in the hill country of Gilead. 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, 327 “Be careful 328 that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” 329
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. 330 31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me 331 and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! 332 31:27 Why did you run away secretly 333 and deceive me? 334 Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? 335 31:28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren 336 good-bye. You have acted foolishly! 31:29 I have 337 the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful 338 that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ 339 31:30 Now I understand that 340 you have gone away 341 because you longed desperately 342 for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?” 343
31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” 344 Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought 345 you might take your daughters away from me by force. 346 31:32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! 347 In the presence of our relatives 348 identify whatever is yours and take it.” 349 (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) 350
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. 351 Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. 352 31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle 353 and sat on them.) 354 Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. 355 31:35 Rachel 356 said to her father, “Don’t be angry, 357 my lord. I cannot stand up 358 in your presence because I am having my period.” 359 So he searched thoroughly, 360 but did not find the idols.
31:36 Jacob became angry 361 and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. 362 “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? 363 31:37 When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you? 364 Set it here before my relatives and yours, 365 and let them settle the dispute between the two of us! 366
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. 367 You always made me pay for every missing animal, 368 whether it was taken by day or at night. 31:40 I was consumed by scorching heat 369 during the day and by piercing cold 370 at night, and I went without sleep. 371 31:41 This was my lot 372 for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave 373 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 374 – 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, 375 and he rebuked you last night.”
31:43 Laban replied 376 to Jacob, “These women 377 are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, 378 and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today 379 or the children to whom they have given birth? 31:44 So now, come, let’s make a formal agreement, 380 you and I, and it will be 381 proof that we have made peace.” 382
31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. 31:46 Then he 383 said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they brought stones and put them in a pile. 384 They ate there by the pile of stones. 31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, 385 but Jacob called it Galeed. 386
31:48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement 387 today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 31:49 It was also called Mizpah 388 because he said, “May the Lord watch 389 between us 390 when we are out of sight of one another. 391 31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize 392 that God is witness to your actions.” 393
31:51 “Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you,” Laban said to Jacob. 394 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. 395 31:53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, 396 the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared. 397 31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice 398 on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. 399 They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.
31:55 (32:1) 400 Early in the morning Laban kissed 401 his grandchildren 402 and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. 403
35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once 404 to Bethel 405 and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 406 35:2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. 407 Purify yourselves and change your clothes. 408 35:3 Let us go up at once 409 to Bethel. Then I will make 410 an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress 411 and has been with me wherever I went.” 412
35:4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession 413 and the rings that were in their ears. 414 Jacob buried them 415 under the oak 416 near Shechem 35:5 and they started on their journey. 417 The surrounding cities were afraid of God, 418 and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
35:6 Jacob and all those who were with him arrived at Luz (that is, Bethel) 419 in the land of Canaan. 420 35:7 He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel 421 because there God had revealed himself 422 to him when he was fleeing from his brother. 35:8 (Deborah, 423 Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel; thus it was named 424 Oak of Weeping.) 425
35:9 God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan Aram and blessed him. 35:10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but your name will no longer be called Jacob; Israel will be your name.” So God named him Israel. 426 35:11 Then God said to him, “I am the sovereign God. 427 Be fruitful and multiply! A nation – even a company of nations – will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants! 428 35:12 The land I gave 429 to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you. To your descendants 430 I will also give this land.” 35:13 Then God went up from the place 431 where he spoke with him. 35:14 So Jacob set up a sacred stone pillar in the place where God spoke with him. 432 He poured out a drink offering on it, and then he poured oil on it. 433 35:15 Jacob named the place 434 where God spoke with him Bethel. 435
35:16 They traveled on from Bethel, and when Ephrath was still some distance away, 436 Rachel went into labor 437 – and her labor was hard. 35:17 When her labor was at its hardest, 438 the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you are having another son.” 439 35:18 With her dying breath, 440 she named him Ben-Oni. 441 But his father called him Benjamin instead. 442 35:19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 443 35:20 Jacob set up a marker 444 over her grave; it is 445 the Marker of Rachel’s Grave to this day.
35:21 Then Israel traveled on and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. 446 35:22 While Israel was living in that land, Reuben had sexual relations with 447 Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard about it.
Jacob had twelve sons:
35:23 The sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, as well as Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
35:24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
35:25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.
35:26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher.
These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
35:27 So Jacob came back to his father Isaac in Mamre, 448 to Kiriath Arba 449 (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 450 35:28 Isaac lived to be 180 years old. 451 35:29 Then Isaac breathed his last and joined his ancestors. 452 He died an old man who had lived a full life. 453 His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
5:6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father 454 of Enosh.
12:8 Then he moved from there to the hill country east of Bethel 456 and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and worshiped the Lord. 457
22:14 My strength drains away like water; 462
all my bones are dislocated;
my heart 463 is like wax;
it melts away inside me.
1 tn The Hebrew word translated “remembered” often carries the sense of acting in accordance with what is remembered, i.e., fulfilling covenant promises (see B. S. Childs, Memory and Tradition in Israel [SBT], especially p. 34).
2 tn Heb “to pass over.”
3 tn Some (e.g., NIV) translate the preterite verb forms in this verse as past perfects (e.g., “had been closed”), for it seems likely that the sources of the water would have stopped before the waters receded.
4 tn The construction combines a Qal preterite from שׁוּב (shuv) with its infinitive absolute to indicate continuous action. The infinitive absolute from הָלָךְ (halakh) is included for emphasis: “the waters returned…going and returning.”
5 tn Heb “the waters.” The pronoun (“they”) has been employed in the translation for stylistic reasons.
6 tn The vav (ו) consecutive with the preterite here describes the consequence of the preceding action.
7 tn Heb “on the mountains of Ararat.” Obviously a boat (even one as large as the ark) cannot rest on multiple mountains. Perhaps (1) the preposition should be translated “among,” or (2) the plural “mountains” should be understood in the sense of “mountain range” (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 53). A more probable option (3) is that the plural indicates an indefinite singular, translated “one of the mountains” (see GKC 400 §124.o).
8 tn Heb “the waters were going and lessening.” The perfect verb form הָיָה (hayah) is used as an auxiliary verb with the infinitive absolute חָסוֹר (khasor, “lessening”), while the infinitive absolute הָלוֹךְ (halokh) indicates continuous action.
9 tn Or “could be seen.”
10 tn The introductory verbal form וַיְהִי (vayÿhi), traditionally rendered “and it came to pass,” serves as a temporal indicator and has not been translated here.
11 tn Heb “opened the window in the ark which he had made.” The perfect tense (“had made”) refers to action preceding the opening of the window, and is therefore rendered as a past perfect. Since in English “had made” could refer to either the ark or the window, the order of the phrases was reversed in the translation to clarify that the window is the referent.
12 tn Heb “and it went out, going out and returning.” The Hebrew verb יָצָא (yatsa’), translated here “flying,” is modified by two infinitives absolute indicating that the raven went back and forth.
13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Noah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
14 tn The Hebrew text adds “from him.” This has not been translated for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English.
15 tn The Hebrew verb קָלָל (qalal) normally means “to be light, to be slight”; it refers here to the waters receding.
16 tn The words “still covered” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
17 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Noah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18 tn Heb “it”; the referent (the dove) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19 tn Heb “and he brought it to himself to the ark.”
20 tn The clause introduced by vav (ו) consecutive is translated as a temporal clause subordinated to the following clause.
21 tn The deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to the olive leaf. It invites readers to enter into the story, as it were, and look at the olive leaf with their own eyes.
22 tn The word “again” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
23 tn Heb “it did not again return to him still.” For a study of this section of the flood narrative, see W. O. E. Oesterley, “The Dove with the Olive Leaf (Gen VIII 8–11),” ExpTim 18 (1906/07): 377-78.
24 tn Heb In the six hundred and first year.” Since this refers to the six hundred and first year of Noah’s life, the word “Noah’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
25 tn Heb “and saw and look.” As in v. 11, the deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites readers to enter into the story, as it were, and look at the dry ground with their own eyes.
26 tn In v. 13 the ground (הָאֲדָמָה, ha’adamah) is dry; now the earth (הָאָרֶץ, ha’arets) is dry.
27 tn The words “bring out” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
28 tn Following the Hiphil imperative, “bring out,” the three perfect verb forms with vav (ו) consecutive carry an imperatival nuance. For a discussion of the Hebrew construction here and the difficulty of translating it into English, see S. R. Driver, A Treatise on the Use of the Tenses in Hebrew, 124-25.
29 tn Heb “and let them swarm in the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.”
30 sn Offered burnt offerings on the altar. F. D. Maurice includes a chapter on the sacrifice of Noah in The Doctrine of Sacrifice. The whole burnt offering, according to Leviticus 1, represented the worshiper’s complete surrender and dedication to the
31 tn The
32 tn Heb “and the
33 tn Heb “in his heart.”
34 tn Here the Hebrew word translated “curse” is קָלָל (qalal), used in the Piel verbal stem.
35 tn The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) can be used in a concessive sense (see BDB 473 s.v. כִּי), which makes good sense in this context. Its normal causal sense (“for”) does not fit the context here very well.
36 tn Heb “the inclination of the heart of humankind.”
37 tn Heb “from his youth.”
38 tn Heb “yet all the days of the earth.” The idea is “[while there are] yet all the days of the earth,” meaning, “as long as the earth exists.”
39 tn Heb “seed,” which stands here by metonymy for the time when seed is planted.
40 tn Heb “and fear of you and dread of you will be upon every living creature of the earth and upon every bird of the sky.” The suffixes on the nouns “fear” and “dread” are objective genitives. The animals will fear humans from this time forward.
41 tn Heb “into your hand are given.” The “hand” signifies power. To say the animals have been given into the hands of humans means humans have been given authority over them.
42 tn Heb “every moving thing that lives for you will be for food.”
43 tn The words “I gave you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
44 tn The perfect verb form describes the action that accompanies the declaration.
45 tn Heb “only.”
46 tn Or “flesh.”
47 tn Heb “its life, its blood.” The second word is in apposition to the first, explaining what is meant by “its life.” Since the blood is equated with life, meat that had the blood in it was not to be eaten.
48 tn The words “in it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
49 tn Again the text uses apposition to clarify what kind of blood is being discussed: “your blood, [that is] for your life.” See C. L. Dewar, “The Biblical Use of the Term ‘Blood,’” JTS 4 (1953): 204-8.
50 tn The word “punishment” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification. The verb דָּרָשׁ (darash) means “to require, to seek, to ask for, to exact.” Here it means that God will exact punishment for the taking of a life. See R. Mawdsley, “Capital Punishment in Gen. 9:6,” CentBib 18 (1975): 20-25.
51 tn Heb “from the hand of,” which means “out of the hand of” or “out of the power of” and is nearly identical in sense to the preposition מִן (min) alone.
52 tn Heb “and from the hand of the man.” The article has a generic function, indicating the class, i.e., humankind.
53 tn Heb “of the man.”
54 tn Heb “from the hand of a man, his brother.” The point is that God will require the blood of someone who kills, since the person killed is a relative (“brother”) of the killer. The language reflects Noah’s situation (after the flood everyone would be part of Noah’s extended family), but also supports the concept of the brotherhood of humankind. According to the Genesis account the entire human race descended from Noah.
55 tn Heb “the blood of man.”
56 tn Heb “by man,” a generic term here for other human beings.
57 sn See the notes on the words “humankind” and “likeness” in Gen 1:26, as well as J. Barr, “The Image of God in the Book of Genesis – A Study of Terminology,” BJRL 51 (1968/69): 11-26.
58 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
59 sn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + pronominal subject + verb) here indicates a strong contrast to what has preceded. Against the backdrop of the warnings about taking life, God now instructs the people to produce life, using terms reminiscent of the mandate given to Adam (Gen 1:28).
60 tn Heb “to Noah and to his sons with him, saying.”
61 tn Heb “I, look, I confirm.” The particle הִנְנִי (hinni) used with the participle מֵקִים (meqim) gives the sense of immediacy or imminence, as if to say, “Look! I am now confirming.”
62 tn The three pronominal suffixes (translated “you,” “your,” and “you”) are masculine plural. As v. 8 indicates, Noah and his sons are addressed.
63 tn The verbal repetition is apparently for emphasis.
64 tn The verb וַהֲקִמֹתִי (vahaqimoti) is a perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive and should be translated with the English present tense, just as the participle at the beginning of the speech was (v. 9). Another option is to translate both forms with the English future tense (“I will confirm”).
65 tn Heb “all flesh.”
66 tn Heb “cut off.”
67 tn Heb “and all flesh will not be cut off again by the waters of the flood.”
68 tn Heb “sign.”
69 sn On the making of covenants in Genesis, see W. F. Albright, “The Hebrew Expression for ‘Making a Covenant’ in Pre-Israelite Documents,” BASOR 121 (1951): 21-22.
70 tn Heb “between me and between you.”
71 tn The words “a covenant” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
72 tn The Hebrew term עוֹלָם (’olam) means “ever, forever, lasting, perpetual.” The covenant would extend to subsequent generations.
73 tn The translation assumes that the perfect verbal form is used rhetorically, emphasizing the certainty of the action. Other translation options include “I have placed” (present perfect; cf. NIV, NRSV) and “I place” (instantaneous perfect; cf. NEB).
74 sn The Hebrew word קֶשֶׁת (qeshet) normally refers to a warrior’s bow. Some understand this to mean that God the warrior hangs up his battle bow at the end of the flood, indicating he is now at peace with humankind, but others question the legitimacy of this proposal. See C. Westermann, Genesis, 1:473, and G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:196.
75 tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect of certitude.
76 tn The temporal indicator (וְהָיָה, vÿhayah, conjunction + the perfect verb form), often translated “it will be,” anticipates a future development.
77 tn Heb “which [is] between me and between you.”
78 tn Heb “all flesh.”
79 tn Heb “to destroy.”
80 tn Heb “all flesh.”
81 tn The translation assumes that the infinitive לִזְכֹּר (lizkor, “to remember”) here expresses the result of seeing the rainbow. Another option is to understand it as indicating purpose, in which case it could be translated, “I will look at it so that I may remember.”
82 tn Heb “all flesh.”
83 sn The concluding disjunctive clause is parenthetical. It anticipates the following story, which explains that the Canaanites, Ham’s descendants through Canaan, were cursed because they shared the same moral abandonment that their ancestor displayed. See A. van Selms, “The Canaanites in the Book of Genesis,” OTS 12 (1958): 182-213.
84 tn Heb “was scattered.” The verb פָּצָה (patsah, “to scatter” [Niphal, “to be scattered”]) figures prominently in story of the dispersion of humankind in chap. 11.
85 sn The epithet a man of the soil indicates that Noah was a farmer.
86 tn Or “Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard”; Heb “and Noah, a man of the ground, began and he planted a vineyard.”
87 tn The Hebrew verb גָּלָה (galah) in the Hitpael verbal stem (וַיִּתְגַּל, vayyitggal) means “to uncover oneself” or “to be uncovered.” Noah became overheated because of the wine and uncovered himself in the tent.
88 sn For the second time (see v. 18) the text informs the reader of the relationship between Ham and Canaan. Genesis 10 will explain that Canaan was the ancestor of the Canaanite tribes living in the promised land.
89 tn Some would translate “had sexual relations with,” arguing that Ham committed a homosexual act with his drunken father for which he was cursed. However, the expression “see nakedness” usually refers to observation of another’s nakedness, not a sexual act (see Gen 42:9, 12 where “nakedness” is used metaphorically to convey the idea of “weakness” or “vulnerability”; Deut 23:14 where “nakedness” refers to excrement; Isa 47:3; Ezek 16:37; Lam 1:8). The following verse (v. 23) clearly indicates that visual observation, not a homosexual act, is in view here. In Lev 20:17 the expression “see nakedness” does appear to be a euphemism for sexual intercourse, but the context there, unlike that of Gen 9:22, clearly indicates that in that passage sexual contact is in view. The expression “see nakedness” does not in itself suggest a sexual connotation. Some relate Gen 9:22 to Lev 18:6-11, 15-19, where the expression “uncover [another’s] nakedness” (the Piel form of גָּלָה, galah) refers euphemistically to sexual intercourse. However, Gen 9:22 does not say Ham “uncovered” the nakedness of his father. According to the text, Noah uncovered himself; Ham merely saw his father naked. The point of the text is that Ham had no respect for his father. Rather than covering his father up, he told his brothers. Noah then gave an oracle that Ham’s descendants, who would be characterized by the same moral abandonment, would be cursed. Leviticus 18 describes that greater evil of the Canaanites (see vv. 24-28).
90 tn The word translated “garment” has the Hebrew definite article on it. The article may simply indicate that the garment is definite and vivid in the mind of the narrator, but it could refer instead to Noah’s garment. Did Ham bring it out when he told his brothers?
91 tn Heb “their faces [were turned] back.”
92 tn Heb “his wine,” used here by metonymy for the drunken stupor it produced.
93 tn Heb “he knew.”
94 tn The Hebrew verb עָשָׂה (’asah, “to do”) carries too general a sense to draw the conclusion that Ham had to have done more than look on his father’s nakedness and tell his brothers.
95 sn For more on the curse, see H. C. Brichto, The Problem of “Curse” in the Hebrew Bible (JBLMS), and J. Scharbert, TDOT 1:405-18.
96 sn Cursed be Canaan. The curse is pronounced on Canaan, not Ham. Noah sees a problem in Ham’s character, and on the basis of that he delivers a prophecy about the future descendants who will live in slavery to such things and then be controlled by others. (For more on the idea of slavery in general, see E. M. Yamauchi, “Slaves of God,” BETS 9 [1966]: 31-49). In a similar way Jacob pronounced oracles about his sons based on their revealed character (see Gen 49).
97 tn Heb “a servant of servants” (עֶבֶד עֲבָדִים, ’eved ’avadim), an example of the superlative genitive. It means Canaan will become the most abject of slaves.
98 tn Heb “blessed be.”
99 tn Heb “a slave to him”; the referent (Shem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
100 tn Heb “may God enlarge Japheth.” The words “territory and numbers” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
101 tn In this context the prefixed verbal form is a jussive (note the distinct jussive forms both before and after this in vv. 26 and 27).
102 tn The title אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת (’elle tolÿdot, here translated as “This is the account”) here covers 10:1–11:9, which contains the so-called Table of Nations and the account of how the nations came to be dispersed.
103 sn Sons were born to them. A vertical genealogy such as this encompasses more than the names of sons. The list includes cities, tribes, and even nations. In a loose way, the names in the list have some derivation or connection to the three ancestors.
104 tn It appears that the Table of Nations is a composite of at least two ancient sources: Some sections begin with the phrase “the sons of” (בְּנֵי, bÿne) while other sections use “begot” (יָלָד, yalad). It may very well be that the “sons of” list was an old, “bare bones” list that was retained in the family records, while the “begot” sections were editorial inserts by the writer of Genesis, reflecting his special interests. See A. P. Ross, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Structure,” BSac 137 (1980): 340-53; idem, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Content,” BSac 138 (1981): 22-34.
105 sn The Greek form of the name Japheth, Iapetos, is used in Greek tradition for the ancestor of the Greeks.
106 sn Gomer was the ancestor of the Cimmerians. For a discussion of the Cimmerians see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 49-61.
107 sn For a discussion of various proposals concerning the descendants of Magog see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 22-24.
108 sn Madai was the ancestor of the Medes, who lived east of Assyria.
109 sn Javan was the father of the Hellenic race, the Ionians who lived in western Asia Minor.
110 sn Tubal was the ancestor of militaristic tribes that lived north of the Black Sea. For a discussion of ancient references to Tubal see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 24-26.
111 sn Meshech was the ancestor of the people known in Assyrian records as the Musku. For a discussion of ancient references to them see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 24-26.
112 sn Tiras was the ancestor of the Thracians, some of whom possibly became the Pelasgian pirates of the Aegean.
113 sn The descendants of Gomer were all northern tribes of the Upper Euphrates.
114 sn Askenaz was the ancestor of a northern branch of Indo-Germanic tribes, possibly Scythians. For discussion see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 63.
115 sn The descendants of Riphath lived in a district north of the road from Haran to Carchemish.
116 sn Togarmah is also mentioned in Ezek 38:6, where it refers to Til-garimmu, the capital of Kammanu, which bordered Tabal in eastern Turkey. See E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 26, n. 28.
117 sn The descendants of Elishah populated Cyprus.
118 sn The descendants of Tarshish settled along the southern coast of what is modern Turkey. However, some identify the site Tarshish (see Jonah 1:3) with Sardinia or Spain.
119 sn The name Kittim is associated with Cyprus, as well as coastlands east of Rhodes. It is used in later texts to refer to the Romans.
120 tc Most of the MT
121 sn The descendants of Cush settled in Nubia (Ethiopia).
122 sn The descendants of Mizraim settled in Upper and Lower Egypt.
123 sn The descendants of Put settled in Libya.
124 sn The descendants of Canaan lived in the region of Phoenicia (Palestine).
125 sn The descendants of Seba settled in Upper Egypt along the Nile.
126 sn The Hebrew name Havilah apparently means “stretch of sand” (see HALOT 297 s.v. חֲוִילָה). Havilah’s descendants settled in eastern Arabia.
127 sn The descendants of Sabtah settled near the western shore of the Persian Gulf in ancient Hadhramaut.
128 sn The descendants of Raamah settled in southwest Arabia.
129 sn The descendants of Sabteca settled in Samudake, east toward the Persian Gulf.
130 sn Sheba became the name of a kingdom in southwest Arabia.
131 sn The name Dedan is associated with àUla in northern Arabia.
132 tn Heb “fathered.” Embedded within Cush’s genealogy is an account of Nimrod, a mighty warrior. There have been many attempts to identify him, but none are convincing.
133 tn The Hebrew word for “hunt” is צַיִד (tsayid), which is used on occasion for hunting men (1 Sam 24:12; Jer 16:16; Lam 3:15).
134 tn Another option is to take the divine name here, לִפְנֵי יִהוָה (lifne yÿhvah, “before the
135 tn Heb “beginning.” E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 67, suggests “mainstays,” citing Jer 49:35 as another text where the Hebrew noun is so used.
136 tn Or “Babylon.”
137 sn Erech (ancient Uruk, modern Warka), one of the most ancient civilizations, was located southeast of Babylon.
138 sn Akkad, or ancient Agade, was associated with Sargon and located north of Babylon.
139 tn No such place is known in Shinar (i.e., Babylonia). Therefore some have translated the Hebrew term כַלְנֵה (khalneh) as “all of them,” referring to the three previous names (cf. NRSV).
140 sn Shinar is another name for Babylonia.
141 tn The subject of the verb translated “went” is probably still Nimrod. However, it has also been interpreted that “Ashur went,” referring to a derivative power.
142 tn Heb “Asshur.”
143 sn Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city situated on the Tigris River.
144 sn The name Rehoboth-Ir means “and broad streets of a city,” perhaps referring to a suburb of Nineveh.
145 sn Calah (modern Nimrud) was located twenty miles north of Nineveh.
146 tn Heb “and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; it [i.e., Calah] is the great city.”
147 sn Mizraim is the Hebrew name for Egypt (cf. NRSV).
148 tn Heb “fathered.”
149 sn The Ludites were African tribes west of the Nile Delta.
150 sn The Anamites lived in North Africa, west of Egypt, near Cyrene.
151 sn The Lehabites are identified with the Libyans.
152 sn The Naphtuhites lived in Lower Egypt (the Nile Delta region).
153 sn The Pathrusites are known in Egyptian as P-to-reshi; they resided in Upper Egypt.
154 sn The Casluhites lived in Crete and eventually settled east of the Egyptian Delta, between Egypt and Canaan.
155 tn Several commentators prefer to reverse the order of the words to put this clause after the next word, since the Philistines came from Crete (where the Caphtorites lived). But the table may suggest migration rather than lineage, and the Philistines, like the Israelites, came through the Nile Delta region of Egypt. For further discussion of the origin and migration of the Philistines, see D. M. Howard, “Philistines,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 232.
156 sn The Caphtorites resided in Crete, but in Egyptian literature Caphtor refers to “the region beyond” the Mediterranean.
157 tn Heb “fathered.”
158 sn Sidon was the foremost city in Phoenicia; here Sidon may be the name of its founder.
159 tn Some see a reference to “Hittites” here (cf. NIV), but this seems unlikely. See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.
160 sn The Jebusites were the Canaanite inhabitants of ancient Jerusalem.
161 sn Here Amorites refers to smaller groups of Canaanite inhabitants of the mountainous regions of Palestine, rather than the large waves of Amurru, or western Semites, who migrated to the region.
162 sn The Girgashites are an otherwise unknown Canaanite tribe, though the name is possibly mentioned in Ugaritic texts (see G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 1:226).
163 sn The Hivites were Canaanite tribes of a Hurrian origin.
164 sn The Arkites lived in Arka, a city in Lebanon, north of Sidon.
165 sn The Sinites lived in Sin, another town in Lebanon.
166 sn The Arvadites lived in the city Arvad, located on an island near the mainland close to the river El Kebir.
167 sn The Zemarites lived in the town Sumur, north of Arka.
168 sn The Hamathites lived in Hamath on the Orontes River.
169 tn Heb “were.”
170 map For location see Map1-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.
171 tn Heb “as you go.”
172 tn Heb “as you go.”
173 tn Heb “And to Shem was born.”
174 tn Or “whose older brother was Japheth.” Some translations render Japheth as the older brother, understanding the adjective הַגָּדוֹל (haggadol, “older”) as modifying Japheth. However, in Hebrew when a masculine singular definite attributive adjective follows the sequence masculine singular construct noun + proper name, the adjective invariably modifies the noun in construct, not the proper name. Such is the case here. See Deut 11:7; Judg 1:13; 2:7; 3:9; 9:5; 2 Kgs 15:35; 2 Chr 27:3; Neh 3:30; Jer 13:9; 36:10; Ezek 10:19; 11:1.
175 sn The Hebrew name Elam (עֵילָם, ’elam) means “highland.” The Elamites were a non-Semitic people who lived east of Babylon.
176 sn Asshur is the name for the Assyrians. Asshur was the region in which Nimrod expanded his power (see v. 11, where the name is also mentioned). When names appear in both sections of a genealogical list, it probably means that there were both Hamites and Shemites living in that region in antiquity, especially if the name is a place name.
177 sn The descendants of Arphaxad may have lived northeast of Nineveh.
178 sn Lud may have been the ancestor of the Ludbu, who lived near the Tigris River.
179 sn Aram became the collective name of the northern tribes living in the steppes of Mesopotamia and speaking Aramaic dialects.
180 tc The MT reads “Mash”; the LXX and 1 Chr 1:17 read “Meshech.”
181 tn Heb “fathered.”
182 tc The MT reads “Arphaxad fathered Shelah”; the LXX reads “Arphaxad fathered Cainan, and Cainan fathered Sala [= Shelah].” The LXX reading also appears to lie behind Luke 3:35-36.
183 sn Genesis 11 traces the line of Shem through Eber (עֵבֶר, ’ever ) to Abraham the “Hebrew” (עִבְרִי, ’ivri).
184 tn The expression “the earth was divided” may refer to dividing the land with canals, but more likely it anticipates the division of languages at Babel (Gen 11). The verb פָּלָג (palag, “separate, divide”) is used in Ps 55:9 for a division of languages.
185 tn Heb “fathered.”
186 sn The name Almodad combines the Arabic article al with modad (“friend”). Almodad was the ancestor of a South Arabian people.
187 sn The name Sheleph may be related to Shilph, a district of Yemen; Shalph is a Yemenite tribe.
188 sn The name Hazarmaveth should be equated with Hadramawt, located in Southern Arabia.
189 sn The name Jerah means “moon.”
190 sn Uzal was the name of the old capital of Yemen.
191 sn The name Diklah means “date-palm.”
192 sn Obal was a name used for several localities in Yemen.
193 sn The name Abimael is a genuine Sabean form which means “my father, truly, he is God.”
194 sn The descendants of Sheba lived in South Arabia, where the Joktanites were more powerful than the Hamites.
195 sn Ophir became the name of a territory in South Arabia. Many of the references to Ophir are connected with gold (e.g., 1 Kgs 9:28, 10:11, 22:48; 1 Chr 29:4; 2 Chr 8:18, 9:10; Job 22:24, 28:16; Ps 45:9; Isa 13:12).
196 sn Havilah is listed with Ham in v. 7.
197 tn Heb “as you go.”
198 tn Or “separated.”
199 tn Heb “in addition to the first famine which was.”
200 sn This account is parallel to two similar stories about Abraham (see Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Many scholars do not believe there were three similar incidents, only one that got borrowed and duplicated. Many regard the account about Isaac as the original, which then was attached to the more important person, Abraham, with supernatural elements being added. For a critique of such an approach, see R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 47-62. It is more likely that the story illustrates the proverb “like father, like son” (see T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 53). In typical human fashion the son follows his father’s example of lying to avoid problems. The appearance of similar events reported in a similar way underscores the fact that the blessing has now passed to Isaac, even if he fails as his father did.
201 sn Do not go down to Egypt. The words echo Gen 12:10, which reports that “Abram went down to Egypt,” but state the opposite.
202 tn Heb “say to you.”
203 tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur) means “to live temporarily without ownership of land.” Abraham’s family will not actually possess the land of Canaan until the Israelite conquest hundreds of years later.
204 tn After the imperative “stay” the two prefixed verb forms with prefixed conjunction here indicate consequence.
205 tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.
206 tn The Hiphil stem of the verb קוּם (qum) here means “to fulfill, to bring to realization.” For other examples of this use of this verb form, see Lev 26:9; Num 23:19; Deut 8:18; 9:5; 1 Sam 1:23; 1 Kgs 6:12; Jer 11:5.
207 tn Heb “the oath which I swore.”
208 tn Heb “your descendants.”
209 tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 22:18). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)
210 tn The words “All this will come to pass” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons.
211 tn Heb “listened to my voice.”
212 sn My charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. The language of this verse is clearly interpretive, for Abraham did not have all these laws. The terms are legal designations for sections of the Mosaic law and presuppose the existence of the law. Some Rabbinic views actually conclude that Abraham had fulfilled the whole law before it was given (see m. Qiddushin 4:14). Some scholars argue that this story could only have been written after the law was given (C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:424-25). But the simplest explanation is that the narrator (traditionally taken to be Moses the Lawgiver) elaborated on the simple report of Abraham’s obedience by using terms with which the Israelites were familiar. In this way he depicts Abraham as the model of obedience to God’s commands, whose example Israel should follow.
213 sn Rebekah, unlike Sarah, was not actually her husband’s sister.
214 tn Heb “lest.” The words “for he thought to himself” are supplied because the next clause is written with a first person pronoun, showing that Isaac was saying or thinking this.
215 tn Heb “kill me on account of.”
216 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
217 tn Heb “and it happened when the days were long to him there.”
218 tn Heb “look, Isaac.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene through Abimelech’s eyes.
219 tn Or “fondling.”
220 tn Heb “Surely, look!” See N. H. Snaith, “The meaning of Hebrew ‘ak,” VT 14 (1964): 221-25.
221 tn Heb “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” Since the verb “said” probably means “said to myself” (i.e., “thought”) here, the direct discourse in the Hebrew statement has been converted to indirect discourse in the translation. In addition the simple prepositional phrase “on account of her” has been clarified in the translation as “to get her” (cf. v. 7).
222 tn Heb “What is this you have done to us?” The Hebrew demonstrative pronoun “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to us?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).
223 tn Heb “people.”
224 tn The Hebrew verb means “to lie down.” Here the expression “lie with” or “sleep with” is euphemistic for “have sexual relations with.”
225 tn Heb “strikes.” Here the verb has the nuance “to harm in any way.” It would include assaulting the woman or killing the man.
226 tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the imperfect makes the construction emphatic.
227 tn Heb “a hundredfold.”
228 tn This final clause explains why Isaac had such a bountiful harvest.
229 tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Isaac’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are included.
230 tn Heb “and he went, going and becoming great.” The construction stresses that his growth in possessions and power continued steadily.
231 tn Heb “and there was to him.”
232 tn Heb “possessions of sheep.”
233 tn Heb “possessions of cattle.”
234 tn The Hebrew verb translated “became jealous” refers here to intense jealousy or envy that leads to hostile action (see v. 15).
235 tn Heb “and the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with dirt.”
236 tn Heb “Go away from us.”
237 sn You have become much more powerful. This explanation for the expulsion of Isaac from Philistine territory foreshadows the words used later by the Egyptians to justify their oppression of Israel (see Exod 1:9).
238 tn Heb “and he camped in the valley of Gerar and he lived there.”
239 tn Heb “he returned and dug,” meaning “he dug again” or “he reopened.”
240 tn Heb “that they dug.” Since the subject is indefinite, the verb is translated as passive.
241 tn Heb “and the Philistines had stopped them up.” This clause explains why Isaac had to reopen them.
242 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
243 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the wells) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
244 tn Heb “called names to them according to the names that his father called them.”
245 tn Heb “living.” This expression refers to a well supplied by subterranean streams (see Song 4:15).
246 tn The Hebrew verb translated “quarreled” describes a conflict that often has legal ramifications.
247 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
248 tn Heb “and he called the name of the well.”
249 sn The name Esek means “argument” in Hebrew. The following causal clause explains that Isaac gave the well this name as a reminder of the conflict its discovery had created. In the Hebrew text there is a wordplay, for the name is derived from the verb translated “argued.”
250 tn The words “about it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
251 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Isaac’s servants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
252 tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
253 sn The name Sitnah (שִׂטְנָה, sitnah) is derived from a Hebrew verbal root meaning “to oppose; to be an adversary” (cf. Job 1:6). The name was a reminder that the digging of this well caused “opposition” from the Philistines.
254 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
255 tn Heb “and he called its name.”
256 sn The name Rehoboth (רְהֹבוֹת, rehovot) is derived from a verbal root meaning “to make room.” The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. The story shows Isaac’s patience with the opposition; it also shows how God’s blessing outdistanced the men of Gerar. They could not stop it or seize it any longer.
257 tn Heb “and he went up from there”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
258 tn Heb “called in the name of.” The expression refers to worshiping the
259 tn Heb “and they dug there, the servants of Isaac, a well.”
260 tn The disjunctive clause supplies pertinent supplemental information. The past perfect is used because the following narrative records the treaty at Beer Sheba. Prior to this we are told that Isaac settled in Beer Sheba; presumably this treaty would have allowed him to do that. However, it may be that he settled there and then made the treaty by which he renamed the place Beer Sheba. In this case one may translate “Now Abimelech came to him.”
261 tn Heb “and.”
262 tn Many modern translations render the Hebrew term מֵרֵעַ (merea’) as “councillor” or “adviser,” but the term may not designate an official position but simply a close personal friend.
263 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, expressing the reason for his question.
264 tn The infinitive absolute before the verb emphasizes the clarity of their perception.
265 tn Heb “And we said, ‘Let there be.’” The direct discourse in the Hebrew text has been rendered as indirect discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.
266 tn The pronoun “us” here is inclusive – it refers to the Philistine contingent on the one hand and Isaac on the other.
267 tn The pronoun “us” here is exclusive – it refers to just the Philistine contingent (the following “you” refers to Isaac).
268 tn The translation assumes that the cohortative expresses their request. Another option is to understand the cohortative as indicating resolve: “We want to make.’”
269 tn The oath formula is used: “if you do us harm” means “so that you will not do.”
270 tn Heb “touched.”
271 tn Heb “and just as we have done only good with you.”
272 tn Heb “and we sent you away.”
273 tn The Philistine leaders are making an observation, not pronouncing a blessing, so the translation reads “you are blessed” rather than “may you be blessed” (cf. NAB).
274 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
275 tn Heb “and they ate and drank.”
276 tn Heb “and they got up early and they swore an oath, a man to his brother.”
277 tn Heb “and they went from him in peace.”
278 tn Heb “and they said to him, ‘We have found water.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
279 sn The name Shibah (שִׁבְעָה, shiv’ah) means (or at least sounds like) the word meaning “oath.” The name was a reminder of the oath sworn by Isaac and the Philistines to solidify their treaty.
280 sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of an oath” or “well of seven.” According to Gen 21:31 Abraham gave Beer Sheba its name when he made a treaty with the Philistines. Because of the parallels between this earlier story and the account in 26:26-33, some scholars see chaps. 21 and 26 as two versions (or doublets) of one original story. However, if one takes the text as it stands, it appears that Isaac made a later treaty agreement with the people of the land that was similar to his father’s. Abraham dug a well at the site and named the place Beer Sheba; Isaac dug another well there and named the well Shibah. Later generations then associated the name Beer Sheba with Isaac, even though Abraham gave the place its name at an earlier time.
281 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making this clause subordinate to the next.
282 tn Heb “the son of forty years.”
283 tn Heb “took as a wife.”
284 tn Heb “And they were [a source of ] bitterness in spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah.”
285 tn Heb “and he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying.”
286 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).
287 tn Heb “and from that which belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.”
288 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.
289 tn Or perhaps “ancestors” (so NRSV), although the only “ancestors” Jacob had there were his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac.
290 sn I will be with you. Though Laban was no longer “with him,” the
291 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.
292 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.
293 tn Heb “to his flock.”
294 tn Heb “I see the face of your father, that he is not toward me as formerly.”
295 tn Heb “with all my strength.”
296 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).
297 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.
298 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.
299 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator, “and it happened at the time of.”
300 tn Heb “in the time of the breeding of the flock I lifted up my eyes and I saw.”
301 tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.
302 tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”
303 tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.
304 map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
305 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
306 sn And made a vow to me. The second clause reminds Jacob of the vow he made to the
307 tn Heb “arise, leave!” The first imperative draws attention to the need for immediate action.
308 tn The two nouns may form a hendiadys, meaning “a share in the inheritance” or “a portion to inherit.”
309 tn Heb “and he devoured, even devouring.” The infinitive absolute (following the finite verb here) is used for emphasis.
310 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.
311 tn Heb “and Jacob arose and he lifted up his sons and his wives on to the camels.”
312 tn Heb “drove,” but this is subject to misunderstanding in contemporary English.
313 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.”
314 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.
315 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.
316 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.
317 tn Heb “fleeing,” which reflects Jacob’s viewpoint.
318 tn Heb “and he fled.”
319 tn Heb “he arose and crossed.” The first verb emphasizes that he wasted no time in getting across.
320 tn Heb “the river”; the referent (the Euphrates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
321 tn Heb “he set his face.”
322 tn Heb “and it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.”
323 tn Heb “his brothers.”
324 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
325 tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”
326 tn Heb “drew close to.”
327 tn Heb “said to him.”
328 tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.
329 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.
330 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.
331 tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).
332 tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”
333 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.”
334 tn Heb “and steal me.”
335 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?”
336 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.
337 tn Heb “there is to my hand.”
338 tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.
339 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.
340 tn Heb “and now.” The words “I understand that” have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
341 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the certainty of the action.
342 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of emotion involved.
343 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.
344 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.
345 tn Heb “for I said.”
346 tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”
347 tn Heb “With whomever you find your gods, he will not live.”
348 tn Heb “brothers.”
349 tn Heb “recognize for yourself what is with me and take for yourself.”
350 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.
351 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.
352 tn Heb “and he went out from the tent of Leah and went into the tent of Rachel.”
353 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.”
354 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides another parenthetical statement necessary to the storyline.
355 tn The word “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
356 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
357 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.
358 tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”
359 tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.
360 tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
361 tn Heb “it was hot to Jacob.” This idiom refers to anger.
362 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.
363 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).
364 tn Heb “what did you find from all the goods of your house?”
365 tn Heb “your relatives.” The word “relatives” has not been repeated in the translation here for stylistic reasons.
366 tn Heb “that they may decide between us two.”
367 tn The imperfect verbal form indicates that this was a customary or typical action.
368 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.
369 tn Or “by drought.”
370 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.
371 tn Heb “and my sleep fled from my eyes.”
372 tn Heb “this to me.”
373 tn Heb “served you,” but in this accusatory context the meaning is more “worked like a slave.”
374 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.
375 tn Heb “My oppression and the work of my hands God saw.”
376 tn Heb “answered and said.”
377 tn Heb “daughters.”
378 tn Heb “children.”
379 tn Heb “but to my daughters what can I do to these today?”
380 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
381 tn The verb הָיָה (hayah) followed by the preposition לְ (lÿ) means “become.”
382 tn Heb “and it will become a witness between me and you.”
383 tn Heb “Jacob”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
384 sn The Hebrew word for “pile” is גַּל (gal), which sounds like the name “Galeed” (גַּלְעֵד, gal’ed). See v. 48.
385 sn Jegar Sahadutha. Laban the Aramean gave the place an Aramaic name which means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness.”
386 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.
387 tn Heb “a witness between me and you.”
388 tn Heb “and Mizpah.”
389 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
390 tn Heb “between me and you.”
391 tn Heb “for we will be hidden, each man from his neighbor.”
392 tn Heb “see.”
393 tn Heb “between me and you.”
394 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.
395 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.”
396 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.
397 tn Heb “by the fear of his father Isaac.” See the note on the word “fears” in v. 42.
398 tn The construction is a cognate accusative with the verb, expressing a specific sacrifice.
399 tn Heb “bread, food.” Presumably this was a type of peace offering, where the person bringing the offering ate the animal being sacrificed.
400 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.
401 tn Heb “and Laban got up early in the morning and he kissed.”
402 tn Heb “his sons.”
403 tn Heb “to his place.”
404 tn Heb “arise, go up.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.
405 map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
406 sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).
407 tn Heb “which are in your midst.”
408 sn The actions of removing false gods, becoming ritually clean, and changing garments would become necessary steps in Israel when approaching the
409 tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.
410 tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.
411 tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.
412 tn Heb “in the way in which I went.” Jacob alludes here to God’s promise to be with him (see Gen 28:20).
413 tn Heb “in their hand.”
414 sn On the basis of a comparison with Gen 34 and Num 31, G. J. Wenham argues that the foreign gods and the rings could have been part of the plunder that came from the destruction of Shechem (Genesis [WBC], 2:324).
415 sn Jacob buried them. On the burial of the gods, see E. Nielson, “The Burial of the Foreign Gods,” ST 8 (1954/55): 102-22.
416 tn Or “terebinth.”
417 tn Heb “and they journeyed.”
418 tn Heb “and the fear of God was upon the cities which were round about them.” The expression “fear of God” apparently refers (1) to a fear of God (objective genitive; God is the object of their fear). (2) But it could mean “fear from God,” that is, fear which God placed in them (cf. NRSV “a terror from God”). Another option (3) is that the divine name is used as a superlative here, referring to “tremendous fear” (cf. NEB “were panic-stricken”; NASB “a great terror”).
419 map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
420 tn Heb “and Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan – it is Bethel – he and all the people who were with him.”
421 sn The name El-Bethel means “God of Bethel.”
422 tn Heb “revealed themselves.” The verb נִגְלוּ (niglu), translated “revealed himself,” is plural, even though one expects the singular form with the plural of majesty. Perhaps אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a numerical plural, referring both to God and the angelic beings that appeared to Jacob. See the note on the word “know” in Gen 3:5.
423 sn Deborah. This woman had been Rebekah’s nurse, but later attached herself to Jacob. She must have been about one hundred and eighty years old when she died.
424 tn “and he called its name.” There is no expressed subject, so the verb can be translated as passive.
425 tn Or “Allon Bacuth,” if one transliterates the Hebrew name (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). An oak tree was revered in the ancient world and often designated as a shrine or landmark. This one was named for the weeping (mourning) occasioned by the death of Deborah.
426 tn Heb “and he called his name Israel.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
427 tn The name אֵל שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72. Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world who grants, blesses, and judges. In the Book of Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name are uncertain its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. For a fuller discussion see the note on “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.
428 tn Heb “A nation and a company of nations will be from you and kings from your loins will come out.”
429 tn The Hebrew verb translated “gave” refers to the Abrahamic promise of the land. However, the actual possession of that land lay in the future. The decree of the
430 tn Heb “and to your offspring after you.”
431 tn Heb “went up from upon him in the place.”
432 tn Heb “and Jacob set up a sacred pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a sacred pillar of stone” (see the notes on the term “sacred stone” in Gen 28:18). This passage stands parallel to Gen 28:18-19, where Jacob set up a sacred stone, poured oil on it, and called the place Bethel. Some commentators see these as two traditions referring to the same event, but it is more likely that Jacob reconsecrated the place in fulfillment of the vow he had made here earlier. In support of this is the fact that the present narrative alludes to and is built on the previous one.
433 tn The verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “to pour out, to make libations,” and the noun נֶסֶךְ (nesekh) is a “drink-offering,” usually of wine or of blood. The verb יָצַק (yatsaq) means “to pour out,” often of anointing oil, but of other elements as well.
434 sn Called the name of the place. In view of the previous naming of Bethel in Gen 28:19, here Jacob was confirming or affirming the name through an official ritual marking the fulfillment of the vow. This place now did become Bethel, the house of God.
435 tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew.
436 tn Heb “and there was still a stretch of the land to go to Ephrath.”
437 tn Normally the verb would be translated “she gave birth,” but because that obviously had not happened yet, it is better to translate the verb as ingressive, “began to give birth” (cf. NIV) or “went into labor.”
438 tn The construction uses a Hiphil infinitive, which E. A. Speiser classifies as an elative Hiphil. The contrast is with the previous Piel: there “she had hard labor,” and here, “her labor was at its hardest.” Failure to see this, Speiser notes, has led to redundant translations and misunderstandings (Genesis [AB], 273).
439 sn Another son. The episode recalls and fulfills the prayer of Rachel at the birth of Joseph (Gen 30:24): “may he add” another son.
440 tn Heb “in the going out of her life, for she was dying.” Rachel named the child with her dying breath.
441 sn The name Ben-Oni means “son of my suffering.” It is ironic that Rachel’s words to Jacob in Gen 30:1, “Give me children or I’ll die,” take a different turn here, for it was having the child that brought about her death.
442 tn The disjunctive clause is contrastive.
443 sn This explanatory note links the earlier name Ephrath with the later name Bethlehem.
444 tn Heb “standing stone.”
445 tn Or perhaps “it is known as” (cf. NEB).
446 sn The location of Migdal Eder is not given. It appears to be somewhere between Bethlehem and Hebron. Various traditions have identified it as at the shepherds’ fields near Bethlehem (the Hebrew name Migdal Eder means “tower of the flock”; see Mic 4:8) or located it near Solomon’s pools.
447 tn Heb “and Reuben went and lay with.” The expression “lay with” is a euphemism for having sexual intercourse.
448 tn This is an adverbial accusative of location.
449 tn The name “Kiriath Arba” is in apposition to the preceding name, “Mamre.”
450 tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” refers to temporary settlement without ownership rights.
451 tn Heb “And the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years.”
452 tn Heb “and Isaac expired and died and he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.
453 tn Heb “old and full of years.”
454 tn Heb “he fathered.”
455 tn The text simply has “from man to beast, to creatures, and to birds of the air.” The use of the prepositions עַד…מִן (min...’ad) stresses the extent of the judgment in creation.
456 map For location see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
457 tn Heb “he called in the name of the
458 sn Salem is traditionally identified as the Jebusite stronghold of old Jerusalem. Accordingly, there has been much speculation about its king. Though some have identified him with the preincarnate Christ or with Noah’s son Shem, it is far more likely that Melchizedek was a Canaanite royal priest whom God used to renew the promise of the blessing to Abram, perhaps because Abram considered Melchizedek his spiritual superior. But Melchizedek remains an enigma. In a book filled with genealogical records he appears on the scene without a genealogy and then disappears from the narrative. In Psalm 110 the
459 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause significantly identifies Melchizedek as a priest as well as a king.
460 tn The verb is the Piel perfect with vav (ו) consecutive (וְכִפֶּר, vÿkhipper) to continue the instruction of the passage: “the priest shall make atonement,” meaning the priest is to make atonement for the sin (thus the present translation). This verb means “to expiate,” “to atone for,” “to pacify.” It describes the ritual events by which someone who was separated from the holy
461 tn Or “they will be forgiven.”
462 tn Heb “like water I am poured out.”
463 sn The heart is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s strength and courage.
464 tn Grk “who being…and sustaining.” Heb 1:1-4 form one skillfully composed sentence in Greek, but it must be broken into shorter segments to correspond to contemporary English usage, which does not allow for sentences of this length and complexity.
465 tn Grk “by the word of his power.”
466 sn An allusion to Ps 110:1, quoted often in Hebrews.
467 tc The reading adopted by the translation is attested by many authorities (A D* K P 365 1739* al). But many others (א D2 0278 33 1739c 1881 Ï lat sa) read “your” instead of “our.” The diversity of evidence makes this a difficult case to decide from external evidence alone. The first and second person pronouns differ by only one letter in Greek, as in English, also making this problem difficult to decide based on internal evidence and transcriptional probability. In the context, the author’s description of sacrificial activities seems to invite the reader to compare his own possible participation in OT liturgy as over against the completed work of Christ, so the second person pronoun “your” might make more sense. On the other hand, TCGNT 599 argues that “our” is preferable because the author of Hebrews uses direct address (i.e., the second person) only in the hortatory sections. What is more, the author seems to prefer the first person in explanatory remarks or when giving the logical grounds for an assertion (cf. Heb 4:15; 7:14). It is hard to reach a definitive conclusion in this case, but the data lean slightly in favor of the first person pronoun.