Exodus 3:21

3:21 “I will grant this people favor with ¹  the Egyptians, so that when ²  you depart you will not leave empty-handed.

Exodus 11:3

11:3 (Now the Lord granted the people favor with ³  the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, respected by Pharaoh’s servants and by the Egyptian people.) ⁴ 

Genesis 39:21

39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness. ⁵  He granted him favor in the sight of the prison warden. ⁶ 

Proverbs 16:7

16:7 When a person’s ⁷  ways are pleasing to the Lord, ⁸ 

he ⁹  even reconciles his enemies to himself. ¹⁰ 

Daniel 1:9

1:9 Then God made the overseer of the court officials sympathetic to Daniel. ¹¹ 

Acts 2:47

2:47 praising God and having the good will ¹²  of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day ¹³  those who were being saved.

Acts 7:10

7:10 and rescued him from all his troubles, and granted him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made ¹⁴  him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.

¹ tn Heb “in the eyes of.” This idiom usually means that someone will be treated well by the observer. It is unlikely that it means here that the Egyptians will like the Hebrews. Rather, it means that the Egyptians will give things to the Hebrews free – gratis (see 12:35-36). Not only will God do mighty works to make the king yield, but also he will work in the minds of the Egyptian people so that they will be favorably disposed to give Israel wealth.

² tn The temporal indicator (here future) with the particle ki (וְהָיָה כִּי, vÿhaya ki) introduces a temporal clause.

³ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

⁴ tn Heb “in the eyes of the servants of Pharaoh and in the eyes of the people.” In the translation the word “Egyptian” has been supplied to clarify that the Egyptians and not the Israelites are meant here.

⁵ tn Heb “and he extended to him loyal love.”

⁶ tn Or “the chief jailer” (also in the following verses).

⁷ tn Heb “ways of a man.”

⁸ tn The first line uses an infinitive in a temporal clause, followed by its subject in the genitive case: “in the taking pleasure of the Lord” = “when the Lord is pleased with.” So the condition set down for the second colon is a lifestyle that is pleasing to God.

⁹ tn The referent of the verb in the second colon is unclear. The straightforward answer is that it refers to the person whose ways please the Lord – it is his lifestyle that disarms his enemies. W. McKane comments that the righteous have the power to mend relationships (Proverbs [OTL], 491); see, e.g., 10:13; 14:9; 15:1; 25:21-22). The life that is pleasing to God will be above reproach and find favor with others. Some would interpret this to mean that God makes his enemies to be at peace with him (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT). This is workable, but in this passage it would seem God would do this through the pleasing life of the believer (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV).

¹⁰ tn Heb “even his enemies he makes to be at peace with him.”

¹¹ tn Heb “Then God granted Daniel loyal love and compassion before the overseer of the court officials.” The expression “loyal love and compassion” is a hendiadys; the two words combine to express one idea.

¹² tn Or “the favor.”

¹³ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.

¹⁴ tn Or “appointed.” See Gen 41:41-43.