Genesis 1:20

1:20 God said, “Let the water swarm with swarms ¹  of living creatures and let birds fly ²  above the earth across the expanse of the sky.”

Genesis 8:20

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. ³ 

Genesis 9:15-16

9:15 then I will remember my covenant with you ⁴  and with all living creatures of all kinds. ⁵  Never again will the waters become a flood and destroy ⁶  all living things. ⁷  9:16 When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will notice it and remember ⁸  the perpetual covenant between God and all living creatures of all kinds that are on the earth.”

Genesis 23:8

23:8 Then he said to them, “If you agree ⁹  that I may bury my dead, ¹⁰  then hear me out. ¹¹  Ask ¹²  Ephron the son of Zohar

Genesis 25:27

25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled ¹³  hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. ¹⁴ 

Genesis 34:11

34:11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s ¹⁵  father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and whatever you require of me ¹⁶  I’ll give. ¹⁷ 

Genesis 40:17

40:17 In the top basket there were baked goods of every kind for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them from the basket that was on my head.”

Genesis 50:21

50:21 So now, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little children.” Then he consoled them and spoke kindly ¹⁸  to them.

¹ tn The Hebrew text again uses a cognate construction (“swarm with swarms”) to emphasize the abundant fertility. The idea of the verb is one of swift movement back and forth, literally swarming. This verb is used in Exod 1:7 to describe the rapid growth of the Israelite population in bondage.

² tn The Hebrew text uses the Polel form of the verb instead of the simple Qal; it stresses a swarming flight again to underscore the abundant fruitfulness.

³ 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 Lord. After the flood Noah could see that God was not only a God of wrath, but a God of redemption and restoration. The one who escaped the catastrophe could best express his gratitude and submission through sacrificial worship, acknowledging God as the sovereign of the universe.

⁵ tn Heb “which [is] between me and between you.”

⁶ tn Heb “all flesh.”

⁷ tn Heb “to destroy.”

⁸ tn Heb “all flesh.”

⁷ 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.”

⁹ tn Heb “If it is with your purpose.” The Hebrew noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) here has the nuance “purpose” or perhaps “desire” (see BDB 661 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ).

¹⁰ tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹¹ tn Or “hear me.”

¹² tn Heb “intercede for me with.”

¹¹ tn Heb “knowing.”

¹² tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Jacob with Esau and draws attention to the striking contrasts. In contrast to Esau, a man of the field, Jacob was civilized, as the phrase “living in tents” signifies. Whereas Esau was a skillful hunter, Jacob was calm and even-tempered (תָּם, tam), which normally has the idea of “blameless.”

¹³ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Dinah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁴ tn Heb “whatever you say.”

¹⁵ tn Or “pay.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “spoke to their heart.”