15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, 2 what will you give me since 3 I continue to be 4 childless, and my heir 5 is 6 Eliezer of Damascus?” 7
26:10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us? 10 One of the men 11 might easily have had sexual relations with 12 your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!”
29:25 In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! 17 So Jacob 18 said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me! 19 Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked 20 me?”
47:3 Pharaoh said to Joseph’s 38 brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants take care of flocks, just as our ancestors did.” 39
1 tn The demonstrative pronoun translated “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to me?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).
2 tn The Hebrew text has אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה (’adonay yehvih, “Master,
3 tn The vav (ו) disjunctive at the beginning of the clause is circumstantial, expressing the cause or reason.
4 tn Heb “I am going.”
5 tn Heb “the son of the acquisition of my house.”
6 tn The pronoun is anaphoric here, equivalent to the verb “to be” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 23, §115).
7 sn The sentence in the Hebrew text employs a very effective wordplay on the name Damascus: “The son of the acquisition (בֶּן־מֶשֶׁק, ben-mesheq) of my house is Eliezer of Damascus (דַּמֶּשֶׁק, dammesheq).” The words are not the same; they have different sibilants. But the sound play gives the impression that “in the nomen is the omen.” Eliezer the Damascene will be Abram’s heir if Abram dies childless because “Damascus” seems to mean that. See M. F. Unger, “Some Comments on the Text of Genesis 15:2-3,” JBL 72 (1953): 49-50; H. L. Ginsberg, “Abram’s ‘Damascene’ Steward,” BASOR 200 (1970): 31-32.
3 tn The word “worth” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
4 sn Four hundred pieces of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 4.6 kilograms, or 160 ounces (about 10 pounds).
4 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).
5 tn Heb “people.”
6 tn The Hebrew verb means “to lie down.” Here the expression “lie with” or “sleep with” is euphemistic for “have sexual relations with.”
5 tn Heb “What is this?” The enclitic pronoun “this” adds emphasis to the question, which is comparable to the English rhetorical question, “How in the world?”
6 tn Heb “you hastened to find.” In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb and the first verb becomes adverbial.
7 tn Heb “caused to meet before me.”
8 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Because the
6 tn Heb “and it happened in the morning that look, it was Leah.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.
7 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 tn Heb What is this you have done to me?” The use of the pronoun “this” is enclitic, adding emphasis to the question: “What in the world have you done to me?”
9 sn The Hebrew verb translated tricked here (רָמָה, ramah) is cognate to the noun used in Gen 27:35 to describe Jacob’s deception of Esau. Jacob is discovering that what goes around, comes around. See J. A. Diamond, “The Deception of Jacob: A New Perspective on an Ancient Solution to the Problem,” VT 34 (1984): 211-13.
7 tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).
8 tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”
8 tn Heb “what did you find from all the goods of your house?”
9 tn Heb “your relatives.” The word “relatives” has not been repeated in the translation here for stylistic reasons.
10 tn Heb “that they may decide between us two.”
9 tn The Hebrew word can sometimes carry the nuance “evil,” but when used of an animal it refers to a dangerous wild animal.
10 tn Heb “what his dreams will be.”
10 tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
11 tn Heb “Look, his brother came out.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through the midwife’s eyes. The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
12 tn Heb “How you have made a breach for yourself!” The Hebrew verb translated “make a breach” frequently occurs, as here, with a cognate accusative. The event provided the meaningful name Perez, “he who breaks through.”
13 sn The name Perez means “he who breaks through,” referring to Perez reaching out his hand at birth before his brother was born. The naming signified the completion of Tamar’s struggle and also depicted the destiny of the tribe of Perez who later became dominant (Gen 46:12 and Num 26:20). Judah and his brothers had sold Joseph into slavery, thinking they could thwart God’s plan that the elder brothers should serve the younger. God demonstrated that principle through these births in Judah’s own family, affirming that the elder will serve the younger, and that Joseph’s leadership could not so easily be set aside. See J. Goldin, “The Youngest Son; or, Where Does Genesis 38 Belong?” JBL 96 (1977): 27-44.
12 tn Heb “and he said.”
13 tn Heb “know.”
14 tn The word “here” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
15 tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.
13 tn Heb “What is this deed you have done?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question. A literal translation seems to contradict the following statement, in which Joseph affirms that he is able to divine such matters. Thus here the emotive force of the question has been reflected in the translation, “What did you think you were doing?”
14 tn Heb “[is] fully able to divine,” meaning that he can find things out by divination. The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis, stressing his ability to do this.
14 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15 tn Heb “both we and our fathers.”