19:2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night 6 and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” 7 “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” 8
1 tn Heb “For I have known him.” The verb יָדַע (yada’) here means “to recognize and treat in a special manner, to choose” (see Amos 3:2). It indicates that Abraham stood in a special covenantal relationship with the
2 tn Heb “and they will keep.” The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the subjective nuance of the preceding imperfect verbal form (translated “so that he may command”).
3 tn The infinitive construct here indicates manner, explaining how Abraham’s children and his household will keep the way of the
4 tn Heb “bring on.” The infinitive after לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) indicates result here.
5 tn Heb “spoke to.”
6 tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.
7 tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”
8 sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.
11 tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”
12 tn Heb “As for me – in the way the
13 tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.
14 tn Heb “brothers.”
16 tn Heb “daughter.” Rebekah was actually the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. One can either translate the Hebrew term בַּת (bat) as “daughter,” in which case the term אָח (’akh) must be translated more generally as “relative” rather than “brother” (cf. NASB, NRSV) or one can translate בַּת as “granddaughter,” in which case אָח may be translated “brother” (cf. NIV).
21 tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.
26 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
27 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.
28 tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”
29 tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.
30 tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
31 tn The Hebrew text simply has “because,” connecting this sentence to what precedes. For stylistic reasons the words “she did this” are supplied in the translation and a new sentence begun.
32 tn Heb “she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she was not given to him as a wife.”
36 tn Heb “I will go to you.” The imperfect verbal form probably indicates his desire here. The expression “go to” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
37 tn Heb “for he did not know that.”
38 tn Heb “when you come to me.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
41 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
42 sn The expression he alone is left meant that (so far as Jacob knew) Benjamin was the only surviving child of his mother Rachel.
43 sn The expression bring down my gray hair is figurative, using a part for the whole – they would put Jacob in the grave. But the gray head signifies a long life of worry and trouble.
44 tn Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.