1 tn The Hebrew word עִיר (’ir) can refer to either a city or a town, depending on the size of the place. Given that this place was described by Lot later in this verse as a “little place,” the translation uses “town.”
2 tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”
3 tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.
4 tn Heb “Is it not little?”
5 tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.
6 tn Heb “With whomever you find your gods, he will not live.”
7 tn Heb “brothers.”
8 tn Heb “recognize for yourself what is with me and take for yourself.”
9 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.
11 tn Heb “wide on both hands,” that is, in both directions.
12 tn The words “to marry” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
16 tn The pronoun before the first person verbal form draws attention to the subject and emphasizes Judah’s willingness to be personally responsible for the boy.
17 sn I will bear the blame before you all my life. It is not clear how this would work out if Benjamin did not come back. But Judah is offering his life for Benjamin’s if Benjamin does not return.
21 tn Heb “to sojourn.”
22 tn Heb “for there.” The Hebrew uses a causal particle to connect what follows with what precedes. The translation divides the statement into two sentences for stylistic reasons.