Genesis 2:6

2:6 Springs ¹  would well up ²  from the earth and water ³  the whole surface of the ground. ⁴ 

Genesis 2:10

2:10 Now ⁵  a river flows ⁶  from Eden ⁷  to

water the orchard, and from there it divides ⁸  into four headstreams. ⁹ 

Genesis 19:32

19:32 Come, let’s make our father drunk with wine ¹⁰  so we can have sexual relations ¹¹  with him and preserve ¹²  our family line through our father.” ¹³ 

Genesis 24:18-19

24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering ¹⁴  her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, ¹⁵  she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.”

¹ tn The conjunction vav (ו) introduces a third disjunctive clause. The Hebrew word אֵד (’ed) was traditionally translated “mist” because of its use in Job 36:27. However, an Akkadian cognate edu in Babylonian texts refers to subterranean springs or waterways. Such a spring would fit the description in this context, since this water “goes up” and waters the ground.

² tn Heb “was going up.” The verb is an imperfect form, which in this narrative context carries a customary nuance, indicating continual action in past time.

³ tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same nuance as the preceding verb. Whenever it would well up, it would water the ground.

⁴ tn The Hebrew word אֲדָמָה (’adamah) actually means “ground; fertile soil.”

⁵ tn The disjunctive clause (note the construction conjunction + subject + predicate) introduces an entire paragraph about the richness of the region in the east.

⁶ tn The Hebrew active participle may be translated here as indicating past durative action, “was flowing,” or as a present durative, “flows.” Since this river was the source of the rivers mentioned in vv. 11-14, which appear to describe a situation contemporary with the narrator, it is preferable to translate the participle in v. 10 with the present tense. This suggests that Eden and its orchard still existed in the narrator’s time. According to ancient Jewish tradition, Enoch was taken to the Garden of Eden, where his presence insulated the garden from the destructive waters of Noah’s flood. See Jub. 4:23-24.

⁷ sn Eden is portrayed here as a source of life-giving rivers (that is, perennial streams). This is no surprise because its orchard is where the tree of life is located. Eden is a source of life, but tragically its orchard is no longer accessible to humankind. The river flowing out of Eden is a tantalizing reminder of this. God continues to provide life-giving water to sustain physical existence on the earth, but immortality has been lost.

⁸ tn The imperfect verb form has the same nuance as the preceding participle. (If the participle is taken as past durative, then the imperfect would be translated “was dividing.”)

⁹ tn Or “branches”; Heb “heads.” Cf. NEB “streams”; NASB “rivers.”

⁹ tn Heb “drink wine.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “and we will lie down.” The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive is subordinated to the preceding cohortative and indicates purpose/result.

¹¹ tn Or “that we may preserve.” Here the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates their ultimate goal.

¹² tn Heb “and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”

¹³ tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”

¹⁷ tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.