28:6 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him off to Paddan Aram to find a wife there. 6 As he blessed him, 7 Isaac commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” 8
1 tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.
2 tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).
3 tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.
4 tn Or “inherit.”
5 tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. To break through the gate complex would be to conquer the city, for the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”).
6 tn Heb “to take for himself from there a wife.”
7 tn The infinitive construct with the preposition and the suffix form a temporal clause.
8 tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”