Genesis 23:4

23:4 “I am a temporary settler among you. Grant me ownership of a burial site among you so that I may bury my dead.”

Genesis 25:26

25:26 When his brother came out with his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

Genesis 48:4

48:4 He said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and will multiply you. 10  I will make you into a group of nations, and I will give this land to your descendants 11  as an everlasting possession.’ 12 


tn Heb “a resident alien and a settler.”

tn Heb “give,” which is used here as an idiom for “sell” (see v. 9). The idiom reflects the polite bartering that was done in the culture at the time.

tn Or “possession.”

tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose.

tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

tn The disjunctive clause describes an important circumstance accompanying the birth. Whereas Esau was passive at birth, Jacob was active.

tn Heb “And he called his name Jacob.” Some ancient witnesses read “they called his name Jacob” (see v. 25). In either case the subject is indefinite.

tn Heb “the son of sixty years.”

11 tn Heb “Look, I am making you fruitful.” The participle following הִנֵּה (hinneh) has the nuance of a certain and often imminent future.

12 tn The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the certain future idea.

13 tn The Hebrew text adds “after you,” which has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

14 tn The Hebrew word אֲחֻזָּה (’akhuzzah), translated “possession,” describes a permanent holding in the land. It is the noun form of the same verb (אָחַז, ’akhaz) that was used for the land given to them in Goshen (Gen 47:27).