Genesis 3:24--4:1

3:24 When he drove ¹  the man out, he placed on the eastern side ²  of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries ³  who used the flame of a whirling sword ⁴  to guard the way to the tree of life.

The Story of Cain and Abel

4:1 Now ⁵  the man had marital relations with ⁶  his wife Eve, and she became pregnant ⁷  and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created ⁸  a man just as the Lord did!” ⁹ 

Genesis 11:27

The Record of Terah

11:27 This is the account of Terah.

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot.

Genesis 14:16

14:16 He retrieved all the stolen property. ¹⁰  He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of ¹¹  the people.

Genesis 21:19

21:19 Then God enabled Hagar to see a well of water. ¹²  She went over and filled the skin with water, and then gave the boy a drink.

Genesis 22:16

22:16 and said, “‘I solemnly swear by my own name,’ ¹³  decrees the Lord, ¹⁴  ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,

Genesis 24:60

24:60 They blessed Rebekah with these words: ¹⁵ 

“Our sister, may you become the mother ¹⁶  of thousands of ten thousands!

May your descendants possess the strongholds ¹⁷  of their enemies.”

Genesis 31:25

31:25 Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. ¹⁸ 

Genesis 37:23

37:23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him ¹⁹  of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore.

Genesis 45:18

45:18 Get your father and your households and come to me! Then I will give you ²⁰  the best land in Egypt and you will eat ²¹  the best ²²  of the land.’

Genesis 49:31

49:31 There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah; there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah; and there I buried Leah.

¹ tn The verb with the vav (ו) consecutive is made subordinate to the next verb forming a temporal clause. This avoids any tautology with the previous verse that already stated that the Lord expelled the man.

² tn Or “placed in front.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.

³ tn The Hebrew word is traditionally transliterated “the cherubim.”

⁴ tn Heb “the flame of the sword that turns round and round.” The noun “flame” is qualified by the genitive of specification, “the sword,” which in turn is modified by the attributive participle “whirling.” The Hitpael of the verb “turn” has an iterative function here, indicating repeated action. The form is used in Job 37:12 of swirling clouds and in Judg 7:13 of a tumbling roll of bread. Verse 24 depicts the sword as moving from side to side to prevent anyone from passing or as whirling around, ready to cut to shreds anyone who tries to pass.

⁵ tn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new episode in the ongoing narrative.

⁶ tn Heb “the man knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.

⁷ tn Or “she conceived.”

⁸ tn Here is another sound play (paronomasia) on a name. The sound of the verb קָנִיתִי (qaniti, “I have created”) reflects the sound of the name Cain in Hebrew (קַיִן, qayin) and gives meaning to it. The saying uses the Qal perfect of קָנָה (qanah). There are two homonymic verbs with this spelling, one meaning “obtain, acquire” and the other meaning “create” (see Gen 14:19, 22; Deut 32:6; Ps 139:13; Prov 8:22). The latter fits this context very well. Eve has created a man.

⁹ tn Heb “with the Lord.” The particle אֶת־ (’et) is not the accusative/object sign, but the preposition “with” as the ancient versions attest. Some take the preposition in the sense of “with the help of” (see BDB 85 s.v. אֵת; cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV), while others prefer “along with” in the sense of “like, equally with, in common with” (see Lev 26:39; Isa 45:9; Jer 23:28). Either works well in this context; the latter is reflected in the present translation. Some understand אֶת־ as the accusative/object sign and translate, “I have acquired a man – the Lord.” They suggest that the woman thought (mistakenly) that she had given birth to the incarnate Lord, the Messiah who would bruise the Serpent’s head. This fanciful suggestion is based on a questionable allegorical interpretation of Gen 3:15 (see the note there on the word “heel”).

⁹ tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

¹⁰ tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

¹³ tn Heb “And God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.” The referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁷ tn Heb “By myself I swear.”

¹⁸ tn Heb “the oracle of the Lord.” The phrase refers to a formal oracle or decree from the Lord.

²¹ tn Heb “and said to her.”

²² tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”

²³ tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”). A similar phrase occurs in Gen 22:17.

²⁵ tn Heb “and Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban pitched with his brothers in the hill country of Gilead.” The juxtaposition of disjunctive clauses (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb in both clauses) indicates synchronism of action.

²⁹ tn Heb “Joseph”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

³³ tn After the imperatives in vv. 17-18a, the cohortative with vav indicates result.

³⁴ tn After the cohortative the imperative with vav states the ultimate goal.

³⁵ tn Heb “fat.”