Genesis 4:2

4:2 Then she gave birth ¹  to his brother Abel. ²  Abel took care of the flocks, while Cain cultivated the ground. ³ 

Genesis 4:18

4:18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father ⁴  of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.

Genesis 9:25

9:25 So he said,

“Cursed ⁵  be Canaan! ⁶ 

The lowest of slaves ⁷ 

he will be to his brothers.”

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. ⁸  He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of ⁹  the people.

Genesis 30:18

30:18 Then Leah said, “God has granted me a reward ¹⁰  because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife.” ¹¹  So she named him Issachar. ¹² 

Genesis 36:16

36:16 chief Korah, ¹³  chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons ¹⁴  of Adah.

Genesis 38:7

38:7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord killed him.

¹ tn Heb “And she again gave birth.”

² sn The name Abel is not defined here in the text, but the tone is ominous. Abel’s name, the Hebrew word הֶבֶל (hevel), means “breath, vapor, vanity,” foreshadowing Abel’s untimely and premature death.

³ tn Heb “and Abel was a shepherd of the flock, and Cain was a worker of the ground.” The designations of the two occupations are expressed with active participles, רֹעֵה (ro’eh, “shepherd”) and עֹבֵד (’oved, “worker”). Abel is occupied with sheep, whereas Cain is living under the curse, cultivating the ground.

⁴ tn Heb “and Irad fathered.”

⁷ sn For more on the curse, see H. C. Brichto, The Problem of “Curse” in the Hebrew Bible (JBLMS), and J. Scharbert, TDOT 1:405-18.

⁸ sn Cursed be Canaan. The curse is pronounced on Canaan, not Ham. Noah sees a problem in Ham’s character, and on the basis of that he delivers a prophecy about the future descendants who will live in slavery to such things and then be controlled by others. (For more on the idea of slavery in general, see E. M. Yamauchi, “Slaves of God,” BETS 9 [1966]: 31-49). In a similar way Jacob pronounced oracles about his sons based on their revealed character (see Gen 49).

⁹ tn Heb “a servant of servants” (עֶבֶד עֲבָדִים, ’eved ’avadim), an example of the superlative genitive. It means Canaan will become the most abject of slaves.

¹⁰ tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

¹¹ tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

¹³ tn Heb “God has given my reward.”

¹⁴ tn The words “as a wife” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity (cf. v. 9).

¹⁵ sn The name Issachar (יְשָּׁשכָר, yishakhar) appears to mean “man of reward” or possibly “there is reward.” The name plays on the word used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew noun translated “reward” is derived from the same root as the name Issachar. The irony is that Rachel thought the mandrakes would work for her, and she was willing to trade one night for them. But in that one night Leah became pregnant.

¹⁶ tc The Samaritan Pentateuch omits the name “Korah” (see v. 11 and 1 Chr 1:36).

¹⁷ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).