7:2 Joshua sent men from Jericho 6 to Ai (which is located near Beth Aven, east of Bethel 7 ) and instructed them, “Go up and spy on the land.” So the men went up and spied on Ai.
31:1 “I made a covenant with 10 my eyes;
how then could I entertain thoughts against a virgin? 11
5:1 When 12 he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. 13 After he sat down his disciples came to him.
2:16 When Herod 14 saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men 15 to kill all the children in Bethlehem 16 and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men.
1 sn The Hebrew phrase translated “sons of God” (בְנֵי־הָאֱלֹהִים, bÿne-ha’elohim) occurs only here (Gen 6:2, 4) and in Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7. There are three major interpretations of the phrase here. (1) In the Book of Job the phrase clearly refers to angelic beings. In Gen 6 the “sons of God” are distinct from “humankind,” suggesting they were not human. This is consistent with the use of the phrase in Job. Since the passage speaks of these beings cohabiting with women, they must have taken physical form or possessed the bodies of men. An early Jewish tradition preserved in 1 En. 6-7 elaborates on this angelic revolt and even names the ringleaders. (2) Not all scholars accept the angelic interpretation of the “sons of God,” however. Some argue that the “sons of God” were members of Seth’s line, traced back to God through Adam in Gen 5, while the “daughters of humankind” were descendants of Cain. But, as noted above, the text distinguishes the “sons of God” from humankind (which would include the Sethites as well as the Cainites) and suggests that the “daughters of humankind” are human women in general, not just Cainites. (3) Others identify the “sons of God” as powerful tyrants, perhaps demon-possessed, who viewed themselves as divine and, following the example of Lamech (see Gen 4:19), practiced polygamy. But usage of the phrase “sons of God” in Job militates against this view. For literature on the subject see G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:135.
2 tn Heb “she lifted up her eyes toward,” an expression that emphasizes her deliberate and careful scrutiny of him.
3 tn Heb “lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
4 tn Heb “Shinar,” a reference to Babylon (cf. Gen 10:10; 11:2; 14:1). Many modern translations retain the Hebrew name “Shinar” (cf. NEB, NRSV) but some use the more familiar “Babylon” (cf. NIV, NLT).
5 tn Heb “shekels.”
6 map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.
7 map For the location of Bethel see Map4-G4; Map5-C1; Map6-E3; Map7-D1; Map8-G3.
8 tn Heb “and to the kings who [are] from the north in.”
9 tn Heb “Chinneroth,” a city and plain located in the territory of Naphtali in Galilee (BDB 490 s.v. כִּנֶּרֶת, כִּנֲרוֹת).
10 tn The idea of cutting a covenant for something may suggest a covenant that is imposed, except that this construction elsewhere argues against it (see 2 Chr 29:10).
11 tn This half-verse is the effect of the covenant. The interrogative מָה (mah) may have the force of the negative, and so be translated “not to pay attention.”
12 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
13 tn Or “up a mountain” (εἰς τὸ ὄρος, eis to oro").
14 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Note the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the angel in 2:13.
15 tn Or “soldiers.”
16 map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.