28:18 Early 17 in the morning Jacob 18 took the stone he had placed near his head 19 and set it up as a sacred stone. 20 Then he poured oil on top of it.
37:25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up 24 and saw 25 a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. 26
1 tn Heb “for seven days yet,” meaning “after [or “in”] seven days.”
2 tn The Hiphil participle מַמְטִיר (mamtir, “cause to rain”) here expresses the certainty of the act in the imminent future.
3 tn The Qal cohortative here probably has the nuance of polite request.
4 tn Heb “a piece of bread.” The Hebrew word לֶחֶם (lekhem) can refer either to bread specifically or to food in general. Based on Abraham’s directions to Sarah in v. 6, bread was certainly involved, but v. 7 indicates that Abraham had a more elaborate meal in mind.
5 tn Heb “strengthen your heart.” The imperative after the cohortative indicates purpose here.
6 tn Heb “so that you may refresh yourselves, after [which] you may be on your way – for therefore you passed by near your servant.”
5 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 sn Take your son…Isaac. The instructions are very clear, but the details are deliberate. With every additional description the commandment becomes more challenging.
7 sn There has been much debate over the location of Moriah; 2 Chr 3:1 suggests it may be the site where the temple was later built in Jerusalem.
8 sn A whole burnt offering signified the complete surrender of the worshiper and complete acceptance by God. The demand for a human sacrifice was certainly radical and may have seemed to Abraham out of character for God. Abraham would have to obey without fully understanding what God was about.
9 tn Heb “which I will say to.”
7 tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.
8 tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).
9 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.
10 tn Or “inherit.”
11 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”).
9 tn Heb “and he got up early…and he took.”
10 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 tn See the note on this phrase in v. 11.
12 tn Heb “standing stone.”
11 tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.
13 sn On the use of the expression to this day, see B. S. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until This Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.
14 tn Or “because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive. On the translation of the word “struck” see the note on this term in v. 25.
15 tn Heb “lifted up their eyes.”
16 tn Heb “and they saw and look.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the event through the eyes of the brothers.
17 tn Heb “and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh, going to go down to Egypt.”
17 tn Heb “offspring.”
18 tn Heb “would not be his,” that is, legally speaking. Under the levirate system the child would be legally considered the child of his deceased brother.
19 tn The construction shows that this was a repeated practice and not merely one action.
20 tn Heb “he went to.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
21 tn Heb “he spoiled [his semen] to the ground.” Onan withdrew prematurely and ejaculated on the ground to prevent his brother’s widow from becoming pregnant.