Genesis 9:16

9:16 When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will notice it and remember ¹  the perpetual covenant between God and all living creatures of all kinds that are on the earth.”

Genesis 16:12

16:12 He will be a wild donkey ²  of a man.

He will be hostile to everyone, ³ 

and everyone will be hostile to him. ⁴ 

He will live away from ⁵  his brothers.”

Genesis 21:22

21:22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you ⁶  in all that you do.

Genesis 24:2

24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one ⁷  in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh ⁸ 

Genesis 30:41

30:41 When the stronger females were in heat, ⁹  Jacob would set up the branches in the troughs in front of the flock, so they would mate near the branches.

Genesis 41:44

41:44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission ¹⁰  no one ¹¹  will move his hand or his foot ¹²  in all the land of Egypt.”

Genesis 41:46

41:46 Now Joseph was 30 years old ¹³  when he began serving ¹⁴  Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by ¹⁵  Pharaoh and was in charge of ¹⁶  all the land of Egypt.

Genesis 41:54

41:54 Then the seven years of famine began, ¹⁷  just as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food.

Genesis 45:8

45:8 So now, it is not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me an adviser ¹⁸  to Pharaoh, lord over all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Genesis 45:26

45:26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned, ¹⁹  for he did not believe them.

Genesis 47:13

47:13 But there was no food in all the land because the famine was very severe; the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan wasted away ²⁰  because of the famine.

¹ tn The translation assumes that the infinitive לִזְכֹּר (lizkor, “to remember”) here expresses the result of seeing the rainbow. Another option is to understand it as indicating purpose, in which case it could be translated, “I will look at it so that I may remember.”

² sn A wild donkey of a man. The prophecy is not an insult. The wild donkey lived a solitary existence in the desert away from society. Ishmael would be free-roaming, strong, and like a bedouin; he would enjoy the freedom his mother sought.

³ tn Heb “His hand will be against everyone.” The “hand” by metonymy represents strength. His free-roaming life style would put him in conflict with those who follow social conventions. There would not be open warfare, only friction because of his antagonism to their way of life.

⁴ tn Heb “And the hand of everyone will be against him.”

⁵ tn Heb “opposite, across from.” Ishmael would live on the edge of society (cf. NASB “to the east of”). Some take this as an idiom meaning “be at odds with” (cf. NRSV, NLT) or “live in hostility toward” (cf. NIV).

³ sn God is with you. Abimelech and Phicol recognized that Abraham enjoyed special divine provision and protection.

⁴ tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).

⁵ sn Put your hand under my thigh. The taking of this oath had to do with the sanctity of the family and the continuation of the family line. See D. R. Freedman, “Put Your Hand Under My Thigh – the Patriarchal Oath,” BAR 2 (1976): 2-4, 42.

⁵ tn Heb “and at every breeding-heat of the flock.”

⁶ tn Heb “apart from you.”

⁷ tn Heb “no man,” but here “man” is generic, referring to people in general.

⁸ tn The idiom “lift up hand or foot” means “take any action” here.

⁷ tn Heb “a son of thirty years.”

⁸ tn Heb “when he stood before.”

⁹ tn Heb “went out from before.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “and he passed through all the land of Egypt”; this phrase is interpreted by JPS to mean that Joseph “emerged in charge of the whole land.”

⁸ tn Heb “began to arrive.”

⁹ tn Heb “a father.” The term is used here figuratively of one who gives advice, as a father would to his children.

¹⁰ tn Heb “and his heart was numb.” Jacob was stunned by the unbelievable news and was unable to respond.

¹¹ tn The verb לַהַה (lahah, = לָאָה, la’ah) means “to faint, to languish”; it figuratively describes the land as wasting away, drooping, being worn out.