Genesis 10:1--12:20

The Table of Nations

10:1 This is the account ¹  of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons ²  were born ³  to them after the flood.

10:2 The sons of Japheth ⁴  were Gomer, ⁵  Magog, ⁶  Madai, ⁷  Javan, ⁸  Tubal, ⁹  Meshech, ¹⁰  and Tiras. ¹¹  10:3 The sons of Gomer were ¹²  Askenaz, ¹³  Riphath, ¹⁴  and Togarmah. ¹⁵  10:4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, ¹⁶  Tarshish, ¹⁷  the Kittim, ¹⁸  and the Dodanim. ¹⁹  10:5 From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to its language, according to their families, by their nations.

10:6 The sons of Ham were Cush, ²⁰  Mizraim, ²¹  Put, ²²  and Canaan. ²³  10:7 The sons of Cush were Seba, ²⁴  Havilah, ²⁵  Sabtah, ²⁶  Raamah, ²⁷  and Sabteca. ²⁸  The sons of Raamah were Sheba ²⁹  and Dedan. ³⁰ 

10:8 Cush was the father of ³¹  Nimrod; he began to be a valiant warrior on the earth. 10:9 He was a mighty hunter ³²  before the Lord. ³³  (That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.”) 10:10 The primary regions ³⁴  of his kingdom were Babel, ³⁵  Erech, ³⁶  Akkad, ³⁷  and Calneh ³⁸  in the land of Shinar. ³⁹  10:11 From that land he went ⁴⁰  to Assyria, ⁴¹  where he built Nineveh, ⁴²  Rehoboth-Ir, ⁴³  Calah, ⁴⁴  10:12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city Calah. ⁴⁵ 

10:13 Mizraim ⁴⁶  was the father of ⁴⁷  the Ludites, ⁴⁸  Anamites, ⁴⁹  Lehabites, ⁵⁰  Naphtuhites, ⁵¹  10:14 Pathrusites, ⁵²  Casluhites ⁵³  (from whom the Philistines came), ⁵⁴  and Caphtorites. ⁵⁵ 

10:15 Canaan was the father of ⁵⁶  Sidon his firstborn, ⁵⁷  Heth, ⁵⁸  10:16 the Jebusites, ⁵⁹  Amorites, ⁶⁰  Girgashites, ⁶¹  10:17 Hivites, ⁶²  Arkites, ⁶³  Sinites, ⁶⁴  10:18 Arvadites, ⁶⁵  Zemarites, ⁶⁶  and Hamathites. ⁶⁷  Eventually the families of the Canaanites were scattered 10:19 and the borders of Canaan extended ⁶⁸  from Sidon ⁶⁹  all the way to ⁷⁰  Gerar as far as Gaza, and all the way to ⁷¹  Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 10:20 These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, and by their nations.

10:21 And sons were also born ⁷²  to Shem (the older brother of Japheth), ⁷³  the father of all the sons of Eber.

10:22 The sons of Shem were Elam, ⁷⁴  Asshur, ⁷⁵  Arphaxad, ⁷⁶  Lud, ⁷⁷  and Aram. ⁷⁸  10:23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. ⁷⁹  10:24 Arphaxad was the father of ⁸⁰  Shelah, ⁸¹  and Shelah was the father of Eber. ⁸²  10:25 Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg because in his days the earth was divided, ⁸³  and his brother’s name was Joktan. 10:26 Joktan was the father of ⁸⁴  Almodad, ⁸⁵  Sheleph, ⁸⁶  Hazarmaveth, ⁸⁷  Jerah, ⁸⁸  10:27 Hadoram, Uzal, ⁸⁹  Diklah, ⁹⁰  10:28 Obal, ⁹¹  Abimael, ⁹²  Sheba, ⁹³  10:29 Ophir, ⁹⁴  Havilah, ⁹⁵  and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. 10:30 Their dwelling place was from Mesha all the way to ⁹⁶  Sephar in the eastern hills. 10:31 These are the sons of Shem according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, and according to their nations.

10:32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations, and from these the nations spread ⁹⁷  over the earth after the flood.

The Dispersion of the Nations at Babel

11:1 The whole earth ⁹⁸  had a common language and a common vocabulary. ⁹⁹  11:2 When the people ¹⁰⁰  moved eastward, ¹⁰¹  they found a plain in Shinar ¹⁰²  and settled there. 11:3 Then they said to one another, ¹⁰³  “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” ¹⁰⁴  (They had brick instead of stone and tar ¹⁰⁵  instead of mortar.) ¹⁰⁶  11:4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens ¹⁰⁷  so that ¹⁰⁸  we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise ¹⁰⁹  we will be scattered ¹¹⁰  across the face of the entire earth.”

11:5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people ¹¹¹  had started ¹¹²  building. 11:6 And the Lord said, “If as one people all sharing a common language ¹¹³  they have begun to do this, then ¹¹⁴  nothing they plan to do will be beyond them. ¹¹⁵  11:7 Come, let’s go down and confuse ¹¹⁶  their language so they won’t be able to understand each other.” ¹¹⁷ 

11:8 So the Lord scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth, and they stopped building ¹¹⁸  the city. 11:9 That is why its name was called ¹¹⁹  Babel ¹²⁰  – because there the Lord confused the language of the entire world, and from there the Lord scattered them across the face of the entire earth.

The Genealogy of Shem

11:10 This is the account of Shem.

Shem was 100 old when he became the father of Arphaxad, two years after the flood. 11:11 And after becoming the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other ¹²¹  sons and daughters.

11:12 When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. 11:13 And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other ¹²²  sons and daughters. ¹²³ 

11:14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. 11:15 And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other ¹²⁴  sons and daughters.

11:16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. 11:17 And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. 11:19 And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug. 11:21 And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. 11:23 And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. 11:25 And after he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

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. 11:28 Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans, ¹²⁵  while his father Terah was still alive. ¹²⁶  11:29 And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, ¹²⁷  and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah; ¹²⁸  she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 11:30 But Sarai was barren; she had no children.

11:31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (the son of Haran), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and with them he set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. When they came to Haran, they settled there. 11:32 The lifetime ¹²⁹  of Terah was 205 years, and he ¹³⁰  died in Haran.

The Obedience of Abram

12:1 Now the Lord said ¹³¹  to Abram, ¹³² 

“Go out ¹³³  from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household

to the land that I will show you. ¹³⁴ 

12:2 Then I will make you ¹³⁵  into a great nation, and I will bless you, ¹³⁶ 

and I will make your name great, ¹³⁷ 

so that you will exemplify divine blessing. ¹³⁸ 

12:3 I will bless those who bless you, ¹³⁹ 

but the one who treats you lightly ¹⁴⁰  I must curse,

and all the families of the earth will bless one another ¹⁴¹  by your name.”

12:4 So Abram left, ¹⁴²  just as the Lord had told him to do, ¹⁴³  and Lot went with him. (Now ¹⁴⁴  Abram was 75 years old ¹⁴⁵  when he departed from Haran.) 12:5 And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew ¹⁴⁶  Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired ¹⁴⁷  in Haran, and they left for ¹⁴⁸  the land of Canaan. They entered the land of Canaan.

12:6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the oak tree ¹⁴⁹  of Moreh ¹⁵⁰  at Shechem. ¹⁵¹  (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) ¹⁵²  12:7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants ¹⁵³  I will give this land.” So Abram ¹⁵⁴  built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

12:8 Then he moved from there to the hill country east of Bethel ¹⁵⁵  and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and worshiped the Lord. ¹⁵⁶  12:9 Abram continually journeyed by stages ¹⁵⁷  down to the Negev. ¹⁵⁸ 

The Promised Blessing Jeopardized

12:10 There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt ¹⁵⁹  to stay for a while ¹⁶⁰  because the famine was severe. ¹⁶¹  12:11 As he approached ¹⁶²  Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, ¹⁶³  I know that you are a beautiful woman. ¹⁶⁴  12:12 When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive. ¹⁶⁵  12:13 So tell them ¹⁶⁶  you are my sister ¹⁶⁷  so that it may go well ¹⁶⁸  for me because of you and my life will be spared ¹⁶⁹  on account of you.”

12:14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 12:15 When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. So Abram’s wife ¹⁷⁰  was taken ¹⁷¹  into the household of Pharaoh, ¹⁷²  12:16 and he did treat Abram well ¹⁷³  on account of her. Abram received ¹⁷⁴  sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

12:17 But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases ¹⁷⁵  because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 12:18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this ¹⁷⁶  you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? 12:19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her ¹⁷⁷  to be my wife? ¹⁷⁸  Here is your wife! ¹⁷⁹  Take her and go!” ¹⁸⁰  12:20 Pharaoh gave his men orders about Abram, ¹⁸¹  and so they expelled him, along with his wife and all his possessions.

Genesis 24:1-67

The Wife for Isaac

24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, ¹⁸²  and the Lord had blessed him ¹⁸³  in everything. 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one ¹⁸⁴  in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh ¹⁸⁵  24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise ¹⁸⁶  by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire ¹⁸⁷  a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 24:4 You must go instead to my country and to my relatives ¹⁸⁸  to find ¹⁸⁹  a wife for my son Isaac.”

24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with me ¹⁹⁰  to this land? Must I then ¹⁹¹  take your son back to the land from which you came?”

24:6 “Be careful ¹⁹²  never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. ¹⁹³  24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, ¹⁹⁴  promised me with a solemn oath, ¹⁹⁵  ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel ¹⁹⁶  before you so that you may find ¹⁹⁷  a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, ¹⁹⁸  you will be free ¹⁹⁹  from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!” 24:9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. ²⁰⁰ 

24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. ²⁰¹  He journeyed ²⁰²  to the region of Aram Naharaim ²⁰³  and the city of Nahor. 24:11 He made the camels kneel down by the well ²⁰⁴  outside the city. It was evening, ²⁰⁵  the time when the women would go out to draw water. 24:12 He prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, guide me today. ²⁰⁶  Be faithful ²⁰⁷  to my master Abraham. 24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, ²⁰⁸  and the daughters of the people ²⁰⁹  who live in the town are coming out to draw water. 24:14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ ²¹⁰  In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” ²¹¹ 

24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah ²¹²  with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor). ²¹³  24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. ²¹⁴  She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant ²¹⁵  ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.” 24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering ²¹⁶  her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, ²¹⁷  she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied ²¹⁸  her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels. 24:21 Silently the man watched her with interest to determine ²¹⁹  if the Lord had made his journey successful ²²⁰  or not.

24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka ²²¹  and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels ²²²  and gave them to her. ²²³  24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. ²²⁴  “Tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

24:24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor. ²²⁵  24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, ²²⁶  “and room for you ²²⁷  to spend the night.”

24:26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, 24:27 saying “Praised be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love ²²⁸  for my master! The Lord has led me ²²⁹  to the house ²³⁰  of my master’s relatives!” ²³¹ 

24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about ²³²  these things. 24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) ²³³  Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring. 24:30 When he saw the bracelets on his sister’s wrists and the nose ring ²³⁴  and heard his sister Rebekah say, ²³⁵  “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing ²³⁶  by the camels near the spring. 24:31 Laban said to him, ²³⁷  “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! ²³⁸  Why are you standing out here when I have prepared ²³⁹  the house and a place for the camels?”

24:32 So Abraham’s servant ²⁴⁰  went to the house and unloaded ²⁴¹  the camels. Straw and feed were given ²⁴²  to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. ²⁴³  24:33 When food was served, ²⁴⁴  he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” ²⁴⁵  “Tell us,” Laban said. ²⁴⁶ 

24:34 “I am the servant of Abraham,” he began. 24:35 “The Lord has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. ²⁴⁷  The Lord ²⁴⁸  has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 24:36 My master’s wife Sarah bore a son to him ²⁴⁹  when she was old, ²⁵⁰  and my master ²⁵¹  has given him everything he owns. 24:37 My master made me swear an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 24:38 but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find ²⁵²  a wife for my son.’ 24:39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to go ²⁵³  with me?’ ²⁵⁴  24:40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, ²⁵⁵  will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 24:41 You will be free from your oath ²⁵⁶  if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’ 24:42 When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, ²⁵⁷  may events unfold as follows: ²⁵⁸  24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. ²⁵⁹  When ²⁶⁰  the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.” 24:44 Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’

24:45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, ²⁶¹  along came Rebekah ²⁶²  with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 24:46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels water. 24:47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.’ ²⁶³  I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 24:48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to find the granddaughter ²⁶⁴  of my master’s brother for his son. 24:49 Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way.” ²⁶⁵ 

24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is the Lord’s doing. ²⁶⁶  Our wishes are of no concern. ²⁶⁷  24:51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become ²⁶⁸  the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.” ²⁶⁹ 

24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 24:53 Then he ²⁷⁰  brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother. 24:54 After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. ²⁷¹ 

When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” ²⁷²  24:55 But Rebekah’s ²⁷³  brother and her mother replied, “Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go.” 24:56 But he said to them, “Don’t detain me – the Lord ²⁷⁴  has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return ²⁷⁵  to my master.” 24:57 Then they said, “We’ll call the girl and find out what she wants to do.” ²⁷⁶  24:58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want ²⁷⁷  to go with this man?” She replied, “I want to go.”

24:59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham’s servant and his men. 24:60 They blessed Rebekah with these words: ²⁷⁸ 

“Our sister, may you become the mother ²⁷⁹  of thousands of ten thousands!

May your descendants possess the strongholds ²⁸⁰  of their enemies.”

24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with ²⁸¹  the man. So Abraham’s servant ²⁸²  took Rebekah and left.

24:62 Now ²⁸³  Isaac came from ²⁸⁴  Beer Lahai Roi, ²⁸⁵  for ²⁸⁶  he was living in the Negev. ²⁸⁷  24:63 He ²⁸⁸  went out to relax ²⁸⁹  in the field in the early evening. ²⁹⁰  Then he looked up ²⁹¹  and saw that ²⁹²  there were camels approaching. 24:64 Rebekah looked up ²⁹³  and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 24:65 and asked ²⁹⁴  Abraham’s servant, ²⁹⁵  “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied. ²⁹⁶  So she took her veil and covered herself.

24:66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah ²⁹⁷  into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her ²⁹⁸  as his wife and loved her. ²⁹⁹  So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. ³⁰⁰ 

Genesis 35:5

35:5 and they started on their journey. ³⁰¹  The surrounding cities were afraid of God, ³⁰²  and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

Genesis 42:16-18

42:16 One of you must go and get ³⁰³  your brother, while ³⁰⁴  the rest of you remain in prison. ³⁰⁵  In this way your words may be tested to see if ³⁰⁶  you are telling the truth. ³⁰⁷  If not, then, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 42:17 He imprisoned ³⁰⁸  them all for three days. 42:18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do as I say ³⁰⁹  and you will live, ³¹⁰  for I fear God. ³¹¹ 

Deuteronomy 29:4

29:4 But to this very day the Lord has not given you an understanding mind, perceptive eyes, or discerning ears! ³¹² 

Psalms 119:18

119:18 Open ³¹³  my eyes so I can truly see ³¹⁴ 

the marvelous things in your law!

Proverbs 20:12

20:12 The ear that hears and the eye that sees ³¹⁵  –

the Lord has made them both. ³¹⁶ 

Jeremiah 31:33-34

31:33 “But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel ³¹⁷  after I plant them back in the land,” ³¹⁸  says the Lord. ³¹⁹  “I will ³²⁰  put my law within them ³²¹  and write it on their hearts and minds. ³²²  I will be their God and they will be my people. ³²³ 

31:34 “People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. ³²⁴  For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” ³²⁵  says the Lord. “For ³²⁶  I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”

Matthew 11:5

11:5 The blind see, the ³²⁷  lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them.

Matthew 13:14-16

13:14 And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

‘You will listen carefully ³²⁸  yet will never understand,

you will look closely ³²⁹  yet will never comprehend.

13:15 For the heart of this people has become dull;

they are hard of hearing,

and they have shut their eyes,

so that they would not see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.’ ³³⁰ 

13:16 “But your eyes are blessed ³³¹  because they see, and your ears because they hear.

Matthew 16:17

16:17 And Jesus answered him, ³³²  “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood ³³³  did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven!

Mark 7:37

7:37 People were completely astounded and said, “He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Luke 4:18

4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed ³³⁴  me to proclaim good news ³³⁵  to the poor. ³³⁶ 

He has sent me ³³⁷  to proclaim release ³³⁸  to the captives

and the regaining of sight ³³⁹  to the blind,

to set free ³⁴⁰  those who are oppressed, ³⁴¹ 

Luke 7:22

7:22 So ³⁴²  he answered them, ³⁴³  “Go tell ³⁴⁴  John what you have seen and heard: ³⁴⁵  The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the ³⁴⁶  deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them.

John 6:45

6:45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ ³⁴⁷  Everyone who hears and learns from the Father ³⁴⁸  comes to me.

Acts 26:18

26:18 to open their eyes so that they turn ³⁴⁹  from darkness to light and from the power ³⁵⁰  of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share ³⁵¹  among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Acts 26:2

26:2 “Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, ³⁵²  I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today,

Colossians 3:14-18

3:14 And to all these ³⁵³  virtues ³⁵⁴  add ³⁵⁵  love, which is the perfect bond. ³⁵⁶  3:15 Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body ³⁵⁷  to this peace), and be thankful. 3:16 Let the word of Christ ³⁵⁸  dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace ³⁵⁹  in your hearts to God. 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Exhortation to Households

3:18 Wives, submit to your ³⁶⁰  husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Colossians 4:2-6

Exhortation to Pray for the Success of Paul’s Mission

4:2 Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. 4:3 At the same time pray ³⁶¹  for us too, that ³⁶²  God may open a door for the message ³⁶³  so that we may proclaim ³⁶⁴  the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ³⁶⁵  4:4 Pray that I may make it known as I should. ³⁶⁶  4:5 Conduct yourselves ³⁶⁷  with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities. 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone.

Ephesians 1:17-19

1:17 I pray that ³⁶⁸  the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, ³⁶⁹  may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation ³⁷⁰  in your growing knowledge of him, ³⁷¹  1:18 – since the eyes of your ³⁷²  heart have been enlightened ³⁷³  – so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, ³⁷⁴  what is the wealth of his glorious ³⁷⁵  inheritance in the saints, 1:19 and what is the incomparable ³⁷⁶  greatness of his power toward ³⁷⁷  us who believe, as displayed in ³⁷⁸  the exercise of his immense strength. ³⁷⁹ 

Ephesians 5:14

5:14 For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says: ³⁸⁰ 

“Awake, ³⁸¹  O sleeper! ³⁸² 

Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you!” ³⁸³ 

Ephesians 5:1

Live in Love

5:1 Therefore, be ³⁸⁴  imitators of God as dearly loved children

Ephesians 2:9

2:9 it is not from ³⁸⁵  works, so that no one can boast. ³⁸⁶ 

Revelation 3:18

3:18 take my advice ³⁸⁷  and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me ³⁸⁸  white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness ³⁸⁹  will not be exposed, and buy eye salve ³⁹⁰  to put on your eyes so you can see!

[10:1]  ¹ tn The title אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת (’elle tolÿdot, here translated as “This is the account”) here covers 10:1–11:9, which contains the so-called Table of Nations and the account of how the nations came to be dispersed.

[10:1]  ² sn Sons were born to them. A vertical genealogy such as this encompasses more than the names of sons. The list includes cities, tribes, and even nations. In a loose way, the names in the list have some derivation or connection to the three ancestors.

[10:1]  ³ tn It appears that the Table of Nations is a composite of at least two ancient sources: Some sections begin with the phrase “the sons of” (בְּנֵי, bÿne) while other sections use “begot” (יָלָד, yalad). It may very well be that the “sons of” list was an old, “bare bones” list that was retained in the family records, while the “begot” sections were editorial inserts by the writer of Genesis, reflecting his special interests. See A. P. Ross, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Structure,” BSac 137 (1980): 340-53; idem, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Content,” BSac 138 (1981): 22-34.

[10:2]  ⁴ sn The Greek form of the name Japheth, Iapetos, is used in Greek tradition for the ancestor of the Greeks.

[10:2]  ⁵ sn Gomer was the ancestor of the Cimmerians. For a discussion of the Cimmerians see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 49-61.

[10:2]  ⁶ sn For a discussion of various proposals concerning the descendants of Magog see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 22-24.

[10:2]  ⁷ sn Madai was the ancestor of the Medes, who lived east of Assyria.

[10:2]  ⁸ sn Javan was the father of the Hellenic race, the Ionians who lived in western Asia Minor.

[10:2]  ⁹ sn Tubal was the ancestor of militaristic tribes that lived north of the Black Sea. For a discussion of ancient references to Tubal see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 24-26.

[10:2]  ¹⁰ sn Meshech was the ancestor of the people known in Assyrian records as the Musku. For a discussion of ancient references to them see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 24-26.

[10:2]  ¹¹ sn Tiras was the ancestor of the Thracians, some of whom possibly became the Pelasgian pirates of the Aegean.

[10:3]  ¹² sn The descendants of Gomer were all northern tribes of the Upper Euphrates.

[10:3]  ¹³ sn Askenaz was the ancestor of a northern branch of Indo-Germanic tribes, possibly Scythians. For discussion see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 63.

[10:3]  ¹⁴ sn The descendants of Riphath lived in a district north of the road from Haran to Carchemish.

[10:3]  ¹⁵ sn Togarmah is also mentioned in Ezek 38:6, where it refers to Til-garimmu, the capital of Kammanu, which bordered Tabal in eastern Turkey. See E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 26, n. 28.

[10:4]  ¹⁶ sn The descendants of Elishah populated Cyprus.

[10:4]  ¹⁷ sn The descendants of Tarshish settled along the southern coast of what is modern Turkey. However, some identify the site Tarshish (see Jonah 1:3) with Sardinia or Spain.

[10:4]  ¹⁸ sn The name Kittim is associated with Cyprus, as well as coastlands east of Rhodes. It is used in later texts to refer to the Romans.

[10:4]  ¹⁹ tc Most of the MT mss read “Dodanim” here, but 1 Chr 1:7 has “Rodanim,” perhaps referring to the island of Rhodes. But the Qere reading in 1 Chr 1:7 suggests “Dodanim.” Dodona is one of the most ancient and revered spots in ancient Greece.

[10:6]  ²⁰ sn The descendants of Cush settled in Nubia (Ethiopia).

[10:6]  ²¹ sn The descendants of Mizraim settled in Upper and Lower Egypt.

[10:6]  ²² sn The descendants of Put settled in Libya.

[10:6]  ²³ sn The descendants of Canaan lived in the region of Phoenicia (Palestine).

[10:7]  ²⁴ sn The descendants of Seba settled in Upper Egypt along the Nile.

[10:7]  ²⁵ sn The Hebrew name Havilah apparently means “stretch of sand” (see HALOT 297 s.v. חֲוִילָה). Havilah’s descendants settled in eastern Arabia.

[10:7]  ²⁶ sn The descendants of Sabtah settled near the western shore of the Persian Gulf in ancient Hadhramaut.

[10:7]  ²⁷ sn The descendants of Raamah settled in southwest Arabia.

[10:7]  ²⁸ sn The descendants of Sabteca settled in Samudake, east toward the Persian Gulf.

[10:7]  ²⁹ sn Sheba became the name of a kingdom in southwest Arabia.

[10:7]  ³⁰ sn The name Dedan is associated with àUla in northern Arabia.

[10:8]  ³¹ tn Heb “fathered.” Embedded within Cush’s genealogy is an account of Nimrod, a mighty warrior. There have been many attempts to identify him, but none are convincing.

[10:9]  ³² tn The Hebrew word for “hunt” is צַיִד (tsayid), which is used on occasion for hunting men (1 Sam 24:12; Jer 16:16; Lam 3:15).

[10:9]  ³³ tn Another option is to take the divine name here, לִפְנֵי יִהוָה (lifne yÿhvah, “before the Lord [YHWH]”), as a means of expressing the superlative degree. In this case one may translate “Nimrod was the greatest hunter in the world.”

[10:10]  ³⁴ tn Heb “beginning.” E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 67, suggests “mainstays,” citing Jer 49:35 as another text where the Hebrew noun is so used.

[10:10]  ³⁵ tn Or “Babylon.”

[10:10]  ³⁶ sn Erech (ancient Uruk, modern Warka), one of the most ancient civilizations, was located southeast of Babylon.

[10:10]  ³⁷ sn Akkad, or ancient Agade, was associated with Sargon and located north of Babylon.

[10:10]  ³⁸ tn No such place is known in Shinar (i.e., Babylonia). Therefore some have translated the Hebrew term כַלְנֵה (khalneh) as “all of them,” referring to the three previous names (cf. NRSV).

[10:10]  ³⁹ sn Shinar is another name for Babylonia.

[10:11]  ⁴⁰ tn The subject of the verb translated “went” is probably still Nimrod. However, it has also been interpreted that “Ashur went,” referring to a derivative power.

[10:11]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “Asshur.”

[10:11]  ⁴² sn Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city situated on the Tigris River.

[10:11]  ⁴³ sn The name Rehoboth-Ir means “and broad streets of a city,” perhaps referring to a suburb of Nineveh.

[10:11]  ⁴⁴ sn Calah (modern Nimrud) was located twenty miles north of Nineveh.

[10:12]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; it [i.e., Calah] is the great city.”

[10:13]  ⁴⁶ sn Mizraim is the Hebrew name for Egypt (cf. NRSV).

[10:13]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “fathered.”

[10:13]  ⁴⁸ sn The Ludites were African tribes west of the Nile Delta.

[10:13]  ⁴⁹ sn The Anamites lived in North Africa, west of Egypt, near Cyrene.

[10:13]  ⁵⁰ sn The Lehabites are identified with the Libyans.

[10:13]  ⁵¹ sn The Naphtuhites lived in Lower Egypt (the Nile Delta region).

[10:14]  ⁵² sn The Pathrusites are known in Egyptian as P-to-reshi; they resided in Upper Egypt.

[10:14]  ⁵³ sn The Casluhites lived in Crete and eventually settled east of the Egyptian Delta, between Egypt and Canaan.

[10:14]  ⁵⁴ tn Several commentators prefer to reverse the order of the words to put this clause after the next word, since the Philistines came from Crete (where the Caphtorites lived). But the table may suggest migration rather than lineage, and the Philistines, like the Israelites, came through the Nile Delta region of Egypt. For further discussion of the origin and migration of the Philistines, see D. M. Howard, “Philistines,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 232.

[10:14]  ⁵⁵ sn The Caphtorites resided in Crete, but in Egyptian literature Caphtor refers to “the region beyond” the Mediterranean.

[10:15]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “fathered.”

[10:15]  ⁵⁷ sn Sidon was the foremost city in Phoenicia; here Sidon may be the name of its founder.

[10:15]  ⁵⁸ tn Some see a reference to “Hittites” here (cf. NIV), but this seems unlikely. See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.

[10:16]  ⁵⁹ sn The Jebusites were the Canaanite inhabitants of ancient Jerusalem.

[10:16]  ⁶⁰ sn Here Amorites refers to smaller groups of Canaanite inhabitants of the mountainous regions of Palestine, rather than the large waves of Amurru, or western Semites, who migrated to the region.

[10:16]  ⁶¹ sn The Girgashites are an otherwise unknown Canaanite tribe, though the name is possibly mentioned in Ugaritic texts (see G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 1:226).

[10:17]  ⁶² sn The Hivites were Canaanite tribes of a Hurrian origin.

[10:17]  ⁶³ sn The Arkites lived in Arka, a city in Lebanon, north of Sidon.

[10:17]  ⁶⁴ sn The Sinites lived in Sin, another town in Lebanon.

[10:18]  ⁶⁵ sn The Arvadites lived in the city Arvad, located on an island near the mainland close to the river El Kebir.

[10:18]  ⁶⁶ sn The Zemarites lived in the town Sumur, north of Arka.

[10:18]  ⁶⁷ sn The Hamathites lived in Hamath on the Orontes River.

[10:19]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “were.”

[10:19]  ⁶⁹ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[10:19]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “as you go.”

[10:19]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “as you go.”

[10:21]  ⁷² tn Heb “And to Shem was born.”

[10:21]  ⁷³ tn Or “whose older brother was Japheth.” Some translations render Japheth as the older brother, understanding the adjective הַגָּדוֹל (haggadol, “older”) as modifying Japheth. However, in Hebrew when a masculine singular definite attributive adjective follows the sequence masculine singular construct noun + proper name, the adjective invariably modifies the noun in construct, not the proper name. Such is the case here. See Deut 11:7; Judg 1:13; 2:7; 3:9; 9:5; 2 Kgs 15:35; 2 Chr 27:3; Neh 3:30; Jer 13:9; 36:10; Ezek 10:19; 11:1.

[10:22]  ⁷⁴ sn The Hebrew name Elam (עֵילָם, ’elam) means “highland.” The Elamites were a non-Semitic people who lived east of Babylon.

[10:22]  ⁷⁵ sn Asshur is the name for the Assyrians. Asshur was the region in which Nimrod expanded his power (see v. 11, where the name is also mentioned). When names appear in both sections of a genealogical list, it probably means that there were both Hamites and Shemites living in that region in antiquity, especially if the name is a place name.

[10:22]  ⁷⁶ sn The descendants of Arphaxad may have lived northeast of Nineveh.

[10:22]  ⁷⁷ sn Lud may have been the ancestor of the Ludbu, who lived near the Tigris River.

[10:22]  ⁷⁸ sn Aram became the collective name of the northern tribes living in the steppes of Mesopotamia and speaking Aramaic dialects.

[10:23]  ⁷⁹ tc The MT reads “Mash”; the LXX and 1 Chr 1:17 read “Meshech.”

[10:24]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “fathered.”

[10:24]  ⁸¹ tc The MT reads “Arphaxad fathered Shelah”; the LXX reads “Arphaxad fathered Cainan, and Cainan fathered Sala [= Shelah].” The LXX reading also appears to lie behind Luke 3:35-36.

[10:24]  ⁸² sn Genesis 11 traces the line of Shem through Eber (עֵבֶר, ’ever ) to Abraham the “Hebrew” (עִבְרִי, ’ivri).

[10:25]  ⁸³ tn The expression “the earth was divided” may refer to dividing the land with canals, but more likely it anticipates the division of languages at Babel (Gen 11). The verb פָּלָג (palag, “separate, divide”) is used in Ps 55:9 for a division of languages.

[10:26]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “fathered.”

[10:26]  ⁸⁵ sn The name Almodad combines the Arabic article al with modad (“friend”). Almodad was the ancestor of a South Arabian people.

[10:26]  ⁸⁶ sn The name Sheleph may be related to Shilph, a district of Yemen; Shalph is a Yemenite tribe.

[10:26]  ⁸⁷ sn The name Hazarmaveth should be equated with Hadramawt, located in Southern Arabia.

[10:26]  ⁸⁸ sn The name Jerah means “moon.”

[10:27]  ⁸⁹ sn Uzal was the name of the old capital of Yemen.

[10:27]  ⁹⁰ sn The name Diklah means “date-palm.”

[10:28]  ⁹¹ sn Obal was a name used for several localities in Yemen.

[10:28]  ⁹² sn The name Abimael is a genuine Sabean form which means “my father, truly, he is God.”

[10:28]  ⁹³ sn The descendants of Sheba lived in South Arabia, where the Joktanites were more powerful than the Hamites.

[10:29]  ⁹⁴ sn Ophir became the name of a territory in South Arabia. Many of the references to Ophir are connected with gold (e.g., 1 Kgs 9:28, 10:11, 22:48; 1 Chr 29:4; 2 Chr 8:18, 9:10; Job 22:24, 28:16; Ps 45:9; Isa 13:12).

[10:29]  ⁹⁵ sn Havilah is listed with Ham in v. 7.

[10:30]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “as you go.”

[10:32]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “separated.”

[11:1]  ⁹⁸ sn The whole earth. Here “earth” is a metonymy of subject, referring to the people who lived in the earth. Genesis 11 begins with everyone speaking a common language, but chap. 10 has the nations arranged by languages. It is part of the narrative art of Genesis to give the explanation of the event after the narration of the event. On this passage see A. P. Ross, “The Dispersion of the Nations in Genesis 11:1-9,” BSac 138 (1981): 119-38.

[11:1]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “one lip and one [set of] words.” The term “lip” is a metonymy of cause, putting the instrument for the intended effect. They had one language. The term “words” refers to the content of their speech. They had the same vocabulary.

[11:2]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:2]  ¹⁰¹ tn Or perhaps “from the east” (NRSV) or “in the east.”

[11:2]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “in the land of Shinar.”

[11:3]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “a man to his neighbor.” The Hebrew idiom may be translated “to each other” or “one to another.”

[11:3]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The speech contains two cohortatives of exhortation followed by their respective cognate accusatives: “let us brick bricks” (נִלְבְּנָה לְבֵנִים, nilbbÿnah lÿvenim) and “burn for burning” (נִשְׂרְפָה לִשְׂרֵפָה, nisrÿfah lisrefah). This stresses the intensity of the undertaking; it also reflects the Akkadian text which uses similar constructions (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 75-76).

[11:3]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Or “bitumen” (cf. NEB, NRSV).

[11:3]  ¹⁰⁶ tn The disjunctive clause gives information parenthetical to the narrative.

[11:4]  ¹⁰⁷ tn A translation of “heavens” for שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) fits this context because the Babylonian ziggurats had temples at the top, suggesting they reached to the heavens, the dwelling place of the gods.

[11:4]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The form וְנַעֲשֶׂה (vÿna’aseh, from the verb עשׂה, “do, make”) could be either the imperfect or the cohortative with a vav (ו) conjunction (“and let us make…”). Coming after the previous cohortative, this form expresses purpose.

[11:4]  ¹⁰⁹ tn The Hebrew particle פֶּן (pen) expresses a negative purpose; it means “that we be not scattered.”

[11:4]  ¹¹⁰ sn The Hebrew verb פָּוָץ (pavats, translated “scatter”) is a key term in this passage. The focal point of the account is the dispersion (“scattering”) of the nations rather than the Tower of Babel. But the passage also forms a polemic against Babylon, the pride of the east and a cosmopolitan center with a huge ziggurat. To the Hebrews it was a monument to the judgment of God on pride.

[11:5]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “the sons of man.” The phrase is intended in this polemic to portray the builders as mere mortals, not the lesser deities that the Babylonians claimed built the city.

[11:5]  ¹¹² tn The Hebrew text simply has בָּנוּ (banu), but since v. 8 says they left off building the city, an ingressive idea (“had started building”) should be understood here.

[11:6]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and one lip to all of them.”

[11:6]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “and now.” The foundational clause beginning with הֵן (hen) expresses the condition, and the second clause the result. It could be rendered “If this…then now.”

[11:6]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “all that they purpose to do will not be withheld from them.”

[11:7]  ¹¹⁶ tn The cohortatives mirror the cohortatives of the people. They build to ascend the heavens; God comes down to destroy their language. God speaks here to his angelic assembly. See the notes on the word “make” in 1:26 and “know” in 3:5, as well as Jub. 10:22-23, where an angel recounts this incident and says “And the Lord our God said to us…. And the Lord went down and we went down with him. And we saw the city and the tower which the sons of men built.” On the chiastic structure of the story, see G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:235.

[11:7]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “they will not hear, a man the lip of his neighbor.”

[11:8]  ¹¹⁸ tn The infinitive construct לִבְנֹת (livnot, “building”) here serves as the object of the verb “they ceased, stopped,” answering the question of what they stopped doing.

[11:9]  ¹¹⁹ tn The verb has no expressed subject and so can be rendered as a passive in the translation.

[11:9]  ¹²⁰ sn Babel. Here is the climax of the account, a parody on the pride of Babylon. In the Babylonian literature the name bab-ili meant “the gate of God,” but in Hebrew it sounds like the word for “confusion,” and so retained that connotation. The name “Babel” (בָּבֶל, bavel) and the verb translated “confused” (בָּלַל, balal) form a paronomasia (sound play). For the many wordplays and other rhetorical devices in Genesis, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).

[11:11]  ¹²¹ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[11:13]  ¹²² tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[11:13]  ¹²³ tc The reading of the MT is followed in vv. 11-12; the LXX reads, “And [= when] Arphaxad had lived thirty-five years, [and] he fathered [= became the father of] Cainan. And after he fathered [= became the father of] Cainan, Arphaxad lived four hundred and thirty years and fathered [= had] [other] sons and daughters, and [then] he died. And [= when] Cainan had lived one hundred and thirty years, [and] he fathered [= became the father of] Sala [= Shelah]. And after he fathered [= became the father of] Sala [= Shelah], Cainan lived three hundred and thirty years and fathered [= had] [other] sons and daughters, and [then] he died.” See also the note on “Shelah” in Gen 10:24; the LXX reading also appears to lie behind Luke 3:35-36.

[11:15]  ¹²⁴ tn Here and in vv. 16, 19, 21, 23, 25 the word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[11:28]  ¹²⁵ sn The phrase of the Chaldeans is a later editorial clarification for the readers, designating the location of Ur. From all evidence there would have been no Chaldeans in existence at this early date; they are known in the time of the neo-Babylonian empire in the first millennium b.c.

[11:28]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “upon the face of Terah his father.”

[11:29]  ¹²⁷ sn The name Sarai (a variant spelling of “Sarah”) means “princess” (or “lady”). Sharratu was the name of the wife of the moon god Sin. The original name may reflect the culture out of which the patriarch was called, for the family did worship other gods in Mesopotamia.

[11:29]  ¹²⁸ sn The name Milcah means “Queen.” But more to the point here is the fact that Malkatu was a title for Ishtar, the daughter of the moon god. If the women were named after such titles (and there is no evidence that this was the motivation for naming the girls “Princess” or “Queen”), that would not necessarily imply anything about the faith of the two women themselves.

[11:32]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “And the days of Terah were.”

[11:32]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “Terah”; the pronoun has been substituted for the proper name in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[12:1]  ¹³¹ sn The Lord called Abram while he was in Ur (see Gen 15:7; Acts 7:2); but the sequence here makes it look like it was after the family left to migrate to Canaan (11:31-32). Genesis records the call of Abram at this place in the narrative because it is the formal beginning of the account of Abram. The record of Terah was brought to its end before this beginning.

[12:1]  ¹³² tn The call of Abram begins with an imperative לֶךְ־לְךָ (lekh-lÿkha, “go out”) followed by three cohortatives (v. 2a) indicating purpose or consequence (“that I may” or “then I will”). If Abram leaves, then God will do these three things. The second imperative (v. 2b, literally “and be a blessing”) is subordinated to the preceding cohortatives and indicates God’s ultimate purpose in calling and blessing Abram. On the syntactical structure of vv. 1-2 see R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 37. For a similar sequence of volitive forms see Gen 45:18.

[12:1]  ¹³³ tn The initial command is the direct imperative (לֶךְ, lekh) from the verb הָלַךְ (halakh). It is followed by the lamed preposition with a pronominal suffix (לְךָ, lÿkha) emphasizing the subject of the imperative: “you leave.”

[12:1]  ¹³⁴ sn To the land that I will show you. The call of Abram illustrates the leading of the Lord. The command is to leave. The Lord’s word is very specific about what Abram is to leave (the three prepositional phrases narrow to his father’s household), but is not specific at all about where he is to go. God required faith, a point that Heb 11:8 notes.

[12:2]  ¹³⁵ tn The three first person verbs in v. 2a should be classified as cohortatives. The first two have pronominal suffixes, so the form itself does not indicate a cohortative. The third verb form is clearly cohortative.

[12:2]  ¹³⁶ sn I will bless you. The blessing of creation is now carried forward to the patriarch. In the garden God blessed Adam and Eve; in that blessing he gave them (1) a fruitful place, (2) endowed them with fertility to multiply, and (3) made them rulers over creation. That was all ruined at the fall. Now God begins to build his covenant people; in Gen 12-22 he promises to give Abram (1) a land flowing with milk and honey, (2) a great nation without number, and (3) kingship.

[12:2]  ¹³⁷ tn Or “I will make you famous.”

[12:2]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “and be a blessing.” The verb form הְיֵה (hÿyeh) is the Qal imperative of the verb הָיָה (hayah). The vav (ו) with the imperative after the cohortatives indicates purpose or consequence. What does it mean for Abram to “be a blessing”? Will he be a channel or source of blessing for others, or a prime example of divine blessing? A similar statement occurs in Zech 8:13, where God assures his people, “You will be a blessing,” in contrast to the past when they “were a curse.” Certainly “curse” here does not refer to Israel being a source of a curse, but rather to the fact that they became a curse-word or byword among the nations, who regarded them as the epitome of an accursed people (see 2 Kgs 22:19; Jer 42:18; 44:8, 12, 22). Therefore the statement “be a blessing” seems to refer to Israel being transformed into a prime example of a blessed people, whose name will be used in blessing formulae, rather than in curses. If the statement “be a blessing” is understood in the same way in Gen 12:2, then it means that God would so bless Abram that other nations would hear of his fame and hold him up as a paradigm of divine blessing in their blessing formulae.

[12:3]  ¹³⁹ tn The Piel cohortative has as its object a Piel participle, masculine plural. Since the Lord binds himself to Abram by covenant, those who enrich Abram in any way share in the blessings.

[12:3]  ¹⁴⁰ tn In this part of God’s statement there are two significant changes that often go unnoticed. First, the parallel and contrasting participle מְקַלֶּלְךָ (mÿqallelkha) is now singular and not plural. All the versions and a few Masoretic mss read the plural. But if it had been plural, there would be no reason to change it to the singular and alter the parallelism. On the other hand, if it was indeed singular, it is easy to see why the versions would change it to match the first participle. The MT preserves the original reading: “the one who treats you lightly.” The point would be a contrast with the lavish way that God desires to bless many. The second change is in the vocabulary. The English usually says, “I will curse those who curse you.” But there are two different words for curse here. The first is קָלַל (qalal), which means “to be light” in the Qal, and in the Piel “to treat lightly, to treat with contempt, to curse.” The second verb is אָרַר (’arar), which means “to banish, to remove from the blessing.” The point is simple: Whoever treats Abram and the covenant with contempt as worthless God will banish from the blessing. It is important also to note that the verb is not a cohortative, but a simple imperfect. Since God is binding himself to Abram, this would then be an obligatory imperfect: “but the one who treats you with contempt I must curse.”

[12:3]  ¹⁴¹ tn Theoretically the Niphal can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Abram were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in later formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless [i.e., “pronounce blessings on”] themselves [or “one another”].” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[12:4]  ¹⁴² sn So Abram left. This is the report of Abram’s obedience to God’s command (see v. 1).

[12:4]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “just as the Lord said to him.”

[12:4]  ¹⁴⁴ tn The disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + implied “to be” verb) is parenthetical, telling the age of Abram when he left Haran.

[12:4]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “was the son of five years and seventy year[s].”

[12:5]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “the son of his brother.”

[12:5]  ¹⁴⁷ tn For the semantic nuance “acquire [property]” for the verb עָשָׂה (’asah), see BDB 795 s.v. עָשָׂה.

[12:5]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “went out to go.”

[12:6]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Or “terebinth.”

[12:6]  ¹⁵⁰ sn The Hebrew word Moreh (מוֹרֶה, moreh) means “teacher.” It may well be that the place of this great oak tree was a Canaanite shrine where instruction took place.

[12:6]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh.”

[12:6]  ¹⁵² tn The disjunctive clause gives important information parenthetical in nature – the promised land was occupied by Canaanites.

[12:7]  ¹⁵³ tn The same Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[12:7]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[12:8]  ¹⁵⁵ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[12:8]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “he called in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 13:4; 21:33; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.

[12:9]  ¹⁵⁷ tn The Hebrew verb נָסַע (nasa’) means “to journey”; more specifically it means to pull up the tent and move to another place. The construction here uses the preterite of this verb with its infinitive absolute to stress the activity of traveling. But it also adds the infinitive absolute of הָלַךְ (halakh) to stress that the traveling was continually going on. Thus “Abram journeyed, going and journeying” becomes “Abram continually journeyed by stages.”

[12:9]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Or “the South [country].”

[12:10]  ¹⁵⁹ sn Abram went down to Egypt. The Abrahamic narrative foreshadows some of the events in the life of the nation of Israel. This sojourn in Egypt is typological of Israel’s bondage there. In both stories there is a famine that forces the family to Egypt, death is a danger to the males while the females are preserved alive, great plagues bring about their departure, there is a summons to stand before Pharaoh, and there is a return to the land of Canaan with great wealth.

[12:10]  ¹⁶⁰ tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” means “to stay for a while.” The “stranger” (traditionally “sojourner”) is one who is a temporary resident, a visitor, one who is passing through. Abram had no intention of settling down in Egypt or owning property. He was only there to wait out the famine.

[12:10]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “heavy in the land.” The words “in the land,” which also occur at the beginning of the verse in the Hebrew text, have not been repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[12:11]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “drew near to enter.”

[12:11]  ¹⁶³ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is deictic here; it draws attention to the following fact.

[12:11]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “a woman beautiful of appearance are you.”

[12:12]  ¹⁶⁵ tn The Piel of the verb חָיָה (khayah, “to live”) means “to keep alive, to preserve alive,” and in some places “to make alive.” See D. Marcus, “The Verb ‘to Live’ in Ugaritic,” JSS 17 (1972): 76-82.

[12:13]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “say.”

[12:13]  ¹⁶⁷ sn Tell them you are my sister. Abram’s motives may not be as selfish as they appear. He is aware of the danger to the family. His method of dealing with it is deception with a half truth, for Sarai really was his sister – but the Egyptians would not know that. Abram presumably thought that there would be negotiations for a marriage by anyone interested (as Laban does later for his sister Rebekah), giving him time to react. But the plan backfires because Pharaoh does not take the time to negotiate. There is a good deal of literature on the wife-sister issue. See (among others) E. A. Speiser, “The Wife-Sister Motif in the Patriarchal Narratives,” Oriental and Biblical Studies, 62-81; C. J. Mullo-Weir, “The Alleged Hurrian Wife-Sister Motif in Genesis,” GOT 22 (1967-1970): 14-25.

[12:13]  ¹⁶⁸ tn The Hebrew verb translated “go well” can encompass a whole range of favorable treatment, but the following clause indicates it means here that Abram’s life will be spared.

[12:13]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “and my life will live.”

[12:15]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “and the woman.” The word also means “wife”; the Hebrew article can express the possessive pronoun (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 19, §86). Here the proper name (Abram) has been used in the translation instead of a possessive pronoun (“his”) for clarity.

[12:15]  ¹⁷¹ tn The Hebrew term וַתֻּקַּח (vattuqqakh, “was taken”) is a rare verbal form, an old Qal passive preterite from the verb “to take.” It is pointed as a Hophal would be by the Masoretes, but does not have a Hophal meaning.

[12:15]  ¹⁷² tn The Hebrew text simply has “house of Pharaoh.” The word “house” refers to the household in general, more specifically to the royal harem.

[12:16]  ¹⁷³ sn He did treat Abram well. The construction of the parenthetical disjunctive clause, beginning with the conjunction on the prepositional phrase, draws attention to the irony of the story. Abram wanted Sarai to lie “so that it would go well” with him. Though he lost Sarai to Pharaoh, it did go well for him – he received a lavish bride price. See also G. W. Coats, “Despoiling the Egyptians,” VT 18 (1968): 450-57.

[12:16]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “and there was to him.”

[12:17]  ¹⁷⁵ tn The cognate accusative adds emphasis to the verbal sentence: “he plagued with great plagues,” meaning the Lord inflicted numerous plagues, probably diseases (see Exod 15:26). The adjective “great” emphasizes that the plagues were severe and overwhelming.

[12:18]  ¹⁷⁶ tn The demonstrative pronoun translated “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to me?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[12:19]  ¹⁷⁷ tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive here expresses consequence.

[12:19]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “to me for a wife.”

[12:19]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “Look, your wife!”

[12:19]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “take and go.”

[12:20]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:1]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “days.”

[24:1]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

[24:2]  ¹⁸⁴ tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).

[24:2]  ¹⁸⁵ 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.

[24:3]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.

[24:3]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “because you must not take.”

[24:4]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “for to my country and my relatives you must go.”

[24:4]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “and take.”

[24:5]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “to go after me.”

[24:5]  ¹⁹¹ tn In the Hebrew text the construction is emphatic; the infinitive absolute precedes the imperfect. However, it is difficult to reflect this emphasis in an English translation.

[24:6]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “guard yourself.”

[24:6]  ¹⁹³ tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:7]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Or “the land of my birth.”

[24:7]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”

[24:7]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Or “his messenger.”

[24:7]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “before you and you will take.”

[24:8]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “ to go after you.”

[24:8]  ¹⁹⁹ sn You will be free. If the prospective bride was not willing to accompany the servant back to Canaan, the servant would be released from his oath to Abraham.

[24:9]  ²⁰⁰ tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”

[24:10]  ²⁰¹ tn Heb “and every good thing of his master was in his hand.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, explaining that he took all kinds of gifts to be used at his discretion.

[24:10]  ²⁰² tn Heb “and he arose and went.”

[24:10]  ²⁰³ tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:11]  ²⁰⁴ tn Heb “well of water.”

[24:11]  ²⁰⁵ tn Heb “at the time of evening.”

[24:12]  ²⁰⁶ tn Heb “make it happen before me today.” Although a number of English translations understand this as a request for success in the task (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV) it is more likely that the servant is requesting an omen or sign from God (v. 14).

[24:12]  ²⁰⁷ tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”

[24:13]  ²⁰⁸ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:13]  ²⁰⁹ tn Heb “the men.”

[24:14]  ²¹⁰ sn I will also give your camels water. It would be an enormous test for a young woman to water ten camels. The idea is that such a woman would not only be industrious but hospitable and generous.

[24:14]  ²¹¹ tn Heb “And let the young woman to whom I say, ‘Lower your jar that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I will also give your camels water,’ – her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac, and by it I will know that you have acted in faithfulness with my master.”

[24:15]  ²¹² tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out!” Using the participle introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator dramatically transports the audience back into the event and invites them to see Rebekah through the servant’s eyes.

[24:15]  ²¹³ tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out – [she] who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham – and her jug [was] on her shoulder.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:16]  ²¹⁴ tn Heb “And the young woman was very good of appearance, a virgin, and a man she had not known.” Some argue that the Hebrew noun translated “virgin” (בְּתוּלָה, bÿtulah) is better understood in a general sense, “young woman” (see Joel 1:8, where the word appears to refer to one who is married). In this case the circumstantial clause (“and a man she had not known”) would be restrictive, rather than descriptive. If the term actually means “virgin,” one wonders why the circumstantial clause is necessary (see Judg 21:12 as well). Perhaps the repetition emphasizes her sexual purity as a prerequisite for her role as the mother of the covenant community.

[24:17]  ²¹⁵ tn Heb “and the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:18]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”

[24:19]  ²¹⁷ tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:20]  ²¹⁸ tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”

[24:21]  ²¹⁹ tn Heb “to know.”

[24:21]  ²²⁰ tn The Hebrew term צָלָה (tsalah), meaning “to make successful” in the Hiphil verbal stem, is a key term in the story (see vv. 40, 42, 56).

[24:22]  ²²¹ sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).

[24:22]  ²²² sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).

[24:22]  ²²³ tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:23]  ²²⁴ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:24]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “whom she bore to Nahor.” The referent (Milcah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:25]  ²²⁶ tn Heb “and she said, ‘We have plenty of both straw and feed.’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:25]  ²²⁷ tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:27]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”

[24:27]  ²²⁹ tn Heb “As for me – in the way the Lord led me.”

[24:27]  ²³⁰ tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.

[24:27]  ²³¹ tn Heb “brothers.”

[24:28]  ²³² tn Heb “according to.”

[24:29]  ²³³ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.

[24:30]  ²³⁴ tn Heb “And it was when he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister.” The word order is altered in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[24:30]  ²³⁵ tn Heb “and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying.”

[24:30]  ²³⁶ tn Heb “and look, he was standing.” The disjunctive clause with the participle following the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites the audience to view the scene through Laban’s eyes.

[24:31]  ²³⁷ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:31]  ²³⁸ sn Laban’s obsession with wealth is apparent; to him it represents how one is blessed by the Lord. Already the author is laying the foundation for subsequent events in the narrative, where Laban’s greed becomes his dominant characteristic.

[24:31]  ²³⁹ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.

[24:32]  ²⁴⁰ tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:32]  ²⁴¹ tn Some translations (e.g., NEB, NASB, NRSV) understand Laban to be the subject of this and the following verbs or take the subject of this and the following verbs as indefinite (referring to an unnamed servant; e.g., NAB, NIV).

[24:32]  ²⁴² tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.

[24:32]  ²⁴³ tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”

[24:33]  ²⁴⁴ tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”

[24:33]  ²⁴⁵ tn Heb “my words.”

[24:33]  ²⁴⁶ tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”

[24:35]  ²⁴⁷ tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.

[24:35]  ²⁴⁸ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:36]  ²⁴⁹ tn Heb “to my master.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:36]  ²⁵⁰ tn Heb “after her old age.”

[24:36]  ²⁵¹ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the servant’s master, Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:38]  ²⁵² tn Heb “but to the house of my father you must go and to my family and you must take a wife for my son.”

[24:39]  ²⁵³ tn The imperfect is used here in a modal sense to indicate desire.

[24:39]  ²⁵⁴ tn Heb “after me.”

[24:40]  ²⁵⁵ tn The verb is the Hitpael of הָלַךְ (halakh), meaning “live one’s life” (see Gen 17:1). The statement may simply refer to serving the Lord or it may have a more positive moral connotation (“serve faithfully”).

[24:41]  ²⁵⁶ tn Heb “my oath” (twice in this verse). From the Hebrew perspective the oath belonged to the person to whom it was sworn (Abraham), although in contemporary English an oath is typically viewed as belonging to the person who swears it (the servant).

[24:42]  ²⁵⁷ tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”

[24:42]  ²⁵⁸ tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[24:43]  ²⁵⁹ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:43]  ²⁶⁰ tn Heb “and it will be.”

[24:45]  ²⁶¹ tn Heb “As for me, before I finished speaking to my heart.” The adverb טֶרֶם (terem) indicates the verb is a preterite; the infinitive that follows is the direct object.

[24:45]  ²⁶² tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out.” As in 24:15, the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is used here for dramatic effect.

[24:47]  ²⁶³ tn Heb “whom Milcah bore to him.” The referent (Nahor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:48]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “daughter.” Rebekah was actually the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. One can either translate the Hebrew term בַּת (bat) as “daughter,” in which case the term אָח (’akh) must be translated more generally as “relative” rather than “brother” (cf. NASB, NRSV) or one can translate בַּת as “granddaughter,” in which case אָח may be translated “brother” (cf. NIV).

[24:49]  ²⁶⁵ tn Heb “and I will turn to the right or to the left.” The expression apparently means that Abraham’s servant will know where he should go if there is no further business here.

[24:50]  ²⁶⁶ tn Heb “From the Lord the matter has gone out.”

[24:50]  ²⁶⁷ tn Heb “We are not able to speak to you bad or good.” This means that Laban and Bethuel could not say one way or the other what they wanted, for they viewed it as God’s will.

[24:51]  ²⁶⁸ tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[24:51]  ²⁶⁹ tn Heb “as the Lord has spoken.”

[24:53]  ²⁷⁰ tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:54]  ²⁷¹ tn Heb “And they ate and drank, he and the men who [were] with him and they spent the night.”

[24:54]  ²⁷² tn Heb “Send me away to my master.”

[24:55]  ²⁷³ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Rebekah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:56]  ²⁷⁴ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, indicating a reason for the preceding request.

[24:56]  ²⁷⁵ tn After the preceding imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[24:57]  ²⁷⁶ tn Heb “and we will ask her mouth.”

[24:58]  ²⁷⁷ tn The imperfect verbal form here has a modal nuance, expressing desire.

[24:60]  ²⁷⁸ tn Heb “and said to her.”

[24:60]  ²⁷⁹ tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”

[24:60]  ²⁸⁰ 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.

[24:61]  ²⁸¹ tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”

[24:61]  ²⁸² tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:62]  ²⁸³ tn The disjunctive clause switches the audience’s attention to Isaac and signals a new episode in the story.

[24:62]  ²⁸⁴ tn Heb “from the way of.”

[24:62]  ²⁸⁵ sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” See Gen 16:14.

[24:62]  ²⁸⁶ tn This disjunctive clause is explanatory.

[24:62]  ²⁸⁷ tn Or “the South [country].”

[24:63]  ²⁸⁸ tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:63]  ²⁸⁹ tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain (cf. NASB, NIV “to meditate”; NRSV “to walk”).

[24:63]  ²⁹⁰ tn Heb “at the turning of the evening.”

[24:63]  ²⁹¹ tn Heb “And he lifted up his eyes.” This idiom emphasizes the careful look Isaac had at the approaching caravan.

[24:63]  ²⁹² tn Heb “and look.” The clause introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) invites the audience to view the scene through Isaac’s eyes.

[24:64]  ²⁹³ tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”

[24:65]  ²⁹⁴ tn Heb “and she said to.”

[24:65]  ²⁹⁵ tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:65]  ²⁹⁶ tn Heb “and the servant said.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:67]  ²⁹⁷ tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.

[24:67]  ²⁹⁸ tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:67]  ²⁹⁹ tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”

[24:67]  ³⁰⁰ tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.

[35:5]  ³⁰¹ tn Heb “and they journeyed.”

[35:5]  ³⁰² tn Heb “and the fear of God was upon the cities which were round about them.” The expression “fear of God” apparently refers (1) to a fear of God (objective genitive; God is the object of their fear). (2) But it could mean “fear from God,” that is, fear which God placed in them (cf. NRSV “a terror from God”). Another option (3) is that the divine name is used as a superlative here, referring to “tremendous fear” (cf. NEB “were panic-stricken”; NASB “a great terror”).

[42:16]  ³⁰³ tn Heb “send from you one and let him take.” After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose.

[42:16]  ³⁰⁴ tn The disjunctive clause is here circumstantial-temporal.

[42:16]  ³⁰⁵ tn Heb “bound.”

[42:16]  ³⁰⁶ tn The words “to see” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:16]  ³⁰⁷ tn Heb “the truth [is] with you.”

[42:17]  ³⁰⁸ sn The same Hebrew word is used for Joseph’s imprisonment in 40:3, 4, 7. There is some mirroring going on in the narrative. The Hebrew word used here (אָסַף, ’asaf, “to gather”) is not normally used in a context like this (for placing someone in prison), but it forms a wordplay on the name Joseph (יוֹסֵף, yosoef) and keeps the comparison working.

[42:18]  ³⁰⁹ tn Heb “Do this.”

[42:18]  ³¹⁰ tn After the preceding imperative, the imperative with vav (ו) can, as here, indicate logical sequence.

[42:18]  ³¹¹ sn For I fear God. Joseph brings God into the picture to awaken his brothers’ consciences. The godly person cares about the welfare of people, whether they live or die. So he will send grain back, but keep one of them in Egypt. This action contrasts with their crime of selling their brother into slavery.

[29:4]  ³¹² tn Heb “a heart to know, eyes to see and ears to hear” (NASB similar); NAB, NRSV “a mind to understand, or eyes to see, or ears to hear.”

[119:18]  ³¹³ tn Heb “uncover.” The verb form גַּל (gal) is an apocopated Piel imperative from גָּלָה (galah, see GKC 214 §75.cc).

[119:18]  ³¹⁴ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

[20:12]  ³¹⁵ sn The first half of the verse refers to two basic senses that the Lord has given to people. C. H. Toy, however, thinks that they represent all the faculties (Proverbs [ICC], 388). But in the book of Proverbs seeing and hearing come to the fore. By usage “hearing” also means obeying (15:31; 25:12), and “seeing” also means perceiving and understanding (Isa 6:9-10).

[20:12]  ³¹⁶ sn The verse not only credits God with making these faculties of hearing and sight and giving them to people, but it also emphasizes their spiritual use in God’s service.

[31:33]  ³¹⁷ tn Heb “with the house of Israel.” All commentators agree that the term here refers to both the whole nation which was divided into the house of Israel and the house of Judah in v. 30.

[31:33]  ³¹⁸ tn Heb “after those days.” Commentators are generally agreed that this refers to the return from exile and the repopulation of the land referred to in vv. 27-28 and not to something subsequent to the time mentioned in v. 30. This is the sequencing that is also presupposed in other new covenant passages such as Deut 30:1-6; Ezek 11:17-20; 36:24-28.

[31:33]  ³¹⁹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[31:33]  ³²⁰ tn Heb “‘But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after these days:’ says the Lord, ‘I will….’” The sentence has been reworded and restructured to avoid the awkwardness of the original style.

[31:33]  ³²¹ tn Heb “in their inward parts.” The Hebrew word here refers to the seat of the thoughts, emotions, and decisions (Jer 9:8 [9:7 HT]). It is essentially synonymous with “heart” in Hebrew psychological terms.

[31:33]  ³²² tn The words “and minds” is not in the text but is supplied in the translation to bring the English psychology more into line with the Hebrew where the “heart” is the center both of knowing/thinking/reflecting and deciding/willing.

[31:33]  ³²³ sn Compare Jer 24:7; 30:22; 31:1 and see the study note on 30:2.

[31:34]  ³²⁴ tn Heb “teach…, saying, ‘Know the Lord.’” The indirect quote has been chosen for stylistic reasons, i.e., to better parallel the following line.

[31:34]  ³²⁵ sn This statement should be understood against the background of Jer 8:8-9 where class distinctions were drawn and certain people were considered to have more awareness and responsibility for knowing the law and also Jer 5:1-5 and 9:3-9 where the sinfulness of Israel was seen to be universal across these class distinctions and no trust was to be placed in friends, neighbors, or relatives because all without distinction had cast off God’s yoke (i.e., refused to submit themselves to his authority).

[31:34]  ³²⁶ tn The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) that introduces this clause refers to more than just the preceding clause (i.e., that all will know the Lord) but to all of vv. 31-34a (See BDB 474 s.v. כִּי 3.c).

[11:5]  ³²⁷ tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more. Two other conjunctions are omitted in this series.

[13:14]  ³²⁸ tn Grk “with hearing,” a cognate dative that intensifies the action of the main verb “you will listen” (ExSyn 168-69).

[13:14]  ³²⁹ tn Grk “look by looking.” The participle is redundant, functioning to intensify the force of the main verb.

[13:15]  ³³⁰ sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10. Thus parables both conceal or reveal depending on whether one is open to hearing what they teach.

[13:16]  ³³¹ sn This beatitude highlights the great honor bestowed on the disciples to share in this salvation.

[16:17]  ³³² tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to him.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of this phrase has been modified for clarity.

[16:17]  ³³³ tn The expression “flesh and blood” could refer to “any human being” (so TEV, NLT; cf. NIV “man”), but it could also refer to Peter himself (i.e., his own intuition; cf. CEV “You didn’t discover this on your own”). Because of the ambiguity of the referent, the phrase “flesh and blood” has been retained in the translation.

[4:18]  ³³⁴ sn The phrase he has anointed me is an allusion back to Jesus’ baptism in Luke 3:21-22.

[4:18]  ³³⁵ tn Grk “to evangelize,” “to preach the gospel.”

[4:18]  ³³⁶ sn The poor is a key term in Luke. It refers to the pious poor and indicates Jesus’ desire to reach out to those the world tends to forget or mistreat. It is like 1:52 in force and also will be echoed in 6:20 (also 1 Pet 2:11-25). Jesus is commissioned to do this.

[4:18]  ³³⁷ tc The majority of mss, especially the later Byzantines, include the phrase “to heal the brokenhearted” at this point (A Θ Ψ 0102 ˹ Ï). The phrase is lacking in several weighty mss (א B D L W Ξ Ë¹³ 33 579 700 892* pc lat sy^s co), including representatives from both the Alexandrian and Western texttypes. From the standpoint of external evidence, the omission of the phrase is more likely original. When internal evidence is considered, the shorter reading becomes almost certain. Scribes would be much more prone to add the phrase here to align the text with Isa 61:1, the source of the quotation, than to remove it from the original.

[4:18]  ³³⁸ sn The release in view here is comprehensive, both at a physical level and a spiritual one, as the entire ministry of Jesus makes clear (Luke 1:77-79; 7:47; 24:47; Acts 2:38; 5:31; 10:43).

[4:18]  ³³⁹ sn Again, as with the previous phrase, regaining of sight may well mean more than simply miraculously restoring physical sight, which itself pictures a deeper reality (Luke 1:77-79; 18:35-43).

[4:18]  ³⁴⁰ sn The essence of Jesus’ messianic work is expressed in the phrase to set free. This line from Isa 58 says that Jesus will do what the nation had failed to do. It makes the proclamation messianic, not merely prophetic, because Jesus doesn’t just proclaim the message – he brings the deliverance. The word translated set free is the same Greek word (ἄφεσις, afesi") translated release earlier in the verse.

[4:18]  ³⁴¹ sn Again, as with the previous phrases, oppressed may well mean more than simply political or economic oppression, but a deeper reality of oppression by sin (Luke 1:77-79; 18:35-43).

[7:22]  ³⁴² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the relationship to Jesus’ miraculous cures in the preceding sentence.

[7:22]  ³⁴³ tn Grk “answering, he said to them.” This is redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation to “he answered them.”

[7:22]  ³⁴⁴ sn The same verb has been translated “inform” in 7:18.

[7:22]  ³⁴⁵ sn What you have seen and heard. The following activities all paraphrase various OT descriptions of the time of promised salvation: Isa 35:5-6; 26:19; 29:18-19; 61:1. Jesus is answering not by acknowledging a title, but by pointing to the nature of his works, thus indicating the nature of the time.

[7:22]  ³⁴⁶ tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[6:45]  ³⁴⁷ sn A quotation from Isa 54:13.

[6:45]  ³⁴⁸ tn Or “listens to the Father and learns.”

[26:18]  ³⁴⁹ sn To open their eyes so that they turn… Here is Luke’s most comprehensive report of Paul’s divine calling. His role was to call humanity to change their position before God and experience God’s forgiveness as a part of God’s family. The image of turning is a key one in the NT: Luke 1:79; Rom 2:19; 13:12; 2 Cor 4:6; 6:14; Eph 5:8; Col 1:12; 1 Thess 5:5. See also Luke 1:77-79; 3:3; 24:47.

[26:18]  ³⁵⁰ tn BDAG 352-53 s.v. ἐξουσία 2 states, “Also of Satan’s power Ac 26:18.” It is also possible to translate this “the domain of Satan” (cf. BDAG 353 s.v. 6)

[26:18]  ³⁵¹ tn Or “and an inheritance.”

[26:2]  ³⁵² sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[3:14]  ³⁵³ tn BDAG 365 s.v. ἐπί 7 suggests “to all these” as a translation for ἐπὶ πᾶσιν δὲ τούτοις (epi pasin de toutoi").

[3:14]  ³⁵⁴ tn The term “virtues” is not in the Greek text, but is included in the translation to specify the antecedent and to make clear the sense of the pronoun “these.”

[3:14]  ³⁵⁵ tn The verb “add,” though not in the Greek text, is implied, picking up the initial imperative “clothe yourselves.”

[3:14]  ³⁵⁶ tn The genitive τῆς τελειότητος (th" teleiothto") has been translated as an attributive genitive, “the perfect bond.”

[3:15]  ³⁵⁷ tn Grk “in one body.” This phrase emphasizes the manner in which the believers were called, not the goal of their calling, and focuses upon their unity.

[3:16]  ³⁵⁸ tc Since “the word of Christ” occurs nowhere else in the NT, two predictable variants arose: “word of God” and “word of the Lord.” Even though some of the witnesses for these variants are impressive (κυρίου [kuriou, “of the Lord”] in א* I 1175 pc bo; θεοῦ [qeou, “of God”] in A C* 33 104 323 945 al), the reading Χριστοῦ (Cristou, “of Christ”) is read by an excellent cross-section of witnesses (Ì⁴⁶ א² B C² D F G Ψ 075 1739 1881 Ï lat sa). On both internal and external grounds, Χριστοῦ is strongly preferred.

[3:16]  ³⁵⁹ tn Grk “with grace”; “all” is supplied as it is implicitly related to all the previous instructions in the verse.

[3:18]  ³⁶⁰ tn The article τοῖς (tois) with ἀνδράσιν (andrasin, “husbands”) has been translated as a possessive pronoun (“your”); see ExSyn 215.

[4:3]  ³⁶¹ tn Though προσευχόμενοι (proseucomenoi) is an adverbial participle related to the previous imperative, προσκαρτερεῖτε (proskartereite), it is here translated as an independent clause due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[4:3]  ³⁶² tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been rendered as substantival here, indicating the content of the prayer rather than the purpose for it. These two ideas are very similar and difficult to differentiate in this passage, but the conjunction ἵνα following a verb of praying is generally regarded as giving the content of the prayer.

[4:3]  ³⁶³ tn Grk “that God may open for us a door of the word to speak the mystery of Christ.” The construction in Greek is somewhat awkward in this clause. The translation attempts to simplify this structure somewhat and yet communicate exactly what Paul is asking for.

[4:3]  ³⁶⁴ tn Or “so that we may speak.”

[4:3]  ³⁶⁵ tn Or “in prison.”

[4:4]  ³⁶⁶ tn The phrase begins with the ἵνα (Jina) clause and is subordinate to the imperative προσκαρτερεῖτε (proskartereite) in v. 2. The reference to the idea that Paul must make it known indicates that this clause is probably best viewed as purpose and not content, like the ἵνα of v. 3. It is the second purpose stated in the context; the first is expressed through the infinitive λαλῆσαι (lalhsai) in v. 3. The term “pray” at the beginning of the sentence is intended to pick up the imperative of v. 3.

[4:5]  ³⁶⁷ tn Grk “walk.” The verb περιπατέω (peripatew) is a common NT idiom for one’s lifestyle, behavior, or manner of conduct (L&N 41.11).

[1:17]  ³⁶⁸ tn The words “I pray” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to clarify the meaning; v. 17 is a subordinate clause to v. 16 (“I pray” in v. 17 is implied from v. 16). Eph 1:15-23 constitutes one sentence in Greek, but a new sentence was started here in the translation in light of contemporary English usage.

[1:17]  ³⁶⁹ tn Or “glorious Father.” The genitive phrase “of glory” is most likely an attributive genitive. The literal translation “Father of glory” has been retained because of the parallelism with the first line of the verse: “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory.”

[1:17]  ³⁷⁰ tn Or “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,” or “a spirit of wisdom and revelation.” Verse 17 involves a complex exegetical problem revolving around the Greek term πνεῦμα (pneuma). Some take it to mean “the Spirit,” others “a spirit,” and still others “spiritual.” (1) If “the Spirit” is meant, the idea must be a metonymy of cause for effect, because the author had just indicated in vv. 13-14 that the Spirit was already given (hence, there is no need for him to pray that he be given again). But the effect of the Spirit is wisdom and revelation. (2) If “a spirit” is meant, the idea may be that the readers will have the ability to gain wisdom and insight as they read Paul’s letters, but the exact meaning of “a spirit” remains ambiguous. (3) To take the genitives following πνεῦμα as attributed genitives (see ExSyn 89-91), in which the head noun (“S/spirit”) functions semantically like an adjective (“spiritual”) is both grammatically probable and exegetically consistent.

[1:17]  ³⁷¹ tn Grk “in the knowledge of him.”

[1:18]  ³⁷² tc ‡ Most witnesses, especially of the Byzantine and Western texttypes, though with a few important Alexandrian witnesses (א A D F G Ψ 0278 Ï latt sy), add ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) after καρδίας (kardias, “heart”), though it is clearly implied in the shorter (Alexandrian) reading (found in Ì⁴⁶ B 6 33 1175 1739 1881 pc). The longer reading thus looks to be a clarifying gloss, as is frequently found in the Byzantine and Western traditions. The translation above also uses “your” because of English requirements, not because of textual basis.

[1:18]  ³⁷³ tn The perfect participle πεφωτισμένους (pefwtismenou") may either be part of the prayer (“that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened”) or part of the basis of the prayer (“since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened”). Although the participle follows the ἵνα (Jina) of v. 17, it is awkward grammatically in the clause. Further, perfect adverbial participles are usually causal in NT Greek. Finally, the context both here and throughout Ephesians seems to emphasize the motif of light as a property belonging to believers. Thus, it seems that the author is saying, “I know that you are saved, that you have had the blinders of the devil removed; because of this, I can now pray that you will fully understand and see the light of God’s glorious revelation.” Hence, the translation takes the participle to form a part of the basis for the prayer.

[1:18]  ³⁷⁴ tn Or “the hope to which he has called you.”

[1:18]  ³⁷⁵ tn Grk “of the glory of his inheritance.” Here “inheritance” is taken as an attributed genitive and the head noun, “glory,” is thus translated as an adjective, “glorious inheritance.”

[1:19]  ³⁷⁶ tn Or “immeasurable, surpassing”

[1:19]  ³⁷⁷ tn Or “for, to”

[1:19]  ³⁷⁸ tn Grk “according to.”

[1:19]  ³⁷⁹ tn Grk “according to the exercise of the might of his strength.”

[5:14]  ³⁸⁰ sn The following passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.

[5:14]  ³⁸¹ tn Grk “Rise up.”

[5:14]  ³⁸² tn The articular nominative participle ὁ καθεύδων (Jo kaqeudwn) is probably functioning as a nominative for vocative. Thus, it has been translated as “O sleeper.”

[5:14]  ³⁸³ sn A composite quotation, possibly from Isa 26:19, 51:17, 52:1, and 60:1.

[5:1]  ³⁸⁴ tn Or “become.”

[2:9]  ³⁸⁵ tn Or “not as a result of.”

[2:9]  ³⁸⁶ tn Grk “lest anyone should boast.”

[3:18]  ³⁸⁷ tn Grk “I counsel you to buy.”

[3:18]  ³⁸⁸ tn Grk “rich, and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation, repeating the words “Buy from me” to make the connection clear for the English reader.

[3:18]  ³⁸⁹ tn Grk “the shame of the nakedness of you,” which has been translated as an attributed genitive like καινότητι ζωῆς (kainothti zwh") in Rom 6:4 (ExSyn 89-90).

[3:18]  ³⁹⁰ sn The city of Laodicea had a famous medical school and exported a powder (called a “Phrygian powder”) that was widely used as an eye salve. It was applied to the eyes in the form of a paste the consistency of dough (the Greek term for the salve here, κολλούριον, kollourion [Latin collyrium], is a diminutive form of the word for a long roll of bread).