Discovery BoxGenesis 11:1-32
Context11:1 The whole earth 1 had a common language and a common vocabulary. 2 11:2 When the people 3 moved eastward, 4 they found a plain in Shinar 5 and settled there. 11:3 Then they said to one another, 6 “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” 7 (They had brick instead of stone and tar 8 instead of mortar.) 9 11:4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens 10 so that 11 we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise 12 we will be scattered 13 across the face of the entire earth.”
11:5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people 14 had started 15 building. 11:6 And the Lord said, “If as one people all sharing a common language 16 they have begun to do this, then 17 nothing they plan to do will be beyond them. 18 11:7 Come, let’s go down and confuse 19 their language so they won’t be able to understand each other.” 20
11:8 So the Lord scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth, and they stopped building 21 the city. 11:9 That is why its name was called 22 Babel 23 – 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.
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 24 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 25 sons and daughters. 26
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 27 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.
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, 28 while his father Terah was still alive. 29 11:29 And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, 30 and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah; 31 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 32 of Terah was 205 years, and he 33 died in Haran.
Genesis 14:8-20
Context14:8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and prepared for battle. In the Valley of Siddim they met 34 14:9 Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, 35 Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. Four kings fought against 36 five. 14:10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. 37 When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, 38 but some survivors 39 fled to the hills. 40 14:11 The four victorious kings 41 took all the possessions and food of Sodom and Gomorrah and left. 14:12 They also took Abram’s nephew 42 Lot and his possessions when 43 they left, for Lot 44 was living in Sodom. 45
14:13 A fugitive 46 came and told Abram the Hebrew. 47 Now Abram was living by the oaks 48 of Mamre the Amorite, the brother 49 of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty 50 with Abram.) 51 14:14 When Abram heard that his nephew 52 had been taken captive, he mobilized 53 his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders 54 as far as Dan. 55 14:15 Then, during the night, 56 Abram 57 divided his forces 58 against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north 59 of Damascus. 14:16 He retrieved all the stolen property. 60 He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of 61 the people.
14:17 After Abram 62 returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram 63 in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley). 64 14:18 Melchizedek king of Salem 65 brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.) 66 14:19 He blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by 67 the Most High God,
Creator 68 of heaven and earth. 69
14:20 Worthy of praise is 70 the Most High God,
who delivered 71 your enemies into your hand.”
Abram gave Melchizedek 72 a tenth of everything.
Genesis 16:1--18:24
Context16:1 Now Sarai, 73 Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, 74 but she had an Egyptian servant 75 named Hagar. 76 16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Since 77 the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with 78 my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” 79 Abram did what 80 Sarai told him.
16:3 So after Abram had lived 81 in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, 82 to her husband to be his wife. 83 16:4 He had sexual relations with 84 Hagar, and she became pregnant. 85 Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai. 86 16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! 87 I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, 88 but when she realized 89 that she was pregnant, she despised me. 90 May the Lord judge between you and me!” 91
16:6 Abram said to Sarai, “Since your 92 servant is under your authority, 93 do to her whatever you think best.” 94 Then Sarai treated Hagar 95 harshly, 96 so she ran away from Sarai. 97
16:7 The Lord’s angel 98 found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert – the spring that is along the road to Shur. 99 16:8 He said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She replied, “I’m running away from 100 my mistress, Sarai.”
16:9 Then the Lord’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit 101 to her authority. 16:10 I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, 102 “so that they will be too numerous to count.” 103 16:11 Then the Lord’s angel said to her,
“You are now 104 pregnant
and are about to give birth 105 to a son.
You are to name him Ishmael, 106
for the Lord has heard your painful groans. 107
16:12 He will be a wild donkey 108 of a man.
He will be hostile to everyone, 109
and everyone will be hostile to him. 110
He will live away from 111 his brothers.”
16:13 So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” 112 for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” 113 16:14 That is why the well was called 114 Beer Lahai Roi. 115 (It is located 116 between Kadesh and Bered.)
16:15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. 117 16:16 (Now 118 Abram was 86 years old 119 when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.) 120
17:1 When Abram was 99 years old, 121 the Lord appeared to him and said, 122 “I am the sovereign God. 123 Walk 124 before me 125 and be blameless. 126 17:2 Then I will confirm my covenant 127 between me and you, and I will give you a multitude of descendants.” 128
17:3 Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, 129 and God said to him, 130 17:4 “As for me, 131 this 132 is my covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 17:5 No longer will your name be 133 Abram. Instead, your name will be Abraham 134 because I will make you 135 the father of a multitude of nations. 17:6 I will make you 136 extremely 137 fruitful. I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. 138 17:7 I will confirm 139 my covenant as a perpetual 140 covenant between me and you. It will extend to your descendants after you throughout their generations. I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 141 17:8 I will give the whole land of Canaan – the land where you are now residing 142 – to you and your descendants after you as a permanent 143 possession. I will be their God.”
17:9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep 144 the covenantal requirement 145 I am imposing on you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 17:10 This is my requirement that you and your descendants after you must keep: 146 Every male among you must be circumcised. 147 17:11 You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins. This will be a reminder 148 of the covenant between me and you. 17:12 Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old 149 must be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not one of your descendants. 17:13 They must indeed be circumcised, 150 whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of my covenant 151 will be visible in your flesh as a permanent 152 reminder. 17:14 Any uncircumcised male 153 who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off 154 from his people – he has failed to carry out my requirement.” 155
17:15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for your wife, you must no longer call her Sarai; 156 Sarah 157 will be her name. 17:16 I will bless her and will give you a son through her. I will bless her and she will become a mother of nations. 158 Kings of countries 159 will come from her!”
17:17 Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed 160 as he said to himself, 161 “Can 162 a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? 163 Can Sarah 164 bear a child at the age of ninety?” 165 17:18 Abraham said to God, “O that 166 Ishmael might live before you!” 167
17:19 God said, “No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. 168 I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual 169 covenant for his descendants after him. 17:20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. 170 I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. 171 He will become the father of twelve princes; 172 I will make him into a great nation. 17:21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.” 17:22 When he finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. 173
17:23 Abraham took his son Ishmael and every male in his household (whether born in his house or bought with money) 174 and circumcised them 175 on that very same day, just as God had told him to do. 17:24 Now Abraham was 99 years old 176 when he was circumcised; 177 17:25 his son Ishmael was thirteen years old 178 when he was circumcised. 17:26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the very same day. 17:27 All the men of his household, whether born in his household or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
18:1 The Lord appeared to Abraham 179 by the oaks 180 of Mamre while 181 he was sitting at the entrance 182 to his tent during the hottest time of the day. 18:2 Abraham 183 looked up 184 and saw 185 three men standing across 186 from him. When he saw them 187 he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low 188 to the ground. 189
18:3 He said, “My lord, 190 if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by and leave your servant. 191 18:4 Let a little water be brought so that 192 you may all 193 wash your feet and rest under the tree. 18:5 And let me get 194 a bit of food 195 so that you may refresh yourselves 196 since you have passed by your servant’s home. After that you may be on your way.” 197 “All right,” they replied, “you may do as you say.”
18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Take 198 three measures 199 of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.” 200 18:7 Then Abraham ran to the herd and chose a fine, tender calf, and gave it to a servant, 201 who quickly prepared it. 202 18:8 Abraham 203 then took some curds and milk, along with the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food 204 before them. They ate while 205 he was standing near them under a tree.
18:9 Then they asked him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, 206 in the tent.” 18:10 One of them 207 said, “I will surely return 208 to you when the season comes round again, 209 and your wife Sarah will have a son!” 210 (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him. 211 18:11 Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; 212 Sarah had long since passed menopause.) 213 18:12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, 214 “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, 215 especially when my husband is old too?” 216
18:13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why 217 did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really 218 have a child when I am old?’ 18:14 Is anything impossible 219 for the Lord? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son.” 220 18:15 Then Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. But the Lord said, “No! You did laugh.” 221
18:16 When the men got up to leave, 222 they looked out over 223 Sodom. (Now 224 Abraham was walking with them to see them on their way.) 225 18:17 Then the Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 226 18:18 After all, Abraham 227 will surely become 228 a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on the earth will pronounce blessings on one another 229 using his name. 18:19 I have chosen him 230 so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep 231 the way of the Lord by doing 232 what is right and just. Then the Lord will give 233 to Abraham what he promised 234 him.”
18:20 So the Lord said, “The outcry against 235 Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant 236 18:21 that I must go down 237 and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. 238 If not, 239 I want to know.”
18:22 The two men turned 240 and headed 241 toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord. 242 18:23 Abraham approached and said, “Will you sweep away the godly along with the wicked? 18:24 What if there are fifty godly people in the city? Will you really wipe it out and not spare 243 the place for the sake of the fifty godly people who are in it?
Genesis 19:15-21
Context19:15 At dawn 244 the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, 245 or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!” 246 19:16 When Lot 247 hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. 248 They led them away and placed them 249 outside the city. 19:17 When they had brought them outside, they 250 said, “Run 251 for your lives! Don’t look 252 behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! 253 Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”
19:18 But Lot said to them, “No, please, Lord! 254 19:19 Your 255 servant has found favor with you, 256 and you have shown me great 257 kindness 258 by sparing 259 my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because 260 this disaster will overtake 261 me and I’ll die. 262 19:20 Look, this town 263 over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one. 264 Let me go there. 265 It’s just a little place, isn’t it? 266 Then I’ll survive.” 267
19:21 “Very well,” he replied, 268 “I will grant this request too 269 and will not overthrow 270 the town you mentioned.
Genesis 20:10
Context20:10 Then Abimelech asked 271 Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” 272
Daniel 7:11
Context7:11 “Then I kept on watching because of the arrogant words of the horn that was speaking. I was watching 273 until the beast was killed and its body destroyed and thrown into 274 the flaming fire.
Daniel 7:26
Context7:26 But the court will convene, 275 and his ruling authority will be removed –
destroyed and abolished forever!
Daniel 11:45
Context11:45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas 276 toward the beautiful holy mountain. But he will come to his end, with no one to help him.
Daniel 11:2
Context11:2 Now I will tell you the truth.
“Three 277 more kings will arise for Persia. Then a fourth 278 king will be unusually rich, 279 more so than all who preceded him. When he has amassed power through his riches, he will stir up everyone against 280 the kingdom of Greece.
Daniel 2:3-8
Context2:3 The king told them, “I have had a dream, 281 and I 282 am anxious to understand the dream.” 2:4 The wise men replied to the king: [What follows is in Aramaic 283 ] “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will disclose its 284 interpretation.” 2:5 The king replied 285 to the wise men, “My decision is firm. 286 If you do not inform me of both the dream and its interpretation, you will be dismembered 287 and your homes reduced to rubble! 2:6 But if you can disclose the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts, a reward, and considerable honor. So disclose to me the dream and its interpretation!” 2:7 They again replied, “Let the king inform us 288 of the dream; then we will disclose its 289 interpretation.” 2:8 The king replied, “I know for sure that you are attempting to gain time, because you see that my decision is firm.
[11:1] 1 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] 2 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] 3 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:2] 4 tn Or perhaps “from the east” (NRSV) or “in the east.”
[11:2] 5 tn Heb “in the land of Shinar.”
[11:3] 6 tn Heb “a man to his neighbor.” The Hebrew idiom may be translated “to each other” or “one to another.”
[11:3] 7 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] 8 tn Or “bitumen” (cf. NEB, NRSV).
[11:3] 9 tn The disjunctive clause gives information parenthetical to the narrative.
[11:4] 10 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] 11 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] 12 tn The Hebrew particle פֶּן (pen) expresses a negative purpose; it means “that we be not scattered.”
[11:4] 13 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] 14 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] 15 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] 16 tn Heb “and one lip to all of them.”
[11:6] 17 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] 18 tn Heb “all that they purpose to do will not be withheld from them.”
[11:7] 19 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
[11:7] 20 tn Heb “they will not hear, a man the lip of his neighbor.”
[11:8] 21 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] 22 tn The verb has no expressed subject and so can be rendered as a passive in the translation.
[11:9] 23 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] 24 tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.
[11:13] 25 tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.
[11:13] 26 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] 27 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] 28 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
[11:28] 29 tn Heb “upon the face of Terah his father.”
[11:29] 30 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] 31 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] 32 tn Heb “And the days of Terah were.”
[11:32] 33 tn Heb “Terah”; the pronoun has been substituted for the proper name in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[14:9] 35 tn Or “Goyim.” See the note on the word “nations” in 14:1.
[14:9] 36 tn The Hebrew text has simply “against.” The word “fought” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[14:10] 37 tn Heb “Now the Valley of Siddim [was] pits, pits of tar.” This parenthetical disjunctive clause emphasizes the abundance of tar pits in the area through repetition of the noun “pits.”
[14:10] 38 tn Or “they were defeated there.” After a verb of motion the Hebrew particle שָׁם (sham) with the directional heh (שָׁמָּה, shammah) can mean “into it, therein” (BDB 1027 s.v. שָׁם).
[14:10] 40 sn The reference to the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah must mean the kings along with their armies. Most of them were defeated in the valley, but some of them escaped to the hills.
[14:11] 41 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the four victorious kings, see v. 9) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[14:12] 42 tn Heb “Lot the son of his brother.”
[14:12] 44 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:12] 45 tn This disjunctive clause is circumstantial/causal, explaining that Lot was captured because he was living in Sodom at the time.
[14:13] 46 tn Heb “the fugitive.” The article carries a generic force or indicates that this fugitive is definite in the mind of the speaker.
[14:13] 47 sn E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103) suggests that part of this chapter came from an outside source since it refers to Abram the Hebrew. That is not impossible, given that the narrator likely utilized traditions and genealogies that had been collected and transmitted over the years. The meaning of the word “Hebrew” has proved elusive. It may be related to the verb “to cross over,” perhaps meaning “immigrant.” Or it might be derived from the name of Abram’s ancestor Eber (see Gen 11:14-16).
[14:13] 48 tn Or “terebinths.”
[14:13] 49 tn Or “a brother”; or “a relative”; or perhaps “an ally.”
[14:13] 50 tn Heb “possessors of a treaty with.” Since it is likely that the qualifying statement refers to all three (Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner) the words “all these” have been supplied in the translation to make this clear.
[14:13] 51 tn This parenthetical disjunctive clause explains how Abram came to be living in their territory, but it also explains why they must go to war with Abram.
[14:14] 52 tn Heb “his brother,” by extension, “relative.” Here and in v. 16 the more specific term “nephew” has been used in the translation for clarity. Lot was the son of Haran, Abram’s brother (Gen 11:27).
[14:14] 53 tn The verb וַיָּרֶק (vayyareq) is a rare form, probably related to the word רֵיק (req, “to be empty”). If so, it would be a very figurative use: “he emptied out” (or perhaps “unsheathed”) his men. The LXX has “mustered” (cf. NEB). E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103-4) suggests reading with the Samaritan Pentateuch a verb diq, cognate with Akkadian deku, “to mobilize” troops. If this view is accepted, one must assume that a confusion of the Hebrew letters ד (dalet) and ר (resh) led to the error in the traditional Hebrew text. These two letters are easily confused in all phases of ancient Hebrew script development. The present translation is based on this view.
[14:14] 54 tn The words “the invaders” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:14] 55 sn The use of the name Dan reflects a later perspective. The Danites did not migrate to this northern territory until centuries later (see Judg 18:29). Furthermore Dan was not even born until much later. By inserting this name a scribe has clarified the location of the region.
[14:15] 56 tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.
[14:15] 57 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:15] 58 tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”
[14:15] 59 tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.
[14:16] 60 tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:16] 61 tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[14:17] 62 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:17] 63 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:17] 64 sn The King’s Valley is possibly a reference to what came to be known later as the Kidron Valley.
[14:18] 65 sn Salem is traditionally identified as the Jebusite stronghold of old Jerusalem. Accordingly, there has been much speculation about its king. Though some have identified him with the preincarnate Christ or with Noah’s son Shem, it is far more likely that Melchizedek was a Canaanite royal priest whom God used to renew the promise of the blessing to Abram, perhaps because Abram considered Melchizedek his spiritual superior. But Melchizedek remains an enigma. In a book filled with genealogical records he appears on the scene without a genealogy and then disappears from the narrative. In Psalm 110 the
[14:18] 66 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause significantly identifies Melchizedek as a priest as well as a king.
[14:19] 67 tn The preposition לְ (lamed) introduces the agent after the passive participle.
[14:19] 68 tn Some translate “possessor of heaven and earth” (cf. NASB). But cognate evidence from Ugaritic indicates that there were two homonymic roots ָקנָה (qanah), one meaning “to create” (as in Gen 4:1) and the other “to obtain, to acquire, to possess.” While “possessor” would fit here, “creator” is the more likely due to the collocation with “heaven and earth.”
[14:19] 69 tn The terms translated “heaven” and “earth” are both objective genitives after the participle in construct.
[14:20] 70 tn Heb “blessed be.” For God to be “blessed” means that is praised. His reputation is enriched in the world as his name is praised.
[14:20] 71 sn Who delivered. The Hebrew verb מִגֵּן (miggen, “delivered”) foreshadows the statement by God to Abram in Gen 15:1, “I am your shield” (מָגֵן, magen). Melchizedek provided a theological interpretation of Abram’s military victory.
[14:20] 72 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:1] 73 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of a new episode in the story.
[16:1] 74 sn On the cultural background of the story of Sarai’s childlessness see J. Van Seters, “The Problem of Childlessness in Near Eastern Law and the Patriarchs of Israel,” JBL 87 (1968): 401-8.
[16:1] 75 tn The Hebrew term שִׁפְחָה (shifkhah, translated “servant” here and in vv. 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8) refers to a menial female servant.
[16:1] 76 sn The passage records the birth of Ishmael to Abram through an Egyptian woman. The story illustrates the limits of Abram’s faith as he tries to obtain a son through social custom. The barrenness of Sarai poses a challenge to Abram’s faith, just as the famine did in chap. 12. As in chap. 12, an Egyptian figures prominently. (Perhaps Hagar was obtained as a slave during Abram’s stay in Egypt.)
[16:2] 77 tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) introduces the foundational clause for the imperative to follow.
[16:2] 78 tn Heb “enter to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual relations (also in v. 4).
[16:2] 79 tn Heb “perhaps I will be built from her.” Sarai hopes to have a family established through this surrogate mother.
[16:2] 80 tn Heb “listened to the voice of,” which is an idiom meaning “obeyed.”
[16:3] 81 tn Heb “at the end of ten years, to live, Abram.” The prepositional phrase introduces the temporal clause, the infinitive construct serves as the verb, and the name “Abram” is the subject.
[16:3] 82 tn Heb “the Egyptian, her female servant.”
[16:3] 83 sn To be his wife. Hagar became a slave wife, not on equal standing with Sarai. However, if Hagar produced the heir, she would be the primary wife in the eyes of society. When this eventually happened, Hagar become insolent, prompting Sarai’s anger.
[16:4] 84 tn Heb “entered to.” See the note on the same expression in v. 2.
[16:4] 85 tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 5)
[16:4] 86 tn Heb “and she saw that she was pregnant and her mistress was despised in her eyes.” The Hebrew verb קָלַל (qalal) means “to despise, to treat lightly, to treat with contempt.” In Hagar’s opinion Sarai had been demoted.
[16:5] 87 tn Heb “my wrong is because of you.”
[16:5] 88 tn Heb “I placed my female servant in your bosom.”
[16:5] 90 tn Heb “I was despised in her eyes.” The passive verb has been translated as active for stylistic reasons. Sarai was made to feel supplanted and worthless by Hagar the servant girl.
[16:5] 91 tn Heb “me and you.”
[16:6] 92 tn The clause is introduced with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), introducing a foundational clause for the coming imperative: “since…do.”
[16:6] 93 tn Heb “in your hand.”
[16:6] 94 tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”
[16:6] 95 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:6] 96 tn In the Piel stem the verb עָנָה (’anah) means “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly, to mistreat.”
[16:6] 97 tn Heb “and she fled from her presence.” The referent of “her” (Sarai) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[16:7] 98 tn Heb “the messenger of the
[16:7] 99 tn Heb “And the angel of the
[16:8] 100 tn Heb “from the presence of.”
[16:9] 101 tn The imperative וְהִתְעַנִּי (vÿhit’anni) is the Hitpael of עָנָה (’anah, here translated “submit”), the same word used for Sarai’s harsh treatment of her. Hagar is instructed not only to submit to Sarai’s authority, but to whatever mistreatment that involves. God calls for Hagar to humble herself.
[16:10] 102 tn Heb “The
[16:10] 103 tn Heb “cannot be numbered because of abundance.”
[16:11] 104 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) focuses on her immediate situation: “Here you are pregnant.”
[16:11] 105 tn The active participle refers here to something that is about to happen.
[16:11] 106 sn The name Ishmael consists of the imperfect or jussive form of the Hebrew verb with the theophoric element added as the subject. It means “God hears” or “may God hear.”
[16:11] 107 tn Heb “affliction,” which must refer here to Hagar’s painful groans of anguish.
[16:12] 108 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.
[16:12] 109 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.
[16:12] 110 tn Heb “And the hand of everyone will be against him.”
[16:12] 111 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).
[16:13] 112 tn Heb “God of my seeing.” The pronominal suffix may be understood either as objective (“who sees me,” as in the translation) or subjective (“whom I see”).
[16:13] 113 tn Heb “after one who sees me.”
[16:14] 114 tn The verb does not have an expressed subject and so is rendered as passive in the translation.
[16:14] 115 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.” The text suggests that God takes up the cause of those who are oppressed.
[16:14] 116 tn Heb “look.” The words “it is located” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[16:15] 117 tn Heb “and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”
[16:16] 118 tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is parenthetical to the narrative.
[16:16] 119 tn Heb “the son of eighty-six years.”
[16:16] 120 tn The Hebrew text adds, “for Abram.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons; it is somewhat redundant given the three occurrences of Abram’s name in this and the previous verse.
[17:1] 121 tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”
[17:1] 122 tn Heb “appeared to Abram and said to him.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) and the final phrase “to him” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.
[17:1] 123 tn The name אֵל שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72. Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world who grants, blesses, and judges. In the Book of Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name are uncertain (see discussion below) its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. In Gen 17:1-8 he appeared to Abram, introduced himself as El Shaddai, and announced his intention to make the patriarch fruitful. In the role of El Shaddai God repeated these words (now elevated to the status of a decree) to Jacob (35:11). Earlier Isaac had pronounced a blessing on Jacob in which he asked El Shaddai to make Jacob fruitful (28:3). Jacob later prayed that his sons would be treated with mercy when they returned to Egypt with Benjamin (43:14). The fertility theme is not as apparent here, though one must remember that Jacob viewed Benjamin as the sole remaining son of the favored and once-barren Rachel (see 29:31; 30:22-24; 35:16-18). It is quite natural that he would appeal to El Shaddai to preserve Benjamin’s life, for it was El Shaddai’s miraculous power which made it possible for Rachel to give him sons in the first place. In 48:3 Jacob, prior to blessing Joseph’s sons, told him how El Shaddai appeared to him at Bethel (see Gen 28) and promised to make him fruitful. When blessing Joseph on his deathbed Jacob referred to Shaddai (we should probably read “El Shaddai,” along with a few Hebrew
[17:1] 124 tn Or “Live out your life.” The Hebrew verb translated “walk” is the Hitpael; it means “to walk back and forth; to walk about; to live out one’s life.”
[17:1] 125 tn Or “in my presence.”
[17:1] 126 tn There are two imperatives here: “walk…and be blameless [or “perfect”].” The second imperative may be purely sequential (see the translation) or consequential: “walk before me and then you will be blameless.” How one interprets the sequence depends on the meaning of “walk before”: (1) If it simply refers in a neutral way to serving the
[17:2] 127 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative indicates consequence. If Abram is blameless, then the
[17:2] 128 tn Heb “I will multiply you exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.
[17:3] 129 tn Heb “And Abram fell on his face.” This expression probably means that Abram sank to his knees and put his forehead to the ground, although it is possible that he completely prostrated himself. In either case the posture indicates humility and reverence.
[17:3] 130 tn Heb “God spoke to him, saying.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[17:4] 132 tn Heb “is” (הִנֵּה, hinneh).
[17:5] 133 tn Heb “will your name be called.”
[17:5] 134 sn Your name will be Abraham. The renaming of Abram was a sign of confirmation to the patriarch. Every time the name was used it would be a reminder of God’s promise. “Abram” means “exalted father,” probably referring to Abram’s father Terah. The name looks to the past; Abram came from noble lineage. The name “Abraham” is a dialectical variant of the name Abram. But its significance is in the wordplay with אַב־הֲמוֹן (’av-hamon, “the father of a multitude,” which sounds like אַבְרָהָם, ’avraham, “Abraham”). The new name would be a reminder of God’s intention to make Abraham the father of a multitude. For a general discussion of renaming, see O. Eissfeldt, “Renaming in the Old Testament,” Words and Meanings, 70-83.
[17:5] 135 tn The perfect verbal form is used here in a rhetorical manner to emphasize God’s intention.
[17:6] 136 tn This verb starts a series of perfect verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive to express God’s intentions.
[17:6] 137 tn Heb “exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.
[17:6] 138 tn Heb “and I will make you into nations, and kings will come out from you.”
[17:7] 139 tn The verb קוּם (qum, “to arise, to stand up”) in the Hiphil verbal stem means “to confirm, to give effect to, to carry out” (i.e., a covenant or oath; see BDB 878-79 s.v. קוּם).
[17:7] 140 tn Or “as an eternal.”
[17:7] 141 tn Heb “to be to you for God and to your descendants after you.”
[17:8] 142 tn The verbal root is גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn, to reside temporarily,” i.e., as a resident alien). It is the land in which Abram resides, but does not yet possess as his very own.
[17:8] 143 tn Or “as an eternal.”
[17:9] 144 tn The imperfect tense could be translated “you shall keep” as a binding command; but the obligatory nuance (“must”) captures the binding sense better.
[17:9] 145 tn Heb “my covenant.” The Hebrew word בְּרִית (bÿrit) can refer to (1) the agreement itself between two parties (see v. 7), (2) the promise made by one party to another (see vv. 2-3, 7), (3) an obligation placed by one party on another, or (4) a reminder of the agreement. In vv. 9-10 the word refers to a covenantal obligation which God gives to Abraham and his descendants.
[17:10] 146 tn Heb “This is my covenant that you must keep between me and you and your descendants after you.”
[17:10] 147 sn For a discussion of male circumcision as the sign of the covenant in this passage see M. V. Fox, “The Sign of the Covenant: Circumcision in the Light of the Priestly ‘ot Etiologies,” RB 81 (1974): 557-96.
[17:12] 149 tn Heb “the son of eight days.”
[17:13] 150 tn The emphatic construction employs the Niphal imperfect tense (collective singular) and the Niphal infinitive.
[17:13] 151 tn Heb “my covenant.” Here in v. 13 the Hebrew word בְּרִית (bÿrit) refers to the outward, visible sign, or reminder, of the covenant. For the range of meaning of the term, see the note on the word “requirement” in v. 9.
[17:13] 152 tn Or “an eternal.”
[17:14] 153 tn The disjunctive clause calls attention to the “uncircumcised male” and what will happen to him.
[17:14] 154 tn Heb “that person will be cut off.” The words “that person” have not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[17:14] 155 tn Heb “he has broken my covenant.” The noun בְּרִית (bÿrit) here refers to the obligation required by God in conjunction with the covenantal agreement. For the range of meaning of the term, see the note on the word “requirement” in v. 9.
[17:15] 156 tn Heb “[As for] Sarai your wife, you must not call her name Sarai, for Sarah [will be] her name.”
[17:15] 157 sn Sarah. The name change seems to be a dialectical variation, both spellings meaning “princess” or “queen.” Like the name Abram, the name Sarai symbolized the past. The new name Sarah, like the name Abraham, would be a reminder of what God intended to do for Sarah in the future.
[17:16] 158 tn Heb “she will become nations.”
[17:17] 160 sn Laughed. The Hebrew verb used here provides the basis for the naming of Isaac: “And he laughed” is וַיִּצְחָק (vayyitskhaq); the name “Isaac” is יִצְחָק (yitskhaq), “he laughs.” Abraham’s (and Sarah’s, see 18:12) laughter signals disbelief, but when the boy is born, the laughter signals surprise and joy.
[17:17] 161 tn Heb “And he fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart.”
[17:17] 162 tn The imperfect verbal form here carries a potential nuance, as it expresses the disbelief of Abraham.
[17:17] 163 tn Heb “to the son of a hundred years.”
[17:17] 164 sn It is important to note that even though Abraham staggers at the announcement of the birth of a son, finding it almost too incredible, he nonetheless calls his wife Sarah, the new name given to remind him of the promise of God (v. 15).
[17:17] 165 tn Heb “the daughter of ninety years.”
[17:18] 166 tn The wish is introduced with the Hebrew particle לוּ (lu), “O that.”
[17:18] 167 tn Or “live with your blessing.”
[17:19] 168 tn Heb “will call his name Isaac.” The name means “he laughs,” or perhaps “may he laugh” (see the note on the word “laughed” in v. 17).
[17:19] 169 tn Or “as an eternal.”
[17:20] 170 sn The Hebrew verb translated “I have heard you” forms a wordplay with the name Ishmael, which means “God hears.” See the note on the name “Ishmael” in 16:11.
[17:20] 171 tn Heb “And I will multiply him exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.
[17:20] 172 tn For a discussion of the Hebrew word translated “princes,” see E. A. Speiser, “Background and Function of the Biblical Nasi’,” CBQ 25 (1963): 111-17.
[17:22] 173 tn Heb “And when he finished speaking with him, God went up from Abraham.” The sequence of pronouns and proper names has been modified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[17:23] 174 tn Heb “Ishmael his son and all born in his house and all bought with money, every male among the men of the house of Abraham.”
[17:23] 175 tn Heb “circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.” The Hebrew expression is somewhat pleonastic and has been simplified in the translation.
[17:24] 176 tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”
[17:24] 177 tn Heb “circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin” (also in v. 25).
[17:25] 178 tn Heb “the son of thirteen years.”
[18:1] 179 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:1] 180 tn Or “terebinths.”
[18:1] 181 tn The disjunctive clause here is circumstantial to the main clause.
[18:1] 182 tn The Hebrew noun translated “entrance” is an adverbial accusative of place.
[18:2] 183 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:2] 184 tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”
[18:2] 185 tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to what he saw. The drawn-out description focuses the reader’s attention on Abraham’s deliberate, fixed gaze and indicates that what he is seeing is significant.
[18:2] 186 tn The Hebrew preposition עַל (’al) indicates the three men were nearby, but not close by, for Abraham had to run to meet them.
[18:2] 187 tn The pronoun “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.
[18:2] 188 tn The form וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ (vayyishtakhu, “and bowed low”) is from the verb הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה (hishtakhavah, “to worship, bow low to the ground”). It is probably from a root חָוָה (khavah), though some derive it from שָׁחָה (shakhah).
[18:2] 189 sn The reader knows this is a theophany. The three visitors are probably the
[18:3] 190 tc The MT has the form אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “Master”) which is reserved for God. This may reflect later scribal activity. The scribes, knowing it was the
[18:3] 191 tn Heb “do not pass by from upon your servant.”
[18:4] 192 tn The imperative after the jussive indicates purpose here.
[18:4] 193 tn The word “all” has been supplied in the translation because the Hebrew verb translated “wash” and the pronominal suffix on the word “feet” are plural, referring to all three of the visitors.
[18:5] 194 tn The Qal cohortative here probably has the nuance of polite request.
[18:5] 195 tn Heb “a piece of bread.” The Hebrew word לֶחֶם (lekhem) can refer either to bread specifically or to food in general. Based on Abraham’s directions to Sarah in v. 6, bread was certainly involved, but v. 7 indicates that Abraham had a more elaborate meal in mind.
[18:5] 196 tn Heb “strengthen your heart.” The imperative after the cohortative indicates purpose here.
[18:5] 197 tn Heb “so that you may refresh yourselves, after [which] you may be on your way – for therefore you passed by near your servant.”
[18:6] 198 tn The word “take” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the sentence lacks a verb other than the imperative “hurry.” The elliptical structure of the language reflects Abraham’s haste to get things ready quickly.
[18:6] 199 sn Three measures (Heb “three seahs”) was equivalent to about twenty quarts (twenty-two liters) of flour, which would make a lot of bread. The animal prepared for the meal was far more than the three visitors needed. This was a banquet for royalty. Either it had been a lonely time for Abraham and the presence of visitors made him very happy, or he sensed this was a momentous visit.
[18:6] 200 sn The bread was the simple, round bread made by bedouins that is normally prepared quickly for visitors.
[18:7] 201 tn Heb “the young man.”
[18:7] 202 tn The construction uses the Piel preterite, “he hurried,” followed by the infinitive construct; the two probably form a verbal hendiadys: “he quickly prepared.”
[18:8] 203 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:8] 204 tn The words “the food” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.
[18:8] 205 tn The disjunctive clause is a temporal circumstantial clause subordinate to the main verb.
[18:9] 206 tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) often accompanies a gesture of pointing or a focused gaze.
[18:10] 207 tn Heb “he”; the referent (one of the three men introduced in v. 2) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Some English translations have specified the referent as the
[18:10] 208 tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, using the infinitive absolute with the imperfect tense.
[18:10] 209 tn Heb “as/when the time lives” or “revives,” possibly referring to the springtime.
[18:10] 210 tn Heb “and there will be (הִנֵּה, hinneh) a son for Sarah.”
[18:10] 211 tn This is the first of two disjunctive parenthetical clauses preparing the reader for Sarah’s response (see v. 12).
[18:11] 213 tn Heb “it had ceased to be for Sarah [after] a way like women.”
[18:12] 215 tn It has been suggested that this word should be translated “conception,” not “pleasure.” See A. A. McIntosh, “A Third Root ‘adah in Biblical Hebrew,” VT 24 (1974): 454-73.
[18:12] 216 tn The word “too” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[18:13] 217 tn Heb “Why, this?” The demonstrative pronoun following the interrogative pronoun is enclitic, emphasizing the
[18:13] 218 tn The Hebrew construction uses both הַאַף (ha’af) and אֻמְנָם (’umnam): “Indeed, truly, will I have a child?”
[18:14] 219 tn The Hebrew verb פָּלָא (pala’) means “to be wonderful, to be extraordinary, to be surpassing, to be amazing.”
[18:14] 220 sn Sarah will have a son. The passage brings God’s promise into clear focus. As long as it was a promise for the future, it really could be believed without much involvement. But now, when it seemed so impossible from the human standpoint, when the
[18:15] 221 tn Heb “And he said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’” The referent (the
[18:16] 222 tn Heb “And the men arose from there.”
[18:16] 223 tn Heb “toward the face of.”
[18:16] 224 tn The disjunctive parenthetical clause sets the stage for the following speech.
[18:16] 225 tn The Piel of שָׁלַח (shalakh) means “to lead out, to send out, to expel”; here it is used in the friendly sense of seeing the visitors on their way.
[18:17] 226 tn The active participle here refers to an action that is imminent.
[18:18] 227 tn Heb “And Abraham.” The disjunctive clause is probably causal, giving a reason why God should not hide his intentions from Abraham. One could translate, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation?”
[18:18] 228 tn The infinitive absolute lends emphasis to the finite verb that follows.
[18:18] 229 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 upon”] 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 18:18 (like 12:2) predicts that Abraham 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.
[18:19] 230 tn Heb “For I have known him.” The verb יָדַע (yada’) here means “to recognize and treat in a special manner, to choose” (see Amos 3:2). It indicates that Abraham stood in a special covenantal relationship with the
[18:19] 231 tn Heb “and they will keep.” The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the subjective nuance of the preceding imperfect verbal form (translated “so that he may command”).
[18:19] 232 tn The infinitive construct here indicates manner, explaining how Abraham’s children and his household will keep the way of the
[18:19] 233 tn Heb “bring on.” The infinitive after לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) indicates result here.
[18:19] 234 tn Heb “spoke to.”
[18:20] 235 tn Heb “the outcry of Sodom,” which apparently refers to the outcry for divine justice from those (unidentified persons) who observe its sinful ways.
[18:21] 237 tn The cohortative indicates the
[18:21] 238 tn Heb “[if] according to the outcry that has come to me they have done completely.” Even the
[18:21] 239 sn The short phrase if not provides a ray of hope and inspires Abraham’s intercession.
[18:22] 240 tn Heb “And the men turned from there.” The word “two” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied here for clarity. Gen 19:1 mentions only two individuals (described as “angels”), while Abraham had entertained three visitors (18:2). The implication is that the
[18:22] 242 tc An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition reads “but the
[18:24] 243 tn Heb “lift up,” perhaps in the sense of “bear with” (cf. NRSV “forgive”).
[19:15] 244 tn Heb “When dawn came up.”
[19:15] 245 tn Heb “who are found.” The wording might imply he had other daughters living in the city, but the text does not explicitly state this.
[19:15] 246 tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[19:16] 247 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:16] 248 tn Heb “in the compassion of the
[19:16] 249 tn Heb “brought him out and placed him.” The third masculine singular suffixes refer specifically to Lot, though his wife and daughters accompanied him (see v. 17). For stylistic reasons these have been translated as plural pronouns (“them”).
[19:17] 250 tn Or “one of them”; Heb “he.” Several ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac) read the plural “they.” See also the note on “your” in v. 19.
[19:17] 252 tn The Hebrew verb translated “look” signifies an intense gaze, not a passing glance. This same verb is used later in v. 26 to describe Lot’s wife’s self-destructive look back at the city.
[19:17] 253 tn Or “in the plain”; Heb “in the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:18] 254 tn Or “my lords.” See the following note on the problem of identifying the addressee here. The Hebrew term is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[19:19] 255 tn The second person pronominal suffixes are singular in this verse (note “your eyes,” “you have made great,” and “you have acted”). Verse 18a seems to indicate that Lot is addressing the angels, but the use of the singular and the appearance of the divine title “Lord” (אֲדֹנָי, ’adonay) in v. 18b suggests he is speaking to God.
[19:19] 256 tn Heb “in your eyes.”
[19:19] 257 tn Heb “you made great your kindness.”
[19:19] 258 sn The Hebrew word חֶסֶד (khesed) can refer to “faithful love” or to “kindness,” depending on the context. The precise nuance here is uncertain.
[19:19] 259 tn The infinitive construct explains how God has shown Lot kindness.
[19:19] 261 tn The Hebrew verb דָּבַק (davaq) normally means “to stick to, to cleave, to join.” Lot is afraid he cannot outrun the coming calamity.
[19:19] 262 tn The perfect verb form with vav consecutive carries the nuance of the imperfect verbal form before it.
[19:20] 263 tn The Hebrew word עִיר (’ir) can refer to either a city or a town, depending on the size of the place. Given that this place was described by Lot later in this verse as a “little place,” the translation uses “town.”
[19:20] 264 tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”
[19:20] 265 tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.
[19:20] 266 tn Heb “Is it not little?”
[19:20] 267 tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.
[19:21] 268 tn Heb “And he said, ‘Look, I will grant.’” The order of the clauses has been rearranged for stylistic reasons. The referent of the speaker (“he”) is somewhat ambiguous: It could be taken as the angel to whom Lot has been speaking (so NLT; note the singular references in vv. 18-19), or it could be that Lot is speaking directly to the
[19:21] 269 tn Heb “I have lifted up your face [i.e., shown you favor] also concerning this matter.”
[19:21] 270 tn The negated infinitive construct indicates either the consequence of God’s granting the request (“I have granted this request, so that I will not”) or the manner in which he will grant it (“I have granted your request by not destroying”).
[20:10] 271 tn Heb “And Abimelech said to.”
[20:10] 272 tn Heb “What did you see that you did this thing?” The question implies that Abraham had some motive for deceiving Abimelech.
[7:11] 273 tc The LXX and Theodotion lack the words “I was watching” here. It is possible that these words in the MT are a dittography from the first part of the verse.
[7:11] 274 tn Aram “and given over to” (so NRSV).
[7:26] 275 tn Aram “judgment will sit” (KJV similar).
[11:45] 276 sn Presumably seas refers to the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea.
[11:2] 277 sn Perhaps these three more kings are Cambyses (ca. 530-522
[11:2] 278 sn This fourth king is Xerxes I (ca. 486-465
[11:2] 279 tn Heb “rich with great riches.”
[11:2] 280 tn The text is difficult. The Hebrew has here אֶת (’et), the marker of a definite direct object. As it stands, this would suggest the meaning that “he will arouse everyone, that is, the kingdom of Greece.” The context, however, seems to suggest the idea that this Persian king will arouse in hostility against Greece the constituent elements of his own empire. This requires supplying the word “against,” which is not actually present in the Hebrew text.
[2:3] 281 tn Heb “I have dreamed a dream” (so KJV, ASV).
[2:4] 283 sn Contrary to common belief, the point here is not that the wise men (Chaldeans) replied to the king in the Aramaic language, or that this language was uniquely the language of the Chaldeans. It was this view that led in the past to Aramaic being referred to as “Chaldee.” Aramaic was used as a lingua franca during this period; its origins and usage were not restricted to the Babylonians. Rather, this phrase is better understood as an editorial note (cf. NAB) marking the fact that from 2:4b through 7:28 the language of the book shifts from Hebrew to Aramaic. In 8:1, and for the remainder of the book, the language returns to Hebrew. Various views have been advanced to account for this change of language, most of which are unconvincing. Most likely the change in language is a reflection of stages in the transmission history of the book of Daniel.
[2:5] 285 tn Aram “answered and said,” a common idiom to indicate a reply, but redundant in contemporary English.
[2:5] 286 tn It seems clear from what follows that Nebuchadnezzar clearly recalls the content of the dream, although obviously he does not know what to make of it. By not divulging the dream itself to the would-be interpreters, he intends to find out whether they are simply leading him on. If they can tell him the dream’s content, which he is able to verify, he then can have confidence in their interpretation, which is what eludes him. The translation “the matter is gone from me” (cf. KJV, ASV), suggesting that the king had simply forgotten the dream, is incorrect. The Aramaic word used here (אַזְדָּא, ’azda’) is probably of Persian origin; it occurs in the OT only here and in v. 8. There are two main possibilities for the meaning of the word: “the matter is promulgated by me” (see KBL 1048 s.v.) and therefore “publicly known” (cf. NRSV; F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 62-63, §189), or “the matter is irrevocable” (cf. NAB, NIV, TEV, CEV, NLT; HALOT 1808 s.v. אזד; cf. also BDB 1079 s.v.). The present translation reflects this latter option. See further E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 3.
[2:5] 287 tn Aram “made limbs.” Cf. 3:29.
