Discovery BoxGenesis 24:1-67
Context24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, 1 and the Lord had blessed him 2 in everything. 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one 3 in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh 4 24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise 5 by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire 6 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 7 to find 8 a wife for my son Isaac.”
24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with me 9 to this land? Must I then 10 take your son back to the land from which you came?”
24:6 “Be careful 11 never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. 12 24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, 13 promised me with a solemn oath, 14 ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel 15 before you so that you may find 16 a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, 17 you will be free 18 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. 19
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. 20 He journeyed 21 to the region of Aram Naharaim 22 and the city of Nahor. 24:11 He made the camels kneel down by the well 23 outside the city. It was evening, 24 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. 25 Be faithful 26 to my master Abraham. 24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, 27 and the daughters of the people 28 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.’ 29 In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” 30
24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah 31 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). 32 24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. 33 She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant 34 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 35 her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, 36 she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied 37 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 38 if the Lord had made his journey successful 39 or not.
24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka 40 and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels 41 and gave them to her. 42 24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. 43 “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. 44 24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, 45 “and room for you 46 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 47 for my master! The Lord has led me 48 to the house 49 of my master’s relatives!” 50
24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about 51 these things. 24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) 52 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 53 and heard his sister Rebekah say, 54 “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing 55 by the camels near the spring. 24:31 Laban said to him, 56 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! 57 Why are you standing out here when I have prepared 58 the house and a place for the camels?”
24:32 So Abraham’s servant 59 went to the house and unloaded 60 the camels. Straw and feed were given 61 to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. 62 24:33 When food was served, 63 he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” 64 “Tell us,” Laban said. 65
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. 66 The Lord 67 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 68 when she was old, 69 and my master 70 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 71 a wife for my son.’ 24:39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to go 72 with me?’ 73 24:40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, 74 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 75 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, 76 may events unfold as follows: 77 24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. 78 When 79 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, 80 along came Rebekah 81 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.’ 82 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 83 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.” 84
24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is the Lord’s doing. 85 Our wishes are of no concern. 86 24:51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become 87 the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.” 88
24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 24:53 Then he 89 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. 90
When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” 91 24:55 But Rebekah’s 92 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 93 has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return 94 to my master.” 24:57 Then they said, “We’ll call the girl and find out what she wants to do.” 95 24:58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want 96 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: 97
“Our sister, may you become the mother 98 of thousands of ten thousands!
May your descendants possess the strongholds 99 of their enemies.”
24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with 100 the man. So Abraham’s servant 101 took Rebekah and left.
24:62 Now 102 Isaac came from 103 Beer Lahai Roi, 104 for 105 he was living in the Negev. 106 24:63 He 107 went out to relax 108 in the field in the early evening. 109 Then he looked up 110 and saw that 111 there were camels approaching. 24:64 Rebekah looked up 112 and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 24:65 and asked 113 Abraham’s servant, 114 “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied. 115 So she took her veil and covered herself.
24:66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah 116 into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her 117 as his wife and loved her. 118 So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. 119
Genesis 10:16
Context10:16 the Jebusites, 120 Amorites, 121 Girgashites, 122
Genesis 31:35
Context31:35 Rachel 123 said to her father, “Don’t be angry, 124 my lord. I cannot stand up 125 in your presence because I am having my period.” 126 So he searched thoroughly, 127 but did not find the idols.
Genesis 32:4-5
Context32:4 He commanded them, “This is what you must say to my lord Esau: ‘This is what your servant 128 Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban until now. 32:5 I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent 129 this message 130 to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”
Genesis 32:18
Context32:18 then you must say, 131 ‘They belong 132 to your servant Jacob. 133 They have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau. 134 In fact Jacob himself is behind us.’” 135
Exodus 32:32
Context32:32 But now, if you will forgive their sin…, 136 but if not, wipe me out 137 from your book that you have written.” 138
Exodus 32:1
Context32:1 139 When the people saw that Moses delayed 140 in coming down 141 from the mountain, they 142 gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Get up, 143 make us gods 144 that will go before us. As for this fellow Moses, 145 the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what 146 has become of him!”
Exodus 1:15
Context1:15 The king of Egypt said 147 to the Hebrew midwives, 148 one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 149
Exodus 24:8
Context24:8 So Moses took the blood and splashed it on 150 the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant 151 that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
Exodus 26:15
Context26:15 “You are to make the frames 152 for the tabernacle out of 153 acacia wood as uprights. 154
Exodus 26:2
Context26:2 The length of each 155 curtain is to be forty-two feet, and the width of each curtain is to be six feet 156 – the same size for each of the curtains.
Exodus 18:1
Context18:1 157 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, that 158 the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 159
Exodus 18:1
Context18:1 160 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard about all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, that 161 the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 162
Exodus 18:7
Context18:7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him; 163 they each asked about the other’s welfare, and then they went into the tent.
[24:1] 2 tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
[24:2] 3 tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).
[24:2] 4 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] 5 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.
[24:3] 6 tn Heb “because you must not take.”
[24:4] 7 tn Heb “for to my country and my relatives you must go.”
[24:5] 9 tn Heb “to go after me.”
[24:5] 10 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] 11 tn Heb “guard yourself.”
[24:6] 12 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] 13 tn Or “the land of my birth.”
[24:7] 14 tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”
[24:7] 15 tn Or “his messenger.”
[24:7] 16 tn Heb “before you and you will take.”
[24:8] 17 tn Heb “ to go after you.”
[24:8] 18 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] 19 tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”
[24:10] 20 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] 21 tn Heb “and he arose and went.”
[24:10] 22 tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:11] 23 tn Heb “well of water.”
[24:11] 24 tn Heb “at the time of evening.”
[24:12] 25 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] 26 tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”
[24:13] 27 tn Heb “the spring of water.”
[24:14] 29 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] 30 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] 31 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] 32 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] 33 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] 34 tn Heb “and the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:18] 35 tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”
[24:19] 36 tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:20] 37 tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”
[24:21] 39 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] 40 sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).
[24:22] 41 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] 42 tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
[24:23] 43 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] 44 tn Heb “whom she bore to Nahor.” The referent (Milcah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:25] 45 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] 46 tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
[24:27] 47 tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”
[24:27] 48 tn Heb “As for me – in the way the
[24:27] 49 tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.
[24:28] 51 tn Heb “according to.”
[24:29] 52 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.
[24:30] 53 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] 54 tn Heb “and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying.”
[24:30] 55 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] 56 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:31] 57 sn Laban’s obsession with wealth is apparent; to him it represents how one is blessed by the
[24:31] 58 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.
[24:32] 59 tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:32] 60 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] 61 tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.
[24:32] 62 tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”
[24:33] 63 tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”
[24:33] 65 tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”
[24:35] 66 tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.
[24:35] 67 tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the
[24:36] 68 tn Heb “to my master.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:36] 69 tn Heb “after her old age.”
[24:36] 70 tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the servant’s master, Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:38] 71 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] 72 tn The imperfect is used here in a modal sense to indicate desire.
[24:40] 74 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
[24:41] 75 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] 76 tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”
[24:42] 77 tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[24:43] 78 tn Heb “the spring of water.”
[24:43] 79 tn Heb “and it will be.”
[24:45] 80 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] 81 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out.” As in 24:15, the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is used here for dramatic effect.
[24:47] 82 tn Heb “whom Milcah bore to him.” The referent (Nahor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:48] 83 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] 84 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] 85 tn Heb “From the
[24:50] 86 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] 87 tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[24:51] 88 tn Heb “as the
[24:53] 89 tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:54] 90 tn Heb “And they ate and drank, he and the men who [were] with him and they spent the night.”
[24:54] 91 tn Heb “Send me away to my master.”
[24:55] 92 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Rebekah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:56] 93 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, indicating a reason for the preceding request.
[24:56] 94 tn After the preceding imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[24:57] 95 tn Heb “and we will ask her mouth.”
[24:58] 96 tn The imperfect verbal form here has a modal nuance, expressing desire.
[24:60] 97 tn Heb “and said to her.”
[24:60] 98 tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”
[24:60] 99 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] 100 tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”
[24:61] 101 tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:62] 102 tn The disjunctive clause switches the audience’s attention to Isaac and signals a new episode in the story.
[24:62] 103 tn Heb “from the way of.”
[24:62] 104 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] 105 tn This disjunctive clause is explanatory.
[24:62] 106 tn Or “the South [country].”
[24:63] 107 tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:63] 108 tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain (cf. NASB, NIV “to meditate”; NRSV “to walk”).
[24:63] 109 tn Heb “at the turning of the evening.”
[24:63] 110 tn Heb “And he lifted up his eyes.” This idiom emphasizes the careful look Isaac had at the approaching caravan.
[24:63] 111 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] 112 tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”
[24:65] 113 tn Heb “and she said to.”
[24:65] 114 tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[24:65] 115 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] 116 tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.
[24:67] 117 tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:67] 118 tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”
[24:67] 119 tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.
[10:16] 120 sn The Jebusites were the Canaanite inhabitants of ancient Jerusalem.
[10:16] 121 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] 122 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).
[31:35] 123 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[31:35] 124 tn Heb “let it not be hot in the eyes of my lord.” This idiom refers to anger, in this case as a result of Rachel’s failure to stand in the presence of her father as a sign of respect.
[31:35] 125 tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”
[31:35] 126 tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.
[31:35] 127 tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
[32:4] 128 sn Your servant. The narrative recounts Jacob’s groveling in fear before Esau as he calls his brother his “lord,” as if to minimize what had been done twenty years ago.
[32:5] 129 tn Or “I am sending.” The form is a preterite with the vav consecutive; it could be rendered as an English present tense – as the Hebrew perfect/preterite allows – much like an epistolary aorist in Greek. The form assumes the temporal perspective of the one who reads the message.
[32:5] 130 tn The words “this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:18] 131 tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive; it has the nuance of an imperfect of instruction.
[32:18] 132 tn The words “they belong” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[32:18] 133 tn Heb “to your servant, to Jacob.”
[32:18] 134 tn Heb “to my lord, to Esau.”
[32:18] 135 tn Heb “and look, also he [is] behind us.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[32:32] 136 tn The apodosis is not expressed; it would be understood as “good.” It is not stated because of the intensity of the expression (the figure is aposiopesis, a sudden silence). It is also possible to take this first clause as a desire and not a conditional clause, rendering it “Oh that you would forgive!”
[32:32] 137 tn The word “wipe” is a figure of speech indicating “remove me” (meaning he wants to die). The translation “blot” is traditional, but not very satisfactory, since it does not convey complete removal.
[32:32] 138 sn The book that is referred to here should not be interpreted as the NT “book of life” which is portrayed (figuratively) as a register of all the names of the saints who are redeemed and will inherit eternal life. Here it refers to the names of those who are living and serving in this life, whose names, it was imagined, were on the roster in the heavenly courts as belonging to the chosen. Moses would rather die than live if these people are not forgiven (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 356).
[32:1] 139 sn This narrative is an unhappy interlude in the flow of the argument of the book. After the giving of the Law and the instructions for the tabernacle, the people get into idolatry. So this section tells what the people were doing when Moses was on the mountain. Here is an instant violation of the covenant that they had just agreed to uphold. But through it all Moses shines as the great intercessor for the people. So the subject matter is the sin of idolatry, its effects and its remedy. Because of the similarities to Jeroboam’s setting up the calves in Dan and Bethel, modern critics have often said this passage was written at that time. U. Cassuto shows how the language of this chapter would not fit an Iron Age setting in Dan. Rather, he argues, this story was well enough known for Jeroboam to imitate the practice (Exodus, 407-10). This chapter can be divided into four parts for an easier exposition: idolatry (32:1-6), intercession (32:7-14), judgment (32:15-29), intercession again (32:30-33:6). Of course, these sections are far more complex than this, but this gives an overview. Four summary statements for expository points might be: I. Impatience often leads to foolish violations of the faith, II. Violations of the covenant require intercession to escape condemnation, III. Those spared of divine wrath must purge evil from their midst, and IV. Those who purge evil from their midst will find reinstatement through intercession. Several important studies are available for this. See, among others, D. R. Davis, “Rebellion, Presence, and Covenant: A Study in Exodus 32-34,” WTJ 44 (1982): 71-87; M. Greenberg, “Moses’ Intercessory Prayer,” Ecumenical Institute for Advanced Theological Studies (1978): 21-35; R. A. Hamer, “The New Covenant of Moses,” Judaism 27 (1978): 345-50; R. L. Honeycutt, Jr., “Aaron, the Priesthood, and the Golden Calf,” RevExp 74 (1977): 523-35; J. N. Oswalt, “The Golden Calves and the Egyptian Concept of Deity,” EvQ 45 (1973): 13-20.
[32:1] 140 tn The meaning of this verb is properly “caused shame,” meaning cause disappointment because he was not coming back (see also Judg 5:28 for the delay of Sisera’s chariots [S. R. Driver, Exodus, 349]).
[32:1] 141 tn The infinitive construct with the lamed (ל) preposition is used here epexegetically, explaining the delay of Moses.
[32:1] 142 tn Heb “the people.”
[32:1] 143 tn The imperative means “arise.” It could be serving here as an interjection, getting Aaron’s attention. But it might also have the force of prompting him to get busy.
[32:1] 144 tn The plural translation is required here (although the form itself could be singular in meaning) because the verb that follows in the relative clause is a plural verb – that they go before us).
[32:1] 145 tn The text has “this Moses.” But this instance may find the demonstrative used in an earlier deictic sense, especially since there is no article with it.
[32:1] 146 tn The interrogative is used in an indirect question (see GKC 443-44 §137.c).
[1:15] 147 tn Heb “and the king of Egypt said.”
[1:15] 148 sn The word for “midwife” is simply the Piel participle of the verb יָלַד (yalad, “to give birth”). So these were women who assisted in the childbirth process. It seems probable that given the number of the Israelites in the passage, these two women could not have been the only Hebrew midwives, but they may have been over the midwives (Rashi). Moreover, the LXX and Vulgate do not take “Hebrew” as an adjective, but as a genitive after the construct, yielding “midwives of/over the Hebrews.” This leaves open the possibility that these women were not Hebrews. This would solve the question of how the king ever expected Hebrew midwives to kill Hebrew children. And yet, the two women have Hebrew names.
[1:15] 149 tn Heb “who the name of the first [was] Shiphrah, and the name of the second [was] Puah.”
[24:8] 150 tn Given the size of the congregation, the preposition might be rendered here “toward the people” rather than on them (all).
[24:8] 151 sn The construct relationship “the blood of the covenant” means “the blood by which the covenant is ratified” (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 254). The parallel with the inauguration of the new covenant in the blood of Christ is striking (see, e.g., Matt 26:28, 1 Cor 11:25). When Jesus was inaugurating the new covenant, he was bringing to an end the old.
[26:15] 152 tn There is debate whether the word הַקְּרָשִׁים (haqqÿrashim) means “boards” (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB) or “frames” (NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV) or “planks” (see Ezek 27:6) or “beams,” given the size of them. The literature on this includes M. Haran, “The Priestly Image of the Tabernacle,” HUCA 36 (1965): 192; B. A. Levine, “The Description of the Tabernacle Texts of the Pentateuch,” JAOS 85 (1965): 307-18; J. Morgenstern, “The Ark, the Ephod, and the Tent,” HUCA 17 (1942/43): 153-265; 18 (1943/44): 1-52.
[26:15] 153 tn “Wood” is an adverbial accusative.
[26:15] 154 tn The plural participle “standing” refers to how these items will be situated; they will be vertical rather than horizontal (U. Cassuto, Exodus, 354).
[26:2] 155 tn Heb “one” (so KJV).
[26:2] 156 tn Heb “twenty-eight cubits” long and “four cubits” wide.
[18:1] 157 sn This chapter forms the transition to the Law. There has been the deliverance, the testing passages, the provision in the wilderness, and the warfare. Any God who can do all this for his people deserves their allegiance. In chap. 18 the Lawgiver is giving advice, using laws and rulings, but then he is given advice to organize the elders to assist. Thus, when the Law is fully revealed, a system will be in place to administer it. The point of the passage is that a great leader humbly accepts advice from other godly believers to delegate responsibility. He does not try to do it all himself; God does not want one individual to do it all. The chapter has three parts: vv. 1-12 tell how Jethro heard and came and worshiped and blessed; vv. 13-23 have the advice of Jethro, and then vv. 24-27 tell how Moses implemented the plan and Jethro went home. See further E. J. Runions, “Exodus Motifs in 1 Samuel 7 and 8,” EvQ 52 (1980): 130-31; and also see for another idea T. C. Butler, “An Anti-Moses Tradition,” JSOT 12 (1979): 9-15.
[18:1] 158 tn This clause beginning with כִּי (ki) answers the question of what Jethro had heard; it provides a second, explanatory noun clause that is the object of the verb – “he heard (1) all that God had done… (2) that he had brought….” See R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 81, §490.
[18:1] 159 sn This is an important report that Jethro has heard, for the claim of God that he brought Israel out of bondage in Egypt will be the foundation of the covenant stipulations (Exod 20).
[18:1] 160 sn This chapter forms the transition to the Law. There has been the deliverance, the testing passages, the provision in the wilderness, and the warfare. Any God who can do all this for his people deserves their allegiance. In chap. 18 the Lawgiver is giving advice, using laws and rulings, but then he is given advice to organize the elders to assist. Thus, when the Law is fully revealed, a system will be in place to administer it. The point of the passage is that a great leader humbly accepts advice from other godly believers to delegate responsibility. He does not try to do it all himself; God does not want one individual to do it all. The chapter has three parts: vv. 1-12 tell how Jethro heard and came and worshiped and blessed; vv. 13-23 have the advice of Jethro, and then vv. 24-27 tell how Moses implemented the plan and Jethro went home. See further E. J. Runions, “Exodus Motifs in 1 Samuel 7 and 8,” EvQ 52 (1980): 130-31; and also see for another idea T. C. Butler, “An Anti-Moses Tradition,” JSOT 12 (1979): 9-15.
[18:1] 161 tn This clause beginning with כִּי (ki) answers the question of what Jethro had heard; it provides a second, explanatory noun clause that is the object of the verb – “he heard (1) all that God had done… (2) that he had brought….” See R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 81, §490.
[18:1] 162 sn This is an important report that Jethro has heard, for the claim of God that he brought Israel out of bondage in Egypt will be the foundation of the covenant stipulations (Exod 20).
[18:7] 163 sn This is more than polite oriental custom. Jethro was Moses’ benefactor, father-in-law, and a priest. He paid much respect to him. Now he could invite Jethro into his home (see B. Jacob, Exodus, 496).
