Genesis 25:1--27:46

The Death of Abraham

25:1 Abraham had taken ¹  another ²  wife, named Keturah. 25:2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 25:3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. ³  The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 25:4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants ⁴  of Keturah.

25:5 Everything he owned Abraham left to his son Isaac. 25:6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines ⁵  and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac. ⁶ 

25:7 Abraham lived a total of ⁷  175 years. 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a full life. ⁸  He joined his ancestors. ⁹  25:9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah ¹⁰  near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hethite. 25:10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. ¹¹  There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 25:11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed ¹²  his son Isaac. Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi. ¹³ 

The Sons of Ishmael

25:12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, ¹⁴  whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.

25:13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons, by their names according to their records: ¹⁵  Nebaioth (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 25:14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 25:15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their settlements and their camps – twelve princes ¹⁶  according to their clans.

25:17 Ishmael lived a total of ¹⁷  137 years. He breathed his last and died; then he joined his ancestors. ¹⁸  25:18 His descendants ¹⁹  settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs next ²⁰  to Egypt all the way ²¹  to Asshur. ²²  They settled ²³  away from all their relatives. ²⁴ 

Jacob and Esau

25:19 This is the account of Isaac, ²⁵  the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac. 25:20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, ²⁶  the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. ²⁷ 

25:21 Isaac prayed to ²⁸  the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 25:22 But the children struggled ²⁹  inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” ³⁰  So she asked the Lord, ³¹  25:23 and the Lord said to her,

“Two nations ³²  are in your womb,

and two peoples will be separated from within you.

One people will be stronger than the other,

and the older will serve the younger.”

25:24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, ³³  there were ³⁴  twins in her womb. 25:25 The first came out reddish ³⁵  all over, ³⁶  like a hairy ³⁷  garment, so they named him Esau. ³⁸  25:26 When his brother came out with ³⁹  his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob. ⁴⁰  Isaac was sixty years old ⁴¹  when they were born.

25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled ⁴²  hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. ⁴³  25:28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, ⁴⁴  but Rebekah loved ⁴⁵  Jacob.

25:29 Now Jacob cooked some stew, ⁴⁶  and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished. 25:30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed ⁴⁷  me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called ⁴⁸  Edom.) ⁴⁹ 

25:31 But Jacob replied, “First ⁵⁰  sell me your birthright.” 25:32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” ⁵¹  25:33 But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.” ⁵²  So Esau ⁵³  swore an oath to him and sold his birthright ⁵⁴  to Jacob.

25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. ⁵⁵  So Esau despised his birthright. ⁵⁶ 

Isaac and Abimelech

26:1 There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred ⁵⁷  in the days of Abraham. ⁵⁸  Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar. 26:2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; ⁵⁹  settle down in the land that I will point out to you. ⁶⁰  26:3 Stay ⁶¹  in this land. Then I will be with you and will bless you, ⁶²  for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants, ⁶³  and I will fulfill ⁶⁴  the solemn promise I made ⁶⁵  to your father Abraham. 26:4 I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them ⁶⁶  all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants. ⁶⁷  26:5 All this will come to pass ⁶⁸  because Abraham obeyed me ⁶⁹  and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” ⁷⁰  26:6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.

26:7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he replied, “She is my sister.” ⁷¹  He was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” for he thought to himself, ⁷²  “The men of this place will kill me to get ⁷³  Rebekah because she is very beautiful.”

26:8 After Isaac ⁷⁴  had been there a long time, ⁷⁵  Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed ⁷⁶  Isaac caressing ⁷⁷  his wife Rebekah. 26:9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really ⁷⁸  your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.” ⁷⁹ 

26:10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us? ⁸⁰  One of the men ⁸¹  might easily have had sexual relations with ⁸²  your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!” 26:11 So Abimelech commanded all the people, “Whoever touches ⁸³  this man or his wife will surely be put to death.” ⁸⁴ 

26:12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown, ⁸⁵  because the Lord blessed him. ⁸⁶  26:13 The man became wealthy. ⁸⁷  His influence continued to grow ⁸⁸  until he became very prominent. 26:14 He had ⁸⁹  so many sheep ⁹⁰  and cattle ⁹¹  and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous ⁹²  of him. 26:15 So the Philistines took dirt and filled up ⁹³  all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham.

26:16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere, ⁹⁴  for you have become much more powerful ⁹⁵  than we are.” 26:17 So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley. ⁹⁶  26:18 Isaac reopened ⁹⁷  the wells that had been dug ⁹⁸  back in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up ⁹⁹  after Abraham died. Isaac ¹⁰⁰  gave these wells ¹⁰¹  the same names his father had given them. ¹⁰² 

26:19 When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well with fresh flowing ¹⁰³  water there, 26:20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled ¹⁰⁴  with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water belongs to us!” So Isaac ¹⁰⁵  named the well ¹⁰⁶  Esek ¹⁰⁷  because they argued with him about it. ¹⁰⁸  26:21 His servants ¹⁰⁹  dug another well, but they quarreled over it too, so Isaac named it ¹¹⁰  Sitnah. ¹¹¹  26:22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaac ¹¹²  named it ¹¹³  Rehoboth, ¹¹⁴  saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”

26:23 From there Isaac ¹¹⁵  went up to Beer Sheba. 26:24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” 26:25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped ¹¹⁶  the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well. ¹¹⁷ 

26:26 Now Abimelech had come ¹¹⁸  to him from Gerar along with ¹¹⁹  Ahuzzah his friend ¹²⁰  and Phicol the commander of his army. 26:27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You hate me ¹²¹  and sent me away from you.” 26:28 They replied, “We could plainly see ¹²²  that the Lord is with you. So we decided there should be ¹²³  a pact between us ¹²⁴  – between us ¹²⁵  and you. Allow us to make ¹²⁶  a treaty with you 26:29 so that ¹²⁷  you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmed ¹²⁸  you, but have always treated you well ¹²⁹  before sending you away ¹³⁰  in peace. Now you are blessed by the Lord.” ¹³¹ 

26:30 So Isaac ¹³²  held a feast for them and they celebrated. ¹³³  26:31 Early in the morning the men made a treaty with each other. ¹³⁴  Isaac sent them off; they separated on good terms. ¹³⁵ 

26:32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We’ve found water,” they reported. ¹³⁶  26:33 So he named it Shibah; ¹³⁷  that is why the name of the city has been Beer Sheba ¹³⁸  to this day.

26:34 When ¹³⁹  Esau was forty years old, ¹⁴⁰  he married ¹⁴¹  Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, as well as Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 26:35 They caused Isaac and Rebekah great anxiety. ¹⁴² 

Jacob Cheats Esau out of the Blessing

27:1 When ¹⁴³  Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he was almost blind, ¹⁴⁴  he called his older ¹⁴⁵  son Esau and said to him, “My son!” “Here I am!” Esau ¹⁴⁶  replied. 27:2 Isaac ¹⁴⁷  said, “Since ¹⁴⁸  I am so old, I could die at any time. ¹⁴⁹  27:3 Therefore, take your weapons – your quiver and your bow – and go out into the open fields and hunt down some wild game ¹⁵⁰  for me. 27:4 Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then ¹⁵¹  I will eat it so that I may bless you ¹⁵²  before I die.”

27:5 Now Rebekah had been listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. ¹⁵³  When Esau went out to the open fields to hunt down some wild game and bring it back, ¹⁵⁴  27:6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau, 27:7 ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare for me some tasty food. Then I will eat ¹⁵⁵  it and bless you ¹⁵⁶  in the presence of the Lord ¹⁵⁷  before I die.’ 27:8 Now then, my son, do ¹⁵⁸  exactly what I tell you! ¹⁵⁹  27:9 Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare ¹⁶⁰  them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them. 27:10 Then you will take ¹⁶¹  it to your father. Thus he will eat it ¹⁶²  and ¹⁶³  bless you before he dies.”

27:11 “But Esau my brother is a hairy man,” Jacob protested to his mother Rebekah, “and I have smooth skin! ¹⁶⁴  27:12 My father may touch me! Then he’ll think I’m mocking him ¹⁶⁵  and I’ll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.” 27:13 So his mother told him, “Any curse against you will fall on me, ¹⁶⁶  my son! Just obey me! ¹⁶⁷  Go and get them for me!”

27:14 So he went and got the goats ¹⁶⁸  and brought them to his mother. She ¹⁶⁹  prepared some tasty food, just the way his father loved it. 27:15 Then Rebekah took her older son Esau’s best clothes, which she had with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 27:16 She put the skins of the young goats ¹⁷⁰  on his hands ¹⁷¹  and the smooth part of his neck. 27:17 Then she handed ¹⁷²  the tasty food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.

27:18 He went to his father and said, “My father!” Isaac ¹⁷³  replied, “Here I am. Which are you, my son?” ¹⁷⁴  27:19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I’ve done as you told me. Now sit up ¹⁷⁵  and eat some of my wild game so that you can bless me.” ¹⁷⁶  27:20 But Isaac asked his son, “How in the world ¹⁷⁷  did you find it so quickly, ¹⁷⁸  my son?” “Because the Lord your God brought it to me,” ¹⁷⁹  he replied. ¹⁸⁰  27:21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you, ¹⁸¹  my son, and know for certain if you really are my son Esau.” ¹⁸²  27:22 So Jacob went over to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s.” 27:23 He did not recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So Isaac blessed Jacob. ¹⁸³  27:24 Then he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” “I am,” Jacob ¹⁸⁴  replied. 27:25 Isaac ¹⁸⁵  said, “Bring some of the wild game for me to eat, my son. ¹⁸⁶  Then I will bless you.” ¹⁸⁷  So Jacob ¹⁸⁸  brought it to him, and he ate it. He also brought him wine, and Isaac ¹⁸⁹  drank. 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here and kiss me, my son.” 27:27 So Jacob ¹⁹⁰  went over and kissed him. When Isaac caught the scent ¹⁹¹  of his clothing, he blessed him, saying,

“Yes, ¹⁹²  my son smells

like the scent of an open field

which the Lord has blessed.

27:28 May God give you

the dew of the sky ¹⁹³ 

and the richness ¹⁹⁴  of the earth,

and plenty of grain and new wine.

27:29 May peoples serve you

and nations bow down to you.

You will be ¹⁹⁵  lord ¹⁹⁶  over your brothers,

and the sons of your mother will bow down to you. ¹⁹⁷ 

May those who curse you be cursed,

and those who bless you be blessed.”

27:30 Isaac had just finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely left ¹⁹⁸  his father’s ¹⁹⁹  presence, when his brother Esau returned from the hunt. ²⁰⁰  27:31 He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Esau ²⁰¹  said to him, “My father, get up ²⁰²  and eat some of your son’s wild game. Then you can bless me.” ²⁰³  27:32 His father Isaac asked, ²⁰⁴  “Who are you?” “I am your firstborn son,” ²⁰⁵  he replied, “Esau!” 27:33 Isaac began to shake violently ²⁰⁶  and asked, “Then who else hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it just before you arrived, and I blessed him. ²⁰⁷  He will indeed be blessed!”

27:34 When Esau heard ²⁰⁸  his father’s words, he wailed loudly and bitterly. ²⁰⁹  He said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!” 27:35 But Isaac ²¹⁰  replied, “Your brother came in here deceitfully and took away ²¹¹  your blessing.” 27:36 Esau exclaimed, “‘Jacob’ is the right name for him! ²¹²  He has tripped me up ²¹³  two times! He took away my birthright, and now, look, he has taken away my blessing!” Then he asked, “Have you not kept back a blessing for me?”

27:37 Isaac replied to Esau, “Look! I have made him lord over you. I have made all his relatives his servants and provided him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?” 27:38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” ²¹⁴  Then Esau wept loudly. ²¹⁵ 

27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,

“Indeed, ²¹⁶  your home will be

away from the richness ²¹⁷  of the earth,

and away from the dew of the sky above.

27:40 You will live by your sword

but you will serve your brother.

When you grow restless,

you will tear off his yoke

from your neck.” ²¹⁸ 

27:41 So Esau hated ²¹⁹  Jacob because of the blessing his father had given to his brother. ²²⁰  Esau said privately, ²²¹  “The time ²²²  of mourning for my father is near; then I will kill ²²³  my brother Jacob!”

27:42 When Rebekah heard what her older son Esau had said, ²²⁴  she quickly summoned ²²⁵  her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is planning to get revenge by killing you. ²²⁶  27:43 Now then, my son, do what I say. ²²⁷  Run away immediately ²²⁸  to my brother Laban in Haran. 27:44 Live with him for a little while ²²⁹  until your brother’s rage subsides. 27:45 Stay there ²³⁰  until your brother’s anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I’ll send someone to bring you back from there. ²³¹  Why should I lose both of you in one day?” ²³² 

27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am deeply depressed ²³³  because of these daughters of Heth. ²³⁴  If Jacob were to marry one of these daughters of Heth who live in this land, I would want to die!” ²³⁵ 

Genesis 40:1--43:34

The Cupbearer and the Baker

40:1 After these things happened, the cupbearer ²³⁶  to the king of Egypt and the royal baker ²³⁷  offended ²³⁸  their master, the king of Egypt. 40:2 Pharaoh was enraged with his two officials, ²³⁹  the cupbearer and the baker, 40:3 so he imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard in the same facility where Joseph was confined. 40:4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be their attendant, and he served them. ²⁴⁰ 

They spent some time in custody. ²⁴¹  40:5 Both of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream ²⁴²  the same night. ²⁴³  Each man’s dream had its own meaning. ²⁴⁴  40:6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were looking depressed. ²⁴⁵  40:7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials, who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” ²⁴⁶  40:8 They told him, “We both had dreams, ²⁴⁷  but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph responded, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell them ²⁴⁸  to me.”

40:9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: ²⁴⁹  “In my dream, there was a vine in front of me. 40:10 On the vine there were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes. 40:11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes, squeezed them into his ²⁵⁰  cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” ²⁵¹ 

40:12 “This is its meaning,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches represent ²⁵²  three days. 40:13 In three more days Pharaoh will reinstate you ²⁵³  and restore you to your office. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did before ²⁵⁴  when you were cupbearer. 40:14 But remember me ²⁵⁵  when it goes well for you, and show ²⁵⁶  me kindness. ²⁵⁷  Make mention ²⁵⁸  of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this prison, ²⁵⁹  40:15 for I really was kidnapped ²⁶⁰  from the land of the Hebrews and I have done nothing wrong here for which they should put me in a dungeon.”

40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation of the first dream was favorable, ²⁶¹  he said to Joseph, “I also appeared in my dream and there were three baskets of white bread ²⁶²  on my head. 40:17 In the top basket there were baked goods of every kind for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them from the basket that was on my head.”

40:18 Joseph replied, “This is its meaning: The three baskets represent ²⁶³  three days. 40:19 In three more days Pharaoh will decapitate you ²⁶⁴  and impale you on a pole. Then the birds will eat your flesh from you.”

40:20 On the third day it was Pharaoh’s birthday, so he gave a feast for all his servants. He “lifted up” ²⁶⁵  the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants. 40:21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his former position ²⁶⁶  so that he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand, 40:22 but the chief baker he impaled, just as Joseph had predicted. ²⁶⁷  40:23 But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph – he forgot him. ²⁶⁸ 

Joseph’s Rise to Power

41:1 At the end of two full years ²⁶⁹  Pharaoh had a dream. ²⁷⁰  As he was standing by the Nile, 41:2 seven fine-looking, fat cows were coming up out of the Nile, ²⁷¹  and they grazed in the reeds. 41:3 Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, ²⁷²  and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. ²⁷³  41:4 The bad-looking, thin cows ate the seven fine-looking, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.

41:5 Then he fell asleep again and had a second dream: There were seven heads of grain growing ²⁷⁴  on one stalk, healthy ²⁷⁵  and good. 41:6 Then ²⁷⁶  seven heads of grain, thin and burned by the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 41:7 The thin heads swallowed up the seven healthy and full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream. ²⁷⁷ 

41:8 In the morning he ²⁷⁸  was troubled, so he called for ²⁷⁹  all the diviner-priests ²⁸⁰  of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, ²⁸¹  but no one could interpret ²⁸²  them for him. ²⁸³  41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. ²⁸⁴  41:10 Pharaoh was enraged with his servants, and he put me in prison in the house of the captain of the guards – me and the chief baker. 41:11 We each had a dream one night; each of us had a dream with its own meaning. ²⁸⁵  41:12 Now a young man, a Hebrew, a servant ²⁸⁶  of the captain of the guards, ²⁸⁷  was with us there. We told him our dreams, ²⁸⁸  and he interpreted the meaning of each of our respective dreams for us. ²⁸⁹  41:13 It happened just as he had said ²⁹⁰  to us – Pharaoh ²⁹¹  restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker.” ²⁹² 

41:14 Then Pharaoh summoned ²⁹³  Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh. 41:15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, ²⁹⁴  and there is no one who can interpret ²⁹⁵  it. But I have heard about you, that ²⁹⁶  you can interpret dreams.” ²⁹⁷  41:16 Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “It is not within my power, ²⁹⁸  but God will speak concerning ²⁹⁹  the welfare of Pharaoh.” ³⁰⁰ 

41:17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing ³⁰¹  by the edge of the Nile. 41:18 Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds. ³⁰²  41:19 Then ³⁰³  seven other cows came up after them; they were scrawny, very bad-looking, and lean. I had never seen such bad-looking cows ³⁰⁴  as these in all the land of Egypt! 41:20 The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven ³⁰⁵  fat cows. 41:21 When they had eaten them, ³⁰⁶  no one would have known ³⁰⁷  that they had done so, for they were just as bad-looking as before. Then I woke up. 41:22 I also saw in my dream ³⁰⁸  seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good. 41:23 Then ³⁰⁹  seven heads of grain, withered and thin and burned with the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 41:24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. So I told all this ³¹⁰  to the diviner-priests, but no one could tell me its meaning.” ³¹¹ 

41:25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning. ³¹²  God has revealed ³¹³  to Pharaoh what he is about to do. ³¹⁴  41:26 The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning. ³¹⁵  41:27 The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent ³¹⁶  seven years of famine. 41:28 This is just what I told ³¹⁷  Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 41:29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. 41:30 But seven years of famine will occur ³¹⁸  after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate ³¹⁹  the land. 41:31 The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered ³²⁰  because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe. ³²¹  41:32 The dream was repeated to Pharaoh ³²²  because the matter has been decreed ³²³  by God, and God will make it happen soon. ³²⁴ 

41:33 “So now Pharaoh should look ³²⁵  for a wise and discerning man ³²⁶  and give him authority ³²⁷  over all the land of Egypt. 41:34 Pharaoh should do ³²⁸  this – he should appoint ³²⁹  officials ³³⁰  throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt ³³¹  during the seven years of abundance. 41:35 They should gather all the excess food ³³²  during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority ³³³  they should store up grain so the cities will have food, ³³⁴  and they should preserve it. ³³⁵  41:36 This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.” ³³⁶ 

41:37 This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials. ³³⁷  41:38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find a man like Joseph, ³³⁸  one in whom the Spirit of God is present?” ³³⁹  41:39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning ³⁴⁰  as you are! 41:40 You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. ³⁴¹  Only I, the king, will be greater than you. ³⁴² 

41:41 “See here,” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I place ³⁴³  you in authority over all the land of Egypt.” ³⁴⁴  41:42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph’s. He clothed him with fine linen ³⁴⁵  clothes and put a gold chain around his neck. 41:43 Pharaoh ³⁴⁶  had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, ³⁴⁷  and they cried out before him, “Kneel down!” ³⁴⁸  So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 41:44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission ³⁴⁹  no one ³⁵⁰  will move his hand or his foot ³⁵¹  in all the land of Egypt.” 41:45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. ³⁵²  He also gave him Asenath ³⁵³  daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, ³⁵⁴  to be his wife. So Joseph took charge of ³⁵⁵  all the land of Egypt.

41:46 Now Joseph was 30 years old ³⁵⁶  when he began serving ³⁵⁷  Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by ³⁵⁸  Pharaoh and was in charge of ³⁵⁹  all the land of Egypt. 41:47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests. ³⁶⁰  41:48 Joseph ³⁶¹  collected all the excess food ³⁶²  in the land of Egypt during the seven years and stored it in the cities. ³⁶³  In every city he put the food gathered from the fields around it. 41:49 Joseph stored up a vast amount of grain, like the sand of the sea, ³⁶⁴  until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure.

41:50 Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came. ³⁶⁵  Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, was their mother. ³⁶⁶  41:51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, ³⁶⁷  saying, ³⁶⁸  “Certainly ³⁶⁹  God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” 41:52 He named the second child Ephraim, ³⁷⁰  saying, ³⁷¹  “Certainly ³⁷²  God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

41:53 The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end. 41:54 Then the seven years of famine began, ³⁷³  just as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food. 41:55 When all the land of Egypt experienced the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh said to all the people of Egypt, ³⁷⁴  “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”

41:56 While the famine was over all the earth, ³⁷⁵  Joseph opened the storehouses ³⁷⁶  and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. 41:57 People from every country ³⁷⁷  came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth.

Joseph’s Brothers in Egypt

42:1 When Jacob heard ³⁷⁸  there was grain in Egypt, he ³⁷⁹  said to his sons, “Why are you looking at each other?” ³⁸⁰  42:2 He then said, “Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us ³⁸¹  so that we may live ³⁸²  and not die.” ³⁸³ 

42:3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 42:4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, ³⁸⁴  for he said, ³⁸⁵  “What if some accident ³⁸⁶  happens ³⁸⁷  to him?” 42:5 So Israel’s sons came to buy grain among the other travelers, ³⁸⁸  for the famine was severe in the land of Canaan.

42:6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the country, the one who sold grain to all the people of the country. ³⁸⁹  Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down ³⁹⁰  before him with ³⁹¹  their faces to the ground. 42:7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger ³⁹²  to them and spoke to them harshly. He asked, “Where do you come from?” They answered, ³⁹³  “From the land of Canaan, to buy grain for food.” ³⁹⁴ 

42:8 Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 42:9 Then Joseph remembered ³⁹⁵  the dreams he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see if our land is vulnerable!” ³⁹⁶ 

42:10 But they exclaimed, ³⁹⁷  “No, my lord! Your servants have come to buy grain for food! 42:11 We are all the sons of one man; we are honest men! Your servants are not spies.”

42:12 “No,” he insisted, “but you have come to see if our land is vulnerable.” ³⁹⁸  42:13 They replied, “Your servants are from a family of twelve brothers. ³⁹⁹  We are the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is with our father at this time, ⁴⁰⁰  and one is no longer alive.” ⁴⁰¹ 

42:14 But Joseph told them, “It is just as I said to you: ⁴⁰²  You are spies! 42:15 You will be tested in this way: As surely as Pharaoh lives, ⁴⁰³  you will not depart from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 42:16 One of you must go and get ⁴⁰⁴  your brother, while ⁴⁰⁵  the rest of you remain in prison. ⁴⁰⁶  In this way your words may be tested to see if ⁴⁰⁷  you are telling the truth. ⁴⁰⁸  If not, then, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 42:17 He imprisoned ⁴⁰⁹  them all for three days. 42:18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do as I say ⁴¹⁰  and you will live, ⁴¹¹  for I fear God. ⁴¹²  42:19 If you are honest men, leave one of your brothers confined here in prison ⁴¹³  while the rest of you go ⁴¹⁴  and take grain back for your hungry families. ⁴¹⁵  42:20 But you must bring ⁴¹⁶  your youngest brother to me. Then ⁴¹⁷  your words will be verified ⁴¹⁸  and you will not die.” They did as he said. ⁴¹⁹ 

42:21 They said to one other, ⁴²⁰  “Surely we’re being punished ⁴²¹  because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was ⁴²²  when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress ⁴²³  has come on us!” 42:22 Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Don’t sin against the boy,’ but you wouldn’t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!” ⁴²⁴  42:23 (Now ⁴²⁵  they did not know that Joseph could understand them, ⁴²⁶  for he was speaking through an interpreter.) ⁴²⁷  42:24 He turned away from them and wept. When he turned around and spoke to them again, ⁴²⁸  he had Simeon taken ⁴²⁹  from them and tied up ⁴³⁰  before their eyes.

42:25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill ⁴³¹  their bags with grain, to return each man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. His orders were carried out. ⁴³²  42:26 So they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. ⁴³³ 

42:27 When one of them ⁴³⁴  opened his sack to get feed for his donkey at their resting place, ⁴³⁵  he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. ⁴³⁶  42:28 He said to his brothers, “My money was returned! Here it is in my sack!” They were dismayed; ⁴³⁷  they turned trembling one to another ⁴³⁸  and said, “What in the world has God done to us?” ⁴³⁹ 

42:29 They returned to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him all the things that had happened to them, saying, 42:30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and treated us ⁴⁴⁰  as if we were ⁴⁴¹  spying on the land. 42:31 But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we are not spies! 42:32 We are from a family of twelve brothers; we are the sons of one father. ⁴⁴²  One is no longer alive, ⁴⁴³  and the youngest is with our father at this time ⁴⁴⁴  in the land of Canaan.’

42:33 “Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘This is how I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain ⁴⁴⁵  for your hungry households and go. 42:34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know ⁴⁴⁶  that you are honest men and not spies. ⁴⁴⁷  Then I will give your brother back to you and you may move about freely in the land.’” ⁴⁴⁸ 

42:35 When they were emptying their sacks, there was each man’s bag of money in his sack! When they and their father saw the bags of money, they were afraid. 42:36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You are making me childless! Joseph is gone. ⁴⁴⁹  Simeon is gone. ⁴⁵⁰  And now you want to take ⁴⁵¹  Benjamin! Everything is against me.”

42:37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may ⁴⁵²  put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care ⁴⁵³  and I will bring him back to you.” 42:38 But Jacob ⁴⁵⁴  replied, “My son will not go down there with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. ⁴⁵⁵  If an accident happens to him on the journey you have to make, then you will bring down my gray hair ⁴⁵⁶  in sorrow to the grave.” ⁴⁵⁷ 

The Second Journey to Egypt

43:1 Now the famine was severe in the land. ⁴⁵⁸  43:2 When they finished eating the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Return, buy us a little more food.”

43:3 But Judah said to him, “The man solemnly warned ⁴⁵⁹  us, ‘You will not see my face ⁴⁶⁰  unless your brother is with you.’ 43:4 If you send ⁴⁶¹  our brother with us, we’ll go down and buy food for you. 43:5 But if you will not send him, we won’t go down there because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”

43:6 Israel said, “Why did you bring this trouble ⁴⁶²  on me by telling ⁴⁶³  the man you had one more brother?”

43:7 They replied, “The man questioned us ⁴⁶⁴  thoroughly ⁴⁶⁵  about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ ⁴⁶⁶  So we answered him in this way. ⁴⁶⁷  How could we possibly know ⁴⁶⁸  that he would say, ⁴⁶⁹  ‘Bring your brother down’?”

43:8 Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me and we will go immediately. ⁴⁷⁰  Then we will live ⁴⁷¹  and not die – we and you and our little ones. 43:9 I myself pledge security ⁴⁷²  for him; you may hold me liable. If I do not bring him back to you and place him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. ⁴⁷³  43:10 But if we had not delayed, we could have traveled there and back ⁴⁷⁴  twice by now!”

43:11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and take a gift down to the man – a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds. 43:12 Take double the money with you; ⁴⁷⁵  you must take back ⁴⁷⁶  the money that was returned in the mouths of your sacks – perhaps it was an oversight. 43:13 Take your brother too, and go right away ⁴⁷⁷  to the man. ⁴⁷⁸  43:14 May the sovereign God ⁴⁷⁹  grant you mercy before the man so that he may release ⁴⁸⁰  your other brother ⁴⁸¹  and Benjamin! As for me, if I lose my children I lose them.” ⁴⁸² 

43:15 So the men took these gifts, and they took double the money with them, along with Benjamin. Then they hurried down to Egypt ⁴⁸³  and stood before Joseph. 43:16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant who was over his household, “Bring the men to the house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for the men will eat with me at noon.” 43:17 The man did just as Joseph said; he ⁴⁸⁴  brought the men into Joseph’s house. ⁴⁸⁵ 

43:18 But the men were afraid when they were brought to Joseph’s house. They said, “We are being brought in because of ⁴⁸⁶  the money that was returned in our sacks last time. ⁴⁸⁷  He wants to capture us, ⁴⁸⁸  make us slaves, and take ⁴⁸⁹  our donkeys!” 43:19 So they approached the man who was in charge of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. 43:20 They said, “My lord, we did indeed come down ⁴⁹⁰  the first time ⁴⁹¹  to buy food. 43:21 But when we came to the place where we spent the night, we opened our sacks and each of us found his money – the full amount ⁴⁹²  – in the mouth of his sack. So we have returned it. ⁴⁹³  43:22 We have brought additional money with us to buy food. We do not know who put the money in our sacks!”

43:23 “Everything is fine,” ⁴⁹⁴  the man in charge of Joseph’s household told them. “Don’t be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. ⁴⁹⁵  I had your money.” ⁴⁹⁶  Then he brought Simeon out to them.

43:24 The servant in charge ⁴⁹⁷  brought the men into Joseph’s house. He gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave food to their donkeys. 43:25 They got their gifts ready for Joseph’s arrival ⁴⁹⁸  at noon, for they had heard ⁴⁹⁹  that they were to have a meal ⁵⁰⁰  there.

43:26 When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought inside, ⁵⁰¹  and they bowed down to the ground before him. 43:27 He asked them how they were doing. ⁵⁰²  Then he said, “Is your aging father well, the one you spoke about? Is he still alive?” 43:28 “Your servant our father is well,” they replied. “He is still alive.” They bowed down in humility. ⁵⁰³ 

43:29 When Joseph looked up ⁵⁰⁴  and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Is this your youngest brother, whom you told me about?” Then he said, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” ⁵⁰⁵  43:30 Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome by affection for his brother ⁵⁰⁶  and was at the point of tears. ⁵⁰⁷  So he went to his room and wept there.

43:31 Then he washed his face and came out. With composure he said, ⁵⁰⁸  “Set out the food.” 43:32 They set a place for him, a separate place for his brothers, ⁵⁰⁹  and another for the Egyptians who were eating with him. (The Egyptians are not able to eat with Hebrews, for the Egyptians think it is disgusting ⁵¹⁰  to do so.) ⁵¹¹  43:33 They sat before him, arranged by order of birth, beginning with the firstborn and ending with the youngest. ⁵¹²  The men looked at each other in astonishment. ⁵¹³  43:34 He gave them portions of the food set before him, ⁵¹⁴  but the portion for Benjamin was five times greater than the portions for any of the others. They drank with Joseph until they all became drunk. ⁵¹⁵ 

Genesis 6:14

6:14 Make ⁵¹⁶  for yourself an ark of cypress ⁵¹⁷  wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover ⁵¹⁸  it with pitch inside and out.

Genesis 9:16

9:16 When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will notice it and remember ⁵¹⁹  the perpetual covenant between God and all living creatures of all kinds that are on the earth.”

Genesis 10:19-21

10:19 and the borders of Canaan extended ⁵²⁰  from Sidon ⁵²¹  all the way to ⁵²²  Gerar as far as Gaza, and all the way to ⁵²³  Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 10:20 These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, and by their nations.

10:21 And sons were also born ⁵²⁴  to Shem (the older brother of Japheth), ⁵²⁵  the father of all the sons of Eber.

Matthew 10:25

10:25 It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more will they defame the members of his household!

Matthew 16:13-16

Peter’s Confession

16:13 When ⁵²⁶  Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, ⁵²⁷  he asked his disciples, ⁵²⁸  “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 16:14 They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, ⁵²⁹  and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 16:15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16:16 Simon Peter answered, ⁵³⁰  “You are the Christ, ⁵³¹  the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 21:46

21:46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because the crowds ⁵³²  regarded him as a prophet.

Luke 7:16

7:16 Fear ⁵³³  seized them all, and they began to glorify ⁵³⁴  God, saying, “A great prophet ⁵³⁵  has appeared ⁵³⁶  among us!” and “God has come to help ⁵³⁷  his people!”

[25:1]  ¹ tn Or “took.”

[25:1]  ² tn Heb “And Abraham added and took.”

[25:3]  ³ sn The names Sheba and Dedan appear in Gen 10:7 as descendants of Ham through Cush and Raamah. Since these two names are usually interpreted to be place names, one plausible suggestion is that some of Abraham’s descendants lived in those regions and took names linked with it.

[25:4]  ⁴ tn Or “sons.”

[25:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “the sons of the concubines who [belonged] to Abraham.”

[25:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “And he sent them away from upon Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the land of the east.”

[25:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “and these are the days of the years of the lifetime of Abraham that he lived.” The normal genealogical formula is expanded here due to the importance of the life of Abraham.

[25:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “old and full.”

[25:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.

[25:9]  ¹⁰ sn The cave of Machpelah was the place Abraham had purchased as a burial place for his wife Sarah (Gen 23:17-18).

[25:10]  ¹¹ tn See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.

[25:11]  ¹² sn God blessed Isaac. The Hebrew verb “bless” in this passage must include all the gifts that God granted to Isaac. But fertility was not one of them, at least not for twenty years, because Rebekah was barren as well (see v. 21).

[25:11]  ¹³ sn Beer Lahai Roi. See the note on this place name in Gen 24:62.

[25:12]  ¹⁴ sn This is the account of Ishmael. The Book of Genesis tends to tidy up the family records at every turning point. Here, before proceeding with the story of Isaac’s family, the narrative traces Ishmael’s family line. Later, before discussing Jacob’s family, the narrative traces Esau’s family line (see Gen 36).

[25:13]  ¹⁵ tn The meaning of this line is not easily understood. The sons of Ishmael are listed here “by their names” and “according to their descendants.”

[25:16]  ¹⁶ tn Or “tribal chieftains.”

[25:17]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “And these are the days of the years of Ishmael.”

[25:17]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.

[25:18]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (Ishmael’s descendants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:18]  ²⁰ tn Heb “which is by the face of,” or near the border. The territory ran along the border of Egypt.

[25:18]  ²¹ tn Heb “as you go.”

[25:18]  ²² sn The name Asshur refers here to a tribal area in the Sinai.

[25:18]  ²³ tn Heb “he fell.”

[25:18]  ²⁴ tn Heb “upon the face of all his brothers.” This last expression, obviously alluding to the earlier oracle about Ishmael (Gen 16:12), could mean that the descendants of Ishmael lived in hostility to others or that they lived in a territory that was opposite the lands of their relatives. While there is some ambiguity about the meaning, the line probably does give a hint of the Ishmaelite-Israelite conflicts to come.

[25:19]  ²⁵ sn This is the account of Isaac. What follows for several chapters is not the account of Isaac, except briefly, but the account of Jacob and Esau. The next chapters tell what became of Isaac and his family.

[25:20]  ²⁶ tn Heb “And Isaac was the son of forty years when he took Rebekah.”

[25:20]  ²⁷ sn Some valuable information is provided here. We learn here that Isaac married thirty-five years before Abraham died, that Rebekah was barren for twenty years, and that Abraham would have lived to see Jacob and Esau begin to grow up. The death of Abraham was recorded in the first part of the chapter as a “tidying up” of one generation before beginning the account of the next.

[25:21]  ²⁸ tn The Hebrew verb עָתַר (’atar), translated “prayed [to]” here, appears in the story of God’s judgment on Egypt in which Moses asked the Lord to remove the plagues. The cognate word in Arabic means “to slaughter for sacrifice,” and the word is used in Zeph 3:10 to describe worshipers who bring offerings. Perhaps some ritual accompanied Isaac’s prayer here.

[25:22]  ²⁹ tn The Hebrew word used here suggests a violent struggle that was out of the ordinary.

[25:22]  ³⁰ tn Heb “If [it is] so, why [am] I this [way]?” Rebekah wanted to know what was happening to her, but the question itself reflects a growing despair over the struggle of the unborn children.

[25:22]  ³¹ sn Asked the Lord. In other passages (e.g., 1 Sam 9:9) this expression refers to inquiring of a prophet, but no details are provided here.

[25:23]  ³² sn By metonymy the two children in her womb are described as two nations of which the two children, Jacob and Esau, would become the fathers. The language suggests there would be a struggle between these nations, with one being stronger than the other. The oracle reveals that all of Jacob’s scheming was unnecessary in the final analysis. He would have become the dominant nation without using deception to steal his brother’s blessing.

[25:24]  ³³ tn Heb “And her days were filled to give birth.”

[25:24]  ³⁴ tn Heb “look!” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene as if they were actually present at the birth.

[25:25]  ³⁵ sn Reddish. The Hebrew word translated “reddish” is אַדְמוֹנִי (’admoni), which forms a wordplay on the Edomites, Esau’s descendants. The writer sees in Esau’s appearance at birth a sign of what was to come. After all, the reader has already been made aware of the “nations” that were being born.

[25:25]  ³⁶ tn Heb “all of him.”

[25:25]  ³⁷ sn Hairy. Here is another wordplay involving the descendants of Esau. The Hebrew word translated “hairy” is שֵׂעָר (se’ar); the Edomites will later live in Mount Seir, perhaps named for its wooded nature.

[25:25]  ³⁸ tn Heb “And they called his name Esau.” The name “Esau” (עֵשָׂו, ’esav) is not etymologically related to שֵׂעָר (se’ar), but it draws on some of the sounds.

[25:26]  ³⁹ tn The disjunctive clause describes an important circumstance accompanying the birth. Whereas Esau was passive at birth, Jacob was active.

[25:26]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “And he called his name Jacob.” Some ancient witnesses read “they called his name Jacob” (see v. 25). In either case the subject is indefinite.

[25:26]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “the son of sixty years.”

[25:27]  ⁴² tn Heb “knowing.”

[25:27]  ⁴³ tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Jacob with Esau and draws attention to the striking contrasts. In contrast to Esau, a man of the field, Jacob was civilized, as the phrase “living in tents” signifies. Whereas Esau was a skillful hunter, Jacob was calm and even-tempered (תָּם, tam), which normally has the idea of “blameless.”

[25:28]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “the taste of game was in his mouth.” The word for “game,” “venison” is here the same Hebrew word as “hunter” in the last verse. Here it is a metonymy, referring to that which the hunter kills.

[25:28]  ⁴⁵ tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Rebekah with Jacob and draws attention to the contrast. The verb here is a participle, drawing attention to Rebekah’s continuing, enduring love for her son.

[25:29]  ⁴⁶ sn Jacob cooked some stew. There are some significant words and wordplays in this story that help clarify the points of the story. The verb “cook” is זִיד (zid), which sounds like the word for “hunter” (צַיִד, tsayid). This is deliberate, for the hunter becomes the hunted in this story. The word זִיד means “to cook, to boil,” but by the sound play with צַיִד it comes to mean “set a trap by cooking.” The usage of the word shows that it can also have the connotation of acting presumptuously (as in boiling over). This too may be a comment on the scene. For further discussion of the rhetorical devices in the Jacob narratives, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).

[25:30]  ⁴⁷ tn The rare term לָעַט (la’at), translated “feed,” is used in later Hebrew for feeding animals (see Jastrow, 714). If this nuance was attached to the word in the biblical period, then it may depict Esau in a negative light, comparing him to a hungry animal. Famished Esau comes in from the hunt, only to enter the trap. He can only point at the red stew and ask Jacob to feed him.

[25:30]  ⁴⁸ tn The verb has no expressed subject and so is given a passive translation.

[25:30]  ⁴⁹ sn Esau’s descendants would eventually be called Edom. Edom was the place where they lived, so-named probably because of the reddish nature of the hills. The writer can use the word “red” to describe the stew that Esau gasped for to convey the nature of Esau and his descendants. They were a lusty, passionate, and profane people who lived for the moment. Again, the wordplay is meant to capture the “omen in the nomen.”

[25:31]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “today.”

[25:32]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “And what is this to me, a birthright?”

[25:33]  ⁵² tn Heb “Swear to me today.”

[25:33]  ⁵³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:33]  ⁵⁴ sn And sold his birthright. There is evidence from Hurrian culture that rights of inheritance were occasionally sold or transferred. Here Esau is portrayed as a profane person who would at the moment rather have a meal than the right to inherit. He will soon forget this trade and seek his father’s blessing in spite of it.

[25:34]  ⁵⁵ sn The style here is typical of Hebrew narrative; after the tension is resolved with the dialogue, the working out of it is recorded in a rapid sequence of verbs (“gave”; “ate”; “drank”; “got up”; “went out”). See also Gen 3:1-7 for another example.

[25:34]  ⁵⁶ sn So Esau despised his birthright. This clause, which concludes the episode, is a summary statement which reveals the underlying significance of Esau’s actions. “To despise” means to treat something as worthless or with contempt. Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered it to be unimportant.

[26:1]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “in addition to the first famine which was.”

[26:1]  ⁵⁸ sn This account is parallel to two similar stories about Abraham (see Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Many scholars do not believe there were three similar incidents, only one that got borrowed and duplicated. Many regard the account about Isaac as the original, which then was attached to the more important person, Abraham, with supernatural elements being added. For a critique of such an approach, see R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 47-62. It is more likely that the story illustrates the proverb “like father, like son” (see T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 53). In typical human fashion the son follows his father’s example of lying to avoid problems. The appearance of similar events reported in a similar way underscores the fact that the blessing has now passed to Isaac, even if he fails as his father did.

[26:2]  ⁵⁹ sn Do not go down to Egypt. The words echo Gen 12:10, which reports that “Abram went down to Egypt,” but state the opposite.

[26:2]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “say to you.”

[26:3]  ⁶¹ tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur) means “to live temporarily without ownership of land.” Abraham’s family will not actually possess the land of Canaan until the Israelite conquest hundreds of years later.

[26:3]  ⁶² tn After the imperative “stay” the two prefixed verb forms with prefixed conjunction here indicate consequence.

[26:3]  ⁶³ tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[26:3]  ⁶⁴ tn The Hiphil stem of the verb קוּם (qum) here means “to fulfill, to bring to realization.” For other examples of this use of this verb form, see Lev 26:9; Num 23:19; Deut 8:18; 9:5; 1 Sam 1:23; 1 Kgs 6:12; Jer 11:5.

[26:3]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “the oath which I swore.”

[26:4]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “your descendants.”

[26:4]  ⁶⁷ tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 22:18). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)

[26:5]  ⁶⁸ tn The words “All this will come to pass” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[26:5]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “listened to my voice.”

[26:5]  ⁷⁰ sn My charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. The language of this verse is clearly interpretive, for Abraham did not have all these laws. The terms are legal designations for sections of the Mosaic law and presuppose the existence of the law. Some Rabbinic views actually conclude that Abraham had fulfilled the whole law before it was given (see m. Qiddushin 4:14). Some scholars argue that this story could only have been written after the law was given (C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:424-25). But the simplest explanation is that the narrator (traditionally taken to be Moses the Lawgiver) elaborated on the simple report of Abraham’s obedience by using terms with which the Israelites were familiar. In this way he depicts Abraham as the model of obedience to God’s commands, whose example Israel should follow.

[26:7]  ⁷¹ sn Rebekah, unlike Sarah, was not actually her husband’s sister.

[26:7]  ⁷² tn Heb “lest.” The words “for he thought to himself” are supplied because the next clause is written with a first person pronoun, showing that Isaac was saying or thinking this.

[26:7]  ⁷³ tn Heb “kill me on account of.”

[26:8]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:8]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “and it happened when the days were long to him there.”

[26:8]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “look, Isaac.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene through Abimelech’s eyes.

[26:8]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “fondling.”

[26:9]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “Surely, look!” See N. H. Snaith, “The meaning of Hebrew ‘ak,” VT 14 (1964): 221-25.

[26:9]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” Since the verb “said” probably means “said to myself” (i.e., “thought”) here, the direct discourse in the Hebrew statement has been converted to indirect discourse in the translation. In addition the simple prepositional phrase “on account of her” has been clarified in the translation as “to get her” (cf. v. 7).

[26:10]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “What is this you have done to us?” The Hebrew demonstrative pronoun “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to us?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[26:10]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “people.”

[26:10]  ⁸² tn The Hebrew verb means “to lie down.” Here the expression “lie with” or “sleep with” is euphemistic for “have sexual relations with.”

[26:11]  ⁸³ tn Heb “strikes.” Here the verb has the nuance “to harm in any way.” It would include assaulting the woman or killing the man.

[26:11]  ⁸⁴ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the imperfect makes the construction emphatic.

[26:12]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “a hundredfold.”

[26:12]  ⁸⁶ tn This final clause explains why Isaac had such a bountiful harvest.

[26:13]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Isaac’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are included.

[26:13]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “and he went, going and becoming great.” The construction stresses that his growth in possessions and power continued steadily.

[26:14]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “and there was to him.”

[26:14]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “possessions of sheep.”

[26:14]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “possessions of cattle.”

[26:14]  ⁹² tn The Hebrew verb translated “became jealous” refers here to intense jealousy or envy that leads to hostile action (see v. 15).

[26:15]  ⁹³ tn Heb “and the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with dirt.”

[26:16]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “Go away from us.”

[26:16]  ⁹⁵ sn You have become much more powerful. This explanation for the expulsion of Isaac from Philistine territory foreshadows the words used later by the Egyptians to justify their oppression of Israel (see Exod 1:9).

[26:17]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “and he camped in the valley of Gerar and he lived there.”

[26:18]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “he returned and dug,” meaning “he dug again” or “he reopened.”

[26:18]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “that they dug.” Since the subject is indefinite, the verb is translated as passive.

[26:18]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “and the Philistines had stopped them up.” This clause explains why Isaac had to reopen them.

[26:18]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:18]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the wells) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:18]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “called names to them according to the names that his father called them.”

[26:19]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “living.” This expression refers to a well supplied by subterranean streams (see Song 4:15).

[26:20]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The Hebrew verb translated “quarreled” describes a conflict that often has legal ramifications.

[26:20]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:20]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “and he called the name of the well.”

[26:20]  ¹⁰⁷ sn The name Esek means “argument” in Hebrew. The following causal clause explains that Isaac gave the well this name as a reminder of the conflict its discovery had created. In the Hebrew text there is a wordplay, for the name is derived from the verb translated “argued.”

[26:20]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The words “about it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:21]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (Isaac’s servants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:21]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:21]  ¹¹¹ sn The name Sitnah (שִׂטְנָה, sitnah) is derived from a Hebrew verbal root meaning “to oppose; to be an adversary” (cf. Job 1:6). The name was a reminder that the digging of this well caused “opposition” from the Philistines.

[26:22]  ¹¹² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:22]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and he called its name.”

[26:22]  ¹¹⁴ sn The name Rehoboth (רְהֹבוֹת, rehovot) is derived from a verbal root meaning “to make room.” The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. The story shows Isaac’s patience with the opposition; it also shows how God’s blessing outdistanced the men of Gerar. They could not stop it or seize it any longer.

[26:23]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “and he went up from there”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

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

[26:25]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “and they dug there, the servants of Isaac, a well.”

[26:26]  ¹¹⁸ tn The disjunctive clause supplies pertinent supplemental information. The past perfect is used because the following narrative records the treaty at Beer Sheba. Prior to this we are told that Isaac settled in Beer Sheba; presumably this treaty would have allowed him to do that. However, it may be that he settled there and then made the treaty by which he renamed the place Beer Sheba. In this case one may translate “Now Abimelech came to him.”

[26:26]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “and.”

[26:26]  ¹²⁰ tn Many modern translations render the Hebrew term מֵרֵעַ (merea’) as “councillor” or “adviser,” but the term may not designate an official position but simply a close personal friend.

[26:27]  ¹²¹ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, expressing the reason for his question.

[26:28]  ¹²² tn The infinitive absolute before the verb emphasizes the clarity of their perception.

[26:28]  ¹²³ tn Heb “And we said, ‘Let there be.’” The direct discourse in the Hebrew text has been rendered as indirect discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:28]  ¹²⁴ tn The pronoun “us” here is inclusive – it refers to the Philistine contingent on the one hand and Isaac on the other.

[26:28]  ¹²⁵ tn The pronoun “us” here is exclusive – it refers to just the Philistine contingent (the following “you” refers to Isaac).

[26:28]  ¹²⁶ tn The translation assumes that the cohortative expresses their request. Another option is to understand the cohortative as indicating resolve: “We want to make.’”

[26:29]  ¹²⁷ tn The oath formula is used: “if you do us harm” means “so that you will not do.”

[26:29]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “touched.”

[26:29]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “and just as we have done only good with you.”

[26:29]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “and we sent you away.”

[26:29]  ¹³¹ tn The Philistine leaders are making an observation, not pronouncing a blessing, so the translation reads “you are blessed” rather than “may you be blessed” (cf. NAB).

[26:30]  ¹³² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:30]  ¹³³ tn Heb “and they ate and drank.”

[26:31]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “and they got up early and they swore an oath, a man to his brother.”

[26:31]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “and they went from him in peace.”

[26:32]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “and they said to him, ‘We have found water.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:33]  ¹³⁷ sn The name Shibah (שִׁבְעָה, shiv’ah) means (or at least sounds like) the word meaning “oath.” The name was a reminder of the oath sworn by Isaac and the Philistines to solidify their treaty.

[26:33]  ¹³⁸ sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of an oath” or “well of seven.” According to Gen 21:31 Abraham gave Beer Sheba its name when he made a treaty with the Philistines. Because of the parallels between this earlier story and the account in 26:26-33, some scholars see chaps. 21 and 26 as two versions (or doublets) of one original story. However, if one takes the text as it stands, it appears that Isaac made a later treaty agreement with the people of the land that was similar to his father’s. Abraham dug a well at the site and named the place Beer Sheba; Isaac dug another well there and named the well Shibah. Later generations then associated the name Beer Sheba with Isaac, even though Abraham gave the place its name at an earlier time.

[26:34]  ¹³⁹ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making this clause subordinate to the next.

[26:34]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “the son of forty years.”

[26:34]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “took as a wife.”

[26:35]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “And they were [a source of ] bitterness in spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah.”

[27:1]  ¹⁴³ tn The clause begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making it subordinate to the main clause that follows later in the sentence.

[27:1]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “and his eyes were weak from seeing.”

[27:1]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “greater” (in terms of age).

[27:1]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Esau) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaac) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2]  ¹⁴⁸ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here introduces a logically foundational statement, upon which the coming instruction will be based.

[27:2]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “I do not know the day of my death.”

[27:3]  ¹⁵⁰ tn The Hebrew word is to be spelled either צַיִד (tsayid) following the marginal reading (Qere), or צֵידָה (tsedah) following the consonantal text (Kethib). Either way it is from the same root as the imperative צוּדָה (tsudah, “hunt down”).

[27:4]  ¹⁵¹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:4]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The use of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as the subject emphasizes that the blessing will be made with all Isaac’s desire and vitality. The conjunction “so that” closely relates the meal to the blessing, suggesting that this will be a ritual meal in conjunction with the giving of a formal blessing.

[27:5]  ¹⁵³ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a conjunction with the subject, followed by the predicate) here introduces a new scene in the story.

[27:5]  ¹⁵⁴ tc The LXX adds here “to his father,” which may have been accidentally omitted in the MT.

[27:7]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:7]  ¹⁵⁶ tn The cohortative, with the prefixed conjunction, also expresses logical sequence. See vv. 4, 19, 27.

[27:7]  ¹⁵⁷ tn In her report to Jacob, Rebekah plays down Isaac’s strong desire to bless Esau by leaving out נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”), but by adding the phrase “in the presence of the Lord,” she stresses how serious this matter is.

[27:8]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “listen to my voice.” The Hebrew idiom means “to comply; to obey.”

[27:8]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “to that which I am commanding you.”

[27:9]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:10]  ¹⁶¹ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive. It carries forward the tone of instruction initiated by the command to “go…and get” in the preceding verse.

[27:10]  ¹⁶² tn The form is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the future nuance of the preceding verbs of instruction, but by switching the subject to Jacob, indicates the expected result of the subterfuge.

[27:10]  ¹⁶³ tn Heb “so that.” The conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:11]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, but I am a smooth [skinned] man.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:12]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “Perhaps my father will feel me and I will be in his eyes like a mocker.” The Hebrew expression “I will be in his eyes like” means “I would appear to him as.”

[27:13]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “upon me your curse.”

[27:13]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “only listen to my voice.”

[27:14]  ¹⁶⁸ tn The words “the goats” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:14]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “his mother.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “she” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:16]  ¹⁷⁰ tn In the Hebrew text the object (“the skins of the young goats”) precedes the verb. The disjunctive clause draws attention to this key element in the subterfuge.

[27:16]  ¹⁷¹ tn The word “hands” probably includes the forearms here. How the skins were attached is not specified in the Hebrew text; cf. NLT “she made him a pair of gloves.”

[27:17]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “gave…into the hand of.”

[27:18]  ¹⁷³ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:18]  ¹⁷⁴ sn Which are you, my son? Isaac’s first question shows that the deception is going to require more subterfuge than Rebekah had anticipated. Jacob will have to pull off the deceit.

[27:19]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “get up and sit.” This may mean simply “sit up,” or it may indicate that he was to get up from his couch and sit at a table.

[27:19]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.” These words, though not reported by Rebekah to Jacob (see v. 7) accurately reflect what Isaac actually said to Esau (see v. 4). Perhaps Jacob knew more than Rebekah realized, but it is more likely that this was an idiom for sincere blessing with which Jacob was familiar. At any rate, his use of the precise wording was a nice, convincing touch.

[27:20]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “What is this?” The enclitic pronoun “this” adds emphasis to the question, which is comparable to the English rhetorical question, “How in the world?”

[27:20]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “you hastened to find.” In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb and the first verb becomes adverbial.

[27:20]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “caused to meet before me.”

[27:20]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Because the Lord your God….’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:21]  ¹⁸¹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:21]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “Are you this one, Esau, my son, or not?” On the use of the interrogative particle here, see BDB 210 s.v. הֲ.

[27:23]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “and he blessed him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” (Isaac) and “him” (Jacob) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:24]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “Bring near to me and I will eat of the wild game, my son.” Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:25]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The presence of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as subject emphasizes Isaac’s heartfelt desire to do this. The conjunction indicates that the ritual meal must be first eaten before the formal blessing may be given.

[27:25]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “and he brought”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “and he drank”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ¹⁹¹ tn Heb “and he smelled the smell”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “see.”

[27:28]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “and from the dew of the sky.”

[27:28]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “and from the fatness.”

[27:29]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “and be.” The verb is an imperative, which is used rhetorically in this oracle of blessing. It is an invitation to exercise authority his brothers and indicates that he is granted such authority by the patriarch of the family. Furthermore, the blessing enables the recipient to accomplish this.

[27:29]  ¹⁹⁶ tn The Hebrew word is גְבִיר (gevir, “lord, mighty one”). The one being blessed will be stronger and therefore more powerful than his brother. See Gen 25:23. The feminine form of this rare noun means “mistress” or “queen-mother.”

[27:29]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (which is either an imperfect or a jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:30]  ¹⁹⁸ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite form of the verb makes the construction emphatic.

[27:30]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “the presence of Isaac his father.” The repetition of the proper name (“Isaac”) was

[27:30]  ²⁰⁰ tn Heb “and Esau his brother came from his hunt.”

[27:31]  ²⁰¹ tn Heb “and he said to his father”; the referent of “he” (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity, while the words “his father” have been replaced by the pronoun “him” for stylistic reasons.

[27:31]  ²⁰² tn Or “arise” (i.e., sit up).

[27:31]  ²⁰³ tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.”

[27:32]  ²⁰⁴ tn Heb “said.”

[27:32]  ²⁰⁵ tn Heb “and he said, ‘I [am] your son, your firstborn.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[27:33]  ²⁰⁶ tn Heb “and Isaac trembled with a great trembling to excess.” The verb “trembled” is joined with a cognate accusative, which is modified by an adjective “great,” and a prepositional phrase “to excess.” All of this is emphatic, showing the violence of Isaac’s reaction to the news.

[27:33]  ²⁰⁷ tn Heb “Who then is he who hunted game and brought [it] to me so that I ate from all before you arrived and blessed him?”

[27:34]  ²⁰⁸ tn The temporal clause is introduced with the temporal indicator and has the infinitive as its verb.

[27:34]  ²⁰⁹ tn Heb “and he yelled [with] a great and bitter yell to excess.”

[27:35]  ²¹⁰ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:35]  ²¹¹ tn Or “took”; “received.”

[27:36]  ²¹² tn Heb “Is he not rightly named Jacob?” The rhetorical question, since it expects a positive reply, has been translated as a declarative statement.

[27:36]  ²¹³ sn He has tripped me up. When originally given, the name Jacob was a play on the word “heel” (see Gen 25:26). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. Esau gives the name “Jacob” a negative connotation here, the meaning “to trip up; to supplant.”

[27:38]  ²¹⁴ tn Heb “Bless me, me also, my father.” The words “my father” have not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:38]  ²¹⁵ tn Heb “and Esau lifted his voice and wept.”

[27:39]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “look.”

[27:39]  ²¹⁷ tn Heb “from the fatness.”

[27:40]  ²¹⁸ sn You will tear off his yoke from your neck. It may be that this prophetic blessing found its fulfillment when Jerusalem fell and Edom got its revenge. The oracle makes Edom subservient to Israel and suggests the Edomites would live away from the best land and be forced to sustain themselves by violent measures.

[27:41]  ²¹⁹ tn Or “bore a grudge against” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV). The Hebrew verb שָׂטַם (satam) describes persistent hatred.

[27:41]  ²²⁰ tn Heb “because of the blessing which his father blessed him.”

[27:41]  ²²¹ tn Heb “said in his heart.” The expression may mean “said to himself.” Even if this is the case, v. 42 makes it clear that he must have shared his intentions with someone, because the news reached Rebekah.

[27:41]  ²²² tn Heb “days.”

[27:41]  ²²³ tn The cohortative here expresses Esau’s determined resolve to kill Jacob.

[27:42]  ²²⁴ tn Heb “and the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah.”

[27:42]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “she sent and called for.”

[27:42]  ²²⁶ tn Heb “is consoling himself with respect to you to kill you.” The only way Esau had of dealing with his anger at the moment was to plan to kill his brother after the death of Isaac.

[27:43]  ²²⁷ tn Heb “listen to my voice.”

[27:43]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “arise, flee.”

[27:44]  ²²⁹ tn Heb “a few days.” Rebekah probably downplays the length of time Jacob will be gone, perhaps to encourage him and assure him that things will settle down soon. She probably expects Esau’s anger to die down quickly. However, Jacob ends up being gone twenty years and he never sees Rebekah again.

[27:45]  ²³⁰ tn The words “stay there” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:45]  ²³¹ tn Heb “and I will send and I will take you from there.” The verb “send” has no object in the Hebrew text; one must be supplied in the translation. Either “someone” or “a message” could be supplied, but since in those times a message would require a messenger, “someone” has been used.

[27:45]  ²³² tn If Jacob stayed, he would be killed and Esau would be forced to run away.

[27:46]  ²³³ tn Heb “loathe my life.” The Hebrew verb translated “loathe” refers to strong disgust (see Lev 20:23).

[27:46]  ²³⁴ tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (see also Gen 23:3), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.

[27:46]  ²³⁵ tn Heb “If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, why to me life?”

[40:1]  ²³⁶ sn The Hebrew term cupbearer corresponds to the Egyptian wb’, an official (frequently a foreigner) who often became a confidant of the king and wielded political power (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 248). Nehemiah held this post in Persia.

[40:1]  ²³⁷ sn The baker may be the Egyptian retehti, the head of the bakers, who had privileges in the royal court.

[40:1]  ²³⁸ sn The Hebrew verb translated offended here is the same one translated “sin” in 39:9. Perhaps there is an intended contrast between these officials, who deserve to be imprisoned, and Joseph, who refused to sin against God, but was thrown into prison in spite of his innocence.

[40:2]  ²³⁹ tn The Hebrew word סָרִיס (saris), used here of these two men and of Potiphar (see 39:1), normally means “eunuch.” But evidence from Akkadian texts shows that in early times the title was used of a court official in general. Only later did it become more specialized in its use.

[40:4]  ²⁴⁰ sn He served them. This is the same Hebrew verb, meaning “to serve as a personal attendant,” that was translated “became [his] servant” in 39:4.

[40:4]  ²⁴¹ tn Heb “they were days in custody.”

[40:5]  ²⁴² tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[40:5]  ²⁴³ tn Heb “a man his dream in one night.”

[40:5]  ²⁴⁴ tn Heb “a man according to the interpretation of his dream.”

[40:6]  ²⁴⁵ tn The verb זָעַף (za’af) only occurs here and Dan 1:10. It means “to be sick, to be emaciated,” probably in this case because of depression.

[40:7]  ²⁴⁶ tn Heb “why are your faces sad today?”

[40:8]  ²⁴⁷ tn Heb “a dream we dreamed.”

[40:8]  ²⁴⁸ tn The word “them” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[40:9]  ²⁴⁹ tn The Hebrew text adds “and he said to him.” This has not been translated because it is redundant in English.

[40:11]  ²⁵⁰ tn Heb “the cup of Pharaoh.” The pronoun “his” has been used here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[40:11]  ²⁵¹ sn The cupbearer’s dream is dominated by sets of three: three branches, three stages of growth, and three actions of the cupbearer.

[40:12]  ²⁵² tn Heb “the three branches [are].”

[40:13]  ²⁵³ tn Heb “Pharaoh will lift up your head.” This Hebrew idiom usually refers to restoring dignity, office, or power. It is comparable to the modern saying “someone can hold his head up high.”

[40:13]  ²⁵⁴ tn Heb “according to the former custom.”

[40:14]  ²⁵⁵ tn Heb “but you have remembered me with you.” The perfect verbal form may be used rhetorically here to emphasize Joseph’s desire to be remembered. He speaks of the action as already being accomplished in order to make it clear that he expects it to be done. The form can be translated as volitional, expressing a plea or a request.

[40:14]  ²⁵⁶ tn This perfect verbal form with the prefixed conjunction (and the two that immediately follow) carry the same force as the preceding perfect.

[40:14]  ²⁵⁷ tn Heb “deal with me [in] kindness.”

[40:14]  ²⁵⁸ tn The verb זָכַר (zakhar) in the Hiphil stem means “to cause to remember, to make mention, to boast.” The implication is that Joseph would be pleased for them to tell his story and give him the credit due him so that Pharaoh would release him. Since Pharaoh had never met Joseph, the simple translation of “cause him to remember me” would mean little.

[40:14]  ²⁵⁹ tn Heb “house.” The word “prison” has been substituted in the translation for clarity.

[40:15]  ²⁶⁰ tn The verb גָּנַב (ganav) means “to steal,” but in the Piel/Pual stem “to steal away.” The idea of “kidnap” would be closer to the sense, meaning he was stolen and carried off. The preceding infinitive absolute underscores the point Joseph is making.

[40:16]  ²⁶¹ tn Heb “that [the] interpretation [was] good.” The words “the first dream” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[40:16]  ²⁶² tn Or “three wicker baskets.” The meaning of the Hebrew noun חֹרִי (khori, “white bread, cake”) is uncertain; some have suggested the meaning “wicker” instead. Comparison with texts from Ebla suggests the meaning “pastries made with white flour” (M. Dahood, “Eblaite h¬a-rí and Genesis 40,16 h£o„rî,” BN 13 [1980]: 14-16).

[40:18]  ²⁶³ tn Heb “the three baskets [are].”

[40:19]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you.” Joseph repeats the same expression from the first interpretation (see v. 13), but with the added words “from upon you,” which allow the statement to have a more literal and ominous meaning – the baker will be decapitated.

[40:20]  ²⁶⁵ tn The translation puts the verb in quotation marks because it is used rhetorically here and has a double meaning. With respect to the cup bearer it means “reinstate” (see v. 13), but with respect to the baker it means “decapitate” (see v. 19).

[40:21]  ²⁶⁶ tn Heb “his cupbearing.”

[40:22]  ²⁶⁷ tn Heb “had interpreted for them.”

[40:23]  ²⁶⁸ tn The wayyiqtol verbal form here has a reiterative or emphasizing function.

[41:1]  ²⁶⁹ tn Heb “two years, days.”

[41:1]  ²⁷⁰ tn Heb “was dreaming.”

[41:2]  ²⁷¹ tn Heb “And look, he was standing by the Nile, and look, from the Nile were coming up seven cows, attractive of appearance and fat of flesh.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to see the dream through Pharaoh’s eyes.

[41:3]  ²⁷² tn Heb “And look, seven other cows were coming up after them from the Nile, bad of appearance and thin of flesh.”

[41:3]  ²⁷³ tn Heb “the Nile.” This has been replaced by “the river” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:5]  ²⁷⁴ tn Heb “coming up.”

[41:5]  ²⁷⁵ tn Heb “fat.”

[41:6]  ²⁷⁶ tn Heb “And look.”

[41:7]  ²⁷⁷ tn Heb “And look, a dream.”

[41:8]  ²⁷⁸ tn Heb “his spirit.”

[41:8]  ²⁷⁹ tn Heb “he sent and called,” which indicates an official summons.

[41:8]  ²⁸⁰ tn The Hebrew term חַרְטֹם (khartom) is an Egyptian loanword (hyr-tp) that describes a class of priests who were skilled in such interpretations.

[41:8]  ²⁸¹ tn The Hebrew text has the singular (though the Samaritan Pentateuch reads the plural). If retained, the singular must be collective for the set of dreams. Note the plural pronoun “them,” referring to the dreams, in the next clause. However, note that in v. 15 Pharaoh uses the singular to refer to the two dreams. In vv. 17-24 Pharaoh seems to treat the dreams as two parts of one dream (see especially v. 22).

[41:8]  ²⁸² tn “there was no interpreter.”

[41:8]  ²⁸³ tn Heb “for Pharaoh.” The pronoun “him” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:9]  ²⁸⁴ tn Heb “sins, offenses.” He probably refers here to the offenses that landed him in prison (see 40:1).

[41:11]  ²⁸⁵ tn Heb “and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he, each according to the interpretation of his dream we dreamed.”

[41:12]  ²⁸⁶ tn Or “slave.”

[41:12]  ²⁸⁷ tn Heb “a servant to the captain of the guards.” On this construction see GKC 419-20 §129.c.

[41:12]  ²⁸⁸ tn The words “our dreams” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:12]  ²⁸⁹ tn Heb “and he interpreted for us our dreams, each according to his dream he interpreted.”

[41:13]  ²⁹⁰ tn Heb “interpreted.”

[41:13]  ²⁹¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:13]  ²⁹² tn Heb “him”; the referent (the baker) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:14]  ²⁹³ tn Heb “and Pharaoh sent and called,” indicating a summons to the royal court.

[41:15]  ²⁹⁴ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[41:15]  ²⁹⁵ tn Heb “there is no one interpreting.”

[41:15]  ²⁹⁶ tn Heb “saying.”

[41:15]  ²⁹⁷ tn Heb “you hear a dream to interpret it,” which may mean, “you only have to hear a dream to be able to interpret it.”

[41:16]  ²⁹⁸ tn Heb “not within me.”

[41:16]  ²⁹⁹ tn Heb “God will answer.”

[41:16]  ³⁰⁰ tn The expression שְׁלוֹם פַּרְעֹה (shÿlom par’oh) is here rendered “the welfare of Pharaoh” because the dream will be about life in his land. Some interpret it to mean an answer of “peace” – one that will calm his heart, or give him the answer that he desires (cf. NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[41:17]  ³⁰¹ tn Heb “In my dream look, I was standing.” The use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here (and also in vv. 18, 19, 22, 23) invites the hearer (within the context of the narrative, Joseph; but in the broader sense the reader or hearer of the Book of Genesis) to observe the scene through Pharaoh’s eyes.

[41:18]  ³⁰² tn Heb “and look, from the Nile seven cows were coming up, fat of flesh and attractive of appearance, and they grazed in the reeds.”

[41:19]  ³⁰³ tn Heb “And look.”

[41:19]  ³⁰⁴ tn The word “cows” is supplied here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:20]  ³⁰⁵ tn Heb “the seven first fat cows.”

[41:21]  ³⁰⁶ tn Heb “when they went inside them.”

[41:21]  ³⁰⁷ tn Heb “it was not known.”

[41:22]  ³⁰⁸ tn Heb “and I saw in my dream and look.”

[41:23]  ³⁰⁹ tn Heb “And look.”

[41:24]  ³¹⁰ tn The words “all this” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:24]  ³¹¹ tn Heb “and there was no one telling me.”

[41:25]  ³¹² tn Heb “the dream of Pharaoh is one.”

[41:25]  ³¹³ tn Heb “declared.”

[41:25]  ³¹⁴ tn The active participle here indicates what is imminent.

[41:26]  ³¹⁵ tn Heb “one dream it is.”

[41:27]  ³¹⁶ tn Heb “are.” Another option is to translate, “There will be seven years of famine.”

[41:28]  ³¹⁷ tn Heb “it is the word that I spoke.”

[41:30]  ³¹⁸ tn The perfect with the vav consecutive continues the time frame of the preceding participle, which has an imminent future nuance here.

[41:30]  ³¹⁹ tn The Hebrew verb כָּלָה (kalah) in the Piel stem means “to finish, to destroy, to bring an end to.” The severity of the famine will ruin the land of Egypt.

[41:31]  ³²⁰ tn Heb “known.”

[41:31]  ³²¹ tn Or “heavy.”

[41:32]  ³²² tn Heb “and concerning the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh two times.” The Niphal infinitive here is the object of the preposition; it is followed by the subjective genitive “of the dream.”

[41:32]  ³²³ tn Heb “established.”

[41:32]  ³²⁴ tn The clause combines a participle and an infinitive construct: God “is hurrying…to do it,” meaning he is going to do it soon.

[41:33]  ³²⁵ tn Heb “let Pharaoh look.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.

[41:33]  ³²⁶ tn Heb “a man discerning and wise.” The order of the terms is rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:33]  ³²⁷ tn Heb “and let him set him.”

[41:34]  ³²⁸ tn The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. The Samaritan Pentateuch has a jussive form here, “and let [Pharaoh] do.”

[41:34]  ³²⁹ tn Heb “and let him appoint.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.

[41:34]  ³³⁰ tn Heb “appointees.” The noun is a cognate accusative of the preceding verb. Since “appoint appointees” would be redundant in English, the term “officials” was used in the translation instead.

[41:34]  ³³¹ tn Heb “and he shall collect a fifth of the land of Egypt.” The language is figurative (metonymy); it means what the land produces, i.e., the harvest.

[41:35]  ³³² tn Heb “all the food.”

[41:35]  ³³³ tn Heb “under the hand of Pharaoh.”

[41:35]  ³³⁴ tn Heb “[for] food in the cities.” The noun translated “food” is an adverbial accusative in the sentence.

[41:35]  ³³⁵ tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same force as the sequence of jussives before it.

[41:36]  ³³⁶ tn Heb “and the land will not be cut off in the famine.”

[41:37]  ³³⁷ tn Heb “and the matter was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.”

[41:38]  ³³⁸ tn Heb “like this,” but the referent could be misunderstood to be a man like that described by Joseph in v. 33, rather than Joseph himself. For this reason the proper name “Joseph” has been supplied in the translation.

[41:38]  ³³⁹ tn The rhetorical question expects the answer “No, of course not!”

[41:39]  ³⁴⁰ tn Heb “as discerning and wise.” The order has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:40]  ³⁴¹ tn Heb “and at your mouth (i.e., instructions) all my people will kiss.” G. J. Wenham translates this “shall kowtow to your instruction” (Genesis [WBC], 2:395). Although there is some textual support for reading “will be judged, ruled by you,” this is probably an attempt to capture the significance of this word. Wenham lists a number of references where individuals have tried to make connections with other words or expressions – such as a root meaning “order themselves” lying behind “kiss,” or an idiomatic idea of “kiss” meaning “seal the mouth,” and so “be silent and submit to.” See K. A. Kitchen, “The Term Nsq in Genesis 41:40,” ExpTim 69 (1957): 30; D. S. Sperling, “Genesis 41:40: A New Interpretation,” JANESCU 10 (1978): 113-19.

[41:40]  ³⁴² tn Heb “only the throne, I will be greater than you.”

[41:41]  ³⁴³ tn The translation assumes that the perfect verbal form is descriptive of a present action. Another option is to understand it as rhetorical, in which case Pharaoh describes a still future action as if it had already occurred in order to emphasize its certainty. In this case one could translate “I have placed” or “I will place.” The verb נָתַן (natan) is translated here as “to place in authority [over].”

[41:41]  ³⁴⁴ sn Joseph became the grand vizier of the land of Egypt. See W. A. Ward, “The Egyptian Office of Joseph,” JSS 5 (1960): 144-50; and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 129-31.

[41:42]  ³⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew word שֵׁשׁ (shesh) is an Egyptian loanword that describes the fine linen robes that Egyptian royalty wore. The clothing signified Joseph’s rank.

[41:43]  ³⁴⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:43]  ³⁴⁷ tn Heb “and he caused him to ride in the second chariot which was his.”

[41:43]  ³⁴⁸ tn The verb form appears to be a causative imperative from a verbal root meaning “to kneel.” It is a homonym of the word “bless” (identical in root letters but not related etymologically).

[41:44]  ³⁴⁹ tn Heb “apart from you.”

[41:44]  ³⁵⁰ tn Heb “no man,” but here “man” is generic, referring to people in general.

[41:44]  ³⁵¹ tn The idiom “lift up hand or foot” means “take any action” here.

[41:45]  ³⁵² sn The meaning of Joseph’s Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah, is uncertain. Many recent commentators have followed the proposal of G. Steindorff that it means “the god has said, ‘he will live’” (“Der Name Josephs Saphenat-Pa‘neach,” ZÄS 31 [1889]: 41-42); others have suggested “the god speaks and lives” (see BDB 861 s.v. צָפְנָת פַּעְנֵחַ); “the man he knows” (J. Vergote, Joseph en Égypte, 145); or “Joseph [who is called] áIp-àankh” (K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 1262).

[41:45]  ³⁵³ sn The name Asenath may mean “she belongs to the goddess Neit” (see HALOT 74 s.v. אָֽסְנַת). A novel was written at the beginning of the first century entitled Joseph and Asenath, which included a legendary account of the conversion of Asenath to Joseph’s faith in Yahweh. However, all that can be determined from this chapter is that their children received Hebrew names. See also V. Aptowitzer, “Asenath, the Wife of Joseph – a Haggadic Literary-Historical Study,” HUCA 1 (1924): 239-306.

[41:45]  ³⁵⁴ sn On (also in v. 50) is another name for the city of Heliopolis.

[41:45]  ³⁵⁵ tn Heb “and he passed through.”

[41:46]  ³⁵⁶ tn Heb “a son of thirty years.”

[41:46]  ³⁵⁷ tn Heb “when he stood before.”

[41:46]  ³⁵⁸ tn Heb “went out from before.”

[41:46]  ³⁵⁹ tn Heb “and he passed through all the land of Egypt”; this phrase is interpreted by JPS to mean that Joseph “emerged in charge of the whole land.”

[41:47]  ³⁶⁰ tn Heb “brought forth by handfuls.”

[41:48]  ³⁶¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:48]  ³⁶² tn Heb “all the food.”

[41:48]  ³⁶³ tn Heb “of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt and placed food in the cities.”

[41:49]  ³⁶⁴ tn Heb “and Joseph gathered grain like the sand of the sea, multiplying much.” To emphasize the vast amount of grain he stored up, the Hebrew text modifies the verb “gathered” with an infinitive absolute and an adverb.

[41:50]  ³⁶⁵ tn Heb “before the year of the famine came.”

[41:50]  ³⁶⁶ tn Heb “gave birth for him.”

[41:51]  ³⁶⁷ sn The name Manasseh (מְנַשֶּׁה, mÿnasheh) describes God’s activity on behalf of Joseph, explaining in general the significance of his change of fortune. The name is a Piel participle, suggesting the meaning “he who brings about forgetfulness.” The Hebrew verb נַשַּׁנִי (nashani) may have been used instead of the normal נִשַּׁנִי (nishani) to provide a closer sound play with the name. The giving of this Hebrew name to his son shows that Joseph retained his heritage and faith; and it shows that a brighter future was in store for him.

[41:51]  ³⁶⁸ tn The word “saying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:51]  ³⁶⁹ tn Or “for.”

[41:52]  ³⁷⁰ sn The name Ephraim (אֶפְרַיִם, ’efrayim), a form of the Hebrew verb פָּרָה (parah), means “to bear fruit.” The theme of fruitfulness is connected with this line of the family from Rachel (30:2) on down (see Gen 49:22, Deut 33:13-17, and Hos 13:15). But there is some difficulty with the name “Ephraim” itself. It appears to be a dual, for which F. Delitzsch simply said it meant “double fruitfulness” (New Commentary on Genesis, 2:305). G. J. Spurrell suggested it was a diphthongal pronunciation of a name ending in -an or -am, often thought to be dual suffixes (Notes on the text of the book of Genesis, 334). Many, however, simply connect the name to the territory of Ephraim and interpret it to be “fertile land” (C. Fontinoy, “Les noms de lieux en -ayim dans la Bible,” UF 3 [1971]: 33-40). The dual would then be an old locative ending. There is no doubt that the name became attached to the land in which the tribe settled, and it is possible that is where the dual ending came from, but in this story it refers to Joseph’s God-given fruitfulness.

[41:52]  ³⁷¹ tn The word “saying” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:52]  ³⁷² tn Or “for.”

[41:54]  ³⁷³ tn Heb “began to arrive.”

[41:55]  ³⁷⁴ tn Heb “to all Egypt.” The name of the country is used by metonymy for the inhabitants.

[41:56]  ³⁷⁵ tn Or “over the entire land”; Heb “over all the face of the earth.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal to the next clause.

[41:56]  ³⁷⁶ tc The MT reads “he opened all that was in [or “among”] them.” The translation follows the reading of the LXX and Syriac versions.

[41:57]  ³⁷⁷ tn Heb “all the earth,” which refers here (by metonymy) to the people of the earth. Note that the following verb is plural in form, indicating that the inhabitants of the earth are in view.

[42:1]  ³⁷⁸ tn Heb “saw.”

[42:1]  ³⁷⁹ tn Heb “Jacob.” Here the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:1]  ³⁸⁰ sn Why are you looking at each other? The point of Jacob’s question is that his sons should be going to get grain rather than sitting around doing nothing. Jacob, as the patriarch, still makes the decisions for the whole clan.

[42:2]  ³⁸¹ tn Heb “and buy for us from there.” The word “grain,” the direct object of “buy,” has been supplied for clarity, and the words “from there” have been omitted in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:2]  ³⁸² tn Following the imperatives, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav expresses purpose of result.

[42:2]  ³⁸³ tn The imperfect tense continues the nuance of the verb before it.

[42:4]  ³⁸⁴ tn Heb “But Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, Jacob did not send with his brothers.” The disjunctive clause highlights the contrast between Benjamin and the other ten.

[42:4]  ³⁸⁵ tn The Hebrew verb אָמַר (’amar, “to say”) could also be translated “thought” (i.e., “he said to himself”) here, giving Jacob’s reasoning rather than spoken words.

[42:4]  ³⁸⁶ tn The Hebrew noun אָסוֹן (’ason) is a rare word meaning “accident, harm.” Apart from its use in these passages it occurs in Exodus 21:22-23 of an accident to a pregnant woman. The term is a rather general one, but Jacob was no doubt thinking of his loss of Joseph.

[42:4]  ³⁸⁷ tn Heb “encounters.”

[42:5]  ³⁸⁸ tn Heb “in the midst of the coming ones.”

[42:6]  ³⁸⁹ tn The disjunctive clause either introduces a new episode in the unfolding drama or provides the reader with supplemental information necessary to understanding the story.

[42:6]  ³⁹⁰ sn Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him. Here is the beginning of the fulfillment of Joseph’s dreams (see Gen 37). But it is not the complete fulfillment, since all his brothers and his parents must come. The point of the dream, of course, was not simply to get the family to bow to Joseph, but that Joseph would be placed in a position of rule and authority to save the family and the world (41:57).

[42:6]  ³⁹¹ tn The word “faces” is an adverbial accusative, so the preposition has been supplied in the translation.

[42:7]  ³⁹² sn But pretended to be a stranger. Joseph intends to test his brothers to see if they have changed and have the integrity to be patriarchs of the tribes of Israel. He will do this by putting them in the same situations that they and he were in before. The first test will be to awaken their conscience.

[42:7]  ³⁹³ tn Heb “said.”

[42:7]  ³⁹⁴ tn The verb is denominative, meaning “to buy grain”; the word “food” could simply be the direct object, but may also be an adverbial accusative.

[42:9]  ³⁹⁵ sn You are spies. Joseph wanted to see how his brothers would react if they were accused of spying.

[42:9]  ³⁹⁶ tn Heb “to see the nakedness of the land you have come.”

[42:10]  ³⁹⁷ tn Heb “and they said to him.” In context this is best understood as an exclamation.

[42:12]  ³⁹⁸ tn Heb “and he said, ‘No, for the nakedness of the land you have come to see.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for clarity.

[42:13]  ³⁹⁹ tn Heb “twelve [were] your servants, brothers [are] we.”

[42:13]  ⁴⁰⁰ tn Heb “today.”

[42:13]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Heb “and the one is not.”

[42:14]  ⁴⁰² tn Heb “to you, saying.”

[42:15]  ⁴⁰³ tn Heb “[By] the life of Pharaoh.”

[42:16]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn Heb “send from you one and let him take.” After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose.

[42:16]  ⁴⁰⁵ tn The disjunctive clause is here circumstantial-temporal.

[42:16]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn Heb “bound.”

[42:16]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn The words “to see” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:16]  ⁴⁰⁸ tn Heb “the truth [is] with you.”

[42:17]  ⁴⁰⁹ sn The same Hebrew word is used for Joseph’s imprisonment in 40:3, 4, 7. There is some mirroring going on in the narrative. The Hebrew word used here (אָסַף, ’asaf, “to gather”) is not normally used in a context like this (for placing someone in prison), but it forms a wordplay on the name Joseph (יוֹסֵף, yosoef) and keeps the comparison working.

[42:18]  ⁴¹⁰ tn Heb “Do this.”

[42:18]  ⁴¹¹ tn After the preceding imperative, the imperative with vav (ו) can, as here, indicate logical sequence.

[42:18]  ⁴¹² sn For I fear God. Joseph brings God into the picture to awaken his brothers’ consciences. The godly person cares about the welfare of people, whether they live or die. So he will send grain back, but keep one of them in Egypt. This action contrasts with their crime of selling their brother into slavery.

[42:19]  ⁴¹³ tn Heb “bound in the house of your prison.”

[42:19]  ⁴¹⁴ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal.

[42:19]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Heb “[for] the hunger of your households.”

[42:20]  ⁴¹⁶ tn The imperfect here has an injunctive force.

[42:20]  ⁴¹⁷ tn After the injunctive imperfect, this imperfect with vav indicates purpose or result.

[42:20]  ⁴¹⁸ tn The Niphal form of the verb has the sense of “to be faithful; to be sure; to be reliable.” Joseph will test his brothers to see if their words are true.

[42:20]  ⁴¹⁹ tn Heb “and they did so.”

[42:21]  ⁴²⁰ tn Heb “a man to his neighbor.”

[42:21]  ⁴²¹ tn Or “we are guilty”; the Hebrew word can also refer to the effect of being guilty, i.e., “we are being punished for guilt.”

[42:21]  ⁴²² tn Heb “the distress of his soul.”

[42:21]  ⁴²³ sn The repetition of the Hebrew noun translated distress draws attention to the fact that they regard their present distress as appropriate punishment for their refusal to ignore their brother when he was in distress.

[42:22]  ⁴²⁴ tn Heb “and also his blood, look, it is required.” God requires compensation, as it were, from those who shed innocent blood (see Gen 9:6). In other words, God exacts punishment for the crime of murder.

[42:23]  ⁴²⁵ tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information that is important to the story.

[42:23]  ⁴²⁶ tn “was listening.” The brothers were not aware that Joseph could understand them as they spoke the preceding words in their native language.

[42:23]  ⁴²⁷ tn Heb “for [there was] an interpreter between them.” On the meaning of the word here translated “interpreter” see HALOT 590 s.v. מֵלִיץ and M. A. Canney, “The Hebrew melis (Prov IX 12; Gen XLII 2-3),” AJSL 40 (1923/24): 135-37.

[42:24]  ⁴²⁸ tn Heb “and he turned to them and spoke to them.”

[42:24]  ⁴²⁹ tn Heb “took Simeon.” This was probably done at Joseph’s command, however; the grand vizier of Egypt would not have personally seized a prisoner.

[42:24]  ⁴³⁰ tn Heb “and he bound him.” See the note on the preceding verb “taken.”

[42:25]  ⁴³¹ tn Heb “and they filled.” The clause appears to be elliptical; one expects “Joseph gave orders to fill…and they filled.” See GKC 386 §120.f.

[42:25]  ⁴³² tn Heb “and he did for them so.” Joseph would appear to be the subject of the singular verb. If the text is retained, the statement seems to be a summary of the preceding, more detailed statement. However, some read the verb as plural, “and they did for them so.” In this case the statement indicates that Joseph’s subordinates carried out his orders. Another alternative is to read the singular verb as passive (with unspecified subject), “and this was done for them so” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).

[42:26]  ⁴³³ tn Heb “and they went from there.”

[42:27]  ⁴³⁴ tn Heb “and the one.” The article indicates that the individual is vivid in the mind of the narrator, yet it is not important to identify him by name.

[42:27]  ⁴³⁵ tn Heb “at the lodging place.”

[42:27]  ⁴³⁶ tn Heb “and look, it [was] in the mouth of his sack.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to look through the eyes of the character and thereby draws attention to the money.

[42:28]  ⁴³⁷ tn Heb “and their heart went out.” Since this expression is used only here, the exact meaning is unclear. The following statement suggests that it may refer to a sudden loss of emotional strength, so “They were dismayed” adequately conveys the meaning (cf. NRSV); NIV has “Their hearts sank.”

[42:28]  ⁴³⁸ tn Heb “and they trembled, a man to his neighbor.”

[42:28]  ⁴³⁹ tn Heb “What is this God has done to us?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question.

[42:30]  ⁴⁴⁰ tn Heb “made us.”

[42:30]  ⁴⁴¹ tn The words “if we were” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:32]  ⁴⁴² tn Heb “twelve [were] we, brothers, sons of our father [are] we.”

[42:32]  ⁴⁴³ tn Heb “the one is not.”

[42:32]  ⁴⁴⁴ tn Heb “today.”

[42:33]  ⁴⁴⁵ tn The word “grain” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:34]  ⁴⁴⁶ tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav indicates purpose/result.

[42:34]  ⁴⁴⁷ tn Heb “that you are not spies, that you are honest men.”

[42:34]  ⁴⁴⁸ sn Joseph’s brothers soften the news considerably, making it sound like Simeon was a guest of Joseph (Leave one of your brothers with me) instead of being bound in prison. They do not mention the threat of death and do not at this time speak of the money in the one sack.

[42:36]  ⁴⁴⁹ tn Heb “is not.”

[42:36]  ⁴⁵⁰ tn Heb “is not.”

[42:36]  ⁴⁵¹ tn The nuance of the imperfect verbal form is desiderative here.

[42:37]  ⁴⁵² tn The nuance of the imperfect verbal form is permissive here.

[42:37]  ⁴⁵³ tn Heb “my hand.”

[42:38]  ⁴⁵⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[42:38]  ⁴⁵⁵ sn The expression he alone is left meant that (so far as Jacob knew) Benjamin was the only surviving child of his mother Rachel.

[42:38]  ⁴⁵⁶ sn The expression bring down my gray hair is figurative, using a part for the whole – they would put Jacob in the grave. But the gray head signifies a long life of worry and trouble.

[42:38]  ⁴⁵⁷ tn Heb “to Sheol,” the dwelling place of the dead.

[43:1]  ⁴⁵⁸ tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that is important to the storyline.

[43:3]  ⁴⁵⁹ tn The infinitive absolute with the finite verb stresses the point. The primary meaning of the verb is “to witness; to testify.” It alludes to Joseph’s oath, which was tantamount to a threat or warning.

[43:3]  ⁴⁶⁰ tn The idiom “see my face” means “have an audience with me.”

[43:4]  ⁴⁶¹ tn Heb “if there is you sending,” that is, “if you send.”

[43:6]  ⁴⁶² tn The verb may even have a moral connotation here, “Why did you do evil to me?”

[43:6]  ⁴⁶³ tn The infinitive construct here explains how they brought trouble on Jacob.

[43:7]  ⁴⁶⁴ tn The word “us” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[43:7]  ⁴⁶⁵ tn The infinitive absolute with the perfect verbal form emphasizes that Joseph questioned them thoroughly.

[43:7]  ⁴⁶⁶ sn The report given here concerning Joseph’s interrogation does not exactly match the previous account where they supplied the information to clear themselves (see 42:13). This section may reflect how they remembered the impact of his interrogation, whether he asked the specific questions or not. That may be twisting the truth to protect themselves, not wanting to admit that they volunteered the information. (They admitted as much in 42:31, but now they seem to be qualifying that comment.) On the other hand, when speaking to Joseph later (see 44:19), Judah claims that Joseph asked for the information about their family, making it possible that 42:13 leaves out some of the details of their first encounter.

[43:7]  ⁴⁶⁷ tn Heb “and we told to him according to these words.”

[43:7]  ⁴⁶⁸ tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the imperfect verbal form, which here is a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of a past time).

[43:7]  ⁴⁶⁹ tn Once again the imperfect verbal form is used as a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of past time).

[43:8]  ⁴⁷⁰ tn Heb “and we will rise up and we will go.” The first verb is adverbial and gives the expression the sense of “we will go immediately.”

[43:8]  ⁴⁷¹ tn After the preceding cohortatives, the prefixed verbal form (either imperfect or cohortative) with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or result.

[43:9]  ⁴⁷² tn The pronoun before the first person verbal form draws attention to the subject and emphasizes Judah’s willingness to be personally responsible for the boy.

[43:9]  ⁴⁷³ sn I will bear the blame before you all my life. It is not clear how this would work out if Benjamin did not come back. But Judah is offering his life for Benjamin’s if Benjamin does not return.

[43:10]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn Heb “we could have returned.”

[43:12]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn Heb “in your hand.”

[43:12]  ⁴⁷⁶ tn Heb “take back in your hand.” The imperfect verbal form probably has an injunctive or obligatory force here, since Jacob is instructing his sons.

[43:13]  ⁴⁷⁷ tn Heb “arise, return,” meaning “get up and go back,” or “go back immediately.”

[43:13]  ⁴⁷⁸ sn The man refers to the Egyptian official, whom the reader or hearer of the narrative knows is Joseph. In this context both the sons and Jacob refer to him simply as “the man” (see vv. 3-7).

[43:14]  ⁴⁷⁹ tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[43:14]  ⁴⁸⁰ tn Heb “release to you.” After the jussive this perfect verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) probably indicates logical consequence, as well as temporal sequence.

[43:14]  ⁴⁸¹ sn Several Jewish commentators suggest that the expression your other brother refers to Joseph. This would mean that Jacob prophesied unwittingly. However, it is much more likely that Simeon is the referent of the phrase “your other brother” (see Gen 42:24).

[43:14]  ⁴⁸² tn Heb “if I am bereaved I am bereaved.” With this fatalistic sounding statement Jacob resolves himself to the possibility of losing both Benjamin and Simeon.

[43:15]  ⁴⁸³ tn Heb “they arose and went down to Egypt.” The first verb has an adverbial function and emphasizes that they departed right away.

[43:17]  ⁴⁸⁴ tn Heb “the man.” This has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “he” for stylistic reasons.

[43:17]  ⁴⁸⁵ sn This verse is a summary statement. The next verses delineate intermediate steps (see v. 24) in the process.

[43:18]  ⁴⁸⁶ tn Heb “over the matter of.”

[43:18]  ⁴⁸⁷ tn Heb “in the beginning,” that is, at the end of their first visit.

[43:18]  ⁴⁸⁸ tn Heb “to roll himself upon us and to cause himself to fall upon us.” The infinitives here indicate the purpose (as viewed by the brothers) for their being brought to Joseph’s house.

[43:18]  ⁴⁸⁹ tn The word “take” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[43:20]  ⁴⁹⁰ tn The infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the finite verbal form.

[43:20]  ⁴⁹¹ tn Heb “in the beginning” (see the note on the phrase “last time” in v. 18).

[43:21]  ⁴⁹² tn Heb “in its weight.”

[43:21]  ⁴⁹³ tn Heb “brought it back in our hand.”

[43:23]  ⁴⁹⁴ tn Heb “and he said, ‘peace to you.’” Here the statement has the force of “everything is fine,” or perhaps even “calm down.” The referent of “he” (the man in charge of Joseph’ household) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[43:23]  ⁴⁹⁵ sn Your God and the God of your father…This is the first clear reference in the story to the theme of divine providence – that God works through the human actions to do his will.

[43:23]  ⁴⁹⁶ tn Heb “your money came to me.”

[43:24]  ⁴⁹⁷ tn Heb “the man.”

[43:25]  ⁴⁹⁸ tn The construction uses the infinitive construct after the preposition, followed by the subjective genitive.

[43:25]  ⁴⁹⁹ tn The action precedes the action of preparing the gift, and so must be translated as past perfect.

[43:25]  ⁵⁰⁰ tn Heb “eat bread.” The imperfect verbal form is used here as a historic future (future from the perspective of the past).

[43:26]  ⁵⁰¹ tn Heb “into the house.”

[43:27]  ⁵⁰² tn Heb “concerning peace.”

[43:28]  ⁵⁰³ tn Heb “and they bowed low and they bowed down.” The use of synonyms here emphasizes the brothers’ humility.

[43:29]  ⁵⁰⁴ tn Heb “and he lifted his eyes.” The referent of “he” (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[43:29]  ⁵⁰⁵ sn Joseph’s language here becomes warmer and more personal, culminating in calling Benjamin my son.

[43:30]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn Heb “for his affection boiled up concerning his brother.” The same expression is used in 1 Kgs 3:26 for the mother’s feelings for her endangered child.

[43:30]  ⁵⁰⁷ tn Heb “and he sought to weep.”

[43:31]  ⁵⁰⁸ tn Heb “and he controlled himself and said.”

[43:32]  ⁵⁰⁹ tn Heb “them”; the referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[43:32]  ⁵¹⁰ tn Or “disgraceful.” The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “abomination”) describes something that is loathsome or off-limits. For other practices the Egyptians considered disgusting, see Gen 46:34 and Exod 8:22.

[43:32]  ⁵¹¹ tn Heb “and they set for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who were eating with him by themselves, for the Egyptians are not able to eat food with the Hebrews, for it is an abomination for the Egyptians.” The imperfect verbal form in the explanatory clause is taken as habitual in force, indicating a practice that was still in effect in the narrator’s time.

[43:33]  ⁵¹² tn Heb “the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth.”

[43:33]  ⁵¹³ sn The brothers’ astonishment indicates that Joseph arranged them in this way. They were astonished because there was no way, as far as they were concerned, that Joseph could have known the order of their birth.

[43:34]  ⁵¹⁴ tn Heb “and he lifted up portions from before his face to them.”

[43:34]  ⁵¹⁵ tn Heb “and they drank and were intoxicated with him” (cf. NIV “drank freely with him”; NEB “grew merry”; NRSV “were merry”). The brothers were apparently relaxed and set at ease, despite Joseph’s obvious favoritism toward Benjamin.

[6:14]  ⁵¹⁶ sn The Hebrew verb is an imperative. A motif of this section is that Noah did as the Lord commanded him – he was obedient. That obedience had to come from faith in the word of the Lord. So the theme of obedience to God’s word is prominent in this prologue to the law.

[6:14]  ⁵¹⁷ tn A transliteration of the Hebrew term yields “gopher (גֹּפֶר, gofer) wood” (so KJV, NAB, NASB). While the exact nature of the wood involved is uncertain (cf. NLT “resinous wood”), many modern translations render the Hebrew term as “cypress” (so NEB, NIV, NRSV).

[6:14]  ⁵¹⁸ tn The Hebrew term כָּפָר (kafar, “to cover, to smear” [= to caulk]) appears here in the Qal stem with its primary, nonmetaphorical meaning. The Piel form כִּפֶּר (kipper), which has the metaphorical meaning “to atone, to expiate, to pacify,” is used in Levitical texts (see HALOT 493-94 s.v. כפר). Some authorities regard the form in v. 14 as a homonym of the much more common Levitical term (see BDB 498 s.v. כָּפָר).

[9:16]  ⁵¹⁹ tn The translation assumes that the infinitive לִזְכֹּר (lizkor, “to remember”) here expresses the result of seeing the rainbow. Another option is to understand it as indicating purpose, in which case it could be translated, “I will look at it so that I may remember.”

[10:19]  ⁵²⁰ tn Heb “were.”

[10:19]  ⁵²¹ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[10:19]  ⁵²² tn Heb “as you go.”

[10:19]  ⁵²³ tn Heb “as you go.”

[10:21]  ⁵²⁴ tn Heb “And to Shem was born.”

[10:21]  ⁵²⁵ tn Or “whose older brother was Japheth.” Some translations render Japheth as the older brother, understanding the adjective הַגָּדוֹל (haggadol, “older”) as modifying Japheth. However, in Hebrew when a masculine singular definite attributive adjective follows the sequence masculine singular construct noun + proper name, the adjective invariably modifies the noun in construct, not the proper name. Such is the case here. See Deut 11:7; Judg 1:13; 2:7; 3:9; 9:5; 2 Kgs 15:35; 2 Chr 27:3; Neh 3:30; Jer 13:9; 36:10; Ezek 10:19; 11:1.

[16:13]  ⁵²⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[16:13]  ⁵²⁷ map For location see Map1 C1; Map2 F4.

[16:13]  ⁵²⁸ tn Grk “he asked his disciples, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has been left untranslated.

[16:14]  ⁵²⁹ sn The appearance of Elijah would mean that the end time had come. According to 2 Kgs 2:11, Elijah was still alive. In Mal 4:5 it is said that Elijah would be the precursor of Messiah.

[16:16]  ⁵³⁰ tn Grk “And answering, Simon Peter said.”

[16:16]  ⁵³¹ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[21:46]  ⁵³² tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowds) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Both previous occurrences of “they” in this verse refer to the chief priests and the Pharisees.

[7:16]  ⁵³³ tn Or “Awe.” Grk “fear,” but the context and the following remark show that it is mixed with wonder; see L&N 53.59. This is a reaction to God’s work; see Luke 5:9.

[7:16]  ⁵³⁴ tn This imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[7:16]  ⁵³⁵ sn That Jesus was a great prophet was a natural conclusion for the crowd to make, given the healing; but Jesus is more than this. See Luke 9:8, 19-20.

[7:16]  ⁵³⁶ tn Grk “arisen.”

[7:16]  ⁵³⁷ tn Grk “visited,” but this conveys a different impression to a modern reader. L&N 85.11 renders the verb, “to be present, with the implication of concern – ‘to be present to help, to be on hand to aid.’ … ‘God has come to help his people’ Lk 7:16.” The language recalls Luke 1:68, 78.