Genesis 28:1--32:32

28:1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman! ¹  28:2 Leave immediately ²  for Paddan Aram! Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and find yourself a wife there, among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 28:3 May the sovereign God ³  bless you! May he make you fruitful and give you a multitude of descendants! ⁴  Then you will become ⁵  a large nation. ⁶  28:4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing he gave to Abraham ⁷  so that you may possess the land ⁸  God gave to Abraham, the land where you have been living as a temporary resident.” ⁹  28:5 So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

28:6 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him off to Paddan Aram to find a wife there. ¹⁰  As he blessed him, ¹¹  Isaac commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” ¹²  28:7 Jacob obeyed his father and mother and left for Paddan Aram. 28:8 Then Esau realized ¹³  that the Canaanite women ¹⁴  were displeasing to ¹⁵  his father Isaac. 28:9 So Esau went to Ishmael and married ¹⁶  Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, along with the wives he already had.

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

28:10 Meanwhile Jacob left Beer Sheba and set out for Haran. 28:11 He reached a certain place ¹⁷  where he decided to camp because the sun had gone down. ¹⁸  He took one of the stones ¹⁹  and placed it near his head. ²⁰  Then he fell asleep ²¹  in that place 28:12 and had a dream. ²²  He saw ²³  a stairway ²⁴  erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it 28:13 and the Lord stood at its top. He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. ²⁵  I will give you and your descendants the ground ²⁶  you are lying on. 28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, ²⁷  and you will spread out ²⁸  to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ²⁹  using your name and that of your descendants. ³⁰  28:15 I am with you! ³¹  I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you!”

28:16 Then Jacob woke up ³²  and thought, ³³  “Surely the Lord is in this place, but I did not realize it!” 28:17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!”

28:18 Early ³⁴  in the morning Jacob ³⁵  took the stone he had placed near his head ³⁶  and set it up as a sacred stone. ³⁷  Then he poured oil on top of it. 28:19 He called that place Bethel, ³⁸  although the former name of the town was Luz. 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food ³⁹  to eat and clothing to wear, 28:21 and I return safely to my father’s home, ⁴⁰  then the Lord will become my God. 28:22 Then this stone ⁴¹  that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely ⁴²  give you back a tenth of everything you give me.” ⁴³ 

The Marriages of Jacob

29:1 So Jacob moved on ⁴⁴  and came to the land of the eastern people. ⁴⁵  29:2 He saw ⁴⁶  in the field a well with ⁴⁷  three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. Now ⁴⁸  a large stone covered the mouth of the well. 29:3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds ⁴⁹  would roll the stone off the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the well’s mouth.

29:4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” They replied, “We’re from Haran.” 29:5 So he said to them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson ⁵⁰  of Nahor?” “We know him,” ⁵¹  they said. 29:6 “Is he well?” ⁵²  Jacob asked. They replied, “He is well. ⁵³  Now look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.” 29:7 Then Jacob ⁵⁴  said, “Since it is still the middle of the day, ⁵⁵  it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more.” ⁵⁶  29:8 “We can’t,” they said, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled off the mouth of the well. Then we water ⁵⁷  the sheep.”

29:9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was tending them. ⁵⁸  29:10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, ⁵⁹  and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he ⁶⁰  went over ⁶¹  and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. ⁶²  29:11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep loudly. ⁶³  29:12 When Jacob explained ⁶⁴  to Rachel that he was a relative of her father ⁶⁵  and the son of Rebekah, she ran and told her father. 29:13 When Laban heard this news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he rushed out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob ⁶⁶  told Laban how he was related to him. ⁶⁷  29:14 Then Laban said to him, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” ⁶⁸  So Jacob ⁶⁹  stayed with him for a month. ⁷⁰ 

29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work ⁷¹  for me for nothing because you are my relative? ⁷²  Tell me what your wages should be.” 29:16 (Now Laban had two daughters; ⁷³  the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel. 29:17 Leah’s eyes were tender, ⁷⁴  but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.) ⁷⁵  29:18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with ⁷⁶  Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.” 29:19 Laban replied, “I’d rather give her to you than to another man. ⁷⁷  Stay with me.” 29:20 So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. ⁷⁸  But they seemed like only a few days to him ⁷⁹  because his love for her was so great. ⁸⁰ 

29:21 Finally Jacob said ⁸¹  to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. ⁸²  I want to have marital relations with her.” ⁸³  29:22 So Laban invited all the people ⁸⁴  of that place and prepared a feast. 29:23 In the evening he brought his daughter Leah ⁸⁵  to Jacob, ⁸⁶  and Jacob ⁸⁷  had marital relations with her. ⁸⁸  29:24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) ⁸⁹ 

29:25 In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! ⁹⁰  So Jacob ⁹¹  said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me! ⁹²  Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked ⁹³  me?” 29:26 “It is not our custom here,” ⁹⁴  Laban replied, “to give the younger daughter in marriage ⁹⁵  before the firstborn. 29:27 Complete my older daughter’s bridal week. ⁹⁶  Then we will give you the younger one ⁹⁷  too, in exchange for seven more years of work.” ⁹⁸ 

29:28 Jacob did as Laban said. ⁹⁹  When Jacob ¹⁰⁰  completed Leah’s bridal week, ¹⁰¹  Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. ¹⁰²  29:29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) ¹⁰³  29:30 Jacob ¹⁰⁴  had marital relations ¹⁰⁵  with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban ¹⁰⁶  for seven more years. ¹⁰⁷ 

The Family of Jacob

29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, ¹⁰⁸  he enabled her to become pregnant ¹⁰⁹  while Rachel remained childless. 29:32 So Leah became pregnant ¹¹⁰  and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, ¹¹¹  for she said, “The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. ¹¹²  Surely my husband will love me now.”

29:33 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Because the Lord heard that I was unloved, ¹¹³  he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. ¹¹⁴ 

29:34 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Now this time my husband will show me affection, ¹¹⁵  because I have given birth to three sons for him.” That is why he was named Levi. ¹¹⁶ 

29:35 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” That is why she named him Judah. ¹¹⁷  Then she stopped having children.

30:1 When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she ¹¹⁸  became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children ¹¹⁹  or I’ll die!” 30:2 Jacob became furious ¹²⁰  with Rachel and exclaimed, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” ¹²¹  30:3 She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with ¹²²  her so that she can bear ¹²³  children ¹²⁴  for me ¹²⁵  and I can have a family through her.” ¹²⁶ 

30:4 So Rachel ¹²⁷  gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had marital relations with ¹²⁸  her. 30:5 Bilhah became pregnant ¹²⁹  and gave Jacob a son. ¹³⁰  30:6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer ¹³¹  and given me a son.” That is why ¹³²  she named him Dan. ¹³³ 

30:7 Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, became pregnant again and gave Jacob another son. ¹³⁴  30:8 Then Rachel said, “I have fought a desperate struggle with my sister, but I have won.” ¹³⁵  So she named him Naphtali. ¹³⁶ 

30:9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave ¹³⁷  her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. 30:10 Soon Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob a son. ¹³⁸  30:11 Leah said, “How fortunate!” ¹³⁹  So she named him Gad. ¹⁴⁰ 

30:12 Then Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob another son. ¹⁴¹  30:13 Leah said, “How happy I am, ¹⁴²  for women ¹⁴³  will call me happy!” So she named him Asher. ¹⁴⁴ 

30:14 At the time ¹⁴⁵  of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants ¹⁴⁶  in a field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 30:15 But Leah replied, ¹⁴⁷  “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes too?” “All right,” ¹⁴⁸  Rachel said, “he may sleep ¹⁴⁹  with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 30:16 When Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must sleep ¹⁵⁰  with me because I have paid for your services ¹⁵¹  with my son’s mandrakes.” So he had marital relations ¹⁵²  with her that night. 30:17 God paid attention ¹⁵³  to Leah; she became pregnant ¹⁵⁴  and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time. ¹⁵⁵  30:18 Then Leah said, “God has granted me a reward ¹⁵⁶  because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife.” ¹⁵⁷  So she named him Issachar. ¹⁵⁸ 

30:19 Leah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a son for the sixth time. ¹⁵⁹  30:20 Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will honor me because I have given him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. ¹⁶⁰ 

30:21 After that she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

30:22 Then God took note of ¹⁶¹  Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant. ¹⁶²  30:23 She became pregnant ¹⁶³  and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.” ¹⁶⁴  30:24 She named him Joseph, ¹⁶⁵  saying, “May the Lord give me yet another son.”

The Flocks of Jacob

30:25 After Rachel had given birth ¹⁶⁶  to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send ¹⁶⁷  me on my way so that I can go ¹⁶⁸  home to my own country. ¹⁶⁹  30:26 Let me take my wives and my children whom I have acquired by working for you. ¹⁷⁰  Then I’ll depart, ¹⁷¹  because you know how hard I’ve worked for you.” ¹⁷² 

30:27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, ¹⁷³  for I have learned by divination ¹⁷⁴  that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.” 30:28 He added, “Just name your wages – I’ll pay whatever you want.” ¹⁷⁵ 

30:29 “You know how I have worked for you,” Jacob replied, ¹⁷⁶  “and how well your livestock have fared under my care. ¹⁷⁷  30:30 Indeed, ¹⁷⁸  you had little before I arrived, ¹⁷⁹  but now your possessions have increased many times over. ¹⁸⁰  The Lord has blessed you wherever I worked. ¹⁸¹  But now, how long must it be before I do something for my own family too?” ¹⁸² 

30:31 So Laban asked, ¹⁸³  “What should I give you?” “You don’t need to give me a thing,” ¹⁸⁴  Jacob replied, ¹⁸⁵  “but if you agree to this one condition, ¹⁸⁶  I will continue to care for ¹⁸⁷  your flocks and protect them: 30:32 Let me walk among ¹⁸⁸  all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, ¹⁸⁹  and the spotted or speckled goats. ¹⁹⁰  These animals will be my wages. ¹⁹¹  30:33 My integrity will testify for me ¹⁹²  later on. ¹⁹³  When you come to verify that I’ve taken only the wages we agreed on, ¹⁹⁴  if I have in my possession any goat that is not speckled or spotted or any sheep that is not dark-colored, it will be considered stolen.” ¹⁹⁵  30:34 “Agreed!” said Laban, “It will be as you say.” ¹⁹⁶ 

30:35 So that day Laban ¹⁹⁷  removed the male goats that were streaked or spotted, all the female goats that were speckled or spotted (all that had any white on them), and all the dark-colored lambs, and put them in the care ¹⁹⁸  of his sons. 30:36 Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey, ¹⁹⁹  while ²⁰⁰  Jacob was taking care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.

30:37 But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible. 30:38 Then he set up the peeled branches in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He set up the branches in front of the flocks when they were in heat and came to drink. ²⁰¹  30:39 When the sheep mated ²⁰²  in front of the branches, they ²⁰³  gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 30:40 Jacob removed these lambs, but he made the rest of the flock face ²⁰⁴  the streaked and completely dark-colored animals in Laban’s flock. So he made separate flocks for himself and did not mix them with Laban’s flocks. 30:41 When the stronger females were in heat, ²⁰⁵  Jacob would set up the branches in the troughs in front of the flock, so they would mate near the branches. 30:42 But if the animals were weaker, he did not set the branches there. ²⁰⁶  So the weaker animals ended up belonging to Laban ²⁰⁷  and the stronger animals to Jacob. 30:43 In this way Jacob ²⁰⁸  became extremely prosperous. He owned ²⁰⁹  large flocks, male and female servants, camels, and donkeys.

Jacob’s Flight from Laban

31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, ²¹⁰  “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich ²¹¹  at our father’s expense!” ²¹²  31:2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. ²¹³ 

31:3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers ²¹⁴  and to your relatives. I will be with you.” ²¹⁵  31:4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah ²¹⁶  to come to the field ²¹⁷  where his flocks were. ²¹⁸  31:5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, ²¹⁹  but the God of my father has been with me. 31:6 You know that I’ve worked for your father as hard as I could, ²²⁰  31:7 but your father has humiliated ²²¹  me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. 31:8 If he said, ²²²  ‘The speckled animals ²²³  will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled offspring. But if he said, ‘The streaked animals will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked offspring. 31:9 In this way God has snatched away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

31:10 “Once ²²⁴  during breeding season I saw ²²⁵  in a dream that the male goats mating with ²²⁶  the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 31:11 In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Here I am!’ I replied. 31:12 Then he said, ‘Observe ²²⁷  that all the male goats mating with ²²⁸  the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, ²²⁹  where you anointed ²³⁰  the sacred stone and made a vow to me. ²³¹  Now leave this land immediately ²³²  and return to your native land.’”

31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance ²³³  in our father’s house? 31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted ²³⁴  the money paid for us! ²³⁵  31:16 Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you.”

31:17 So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. ²³⁶  31:18 He took ²³⁷  away all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram and all his moveable property that he had accumulated. Then he set out toward the land of Canaan to return to his father Isaac. ²³⁸ 

31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, ²³⁹  Rachel stole the household idols ²⁴⁰  that belonged to her father. 31:20 Jacob also deceived ²⁴¹  Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. ²⁴²  31:21 He left ²⁴³  with all he owned. He quickly crossed ²⁴⁴  the Euphrates River ²⁴⁵  and headed for ²⁴⁶  the hill country of Gilead.

31:22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. ²⁴⁷  31:23 So he took his relatives ²⁴⁸  with him and pursued Jacob ²⁴⁹  for seven days. ²⁵⁰  He caught up with ²⁵¹  him in the hill country of Gilead. 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, ²⁵²  “Be careful ²⁵³  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” ²⁵⁴ 

31:25 Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. ²⁵⁵  31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me ²⁵⁶  and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! ²⁵⁷  31:27 Why did you run away secretly ²⁵⁸  and deceive me? ²⁵⁹  Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? ²⁶⁰  31:28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren ²⁶¹  good-bye. You have acted foolishly! 31:29 I have ²⁶²  the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful ²⁶³  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ ²⁶⁴  31:30 Now I understand that ²⁶⁵  you have gone away ²⁶⁶  because you longed desperately ²⁶⁷  for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?” ²⁶⁸ 

31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” ²⁶⁹  Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought ²⁷⁰  you might take your daughters away from me by force. ²⁷¹  31:32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! ²⁷²  In the presence of our relatives ²⁷³  identify whatever is yours and take it.” ²⁷⁴  (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) ²⁷⁵ 

31:33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, and Leah’s tent, and the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find the idols. ²⁷⁶  Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. ²⁷⁷  31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle ²⁷⁸  and sat on them.) ²⁷⁹  Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. ²⁸⁰  31:35 Rachel ²⁸¹  said to her father, “Don’t be angry, ²⁸²  my lord. I cannot stand up ²⁸³  in your presence because I am having my period.” ²⁸⁴  So he searched thoroughly, ²⁸⁵  but did not find the idols.

31:36 Jacob became angry ²⁸⁶  and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. ²⁸⁷  “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? ²⁸⁸  31:37 When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you? ²⁸⁹  Set it here before my relatives and yours, ²⁹⁰  and let them settle the dispute between the two of us! ²⁹¹ 

31:38 “I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 31:39 Animals torn by wild beasts I never brought to you; I always absorbed the loss myself. ²⁹²  You always made me pay for every missing animal, ²⁹³  whether it was taken by day or at night. 31:40 I was consumed by scorching heat ²⁹⁴  during the day and by piercing cold ²⁹⁵  at night, and I went without sleep. ²⁹⁶  31:41 This was my lot ²⁹⁷  for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave ²⁹⁸  for you – fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, but you changed my wages ten times! 31:42 If the God of my father – the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears ²⁹⁹  – had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, ³⁰⁰  and he rebuked you last night.”

31:43 Laban replied ³⁰¹  to Jacob, “These women ³⁰²  are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, ³⁰³  and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today ³⁰⁴  or the children to whom they have given birth? 31:44 So now, come, let’s make a formal agreement, ³⁰⁵  you and I, and it will be ³⁰⁶  proof that we have made peace.” ³⁰⁷ 

31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. 31:46 Then he ³⁰⁸  said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they brought stones and put them in a pile. ³⁰⁹  They ate there by the pile of stones. 31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, ³¹⁰  but Jacob called it Galeed. ³¹¹ 

31:48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement ³¹²  today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 31:49 It was also called Mizpah ³¹³  because he said, “May the Lord watch ³¹⁴  between us ³¹⁵  when we are out of sight of one another. ³¹⁶  31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize ³¹⁷  that God is witness to your actions.” ³¹⁸ 

31:51 “Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you,” Laban said to Jacob. ³¹⁹  31:52 “This pile of stones and the pillar are reminders that I will not pass beyond this pile to come to harm you and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to come to harm me. ³²⁰  31:53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, ³²¹  the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared. ³²²  31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice ³²³  on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. ³²⁴  They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.

31:55 (32:1) ³²⁵  Early in the morning Laban kissed ³²⁶  his grandchildren ³²⁷  and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. ³²⁸ 

Jacob Wrestles at Peniel

32:1 So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God ³²⁹  met him. 32:2 When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, ³³⁰  “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. ³³¹ 

32:3 Jacob sent messengers on ahead ³³²  to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region ³³³  of Edom. 32:4 He commanded them, “This is what you must say to my lord Esau: ‘This is what your servant ³³⁴  Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban until now. 32:5 I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent ³³⁵  this message ³³⁶  to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”

32:6 The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has four hundred men with him.” 32:7 Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels. 32:8 “If Esau attacks one camp,” ³³⁷  he thought, ³³⁸  “then the other camp will be able to escape.” ³³⁹ 

32:9 Then Jacob prayed, ³⁴⁰  “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said ³⁴¹  to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’ ³⁴²  32:10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love ³⁴³  you have shown ³⁴⁴  your servant. With only my walking stick ³⁴⁵  I crossed the Jordan, ³⁴⁶  but now I have become two camps. 32:11 Rescue me, ³⁴⁷  I pray, from the hand ³⁴⁸  of my brother Esau, ³⁴⁹  for I am afraid he will come ³⁵⁰  and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children. ³⁵¹  32:12 But you ³⁵²  said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper ³⁵³  and will make ³⁵⁴  your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’” ³⁵⁵ 

32:13 Jacob ³⁵⁶  stayed there that night. Then he sent ³⁵⁷  as a gift ³⁵⁸  to his brother Esau 32:14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 32:15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 32:16 He entrusted them to ³⁵⁹  his servants, who divided them into herds. ³⁶⁰  He told his servants, “Pass over before me, and keep some distance between one herd and the next.” 32:17 He instructed the servant leading the first herd, ³⁶¹  “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong? ³⁶²  Where are you going? Whose herds are you driving?’ ³⁶³  32:18 then you must say, ³⁶⁴  ‘They belong ³⁶⁵  to your servant Jacob. ³⁶⁶  They have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau. ³⁶⁷  In fact Jacob himself is behind us.’” ³⁶⁸ 

32:19 He also gave these instructions to the second and third servants, as well as all those who were following the herds, saying, “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. ³⁶⁹  32:20 You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’” ³⁷⁰  Jacob thought, ³⁷¹  “I will first appease him ³⁷²  by sending a gift ahead of me. ³⁷³  After that I will meet him. ³⁷⁴  Perhaps he will accept me.” ³⁷⁵  32:21 So the gifts were sent on ahead of him ³⁷⁶  while he spent that night in the camp. ³⁷⁷ 

32:22 During the night Jacob quickly took ³⁷⁸  his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons ³⁷⁹  and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. ³⁸⁰  32:23 He took them and sent them across the stream along with all his possessions. ³⁸¹  32:24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man ³⁸²  wrestled ³⁸³  with him until daybreak. ³⁸⁴  32:25 When the man ³⁸⁵  saw that he could not defeat Jacob, ³⁸⁶  he struck ³⁸⁷  the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

32:26 Then the man ³⁸⁸  said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” ³⁸⁹  “I will not let you go,” Jacob replied, ³⁹⁰  “unless you bless me.” ³⁹¹  32:27 The man asked him, ³⁹²  “What is your name?” ³⁹³  He answered, “Jacob.” 32:28 “No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him, ³⁹⁴  “but Israel, ³⁹⁵  because you have fought ³⁹⁶  with God and with men and have prevailed.”

32:29 Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” ³⁹⁷  “Why ³⁹⁸  do you ask my name?” the man replied. ³⁹⁹  Then he blessed ⁴⁰⁰  Jacob ⁴⁰¹  there. 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, ⁴⁰²  explaining, ⁴⁰³  “Certainly ⁴⁰⁴  I have seen God face to face ⁴⁰⁵  and have survived.” ⁴⁰⁶ 

32:31 The sun rose ⁴⁰⁷  over him as he crossed over Penuel, ⁴⁰⁸  but ⁴⁰⁹  he was limping because of his hip. 32:32 That is why to this day ⁴¹⁰  the Israelites do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the hip, because he struck ⁴¹¹  the socket of Jacob’s hip near the attached sinew.

Genesis 6:1

God’s Grief over Humankind’s Wickedness

6:1 When humankind ⁴¹²  began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born ⁴¹³  to them, ⁴¹⁴ 

Genesis 9:28

9:28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years.

Genesis 26:20-27

26:20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled ⁴¹⁵  with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water belongs to us!” So Isaac ⁴¹⁶  named the well ⁴¹⁷  Esek ⁴¹⁸  because they argued with him about it. ⁴¹⁹  26:21 His servants ⁴²⁰  dug another well, but they quarreled over it too, so Isaac named it ⁴²¹  Sitnah. ⁴²²  26:22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaac ⁴²³  named it ⁴²⁴  Rehoboth, ⁴²⁵  saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”

26:23 From there Isaac ⁴²⁶  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 ⁴²⁷  the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well. ⁴²⁸ 

26:26 Now Abimelech had come ⁴²⁹  to him from Gerar along with ⁴³⁰  Ahuzzah his friend ⁴³¹  and Phicol the commander of his army. 26:27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You hate me ⁴³²  and sent me away from you.”

[28:1]  ¹ tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:2]  ² tn Heb “Arise! Go!” The first of the two imperatives is adverbial and stresses the immediacy of the departure.

[28:3]  ³ tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[28:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “and make you fruitful and multiply you.” See Gen 17:6, 20 for similar terminology.

[28:3]  ⁵ tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here indicates consequence. The collocation הָיָה + preposition לְ (hayah + lÿ) means “become.”

[28:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “an assembly of peoples.”

[28:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “and may he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you.” The name “Abraham” is an objective genitive here; this refers to the blessing that God gave to Abraham.

[28:4]  ⁸ tn The words “the land” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[28:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “the land of your sojournings,” that is, the land where Jacob had been living as a resident alien, as his future descendants would after him.

[28:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “to take for himself from there a wife.”

[28:6]  ¹¹ tn The infinitive construct with the preposition and the suffix form a temporal clause.

[28:6]  ¹² tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:8]  ¹³ tn Heb “saw.”

[28:8]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “evil in the eyes of.”

[28:9]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “took for a wife.”

[28:11]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the place.” The article may indicate simply that the place is definite in the mind of the narrator. However, as the story unfolds the place is transformed into a holy place. See A. P. Ross, “Jacob’s Vision: The Founding of Bethel,” BSac 142 (1985): 224-37.

[28:11]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and he spent the night there because the sun had gone down.”

[28:11]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “he took from the stones of the place,” which here means Jacob took one of the stones (see v. 18).

[28:11]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and he put [it at] the place of his head.” The text does not actually say the stone was placed under his head to serve as a pillow, although most interpreters and translators assume this. It is possible the stone served some other purpose. Jacob does not seem to have been a committed monotheist yet (see v. 20-21) so he may have believed it contained some spiritual power. Note that later in the story he anticipates the stone becoming the residence of God (see v. 22). Many cultures throughout the world view certain types of stones as magical and/or sacred. See J. G. Fraser, Folklore in the Old Testament, 231-37.

[28:11]  ²¹ tn Heb “lay down.”

[28:12]  ²² tn Heb “and dreamed.”

[28:12]  ²³ tn Heb “and look.” The scene which Jacob witnessed is described in three clauses introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh). In this way the narrator invites the reader to witness the scene through Jacob’s eyes. J. P. Fokkelman points out that the particle goes with a lifted arm and an open mouth: “There, a ladder! Oh, angels! and look, the Lord himself” (Narrative Art in Genesis [SSN], 51-52).

[28:12]  ²⁴ tn The Hebrew noun סֻלָּם (sullam, “ladder, stairway”) occurs only here in the OT, but there appears to be an Akkadian cognate simmiltu (with metathesis of the second and third consonants and a feminine ending) which has a specialized meaning of “stairway, ramp.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 34. For further discussion see C. Houtman, “What Did Jacob See in His Dream at Bethel? Some Remarks on Genesis 28:10-22,” VT 27 (1977): 337-52; J. G. Griffiths, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 76 (1964/65): 229-30; and A. R. Millard, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 78 (1966/67): 86-87.

[28:13]  ²⁵ tn Heb “the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.” The Hebrew word for “father” can typically be used in a broader sense than the English word, in this case referring to Abraham (who was Jacob’s grandfather). For stylistic reasons and for clarity, the words “your father” are supplied with “Isaac” in the translation.

[28:13]  ²⁶ tn The Hebrew term אֶרֶץ (’erets) can mean “[the] earth,” “land,” “region,” “piece of ground,” or “ground” depending on the context. Here the term specifically refers to the plot of ground on which Jacob was lying, but at the same time this stands by metonymy for the entire land of Canaan.

[28:14]  ²⁷ tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.

[28:14]  ²⁸ tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.

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

[28:14]  ³⁰ tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”

[28:15]  ³¹ tn Heb “Look, I [am] with you.” The clause is a nominal clause; the verb to be supplied could be present (as in the translation) or future, “Look, I [will be] with you” (cf. NEB).

[28:16]  ³² tn Heb “woke up from his sleep.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[28:16]  ³³ tn Heb “said.”

[28:18]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and he got up early…and he took.”

[28:18]  ³⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:18]  ³⁶ tn See the note on this phrase in v. 11.

[28:18]  ³⁷ tn Heb “standing stone.”

[28:19]  ³⁸ tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew (see v. 17).

[28:20]  ³⁹ tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.

[28:21]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “and I return in peace to the house of my father.”

[28:22]  ⁴¹ tn The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/subject) is used to highlight the statement.

[28:22]  ⁴² tn The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb for emphasis.

[28:22]  ⁴³ tn Heb “and all which you give to me I will surely give a tenth of it to you.” The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/object) highlights this statement as well.

[29:1]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his feet.” This unusual expression suggests that Jacob had a new lease on life now that God had promised him the blessing he had so desperately tried to gain by his own efforts. The text portrays him as having a new step in his walk.

[29:1]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “the land of the sons of the east.”

[29:2]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “and he saw, and look.” As in Gen 28:12-15, the narrator uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here and in the next clause to draw the reader into the story.

[29:2]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “and look, there.”

[29:2]  ⁴⁸ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the noun with the prefixed conjunction) provides supplemental information that is important to the story.

[29:3]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the shepherds) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:5]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “son.”

[29:5]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “and they said, ‘We know.’” The word “him” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the translation several introductory clauses throughout this section have been placed after the direct discourse they introduce for stylistic reasons as well.

[29:6]  ⁵² tn Heb “and he said to them, ‘Is there peace to him?’”

[29:6]  ⁵³ tn Heb “peace.”

[29:7]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:7]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “the day is great.”

[29:7]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “water the sheep and go and pasture [them].” The verbal forms are imperatives, but Jacob would hardly be giving direct orders to someone else’s shepherds. The nuance here is probably one of advice.

[29:8]  ⁵⁷ tn The perfect verbal forms with the vav (ו) consecutive carry on the sequence begun by the initial imperfect form.

[29:9]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “was a shepherdess.”

[29:10]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother” (twice in this verse).

[29:10]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “Jacob.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:10]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “drew near, approached.”

[29:10]  ⁶² tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother.” The text says nothing initially about the beauty of Rachel. But the reader is struck by the repetition of “Laban the brother of his mother.” G. J. Wenham is no doubt correct when he observes that Jacob’s primary motive at this stage is to ingratiate himself with Laban (Genesis [WBC], 2:231).

[29:11]  ⁶³ tn Heb “and he lifted up his voice and wept.” The idiom calls deliberate attention to the fact that Jacob wept out loud.

[29:12]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “declared.”

[29:12]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “that he [was] the brother of her father.”

[29:13]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:13]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “and he told to Laban all these things.” This might mean Jacob told Laban how he happened to be there, but Laban’s response (see v. 14) suggests “all these things” refers to what Jacob had previously told Rachel (see v. 12).

[29:14]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “indeed, my bone and my flesh are you.” The expression sounds warm enough, but the presence of “indeed” may suggest that Laban had to be convinced of Jacob’s identity before permitting him to stay. To be one’s “bone and flesh” is to be someone’s blood relative. For example, the phrase describes the relationship between Abimelech and the Shechemites (Judg 9:2; his mother was a Shechemite); David and the Israelites (2 Sam 5:1); David and the elders of Judah (2 Sam 19:12,); and David and his nephew Amasa (2 Sam 19:13, see 2 Sam 17:2; 1 Chr 2:16-17).

[29:14]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:14]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “a month of days.”

[29:15]  ⁷¹ tn The verb is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; the nuance in the question is deliberative.

[29:15]  ⁷² tn Heb “my brother.” The term “brother” is used in a loose sense; actually Jacob was Laban’s nephew.

[29:16]  ⁷³ tn Heb “and to Laban [there were] two daughters.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a prepositional phrase) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, vv. 16-17 have been set in parentheses in the translation.

[29:17]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “and the eyes of Leah were tender.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a noun) continues the parenthesis begun in v. 16. It is not clear what is meant by “tender” (or “delicate”) eyes. The expression may mean she had appealing eyes (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT), though some suggest that they were plain, not having the brightness normally expected. Either way, she did not measure up to her gorgeous sister.

[29:17]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “and Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance.”

[29:18]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “Jacob loved.”

[29:19]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “Better my giving her to you than my giving her to another man.”

[29:20]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “in exchange for Rachel.”

[29:20]  ⁷⁹ sn But they seemed like only a few days to him. This need not mean that the time passed quickly. More likely it means that the price seemed insignificant when compared to what he was getting in the bargain.

[29:20]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “because of his love for her.” The words “was so great” are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[29:21]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “and Jacob said.”

[29:21]  ⁸² tn Heb “my days are fulfilled.”

[29:21]  ⁸³ tn Heb “and I will go in to her.” The verb is a cohortative; it may be subordinated to the preceding request, “that I may go in,” or it may be an independent clause expressing his desire. The verb “go in” in this context refers to sexual intercourse (i.e., the consummation of the marriage).

[29:22]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “men.”

[29:23]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “and it happened in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her.”

[29:23]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “to him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:23]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:23]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “went in to her.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.

[29:24]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “and Laban gave to her Zilpah his female servant, to Leah his daughter [for] a servant.” This clause gives information parenthetical to the narrative.

[29:25]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “and it happened in the morning that look, it was Leah.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.

[29:25]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:25]  ⁹² tn Heb What is this you have done to me?” The use of the pronoun “this” is enclitic, adding emphasis to the question: “What in the world have you done to me?”

[29:25]  ⁹³ sn The Hebrew verb translated tricked here (רָמָה, ramah) is cognate to the noun used in Gen 27:35 to describe Jacob’s deception of Esau. Jacob is discovering that what goes around, comes around. See J. A. Diamond, “The Deception of Jacob: A New Perspective on an Ancient Solution to the Problem,” VT 34 (1984): 211-13.

[29:26]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “and Laban said, ‘It is not done so in our place.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:26]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “to give the younger.” The words “daughter” and “in marriage” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[29:27]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “fulfill the period of seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as “my older daughter” for clarity.

[29:27]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “this other one.”

[29:27]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “and we will give to you also this one in exchange for labor which you will work with me, still seven other years.”

[29:28]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “and Jacob did so.” The words “as Laban said” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:28]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:28]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “the seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as Leah to avoid confusion with Rachel, mentioned later in the verse.

[29:28]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “and he gave to him Rachel his daughter for him for a wife.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:29]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “and Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his female servant, for her for a servant.”

[29:30]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:30]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “went in also to Rachel.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.

[29:30]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:30]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “and he loved also Rachel, more than Leah, and he served with him still seven other years.”

[29:31]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “hated.” The rhetorical device of overstatement is used (note v. 30, which says simply that Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah) to emphasize that Rachel, as Jacob’s true love and the primary object of his affections, had an advantage over Leah.

[29:31]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “he opened up her womb.”

[29:32]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “Leah conceived” (also in vv. 33, 34, 35).

[29:32]  ¹¹¹ sn The name Reuben (רְאוּבֵן, rÿ’uven) means “look, a son.”

[29:32]  ¹¹² tn Heb “looked on my affliction.”

[29:33]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “hated.” See the note on the word “unloved” in v. 31.

[29:33]  ¹¹⁴ sn The name Simeon (שִׁמְעוֹן, shim’on) is derived from the verbal root שָׁמַע (shama’) and means “hearing.” The name is appropriate since it is reminder that the Lord “heard” about Leah’s unloved condition and responded with pity.

[29:34]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “will be joined to me.”

[29:34]  ¹¹⁶ sn The name Levi (לֵוִי, levi), the precise meaning of which is debated, was appropriate because it sounds like the verb לָוָה (lavah, “to join”), used in the statement recorded earlier in the verse.

[29:35]  ¹¹⁷ sn The name Judah (יְהוּדָה, yÿhudah) means “he will be praised” and reflects the sentiment Leah expresses in the statement recorded earlier in the verse. For further discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names ‘Israel’ and ‘Judah’ with an Excursus on the Etymology of Todah and Torah,” JBL 46 (1927): 151-85; and A. R. Millard, “The Meaning of the Name Judah,” ZAW 86 (1974): 216-18.

[30:1]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “Rachel.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“she”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:1]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “sons.”

[30:2]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “and the anger of Jacob was hot.”

[30:2]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb.”

[30:3]  ¹²² tn Heb “go in to.” The expression “go in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.

[30:3]  ¹²³ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates the immediate purpose of the proposed activity.

[30:3]  ¹²⁴ tn The word “children” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:3]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “upon my knees.” This is an idiomatic way of saying that Bilhah will be simply a surrogate mother. Rachel will adopt the child as her own.

[30:3]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “and I will be built up, even I, from her.” The prefixed verbal form with the conjunction is subordinated to the preceding prefixed verbal form and gives the ultimate purpose for the proposed action. The idiom of “built up” here refers to having a family (see Gen 16:2, as well as Ruth 4:11 and BDB 125 s.v. בָנָה).

[30:4]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “and she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:4]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “went in to.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.

[30:5]  ¹²⁹ tn Or “Bilhah conceived” (also in v. 7).

[30:5]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a son.”

[30:6]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “and also he has heard my voice.” The expression means that God responded positively to Rachel’s cry and granted her request.

[30:6]  ¹³² tn Or “therefore.”

[30:6]  ¹³³ sn The name Dan means “he vindicated” or “he judged.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. The verb translated “vindicated” is from דִּין (din, “to judge, to vindicate”), the same verbal root from which the name is derived. Rachel sensed that God was righting the wrong.

[30:7]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “and she became pregnant again and Bilhah, the servant of Rachel, bore a second son for Jacob.”

[30:8]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister, also I have prevailed.” The phrase “mighty struggle” reads literally “struggles of God.” The plural participle “struggles” reflects the ongoing nature of the struggle, while the divine name is used here idiomatically to emphasize the intensity of the struggle. See J. Skinner, Genesis (ICC), 387.

[30:8]  ¹³⁶ sn The name Naphtali (נַפְתָּלִי, naftali) must mean something like “my struggle” in view of the statement Rachel made in the preceding clause. The name plays on this earlier statement, “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister.”

[30:9]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “she took her servant Zilpah and gave her.” The verbs “took” and “gave” are treated as a hendiadys in the translation: “she gave.”

[30:10]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore for Jacob a son.”

[30:11]  ¹³⁹ tc The statement in the Kethib (consonantal text) appears to mean literally “with good fortune,” if one takes the initial בְּ (bet) as a preposition indicating accompaniment. The Qere (marginal reading) means “good fortune has arrived.”

[30:11]  ¹⁴⁰ sn The name Gad (גָּד, gad) means “good fortune.” The name reflects Leah’s feeling that good fortune has come her way, as expressed in her statement recorded earlier in the verse.

[30:12]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore a second son for Jacob.”

[30:13]  ¹⁴² tn The Hebrew statement apparently means “with my happiness.”

[30:13]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “daughters.”

[30:13]  ¹⁴⁴ sn The name Asher (אָשֶׁר, ’asher) apparently means “happy one.” The name plays on the words used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. Both the Hebrew noun and verb translated “happy” and “call me happy,” respectively, are derived from the same root as the name Asher.

[30:14]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “during the days.”

[30:14]  ¹⁴⁶ sn Mandrake plants were popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac in the culture of the time.

[30:15]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “and she said to her”; the referent of the pronoun “she” (Leah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:15]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “therefore.”

[30:15]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “lie down.” The expression “lie down with” in this context (here and in the following verse) refers to sexual intercourse. The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.

[30:16]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “must come in to me.” The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. She has acquired him for the night and feels he is obligated to have sexual relations with her.

[30:16]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “I have surely hired.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form for emphasis. The name Issachar (see v. 18) seems to be related to this expression.

[30:16]  ¹⁵² tn This is the same Hebrew verb (שָׁכַב, shakhav) translated “sleep with” in v. 15. In direct discourse the more euphemistic “sleep with” was used, but here in the narrative “marital relations” reflects more clearly the emphasis on sexual intercourse.

[30:17]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “listened to.”

[30:17]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 19).

[30:17]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a fifth son,” i.e., this was the fifth son that Leah had given Jacob.

[30:18]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “God has given my reward.”

[30:18]  ¹⁵⁷ tn The words “as a wife” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity (cf. v. 9).

[30:18]  ¹⁵⁸ sn The name Issachar (יְשָּׁשכָר, yishakhar) appears to mean “man of reward” or possibly “there is reward.” The name plays on the word used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew noun translated “reward” is derived from the same root as the name Issachar. The irony is that Rachel thought the mandrakes would work for her, and she was willing to trade one night for them. But in that one night Leah became pregnant.

[30:19]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “and she bore a sixth son for Jacob,” i.e., this was the sixth son that Leah had given Jacob.

[30:20]  ¹⁶⁰ sn The name Zebulun (זְבֻלוּן, zevulun) apparently means “honor.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew verb translated “will honor” and the name Zebulun derive from the same root.

[30:22]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “remembered.”

[30:22]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “and God listened to her and opened up her womb.” Since “God” is the subject of the previous clause, the noun has been replaced by the pronoun “he” in the translation for stylistic reasons

[30:23]  ¹⁶³ tn Or “conceived.”

[30:23]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “my reproach.” A “reproach” is a cutting taunt or painful ridicule, but here it probably refers by metonymy to Rachel’s barren condition, which was considered shameful in this culture and was the reason why she was the object of taunting and ridicule.

[30:24]  ¹⁶⁵ sn The name Joseph (יוֹסֵף, yoseph) means “may he add.” The name expresses Rachel’s desire to have an additional son. In Hebrew the name sounds like the verb (אָסַף,’asasf) translated “taken away” in the earlier statement made in v. 23. So the name, while reflecting Rachel’s hope, was also a reminder that God had removed her shame.

[30:25]  ¹⁶⁶ tn The perfect verbal form is translated as a past perfect because Rachel’s giving birth to Joseph preceded Jacob’s conversation with Laban.

[30:25]  ¹⁶⁷ tn The imperatival form here expresses a request.

[30:25]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[30:25]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “to my place and to my land.”

[30:26]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “give my wives and my children, for whom I have served you.” In one sense Laban had already “given” Jacob his two daughters as wives (Gen 29:21, 28). Here Jacob was asking for permission to take his own family along with him on the journey back to Canaan.

[30:26]  ¹⁷¹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[30:26]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “for you, you know my service [with] which I have served you.”

[30:27]  ¹⁷³ tn The words “please stay here” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[30:27]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Or perhaps “I have grown rich and the Lord has blessed me” (cf. NEB). See J. Finkelstein, “An Old Babylonian Herding Contract and Genesis 31:38f.,” JAOS 88 (1968): 34, n. 19.

[30:28]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “set your wage for me so I may give [it].”

[30:29]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “and he said to him, ‘You know how I have served you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons, and the referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:29]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “and how your cattle were with me.”

[30:30]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Or “for.”

[30:30]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “before me.”

[30:30]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “and it has broken out with respect to abundance.”

[30:30]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “at my foot.”

[30:30]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “How long [until] I do, also I, for my house?”

[30:31]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:31]  ¹⁸⁴ tn The negated imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance.

[30:31]  ¹⁸⁵ tn The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:31]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “If you do for me this thing.”

[30:31]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “I will return, I will tend,” an idiom meaning “I will continue tending.”

[30:32]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “pass through.”

[30:32]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Or “every black lamb”; Heb “and every dark sheep among the lambs.”

[30:32]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “and the spotted and speckled among the goats.”

[30:32]  ¹⁹¹ tn Heb “and it will be my wage.” The referent collective singular pronoun (“it) has been specified as “these animals” in the translation for clarity.

[30:33]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “will answer on my behalf.”

[30:33]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “on the following day,” or “tomorrow.”

[30:33]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “when you come concerning my wage before you.”

[30:33]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “every one which is not speckled and spotted among the lambs and dark among the goats, stolen it is with me.”

[30:34]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “and Laban said, ‘Good, let it be according to your word.’” On the asseverative use of the particle לוּ (lu) here, see HALOT 521 s.v. לוּ.

[30:35]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:35]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “and he gave [them] into the hand.”

[30:36]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “and he put a journey of three days between himself and Jacob.”

[30:36]  ²⁰⁰ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the vav with subject) is circumstantial/temporal; Laban removed the animals while Jacob was taking care of the rest.

[30:38]  ²⁰¹ sn He put the branches in front of the flocks…when they came to drink. It was generally believed that placing such “visual aids” before the animals as they were mating, it was possible to influence the appearance of their offspring. E. A. Speiser notes that “Jacob finds a way to outwit his father-in-law, through prenatal conditioning of the flock by visual aids – in conformance with universal folk beliefs” (Genesis [AB], 238). Nevertheless, in spite of Jacob’s efforts at animal husbandry, he still attributes the resulting success to God (see 31:5).

[30:39]  ²⁰² tn The Hebrew verb used here can mean “to be in heat” (see v. 38) or “to mate; to conceive; to become pregnant.” The latter nuance makes better sense in this verse, for the next clause describes them giving birth.

[30:39]  ²⁰³ tn Heb “the sheep.” The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“they”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:40]  ²⁰⁴ tn Heb “and he set the faces of.”

[30:41]  ²⁰⁵ tn Heb “and at every breeding-heat of the flock.”

[30:42]  ²⁰⁶ tn Heb “he did not put [them] in.” The referent of the [understood] direct object, “them,” has been specified as “the branches” in the translation for clarity.

[30:42]  ²⁰⁷ tn Heb “were for Laban.”

[30:43]  ²⁰⁸ tn Heb “the man”; Jacob’s name has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[30:43]  ²⁰⁹ tn Heb “and there were to him.”

[31:1]  ²¹⁰ tn Heb “and he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying.”

[31:1]  ²¹¹ sn The Hebrew word translated “gotten rich” (כָּבוֹד, cavod) has the basic idea of “weight.” If one is heavy with possessions, then that one is wealthy (13:2). Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph all became wealthy when they left the promised land. Jacob’s wealth foreshadows what will happen to Israel when they leave the land of Egypt (Exod 12:35-38).

[31:1]  ²¹² tn Heb “and from that which belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.”

[31:2]  ²¹³ tn Heb “and Jacob saw the face of Laban, and look, he was not with him as formerly.” Jacob knew from the expression on Laban’s face that his attitude toward him had changed – Jacob had become persona non grata.

[31:3]  ²¹⁴ tn Or perhaps “ancestors” (so NRSV), although the only “ancestors” Jacob had there were his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac.

[31:3]  ²¹⁵ sn I will be with you. Though Laban was no longer “with him,” the Lord promised to be.

[31:4]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “sent and called for Rachel and for Leah.” Jacob did not go in person, but probably sent a servant with a message for his wives to meet him in the field.

[31:4]  ²¹⁷ tn Heb “the field.” The word is an adverbial accusative, indicating that this is where Jacob wanted them to meet him. The words “to come to” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.

[31:4]  ²¹⁸ tn Heb “to his flock.”

[31:5]  ²¹⁹ tn Heb “I see the face of your father, that he is not toward me as formerly.”

[31:6]  ²²⁰ tn Heb “with all my strength.”

[31:7]  ²²¹ tn This rare verb means “to make a fool of” someone. It involves deceiving someone so that their public reputation suffers (see Exod 8:25).

[31:8]  ²²² tn In the protasis (“if” section) of this conditional clause, the imperfect verbal form has a customary nuance – whatever he would say worked to Jacob’s benefit.

[31:8]  ²²³ tn Heb “speckled” (twice this verse). The word “animals” (after the first occurrence of “speckled”) and “offspring” (after the second) have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The same two terms (“animals” and “offspring”) have been supplied after the two occurrences of “streaked” later in this verse.

[31:10]  ²²⁴ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator, “and it happened at the time of.”

[31:10]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “in the time of the breeding of the flock I lifted up my eyes and I saw.”

[31:10]  ²²⁶ tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

[31:12]  ²²⁷ tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”

[31:12]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

[31:13]  ²²⁹ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[31:13]  ²³⁰ sn You anointed the sacred stone. In Gen 28:18 the text simply reported that Jacob poured oil on top of the stone. Now that pouring is interpreted by the Lord as an anointing. Jacob had consecrated the place.

[31:13]  ²³¹ sn And made a vow to me. The second clause reminds Jacob of the vow he made to the Lord when he anointed the stone (Gen 28:20-22). God is now going to take him back to the land, and so he will have to fulfill his vow.

[31:13]  ²³² tn Heb “arise, leave!” The first imperative draws attention to the need for immediate action.

[31:14]  ²³³ tn The two nouns may form a hendiadys, meaning “a share in the inheritance” or “a portion to inherit.”

[31:15]  ²³⁴ tn Heb “and he devoured, even devouring.” The infinitive absolute (following the finite verb here) is used for emphasis.

[31:15]  ²³⁵ tn Heb “our money.” The word “money” is used figuratively here; it means the price paid for Leah and Rachel. A literal translation (“our money”) makes it sound as if Laban wasted money that belonged to Rachel and Leah, rather than the money paid for them.

[31:17]  ²³⁶ tn Heb “and Jacob arose and he lifted up his sons and his wives on to the camels.”

[31:18]  ²³⁷ tn Heb “drove,” but this is subject to misunderstanding in contemporary English.

[31:18]  ²³⁸ tn Heb “and he led away all his cattle and all his moveable property which he acquired, the cattle he obtained, which he acquired in Paddan Aram to go to Isaac his father to the land of Canaan.”

[31:19]  ²³⁹ tn This disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new scene. In the English translation it may be subordinated to the following clause.

[31:19]  ²⁴⁰ tn Or “household gods.” Some translations merely transliterate the Hebrew term תְּרָפִים (tÿrafim) as “teraphim,” which apparently refers to household idols. Some contend that possession of these idols guaranteed the right of inheritance, but it is more likely that they were viewed simply as protective deities. See M. Greenberg, “Another Look at Rachel’s Theft of the Teraphim,” JBL 81 (1962): 239-48.

[31:20]  ²⁴¹ tn Heb “stole the heart of,” an expression which apparently means “to deceive.” The repetition of the verb “to steal” shows that Jacob and Rachel are kindred spirits. Any thought that Laban would have resigned himself to their departure was now out of the question.

[31:20]  ²⁴² tn Heb “fleeing,” which reflects Jacob’s viewpoint.

[31:21]  ²⁴³ tn Heb “and he fled.”

[31:21]  ²⁴⁴ tn Heb “he arose and crossed.” The first verb emphasizes that he wasted no time in getting across.

[31:21]  ²⁴⁵ tn Heb “the river”; the referent (the Euphrates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:21]  ²⁴⁶ tn Heb “he set his face.”

[31:22]  ²⁴⁷ tn Heb “and it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.”

[31:23]  ²⁴⁸ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[31:23]  ²⁴⁹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:23]  ²⁵⁰ tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”

[31:23]  ²⁵¹ tn Heb “drew close to.”

[31:24]  ²⁵² tn Heb “said to him.”

[31:24]  ²⁵³ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:24]  ²⁵⁴ tn Heb “lest you speak with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 29, is uncertain. Since Laban proceeded to speak to Jacob at length, it cannot mean to maintain silence. Nor does it seem to be a prohibition against criticism (see vv. 26-30). Most likely it refers to a formal pronouncement, whether it be a blessing or a curse. Laban was to avoid saying anything to Jacob that would be intended to enhance him or to harm him.

[31:25]  ²⁵⁵ tn Heb “and Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban pitched with his brothers in the hill country of Gilead.” The juxtaposition of disjunctive clauses (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb in both clauses) indicates synchronism of action.

[31:26]  ²⁵⁶ tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).

[31:26]  ²⁵⁷ tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”

[31:27]  ²⁵⁸ tn Heb “Why did you hide in order to flee?” The verb “hide” and the infinitive “to flee” form a hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the other the adverb: “flee secretly.”

[31:27]  ²⁵⁹ tn Heb “and steal me.”

[31:27]  ²⁶⁰ tn Heb “And [why did] you not tell me so I could send you off with joy and with songs, with a tambourine and with a harp?”

[31:28]  ²⁶¹ tn Heb “my sons and my daughters.” Here “sons” refers to “grandsons,” and has been translated “grandchildren” since at least one granddaughter, Dinah, was involved. The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:29]  ²⁶² tn Heb “there is to my hand.”

[31:29]  ²⁶³ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:29]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 24, is uncertain. See the note on the same phrase in v. 24.

[31:30]  ²⁶⁵ tn Heb “and now.” The words “I understand that” have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[31:30]  ²⁶⁶ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the certainty of the action.

[31:30]  ²⁶⁷ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of emotion involved.

[31:30]  ²⁶⁸ sn Yet why did you steal my gods? This last sentence is dropped into the speech rather suddenly. See C. Mabee, “Jacob and Laban: The Structure of Judicial Proceedings,” VT 30 (1980): 192-207, and G. W. Coats, “Self-Abasement and Insult Formulas,” JBL 91 (1972): 90-92.

[31:31]  ²⁶⁹ tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘Because I was afraid.’” This statement is a not a response to the question about Laban’s household gods that immediately precedes, but to the earlier question about Jacob’s motivation for leaving so quickly and secretly (see v. 27). For this reason the words “I left secretly” are supplied in the translation to indicate the connection to Laban’s earlier question in v. 27. Additionally the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:31]  ²⁷⁰ tn Heb “for I said.”

[31:31]  ²⁷¹ tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”

[31:32]  ²⁷² tn Heb “With whomever you find your gods, he will not live.”

[31:32]  ²⁷³ tn Heb “brothers.”

[31:32]  ²⁷⁴ tn Heb “recognize for yourself what is with me and take for yourself.”

[31:32]  ²⁷⁵ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, it has been placed in parentheses in the translation.

[31:33]  ²⁷⁶ tn No direct object is specified for the verb “find” in the Hebrew text. The words “the idols” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[31:33]  ²⁷⁷ tn Heb “and he went out from the tent of Leah and went into the tent of Rachel.”

[31:34]  ²⁷⁸ tn The “camel’s saddle” was probably some sort of basket-saddle, a cushioned saddle with a basket bound on. Cf. NAB “inside a camel cushion.”

[31:34]  ²⁷⁹ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides another parenthetical statement necessary to the storyline.

[31:34]  ²⁸⁰ tn The word “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[31:35]  ²⁸¹ tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:35]  ²⁸² tn Heb “let it not be hot in the eyes of my lord.” This idiom refers to anger, in this case as a result of Rachel’s failure to stand in the presence of her father as a sign of respect.

[31:35]  ²⁸³ tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”

[31:35]  ²⁸⁴ tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.

[31:35]  ²⁸⁵ tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

[31:36]  ²⁸⁶ tn Heb “it was hot to Jacob.” This idiom refers to anger.

[31:36]  ²⁸⁷ tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘What is my sin?’” The proper name “Jacob” has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation and the order of the introductory clause and direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[31:36]  ²⁸⁸ tn Heb “What is my sin that you have hotly pursued after me.” The Hebrew verb translated “pursue hotly” is used elsewhere of soldiers chasing defeated enemies (1 Sam 17:53).

[31:37]  ²⁸⁹ tn Heb “what did you find from all the goods of your house?”

[31:37]  ²⁹⁰ tn Heb “your relatives.” The word “relatives” has not been repeated in the translation here for stylistic reasons.

[31:37]  ²⁹¹ tn Heb “that they may decide between us two.”

[31:39]  ²⁹² tn The imperfect verbal form indicates that this was a customary or typical action.

[31:39]  ²⁹³ tn Heb “from my hand you exacted it.” The imperfect verbal form again indicates that this was a customary or typical action. The words “for every missing animal” are supplied in the translation for clarity; the following clause in Hebrew, “stolen by day or stolen by night,” probably means “stolen by wild beasts” and refers to the same animals “torn by wild beasts” in the previous clause, although it may refer to animals stolen by people. The translation used here, “missing,” is ambiguous enough to cover either eventuality.

[31:40]  ²⁹⁴ tn Or “by drought.”

[31:40]  ²⁹⁵ tn Heb “frost, ice,” though when contrasted with the חֹרֶב (khorev, “drought, parching heat”) of the day, “piercing cold” is more appropriate as a contrast.

[31:40]  ²⁹⁶ tn Heb “and my sleep fled from my eyes.”

[31:41]  ²⁹⁷ tn Heb “this to me.”

[31:41]  ²⁹⁸ tn Heb “served you,” but in this accusatory context the meaning is more “worked like a slave.”

[31:42]  ²⁹⁹ tn Heb “the fear of Isaac,” that is, the one whom Isaac feared and respected. For further discussion of this title see M. Malul, “More on pahad yitschaq (Gen. 31:42,53) and the Oath by the Thigh,” VT 35 (1985): 192-200.

[31:42]  ³⁰⁰ tn Heb “My oppression and the work of my hands God saw.”

[31:43]  ³⁰¹ tn Heb “answered and said.”

[31:43]  ³⁰² tn Heb “daughters.”

[31:43]  ³⁰³ tn Heb “children.”

[31:43]  ³⁰⁴ tn Heb “but to my daughters what can I do to these today?”

[31:44]  ³⁰⁵ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[31:44]  ³⁰⁶ tn The verb הָיָה (hayah) followed by the preposition לְ (lÿ) means “become.”

[31:44]  ³⁰⁷ tn Heb “and it will become a witness between me and you.”

[31:46]  ³⁰⁸ tn Heb “Jacob”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:46]  ³⁰⁹ sn The Hebrew word for “pile” is גַּל (gal), which sounds like the name “Galeed” (גַּלְעֵד, gal’ed). See v. 48.

[31:47]  ³¹⁰ sn Jegar Sahadutha. Laban the Aramean gave the place an Aramaic name which means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness.”

[31:47]  ³¹¹ sn Galeed also means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness,” but this name is Canaanite or Western Semitic and closer to later Hebrew. Jacob, though certainly capable of speaking Aramaic, here prefers to use the western dialect.

[31:48]  ³¹² tn Heb “a witness between me and you.”

[31:49]  ³¹³ tn Heb “and Mizpah.”

[31:49]  ³¹⁴ sn The name Mizpah (מִצְפָּה, mitspah), which means “watchpost,” sounds like the verb translated “may he watch” (יִצֶף, yitsef). Neither Laban nor Jacob felt safe with each other, and so they agreed to go their separate ways, trusting the Lord to keep watch at the border. Jacob did not need this treaty, but Laban, perhaps because he had lost his household gods, felt he did.

[31:49]  ³¹⁵ tn Heb “between me and you.”

[31:49]  ³¹⁶ tn Heb “for we will be hidden, each man from his neighbor.”

[31:50]  ³¹⁷ tn Heb “see.”

[31:50]  ³¹⁸ tn Heb “between me and you.”

[31:51]  ³¹⁹ tn Heb “and Laban said to Jacob, ‘Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between men and you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:52]  ³²⁰ tn Heb “This pile is a witness and the pillar is a witness, if I go past this pile to you and if you go past this pile and this pillar to me for harm.”

[31:53]  ³²¹ tn The God of Abraham and the god of Nahor. The Hebrew verb translated “judge” is plural, suggesting that Laban has more than one “god” in mind. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX, apparently in an effort to make the statement monotheistic, have a singular verb. In this case one could translate, “May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” However, Laban had a polytheistic world view, as evidenced by his possession of household idols (cf. 31:19). The translation uses “God” when referring to Abraham’s God, for Genesis makes it clear that Abraham worshiped the one true God. It employs “god” when referring to Nahor’s god, for in the Hebrew text Laban refers to a different god here, probably one of the local deities.

[31:53]  ³²² tn Heb “by the fear of his father Isaac.” See the note on the word “fears” in v. 42.

[31:54]  ³²³ tn The construction is a cognate accusative with the verb, expressing a specific sacrifice.

[31:54]  ³²⁴ tn Heb “bread, food.” Presumably this was a type of peace offering, where the person bringing the offering ate the animal being sacrificed.

[31:55]  ³²⁵ sn Beginning with 31:55, the verse numbers in the English Bible through 32:32 differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 31:55 ET = 32:1 HT, 32:1 ET = 32:2 HT, etc., through 32:32 ET = 32:33 HT. From 33:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.

[31:55]  ³²⁶ tn Heb “and Laban got up early in the morning and he kissed.”

[31:55]  ³²⁷ tn Heb “his sons.”

[31:55]  ³²⁸ tn Heb “to his place.”

[32:1]  ³²⁹ sn The phrase angels of God occurs only here and in Gen 28:12 in the OT. Jacob saw a vision of angels just before he left the promised land. Now he encounters angels as he prepares to return to it. The text does not give the details of the encounter, but Jacob’s response suggests it was amicable. This location was a spot where heaven made contact with earth, and where God made his presence known to the patriarch. See C. Houtman, “Jacob at Mahanaim: Some Remarks on Genesis XXXII 2-3,” VT 28 (1978): 37-44.

[32:2]  ³³⁰ tn Heb “and Jacob said when he saw them.”

[32:2]  ³³¹ sn The name Mahanaim apparently means “two camps.” Perhaps the two camps were those of God and of Jacob.

[32:3]  ³³² tn Heb “before him.”

[32:3]  ³³³ tn Heb “field.”

[32:4]  ³³⁴ sn Your servant. The narrative recounts Jacob’s groveling in fear before Esau as he calls his brother his “lord,” as if to minimize what had been done twenty years ago.

[32:5]  ³³⁵ tn Or “I am sending.” The form is a preterite with the vav consecutive; it could be rendered as an English present tense – as the Hebrew perfect/preterite allows – much like an epistolary aorist in Greek. The form assumes the temporal perspective of the one who reads the message.

[32:5]  ³³⁶ tn The words “this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:8]  ³³⁷ tn Heb “If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.”

[32:8]  ³³⁸ tn Heb “and he said, ‘If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.” The Hebrew verb אָמַר (’amar) here represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “he thought.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:8]  ³³⁹ tn Heb “the surviving camp will be for escape.” The word “escape” is a feminine noun. The term most often refers to refugees from war.

[32:9]  ³⁴⁰ tn Heb “said.”

[32:9]  ³⁴¹ tn Heb “the one who said.”

[32:9]  ³⁴² tn Heb “I will cause good” or “I will treat well [or “favorably”].” The idea includes more than prosperity, though that is its essential meaning. Here the form is subordinated to the preceding imperative and indicates purpose or result. Jacob is reminding God of his promise in the hope that God will honor his word.

[32:10]  ³⁴³ tn Heb “the loving deeds and faithfulness” (see 24:27, 49).

[32:10]  ³⁴⁴ tn Heb “you have done with.”

[32:10]  ³⁴⁵ tn Heb “for with my staff.” The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally translated “staff,” has been rendered as “walking stick” because a “staff” in contemporary English refers typically to the support personnel in an organization.

[32:10]  ³⁴⁶ tn Heb “this Jordan.”

[32:11]  ³⁴⁷ tn The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.

[32:11]  ³⁴⁸ tn The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”

[32:11]  ³⁴⁹ tn Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”

[32:11]  ³⁵⁰ tn Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”

[32:11]  ³⁵¹ sn Heb “me, [the] mother upon [the] sons.” The first person pronoun “me” probably means here “me and mine,” as the following clause suggests.

[32:12]  ³⁵² tn Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

[32:12]  ³⁵³ tn Or “will certainly deal well with you.” The infinitive absolute appears before the imperfect, underscoring God’s promise to bless. The statement is more emphatic than in v. 9.

[32:12]  ³⁵⁴ tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.

[32:12]  ³⁵⁵ tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.

[32:13]  ³⁵⁶ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:13]  ³⁵⁷ tn Heb “and he took from that which was going into his hand,” meaning that he took some of what belonged to him.

[32:13]  ³⁵⁸ sn The Hebrew noun translated gift can in some contexts refer to the tribute paid by a subject to his lord. Such a nuance is possible here, because Jacob refers to Esau as his lord and to himself as Esau’s servant (v. 4).

[32:16]  ³⁵⁹ tn Heb “and he put them in the hand of.”

[32:16]  ³⁶⁰ tn Heb “a herd, a herd, by itself,” or “each herd by itself.” The distributive sense is expressed by repetition.

[32:17]  ³⁶¹ tn Heb “the first”; this has been specified as “the servant leading the first herd” in the translation for clarity.

[32:17]  ³⁶² tn Heb “to whom are you?”

[32:17]  ³⁶³ tn Heb “and to whom are these before you?”

[32:18]  ³⁶⁴ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive; it has the nuance of an imperfect of instruction.

[32:18]  ³⁶⁵ tn The words “they belong” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:18]  ³⁶⁶ tn Heb “to your servant, to Jacob.”

[32:18]  ³⁶⁷ tn Heb “to my lord, to Esau.”

[32:18]  ³⁶⁸ tn Heb “and look, also he [is] behind us.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:19]  ³⁶⁹ tn Heb “And he commanded also the second, also the third, also all the ones going after the herds, saying: ‘According to this word you will speak when you find him.’”

[32:20]  ³⁷⁰ tn Heb “and look, your servant Jacob [is] behind us.”

[32:20]  ³⁷¹ tn Heb “for he said.” The referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “thought.”

[32:20]  ³⁷² tn Heb “I will appease his face.” The cohortative here expresses Jacob’s resolve. In the Book of Leviticus the Hebrew verb translated “appease” has the idea of removing anger due to sin or guilt, a nuance that fits this passage very well. Jacob wanted to buy Esau off with a gift of more than five hundred and fifty animals.

[32:20]  ³⁷³ tn Heb “with a gift going before me.”

[32:20]  ³⁷⁴ tn Heb “I will see his face.”

[32:20]  ³⁷⁵ tn Heb “Perhaps he will lift up my face.” In this context the idiom refers to acceptance.

[32:21]  ³⁷⁶ tn Heb “and the gift passed over upon his face.”

[32:21]  ³⁷⁷ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial/temporal.

[32:22]  ³⁷⁸ tn Heb “and he arose in that night and he took.” The first verb is adverbial, indicating that he carried out the crossing right away.

[32:22]  ³⁷⁹ tn The Hebrew term used here is יֶלֶד (yeled) which typically describes male offspring. Some translations render the term “children” but this is a problem because by this time Jacob had twelve children in all, including one daughter, Dinah, born to Leah (Gen 30:21). Benjamin, his twelfth son and thirteenth child, was not born until later (Gen 35:16-19).

[32:22]  ³⁸⁰ sn Hebrew narrative style often includes a summary statement of the whole passage followed by a more detailed report of the event. Here v. 22 is the summary statement, while v. 23 begins the detailed account.

[32:23]  ³⁸¹ tn Heb “and he sent across what he had.”

[32:24]  ³⁸² sn Reflecting Jacob’s perspective at the beginning of the encounter, the narrator calls the opponent simply “a man.” Not until later in the struggle does Jacob realize his true identity.

[32:24]  ³⁸³ sn The verb translated “wrestled” (וַיֵּאָבֵק, vayye’aveq) sounds in Hebrew like the names “Jacob” (יַעֲקֹב, ya’aqov) and “Jabbok” (יַבֹּק, yabboq). In this way the narrator links the setting, the main action, and the main participant together in the mind of the reader or hearer.

[32:24]  ³⁸⁴ tn Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”

[32:25]  ³⁸⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ³⁸⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ³⁸⁷ tn Or “injured”; traditionally “touched.” The Hebrew verb translated “struck” has the primary meanings “to touch; to reach; to strike.” It can, however, carry the connotation “to harm; to molest; to injure.” God’s “touch” cripples Jacob – it would be comparable to a devastating blow.

[32:26]  ³⁸⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:26]  ³⁸⁹ tn Heb “dawn has arisen.”

[32:26]  ³⁹⁰ tn Heb “and he said, ‘I will not let you go.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:26]  ³⁹¹ sn Jacob wrestled with a man thinking him to be a mere man, and on that basis was equal to the task. But when it had gone on long enough, the night visitor touched Jacob and crippled him. Jacob’s request for a blessing can only mean that he now knew that his opponent was supernatural. Contrary to many allegorical interpretations of the passage that make fighting equivalent to prayer, this passage shows that Jacob stopped fighting, and then asked for a blessing.

[32:27]  ³⁹² tn Heb “and he said to him.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:27]  ³⁹³ sn What is your name? The question is rhetorical, since the Lord obviously knew Jacob’s identity. But since the Lord is going to change Jacob’s name, this question is designed to bring focus Jacob’s attention on all that his name had come to signify.

[32:28]  ³⁹⁴ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:28]  ³⁹⁵ sn The name Israel is a common construction, using a verb with a theophoric element (אֵל, ’el) that usually indicates the subject of the verb. Here it means “God fights.” This name will replace the name Jacob; it will be both a promise and a call for faith. In essence, the Lord was saying that Jacob would have victory and receive the promises because God would fight for him.

[32:28]  ³⁹⁶ sn You have fought. The explanation of the name Israel includes a sound play. In Hebrew the verb translated “you have fought” (שָׂרִיתָ, sarita) sounds like the name “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל, yisra’el ), meaning “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). The name would evoke the memory of the fight and what it meant. A. Dillmann says that ever after this the name would tell the Israelites that, when Jacob contended successfully with God, he won the battle with man (Genesis, 2:279). To be successful with God meant that he had to be crippled in his own self-sufficiency (A. P. Ross, “Jacob at the Jabboq, Israel at Peniel,” BSac 142 [1985]: 51-62).

[32:29]  ³⁹⁷ sn Tell me your name. In primitive thought to know the name of a deity or supernatural being would enable one to use it for magical manipulation or power (A. S. Herbert, Genesis 12-50 [TBC], 108). For a thorough structural analysis of the passage discussing the plays on the names and the request of Jacob, see R. Barthes, “The Struggle with the Angel: Textual Analysis of Genesis 32:23-33,” Structural Analysis and Biblical Exegesis (PTMS), 21-33.

[32:29]  ³⁹⁸ tn The question uses the enclitic pronoun “this” to emphasize the import of the question.

[32:29]  ³⁹⁹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:29]  ⁴⁰⁰ tn The verb here means that the Lord endowed Jacob with success; he would be successful in everything he did, including meeting Esau.

[32:29]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:30]  ⁴⁰² sn The name Peniel means “face of God.” Since Jacob saw God face to face here, the name is appropriate.

[32:30]  ⁴⁰³ tn The word “explaining” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:30]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn Or “because.”

[32:30]  ⁴⁰⁵ sn I have seen God face to face. See the note on the name “Peniel” earlier in the verse.

[32:30]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn Heb “and my soul [= life] has been preserved.”

[32:31]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn Heb “shone.”

[32:31]  ⁴⁰⁸ sn The name is spelled Penuel here, apparently a variant spelling of Peniel (see v. 30).

[32:31]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn The disjunctive clause draws attention to an important fact: He may have crossed the stream, but he was limping.

[32:32]  ⁴¹⁰ sn On the use of the expression to this day, see B. S. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until This Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.

[32:32]  ⁴¹¹ tn Or “because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive. On the translation of the word “struck” see the note on this term in v. 25.

[6:1]  ⁴¹² tn The Hebrew text has the article prefixed to the noun. Here the article indicates the generic use of the word אָדָם (’adam): “humankind.”

[6:1]  ⁴¹³ tn This disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is circumstantial to the initial temporal clause. It could be rendered, “with daughters being born to them.” For another example of such a disjunctive clause following the construction וַיְהִיכִּי (vayÿhiki, “and it came to pass when”), see 2 Sam 7:1.

[6:1]  ⁴¹⁴ tn The pronominal suffix is third masculine plural, indicating that the antecedent “humankind” is collective.

[26:20]  ⁴¹⁵ tn The Hebrew verb translated “quarreled” describes a conflict that often has legal ramifications.

[26:20]  ⁴¹⁶ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:20]  ⁴¹⁷ tn Heb “and he called the name of the well.”

[26:20]  ⁴¹⁸ 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]  ⁴¹⁹ tn The words “about it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:21]  ⁴²⁰ tn Heb “they”; the referent (Isaac’s servants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:21]  ⁴²¹ tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:21]  ⁴²² 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]  ⁴²³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:22]  ⁴²⁴ tn Heb “and he called its name.”

[26:22]  ⁴²⁵ 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]  ⁴²⁶ tn Heb “and he went up from there”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:25]  ⁴²⁷ 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]  ⁴²⁸ tn Heb “and they dug there, the servants of Isaac, a well.”

[26:26]  ⁴²⁹ 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]  ⁴³⁰ tn Heb “and.”

[26:26]  ⁴³¹ 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]  ⁴³² tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, expressing the reason for his question.