Genesis 31:1--38:30

Jacob’s Flight from Laban

31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, ¹  “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich ²  at our father’s expense!” ³  31:2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. ⁴ 

31:3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers ⁵  and to your relatives. I will be with you.” ⁶  31:4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah ⁷  to come to the field ⁸  where his flocks were. ⁹  31:5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, ¹⁰  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, ¹¹  31:7 but your father has humiliated ¹²  me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. 31:8 If he said, ¹³  ‘The speckled animals ¹⁴  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 ¹⁵  during breeding season I saw ¹⁶  in a dream that the male goats mating with ¹⁷  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 ¹⁸  that all the male goats mating with ¹⁹  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, ²⁰  where you anointed ²¹  the sacred stone and made a vow to me. ²²  Now leave this land immediately ²³  and return to your native land.’”

31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance ²⁴  in our father’s house? 31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted ²⁵  the money paid for us! ²⁶  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. ²⁷  31:18 He took ²⁸  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. ²⁹ 

31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, ³⁰  Rachel stole the household idols ³¹  that belonged to her father. 31:20 Jacob also deceived ³²  Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. ³³  31:21 He left ³⁴  with all he owned. He quickly crossed ³⁵  the Euphrates River ³⁶  and headed for ³⁷  the hill country of Gilead.

31:22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. ³⁸  31:23 So he took his relatives ³⁹  with him and pursued Jacob ⁴⁰  for seven days. ⁴¹  He caught up with ⁴²  him in the hill country of Gilead. 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, ⁴³  “Be careful ⁴⁴  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” ⁴⁵ 

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. ⁴⁶  31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me ⁴⁷  and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! ⁴⁸  31:27 Why did you run away secretly ⁴⁹  and deceive me? ⁵⁰  Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? ⁵¹  31:28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren ⁵²  good-bye. You have acted foolishly! 31:29 I have ⁵³  the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful ⁵⁴  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ ⁵⁵  31:30 Now I understand that ⁵⁶  you have gone away ⁵⁷  because you longed desperately ⁵⁸  for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?” ⁵⁹ 

31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” ⁶⁰  Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought ⁶¹  you might take your daughters away from me by force. ⁶²  31:32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! ⁶³  In the presence of our relatives ⁶⁴  identify whatever is yours and take it.” ⁶⁵  (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) ⁶⁶ 

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. ⁶⁷  Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. ⁶⁸  31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle ⁶⁹  and sat on them.) ⁷⁰  Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. ⁷¹  31:35 Rachel ⁷²  said to her father, “Don’t be angry, ⁷³  my lord. I cannot stand up ⁷⁴  in your presence because I am having my period.” ⁷⁵  So he searched thoroughly, ⁷⁶  but did not find the idols.

31:36 Jacob became angry ⁷⁷  and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. ⁷⁸  “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? ⁷⁹  31:37 When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you? ⁸⁰  Set it here before my relatives and yours, ⁸¹  and let them settle the dispute between the two of us! ⁸² 

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. ⁸³  You always made me pay for every missing animal, ⁸⁴  whether it was taken by day or at night. 31:40 I was consumed by scorching heat ⁸⁵  during the day and by piercing cold ⁸⁶  at night, and I went without sleep. ⁸⁷  31:41 This was my lot ⁸⁸  for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave ⁸⁹  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 ⁹⁰  – 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, ⁹¹  and he rebuked you last night.”

31:43 Laban replied ⁹²  to Jacob, “These women ⁹³  are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, ⁹⁴  and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today ⁹⁵  or the children to whom they have given birth? 31:44 So now, come, let’s make a formal agreement, ⁹⁶  you and I, and it will be ⁹⁷  proof that we have made peace.” ⁹⁸ 

31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. 31:46 Then he ⁹⁹  said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they brought stones and put them in a pile. ¹⁰⁰  They ate there by the pile of stones. 31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, ¹⁰¹  but Jacob called it Galeed. ¹⁰² 

31:48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement ¹⁰³  today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 31:49 It was also called Mizpah ¹⁰⁴  because he said, “May the Lord watch ¹⁰⁵  between us ¹⁰⁶  when we are out of sight of one another. ¹⁰⁷  31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize ¹⁰⁸  that God is witness to your actions.” ¹⁰⁹ 

31:51 “Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you,” Laban said to Jacob. ¹¹⁰  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. ¹¹¹  31:53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, ¹¹²  the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared. ¹¹³  31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice ¹¹⁴  on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. ¹¹⁵  They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.

31:55 (32:1) ¹¹⁶  Early in the morning Laban kissed ¹¹⁷  his grandchildren ¹¹⁸  and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. ¹¹⁹ 

Jacob Wrestles at Peniel

32:1 So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God ¹²⁰  met him. 32:2 When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, ¹²¹  “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. ¹²² 

32:3 Jacob sent messengers on ahead ¹²³  to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region ¹²⁴  of Edom. 32:4 He commanded them, “This is what you must say to my lord Esau: ‘This is what your servant ¹²⁵  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 ¹²⁶  this message ¹²⁷  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,” ¹²⁸  he thought, ¹²⁹  “then the other camp will be able to escape.” ¹³⁰ 

32:9 Then Jacob prayed, ¹³¹  “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said ¹³²  to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’ ¹³³  32:10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love ¹³⁴  you have shown ¹³⁵  your servant. With only my walking stick ¹³⁶  I crossed the Jordan, ¹³⁷  but now I have become two camps. 32:11 Rescue me, ¹³⁸  I pray, from the hand ¹³⁹  of my brother Esau, ¹⁴⁰  for I am afraid he will come ¹⁴¹  and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children. ¹⁴²  32:12 But you ¹⁴³  said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper ¹⁴⁴  and will make ¹⁴⁵  your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’” ¹⁴⁶ 

32:13 Jacob ¹⁴⁷  stayed there that night. Then he sent ¹⁴⁸  as a gift ¹⁴⁹  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 ¹⁵⁰  his servants, who divided them into herds. ¹⁵¹  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, ¹⁵²  “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong? ¹⁵³  Where are you going? Whose herds are you driving?’ ¹⁵⁴  32:18 then you must say, ¹⁵⁵  ‘They belong ¹⁵⁶  to your servant Jacob. ¹⁵⁷  They have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau. ¹⁵⁸  In fact Jacob himself is behind us.’” ¹⁵⁹ 

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. ¹⁶⁰  32:20 You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’” ¹⁶¹  Jacob thought, ¹⁶²  “I will first appease him ¹⁶³  by sending a gift ahead of me. ¹⁶⁴  After that I will meet him. ¹⁶⁵  Perhaps he will accept me.” ¹⁶⁶  32:21 So the gifts were sent on ahead of him ¹⁶⁷  while he spent that night in the camp. ¹⁶⁸ 

32:22 During the night Jacob quickly took ¹⁶⁹  his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons ¹⁷⁰  and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. ¹⁷¹  32:23 He took them and sent them across the stream along with all his possessions. ¹⁷²  32:24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man ¹⁷³  wrestled ¹⁷⁴  with him until daybreak. ¹⁷⁵  32:25 When the man ¹⁷⁶  saw that he could not defeat Jacob, ¹⁷⁷  he struck ¹⁷⁸  the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

32:26 Then the man ¹⁷⁹  said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” ¹⁸⁰  “I will not let you go,” Jacob replied, ¹⁸¹  “unless you bless me.” ¹⁸²  32:27 The man asked him, ¹⁸³  “What is your name?” ¹⁸⁴  He answered, “Jacob.” 32:28 “No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him, ¹⁸⁵  “but Israel, ¹⁸⁶  because you have fought ¹⁸⁷  with God and with men and have prevailed.”

32:29 Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” ¹⁸⁸  “Why ¹⁸⁹  do you ask my name?” the man replied. ¹⁹⁰  Then he blessed ¹⁹¹  Jacob ¹⁹²  there. 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, ¹⁹³  explaining, ¹⁹⁴  “Certainly ¹⁹⁵  I have seen God face to face ¹⁹⁶  and have survived.” ¹⁹⁷ 

32:31 The sun rose ¹⁹⁸  over him as he crossed over Penuel, ¹⁹⁹  but ²⁰⁰  he was limping because of his hip. 32:32 That is why to this day ²⁰¹  the Israelites do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the hip, because he struck ²⁰²  the socket of Jacob’s hip near the attached sinew.

Jacob Meets Esau

33:1 Jacob looked up ²⁰³  and saw that Esau was coming ²⁰⁴  along with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants. 33:2 He put the servants and their children in front, with Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them. ²⁰⁵  33:3 But Jacob ²⁰⁶  himself went on ahead of them, and he bowed toward the ground seven times as he approached ²⁰⁷  his brother. 33:4 But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Then they both wept. 33:5 When Esau ²⁰⁸  looked up ²⁰⁹  and saw the women and the children, he asked, “Who are these people with you?” Jacob ²¹⁰  replied, “The children whom God has graciously given ²¹¹  your servant.” 33:6 The female servants came forward with their children and bowed down. ²¹²  33:7 Then Leah came forward with her children and they bowed down. Finally Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed down.

33:8 Esau ²¹³  then asked, “What did you intend ²¹⁴  by sending all these herds to meet me?” ²¹⁵  Jacob ²¹⁶  replied, “To find favor in your sight, my lord.” 33:9 But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother. Keep what belongs to you.” 33:10 “No, please take them,” Jacob said. ²¹⁷  “If I have found favor in your sight, accept ²¹⁸  my gift from my hand. Now that I have seen your face and you have accepted me, ²¹⁹  it is as if I have seen the face of God. ²²⁰  33:11 Please take my present ²²¹  that was brought to you, for God has been generous ²²²  to me and I have all I need.” ²²³  When Jacob urged him, he took it. ²²⁴ 

33:12 Then Esau ²²⁵  said, “Let’s be on our way! ²²⁶  I will go in front of you.” 33:13 But Jacob ²²⁷  said to him, “My lord knows that the children are young, ²²⁸  and that I have to look after the sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. ²²⁹  If they are driven too hard for even a single day, all the animals will die. 33:14 Let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the herds and the children, ²³⁰  until I come to my lord at Seir.”

33:15 So Esau said, “Let me leave some of my men with you.” ²³¹  “Why do that?” Jacob replied. ²³²  “My lord has already been kind enough to me.” ²³³ 

33:16 So that same day Esau made his way back ²³⁴  to Seir. 33:17 But ²³⁵  Jacob traveled to Succoth ²³⁶  where he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was called ²³⁷  Succoth. ²³⁸ 

33:18 After he left Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped near ²³⁹  the city. 33:19 Then he purchased the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent; he bought it ²⁴⁰  from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of money. ²⁴¹  33:20 There he set up an altar and called it “The God of Israel is God.” ²⁴² 

Dinah and the Shechemites

34:1 Now Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she bore to Jacob, went to meet ²⁴³  the young women ²⁴⁴  of the land. 34:2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who ruled that area, saw her, he grabbed her, forced himself on her, ²⁴⁵  and sexually assaulted her. ²⁴⁶  34:3 Then he became very attached ²⁴⁷  to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her. ²⁴⁸  34:4 Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Acquire this young girl as my wife.” ²⁴⁹  34:5 When ²⁵⁰  Jacob heard that Shechem ²⁵¹  had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field. So Jacob remained silent ²⁵²  until they came in.

34:6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went to speak with Jacob about Dinah. ²⁵³  34:7 Now Jacob’s sons had come in from the field when they heard the news. ²⁵⁴  They ²⁵⁵  were offended ²⁵⁶  and very angry because Shechem ²⁵⁷  had disgraced Israel ²⁵⁸  by sexually assaulting ²⁵⁹  Jacob’s daughter, a crime that should not be committed. ²⁶⁰ 

34:8 But Hamor made this appeal to them: “My son Shechem is in love with your daughter. ²⁶¹  Please give her to him as his wife. 34:9 Intermarry with us. ²⁶²  Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves. ²⁶³  34:10 You may live ²⁶⁴  among us, and the land will be open to you. ²⁶⁵  Live in it, travel freely in it, ²⁶⁶  and acquire property in it.”

34:11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s ²⁶⁷  father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and whatever you require of me ²⁶⁸  I’ll give. ²⁶⁹  34:12 You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive, ²⁷⁰  and I’ll give ²⁷¹  whatever you ask ²⁷²  of me. Just give me the young woman as my wife!”

34:13 Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem ²⁷³  had violated their sister Dinah. 34:14 They said to them, “We cannot give ²⁷⁴  our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace ²⁷⁵  to us. 34:15 We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become ²⁷⁶  like us by circumcising ²⁷⁷  all your males. 34:16 Then we will give ²⁷⁸  you our daughters to marry, ²⁷⁹  and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. 34:17 But if you do not agree to our terms ²⁸⁰  by being circumcised, then we will take ²⁸¹  our sister ²⁸²  and depart.”

34:18 Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem. ²⁸³  34:19 The young man did not delay in doing what they asked ²⁸⁴  because he wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah ²⁸⁵  badly. (Now he was more important ²⁸⁶  than anyone in his father’s household.) ²⁸⁷  34:20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate ²⁸⁸  of their city and spoke to the men of their city, 34:21 “These men are at peace with us. So let them live in the land and travel freely in it, for the land is wide enough ²⁸⁹  for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry. ²⁹⁰  34:22 Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand ²⁹¹  that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised. 34:23 If we do so, ²⁹²  won’t their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? So let’s consent to their demand, so they will live among us.”

34:24 All the men who assembled at the city gate ²⁹³  agreed with ²⁹⁴  Hamor and his son Shechem. Every male who assembled at the city gate ²⁹⁵  was circumcised. 34:25 In three days, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword ²⁹⁶  and went to the unsuspecting city ²⁹⁷  and slaughtered every male. 34:26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. 34:27 Jacob’s sons killed them ²⁹⁸  and looted the city because their sister had been violated. ²⁹⁹  34:28 They took their flocks, herds, and donkeys, as well as everything in the city and in the surrounding fields. ³⁰⁰  34:29 They captured as plunder ³⁰¹  all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, including everything in the houses.

34:30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought ruin ³⁰²  on me by making me a foul odor ³⁰³  among the inhabitants of the land – among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I ³⁰⁴  am few in number; they will join forces against me and attack me, and both I and my family will be destroyed!” 34:31 But Simeon and Levi replied, ³⁰⁵  “Should he treat our sister like a common prostitute?”

The Return to Bethel

35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once ³⁰⁶  to Bethel ³⁰⁷  and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” ³⁰⁸  35:2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. ³⁰⁹  Purify yourselves and change your clothes. ³¹⁰  35:3 Let us go up at once ³¹¹  to Bethel. Then I will make ³¹²  an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress ³¹³  and has been with me wherever I went.” ³¹⁴ 

35:4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession ³¹⁵  and the rings that were in their ears. ³¹⁶  Jacob buried them ³¹⁷  under the oak ³¹⁸  near Shechem 35:5 and they started on their journey. ³¹⁹  The surrounding cities were afraid of God, ³²⁰  and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

35:6 Jacob and all those who were with him arrived at Luz (that is, Bethel) ³²¹  in the land of Canaan. ³²²  35:7 He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel ³²³  because there God had revealed himself ³²⁴  to him when he was fleeing from his brother. 35:8 (Deborah, ³²⁵  Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel; thus it was named ³²⁶  Oak of Weeping.) ³²⁷ 

35:9 God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan Aram and blessed him. 35:10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but your name will no longer be called Jacob; Israel will be your name.” So God named him Israel. ³²⁸  35:11 Then God said to him, “I am the sovereign God. ³²⁹  Be fruitful and multiply! A nation – even a company of nations – will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants! ³³⁰  35:12 The land I gave ³³¹  to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you. To your descendants ³³²  I will also give this land.” 35:13 Then God went up from the place ³³³  where he spoke with him. 35:14 So Jacob set up a sacred stone pillar in the place where God spoke with him. ³³⁴  He poured out a drink offering on it, and then he poured oil on it. ³³⁵  35:15 Jacob named the place ³³⁶  where God spoke with him Bethel. ³³⁷ 

35:16 They traveled on from Bethel, and when Ephrath was still some distance away, ³³⁸  Rachel went into labor ³³⁹  – and her labor was hard. 35:17 When her labor was at its hardest, ³⁴⁰  the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you are having another son.” ³⁴¹  35:18 With her dying breath, ³⁴²  she named him Ben-Oni. ³⁴³  But his father called him Benjamin instead. ³⁴⁴  35:19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). ³⁴⁵  35:20 Jacob set up a marker ³⁴⁶  over her grave; it is ³⁴⁷  the Marker of Rachel’s Grave to this day.

35:21 Then Israel traveled on and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. ³⁴⁸  35:22 While Israel was living in that land, Reuben had sexual relations with ³⁴⁹  Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard about it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

35:23 The sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, as well as Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

35:24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.

35:25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.

35:26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher.

These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

35:27 So Jacob came back to his father Isaac in Mamre, ³⁵⁰  to Kiriath Arba ³⁵¹  (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. ³⁵²  35:28 Isaac lived to be 180 years old. ³⁵³  35:29 Then Isaac breathed his last and joined his ancestors. ³⁵⁴  He died an old man who had lived a full life. ³⁵⁵  His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

The Descendants of Esau

36:1 What follows is the account of Esau (also known as Edom). ³⁵⁶ 

36:2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: ³⁵⁷  Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter ³⁵⁸  of Zibeon the Hivite, 36:3 in addition to Basemath the daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.

36:4 Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, 36:5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

36:6 Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, all the people in his household, his livestock, his animals, and all his possessions which he had acquired in the land of Canaan and went to a land some distance away from ³⁵⁹  Jacob his brother 36:7 because they had too many possessions to be able to stay together and the land where they had settled ³⁶⁰  was not able to support them because of their livestock. 36:8 So Esau (also known as Edom) lived in the hill country of Seir. ³⁶¹ 

36:9 This is the account of Esau, the father ³⁶²  of the Edomites, in the hill country of Seir.

36:10 These were the names of Esau’s sons:

Eliphaz, the son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau’s wife Basemath.

36:11 The sons of Eliphaz were:

Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.

36:12 Timna, a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the sons ³⁶³  of Esau’s wife Adah.

36:13 These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons ³⁶⁴  of Esau’s wife Basemath.

36:14 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter ³⁶⁵  of Zibeon: She bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah to Esau.

36:15 These were the chiefs ³⁶⁶  among the descendants ³⁶⁷  of Esau, the sons of Eliphaz, Esau’s firstborn: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 36:16 chief Korah, ³⁶⁸  chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons ³⁶⁹  of Adah.

36:17 These were the sons of Esau’s son Reuel: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah. These were the chiefs descended from Reuel in the land of Edom; these were the sons ³⁷⁰  of Esau’s wife Basemath.

36:18 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah. These were the chiefs descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.

36:19 These were the sons of Esau (also known as Edom), and these were their chiefs.

36:20 These were the sons of Seir the Horite, ³⁷¹  who were living in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 36:21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, the descendants ³⁷²  of Seir in the land of Edom.

36:22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam; ³⁷³  Lotan’s sister was Timna.

36:23 These were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, ³⁷⁴  and Onam.

36:24 These were the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah (who discovered the hot springs ³⁷⁵  in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon).

36:25 These were the children ³⁷⁶  of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.

36:26 These were the sons of Dishon: ³⁷⁷  Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran.

36:27 These were the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.

36:28 These were the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

36:29 These were the chiefs of the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, 36:30 chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, according to their chief lists in the land of Seir.

36:31 These were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites: ³⁷⁸ 

36:32 Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom; the name of his city was Dinhabah.

36:33 When Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his place.

36:34 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.

36:35 When Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated the Midianites in the land of Moab, reigned in his place; the name of his city was Avith.

36:36 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place.

36:37 When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth by the River ³⁷⁹  reigned in his place.

36:38 When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.

36:39 When Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor died, Hadad ³⁸⁰  reigned in his place; the name of his city was Pau. ³⁸¹  His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.

36:40 These were the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families, according to their places, by their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth, 36:41 chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 36:42 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 36:43 chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements ³⁸²  in the land they possessed. This was Esau, the father of the Edomites.

Joseph’s Dreams

37:1 But Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, ³⁸³  in the land of Canaan. ³⁸⁴ 

37:2 This is the account of Jacob.

Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, ³⁸⁵  was taking care of ³⁸⁶  the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster ³⁸⁷  working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. ³⁸⁸  Joseph brought back a bad report about them ³⁸⁹  to their father.

37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons ³⁹⁰  because he was a son born to him late in life, ³⁹¹  and he made a special ³⁹²  tunic for him. 37:4 When Joseph’s ³⁹³  brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, ³⁹⁴  they hated Joseph ³⁹⁵  and were not able to speak to him kindly. ³⁹⁶ 

37:5 Joseph ³⁹⁷  had a dream, ³⁹⁸  and when he told his brothers about it, ³⁹⁹  they hated him even more. ⁴⁰⁰  37:6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: ⁴⁰¹  37:7 There we were, ⁴⁰²  binding sheaves of grain in the middle of the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright and your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down ⁴⁰³  to it!” 37:8 Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?” ⁴⁰⁴  They hated him even more ⁴⁰⁵  because of his dream and because of what he said. ⁴⁰⁶ 

37:9 Then he had another dream, ⁴⁰⁷  and told it to his brothers. “Look,” ⁴⁰⁸  he said. “I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 37:10 When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, saying, “What is this dream that you had? ⁴⁰⁹  Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?” ⁴¹⁰  37:11 His brothers were jealous ⁴¹¹  of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said. ⁴¹² 

37:12 When his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 37:13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers ⁴¹³  are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” ⁴¹⁴  Joseph replied. ⁴¹⁵  37:14 So Jacob ⁴¹⁶  said to him, “Go now and check on ⁴¹⁷  the welfare ⁴¹⁸  of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word.” So Jacob ⁴¹⁹  sent him from the valley of Hebron.

37:15 When Joseph reached Shechem, ⁴²⁰  a man found him wandering ⁴²¹  in the field, so the man asked him, “What are you looking for?” 37:16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Please tell ⁴²²  me where they are grazing their flocks.” 37:17 The man said, “They left this area, ⁴²³  for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

37:18 Now Joseph’s brothers ⁴²⁴  saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 37:19 They said to one another, “Here comes this master of dreams! ⁴²⁵  37:20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild ⁴²⁶  animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!” ⁴²⁷ 

37:21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph ⁴²⁸  from their hands, ⁴²⁹  saying, ⁴³⁰  “Let’s not take his life!” ⁴³¹  37:22 Reuben continued, ⁴³²  “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” ⁴³³  (Reuben said this ⁴³⁴  so he could rescue Joseph ⁴³⁵  from them ⁴³⁶  and take him back to his father.)

37:23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him ⁴³⁷  of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore. 37:24 Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty; ⁴³⁸  there was no water in it.)

37:25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up ⁴³⁹  and saw ⁴⁴⁰  a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. ⁴⁴¹  37:26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 37:27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him, ⁴⁴²  for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. ⁴⁴³  37:28 So when the Midianite ⁴⁴⁴  merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled ⁴⁴⁵  him ⁴⁴⁶  out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites ⁴⁴⁷  then took Joseph to Egypt.

37:29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! ⁴⁴⁸  He tore his clothes, 37:30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy isn’t there! And I, where can I go?” 37:31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a young goat, ⁴⁴⁹  and dipped the tunic in the blood. 37:32 Then they brought the special tunic to their father ⁴⁵⁰  and said, “We found this. Determine now whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”

37:33 He recognized it and exclaimed, “It is my son’s tunic! A wild animal has eaten him! ⁴⁵¹  Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 37:34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, ⁴⁵²  and mourned for his son many days. 37:35 All his sons and daughters stood by ⁴⁵³  him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. “No,” he said, “I will go to the grave mourning my son.” ⁴⁵⁴  So Joseph’s ⁴⁵⁵  father wept for him.

37:36 Now ⁴⁵⁶  in Egypt the Midianites ⁴⁵⁷  sold Joseph ⁴⁵⁸  to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. ⁴⁵⁹ 

Judah and Tamar

38:1 At that time Judah left ⁴⁶⁰  his brothers and stayed ⁴⁶¹  with an Adullamite man ⁴⁶²  named Hirah.

38:2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man ⁴⁶³  named Shua. ⁴⁶⁴  Judah acquired her as a wife ⁴⁶⁵  and had marital relations with her. ⁴⁶⁶  38:3 She became pregnant ⁴⁶⁷  and had a son. Judah named ⁴⁶⁸  him Er. 38:4 She became pregnant again and had another son, whom she named Onan. 38:5 Then she had ⁴⁶⁹  yet another son, whom she named Shelah. She gave birth to him in Kezib. ⁴⁷⁰ 

38:6 Judah acquired ⁴⁷¹  a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar. 38:7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord killed him.

38:8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Have sexual relations with ⁴⁷²  your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise ⁴⁷³  up a descendant for your brother.” ⁴⁷⁴  38:9 But Onan knew that the child ⁴⁷⁵  would not be considered his. ⁴⁷⁶  So whenever ⁴⁷⁷  he had sexual relations with ⁴⁷⁸  his brother’s wife, he withdrew prematurely ⁴⁷⁹  so as not to give his brother a descendant. 38:10 What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord ⁴⁸⁰  killed him too.

38:11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until Shelah my son grows up.” For he thought, ⁴⁸¹  “I don’t want him to die like his brothers.” ⁴⁸²  So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

38:12 After some time ⁴⁸³  Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah was consoled, he left for Timnah to visit his sheepshearers, along with ⁴⁸⁴  his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 38:13 Tamar was told, ⁴⁸⁵  “Look, your father-in-law is going up ⁴⁸⁶  to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 38:14 So she removed her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil. She wrapped herself and sat at the entrance to Enaim which is on the way to Timnah. (She did this because ⁴⁸⁷  she saw that she had not been given to Shelah as a wife, even though he had now grown up.) ⁴⁸⁸ 

38:15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute ⁴⁸⁹  because she had covered her face. 38:16 He turned aside to her along the road and said, “Come on! I want to have sex with you.” ⁴⁹⁰  (He did not realize ⁴⁹¹  it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, “What will you give me in exchange for having sex with you?” ⁴⁹²  38:17 He replied, “I’ll send you a young goat from the flock.” She asked, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?” ⁴⁹³  38:18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?” She replied, “Your seal, your cord, and the staff that’s in your hand.” So he gave them to her and had sex with her. ⁴⁹⁴  She became pregnant by him. 38:19 She left immediately, ⁴⁹⁵  removed her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes.

38:20 Then Judah had his friend Hirah ⁴⁹⁶  the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge, ⁴⁹⁷  but Hirah ⁴⁹⁸  could not find her. 38:21 He asked the men who were there, ⁴⁹⁹  “Where is the cult prostitute ⁵⁰⁰  who was at Enaim by the road?” But they replied, “There has been no cult prostitute here.” 38:22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I couldn’t find her. Moreover, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’” 38:23 Judah said, “Let her keep the things ⁵⁰¹  for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. ⁵⁰²  I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”

38:24 After three months Judah was told, ⁵⁰³  “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, ⁵⁰⁴  and as a result she has become pregnant.” ⁵⁰⁵  Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” 38:25 While they were bringing her out, she sent word ⁵⁰⁶  to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” ⁵⁰⁷  Then she said, “Identify ⁵⁰⁸  the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.” 38:26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright ⁵⁰⁹  than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He did not have sexual relations with her ⁵¹⁰  again.

38:27 When it was time for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb. 38:28 While she was giving birth, one child ⁵¹¹  put out his hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 38:29 But then he drew back his hand, and his brother came out before him. ⁵¹²  She said, “How you have broken out of the womb!” ⁵¹³  So he was named Perez. ⁵¹⁴  38:30 Afterward his brother came out – the one who had the scarlet thread on his hand – and he was named Zerah. ⁵¹⁵ 

Genesis 42:37

42:37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may ⁵¹⁶  put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care ⁵¹⁷  and I will bring him back to you.”

Jude 1:24

Final Blessing

1:24 Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling, ⁵¹⁸  and to cause you to stand, rejoicing, ⁵¹⁹  without blemish ⁵²⁰  before his glorious presence, ⁵²¹ 

Mark 9:6

9:6 (For they were afraid, and he did not know what to say.) ⁵²² 

Romans 3:8

3:8 And why not say, “Let us do evil so that good may come of it”? – as some who slander us allege that we say. ⁵²³  (Their ⁵²⁴  condemnation is deserved!)

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

[31:1]  ² 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]  ³ tn Heb “and from that which belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.”

[31:2]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Or perhaps “ancestors” (so NRSV), although the only “ancestors” Jacob had there were his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac.

[31:3]  ⁶ sn I will be with you. Though Laban was no longer “with him,” the Lord promised to be.

[31:4]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Heb “to his flock.”

[31:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “I see the face of your father, that he is not toward me as formerly.”

[31:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “with all my strength.”

[31:7]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator, “and it happened at the time of.”

[31:10]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “in the time of the breeding of the flock I lifted up my eyes and I saw.”

[31:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

[31:12]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”

[31:12]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

[31:13]  ²⁰ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[31:13]  ²¹ 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]  ²² 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]  ²³ tn Heb “arise, leave!” The first imperative draws attention to the need for immediate action.

[31:14]  ²⁴ tn The two nouns may form a hendiadys, meaning “a share in the inheritance” or “a portion to inherit.”

[31:15]  ²⁵ tn Heb “and he devoured, even devouring.” The infinitive absolute (following the finite verb here) is used for emphasis.

[31:15]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ tn Heb “and Jacob arose and he lifted up his sons and his wives on to the camels.”

[31:18]  ²⁸ tn Heb “drove,” but this is subject to misunderstanding in contemporary English.

[31:18]  ²⁹ 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]  ³⁰ 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]  ³¹ 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]  ³² 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]  ³³ tn Heb “fleeing,” which reflects Jacob’s viewpoint.

[31:21]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and he fled.”

[31:21]  ³⁵ tn Heb “he arose and crossed.” The first verb emphasizes that he wasted no time in getting across.

[31:21]  ³⁶ tn Heb “the river”; the referent (the Euphrates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:21]  ³⁷ tn Heb “he set his face.”

[31:22]  ³⁸ tn Heb “and it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.”

[31:23]  ³⁹ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[31:23]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:23]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”

[31:23]  ⁴² tn Heb “drew close to.”

[31:24]  ⁴³ tn Heb “said to him.”

[31:24]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:24]  ⁴⁵ 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]  ⁴⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).

[31:26]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”

[31:27]  ⁴⁹ 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]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “and steal me.”

[31:27]  ⁵¹ 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]  ⁵² 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]  ⁵³ tn Heb “there is to my hand.”

[31:29]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:29]  ⁵⁵ 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]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “and now.” The words “I understand that” have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[31:30]  ⁵⁷ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the certainty of the action.

[31:30]  ⁵⁸ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of emotion involved.

[31:30]  ⁵⁹ 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]  ⁶⁰ 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]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “for I said.”

[31:31]  ⁶² tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”

[31:32]  ⁶³ tn Heb “With whomever you find your gods, he will not live.”

[31:32]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “brothers.”

[31:32]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “recognize for yourself what is with me and take for yourself.”

[31:32]  ⁶⁶ 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]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “and he went out from the tent of Leah and went into the tent of Rachel.”

[31:34]  ⁶⁹ 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]  ⁷⁰ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides another parenthetical statement necessary to the storyline.

[31:34]  ⁷¹ tn The word “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[31:35]  ⁷² tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:35]  ⁷³ 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]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”

[31:35]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.

[31:35]  ⁷⁶ tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

[31:36]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “it was hot to Jacob.” This idiom refers to anger.

[31:36]  ⁷⁸ 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]  ⁷⁹ 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]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “what did you find from all the goods of your house?”

[31:37]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “your relatives.” The word “relatives” has not been repeated in the translation here for stylistic reasons.

[31:37]  ⁸² tn Heb “that they may decide between us two.”

[31:39]  ⁸³ tn The imperfect verbal form indicates that this was a customary or typical action.

[31:39]  ⁸⁴ 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]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “by drought.”

[31:40]  ⁸⁶ 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]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “and my sleep fled from my eyes.”

[31:41]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “this to me.”

[31:41]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “served you,” but in this accusatory context the meaning is more “worked like a slave.”

[31:42]  ⁹⁰ 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]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “My oppression and the work of my hands God saw.”

[31:43]  ⁹² tn Heb “answered and said.”

[31:43]  ⁹³ tn Heb “daughters.”

[31:43]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “children.”

[31:43]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “but to my daughters what can I do to these today?”

[31:44]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[31:44]  ⁹⁷ tn The verb הָיָה (hayah) followed by the preposition לְ (lÿ) means “become.”

[31:44]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “and it will become a witness between me and you.”

[31:46]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “Jacob”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:46]  ¹⁰⁰ sn The Hebrew word for “pile” is גַּל (gal), which sounds like the name “Galeed” (גַּלְעֵד, gal’ed). See v. 48.

[31:47]  ¹⁰¹ sn Jegar Sahadutha. Laban the Aramean gave the place an Aramaic name which means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness.”

[31:47]  ¹⁰² 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]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “a witness between me and you.”

[31:49]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “and Mizpah.”

[31:49]  ¹⁰⁵ 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]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “between me and you.”

[31:49]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “for we will be hidden, each man from his neighbor.”

[31:50]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “see.”

[31:50]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “between me and you.”

[31:51]  ¹¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹¹ 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]  ¹¹² 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]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “by the fear of his father Isaac.” See the note on the word “fears” in v. 42.

[31:54]  ¹¹⁴ tn The construction is a cognate accusative with the verb, expressing a specific sacrifice.

[31:54]  ¹¹⁵ 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]  ¹¹⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “and Laban got up early in the morning and he kissed.”

[31:55]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “his sons.”

[31:55]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “to his place.”

[32:1]  ¹²⁰ 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]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “and Jacob said when he saw them.”

[32:2]  ¹²² sn The name Mahanaim apparently means “two camps.” Perhaps the two camps were those of God and of Jacob.

[32:3]  ¹²³ tn Heb “before him.”

[32:3]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “field.”

[32:4]  ¹²⁵ 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]  ¹²⁶ 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]  ¹²⁷ tn The words “this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:8]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.”

[32:8]  ¹²⁹ 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]  ¹³⁰ 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]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “said.”

[32:9]  ¹³² tn Heb “the one who said.”

[32:9]  ¹³³ 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]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “the loving deeds and faithfulness” (see 24:27, 49).

[32:10]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “you have done with.”

[32:10]  ¹³⁶ 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]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “this Jordan.”

[32:11]  ¹³⁸ tn The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.

[32:11]  ¹³⁹ tn The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”

[32:11]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”

[32:11]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”

[32:11]  ¹⁴² 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]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

[32:12]  ¹⁴⁴ 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]  ¹⁴⁵ tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.

[32:12]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.

[32:13]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:13]  ¹⁴⁸ 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]  ¹⁴⁹ 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]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “and he put them in the hand of.”

[32:16]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “a herd, a herd, by itself,” or “each herd by itself.” The distributive sense is expressed by repetition.

[32:17]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “the first”; this has been specified as “the servant leading the first herd” in the translation for clarity.

[32:17]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “to whom are you?”

[32:17]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “and to whom are these before you?”

[32:18]  ¹⁵⁵ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive; it has the nuance of an imperfect of instruction.

[32:18]  ¹⁵⁶ tn The words “they belong” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:18]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “to your servant, to Jacob.”

[32:18]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “to my lord, to Esau.”

[32:18]  ¹⁵⁹ 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]  ¹⁶⁰ 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]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “and look, your servant Jacob [is] behind us.”

[32:20]  ¹⁶² 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]  ¹⁶³ 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]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “with a gift going before me.”

[32:20]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “I will see his face.”

[32:20]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “Perhaps he will lift up my face.” In this context the idiom refers to acceptance.

[32:21]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “and the gift passed over upon his face.”

[32:21]  ¹⁶⁸ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial/temporal.

[32:22]  ¹⁶⁹ 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]  ¹⁷⁰ 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]  ¹⁷¹ 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]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “and he sent across what he had.”

[32:24]  ¹⁷³ 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]  ¹⁷⁴ 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]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”

[32:25]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ¹⁷⁸ 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]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:26]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “dawn has arisen.”

[32:26]  ¹⁸¹ 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]  ¹⁸² 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]  ¹⁸³ 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]  ¹⁸⁴ 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]  ¹⁸⁵ 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]  ¹⁸⁶ 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]  ¹⁸⁷ 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]  ¹⁸⁸ 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]  ¹⁸⁹ tn The question uses the enclitic pronoun “this” to emphasize the import of the question.

[32:29]  ¹⁹⁰ 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]  ¹⁹¹ 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]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:30]  ¹⁹³ sn The name Peniel means “face of God.” Since Jacob saw God face to face here, the name is appropriate.

[32:30]  ¹⁹⁴ tn The word “explaining” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:30]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Or “because.”

[32:30]  ¹⁹⁶ sn I have seen God face to face. See the note on the name “Peniel” earlier in the verse.

[32:30]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “and my soul [= life] has been preserved.”

[32:31]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “shone.”

[32:31]  ¹⁹⁹ sn The name is spelled Penuel here, apparently a variant spelling of Peniel (see v. 30).

[32:31]  ²⁰⁰ tn The disjunctive clause draws attention to an important fact: He may have crossed the stream, but he was limping.

[32:32]  ²⁰¹ 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]  ²⁰² 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.

[33:1]  ²⁰³ tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his eyes.”

[33:1]  ²⁰⁴ tn Or “and look, Esau was coming.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.

[33:2]  ²⁰⁵ sn This kind of ranking according to favoritism no doubt fed the jealousy over Joseph that later becomes an important element in the narrative. It must have been painful to the family to see that they were expendable.

[33:3]  ²⁰⁶ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:3]  ²⁰⁷ tn Heb “until his drawing near unto his brother.” The construction uses the preposition with the infinitive construct to express a temporal clause.

[33:5]  ²⁰⁸ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:5]  ²⁰⁹ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

[33:5]  ²¹⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:5]  ²¹¹ tn The Hebrew verb means “to be gracious; to show favor”; here it carries the nuance “to give graciously.”

[33:6]  ²¹² tn Heb “and the female servants drew near, they and their children and they bowed down.”

[33:8]  ²¹³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:8]  ²¹⁴ tn Heb “Who to you?”

[33:8]  ²¹⁵ tn Heb “all this camp which I met.”

[33:8]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:10]  ²¹⁷ tn Heb “and Jacob said, ‘No, please.’” The words “take them” have been supplied in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[33:10]  ²¹⁸ tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, expressing a contingent future nuance in the “then” section of the conditional sentence.

[33:10]  ²¹⁹ tn The verbal form is the preterite with a vav (ו) consecutive, indicating result here.

[33:10]  ²²⁰ tn Heb “for therefore I have seen your face like seeing the face of God and you have accepted me.”

[33:11]  ²²¹ tn Heb “blessing.” It is as if Jacob is trying to repay what he stole from his brother twenty years earlier.

[33:11]  ²²² tn Or “gracious,” but in the specific sense of prosperity.

[33:11]  ²²³ tn Heb “all.”

[33:11]  ²²⁴ tn Heb “and he urged him and he took.” The referent of the first pronoun in the sequence (“he”) has been specified as “Jacob” in the translation for clarity.

[33:12]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:12]  ²²⁶ tn Heb “let us travel and let us go.” The two cohortatives are used in combination with the sense, “let’s travel along, get going, be on our way.”

[33:13]  ²²⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:13]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “weak.”

[33:13]  ²²⁹ tn Heb “and the sheep and the cattle nursing [are] upon me.”

[33:14]  ²³⁰ tn Heb “and I, I will move along according to my leisure at the foot of the property which is before me and at the foot of the children.”

[33:15]  ²³¹ tn The cohortative verbal form here indicates a polite offer of help.

[33:15]  ²³² tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why this?’” 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.

[33:15]  ²³³ tn Heb “I am finding favor in the eyes of my lord.”

[33:16]  ²³⁴ tn Heb “returned on his way.”

[33:17]  ²³⁵ tn The disjunctive clause contrasts Jacob’s action with Esau’s.

[33:17]  ²³⁶ sn But Jacob traveled to Succoth. There are several reasons why Jacob chose not to go to Mt. Seir after Esau. First, as he said, his herds and children probably could not keep up with the warriors. Second, he probably did not fully trust his brother. The current friendliness could change, and he could lose everything. And third, God did tell him to return to his land, not Seir. But Jacob is still not able to deal truthfully, probably because of fear of Esau.

[33:17]  ²³⁷ tn Heb “why he called.” One could understand “Jacob” as the subject of the verb, but it is more likely that the subject is indefinite, in which case the verb is better translated as passive.

[33:17]  ²³⁸ sn The name Succoth means “shelters,” an appropriate name in light of the shelters Jacob built there for his livestock.

[33:18]  ²³⁹ tn Heb “in front of.”

[33:19]  ²⁴⁰ tn The words “he bought it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 19 is one long sentence.

[33:19]  ²⁴¹ tn The Hebrew word קְשִׂיטָה (qÿsitah) is generally understood to refer to a unit of money, but the value is unknown. (However, cf. REB, which renders the term as “sheep”).

[33:20]  ²⁴² tn Heb “God, the God of Israel.” Rather than translating the name, a number of modern translations merely transliterate it from the Hebrew as “El Elohe Israel” (cf. NIV, NRSV, REB). It is not entirely clear how the name should be interpreted grammatically. One option is to supply an equative verb, as in the translation: “The God of Israel [is] God.” Another interpretive option is “the God of Israel [is] strong [or “mighty”].” Buying the land and settling down for a while was a momentous step for the patriarch, so the commemorative naming of the altar is significant.

[34:1]  ²⁴³ tn Heb “went out to see.” The verb “to see,” followed by the preposition בְּ (bÿ), here has the idea of “look over.” The young girl wanted to meet these women and see what they were like.

[34:1]  ²⁴⁴ tn Heb “daughters.”

[34:2]  ²⁴⁵ tn Heb “and he took her and lay with her.” The suffixed form following the verb appears to be the sign of the accusative instead of the preposition, but see BDB 1012 s.v. שָׁכַב.

[34:2]  ²⁴⁶ tn The verb עָנָה (’anah) in the Piel stem can have various shades of meaning, depending on the context: “to defile; to mistreat; to violate; to rape; to shame; to afflict.” Here it means that Shechem violated or humiliated Dinah by raping her.

[34:3]  ²⁴⁷ tn Heb “his soul stuck to [or “joined with”],” meaning Shechem became very attached to Dinah emotionally.

[34:3]  ²⁴⁸ tn Heb “and he spoke to the heart of the young woman,” which apparently refers in this context to tender, romantic speech (Hos 2:14). Another option is to translate the expression “he reassured the young woman” (see Judg 19:3, 2 Sam 19:7; cf. NEB “comforted her”).

[34:4]  ²⁴⁹ tn Heb “Take for me this young woman for a wife.”

[34:5]  ²⁵⁰ tn The two disjunctive clauses in this verse (“Now Jacob heard…and his sons were”) are juxtaposed to indicate synchronic action.

[34:5]  ²⁵¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:5]  ²⁵² sn The expected response would be anger or rage; but Jacob remained silent. He appears too indifferent or confused to act decisively. When the leader does not act decisively, the younger zealots will, and often with disastrous results.

[34:6]  ²⁵³ tn Heb “went out to Jacob to speak with him.” The words “about Dinah” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:7]  ²⁵⁴ tn Heb “when they heard.” The words “the news” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[34:7]  ²⁵⁵ tn Heb “the men.” This sounds as if a new group has been introduced into the narrative, so it has been translated as “they” to indicate that it refers to Jacob’s sons, mentioned in the first part of the verse.

[34:7]  ²⁵⁶ tn The Hebrew verb עָצַב (’atsav) can carry one of three semantic nuances depending on the context: (1) “to be injured” (Ps 56:5; Eccl 10:9; 1 Chr 4:10); (2) “to experience emotional pain; to be depressed emotionally; to be worried” (2 Sam 19:2; Isa 54:6; Neh 8:10-11); (3) “to be embarrassed; to be insulted; to be offended” (to the point of anger at another or oneself; Gen 6:6; 45:5; 1 Sam 20:3, 34; 1 Kgs 1:6; Isa 63:10; Ps 78:40). This third category develops from the second by metonymy. In certain contexts emotional pain leads to embarrassment and/or anger. In this last use the subject sometimes directs his anger against the source of grief (see especially Gen 6:6). The third category fits best in Gen 34:7 because Jacob’s sons were not merely wounded emotionally. On the contrary, Shechem’s action prompted them to strike out in judgment against the source of their distress.

[34:7]  ²⁵⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:7]  ²⁵⁸ tn Heb “a disgraceful thing he did against Israel.”

[34:7]  ²⁵⁹ tn Heb “by lying with the daughter of Jacob.” The infinitive here explains the preceding verb, indicating exactly how he had disgraced Jacob. The expression “to lie with” is a euphemism for sexual relations, or in this case, sexual assault.

[34:7]  ²⁶⁰ tn Heb “and so it should not be done.” The negated imperfect has an obligatory nuance here, but there is also a generalizing tone. The narrator emphasizes that this particular type of crime (sexual assault) is especially reprehensible.

[34:8]  ²⁶¹ tn Heb “Shechem my son, his soul is attached to your daughter.” The verb means “to love” in the sense of being emotionally attached to or drawn to someone. This is a slightly different way of saying what was reported earlier (v. 3). However, there is no mention here of the offense. Even though Hamor is speaking to Dinah’s brothers, he refers to her as their daughter (see v. 17).

[34:9]  ²⁶² tn Heb “form marriage alliances with us.”

[34:9]  ²⁶³ tn Heb “Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.” In the translation the words “let…marry” and “as wives” are supplied for clarity.

[34:10]  ²⁶⁴ tn The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.

[34:10]  ²⁶⁵ tn Heb “before you.”

[34:10]  ²⁶⁶ tn The verb seems to carry the basic meaning “travel about freely,” although the substantival participial form refers to a trader (see E. A. Speiser, “The Verb sh£r in Genesis and Early Hebrew Movements,” BASOR 164 [1961]: 23-28); cf. NIV, NRSV “trade in it.”

[34:11]  ²⁶⁷ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Dinah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:11]  ²⁶⁸ tn Heb “whatever you say.”

[34:11]  ²⁶⁹ tn Or “pay.”

[34:12]  ²⁷⁰ tn Heb “Make very great upon me the bride price and gift.” The imperatives are used in a rhetorical manner. Shechem’s point is that he will pay the price, no matter how expensive it might be.

[34:12]  ²⁷¹ tn The cohortative expresses Shechem’s resolve to have Dinah as his wife.

[34:12]  ²⁷² tn Heb “say.”

[34:13]  ²⁷³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:14]  ²⁷⁴ tn Heb “we are not able to do this thing, to give.” The second infinitive is in apposition to the first, explaining what they are not able to do.

[34:14]  ²⁷⁵ tn The Hebrew word translated “disgrace” usually means “ridicule; taunt; reproach.” It can also refer to the reason the condition of shame or disgrace causes ridicule or a reproach.

[34:15]  ²⁷⁶ tn Heb “if you are like us.”

[34:15]  ²⁷⁷ tn The infinitive here explains how they would become like them.

[34:16]  ²⁷⁸ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.

[34:16]  ²⁷⁹ tn The words “to marry” (and the words “as wives” in the following clause) are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:17]  ²⁸⁰ tn Heb “listen to us.”

[34:17]  ²⁸¹ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.

[34:17]  ²⁸² tn Heb “daughter.” Jacob’s sons call Dinah their daughter, even though she was their sister (see v. 8). This has been translated as “sister” for clarity.

[34:18]  ²⁸³ tn Heb “and their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem son of Hamor.”

[34:19]  ²⁸⁴ tn Heb “doing the thing.”

[34:19]  ²⁸⁵ tn Heb “Jacob’s daughter.” The proper name “Dinah” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:19]  ²⁸⁶ tn The Hebrew verb כָּבֵד (kaved), translated “was…important,” has the primary meaning “to be heavy,” but here carries a secondary sense of “to be important” (that is, “heavy” in honor or respect).

[34:19]  ²⁸⁷ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause explains why the community would respond to him (see vv. 20-24).

[34:20]  ²⁸⁸ sn The gate. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the location for conducting important public business.

[34:21]  ²⁸⁹ tn Heb “wide on both hands,” that is, in both directions.

[34:21]  ²⁹⁰ tn The words “to marry” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:22]  ²⁹¹ tn Heb “when every one of our males is circumcised.”

[34:23]  ²⁹² tn The words “If we do so” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[34:24]  ²⁹³ tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”

[34:24]  ²⁹⁴ tn Heb “listened to.”

[34:24]  ²⁹⁵ tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”

[34:25]  ²⁹⁶ tn Heb “a man his sword.”

[34:25]  ²⁹⁷ tn Heb “and they came upon the city, [which was] secure.” In this case “secure” means the city was caught unprepared and at peace, not expecting an attack.

[34:27]  ²⁹⁸ tn Heb “came upon the slain.” Because of this statement the preceding phrase “Jacob’s sons” is frequently taken to mean the other sons of Jacob besides Simeon and Levi, but the text does not clearly affirm this.

[34:27]  ²⁹⁹ tn Heb “because they violated their sister.” The plural verb is active in form, but with no expressed subject, it may be translated passive.

[34:28]  ³⁰⁰ tn Heb “and what was in the city and what was in the field they took.”

[34:29]  ³⁰¹ tn Heb “they took captive and they plundered,” that is, “they captured as plunder.”

[34:30]  ³⁰² tn The traditional translation is “troubled me” (KJV, ASV), but the verb refers to personal or national disaster and suggests complete ruin (see Josh 7:25, Judg 11:35, Prov 11:17). The remainder of the verse describes the “trouble” Simeon and Levi had caused.

[34:30]  ³⁰³ tn In the causative stem the Hebrew verb בָּאַשׁ (ba’ash) means “to cause to stink, to have a foul smell.” In the contexts in which it is used it describes foul smells, stenches, or things that are odious. Jacob senses that the people in the land will find this act terribly repulsive. See P. R. Ackroyd, “The Hebrew Root באשׁ,” JTS 2 (1951): 31-36.

[34:30]  ³⁰⁴ tn Jacob speaks in the first person as the head and representative of the entire family.

[34:31]  ³⁰⁵ tn Heb “but they said.” The referent of “they” (Simeon and Levi) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[35:1]  ³⁰⁶ tn Heb “arise, go up.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.

[35:1]  ³⁰⁷ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:1]  ³⁰⁸ sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).

[35:2]  ³⁰⁹ tn Heb “which are in your midst.”

[35:2]  ³¹⁰ sn The actions of removing false gods, becoming ritually clean, and changing garments would become necessary steps in Israel when approaching the Lord in worship.

[35:3]  ³¹¹ tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.

[35:3]  ³¹² tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.

[35:3]  ³¹³ tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.

[35:3]  ³¹⁴ tn Heb “in the way in which I went.” Jacob alludes here to God’s promise to be with him (see Gen 28:20).

[35:4]  ³¹⁵ tn Heb “in their hand.”

[35:4]  ³¹⁶ sn On the basis of a comparison with Gen 34 and Num 31, G. J. Wenham argues that the foreign gods and the rings could have been part of the plunder that came from the destruction of Shechem (Genesis [WBC], 2:324).

[35:4]  ³¹⁷ sn Jacob buried them. On the burial of the gods, see E. Nielson, “The Burial of the Foreign Gods,” ST 8 (1954/55): 102-22.

[35:4]  ³¹⁸ tn Or “terebinth.”

[35:5]  ³¹⁹ tn Heb “and they journeyed.”

[35:5]  ³²⁰ tn Heb “and the fear of God was upon the cities which were round about them.” The expression “fear of God” apparently refers (1) to a fear of God (objective genitive; God is the object of their fear). (2) But it could mean “fear from God,” that is, fear which God placed in them (cf. NRSV “a terror from God”). Another option (3) is that the divine name is used as a superlative here, referring to “tremendous fear” (cf. NEB “were panic-stricken”; NASB “a great terror”).

[35:6]  ³²¹ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:6]  ³²² tn Heb “and Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan – it is Bethel – he and all the people who were with him.”

[35:7]  ³²³ sn The name El-Bethel means “God of Bethel.”

[35:7]  ³²⁴ tn Heb “revealed themselves.” The verb נִגְלוּ (niglu), translated “revealed himself,” is plural, even though one expects the singular form with the plural of majesty. Perhaps אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a numerical plural, referring both to God and the angelic beings that appeared to Jacob. See the note on the word “know” in Gen 3:5.

[35:8]  ³²⁵ sn Deborah. This woman had been Rebekah’s nurse, but later attached herself to Jacob. She must have been about one hundred and eighty years old when she died.

[35:8]  ³²⁶ tn “and he called its name.” There is no expressed subject, so the verb can be translated as passive.

[35:8]  ³²⁷ tn Or “Allon Bacuth,” if one transliterates the Hebrew name (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). An oak tree was revered in the ancient world and often designated as a shrine or landmark. This one was named for the weeping (mourning) occasioned by the death of Deborah.

[35:10]  ³²⁸ tn Heb “and he called his name Israel.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[35:11]  ³²⁹ tn The name אֵל שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72. Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world who grants, blesses, and judges. In the Book of Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name are uncertain its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. For a fuller discussion see the note on “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[35:11]  ³³⁰ tn Heb “A nation and a company of nations will be from you and kings from your loins will come out.”

[35:12]  ³³¹ tn The Hebrew verb translated “gave” refers to the Abrahamic promise of the land. However, the actual possession of that land lay in the future. The decree of the Lord made it certain; but it has the sense “promised to give.”

[35:12]  ³³² tn Heb “and to your offspring after you.”

[35:13]  ³³³ tn Heb “went up from upon him in the place.”

[35:14]  ³³⁴ tn Heb “and Jacob set up a sacred pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a sacred pillar of stone” (see the notes on the term “sacred stone” in Gen 28:18). This passage stands parallel to Gen 28:18-19, where Jacob set up a sacred stone, poured oil on it, and called the place Bethel. Some commentators see these as two traditions referring to the same event, but it is more likely that Jacob reconsecrated the place in fulfillment of the vow he had made here earlier. In support of this is the fact that the present narrative alludes to and is built on the previous one.

[35:14]  ³³⁵ tn The verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “to pour out, to make libations,” and the noun נֶסֶךְ (nesekh) is a “drink-offering,” usually of wine or of blood. The verb יָצַק (yatsaq) means “to pour out,” often of anointing oil, but of other elements as well.

[35:15]  ³³⁶ sn Called the name of the place. In view of the previous naming of Bethel in Gen 28:19, here Jacob was confirming or affirming the name through an official ritual marking the fulfillment of the vow. This place now did become Bethel, the house of God.

[35:15]  ³³⁷ tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew.

[35:16]  ³³⁸ tn Heb “and there was still a stretch of the land to go to Ephrath.”

[35:16]  ³³⁹ tn Normally the verb would be translated “she gave birth,” but because that obviously had not happened yet, it is better to translate the verb as ingressive, “began to give birth” (cf. NIV) or “went into labor.”

[35:17]  ³⁴⁰ tn The construction uses a Hiphil infinitive, which E. A. Speiser classifies as an elative Hiphil. The contrast is with the previous Piel: there “she had hard labor,” and here, “her labor was at its hardest.” Failure to see this, Speiser notes, has led to redundant translations and misunderstandings (Genesis [AB], 273).

[35:17]  ³⁴¹ sn Another son. The episode recalls and fulfills the prayer of Rachel at the birth of Joseph (Gen 30:24): “may he add” another son.

[35:18]  ³⁴² tn Heb “in the going out of her life, for she was dying.” Rachel named the child with her dying breath.

[35:18]  ³⁴³ sn The name Ben-Oni means “son of my suffering.” It is ironic that Rachel’s words to Jacob in Gen 30:1, “Give me children or I’ll die,” take a different turn here, for it was having the child that brought about her death.

[35:18]  ³⁴⁴ tn The disjunctive clause is contrastive.

[35:19]  ³⁴⁵ sn This explanatory note links the earlier name Ephrath with the later name Bethlehem.

[35:20]  ³⁴⁶ tn Heb “standing stone.”

[35:20]  ³⁴⁷ tn Or perhaps “it is known as” (cf. NEB).

[35:21]  ³⁴⁸ sn The location of Migdal Eder is not given. It appears to be somewhere between Bethlehem and Hebron. Various traditions have identified it as at the shepherds’ fields near Bethlehem (the Hebrew name Migdal Eder means “tower of the flock”; see Mic 4:8) or located it near Solomon’s pools.

[35:22]  ³⁴⁹ tn Heb “and Reuben went and lay with.” The expression “lay with” is a euphemism for having sexual intercourse.

[35:27]  ³⁵⁰ tn This is an adverbial accusative of location.

[35:27]  ³⁵¹ tn The name “Kiriath Arba” is in apposition to the preceding name, “Mamre.”

[35:27]  ³⁵² tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” refers to temporary settlement without ownership rights.

[35:28]  ³⁵³ tn Heb “And the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years.”

[35:29]  ³⁵⁴ tn Heb “and Isaac expired and died and he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.

[35:29]  ³⁵⁵ tn Heb “old and full of years.”

[36:1]  ³⁵⁶ sn Chapter 36 records what became of Esau. It will list both his actual descendants as well as the people he subsumed under his tribal leadership, people who were aboriginal Edomites. The chapter is long and complicated (see further J. R. Bartlett, “The Edomite King-List of Genesis 36:31-39 and 1 Chronicles 1:43-50,” JTS 16 [1965]: 301-14; and W. J. Horowitz, “Were There Twelve Horite Tribes?” CBQ 35 [1973]: 69-71). In the format of the Book of Genesis, the line of Esau is “tidied up” before the account of Jacob is traced (37:2). As such the arrangement makes a strong contrast with Jacob. As F. Delitzsch says, “secular greatness in general grows up far more rapidly than spiritual greatness” (New Commentary on Genesis, 2:238). In other words, the progress of the world far out distances the progress of the righteous who are waiting for the promise.

[36:2]  ³⁵⁷ tn Heb “from the daughters of Canaan.”

[36:2]  ³⁵⁸ tn Heb “daughter,” but see Gen 36:24-25.

[36:6]  ³⁵⁹ tn Heb “from before.”

[36:7]  ³⁶⁰ tn Heb “land of their settlements.”

[36:8]  ³⁶¹ tn Traditionally “Mount Seir,” but in this case the expression בְּהַר שֵׂעִיר (bÿhar se’ir) refers to the hill country or highlands of Seir.

[36:9]  ³⁶² sn The term father in genealogical records needs to be carefully defined. It can refer to a literal father, a grandfather, a political overlord, or a founder.

[36:12]  ³⁶³ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:13]  ³⁶⁴ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:14]  ³⁶⁵ tn Heb “daughter,” but see Gen 36:24-25.

[36:15]  ³⁶⁶ tn Or “clan leaders” (so also throughout this chapter).

[36:15]  ³⁶⁷ tn Or “sons.”

[36:16]  ³⁶⁸ tc The Samaritan Pentateuch omits the name “Korah” (see v. 11 and 1 Chr 1:36).

[36:16]  ³⁶⁹ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:17]  ³⁷⁰ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:20]  ³⁷¹ sn The same pattern of sons, grandsons, and chiefs is now listed for Seir the Horite. “Seir” is both the name of the place and the name of the ancestor of these tribes. The name “Horite” is probably not to be identified with “Hurrian.” The clan of Esau settled in this area, intermarried with these Horites and eventually dispossessed them, so that they all became known as Edomites (Deut 2:12 telescopes the whole development).

[36:21]  ³⁷² tn Or “sons.”

[36:22]  ³⁷³ tn Heb “Hemam”; this is probably a variant spelling of “Homam” (1 Chr 1:39); cf. NRSV, NLT “Heman.”

[36:23]  ³⁷⁴ tn This name is given as “Shephi” in 1 Chr 1:40.

[36:24]  ³⁷⁵ tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain; Syriac reads “water” and Vulgate reads “hot water.”

[36:25]  ³⁷⁶ tn Heb “sons,” but since a daughter is included in the list, the word must be translated “children.”

[36:26]  ³⁷⁷ tn Heb “Dishan,” but this must be either a scribal error or variant spelling, since “Dishan” is mentioned in v. 28 (see also v. 21).

[36:31]  ³⁷⁸ tn Or perhaps “before any Israelite king ruled over [them].”

[36:37]  ³⁷⁹ tn Typically the Hebrew expression “the River” refers to the Euphrates River, but it is not certain whether that is the case here. Among the modern English versions which take this as a reference to the Euphrates are NASB, NCV, NRSV, CEV, NLT. Cf. NAB, TEV “Rehoboth-on-the-River.”

[36:39]  ³⁸⁰ tc Most mss of the MT read “Hadar” here; “Hadad” is the reading found in some Hebrew mss, the Samaritan Pentateuch, and Syriac (cf. also 1 Chr 1:50).

[36:39]  ³⁸¹ tn The name of the city is given as “Pai” in 1 Chr 1:50.

[36:43]  ³⁸² tn Or perhaps “territories”; Heb “dwelling places.”

[37:1]  ³⁸³ tn Heb “the land of the sojournings of his father.”

[37:1]  ³⁸⁴ sn The next section begins with the heading This is the account of Jacob in Gen 37:2, so this verse actually forms part of the preceding section as a concluding contrast with Esau and his people. In contrast to all the settled and expanded population of Esau, Jacob was still moving about in the land without a permanent residence and without kings. Even if the Edomite king list was added later (as the reference to kings in Israel suggests), its placement here in contrast to Jacob and his descendants is important. Certainly the text deals with Esau before dealing with Jacob – that is the pattern. But the detail is so great in chap. 36 that the contrast cannot be missed.

[37:2]  ³⁸⁵ tn Heb “a son of seventeen years.” The word “son” is in apposition to the name “Joseph.”

[37:2]  ³⁸⁶ tn Or “tending”; Heb “shepherding” or “feeding.”

[37:2]  ³⁸⁷ tn Or perhaps “a helper.” The significance of this statement is unclear. It may mean “now the lad was with,” or it may suggest Joseph was like a servant to them.

[37:2]  ³⁸⁸ tn Heb “and he [was] a young man with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, the wives of his father.”

[37:2]  ³⁸⁹ tn Heb “their bad report.” The pronoun is an objective genitive, specifying that the bad or damaging report was about the brothers.

[37:3]  ³⁹⁰ tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information vital to the story. It explains in part the brothers’ animosity toward Joseph.

[37:3]  ³⁹¹ tn Heb “a son of old age was he to him.” This expression means “a son born to him when he [i.e., Jacob] was old.”

[37:3]  ³⁹² tn It is not clear what this tunic was like, because the meaning of the Hebrew word that describes it is uncertain. The idea that it was a coat of many colors comes from the Greek translation of the OT. An examination of cognate terms in Semitic suggests it was either a coat or tunic with long sleeves (cf. NEB, NRSV), or a tunic that was richly embroidered (cf. NIV). It set Joseph apart as the favored one.

[37:4]  ³⁹³ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ³⁹⁴ tn Heb “of his brothers.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “them.”

[37:4]  ³⁹⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ³⁹⁶ tn Heb “speak to him for peace.”

[37:5]  ³⁹⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:5]  ³⁹⁸ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[37:5]  ³⁹⁹ sn Some interpreters see Joseph as gloating over his brothers, but the text simply says he told his brothers about it (i.e., the dream). The text gives no warrant for interpreting his manner as arrogant or condescending. It seems normal that he would share a dream with the family.

[37:5]  ⁴⁰⁰ tn The construction uses a hendiadys, “they added to hate,” meaning they hated him even more.

[37:6]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Heb “hear this dream which I dreamed.”

[37:7]  ⁴⁰² tn All three clauses in this dream report begin with וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), which lends vividness to the report. This is represented in the translation by the expression “there we were.”

[37:7]  ⁴⁰³ tn The verb means “to bow down to the ground.” It is used to describe worship and obeisance to masters.

[37:8]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn Heb “Ruling, will you rule over us, or reigning, will you reign over us?” The statement has a poetic style, with the two questions being in synonymous parallelism. Both verbs in this statement are preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Joseph’s brothers said, “You don’t really think you will rule over us, do you? You don’t really think you will have dominion over us, do you?”

[37:8]  ⁴⁰⁵ tn This construction is identical to the one in Gen 37:5.

[37:8]  ⁴⁰⁶ sn The response of Joseph’s brothers is understandable, given what has already been going on in the family. But here there is a hint of uneasiness – they hated him because of his dream and because of his words. The dream bothered them, as well as his telling them. And their words in the rhetorical question are ironic, for this is exactly what would happen. The dream was God’s way of revealing it.

[37:9]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn Heb “And he dreamed yet another dream.”

[37:9]  ⁴⁰⁸ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Look.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons. Both clauses of the dream report begin with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which lends vividness to the report.

[37:10]  ⁴⁰⁹ sn The question What is this dream that you had? expresses Jacob’s dismay at what he perceives to be Joseph’s audacity.

[37:10]  ⁴¹⁰ tn Heb “Coming, will we come, I and your mother and your brothers, to bow down to you to the ground?” The verb “come” is preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Jacob said, “You don’t really think we will come…to bow down…do you?”

[37:11]  ⁴¹¹ sn Joseph’s brothers were already jealous of him, but this made it even worse. Such jealousy easily leads to action, as the next episode in the story shows. Yet dreams were considered a form of revelation, and their jealousy was not only of the favoritism of their father, but of the dreams. This is why Jacob kept the matter in mind.

[37:11]  ⁴¹² tn Heb “kept the word.” The referent of the Hebrew term “word” has been specified as “what Joseph said” in the translation for clarity, and the words “in mind” have been supplied for stylistic reasons.

[37:13]  ⁴¹³ tn The text uses an interrogative clause: “Are not your brothers,” which means “your brothers are.”

[37:13]  ⁴¹⁴ sn With these words Joseph is depicted here as an obedient son who is ready to do what his father commands.

[37:13]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Here I am.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Joseph) 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.

[37:14]  ⁴¹⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:14]  ⁴¹⁷ tn Heb “see.”

[37:14]  ⁴¹⁸ tn Heb “peace.”

[37:14]  ⁴¹⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ⁴²⁰ tn Heb “and he [i.e., Joseph] went to Shechem.” The referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ⁴²¹ tn Heb “and a man found him and look, he was wandering in the field.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the action through this unnamed man’s eyes.

[37:16]  ⁴²² tn The imperative in this sentence has more of the nuance of a request than a command.

[37:17]  ⁴²³ tn Heb “they traveled from this place.”

[37:18]  ⁴²⁴ tn Heb “and they”; the referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:19]  ⁴²⁵ tn Heb “Look, this master of dreams is coming.” The brothers’ words have a sarcastic note and indicate that they resent his dreams.

[37:20]  ⁴²⁶ tn The Hebrew word can sometimes carry the nuance “evil,” but when used of an animal it refers to a dangerous wild animal.

[37:20]  ⁴²⁷ tn Heb “what his dreams will be.”

[37:21]  ⁴²⁸ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:21]  ⁴²⁹ sn From their hands. The instigators of this plot may have been the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (see v. 2).

[37:21]  ⁴³⁰ tn Heb “and he said.”

[37:21]  ⁴³¹ tn Heb “we must not strike him down [with respect to] life.”

[37:22]  ⁴³² tn Heb “and Reuben said to them.”

[37:22]  ⁴³³ sn The verbs translated shed, throw, and lay sound alike in Hebrew; the repetition of similar sounds draws attention to Reuben’s words.

[37:22]  ⁴³⁴ tn The words “Reuben said this” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:22]  ⁴³⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:22]  ⁴³⁶ tn Heb “from their hands” (cf. v. 21). This expression has been translated as “them” here for stylistic reasons.

[37:23]  ⁴³⁷ tn Heb “Joseph”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:24]  ⁴³⁸ tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that helps the reader or hearer to picture what happened.

[37:25]  ⁴³⁹ tn Heb “lifted up their eyes.”

[37:25]  ⁴⁴⁰ tn Heb “and they saw and look.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the event through the eyes of the brothers.

[37:25]  ⁴⁴¹ tn Heb “and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh, going to go down to Egypt.”

[37:27]  ⁴⁴² tn Heb “let not our hand be upon him.”

[37:27]  ⁴⁴³ tn Heb “listened.”

[37:28]  ⁴⁴⁴ sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.

[37:28]  ⁴⁴⁵ tn Heb “they drew and they lifted up.” The referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity; otherwise the reader might assume the Midianites had pulled Joseph from the cistern (but cf. NAB).

[37:28]  ⁴⁴⁶ tn Heb “Joseph” (both here and in the following clause); the proper name has been replaced both times by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:28]  ⁴⁴⁷ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:29]  ⁴⁴⁸ tn Heb “and look, Joseph was not in the cistern.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the situation through Reuben’s eyes.

[37:31]  ⁴⁴⁹ sn It was with two young goats that Jacob deceived his father (Gen 27:9); now with a young goat his sons continue the deception that dominates this family.

[37:32]  ⁴⁵⁰ tn Heb “and they sent the special tunic and they brought [it] to their father.” The text as it stands is problematic. It sounds as if they sent the tunic on ahead and then came and brought it to their father. Some emend the second verb to a Qal form and read “and they came.” In this case, they sent the tunic on ahead.

[37:33]  ⁴⁵¹ sn A wild animal has eaten him. Jacob draws this conclusion on his own without his sons actually having to lie with their words (see v. 20). Dipping the tunic in the goat’s blood was the only deception needed.

[37:34]  ⁴⁵² tn Heb “and put sackcloth on his loins.”

[37:35]  ⁴⁵³ tn Heb “arose, stood”; which here suggests that they stood by him in his time of grief.

[37:35]  ⁴⁵⁴ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Indeed I will go down to my son mourning to Sheol.’” Sheol was viewed as the place where departed spirits went after death.

[37:35]  ⁴⁵⁵ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:36]  ⁴⁵⁶ tn The disjunctive clause formally signals closure for this episode of Joseph’s story, which will be resumed in Gen 39.

[37:36]  ⁴⁵⁷ tc The MT spells the name of the merchants as מְדָנִים (mÿdanim, “Medanites”) rather than מִדְיָנִים (midyanim, “Midianites”) as in v. 28. It is likely that the MT is corrupt at this point, with the letter yod (י) being accidentally omitted. The LXX, Vulgate, Samaritan Pentateuch, and Syriac read “Midianites” here. Some prefer to read “Medanites” both here and in v. 28, but Judg 8:24, which identifies the Midianites and Ishmaelites, favors the reading “Midianites.”

[37:36]  ⁴⁵⁸ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:36]  ⁴⁵⁹ sn The expression captain of the guard might indicate that Potiphar was the chief executioner.

[38:1]  ⁴⁶⁰ tn Heb “went down from.”

[38:1]  ⁴⁶¹ tn Heb “and he turned aside unto.”

[38:1]  ⁴⁶² tn Heb “a man, an Adullamite.”

[38:2]  ⁴⁶³ tn Heb “a man, a Canaanite.”

[38:2]  ⁴⁶⁴ tn Heb “and his name was Shua.”

[38:2]  ⁴⁶⁵ tn Heb “and he took her.”

[38:2]  ⁴⁶⁶ tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:3]  ⁴⁶⁷ tn Or “she conceived” (also in the following verse).

[38:3]  ⁴⁶⁸ tc Some mss read this verb as feminine, “she called,” to match the pattern of the next two verses. But the MT, “he called,” should probably be retained as the more difficult reading.

[38:5]  ⁴⁶⁹ tn Heb “and she added again and she gave birth.” The first verb and the adverb emphasize that she gave birth once more.

[38:5]  ⁴⁷⁰ tn Or “and he [i.e., Judah] was in Kezib when she gave birth to him.”

[38:6]  ⁴⁷¹ tn Heb “and Judah took.”

[38:8]  ⁴⁷² tn Heb “go to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:8]  ⁴⁷³ tn The imperative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose.

[38:8]  ⁴⁷⁴ sn Raise up a descendant for your brother. The purpose of this custom, called the levirate system, was to ensure that no line of the family would become extinct. The name of the deceased was to be maintained through this custom of having a child by the nearest relative. See M. Burrows, “Levirate Marriage in Israel,” JBL 59 (1940): 23-33.

[38:9]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn Heb “offspring.”

[38:9]  ⁴⁷⁶ tn Heb “would not be his,” that is, legally speaking. Under the levirate system the child would be legally considered the child of his deceased brother.

[38:9]  ⁴⁷⁷ tn The construction shows that this was a repeated practice and not merely one action.

[38:9]  ⁴⁷⁸ tn Heb “he went to.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:9]  ⁴⁷⁹ tn Heb “he spoiled [his semen] to the ground.” Onan withdrew prematurely and ejaculated on the ground to prevent his brother’s widow from becoming pregnant.

[38:10]  ⁴⁸⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[38:11]  ⁴⁸¹ tn Heb “said.”

[38:11]  ⁴⁸² tn Heb “Otherwise he will die, also he, like his brothers.”

[38:12]  ⁴⁸³ sn After some time. There is not enough information in the narrative to know how long this was. The text says “the days increased.” It was long enough for Shelah to mature and for Tamar to realize she would not have him.

[38:12]  ⁴⁸⁴ tn Heb “and he went up to the shearers of his sheep, he and.”

[38:13]  ⁴⁸⁵ tn Heb “And it was told to Tamar, saying.”

[38:13]  ⁴⁸⁶ tn The active participle indicates the action was in progress or about to begin.

[38:14]  ⁴⁸⁷ tn The Hebrew text simply has “because,” connecting this sentence to what precedes. For stylistic reasons the words “she did this” are supplied in the translation and a new sentence begun.

[38:14]  ⁴⁸⁸ tn Heb “she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she was not given to him as a wife.”

[38:15]  ⁴⁸⁹ tn Heb “he reckoned her for a prostitute,” which was what Tamar had intended for him to do. She obviously had some idea of his inclinations, or she would not have tried this risky plan.

[38:16]  ⁴⁹⁰ tn Heb “I will go to you.” The imperfect verbal form probably indicates his desire here. The expression “go to” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:16]  ⁴⁹¹ tn Heb “for he did not know that.”

[38:16]  ⁴⁹² tn Heb “when you come to me.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:17]  ⁴⁹³ tn Heb “until you send.”

[38:18]  ⁴⁹⁴ tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:19]  ⁴⁹⁵ tn Heb “and she arose and left,” the first verb in the pair emphasizing that she wasted no time.

[38:20]  ⁴⁹⁶ tn Heb “sent by the hand of his friend.” Here the name of the friend (“Hirah”) has been included in the translation for clarity.

[38:20]  ⁴⁹⁷ tn Heb “to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand.”

[38:20]  ⁴⁹⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Judah’s friend Hirah the Adullamite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[38:21]  ⁴⁹⁹ tn Heb “the men of her place,” that is, who lived at the place where she had been.

[38:21]  ⁵⁰⁰ sn The Hebrew noun translated “cult prostitute” is derived from a verb meaning “to be set apart; to be distinct.” Thus the term refers to a woman who did not marry, but was dedicated to temple service as a cult prostitute. The masculine form of this noun is used for male cult prostitutes. Judah thought he had gone to an ordinary prostitute (v. 15); but Hirah went looking for a cult prostitute, perhaps because it had been a sheep-shearing festival. For further discussion see E. M. Yamauchi, “Cultic Prostitution,” Orient and Occident (AOAT), 213-23.

[38:23]  ⁵⁰¹ tn The words “the things” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:23]  ⁵⁰² tn Heb “we will become contemptible.” The Hebrew word בּוּז (buz) describes the contempt that a respectable person would have for someone who is worthless, foolish, or disreputable.

[38:24]  ⁵⁰³ tn Heb “it was told to Judah, saying.”

[38:24]  ⁵⁰⁴ tn Or “has been sexually promiscuous.” The verb may refer here to loose or promiscuous activity, not necessarily prostitution.

[38:24]  ⁵⁰⁵ tn Heb “and also look, she is with child by prostitution.”

[38:25]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn Heb “she was being brought out and she sent.” The juxtaposition of two clauses, both of which place the subject before the predicate, indicates synchronic action.

[38:25]  ⁵⁰⁷ tn Heb “who these to him.”

[38:25]  ⁵⁰⁸ tn Or “ recognize; note.” This same Hebrew verb (נָכַר, nakhar) is used at the beginning of v. 26, where it is translated “recognized.”

[38:26]  ⁵⁰⁹ tn Traditionally “more righteous”; cf. NCV, NRSV, NLT “more in the right.”

[38:26]  ⁵¹⁰ tn Heb “and he did not add again to know her.” Here “know” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:28]  ⁵¹¹ tn The word “child” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:29]  ⁵¹² tn Heb “Look, his brother came out.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through the midwife’s eyes. The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:29]  ⁵¹³ tn Heb “How you have made a breach for yourself!” The Hebrew verb translated “make a breach” frequently occurs, as here, with a cognate accusative. The event provided the meaningful name Perez, “he who breaks through.”

[38:29]  ⁵¹⁴ sn The name Perez means “he who breaks through,” referring to Perez reaching out his hand at birth before his brother was born. The naming signified the completion of Tamar’s struggle and also depicted the destiny of the tribe of Perez who later became dominant (Gen 46:12 and Num 26:20). Judah and his brothers had sold Joseph into slavery, thinking they could thwart God’s plan that the elder brothers should serve the younger. God demonstrated that principle through these births in Judah’s own family, affirming that the elder will serve the younger, and that Joseph’s leadership could not so easily be set aside. See J. Goldin, “The Youngest Son; or, Where Does Genesis 38 Belong?” JBL 96 (1977): 27-44.

[38:30]  ⁵¹⁵ sn Perhaps the child was named Zerah because of the scarlet thread. Though the Hebrew word used for “scarlet thread” in v. 28 is not related to the name Zerah, there is a related root in Babylonian and western Aramaic that means “scarlet” or “scarlet thread.” In Hebrew the name appears to be derived from a root meaning “to shine.” The name could have originally meant something like “shining one” or “God has shined.” Zerah became the head of a tribe (Num 26:20) from whom Achan descended (Josh 7:1).

[42:37]  ⁵¹⁶ tn The nuance of the imperfect verbal form is permissive here.

[42:37]  ⁵¹⁷ tn Heb “my hand.”

[1:24]  ⁵¹⁸ tn The construction in Greek is a double accusative object-complement. “You” is the object and “free from falling” is the adjectival complement.

[1:24]  ⁵¹⁹ tn Grk “with rejoicing.” The prepositional clause is placed after “his glorious presence” in Greek, but most likely goes with “cause you to stand.”

[1:24]  ⁵²⁰ tn The construction in Greek is a double accusative object-complement. “You” is the object and “without blemish” is the adjectival complement.

[1:24]  ⁵²¹ tn Or “in the presence of his glory,” “before his glory.”

[9:6]  ⁵²² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[3:8]  ⁵²³ tn Grk “(as we are slandered and some affirm that we say…).”

[3:8]  ⁵²⁴ tn Grk “whose.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, this relative clause was rendered as a new sentence in the translation.