Genesis 35:1--40:23

The Return to Bethel

35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once ¹  to Bethel ²  and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” ³  35:2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. ⁴  Purify yourselves and change your clothes. ⁵  35:3 Let us go up at once ⁶  to Bethel. Then I will make ⁷  an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress ⁸  and has been with me wherever I went.” ⁹ 

35:4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession ¹⁰  and the rings that were in their ears. ¹¹  Jacob buried them ¹²  under the oak ¹³  near Shechem 35:5 and they started on their journey. ¹⁴  The surrounding cities were afraid of God, ¹⁵  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) ¹⁶  in the land of Canaan. ¹⁷  35:7 He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel ¹⁸  because there God had revealed himself ¹⁹  to him when he was fleeing from his brother. 35:8 (Deborah, ²⁰  Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel; thus it was named ²¹  Oak of Weeping.) ²² 

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. ²³  35:11 Then God said to him, “I am the sovereign God. ²⁴  Be fruitful and multiply! A nation – even a company of nations – will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants! ²⁵  35:12 The land I gave ²⁶  to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you. To your descendants ²⁷  I will also give this land.” 35:13 Then God went up from the place ²⁸  where he spoke with him. 35:14 So Jacob set up a sacred stone pillar in the place where God spoke with him. ²⁹  He poured out a drink offering on it, and then he poured oil on it. ³⁰  35:15 Jacob named the place ³¹  where God spoke with him Bethel. ³² 

35:16 They traveled on from Bethel, and when Ephrath was still some distance away, ³³  Rachel went into labor ³⁴  – and her labor was hard. 35:17 When her labor was at its hardest, ³⁵  the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you are having another son.” ³⁶  35:18 With her dying breath, ³⁷  she named him Ben-Oni. ³⁸  But his father called him Benjamin instead. ³⁹  35:19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). ⁴⁰  35:20 Jacob set up a marker ⁴¹  over her grave; it is ⁴²  the Marker of Rachel’s Grave to this day.

35:21 Then Israel traveled on and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. ⁴³  35:22 While Israel was living in that land, Reuben had sexual relations with ⁴⁴  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, ⁴⁵  to Kiriath Arba ⁴⁶  (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. ⁴⁷  35:28 Isaac lived to be 180 years old. ⁴⁸  35:29 Then Isaac breathed his last and joined his ancestors. ⁴⁹  He died an old man who had lived a full life. ⁵⁰  His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

The Descendants of Esau

36:1 What follows is the account of Esau (also known as Edom). ⁵¹ 

36:2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: ⁵²  Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter ⁵³  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 ⁵⁴  Jacob his brother 36:7 because they had too many possessions to be able to stay together and the land where they had settled ⁵⁵  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. ⁵⁶ 

36:9 This is the account of Esau, the father ⁵⁷  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 ⁵⁸  of Esau’s wife Adah.

36:13 These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons ⁵⁹  of Esau’s wife Basemath.

36:14 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter ⁶⁰  of Zibeon: She bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah to Esau.

36:15 These were the chiefs ⁶¹  among the descendants ⁶²  of Esau, the sons of Eliphaz, Esau’s firstborn: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 36:16 chief Korah, ⁶³  chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons ⁶⁴  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 ⁶⁵  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, ⁶⁶  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 ⁶⁷  of Seir in the land of Edom.

36:22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam; ⁶⁸  Lotan’s sister was Timna.

36:23 These were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, ⁶⁹  and Onam.

36:24 These were the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah (who discovered the hot springs ⁷⁰  in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon).

36:25 These were the children ⁷¹  of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.

36:26 These were the sons of Dishon: ⁷²  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: ⁷³ 

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 ⁷⁴  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 ⁷⁵  reigned in his place; the name of his city was Pau. ⁷⁶  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 ⁷⁷  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, ⁷⁸  in the land of Canaan. ⁷⁹ 

37:2 This is the account of Jacob.

Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, ⁸⁰  was taking care of ⁸¹  the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster ⁸²  working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. ⁸³  Joseph brought back a bad report about them ⁸⁴  to their father.

37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons ⁸⁵  because he was a son born to him late in life, ⁸⁶  and he made a special ⁸⁷  tunic for him. 37:4 When Joseph’s ⁸⁸  brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, ⁸⁹  they hated Joseph ⁹⁰  and were not able to speak to him kindly. ⁹¹ 

37:5 Joseph ⁹²  had a dream, ⁹³  and when he told his brothers about it, ⁹⁴  they hated him even more. ⁹⁵  37:6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: ⁹⁶  37:7 There we were, ⁹⁷  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 ⁹⁸  to it!” 37:8 Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?” ⁹⁹  They hated him even more ¹⁰⁰  because of his dream and because of what he said. ¹⁰¹ 

37:9 Then he had another dream, ¹⁰²  and told it to his brothers. “Look,” ¹⁰³  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? ¹⁰⁴  Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?” ¹⁰⁵  37:11 His brothers were jealous ¹⁰⁶  of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said. ¹⁰⁷ 

37:12 When his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 37:13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers ¹⁰⁸  are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” ¹⁰⁹  Joseph replied. ¹¹⁰  37:14 So Jacob ¹¹¹  said to him, “Go now and check on ¹¹²  the welfare ¹¹³  of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word.” So Jacob ¹¹⁴  sent him from the valley of Hebron.

37:15 When Joseph reached Shechem, ¹¹⁵  a man found him wandering ¹¹⁶  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 ¹¹⁷  me where they are grazing their flocks.” 37:17 The man said, “They left this area, ¹¹⁸  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 ¹¹⁹  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! ¹²⁰  37:20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild ¹²¹  animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!” ¹²² 

37:21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph ¹²³  from their hands, ¹²⁴  saying, ¹²⁵  “Let’s not take his life!” ¹²⁶  37:22 Reuben continued, ¹²⁷  “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” ¹²⁸  (Reuben said this ¹²⁹  so he could rescue Joseph ¹³⁰  from them ¹³¹  and take him back to his father.)

37:23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him ¹³²  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; ¹³³  there was no water in it.)

37:25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up ¹³⁴  and saw ¹³⁵  a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. ¹³⁶  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, ¹³⁷  for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. ¹³⁸  37:28 So when the Midianite ¹³⁹  merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled ¹⁴⁰  him ¹⁴¹  out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites ¹⁴²  then took Joseph to Egypt.

37:29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! ¹⁴³  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, ¹⁴⁴  and dipped the tunic in the blood. 37:32 Then they brought the special tunic to their father ¹⁴⁵  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! ¹⁴⁶  Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 37:34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, ¹⁴⁷  and mourned for his son many days. 37:35 All his sons and daughters stood by ¹⁴⁸  him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. “No,” he said, “I will go to the grave mourning my son.” ¹⁴⁹  So Joseph’s ¹⁵⁰  father wept for him.

37:36 Now ¹⁵¹  in Egypt the Midianites ¹⁵²  sold Joseph ¹⁵³  to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. ¹⁵⁴ 

Judah and Tamar

38:1 At that time Judah left ¹⁵⁵  his brothers and stayed ¹⁵⁶  with an Adullamite man ¹⁵⁷  named Hirah.

38:2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man ¹⁵⁸  named Shua. ¹⁵⁹  Judah acquired her as a wife ¹⁶⁰  and had marital relations with her. ¹⁶¹  38:3 She became pregnant ¹⁶²  and had a son. Judah named ¹⁶³  him Er. 38:4 She became pregnant again and had another son, whom she named Onan. 38:5 Then she had ¹⁶⁴  yet another son, whom she named Shelah. She gave birth to him in Kezib. ¹⁶⁵ 

38:6 Judah acquired ¹⁶⁶  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 ¹⁶⁷  your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise ¹⁶⁸  up a descendant for your brother.” ¹⁶⁹  38:9 But Onan knew that the child ¹⁷⁰  would not be considered his. ¹⁷¹  So whenever ¹⁷²  he had sexual relations with ¹⁷³  his brother’s wife, he withdrew prematurely ¹⁷⁴  so as not to give his brother a descendant. 38:10 What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord ¹⁷⁵  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, ¹⁷⁶  “I don’t want him to die like his brothers.” ¹⁷⁷  So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

38:12 After some time ¹⁷⁸  Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah was consoled, he left for Timnah to visit his sheepshearers, along with ¹⁷⁹  his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 38:13 Tamar was told, ¹⁸⁰  “Look, your father-in-law is going up ¹⁸¹  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 ¹⁸²  she saw that she had not been given to Shelah as a wife, even though he had now grown up.) ¹⁸³ 

38:15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute ¹⁸⁴  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.” ¹⁸⁵  (He did not realize ¹⁸⁶  it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, “What will you give me in exchange for having sex with you?” ¹⁸⁷  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?” ¹⁸⁸  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. ¹⁸⁹  She became pregnant by him. 38:19 She left immediately, ¹⁹⁰  removed her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes.

38:20 Then Judah had his friend Hirah ¹⁹¹  the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge, ¹⁹²  but Hirah ¹⁹³  could not find her. 38:21 He asked the men who were there, ¹⁹⁴  “Where is the cult prostitute ¹⁹⁵  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 ¹⁹⁶  for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. ¹⁹⁷  I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”

38:24 After three months Judah was told, ¹⁹⁸  “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, ¹⁹⁹  and as a result she has become pregnant.” ²⁰⁰  Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” 38:25 While they were bringing her out, she sent word ²⁰¹  to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” ²⁰²  Then she said, “Identify ²⁰³  the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.” 38:26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright ²⁰⁴  than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He did not have sexual relations with her ²⁰⁵  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 ²⁰⁶  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. ²⁰⁷  She said, “How you have broken out of the womb!” ²⁰⁸  So he was named Perez. ²⁰⁹  38:30 Afterward his brother came out – the one who had the scarlet thread on his hand – and he was named Zerah. ²¹⁰ 

Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

39:1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. ²¹¹  An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, ²¹²  purchased him from ²¹³  the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 39:2 The Lord was with Joseph. He was successful ²¹⁴  and lived ²¹⁵  in the household of his Egyptian master. 39:3 His master observed that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he was doing successful. ²¹⁶  39:4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. ²¹⁷  Potiphar appointed Joseph ²¹⁸  overseer of his household and put him in charge ²¹⁹  of everything he owned. 39:5 From the time ²²⁰  Potiphar ²²¹  appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed ²²²  the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both ²²³  in his house and in his fields. ²²⁴  39:6 So Potiphar ²²⁵  left ²²⁶  everything he had in Joseph’s care; ²²⁷  he gave no thought ²²⁸  to anything except the food he ate. ²²⁹ 

Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. ²³⁰  39:7 Soon after these things, his master’s wife took notice of ²³¹  Joseph and said, “Have sex with me.” ²³²  39:8 But he refused, saying ²³³  to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not give any thought ²³⁴  to his household with me here, ²³⁵  and everything that he owns he has put into my care. ²³⁶  39:9 There is no one greater in this household than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I do ²³⁷  such a great evil and sin against God?” 39:10 Even though she continued to speak ²³⁸  to Joseph day after day, he did not respond ²³⁹  to her invitation to have sex with her. ²⁴⁰ 

39:11 One day ²⁴¹  he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants ²⁴²  were there in the house. 39:12 She grabbed him by his outer garment, saying, “Have sex with me!” But he left his outer garment in her hand and ran ²⁴³  outside. ²⁴⁴  39:13 When she saw that he had left his outer garment in her hand and had run outside, 39:14 she called for her household servants and said to them, “See, my husband brought ²⁴⁵  in a Hebrew man ²⁴⁶  to us to humiliate us. ²⁴⁷  He tried to have sex with me, ²⁴⁸  but I screamed loudly. ²⁴⁹  39:15 When he heard me raise ²⁵⁰  my voice and scream, he left his outer garment beside me and ran outside.”

39:16 So she laid his outer garment beside her until his master came home. 39:17 This is what she said to him: ²⁵¹  “That Hebrew slave ²⁵²  you brought to us tried to humiliate me, ²⁵³  39:18 but when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his outer garment and ran outside.”

39:19 When his master heard his wife say, ²⁵⁴  “This is the way ²⁵⁵  your slave treated me,” ²⁵⁶  he became furious. ²⁵⁷  39:20 Joseph’s master took him and threw him into the prison, ²⁵⁸  the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in the prison. ²⁵⁹ 

39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness. ²⁶⁰  He granted him favor in the sight of the prison warden. ²⁶¹  39:22 The warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care. He was in charge of whatever they were doing. ²⁶²  39:23 The warden did not concern himself ²⁶³  with anything that was in Joseph’s ²⁶⁴  care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.

The Cupbearer and the Baker

40:1 After these things happened, the cupbearer ²⁶⁵  to the king of Egypt and the royal baker ²⁶⁶  offended ²⁶⁷  their master, the king of Egypt. 40:2 Pharaoh was enraged with his two officials, ²⁶⁸  the cupbearer and the baker, 40:3 so he imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard in the same facility where Joseph was confined. 40:4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be their attendant, and he served them. ²⁶⁹ 

They spent some time in custody. ²⁷⁰  40:5 Both of them, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream ²⁷¹  the same night. ²⁷²  Each man’s dream had its own meaning. ²⁷³  40:6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were looking depressed. ²⁷⁴  40:7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials, who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” ²⁷⁵  40:8 They told him, “We both had dreams, ²⁷⁶  but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph responded, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell them ²⁷⁷  to me.”

40:9 So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph: ²⁷⁸  “In my dream, there was a vine in front of me. 40:10 On the vine there were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes. 40:11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes, squeezed them into his ²⁷⁹  cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” ²⁸⁰ 

40:12 “This is its meaning,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches represent ²⁸¹  three days. 40:13 In three more days Pharaoh will reinstate you ²⁸²  and restore you to your office. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did before ²⁸³  when you were cupbearer. 40:14 But remember me ²⁸⁴  when it goes well for you, and show ²⁸⁵  me kindness. ²⁸⁶  Make mention ²⁸⁷  of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this prison, ²⁸⁸  40:15 for I really was kidnapped ²⁸⁹  from the land of the Hebrews and I have done nothing wrong here for which they should put me in a dungeon.”

40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation of the first dream was favorable, ²⁹⁰  he said to Joseph, “I also appeared in my dream and there were three baskets of white bread ²⁹¹  on my head. 40:17 In the top basket there were baked goods of every kind for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them from the basket that was on my head.”

40:18 Joseph replied, “This is its meaning: The three baskets represent ²⁹²  three days. 40:19 In three more days Pharaoh will decapitate you ²⁹³  and impale you on a pole. Then the birds will eat your flesh from you.”

40:20 On the third day it was Pharaoh’s birthday, so he gave a feast for all his servants. He “lifted up” ²⁹⁴  the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker in the midst of his servants. 40:21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his former position ²⁹⁵  so that he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand, 40:22 but the chief baker he impaled, just as Joseph had predicted. ²⁹⁶  40:23 But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph – he forgot him. ²⁹⁷ 

Genesis 46:1--48:22

The Family of Jacob goes to Egypt

46:1 So Israel began his journey, taking with him all that he had. ²⁹⁸  When he came to Beer Sheba ²⁹⁹  he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 46:2 God spoke to Israel in a vision during the night ³⁰⁰  and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He replied, “Here I am!” 46:3 He said, “I am God, ³⁰¹  the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 46:4 I will go down with you to Egypt and I myself will certainly bring you back from there. ³⁰²  Joseph will close your eyes.” ³⁰³ 

46:5 Then Jacob started out ³⁰⁴  from Beer Sheba, and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little children, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent along to transport him. 46:6 Jacob and all his descendants took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and they went to Egypt. ³⁰⁵  46:7 He brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, ³⁰⁶  his daughters and granddaughters – all his descendants.

46:8 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt – Jacob and his sons:

Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob.

46:9 The sons of Reuben:

Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

46:10 The sons of Simeon:

Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar,

and Shaul (the son of a Canaanite woman).

46:11 The sons of Levi:

Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

46:12 The sons of Judah:

Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah

(but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan).

The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

46:13 The sons of Issachar:

Tola, Puah, ³⁰⁷  Jashub, ³⁰⁸  and Shimron.

46:14 The sons of Zebulun:

Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

46:15 These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, along with Dinah his daughter. His sons and daughters numbered thirty-three in all. ³⁰⁹ 

46:16 The sons of Gad:

Zephon, ³¹⁰  Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

46:17 The sons of Asher:

Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah their sister.

The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel.

46:18 These were the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, sixteen in all.

46:19 The sons of Rachel the wife of Jacob:

Joseph and Benjamin.

46:20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, ³¹¹  bore them to him.

46:21 The sons of Benjamin: ³¹² 

Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard.

46:22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob, fourteen in all.

46:23 The son of Dan: Hushim. ³¹³ 

46:24 The sons of Naphtali:

Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

46:25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter. She bore these to Jacob, seven in all.

46:26 All the direct descendants of Jacob who went to Egypt with him were sixty-six in number. (This number does not include the wives of Jacob’s sons.) ³¹⁴  46:27 Counting the two sons ³¹⁵  of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt, all the people of the household of Jacob who were in Egypt numbered seventy. ³¹⁶ 

46:28 Jacob ³¹⁷  sent Judah before him to Joseph to accompany him to Goshen. ³¹⁸  So they came to the land of Goshen. 46:29 Joseph harnessed his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When he met him, ³¹⁹  he hugged his neck and wept on his neck for quite some time.

46:30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” ³²⁰  46:31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, ³²¹  ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me. 46:32 The men are shepherds; ³²²  they take care of livestock. ³²³  They have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ 46:33 Pharaoh will summon you and say, ‘What is your occupation?’ 46:34 Tell him, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle ³²⁴  from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen, ³²⁵  for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting ³²⁶  to the Egyptians.”

Joseph’s Wise Administration

47:1 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father, my brothers, their flocks and herds, and all that they own have arrived from the land of

Canaan. They are now ³²⁷  in the land of Goshen.” 47:2 He took five of his brothers and introduced them to Pharaoh. ³²⁸ 

47:3 Pharaoh said to Joseph’s ³²⁹  brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants take care of flocks, just as our ancestors did.” ³³⁰  47:4 Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as temporary residents ³³¹  in the land. There ³³²  is no pasture for your servants’ flocks because the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. So now, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen.”

47:5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 47:6 The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best region of the land. They may live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any highly capable men ³³³  among them, put them in charge ³³⁴  of my livestock.”

47:7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him ³³⁵  before Pharaoh. Jacob blessed ³³⁶  Pharaoh. 47:8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How long have you lived?” ³³⁷  47:9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, “All ³³⁸  the years of my travels ³³⁹  are 130. All ³⁴⁰  the years of my life have been few and painful; ³⁴¹  the years of my travels are not as long as those of my ancestors.” ³⁴²  47:10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. ³⁴³ 

47:11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers. He gave them territory ³⁴⁴  in the land of Egypt, in the best region of the land, the land of Rameses, ³⁴⁵  just as Pharaoh had commanded. 47:12 Joseph also provided food for his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household, according to the number of their little children.

47:13 But there was no food in all the land because the famine was very severe; the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan wasted away ³⁴⁶  because of the famine. 47:14 Joseph collected all the money that could be found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan as payment ³⁴⁷  for the grain they were buying. Then Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s palace. ³⁴⁸  47:15 When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was used up, all the Egyptians ³⁴⁹  came to Joseph and said, “Give us food! Why should we die ³⁵⁰  before your very eyes because our money has run out?”

47:16 Then Joseph said, “If your money is gone, bring your livestock, and I will give you food ³⁵¹  in exchange for ³⁵²  your livestock.” 47:17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for their horses, the livestock of their flocks and herds, and their donkeys. ³⁵³  He got them through that year by giving them food in exchange for livestock.

47:18 When that year was over, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We cannot hide from our ³⁵⁴  lord that the money is used up and the livestock and the animals belong to our lord. Nothing remains before our lord except our bodies and our land. 47:19 Why should we die before your very eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we, with our land, will become ³⁵⁵  Pharaoh’s slaves. ³⁵⁶  Give us seed that we may live ³⁵⁷  and not die. Then the land will not become desolate.” ³⁵⁸ 

47:20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. Each ³⁵⁹  of the Egyptians sold his field, for the famine was severe. ³⁶⁰  So the land became Pharaoh’s. 47:21 Joseph ³⁶¹  made all the people slaves ³⁶²  from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end of it. 47:22 But he did not purchase the land of the priests because the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh and they ate from their allotment that Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.

47:23 Joseph said to the people, “Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate ³⁶³  the land. 47:24 When you gather in the crop, ³⁶⁴  give ³⁶⁵  one-fifth of it to Pharaoh, and the rest ³⁶⁶  will be yours for seed for the fields and for you to eat, including those in your households and your little children.” 47:25 They replied, “You have saved our lives! You are showing us favor, ³⁶⁷  and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” ³⁶⁸ 

47:26 So Joseph made it a statute, ³⁶⁹  which is in effect ³⁷⁰  to this day throughout the land of Egypt: One-fifth belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.

47:27 Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they owned land there. They were fruitful and increased rapidly in number.

47:28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; the years ³⁷¹  of Jacob’s life were 147 in all. 47:29 The time ³⁷²  for Israel to die approached, so he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh ³⁷³  and show me kindness and faithfulness. ³⁷⁴  Do not bury me in Egypt, 47:30 but when I rest ³⁷⁵  with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” Joseph ³⁷⁶  said, “I will do as you say.”

47:31 Jacob ³⁷⁷  said, “Swear to me that you will do so.” ³⁷⁸  So Joseph ³⁷⁹  gave him his word. ³⁸⁰  Then Israel bowed down ³⁸¹  at the head of his bed. ³⁸² 

Manasseh and Ephraim

48:1 After these things Joseph was told, ³⁸³  “Your father is weakening.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 48:2 When Jacob was told, ³⁸⁴  “Your son Joseph has just ³⁸⁵  come to you,” Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed. 48:3 Jacob said to Joseph, “The sovereign God ³⁸⁶  appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 48:4 He said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful ³⁸⁷  and will multiply you. ³⁸⁸  I will make you into a group of nations, and I will give this land to your descendants ³⁸⁹  as an everlasting possession.’ ³⁹⁰ 

48:5 “Now, as for your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, they will be mine. ³⁹¹  Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine just as Reuben and Simeon are. 48:6 Any children that you father ³⁹²  after them will be yours; they will be listed ³⁹³  under the names of their brothers in their inheritance. ³⁹⁴  48:7 But as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died – to my sorrow ³⁹⁵  – in the land of Canaan. It happened along the way, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there on the way to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem). ³⁹⁶ 

48:8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he asked, “Who are these?” 48:9 Joseph said to his father, “They are the ³⁹⁷  sons God has given me in this place.” His father ³⁹⁸  said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.” ³⁹⁹  48:10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing ⁴⁰⁰  because of his age; he was not able to see well. So Joseph ⁴⁰¹  brought his sons ⁴⁰²  near to him, and his father ⁴⁰³  kissed them and embraced them. 48:11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected ⁴⁰⁴  to see you ⁴⁰⁵  again, but now God has allowed me to see your children ⁴⁰⁶  too.”

48:12 So Joseph moved them from Israel’s knees ⁴⁰⁷  and bowed down with his face to the ground. 48:13 Joseph positioned them; ⁴⁰⁸  he put Ephraim on his right hand across from Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh on his left hand across from Israel’s right hand. Then Joseph brought them closer to his father. ⁴⁰⁹  48:14 Israel stretched out his right hand and placed it on Ephraim’s head, although he was the younger. ⁴¹⁰  Crossing his hands, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, for Manasseh was the firstborn.

48:15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers

Abraham and Isaac walked –

the God who has been my shepherd ⁴¹¹ 

all my life long to this day,

48:16 the Angel ⁴¹²  who has protected me ⁴¹³ 

from all harm –

bless these boys.

May my name be named in them, ⁴¹⁴ 

and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.

May they grow into a multitude on the earth.”

48:17 When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him. ⁴¹⁵  So he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 48:18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”

48:19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a nation and he too will become great. In spite of this, his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will become a multitude ⁴¹⁶  of nations.” 48:20 So he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you ⁴¹⁷  will Israel bless, ⁴¹⁸  saying,

‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”

So he put Ephraim before Manasseh. ⁴¹⁹ 

48:21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you ⁴²⁰  and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. 48:22 As one who is above your ⁴²¹  brothers, I give to you the mountain slope, ⁴²²  which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

Leviticus 10:1

Nadab and Abihu

10:1 Then ⁴²³  Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his fire pan and put fire in it, set incense on it, and presented strange fire ⁴²⁴  before the Lord, which he had not commanded them to do.

Leviticus 16:12-13

16:12 and take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord ⁴²⁵  and a full double handful of finely ground fragrant incense, ⁴²⁶  and bring them inside the veil-canopy. ⁴²⁷  16:13 He must then put the incense on the fire before the Lord, and the cloud of incense will cover the atonement plate which is above the ark of the testimony, ⁴²⁸  so that he will not die. ⁴²⁹ 

Leviticus 16:1

The Day of Atonement

16:1 The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons when they approached the presence of the Lord ⁴³⁰  and died,

Leviticus 18:21-23

18:21 You must not give any of your children as an offering to Molech, ⁴³¹  so that you do not profane ⁴³²  the name of your God. I am the Lord! 18:22 You must not have sexual intercourse with a male as one has sexual intercourse with a woman; ⁴³³  it is a detestable act. ⁴³⁴  18:23 You must not have sexual intercourse ⁴³⁵  with any animal to become defiled with it, and a woman must not stand before an animal to have sexual intercourse with it; ⁴³⁶  it is a perversion. ⁴³⁷ 

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

[35:1]  ² map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:1]  ³ sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).

[35:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “which are in your midst.”

[35:2]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.

[35:3]  ⁷ tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.

[35:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.

[35:3]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “in their hand.”

[35:4]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ tn Or “terebinth.”

[35:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and they journeyed.”

[35:5]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:6]  ¹⁷ 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]  ¹⁸ sn The name El-Bethel means “God of Bethel.”

[35:7]  ¹⁹ 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]  ²⁰ 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]  ²¹ tn “and he called its name.” There is no expressed subject, so the verb can be translated as passive.

[35:8]  ²² 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]  ²³ 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]  ²⁴ 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]  ²⁵ tn Heb “A nation and a company of nations will be from you and kings from your loins will come out.”

[35:12]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ tn Heb “and to your offspring after you.”

[35:13]  ²⁸ tn Heb “went up from upon him in the place.”

[35:14]  ²⁹ 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]  ³⁰ 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]  ³¹ 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]  ³² tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew.

[35:16]  ³³ tn Heb “and there was still a stretch of the land to go to Ephrath.”

[35:16]  ³⁴ 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]  ³⁵ 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]  ³⁶ 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]  ³⁷ tn Heb “in the going out of her life, for she was dying.” Rachel named the child with her dying breath.

[35:18]  ³⁸ 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]  ³⁹ tn The disjunctive clause is contrastive.

[35:19]  ⁴⁰ sn This explanatory note links the earlier name Ephrath with the later name Bethlehem.

[35:20]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “standing stone.”

[35:20]  ⁴² tn Or perhaps “it is known as” (cf. NEB).

[35:21]  ⁴³ 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]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “and Reuben went and lay with.” The expression “lay with” is a euphemism for having sexual intercourse.

[35:27]  ⁴⁵ tn This is an adverbial accusative of location.

[35:27]  ⁴⁶ tn The name “Kiriath Arba” is in apposition to the preceding name, “Mamre.”

[35:27]  ⁴⁷ tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” refers to temporary settlement without ownership rights.

[35:28]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “And the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years.”

[35:29]  ⁴⁹ 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]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “old and full of years.”

[36:1]  ⁵¹ 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]  ⁵² tn Heb “from the daughters of Canaan.”

[36:2]  ⁵³ tn Heb “daughter,” but see Gen 36:24-25.

[36:6]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “from before.”

[36:7]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “land of their settlements.”

[36:8]  ⁵⁶ 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]  ⁵⁷ 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]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:13]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:14]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “daughter,” but see Gen 36:24-25.

[36:15]  ⁶¹ tn Or “clan leaders” (so also throughout this chapter).

[36:15]  ⁶² tn Or “sons.”

[36:16]  ⁶³ tc The Samaritan Pentateuch omits the name “Korah” (see v. 11 and 1 Chr 1:36).

[36:16]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:17]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:20]  ⁶⁶ 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]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “sons.”

[36:22]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “Hemam”; this is probably a variant spelling of “Homam” (1 Chr 1:39); cf. NRSV, NLT “Heman.”

[36:23]  ⁶⁹ tn This name is given as “Shephi” in 1 Chr 1:40.

[36:24]  ⁷⁰ tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain; Syriac reads “water” and Vulgate reads “hot water.”

[36:25]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “sons,” but since a daughter is included in the list, the word must be translated “children.”

[36:26]  ⁷² 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]  ⁷³ tn Or perhaps “before any Israelite king ruled over [them].”

[36:37]  ⁷⁴ 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]  ⁷⁵ 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]  ⁷⁶ tn The name of the city is given as “Pai” in 1 Chr 1:50.

[36:43]  ⁷⁷ tn Or perhaps “territories”; Heb “dwelling places.”

[37:1]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “the land of the sojournings of his father.”

[37:1]  ⁷⁹ 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]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “a son of seventeen years.” The word “son” is in apposition to the name “Joseph.”

[37:2]  ⁸¹ tn Or “tending”; Heb “shepherding” or “feeding.”

[37:2]  ⁸² 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]  ⁸³ 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]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “their bad report.” The pronoun is an objective genitive, specifying that the bad or damaging report was about the brothers.

[37:3]  ⁸⁵ tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information vital to the story. It explains in part the brothers’ animosity toward Joseph.

[37:3]  ⁸⁶ 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]  ⁸⁷ 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]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “of his brothers.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “them.”

[37:4]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “speak to him for peace.”

[37:5]  ⁹² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:5]  ⁹³ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[37:5]  ⁹⁴ 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]  ⁹⁵ tn The construction uses a hendiadys, “they added to hate,” meaning they hated him even more.

[37:6]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “hear this dream which I dreamed.”

[37:7]  ⁹⁷ 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]  ⁹⁸ tn The verb means “to bow down to the ground.” It is used to describe worship and obeisance to masters.

[37:8]  ⁹⁹ 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]  ¹⁰⁰ tn This construction is identical to the one in Gen 37:5.

[37:8]  ¹⁰¹ 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]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “And he dreamed yet another dream.”

[37:9]  ¹⁰³ 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]  ¹⁰⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁵ 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]  ¹⁰⁶ 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]  ¹⁰⁷ 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]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The text uses an interrogative clause: “Are not your brothers,” which means “your brothers are.”

[37:13]  ¹⁰⁹ sn With these words Joseph is depicted here as an obedient son who is ready to do what his father commands.

[37:13]  ¹¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:14]  ¹¹² tn Heb “see.”

[37:14]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “peace.”

[37:14]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “and he [i.e., Joseph] went to Shechem.” The referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ¹¹⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁷ tn The imperative in this sentence has more of the nuance of a request than a command.

[37:17]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “they traveled from this place.”

[37:18]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “and they”; the referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:19]  ¹²⁰ 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]  ¹²¹ 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]  ¹²² tn Heb “what his dreams will be.”

[37:21]  ¹²³ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:21]  ¹²⁴ sn From their hands. The instigators of this plot may have been the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (see v. 2).

[37:21]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “and he said.”

[37:21]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “we must not strike him down [with respect to] life.”

[37:22]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “and Reuben said to them.”

[37:22]  ¹²⁸ 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]  ¹²⁹ tn The words “Reuben said this” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:22]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:22]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “from their hands” (cf. v. 21). This expression has been translated as “them” here for stylistic reasons.

[37:23]  ¹³² tn Heb “Joseph”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:24]  ¹³³ tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that helps the reader or hearer to picture what happened.

[37:25]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “lifted up their eyes.”

[37:25]  ¹³⁵ 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]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh, going to go down to Egypt.”

[37:27]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “let not our hand be upon him.”

[37:27]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “listened.”

[37:28]  ¹³⁹ sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.

[37:28]  ¹⁴⁰ 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]  ¹⁴¹ 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]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:29]  ¹⁴³ 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]  ¹⁴⁴ 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]  ¹⁴⁵ 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]  ¹⁴⁶ 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]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “and put sackcloth on his loins.”

[37:35]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “arose, stood”; which here suggests that they stood by him in his time of grief.

[37:35]  ¹⁴⁹ 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]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:36]  ¹⁵¹ tn The disjunctive clause formally signals closure for this episode of Joseph’s story, which will be resumed in Gen 39.

[37:36]  ¹⁵² 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]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:36]  ¹⁵⁴ sn The expression captain of the guard might indicate that Potiphar was the chief executioner.

[38:1]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “went down from.”

[38:1]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “and he turned aside unto.”

[38:1]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “a man, an Adullamite.”

[38:2]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “a man, a Canaanite.”

[38:2]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “and his name was Shua.”

[38:2]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “and he took her.”

[38:2]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:3]  ¹⁶² tn Or “she conceived” (also in the following verse).

[38:3]  ¹⁶³ 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]  ¹⁶⁴ 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]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Or “and he [i.e., Judah] was in Kezib when she gave birth to him.”

[38:6]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “and Judah took.”

[38:8]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “go to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:8]  ¹⁶⁸ tn The imperative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose.

[38:8]  ¹⁶⁹ 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]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “offspring.”

[38:9]  ¹⁷¹ 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]  ¹⁷² tn The construction shows that this was a repeated practice and not merely one action.

[38:9]  ¹⁷³ tn Heb “he went to.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:9]  ¹⁷⁴ 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]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[38:11]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “said.”

[38:11]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “Otherwise he will die, also he, like his brothers.”

[38:12]  ¹⁷⁸ 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]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “and he went up to the shearers of his sheep, he and.”

[38:13]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “And it was told to Tamar, saying.”

[38:13]  ¹⁸¹ tn The active participle indicates the action was in progress or about to begin.

[38:14]  ¹⁸² 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]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she was not given to him as a wife.”

[38:15]  ¹⁸⁴ 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]  ¹⁸⁵ 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]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “for he did not know that.”

[38:16]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “when you come to me.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:17]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “until you send.”

[38:18]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:19]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “and she arose and left,” the first verb in the pair emphasizing that she wasted no time.

[38:20]  ¹⁹¹ 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]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand.”

[38:20]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Judah’s friend Hirah the Adullamite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[38:21]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “the men of her place,” that is, who lived at the place where she had been.

[38:21]  ¹⁹⁵ 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]  ¹⁹⁶ tn The words “the things” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:23]  ¹⁹⁷ 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]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “it was told to Judah, saying.”

[38:24]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Or “has been sexually promiscuous.” The verb may refer here to loose or promiscuous activity, not necessarily prostitution.

[38:24]  ²⁰⁰ tn Heb “and also look, she is with child by prostitution.”

[38:25]  ²⁰¹ 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]  ²⁰² tn Heb “who these to him.”

[38:25]  ²⁰³ 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]  ²⁰⁴ tn Traditionally “more righteous”; cf. NCV, NRSV, NLT “more in the right.”

[38:26]  ²⁰⁵ tn Heb “and he did not add again to know her.” Here “know” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:28]  ²⁰⁶ tn The word “child” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:29]  ²⁰⁷ 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]  ²⁰⁸ 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]  ²⁰⁹ 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]  ²¹⁰ 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).

[39:1]  ²¹¹ tn The disjunctive clause resumes the earlier narrative pertaining to Joseph by recapitulating the event described in 37:36. The perfect verbal form is given a past perfect translation to restore the sequence of the narrative for the reader.

[39:1]  ²¹² sn Captain of the guard. See the note on this phrase in Gen 37:36.

[39:1]  ²¹³ tn Heb “from the hand of.”

[39:2]  ²¹⁴ tn Heb “and he was a prosperous man.” This does not mean that Joseph became wealthy, but that he was successful in what he was doing, or making progress in his situation (see 24:21).

[39:2]  ²¹⁵ tn Heb “and he was.”

[39:3]  ²¹⁶ tn The Hebrew text adds “in his hand,” a phrase not included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:4]  ²¹⁷ sn The Hebrew verb translated became his personal attendant refers to higher domestic service, usually along the lines of a personal attendant. Here Joseph is made the household steward, a position well-attested in Egyptian literature.

[39:4]  ²¹⁸ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:4]  ²¹⁹ tn Heb “put into his hand.”

[39:5]  ²²⁰ tn Heb “and it was from then.”

[39:5]  ²²¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:5]  ²²² sn The Hebrew word translated blessed carries the idea of enrichment, prosperity, success. It is the way believers describe success at the hand of God. The text illustrates the promise made to Abraham that whoever blesses his descendants will be blessed (Gen 12:1-3).

[39:5]  ²²³ tn Heb “in the house and in the field.” The word “both” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:5]  ²²⁴ sn The passage gives us a good picture of Joseph as a young man who was responsible and faithful, both to his master and to his God. This happened within a very short time of his being sold into Egypt. It undermines the view that Joseph was a liar, a tattletale, and an arrogant adolescent.

[39:6]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:6]  ²²⁶ sn The Hebrew verb translated left indicates he relinquished the care of it to Joseph. This is stronger than what was said earlier. Apparently Potiphar had come to trust Joseph so much that he knew it was in better care with Joseph than with anyone else.

[39:6]  ²²⁷ tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.

[39:6]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “did not know.”

[39:6]  ²²⁹ sn The expression except the food he ate probably refers to Potiphar’s private affairs and should not be limited literally to what he ate.

[39:6]  ²³⁰ tn Heb “handsome of form and handsome of appearance.” The same Hebrew expressions were used in Gen 29:17 for Rachel.

[39:7]  ²³¹ tn Heb “she lifted up her eyes toward,” an expression that emphasizes her deliberate and careful scrutiny of him.

[39:7]  ²³² tn Heb “lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:8]  ²³³ tn Heb “and he said.”

[39:8]  ²³⁴ tn Heb “know.”

[39:8]  ²³⁵ tn The word “here” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:8]  ²³⁶ tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.

[39:9]  ²³⁷ tn The nuance of potential imperfect fits this context.

[39:10]  ²³⁸ tn The verse begins with the temporal indicator, followed by the infinitive construct with the preposition כְּ (kÿ). This clause could therefore be taken as temporal.

[39:10]  ²³⁹ tn Heb “listen to.”

[39:10]  ²⁴⁰ tn Heb “to lie beside her to be with her.” Here the expression “to lie beside” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:11]  ²⁴¹ tn Heb “and it was about this day.”

[39:11]  ²⁴² tn Heb “the men of the house.”

[39:12]  ²⁴³ tn Heb “he fled and he went out.” The construction emphasizes the point that Joseph got out of there quickly.

[39:12]  ²⁴⁴ sn For discussion of this episode, see A. M. Honeyman, “The Occasion of Joseph’s Temptation,” VT 2 (1952): 85-87.

[39:14]  ²⁴⁵ tn The verb has no expressed subject, and so it could be treated as a passive (“a Hebrew man was brought in”; cf. NIV). But it is clear from the context that her husband brought Joseph into the household, so Potiphar is the apparent referent here. Thus the translation supplies “my husband” as the referent of the unspecified pronominal subject of the verb (cf. NEB, NRSV).

[39:14]  ²⁴⁶ sn A Hebrew man. Potiphar’s wife raises the ethnic issue when talking to her servants about what their boss had done.

[39:14]  ²⁴⁷ tn Heb “to make fun of us.” The verb translated “to humiliate us” here means to hold something up for ridicule, or to toy with something harmfully. Attempted rape would be such an activity, for it would hold the victim in contempt.

[39:14]  ²⁴⁸ tn Heb “he came to me to lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:14]  ²⁴⁹ tn Heb “and I cried out with a loud voice.”

[39:15]  ²⁵⁰ tn Heb “that I raised.”

[39:17]  ²⁵¹ tn Heb “and she spoke to him according to these words, saying.”

[39:17]  ²⁵² sn That Hebrew slave. Now, when speaking to her husband, Potiphar’s wife refers to Joseph as a Hebrew slave, a very demeaning description.

[39:17]  ²⁵³ tn Heb “came to me to make fun of me.” The statement needs no explanation because of the connotations of “came to me” and “to make fun of me.” See the note on the expression “humiliate us” in v. 14.

[39:19]  ²⁵⁴ tn Heb “and when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying.”

[39:19]  ²⁵⁵ tn Heb “according to these words.”

[39:19]  ²⁵⁶ tn Heb “did to me.”

[39:19]  ²⁵⁷ tn Heb “his anger burned.”

[39:20]  ²⁵⁸ tn Heb “the house of roundness,” suggesting that the prison might have been a fortress or citadel.

[39:20]  ²⁵⁹ sn The story of Joseph is filled with cycles and repetition: He has two dreams (chap. 37), he interprets two dreams in prison (chap. 40) and the two dreams of Pharaoh (chap. 41), his brothers make two trips to see him (chaps. 42-43), and here, for the second time (see 37:24), he is imprisoned for no good reason, with only his coat being used as evidence. For further discussion see H. Jacobsen, “A Legal Note on Potiphar’s Wife,” HTR 69 (1976): 177.

[39:21]  ²⁶⁰ tn Heb “and he extended to him loyal love.”

[39:21]  ²⁶¹ tn Or “the chief jailer” (also in the following verses).

[39:22]  ²⁶² tn Heb “all which they were doing there, he was doing.” This probably means that Joseph was in charge of everything that went on in the prison.

[39:23]  ²⁶³ tn Heb “was not looking at anything.”

[39:23]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[40:1]  ²⁶⁵ sn The Hebrew term cupbearer corresponds to the Egyptian wb’, an official (frequently a foreigner) who often became a confidant of the king and wielded political power (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 248). Nehemiah held this post in Persia.

[40:1]  ²⁶⁶ sn The baker may be the Egyptian retehti, the head of the bakers, who had privileges in the royal court.

[40:1]  ²⁶⁷ sn The Hebrew verb translated offended here is the same one translated “sin” in 39:9. Perhaps there is an intended contrast between these officials, who deserve to be imprisoned, and Joseph, who refused to sin against God, but was thrown into prison in spite of his innocence.

[40:2]  ²⁶⁸ tn The Hebrew word סָרִיס (saris), used here of these two men and of Potiphar (see 39:1), normally means “eunuch.” But evidence from Akkadian texts shows that in early times the title was used of a court official in general. Only later did it become more specialized in its use.

[40:4]  ²⁶⁹ sn He served them. This is the same Hebrew verb, meaning “to serve as a personal attendant,” that was translated “became [his] servant” in 39:4.

[40:4]  ²⁷⁰ tn Heb “they were days in custody.”

[40:5]  ²⁷¹ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[40:5]  ²⁷² tn Heb “a man his dream in one night.”

[40:5]  ²⁷³ tn Heb “a man according to the interpretation of his dream.”

[40:6]  ²⁷⁴ tn The verb זָעַף (za’af) only occurs here and Dan 1:10. It means “to be sick, to be emaciated,” probably in this case because of depression.

[40:7]  ²⁷⁵ tn Heb “why are your faces sad today?”

[40:8]  ²⁷⁶ tn Heb “a dream we dreamed.”

[40:8]  ²⁷⁷ tn The word “them” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[40:9]  ²⁷⁸ tn The Hebrew text adds “and he said to him.” This has not been translated because it is redundant in English.

[40:11]  ²⁷⁹ tn Heb “the cup of Pharaoh.” The pronoun “his” has been used here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[40:11]  ²⁸⁰ sn The cupbearer’s dream is dominated by sets of three: three branches, three stages of growth, and three actions of the cupbearer.

[40:12]  ²⁸¹ tn Heb “the three branches [are].”

[40:13]  ²⁸² tn Heb “Pharaoh will lift up your head.” This Hebrew idiom usually refers to restoring dignity, office, or power. It is comparable to the modern saying “someone can hold his head up high.”

[40:13]  ²⁸³ tn Heb “according to the former custom.”

[40:14]  ²⁸⁴ tn Heb “but you have remembered me with you.” The perfect verbal form may be used rhetorically here to emphasize Joseph’s desire to be remembered. He speaks of the action as already being accomplished in order to make it clear that he expects it to be done. The form can be translated as volitional, expressing a plea or a request.

[40:14]  ²⁸⁵ tn This perfect verbal form with the prefixed conjunction (and the two that immediately follow) carry the same force as the preceding perfect.

[40:14]  ²⁸⁶ tn Heb “deal with me [in] kindness.”

[40:14]  ²⁸⁷ tn The verb זָכַר (zakhar) in the Hiphil stem means “to cause to remember, to make mention, to boast.” The implication is that Joseph would be pleased for them to tell his story and give him the credit due him so that Pharaoh would release him. Since Pharaoh had never met Joseph, the simple translation of “cause him to remember me” would mean little.

[40:14]  ²⁸⁸ tn Heb “house.” The word “prison” has been substituted in the translation for clarity.

[40:15]  ²⁸⁹ tn The verb גָּנַב (ganav) means “to steal,” but in the Piel/Pual stem “to steal away.” The idea of “kidnap” would be closer to the sense, meaning he was stolen and carried off. The preceding infinitive absolute underscores the point Joseph is making.

[40:16]  ²⁹⁰ tn Heb “that [the] interpretation [was] good.” The words “the first dream” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[40:16]  ²⁹¹ tn Or “three wicker baskets.” The meaning of the Hebrew noun חֹרִי (khori, “white bread, cake”) is uncertain; some have suggested the meaning “wicker” instead. Comparison with texts from Ebla suggests the meaning “pastries made with white flour” (M. Dahood, “Eblaite h¬a-rí and Genesis 40,16 h£o„rî,” BN 13 [1980]: 14-16).

[40:18]  ²⁹² tn Heb “the three baskets [are].”

[40:19]  ²⁹³ tn Heb “Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you.” Joseph repeats the same expression from the first interpretation (see v. 13), but with the added words “from upon you,” which allow the statement to have a more literal and ominous meaning – the baker will be decapitated.

[40:20]  ²⁹⁴ tn The translation puts the verb in quotation marks because it is used rhetorically here and has a double meaning. With respect to the cup bearer it means “reinstate” (see v. 13), but with respect to the baker it means “decapitate” (see v. 19).

[40:21]  ²⁹⁵ tn Heb “his cupbearing.”

[40:22]  ²⁹⁶ tn Heb “had interpreted for them.”

[40:23]  ²⁹⁷ tn The wayyiqtol verbal form here has a reiterative or emphasizing function.

[46:1]  ²⁹⁸ tn Heb “and Israel journeyed, and all that was his.”

[46:1]  ²⁹⁹ sn Beer Sheba. See Gen 21:31; 28:10.

[46:2]  ³⁰⁰ tn Heb “in visions of the night.” The plural form has the singular meaning, probably as a plural of intensity.

[46:3]  ³⁰¹ tn Heb “the God.”

[46:4]  ³⁰² tn Heb “and I, I will bring you up, also bringing up.” The independent personal pronoun before the first person imperfect verbal form draws attention to the speaker/subject, while the infinitive absolute after the imperfect strongly emphasizes the statement: “I myself will certainly bring you up.”

[46:4]  ³⁰³ tn Heb “and Joseph will put his hand upon your eyes.” This is a promise of peaceful death in Egypt with Joseph present to close his eyes.

[46:5]  ³⁰⁴ tn Heb “arose.”

[46:6]  ³⁰⁵ tn Heb “and they took their livestock and their possessions which they had acquired in the land of Canaan and they went to Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[46:7]  ³⁰⁶ tn The Hebrew text adds “with him” here. This is omitted in the translation because it is redundant in English style (note the same phrase earlier in the verse).

[46:13]  ³⁰⁷ tc The MT reads “Puvah” (cf. Num 26:23); the Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac read “Puah” (cf. 1 Chr 7:1).

[46:13]  ³⁰⁸ tc The MT reads “Iob,” but the Samaritan Pentateuch and some LXX mss read “Jashub” (see Num 26:24; 1 Chr 7:1).

[46:15]  ³⁰⁹ tn Heb “all the lives of his sons and his daughters, thirty-three.”

[46:16]  ³¹⁰ tc The MT reads “Ziphion,” but see Num 26:15, the Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX, all of which read “Zephon.”

[46:20]  ³¹¹ sn On is another name for the city of Heliopolis.

[46:21]  ³¹² sn The sons of Benjamin. It is questionable whether youthful Benjamin had ten sons by the time he went into Egypt, but it is not impossible. If Benjamin was born when Joseph was six or seven, he was ten when Joseph was sold into Egypt, and would have been thirty-two at this point. Some suggest that the list originally served another purpose and included the names of all who were in the immediate family of the sons, whether born in Canaan or later in Egypt.

[46:23]  ³¹³ tn This name appears as “Shuham” in Num 26:42. The LXX reads “Hashum” here.

[46:26]  ³¹⁴ tn Heb “All the people who went with Jacob to Egypt, the ones who came out of his body, apart from the wives of the sons of Jacob, all the people were sixty-six.”

[46:27]  ³¹⁵ tn The LXX reads “nine sons,” probably counting the grandsons of Joseph born to Ephraim and Manasseh (cf. 1 Chr 7:14-20).

[46:27]  ³¹⁶ tn Heb “And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two people; all the people belonging to the house of Jacob who came to Egypt were seventy.”

[46:28]  ³¹⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[46:28]  ³¹⁸ tn Heb “to direct before him to Goshen.”

[46:29]  ³¹⁹ tn Heb “and he appeared to him.”

[46:30]  ³²⁰ tn Heb “after my seeing your face that you are still alive.”

[46:31]  ³²¹ tn Heb “tell Pharaoh and say to him.”

[46:32]  ³²² tn Heb “feeders of sheep.”

[46:32]  ³²³ tn Heb “for men of livestock they are.”

[46:34]  ³²⁴ tn Heb “your servants are men of cattle.”

[46:34]  ³²⁵ sn So that you may live in the land of Goshen. Joseph is apparently trying to stress to Pharaoh that his family is self-sufficient, that they will not be a drain on the economy of Egypt. But they will need land for their animals and so Goshen, located on the edge of Egypt, would be a suitable place for them to live. The settled Egyptians were uneasy with nomadic people, but if Jacob and his family settled in Goshen they would represent no threat.

[46:34]  ³²⁶ tn Heb “is an abomination.” The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “abomination”) describes something that is loathsome or off-limits. For other practices the Egyptians considered disgusting, see Gen 43:32 and Exod 8:22.

[47:1]  ³²⁷ tn Heb “Look they [are] in the land of Goshen.” Joseph draws attention to the fact of their presence in Goshen.

[47:2]  ³²⁸ tn Heb “and from the whole of his brothers he took five men and presented them before Pharaoh.”

[47:3]  ³²⁹ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[47:3]  ³³⁰ tn Heb “both we and our fathers.”

[47:4]  ³³¹ tn Heb “to sojourn.”

[47:4]  ³³² tn Heb “for there.” The Hebrew uses a causal particle to connect what follows with what precedes. The translation divides the statement into two sentences for stylistic reasons.

[47:6]  ³³³ tn Heb “men of skill.”

[47:6]  ³³⁴ tn Heb “make them rulers.”

[47:7]  ³³⁵ tn Heb “caused him to stand.”

[47:7]  ³³⁶ sn The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb translated “blessed” is difficult in this passage, because the content of Jacob’s blessing is not given. The expression could simply mean that he greeted Pharaoh, but that seems insufficient in this setting. Jacob probably praised Pharaoh, for the verb is used this way for praising God. It is also possible that he pronounced a formal prayer of blessing, asking God to reward Pharaoh for his kindness.

[47:8]  ³³⁷ tn Heb “How many are the days of the years of your life?”

[47:9]  ³³⁸ tn Heb “the days of.”

[47:9]  ³³⁹ tn Heb “sojournings.” Jacob uses a term that depicts him as one who has lived an unsettled life, temporarily residing in many different places.

[47:9]  ³⁴⁰ tn Heb “the days of.”

[47:9]  ³⁴¹ tn The Hebrew word רַע (ra’) can sometimes mean “evil,” but that would give the wrong connotation here, where it refers to pain, difficulty, and sorrow. Jacob is thinking back through all the troubles he had to endure to get to this point.

[47:9]  ³⁴² tn Heb “and they have not reached the days of the years of my fathers in the days of their sojournings.”

[47:10]  ³⁴³ tn Heb “from before Pharaoh.”

[47:11]  ³⁴⁴ tn Heb “a possession,” or “a holding.” Joseph gave them a plot of land with rights of ownership in the land of Goshen.

[47:11]  ³⁴⁵ sn The land of Rameses is another designation for the region of Goshen. It is named Rameses because of a city in that region (Exod 1:11; 12:37). The use of this name may represent a modernization of the text for the understanding of the intended readers, substituting a later name for an earlier one. Alternatively, there may have been an earlier Rameses for which the region was named.

[47:13]  ³⁴⁶ tn The verb לַהַה (lahah, = לָאָה, la’ah) means “to faint, to languish”; it figuratively describes the land as wasting away, drooping, being worn out.

[47:14]  ³⁴⁷ tn Or “in exchange.” On the use of the preposition here see BDB 90 s.v. בְּ.

[47:14]  ³⁴⁸ tn Heb “house.”

[47:15]  ³⁴⁹ tn Heb “all Egypt.” The expression is a metonymy and refers to all the people of Egypt.

[47:15]  ³⁵⁰ tn The imperfect verbal form has a deliberative force here.

[47:16]  ³⁵¹ tn The word “food” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[47:16]  ³⁵² tn On the use of the preposition here see BDB 90 s.v. בְּ.

[47:17]  ³⁵³ tn The definite article is translated here as a possessive pronoun.

[47:18]  ³⁵⁴ tn Heb “my.” The expression “my lord” occurs twice more in this verse.

[47:19]  ³⁵⁵ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates consequence.

[47:19]  ³⁵⁶ sn Pharaoh’s slaves. The idea of slavery is not attractive to the modern mind, but in the ancient world it was the primary way of dealing with the poor and destitute. If the people became slaves of Pharaoh, it was Pharaoh’s responsibility to feed them and care for them. It was the best way for them to survive the famine.

[47:19]  ³⁵⁷ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates purpose or result.

[47:19]  ³⁵⁸ tn The disjunctive clause structure (vav [ו] + subject + negated verb) highlights the statement and brings their argument to a conclusion.

[47:20]  ³⁵⁹ tn The Hebrew text connects this clause with the preceding one with a causal particle (כִּי, ki). The translation divides the clauses into two sentences for stylistic reasons.

[47:20]  ³⁶⁰ tn The Hebrew text adds “upon them.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[47:21]  ³⁶¹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[47:21]  ³⁶² tc The MT reads “and the people he removed to the cities,” which does not make a lot of sense in this context. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX read “he enslaved them as slaves.”

[47:23]  ³⁶³ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive is equivalent to a command here.

[47:24]  ³⁶⁴ tn The words “the crop” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[47:24]  ³⁶⁵ tn The perfect form with the vav (ו) consecutive is equivalent to an imperfect of instruction here.

[47:24]  ³⁶⁶ tn Heb “four parts.”

[47:25]  ³⁶⁷ tn Heb “we find favor in the eyes of my lord.” Some interpret this as a request, “may we find favor in the eyes of my lord.”

[47:25]  ³⁶⁸ sn Slaves. See the note on this word in v. 21.

[47:26]  ³⁶⁹ tn On the term translated “statute” see P. Victor, “A Note on Hoq in the Old Testament,” VT 16 (1966): 358-61.

[47:26]  ³⁷⁰ tn The words “which is in effect” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[47:28]  ³⁷¹ tn Heb “the days of the years.”

[47:29]  ³⁷² tn Heb “days.”

[47:29]  ³⁷³ sn On the expression put your hand under my thigh see Gen 24:2.

[47:29]  ³⁷⁴ tn Or “deal with me in faithful love.”

[47:30]  ³⁷⁵ tn Heb “lie down.” Here the expression “lie down” refers to death.

[47:30]  ³⁷⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[47:31]  ³⁷⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[47:31]  ³⁷⁸ tn Heb “swear on oath to me.” The words “that you will do so” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[47:31]  ³⁷⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[47:31]  ³⁸⁰ tn Heb “swore on oath to him.”

[47:31]  ³⁸¹ sn The Hebrew verb normally means “bow down,” especially in worship or prayer. Here it might simply mean “bend low,” perhaps from weakness or approaching death. The narrative is ambiguous at this point and remains open to all these interpretations.

[47:31]  ³⁸² tc The MT reads מִטָּה (mittah, “bed, couch”). The LXX reads the word as מַטֶּה (matteh, “staff, rod”) and interprets this to mean that Jacob bowed down in worship while leaning on the top of his staff. The LXX reading was used in turn by the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 11:21).

[48:1]  ³⁸³ tn Heb “and one said.” With no expressed subject in the Hebrew text, the verb can be translated with the passive voice.

[48:2]  ³⁸⁴ tn Heb “and one told and said.” The verbs have no expressed subject and can be translated with the passive voice.

[48:2]  ³⁸⁵ tn Heb “Look, your son Joseph.”

[48:3]  ³⁸⁶ tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[48:4]  ³⁸⁷ tn Heb “Look, I am making you fruitful.” The participle following הִנֵּה (hinneh) has the nuance of a certain and often imminent future.

[48:4]  ³⁸⁸ tn The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the certain future idea.

[48:4]  ³⁸⁹ tn The Hebrew text adds “after you,” which has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[48:4]  ³⁹⁰ tn The Hebrew word אֲחֻזָּה (’akhuzzah), translated “possession,” describes a permanent holding in the land. It is the noun form of the same verb (אָחַז, ’akhaz) that was used for the land given to them in Goshen (Gen 47:27).

[48:5]  ³⁹¹ sn They will be mine. Jacob is here adopting his two grandsons Manasseh and Ephraim as his sons, and so they will have equal share with the other brothers. They will be in the place of Joseph and Levi (who will become a priestly tribe) in the settlement of the land. See I. Mendelsohn, “A Ugaritic Parallel to the Adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh,” IEJ (1959): 180-83.

[48:6]  ³⁹² tn Or “you fathered.”

[48:6]  ³⁹³ tn Heb “called” or “named.”

[48:6]  ³⁹⁴ sn Listed under the names of their brothers in their inheritance. This means that any subsequent children of Joseph will be incorporated into the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.

[48:7]  ³⁹⁵ tn Heb “upon me, against me,” which might mean something like “to my sorrow.”

[48:7]  ³⁹⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[48:9]  ³⁹⁷ tn Heb “my.”

[48:9]  ³⁹⁸ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:9]  ³⁹⁹ tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the imperative.

[48:10]  ⁴⁰⁰ tn Heb “heavy.”

[48:10]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:10]  ⁴⁰² tn Heb “them”; the referent (Joseph’s sons) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:10]  ⁴⁰³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:11]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn On the meaning of the Hebrew verb פָּלַל (palal) here, see E. A. Speiser, “The Stem pll in Hebrew,” JBL 82 (1963): 301-6. Speiser argues that this verb means “to estimate” as in Exod 21:22.

[48:11]  ⁴⁰⁵ tn Heb “your face.”

[48:11]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn Heb “offspring.”

[48:12]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn Heb “and Joseph brought them out from with his knees.” The two boys had probably been standing by Israel’s knees when being adopted and blessed. The referent of the pronoun “his” (Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:13]  ⁴⁰⁸ tn Heb “and Joseph took the two of them.”

[48:13]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn Heb “and he brought near to him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” and “him” (Joseph and his father respectively) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:14]  ⁴¹⁰ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-concessive here.

[48:15]  ⁴¹¹ tn Heb “shepherded me.” The verb has been translated as an English noun for stylistic reasons.

[48:16]  ⁴¹² sn The Samaritan Pentateuch reads “king” here, but the traditional reading (“angel”) may be maintained. Jacob closely associates God with an angelic protective presence. This does not mean that Jacob viewed his God as a mere angel, but it does suggest that he was aware of an angelic presence sent by God to protect him. Here he so closely associates the two that they become virtually indistinguishable. In this culture messengers typically carried the authority of the one who sent them and could even be addressed as such. Perhaps Jacob thought that the divine blessing would be mediated through this angelic messenger.

[48:16]  ⁴¹³ tn The verb גָּאַל (ga’al) has the basic idea of “protect” as a near relative might do. It is used for buying someone out of bondage, marrying a deceased brother’s widow, paying off debts, avenging the family, and the like. The meanings of “deliver, protect, avenge” are most fitting when God is the subject (see A. R. Johnson, “The Primary Meaning of √גאל,” Congress Volume: Copenhagen, 1953 [VTSup], 67-77).

[48:16]  ⁴¹⁴ tn Or “be recalled through them.”

[48:17]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Heb “it was bad in his eyes.”

[48:19]  ⁴¹⁶ tn Heb “fullness.”

[48:20]  ⁴¹⁷ tn The pronoun is singular in the Hebrew text, apparently elevating Ephraim as the more prominent of the two. Note, however, that both are named in the blessing formula that follows.

[48:20]  ⁴¹⁸ tn Or “pronounce a blessing.”

[48:20]  ⁴¹⁹ sn On the elevation of Ephraim over Manasseh see E. C. Kingsbury, “He Set Ephraim Before Manasseh,” HUCA 38 (1967): 129-36; H. Mowvley, “The Concept and Content of ‘Blessing’ in the Old Testament,” BT 16 (1965): 74-80; and I. Mendelsohn, “On the Preferential Status of the Eldest Son,” BASOR 156 (1959): 38-40.

[48:21]  ⁴²⁰ tn The pronouns translated “you,” “you,” and “your” in this verse are plural in the Hebrew text.

[48:22]  ⁴²¹ tn The pronouns translated “your” and “you” in this verse are singular in the Hebrew text.

[48:22]  ⁴²² tn The Hebrew word שְׁכֶם (shÿkhem) could be translated either as “mountain slope” or “shoulder, portion,” or even taken as the proper name “Shechem.” Jacob was giving Joseph either (1) one portion above his brothers, or (2) the mountain ridge he took from the Amorites, or (3) Shechem. The ambiguity actually allows for all three to be the referent. He could be referring to the land in Shechem he bought in Gen 33:18-19, but he mentions here that it was acquired by warfare, suggesting that the events of 34:25-29 are in view (even though at the time he denounced it, 34:30). Joseph was later buried in Shechem (Josh 24:32).

[10:1]  ⁴²³ tn Although it has been used elsewhere in this translation as an English variation from the ubiquitous use of vav in Hebrew, in this instance “then” as a rendering for vav is intended to show that the Nadab and Abihu catastrophe took place on the inauguration day described in Lev 9. The tragic incident in Lev 10 happened in close temporal connection to the Lord’s fire that consumed the offerings at the end of Lev 9. Thus, for example, the “sin offering” male goat referred to in Lev 10:16-19 is the very one referred to in Lev 9:15.

[10:1]  ⁴²⁴ tn The expression “strange fire” (אֵשׁ זָרָה, ’esh zarah) seems imprecise (cf. NAB “profane fire”; NIV “unauthorized fire”; NRSV “unholy fire”; NLT “a different kind of fire”) and has been interpreted numerous ways (see the helpful summary in J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 132-33). The infraction may have involved any of the following or a combination thereof: (1) using coals from someplace other than the burnt offering altar (i.e., “unauthorized coals” according to J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:598; cf. Lev 16:12 and cf. “unauthorized person” אִישׁ זָר (’ish zar) in Num 16:40 [17:5 HT], NASB “layman”), (2) using the wrong kind of incense (cf. the Exod 30:9 regulation against “strange incense” קְטֹרֶת זָרָה (qÿtoreh zarah) on the incense altar and the possible connection to Exod 30:34-38), (3) performing an incense offering at an unprescribed time (B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 59), or (4) entering the Holy of Holies at an inappropriate time (Lev 16:1-2).

[16:12]  ⁴²⁵ tn Heb “and he shall take the fullness of the censer, coals of fire, from on the altar from to the faces of the Lord.”

[16:12]  ⁴²⁶ tn Heb “and the fullness of the hollow of his two hands, finely ground fragrant incense.”

[16:12]  ⁴²⁷ tn Heb “and he shall bring from house to the veil-canopy.”

[16:13]  ⁴²⁸ tn The text here has only “above the testimony,” but this is surely a shortened form of “above the ark of the testimony” (see Exod 25:22 etc.; cf. Lev 16:2). The term “testimony” in this expression refers to the ark as the container of the two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them (see Exod 25:16 with Deut 10:1, 5, etc.).

[16:13]  ⁴²⁹ tn Heb “and he will not die,” but it is clear that the purpose for the incense cloud was to protect the priest from death in the presence of the Lord (cf. vv. 1-2 above).

[16:1]  ⁴³⁰ tn Heb “in their drawing near to the faces of the Lord.” The rendering here relies on the use of this expression for the very “presence” of God in Exod 33:14-15 and in the Lev 9:24-10:2 passage, where the Nadab and Abihu catastrophe referred to here is narrated.

[18:21]  ⁴³¹ tn Heb “And from your seed you shall not give to cause to pass over to Molech.” Smr (cf. also the LXX) has “to cause to serve” rather than “to cause to pass over.” For detailed remarks on Molech and Molech worship see N. H. Snaith, Leviticus and Numbers (NCBC), 87-88; P. J. Budd, Leviticus (NCBC), 259-60; and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 333-37, and the literature cited there. It could refer to either human sacrifice or a devotion of children to some sort of service of Molech, perhaps of a sexual sort (cf. Lev 20:2-5; 2 Kgs 23:10, etc.). The inclusion of this prohibition against Molech worship here may be due to some sexual connection of this kind, or perhaps simply to the lexical link between זֶרַע (zera’) meaning “seed, semen” in v. 20 but “offspring” in v. 21.

[18:21]  ⁴³² tn Heb “and you shall not profane.” Regarding “profane,” see the note on Lev 10:10 above.

[18:22]  ⁴³³ tn Heb “And with a male you shall not lay [as the] lyings of a woman” (see B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 123). The specific reference here is to homosexual intercourse between males.

[18:22]  ⁴³⁴ tn The Hebrew term תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, rendered “detestable act”) refers to the repugnant practices of foreigners, whether from the viewpoint of other peoples toward the Hebrews (e.g., Gen 43:32; 46:34; Exod 8:26) or of the Lord toward other peoples (see esp. Lev 18:26-27, 29-30). It can also designate, as here, detestable acts that might be perpetrated by the native peoples (it is used again in reference to homosexuality in Lev 20:13; cf. also its use for unclean food, Deut 14:3; idol worship, Isa 41:24; remarriage to a former wife who has been married to someone else in between, Deut 24:4).

[18:23]  ⁴³⁵ tn See the note on v. 20 above.

[18:23]  ⁴³⁶ tn Heb “to copulate with it” (cf. Lev 20:16).

[18:23]  ⁴³⁷ tn The Hebrew term תֶּבֶל (tevel, “perversion”) derives from the verb “to mix; to confuse” and therefore refers to illegitimate mixtures of species or violation of the natural order of things.