Genesis 4:1--39:23

The Story of Cain and Abel

4:1 Now ¹  the man had marital relations with ²  his wife Eve, and she became pregnant ³  and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created ⁴  a man just as the Lord did!” ⁵  4:2 Then she gave birth ⁶  to his brother Abel. ⁷  Abel took care of the flocks, while Cain cultivated the ground. ⁸ 

4:3 At the designated time ⁹  Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering ¹⁰  to the Lord. 4:4 But Abel brought ¹¹  some of the firstborn of his flock – even the fattest ¹²  of them. And the Lord was pleased with ¹³  Abel and his offering, 4:5 but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased. ¹⁴  So Cain became very angry, ¹⁵  and his expression was downcast. ¹⁶ 

4:6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast? 4:7 Is it not true ¹⁷  that if you do what is right, you will be fine? ¹⁸  But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching ¹⁹  at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” ²⁰ 

4:8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” ²¹  While they were in the field, Cain attacked ²²  his brother ²³  Abel and killed him.

4:9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” ²⁴  And he replied, “I don’t know! Am I my brother’s guardian?” ²⁵  4:10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? ²⁶  The voice ²⁷  of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! 4:11 So now, you are banished ²⁸  from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 4:12 When you try to cultivate ²⁹  the

ground it will no longer yield ³⁰  its best ³¹  for you. You will be a homeless wanderer ³²  on the earth.” 4:13 Then Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment ³³  is too great to endure! ³⁴  4:14 Look! You are driving me off the land ³⁵  today, and I must hide from your presence. ³⁶  I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me.” 4:15 But the Lord said to him, “All right then, ³⁷  if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much.” ³⁸  Then the Lord put a special mark ³⁹  on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down. ⁴⁰  4:16 So Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and lived in the land of Nod, ⁴¹  east of Eden.

The Beginning of Civilization

4:17 Cain had marital relations ⁴²  with his wife, and she became pregnant ⁴³  and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was building a city, and he named the city after ⁴⁴  his son Enoch. 4:18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father ⁴⁵  of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.

4:19 Lamech took two wives for himself; the name of the first was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. 4:20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the first ⁴⁶  of those who live in tents and keep ⁴⁷  livestock. 4:21 The name of his brother was Jubal; he was the first of all who play the harp and the flute. 4:22 Now Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-Cain, who heated metal and shaped ⁴⁸  all kinds of tools made of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.

4:23 Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah! Listen to me!

You wives of Lamech, hear my words!

I have killed a man for wounding me,

a young man ⁴⁹  for hurting me.

4:24 If Cain is to be avenged seven times as much,

then Lamech seventy-seven times!” ⁵⁰ 

4:25 And Adam had marital relations ⁵¹  with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth, saying, “God has given ⁵²  me another child ⁵³  in place of Abel because Cain killed him.” 4:26 And a son was also born to Seth, whom he named Enosh. At that time people ⁵⁴  began to worship ⁵⁵  the Lord.

From Adam to Noah

5:1 This is the record ⁵⁶  of the family line ⁵⁷  of Adam.

When God created humankind, ⁵⁸  he made them ⁵⁹  in the likeness of God. 5:2 He created them male and female; when they were created, he blessed them and named them “humankind.” ⁶⁰ 

5:3 When ⁶¹  Adam had lived 130 years he fathered a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and he named him Seth. 5:4 The length of time Adam lived ⁶²  after he became the father of Seth was 800 years; during this time he had ⁶³  other ⁶⁴  sons and daughters. 5:5 The entire lifetime ⁶⁵  of Adam was 930 years, and then he died. ⁶⁶ 

5:6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father ⁶⁷  of Enosh. 5:7 Seth lived 807 years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had ⁶⁸  other ⁶⁹  sons and daughters. 5:8 The entire lifetime of Seth was 912 years, and then he died.

5:9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 5:10 Enosh lived 815 years after he became the father of Kenan, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:11 The entire lifetime of Enosh was 905 years, and then he died.

5:12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 5:13 Kenan lived 840 years after he became the father of Mahalalel, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:14 The entire lifetime of Kenan was 910 years, and then he died.

5:15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 5:16 Mahalalel lived 830 years after he became the father of Jared, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:17 The entire lifetime of Mahalalel was 895 years, and then he died.

5:18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 5:19 Jared lived 800 years after he became the father of Enoch, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:20 The entire lifetime of Jared was 962 years, and then he died.

5:21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 5:22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God ⁷⁰  for 300 years, ⁷¹  and he had other ⁷²  sons and daughters. 5:23 The entire lifetime of Enoch was 365 years. 5:24 Enoch walked with God, and then he disappeared ⁷³  because God took ⁷⁴  him away.

5:25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 5:26 Methuselah lived 782 years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had other ⁷⁵  sons and daughters. 5:27 The entire lifetime of Methuselah was 969 years, and then he died.

5:28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 5:29 He named him Noah, ⁷⁶  saying, “This one will bring us comfort ⁷⁷  from our labor and from the painful toil of our hands because of the ground that the Lord has cursed.” 5:30 Lamech lived 595 years after he became the father of Noah, and he had other ⁷⁸  sons and daughters. 5:31 The entire lifetime of Lamech was 777 years, and then he died.

5:32 After Noah was 500 years old, he ⁷⁹  became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

God’s Grief over Humankind’s Wickedness

6:1 When humankind ⁸⁰  began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born ⁸¹  to them, ⁸²  6:2 the sons of God ⁸³  saw that the daughters of humankind were beautiful. Thus they took wives for themselves from any they chose. 6:3 So the Lord said, “My spirit will not remain in ⁸⁴  humankind indefinitely, ⁸⁵  since ⁸⁶  they ⁸⁷  are mortal. ⁸⁸  They ⁸⁹  will remain for 120 more years.” ⁹⁰ 

6:4 The Nephilim ⁹¹  were on the earth in those days (and also after this) ⁹²  when the sons of God were having sexual relations with ⁹³  the daughters of humankind, who gave birth to their children. ⁹⁴  They were the mighty heroes ⁹⁵  of old, the famous men. ⁹⁶ 

6:5 But the Lord saw ⁹⁷  that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination ⁹⁸  of the thoughts ⁹⁹  of their minds ¹⁰⁰  was only evil ¹⁰¹  all the time. ¹⁰²  6:6 The Lord regretted ¹⁰³  that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was highly offended. ¹⁰⁴  6:7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth – everything from humankind to animals, ¹⁰⁵  including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them.”

6:8 But ¹⁰⁶  Noah found favor ¹⁰⁷  in the sight of ¹⁰⁸  the Lord.

The Judgment of the Flood

6:9 This is the account of Noah. ¹⁰⁹ 

Noah was a godly man; he was blameless ¹¹⁰ 

among his contemporaries. ¹¹¹  He ¹¹²  walked with ¹¹³  God. 6:10 Noah had ¹¹⁴  three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

6:11 The earth was ruined ¹¹⁵  in the sight of ¹¹⁶  God; the earth was filled with violence. ¹¹⁷  6:12 God saw the earth, and indeed ¹¹⁸  it was ruined, ¹¹⁹  for all living creatures ¹²⁰  on the earth were sinful. ¹²¹  6:13 So God said ¹²²  to Noah, “I have decided that all living creatures must die, ¹²³  for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Now I am about to destroy ¹²⁴  them and the earth. 6:14 Make ¹²⁵  for yourself an ark of cypress ¹²⁶  wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover ¹²⁷  it with pitch inside and out. 6:15 This is how you should make it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. ¹²⁸  6:16 Make a roof for the ark and finish it, leaving 18 inches ¹²⁹  from the top. ¹³⁰  Put a door in the side of the ark, and make lower, middle, and upper decks. 6:17 I am about to bring ¹³¹  floodwaters ¹³²  on the earth to destroy ¹³³  from under the sky all the living creatures that have the breath of life in them. ¹³⁴  Everything that is on the earth will die, 6:18 but I will confirm ¹³⁵  my covenant with you. You will enter ¹³⁶  the ark – you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 6:19 You must bring into the ark two of every kind of living creature from all flesh, ¹³⁷  male and female, to keep them alive ¹³⁸  with you. 6:20 Of the birds after their kinds, and of the cattle after their kinds, and of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every kind will come to you so you can keep them alive. ¹³⁹  6:21 And you must take ¹⁴⁰  for yourself every kind of food ¹⁴¹  that is eaten, ¹⁴²  and gather it together. ¹⁴³  It will be food for you and for them.

6:22 And Noah did all ¹⁴⁴  that God commanded him – he did indeed. ¹⁴⁵ 

7:1 The Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, for I consider you godly among this generation. ¹⁴⁶  7:2 You must take with you seven ¹⁴⁷  of every kind of clean animal, ¹⁴⁸  the male and its mate, ¹⁴⁹  two of every kind of unclean animal, the male and its mate, 7:3 and also seven ¹⁵⁰  of every kind of bird in the sky, male and female, ¹⁵¹  to preserve their offspring ¹⁵²  on the face of the earth. 7:4 For in seven days ¹⁵³  I will cause it to rain ¹⁵⁴  on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the ground every living thing that I have made.”

7:5 And Noah did all ¹⁵⁵  that the Lord commanded him.

7:6 Noah ¹⁵⁶  was 600 years old when the floodwaters engulfed ¹⁵⁷  the earth. 7:7 Noah entered the ark along with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives because ¹⁵⁸  of the floodwaters. 7:8 Pairs ¹⁵⁹  of clean animals, of unclean animals, of birds, and of everything that creeps along the ground, 7:9 male and female, came into the ark to Noah, ¹⁶⁰  just as God had commanded him. ¹⁶¹  7:10 And after seven days the floodwaters engulfed the earth. ¹⁶² 

7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month – on that day all the fountains of the great deep ¹⁶³  burst open and the floodgates of the heavens ¹⁶⁴  were opened. 7:12 And the rain fell ¹⁶⁵  on the earth forty days and forty nights.

7:13 On that very day Noah entered the ark, accompanied by his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, along with his wife and his sons’ three wives. ¹⁶⁶  7:14 They entered, ¹⁶⁷  along with every living creature after its kind, every animal after its kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, everything with wings. ¹⁶⁸  7:15 Pairs ¹⁶⁹  of all creatures ¹⁷⁰  that have the breath of life came into the ark to Noah. 7:16 Those that entered were male and female, ¹⁷¹  just as God commanded him. Then the Lord shut him in.

7:17 The flood engulfed the earth for forty days. As the waters increased, they lifted the ark and raised it above the earth. 7:18 The waters completely overwhelmed ¹⁷²  the earth, and the ark floated ¹⁷³  on the surface of the waters. 7:19 The waters completely inundated ¹⁷⁴  the earth so that even ¹⁷⁵  all the high mountains under the entire sky were covered. 7:20 The waters rose more than twenty feet ¹⁷⁶  above the mountains. ¹⁷⁷  7:21 And all living things ¹⁷⁸  that moved on the earth died, including the birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all humankind. 7:22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life ¹⁷⁹  in its nostrils died. 7:23 So the Lord ¹⁸⁰  destroyed ¹⁸¹  every living thing that was on the surface of the ground, including people, animals, creatures that creep along the ground, and birds of the sky. ¹⁸²  They were wiped off the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark survived. ¹⁸³  7:24 The waters prevailed over ¹⁸⁴  the earth for 150 days.

8:1 But God remembered ¹⁸⁵  Noah and all the wild animals and domestic animals that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to blow over ¹⁸⁶  the earth and the waters receded. 8:2 The fountains of the deep and the floodgates of heaven were closed, ¹⁸⁷  and the rain stopped falling from the sky. 8:3 The waters kept receding steadily ¹⁸⁸  from the earth, so that they ¹⁸⁹  had gone down ¹⁹⁰  by the end of the 150 days. 8:4 On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on one of the mountains of Ararat. ¹⁹¹  8:5 The waters kept on receding ¹⁹²  until the tenth month. On the first day of the tenth month, the tops of the mountains became visible. ¹⁹³ 

8:6 At the end of forty days, ¹⁹⁴  Noah opened the window he had made in the ark ¹⁹⁵  8:7 and sent out a raven; it kept flying ¹⁹⁶  back and forth until the waters had dried up on the earth.

8:8 Then Noah ¹⁹⁷  sent out a dove ¹⁹⁸  to see if the waters had receded ¹⁹⁹  from the surface of the ground. 8:9 The dove could not find a resting place for its feet because water still covered ²⁰⁰  the surface of the entire earth, and so it returned to Noah ²⁰¹  in the ark. He stretched out his hand, took the dove, ²⁰²  and brought it back into the ark. ²⁰³  8:10 He waited seven more days and then sent out the dove again from the ark. 8:11 When ²⁰⁴  the dove returned to him in the evening, there was ²⁰⁵  a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak! Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 8:12 He waited another seven days and sent the dove out again, ²⁰⁶  but it did not return to him this time. ²⁰⁷ 

8:13 In Noah’s six hundred and first year, ²⁰⁸  in the first day of the first month, the waters had dried up from the earth, and Noah removed the covering from the ark and saw that ²⁰⁹  the surface of the ground was dry. 8:14 And by the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth ²¹⁰  was dry.

8:15 Then God spoke to Noah and said, 8:16 “Come out of the ark, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. 8:17 Bring out with you all the living creatures that are with you. Bring out ²¹¹  every living thing, including the birds, animals, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. Let them increase ²¹²  and be fruitful and multiply on the earth!” ²¹³ 

8:18 Noah went out along with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives. 8:19 Every living creature, every creeping thing, every bird, and everything that moves on the earth went out of the ark in their groups.

8:20 Noah built an altar to the Lord. He then took some of every kind of clean animal and clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. ²¹⁴  8:21 And the Lord smelled the soothing aroma ²¹⁵  and said ²¹⁶  to himself, ²¹⁷  “I will never again curse ²¹⁸  the ground because of humankind, even though ²¹⁹  the inclination of their minds ²²⁰  is evil from childhood on. ²²¹  I will never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done.

8:22 “While the earth continues to exist, ²²² 

planting time ²²³  and harvest,

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

and day and night will not cease.”

God’s Covenant with Humankind through Noah

9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 9:2 Every living creature of the earth and every bird of the sky will be terrified of you. ²²⁴  Everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea are under your authority. ²²⁵  9:3 You may eat any moving thing that lives. ²²⁶  As I gave you ²²⁷  the green plants, I now give ²²⁸  you everything.

9:4 But ²²⁹  you must not eat meat ²³⁰  with its life (that is, ²³¹  its blood) in it. ²³²  9:5 For your lifeblood ²³³  I will surely exact punishment, ²³⁴  from ²³⁵  every living creature I will exact punishment. From each person ²³⁶  I will exact punishment for the life of the individual ²³⁷  since the man was his relative. ²³⁸ 

9:6 “Whoever sheds human blood, ²³⁹ 

by other humans ²⁴⁰ 

must his blood be shed;

for in God’s image ²⁴¹ 

God ²⁴²  has made humankind.”

9:7 But as for you, ²⁴³  be fruitful and multiply; increase abundantly on the earth and multiply on it.”

9:8 God said to Noah and his sons, ²⁴⁴  9:9 “Look! I now confirm ²⁴⁵  my covenant with you and your descendants after you ²⁴⁶  9:10 and with every living creature that is with you, including the birds, the domestic animals, and every living creature of the earth with you, all those that came out of the ark with you – every living creature of the earth. ²⁴⁷  9:11 I confirm ²⁴⁸  my covenant with you: Never again will all living things ²⁴⁹  be wiped out ²⁵⁰  by the waters of a flood; ²⁵¹  never again will a flood destroy the earth.”

9:12 And God said, “This is the guarantee ²⁵²  of the covenant I am making ²⁵³  with you ²⁵⁴  and every living creature with you, a covenant ²⁵⁵  for all subsequent ²⁵⁶  generations: 9:13 I will place ²⁵⁷  my rainbow ²⁵⁸  in the clouds, and it will become ²⁵⁹  a guarantee of the covenant between me and the earth. 9:14 Whenever ²⁶⁰  I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 9:15 then I will remember my covenant with you ²⁶¹  and with all living creatures of all kinds. ²⁶²  Never again will the waters become a flood and destroy ²⁶³  all living things. ²⁶⁴  9:16 When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will notice it and remember ²⁶⁵  the perpetual covenant between God and all living creatures of all kinds that are on the earth.”

9:17 So God said to Noah, “This is the guarantee of the covenant that I am confirming between me and all living things ²⁶⁶  that are on the earth.”

The Curse of Canaan

9:18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Now Ham was the father of Canaan.) ²⁶⁷  9:19 These were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was populated. ²⁶⁸ 

9:20 Noah, a man of the soil, ²⁶⁹  began to plant a vineyard. ²⁷⁰  9:21 When he drank some of the wine, he got drunk and uncovered himself ²⁷¹  inside his tent. 9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, ²⁷²  saw his father’s nakedness ²⁷³  and told his two brothers who were outside. 9:23 Shem and Japheth took the garment ²⁷⁴  and placed it on their shoulders. Then they walked in backwards and covered up their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned ²⁷⁵  the other way so they did not see their father’s nakedness.

9:24 When Noah awoke from his drunken stupor ²⁷⁶  he learned ²⁷⁷  what his youngest son had done ²⁷⁸  to him. 9:25 So he said,

“Cursed ²⁷⁹  be Canaan! ²⁸⁰ 

The lowest of slaves ²⁸¹ 

he will be to his brothers.”

9:26 He also said,

“Worthy of praise is ²⁸²  the Lord, the God of Shem!

May Canaan be the slave of Shem! ²⁸³ 

9:27 May God enlarge Japheth’s territory and numbers! ²⁸⁴ 

May he live ²⁸⁵  in the tents of Shem

and may Canaan be his slave!”

9:28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 9:29 The entire lifetime of Noah was 950 years, and then he died.

The Table of Nations

10:1 This is the account ²⁸⁶  of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons ²⁸⁷  were born ²⁸⁸  to them after the flood.

10:2 The sons of Japheth ²⁸⁹  were Gomer, ²⁹⁰  Magog, ²⁹¹  Madai, ²⁹²  Javan, ²⁹³  Tubal, ²⁹⁴  Meshech, ²⁹⁵  and Tiras. ²⁹⁶  10:3 The sons of Gomer were ²⁹⁷  Askenaz, ²⁹⁸  Riphath, ²⁹⁹  and Togarmah. ³⁰⁰  10:4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, ³⁰¹  Tarshish, ³⁰²  the Kittim, ³⁰³  and the Dodanim. ³⁰⁴  10:5 From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to its language, according to their families, by their nations.

10:6 The sons of Ham were Cush, ³⁰⁵  Mizraim, ³⁰⁶  Put, ³⁰⁷  and Canaan. ³⁰⁸  10:7 The sons of Cush were Seba, ³⁰⁹  Havilah, ³¹⁰  Sabtah, ³¹¹  Raamah, ³¹²  and Sabteca. ³¹³  The sons of Raamah were Sheba ³¹⁴  and Dedan. ³¹⁵ 

10:8 Cush was the father of ³¹⁶  Nimrod; he began to be a valiant warrior on the earth. 10:9 He was a mighty hunter ³¹⁷  before the Lord. ³¹⁸  (That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.”) 10:10 The primary regions ³¹⁹  of his kingdom were Babel, ³²⁰  Erech, ³²¹  Akkad, ³²²  and Calneh ³²³  in the land of Shinar. ³²⁴  10:11 From that land he went ³²⁵  to Assyria, ³²⁶  where he built Nineveh, ³²⁷  Rehoboth-Ir, ³²⁸  Calah, ³²⁹  10:12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city Calah. ³³⁰ 

10:13 Mizraim ³³¹  was the father of ³³²  the Ludites, ³³³  Anamites, ³³⁴  Lehabites, ³³⁵  Naphtuhites, ³³⁶  10:14 Pathrusites, ³³⁷  Casluhites ³³⁸  (from whom the Philistines came), ³³⁹  and Caphtorites. ³⁴⁰ 

10:15 Canaan was the father of ³⁴¹  Sidon his firstborn, ³⁴²  Heth, ³⁴³  10:16 the Jebusites, ³⁴⁴  Amorites, ³⁴⁵  Girgashites, ³⁴⁶  10:17 Hivites, ³⁴⁷  Arkites, ³⁴⁸  Sinites, ³⁴⁹  10:18 Arvadites, ³⁵⁰  Zemarites, ³⁵¹  and Hamathites. ³⁵²  Eventually the families of the Canaanites were scattered 10:19 and the borders of Canaan extended ³⁵³  from Sidon ³⁵⁴  all the way to ³⁵⁵  Gerar as far as Gaza, and all the way to ³⁵⁶  Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 10:20 These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, and by their nations.

10:21 And sons were also born ³⁵⁷  to Shem (the older brother of Japheth), ³⁵⁸  the father of all the sons of Eber.

10:22 The sons of Shem were Elam, ³⁵⁹  Asshur, ³⁶⁰  Arphaxad, ³⁶¹  Lud, ³⁶²  and Aram. ³⁶³  10:23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. ³⁶⁴  10:24 Arphaxad was the father of ³⁶⁵  Shelah, ³⁶⁶  and Shelah was the father of Eber. ³⁶⁷  10:25 Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg because in his days the earth was divided, ³⁶⁸  and his brother’s name was Joktan. 10:26 Joktan was the father of ³⁶⁹  Almodad, ³⁷⁰  Sheleph, ³⁷¹  Hazarmaveth, ³⁷²  Jerah, ³⁷³  10:27 Hadoram, Uzal, ³⁷⁴  Diklah, ³⁷⁵  10:28 Obal, ³⁷⁶  Abimael, ³⁷⁷  Sheba, ³⁷⁸  10:29 Ophir, ³⁷⁹  Havilah, ³⁸⁰  and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. 10:30 Their dwelling place was from Mesha all the way to ³⁸¹  Sephar in the eastern hills. 10:31 These are the sons of Shem according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, and according to their nations.

10:32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations, and from these the nations spread ³⁸²  over the earth after the flood.

The Dispersion of the Nations at Babel

11:1 The whole earth ³⁸³  had a common language and a common vocabulary. ³⁸⁴  11:2 When the people ³⁸⁵  moved eastward, ³⁸⁶  they found a plain in Shinar ³⁸⁷  and settled there. 11:3 Then they said to one another, ³⁸⁸  “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” ³⁸⁹  (They had brick instead of stone and tar ³⁹⁰  instead of mortar.) ³⁹¹  11:4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens ³⁹²  so that ³⁹³  we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise ³⁹⁴  we will be scattered ³⁹⁵  across the face of the entire earth.”

11:5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people ³⁹⁶  had started ³⁹⁷  building. 11:6 And the Lord said, “If as one people all sharing a common language ³⁹⁸  they have begun to do this, then ³⁹⁹  nothing they plan to do will be beyond them. ⁴⁰⁰  11:7 Come, let’s go down and confuse ⁴⁰¹  their language so they won’t be able to understand each other.” ⁴⁰² 

11:8 So the Lord scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth, and they stopped building ⁴⁰³  the city. 11:9 That is why its name was called ⁴⁰⁴  Babel ⁴⁰⁵  – because there the Lord confused the language of the entire world, and from there the Lord scattered them across the face of the entire earth.

The Genealogy of Shem

11:10 This is the account of Shem.

Shem was 100 old when he became the father of Arphaxad, two years after the flood. 11:11 And after becoming the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other ⁴⁰⁶  sons and daughters.

11:12 When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah. 11:13 And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other ⁴⁰⁷  sons and daughters. ⁴⁰⁸ 

11:14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber. 11:15 And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other ⁴⁰⁹  sons and daughters.

11:16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg. 11:17 And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu. 11:19 And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug. 11:21 And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. 11:23 And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah. 11:25 And after he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

11:26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

The Record of Terah

11:27 This is the account of Terah.

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 11:28 Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans, ⁴¹⁰  while his father Terah was still alive. ⁴¹¹  11:29 And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, ⁴¹²  and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah; ⁴¹³  she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 11:30 But Sarai was barren; she had no children.

11:31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (the son of Haran), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and with them he set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. When they came to Haran, they settled there. 11:32 The lifetime ⁴¹⁴  of Terah was 205 years, and he ⁴¹⁵  died in Haran.

The Obedience of Abram

12:1 Now the Lord said ⁴¹⁶  to Abram, ⁴¹⁷ 

“Go out ⁴¹⁸  from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household

to the land that I will show you. ⁴¹⁹ 

12:2 Then I will make you ⁴²⁰  into a great nation, and I will bless you, ⁴²¹ 

and I will make your name great, ⁴²² 

so that you will exemplify divine blessing. ⁴²³ 

12:3 I will bless those who bless you, ⁴²⁴ 

but the one who treats you lightly ⁴²⁵  I must curse,

and all the families of the earth will bless one another ⁴²⁶  by your name.”

12:4 So Abram left, ⁴²⁷  just as the Lord had told him to do, ⁴²⁸  and Lot went with him. (Now ⁴²⁹  Abram was 75 years old ⁴³⁰  when he departed from Haran.) 12:5 And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew ⁴³¹  Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired ⁴³²  in Haran, and they left for ⁴³³  the land of Canaan. They entered the land of Canaan.

12:6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the oak tree ⁴³⁴  of Moreh ⁴³⁵  at Shechem. ⁴³⁶  (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) ⁴³⁷  12:7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants ⁴³⁸  I will give this land.” So Abram ⁴³⁹  built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

12:8 Then he moved from there to the hill country east of Bethel ⁴⁴⁰  and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and worshiped the Lord. ⁴⁴¹  12:9 Abram continually journeyed by stages ⁴⁴²  down to the Negev. ⁴⁴³ 

The Promised Blessing Jeopardized

12:10 There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt ⁴⁴⁴  to stay for a while ⁴⁴⁵  because the famine was severe. ⁴⁴⁶  12:11 As he approached ⁴⁴⁷  Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, ⁴⁴⁸  I know that you are a beautiful woman. ⁴⁴⁹  12:12 When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive. ⁴⁵⁰  12:13 So tell them ⁴⁵¹  you are my sister ⁴⁵²  so that it may go well ⁴⁵³  for me because of you and my life will be spared ⁴⁵⁴  on account of you.”

12:14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 12:15 When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. So Abram’s wife ⁴⁵⁵  was taken ⁴⁵⁶  into the household of Pharaoh, ⁴⁵⁷  12:16 and he did treat Abram well ⁴⁵⁸  on account of her. Abram received ⁴⁵⁹  sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

12:17 But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases ⁴⁶⁰  because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 12:18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this ⁴⁶¹  you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? 12:19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her ⁴⁶²  to be my wife? ⁴⁶³  Here is your wife! ⁴⁶⁴  Take her and go!” ⁴⁶⁵  12:20 Pharaoh gave his men orders about Abram, ⁴⁶⁶  and so they expelled him, along with his wife and all his possessions.

Abram’s Solution to the Strife

13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt into the Negev. ⁴⁶⁷  He took his wife and all his possessions with him, as well as Lot. ⁴⁶⁸  13:2 (Now Abram was very wealthy ⁴⁶⁹  in livestock, silver, and gold.) ⁴⁷⁰ 

13:3 And he journeyed from place to place ⁴⁷¹  from the Negev as far as Bethel. ⁴⁷²  He returned ⁴⁷³  to the place where he had pitched his tent ⁴⁷⁴  at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai. 13:4 This was the place where he had first built the altar, ⁴⁷⁵  and there Abram worshiped the Lord. ⁴⁷⁶ 

13:5 Now Lot, who was traveling ⁴⁷⁷  with Abram, also had ⁴⁷⁸  flocks, herds, and tents. 13:6 But the land could ⁴⁷⁹  not support them while they were living side by side. ⁴⁸⁰  Because their possessions were so great, they were not able to live ⁴⁸¹  alongside one another. 13:7 So there were quarrels ⁴⁸²  between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. ⁴⁸³  (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.) ⁴⁸⁴ 

13:8 Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no quarreling between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are close relatives. ⁴⁸⁵  13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself now from me. If you go ⁴⁸⁶  to the left, then I’ll go to the right, but if you go to the right, then I’ll go to the left.”

13:10 Lot looked up and saw ⁴⁸⁷  the whole region ⁴⁸⁸  of the Jordan. He noticed ⁴⁸⁹  that all of it was well-watered (before the Lord obliterated ⁴⁹⁰  Sodom and Gomorrah) ⁴⁹¹  like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, ⁴⁹²  all the way to Zoar. 13:11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled ⁴⁹³  toward the east.

So the relatives separated from each other. ⁴⁹⁴  13:12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled among the cities of the Jordan plain ⁴⁹⁵  and pitched his tents next to Sodom. 13:13 (Now ⁴⁹⁶  the people ⁴⁹⁷  of Sodom were extremely wicked rebels against the Lord.) ⁴⁹⁸ 

13:14 After Lot had departed, the Lord said to Abram, ⁴⁹⁹  “Look ⁵⁰⁰  from the place where you stand to the north, south, east, and west. 13:15 I will give all the land that you see to you and your descendants ⁵⁰¹  forever. 13:16 And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted. ⁵⁰²  13:17 Get up and ⁵⁰³  walk throughout ⁵⁰⁴  the land, ⁵⁰⁵  for I will give it to you.”

13:18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live ⁵⁰⁶  by the oaks ⁵⁰⁷  of Mamre in Hebron, and he built an altar to the Lord there.

The Blessing of Victory for God’s People

14:1 At that time ⁵⁰⁸  Amraphel king of Shinar, ⁵⁰⁹  Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations ⁵¹⁰  14:2 went to war ⁵¹¹  against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). ⁵¹²  14:3 These last five kings ⁵¹³  joined forces ⁵¹⁴  in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). ⁵¹⁵  14:4 For twelve years ⁵¹⁶  they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year ⁵¹⁷  they rebelled. ⁵¹⁸  14:5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were his allies came and defeated ⁵¹⁹  the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 14:6 and the Horites in their hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is near the desert. ⁵²⁰  14:7 Then they attacked En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) again, ⁵²¹  and they conquered all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.

14:8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and prepared for battle. In the Valley of Siddim they met ⁵²²  14:9 Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, ⁵²³  Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. Four kings fought against ⁵²⁴  five. 14:10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. ⁵²⁵  When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, ⁵²⁶  but some survivors ⁵²⁷  fled to the hills. ⁵²⁸  14:11 The four victorious kings ⁵²⁹  took all the possessions and food of Sodom and Gomorrah and left. 14:12 They also took Abram’s nephew ⁵³⁰  Lot and his possessions when ⁵³¹  they left, for Lot ⁵³²  was living in Sodom. ⁵³³ 

14:13 A fugitive ⁵³⁴  came and told Abram the Hebrew. ⁵³⁵  Now Abram was living by the oaks ⁵³⁶  of Mamre the Amorite, the brother ⁵³⁷  of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty ⁵³⁸  with Abram.) ⁵³⁹  14:14 When Abram heard that his nephew ⁵⁴⁰  had been taken captive, he mobilized ⁵⁴¹  his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders ⁵⁴²  as far as Dan. ⁵⁴³  14:15 Then, during the night, ⁵⁴⁴  Abram ⁵⁴⁵  divided his forces ⁵⁴⁶  against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north ⁵⁴⁷  of Damascus. 14:16 He retrieved all the stolen property. ⁵⁴⁸  He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of ⁵⁴⁹  the people.

14:17 After Abram ⁵⁵⁰  returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram ⁵⁵¹  in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley). ⁵⁵²  14:18 Melchizedek king of Salem ⁵⁵³  brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.) ⁵⁵⁴  14:19 He blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by ⁵⁵⁵  the Most High God,

Creator ⁵⁵⁶  of heaven and earth. ⁵⁵⁷ 

14:20 Worthy of praise is ⁵⁵⁸  the Most High God,

who delivered ⁵⁵⁹  your enemies into your hand.”

Abram gave Melchizedek ⁵⁶⁰  a tenth of everything.

14:21 Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and take the possessions for yourself.” 14:22 But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I raise my hand ⁵⁶¹  to the Lord, the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, and vow ⁵⁶²  14:23 that I will take nothing ⁵⁶³  belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, ‘It is I ⁵⁶⁴  who made Abram rich.’ 14:24 I will take nothing ⁵⁶⁵  except compensation for what the young men have eaten. ⁵⁶⁶  As for the share of the men who went with me – Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre – let them take their share.”

The Cutting of the Covenant

15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield ⁵⁶⁷  and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” ⁵⁶⁸ 

15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, ⁵⁶⁹  what will you give me since ⁵⁷⁰  I continue to be ⁵⁷¹  childless, and my heir ⁵⁷²  is ⁵⁷³  Eliezer of Damascus?” ⁵⁷⁴  15:3 Abram added, ⁵⁷⁵  “Since ⁵⁷⁶  you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!” ⁵⁷⁷ 

15:4 But look, ⁵⁷⁸  the word of the Lord came to him: “This man ⁵⁷⁹  will not be your heir, ⁵⁸⁰  but instead ⁵⁸¹  a son ⁵⁸²  who comes from your own body will be ⁵⁸³  your heir.” ⁵⁸⁴  15:5 The Lord ⁵⁸⁵  took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”

15:6 Abram believed ⁵⁸⁶  the Lord, and the Lord ⁵⁸⁷  considered his response of faith ⁵⁸⁸  as proof of genuine loyalty. ⁵⁸⁹ 

15:7 The Lord said ⁵⁹⁰  to him, “I am the Lord ⁵⁹¹  who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans ⁵⁹²  to give you this land to possess.” 15:8 But ⁵⁹³  Abram ⁵⁹⁴  said, “O sovereign Lord, ⁵⁹⁵  by what ⁵⁹⁶  can I know that I am to possess it?”

15:9 The Lord ⁵⁹⁷  said to him, “Take for me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” 15:10 So Abram ⁵⁹⁸  took all these for him and then cut them in two ⁵⁹⁹  and placed each half opposite the other, ⁶⁰⁰  but he did not cut the birds in half. 15:11 When birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

15:12 When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep, ⁶⁰¹  and great terror overwhelmed him. ⁶⁰²  15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain ⁶⁰³  that your descendants will be strangers ⁶⁰⁴  in a foreign country. ⁶⁰⁵  They will be enslaved and oppressed ⁶⁰⁶  for four hundred years. 15:14 But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. ⁶⁰⁷  Afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15:15 But as for you, ⁶⁰⁸  you will go to your ancestors ⁶⁰⁹  in peace and be buried at a good old age. ⁶¹⁰  15:16 In the fourth generation ⁶¹¹  your descendants ⁶¹²  will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” ⁶¹³ 

15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch ⁶¹⁴  passed between the animal parts. ⁶¹⁵  15:18 That day the Lord made a covenant ⁶¹⁶  with Abram: “To your descendants I give ⁶¹⁷  this land, from the river of Egypt ⁶¹⁸  to the great river, the Euphrates River – 15:19 the land ⁶¹⁹  of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 15:20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 15:21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” ⁶²⁰ 

The Birth of Ishmael

16:1 Now Sarai, ⁶²¹  Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, ⁶²²  but she had an Egyptian servant ⁶²³  named Hagar. ⁶²⁴  16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Since ⁶²⁵  the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with ⁶²⁶  my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” ⁶²⁷  Abram did what ⁶²⁸  Sarai told him.

16:3 So after Abram had lived ⁶²⁹  in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, ⁶³⁰  to her husband to be his wife. ⁶³¹  16:4 He had sexual relations with ⁶³²  Hagar, and she became pregnant. ⁶³³  Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai. ⁶³⁴  16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! ⁶³⁵  I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, ⁶³⁶  but when she realized ⁶³⁷  that she was pregnant, she despised me. ⁶³⁸  May the Lord judge between you and me!” ⁶³⁹ 

16:6 Abram said to Sarai, “Since your ⁶⁴⁰  servant is under your authority, ⁶⁴¹  do to her whatever you think best.” ⁶⁴²  Then Sarai treated Hagar ⁶⁴³  harshly, ⁶⁴⁴  so she ran away from Sarai. ⁶⁴⁵ 

16:7 The Lord’s angel ⁶⁴⁶  found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert – the spring that is along the road to Shur. ⁶⁴⁷  16:8 He said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She replied, “I’m running away from ⁶⁴⁸  my mistress, Sarai.”

16:9 Then the Lord’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit ⁶⁴⁹  to her authority. 16:10 I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, ⁶⁵⁰  “so that they will be too numerous to count.” ⁶⁵¹  16:11 Then the Lord’s angel said to her,

“You are now ⁶⁵²  pregnant

and are about to give birth ⁶⁵³  to a son.

You are to name him Ishmael, ⁶⁵⁴ 

for the Lord has heard your painful groans. ⁶⁵⁵ 

16:12 He will be a wild donkey ⁶⁵⁶  of a man.

He will be hostile to everyone, ⁶⁵⁷ 

and everyone will be hostile to him. ⁶⁵⁸ 

He will live away from ⁶⁵⁹  his brothers.”

16:13 So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” ⁶⁶⁰  for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” ⁶⁶¹  16:14 That is why the well was called ⁶⁶²  Beer Lahai Roi. ⁶⁶³  (It is located ⁶⁶⁴  between Kadesh and Bered.)

16:15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. ⁶⁶⁵  16:16 (Now ⁶⁶⁶  Abram was 86 years old ⁶⁶⁷  when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.) ⁶⁶⁸ 

The Sign of the Covenant

17:1 When Abram was 99 years old, ⁶⁶⁹  the Lord appeared to him and said, ⁶⁷⁰  “I am the sovereign God. ⁶⁷¹  Walk ⁶⁷²  before me ⁶⁷³  and be blameless. ⁶⁷⁴  17:2 Then I will confirm my covenant ⁶⁷⁵  between me and you, and I will give you a multitude of descendants.” ⁶⁷⁶ 

17:3 Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, ⁶⁷⁷  and God said to him, ⁶⁷⁸  17:4 “As for me, ⁶⁷⁹  this ⁶⁸⁰  is my covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 17:5 No longer will your name be ⁶⁸¹  Abram. Instead, your name will be Abraham ⁶⁸²  because I will make you ⁶⁸³  the father of a multitude of nations. 17:6 I will make you ⁶⁸⁴  extremely ⁶⁸⁵  fruitful. I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. ⁶⁸⁶  17:7 I will confirm ⁶⁸⁷  my covenant as a perpetual ⁶⁸⁸  covenant between me and you. It will extend to your descendants after you throughout their generations. I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you. ⁶⁸⁹  17:8 I will give the whole land of Canaan – the land where you are now residing ⁶⁹⁰  – to you and your descendants after you as a permanent ⁶⁹¹  possession. I will be their God.”

17:9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep ⁶⁹²  the covenantal requirement ⁶⁹³  I am imposing on you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 17:10 This is my requirement that you and your descendants after you must keep: ⁶⁹⁴  Every male among you must be circumcised. ⁶⁹⁵  17:11 You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins. This will be a reminder ⁶⁹⁶  of the covenant between me and you. 17:12 Throughout your generations every male among you who is eight days old ⁶⁹⁷  must be circumcised, whether born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not one of your descendants. 17:13 They must indeed be circumcised, ⁶⁹⁸  whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of my covenant ⁶⁹⁹  will be visible in your flesh as a permanent ⁷⁰⁰  reminder. 17:14 Any uncircumcised male ⁷⁰¹  who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off ⁷⁰²  from his people – he has failed to carry out my requirement.” ⁷⁰³ 

17:15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for your wife, you must no longer call her Sarai; ⁷⁰⁴  Sarah ⁷⁰⁵  will be her name. 17:16 I will bless her and will give you a son through her. I will bless her and she will become a mother of nations. ⁷⁰⁶  Kings of countries ⁷⁰⁷  will come from her!”

17:17 Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed ⁷⁰⁸  as he said to himself, ⁷⁰⁹  “Can ⁷¹⁰  a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? ⁷¹¹  Can Sarah ⁷¹²  bear a child at the age of ninety?” ⁷¹³  17:18 Abraham said to God, “O that ⁷¹⁴  Ishmael might live before you!” ⁷¹⁵ 

17:19 God said, “No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. ⁷¹⁶  I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual ⁷¹⁷  covenant for his descendants after him. 17:20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. ⁷¹⁸  I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. ⁷¹⁹  He will become the father of twelve princes; ⁷²⁰  I will make him into a great nation. 17:21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.” 17:22 When he finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. ⁷²¹ 

17:23 Abraham took his son Ishmael and every male in his household (whether born in his house or bought with money) ⁷²²  and circumcised them ⁷²³  on that very same day, just as God had told him to do. 17:24 Now Abraham was 99 years old ⁷²⁴  when he was circumcised; ⁷²⁵  17:25 his son Ishmael was thirteen years old ⁷²⁶  when he was circumcised. 17:26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the very same day. 17:27 All the men of his household, whether born in his household or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

Three Special Visitors

18:1 The Lord appeared to Abraham ⁷²⁷  by the oaks ⁷²⁸  of Mamre while ⁷²⁹  he was sitting at the entrance ⁷³⁰  to his tent during the hottest time of the day. 18:2 Abraham ⁷³¹  looked up ⁷³²  and saw ⁷³³  three men standing across ⁷³⁴  from him. When he saw them ⁷³⁵  he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low ⁷³⁶  to the ground. ⁷³⁷ 

18:3 He said, “My lord, ⁷³⁸  if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by and leave your servant. ⁷³⁹  18:4 Let a little water be brought so that ⁷⁴⁰  you may all ⁷⁴¹  wash your feet and rest under the tree. 18:5 And let me get ⁷⁴²  a bit of food ⁷⁴³  so that you may refresh yourselves ⁷⁴⁴  since you have passed by your servant’s home. After that you may be on your way.” ⁷⁴⁵  “All right,” they replied, “you may do as you say.”

18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Take ⁷⁴⁶  three measures ⁷⁴⁷  of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.” ⁷⁴⁸  18:7 Then Abraham ran to the herd and chose a fine, tender calf, and gave it to a servant, ⁷⁴⁹  who quickly prepared it. ⁷⁵⁰  18:8 Abraham ⁷⁵¹  then took some curds and milk, along with the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food ⁷⁵²  before them. They ate while ⁷⁵³  he was standing near them under a tree.

18:9 Then they asked him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, ⁷⁵⁴  in the tent.” 18:10 One of them ⁷⁵⁵  said, “I will surely return ⁷⁵⁶  to you when the season comes round again, ⁷⁵⁷  and your wife Sarah will have a son!” ⁷⁵⁸  (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him. ⁷⁵⁹  18:11 Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; ⁷⁶⁰  Sarah had long since passed menopause.) ⁷⁶¹  18:12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, ⁷⁶²  “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, ⁷⁶³  especially when my husband is old too?” ⁷⁶⁴ 

18:13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why ⁷⁶⁵  did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really ⁷⁶⁶  have a child when I am old?’ 18:14 Is anything impossible ⁷⁶⁷  for the Lord? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son.” ⁷⁶⁸  18:15 Then Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. But the Lord said, “No! You did laugh.” ⁷⁶⁹ 

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

18:16 When the men got up to leave, ⁷⁷⁰  they looked out over ⁷⁷¹  Sodom. (Now ⁷⁷²  Abraham was walking with them to see them on their way.) ⁷⁷³  18:17 Then the Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? ⁷⁷⁴  18:18 After all, Abraham ⁷⁷⁵  will surely become ⁷⁷⁶  a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ⁷⁷⁷  using his name. 18:19 I have chosen him ⁷⁷⁸  so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep ⁷⁷⁹  the way of the Lord by doing ⁷⁸⁰  what is right and just. Then the Lord will give ⁷⁸¹  to Abraham what he promised ⁷⁸²  him.”

18:20 So the Lord said, “The outcry against ⁷⁸³  Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant ⁷⁸⁴  18:21 that I must go down ⁷⁸⁵  and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. ⁷⁸⁶  If not, ⁷⁸⁷  I want to know.”

18:22 The two men turned ⁷⁸⁸  and headed ⁷⁸⁹  toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord. ⁷⁹⁰  18:23 Abraham approached and said, “Will you sweep away the godly along with the wicked? 18:24 What if there are fifty godly people in the city? Will you really wipe it out and not spare ⁷⁹¹  the place for the sake of the fifty godly people who are in it? 18:25 Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge ⁷⁹²  of the whole earth do what is right?” ⁷⁹³ 

18:26 So the Lord replied, “If I find in the city of Sodom fifty godly people, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

18:27 Then Abraham asked, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord ⁷⁹⁴  (although I am but dust and ashes), ⁷⁹⁵  18:28 what if there are five less than the fifty godly people? Will you destroy ⁷⁹⁶  the whole city because five are lacking?” ⁷⁹⁷  He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

18:29 Abraham ⁷⁹⁸  spoke to him again, ⁷⁹⁹  “What if forty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.”

18:30 Then Abraham ⁸⁰⁰  said, “May the Lord not be angry ⁸⁰¹  so that I may speak! ⁸⁰²  What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

18:31 Abraham ⁸⁰³  said, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”

18:32 Finally Abraham ⁸⁰⁴  said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”

18:33 The Lord went on his way ⁸⁰⁵  when he had finished speaking ⁸⁰⁶  to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home. ⁸⁰⁷ 

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while ⁸⁰⁸  Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway. ⁸⁰⁹  When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face toward the ground.

19:2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night ⁸¹⁰  and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” ⁸¹¹  “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” ⁸¹² 

19:3 But he urged ⁸¹³  them persistently, so they turned aside with him and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them, including bread baked without yeast, and they ate. 19:4 Before they could lie down to sleep, ⁸¹⁴  all the men – both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom – surrounded the house. ⁸¹⁵  19:5 They shouted to Lot, ⁸¹⁶  “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex ⁸¹⁷  with them!”

19:6 Lot went outside to them, shutting the door behind him. 19:7 He said, “No, my brothers! Don’t act so wickedly! ⁸¹⁸  19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with ⁸¹⁹  a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. ⁸²⁰  Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection ⁸²¹  of my roof.” ⁸²² 

19:9 “Out of our way!” ⁸²³  they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, ⁸²⁴  and now he dares to judge us! ⁸²⁵  We’ll do more harm ⁸²⁶  to you than to them!” They kept ⁸²⁷  pressing in on Lot until they were close enough ⁸²⁸  to break down the door.

19:10 So the men inside ⁸²⁹  reached out ⁸³⁰  and pulled Lot back into the house ⁸³¹  as they shut the door. 19:11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, from the youngest to the oldest, ⁸³²  with blindness. The men outside ⁸³³  wore themselves out trying to find the door. 19:12 Then the two visitors ⁸³⁴  said to Lot, “Who else do you have here? ⁸³⁵  Do you have ⁸³⁶  any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city? ⁸³⁷  Get them out of this ⁸³⁸  place 19:13 because we are about to destroy ⁸³⁹  it. The outcry against this place ⁸⁴⁰  is so great before the Lord that he ⁸⁴¹  has sent us to destroy it.”

19:14 Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters. ⁸⁴²  He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy ⁸⁴³  the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them. ⁸⁴⁴ 

19:15 At dawn ⁸⁴⁵  the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, ⁸⁴⁶  or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!” ⁸⁴⁷  19:16 When Lot ⁸⁴⁸  hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. ⁸⁴⁹  They led them away and placed them ⁸⁵⁰  outside the city. 19:17 When they had brought them outside, they ⁸⁵¹  said, “Run ⁸⁵²  for your lives! Don’t look ⁸⁵³  behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! ⁸⁵⁴  Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”

19:18 But Lot said to them, “No, please, Lord! ⁸⁵⁵  19:19 Your ⁸⁵⁶  servant has found favor with you, ⁸⁵⁷  and you have shown me great ⁸⁵⁸  kindness ⁸⁵⁹  by sparing ⁸⁶⁰  my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because ⁸⁶¹  this disaster will overtake ⁸⁶²  me and I’ll die. ⁸⁶³  19:20 Look, this town ⁸⁶⁴  over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one. ⁸⁶⁵  Let me go there. ⁸⁶⁶  It’s just a little place, isn’t it? ⁸⁶⁷  Then I’ll survive.” ⁸⁶⁸ 

19:21 “Very well,” he replied, ⁸⁶⁹  “I will grant this request too ⁸⁷⁰  and will not overthrow ⁸⁷¹  the town you mentioned. 19:22 Run there quickly, ⁸⁷²  for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.) ⁸⁷³ 

19:23 The sun had just risen ⁸⁷⁴  over the land as Lot reached Zoar. ⁸⁷⁵  19:24 Then the Lord rained down ⁸⁷⁶  sulfur and fire ⁸⁷⁷  on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord. ⁸⁷⁸  19:25 So he overthrew those cities and all that region, ⁸⁷⁹  including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew ⁸⁸⁰  from the ground. 19:26 But Lot’s ⁸⁸¹  wife looked back longingly ⁸⁸²  and was turned into a pillar of salt.

19:27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went ⁸⁸³  to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 19:28 He looked out toward ⁸⁸⁴  Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region. ⁸⁸⁵  As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace. ⁸⁸⁶ 

19:29 So when God destroyed ⁸⁸⁷  the cities of the region, ⁸⁸⁸  God honored ⁸⁸⁹  Abraham’s request. He removed Lot ⁸⁹⁰  from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed ⁸⁹¹  the cities Lot had lived in.

19:30 Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and settled in the mountains because he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 19:31 Later the older daughter said ⁸⁹²  to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby ⁸⁹³  to have sexual relations with us, ⁸⁹⁴  according to the way of all the world. 19:32 Come, let’s make our father drunk with wine ⁸⁹⁵  so we can have sexual relations ⁸⁹⁶  with him and preserve ⁸⁹⁷  our family line through our father.” ⁸⁹⁸ 

19:33 So that night they made their father drunk with wine, ⁸⁹⁹  and the older daughter ⁹⁰⁰  came and had sexual relations with her father. ⁹⁰¹  But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. ⁹⁰²  19:34 So in the morning the older daughter ⁹⁰³  said to the younger, “Since I had sexual relations with my father last night, let’s make him drunk again tonight. ⁹⁰⁴  Then you go and have sexual relations with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” ⁹⁰⁵  19:35 So they made their father drunk ⁹⁰⁶  that night as well, and the younger one came and had sexual relations with him. ⁹⁰⁷  But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. ⁹⁰⁸ 

19:36 In this way both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 19:37 The older daughter ⁹⁰⁹  gave birth to a son and named him Moab. ⁹¹⁰  He is the ancestor of the Moabites of today. 19:38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-Ammi. ⁹¹¹  He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today.

Abraham and Abimelech

20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev ⁹¹²  region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident ⁹¹³  in Gerar, 20:2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.

20:3 But God appeared ⁹¹⁴  to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead ⁹¹⁵  because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” ⁹¹⁶ 

20:4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, ⁹¹⁷  would you really slaughter an innocent nation? ⁹¹⁸  20:5 Did Abraham ⁹¹⁹  not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ⁹²⁰  ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience ⁹²¹  and with innocent hands!”

20:6 Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. ⁹²²  That is why I have kept you ⁹²³  from sinning against me and why ⁹²⁴  I did not allow you to touch her. 20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed ⁹²⁵  he is a prophet ⁹²⁶  and he will pray for you; thus you will live. ⁹²⁷  But if you don’t give her back, ⁹²⁸  know that you will surely die ⁹²⁹  along with all who belong to you.”

20:8 Early in the morning ⁹³⁰  Abimelech summoned ⁹³¹  all his servants. When he told them about all these things, ⁹³²  they ⁹³³  were terrified. 20:9 Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom? ⁹³⁴  You have done things to me that should not be done!” ⁹³⁵  20:10 Then Abimelech asked ⁹³⁶  Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” ⁹³⁷ 

20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ⁹³⁸  ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of ⁹³⁹  my wife.’ 20:12 What’s more, ⁹⁴⁰  she is indeed my sister, my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s daughter. She became my wife. 20:13 When God made me wander ⁹⁴¹  from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: ⁹⁴²  Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”

20:14 So Abimelech gave ⁹⁴³  sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him. 20:15 Then Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please.” ⁹⁴⁴ 

20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver ⁹⁴⁵  to your ‘brother.’ ⁹⁴⁶  This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.” ⁹⁴⁷ 

20:17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children. 20:18 For the Lord ⁹⁴⁸  had caused infertility to strike every woman ⁹⁴⁹  in the household of Abimelech because he took ⁹⁵⁰  Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

The Birth of Isaac

21:1 The Lord visited ⁹⁵¹  Sarah just as he had said he would and did ⁹⁵²  for Sarah what he had promised. ⁹⁵³  21:2 So Sarah became pregnant ⁹⁵⁴  and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him. 21:3 Abraham named his son – whom Sarah bore to him – Isaac. ⁹⁵⁵  21:4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, ⁹⁵⁶  Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded him to do. ⁹⁵⁷  21:5 (Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.) ⁹⁵⁸ 

21:6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. ⁹⁵⁹  Everyone who hears about this ⁹⁶⁰  will laugh ⁹⁶¹  with me.” 21:7 She went on to say, ⁹⁶²  “Who would ⁹⁶³  have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!”

21:8 The child grew and was weaned. Abraham prepared ⁹⁶⁴  a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. ⁹⁶⁵  21:9 But Sarah noticed ⁹⁶⁶  the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking. ⁹⁶⁷  21:10 So she said to Abraham, “Banish ⁹⁶⁸  that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!”

21:11 Sarah’s demand displeased Abraham greatly because Ishmael was his son. ⁹⁶⁹  21:12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset ⁹⁷⁰  about the boy or your slave wife. Do ⁹⁷¹  all that Sarah is telling ⁹⁷²  you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted. ⁹⁷³  21:13 But I will also make the son of the slave wife into a great nation, for he is your descendant too.”

21:14 Early in the morning Abraham took ⁹⁷⁴  some food ⁹⁷⁵  and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulders, gave her the child, ⁹⁷⁶  and sent her away. So she went wandering ⁹⁷⁷  aimlessly through the wilderness ⁹⁷⁸  of Beer Sheba. 21:15 When the water in the skin was gone, she shoved ⁹⁷⁹  the child under one of the shrubs. 21:16 Then she went and sat down by herself across from him at quite a distance, about a bowshot ⁹⁸⁰  away; for she thought, ⁹⁸¹  “I refuse to watch the child die.” ⁹⁸²  So she sat across from him and wept uncontrollably. ⁹⁸³ 

21:17 But God heard the boy’s voice. ⁹⁸⁴  The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What is the matter, ⁹⁸⁵  Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard ⁹⁸⁶  the boy’s voice right where he is crying. 21:18 Get up! Help the boy up and hold him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 21:19 Then God enabled Hagar to see a well of water. ⁹⁸⁷  She went over and filled the skin with water, and then gave the boy a drink.

21:20 God was with the boy as he grew. He lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21:21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran. ⁹⁸⁸  His mother found a wife for him from the land of Egypt. ⁹⁸⁹ 

21:22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you ⁹⁹⁰  in all that you do. 21:23 Now swear to me right here in God’s name ⁹⁹¹  that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. ⁹⁹²  Show me, and the land ⁹⁹³  where you are staying, ⁹⁹⁴  the same loyalty ⁹⁹⁵  that I have shown you.” ⁹⁹⁶ 

21:24 Abraham said, “I swear to do this.” ⁹⁹⁷  21:25 But Abraham lodged a complaint ⁹⁹⁸  against Abimelech concerning a well ⁹⁹⁹  that Abimelech’s servants had seized. ¹⁰⁰⁰  21:26 “I do not know who has done this thing,” Abimelech replied. “Moreover, ¹⁰⁰¹  you did not tell me. I did not hear about it until today.”

21:27 Abraham took some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech. The two of them made a treaty. ¹⁰⁰²  21:28 Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs apart from the flock by themselves. 21:29 Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these ¹⁰⁰³  seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” 21:30 He replied, “You must take these seven ewe lambs from my hand as legal proof ¹⁰⁰⁴  that I dug this well.” ¹⁰⁰⁵  21:31 That is why he named that place ¹⁰⁰⁶  Beer Sheba, ¹⁰⁰⁷  because the two of them swore ¹⁰⁰⁸  an oath there.

21:32 So they made a treaty ¹⁰⁰⁹  at Beer Sheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, returned ¹⁰¹⁰  to the land of the Philistines. ¹⁰¹¹  21:33 Abraham ¹⁰¹²  planted a tamarisk tree ¹⁰¹³  in Beer Sheba. There he worshiped the Lord, ¹⁰¹⁴  the eternal God. 21:34 So Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for quite some time. ¹⁰¹⁵ 

The Sacrifice of Isaac

22:1 Some time after these things God tested ¹⁰¹⁶  Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham ¹⁰¹⁷  replied. 22:2 God ¹⁰¹⁸  said, “Take your son – your only son, whom you love, Isaac ¹⁰¹⁹  – and go to the land of Moriah! ¹⁰²⁰  Offer him up there as a burnt offering ¹⁰²¹  on one of the mountains which I will indicate to ¹⁰²²  you.”

22:3 Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. ¹⁰²³  He took two of his young servants with him, along with his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he started out ¹⁰²⁴  for the place God had spoken to him about.

22:4 On the third day Abraham caught sight of ¹⁰²⁵  the place in the distance. 22:5 So he ¹⁰²⁶  said to his servants, “You two stay ¹⁰²⁷  here with the donkey while ¹⁰²⁸  the boy and I go up there. We will worship ¹⁰²⁹  and then return to you.” ¹⁰³⁰ 

22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. Then he took the fire and the knife in his hand, ¹⁰³¹  and the two of them walked on together. 22:7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, ¹⁰³²  “My father?” “What is it, ¹⁰³³  my son?” he replied. “Here is the fire and the wood,” Isaac said, ¹⁰³⁴  “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 22:8 “God will provide ¹⁰³⁵  for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham replied. The two of them continued on together.

22:9 When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there ¹⁰³⁶  and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up ¹⁰³⁷  his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 22:10 Then Abraham reached out his hand, took the knife, and prepared to slaughter ¹⁰³⁸  his son. 22:11 But the Lord’s angel ¹⁰³⁹  called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am!” he answered. 22:12 “Do not harm the boy!” ¹⁰⁴⁰  the angel said. ¹⁰⁴¹  “Do not do anything to him, for now I know ¹⁰⁴²  that you fear ¹⁰⁴³  God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me.”

22:13 Abraham looked up ¹⁰⁴⁴  and saw ¹⁰⁴⁵  behind him ¹⁰⁴⁶  a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. So he ¹⁰⁴⁷  went over and got the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord provides.” ¹⁰⁴⁸  It is said to this day, ¹⁰⁴⁹  “In the mountain of the Lord provision will be made.” ¹⁰⁵⁰ 

22:15 The Lord’s angel called to Abraham a second time from heaven 22:16 and said, “‘I solemnly swear by my own name,’ ¹⁰⁵¹  decrees the Lord, ¹⁰⁵²  ‘that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 22:17 I will indeed bless you, ¹⁰⁵³  and I will greatly multiply ¹⁰⁵⁴  your descendants ¹⁰⁵⁵  so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession ¹⁰⁵⁶  of the strongholds ¹⁰⁵⁷  of their enemies. 22:18 Because you have obeyed me, ¹⁰⁵⁸  all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ¹⁰⁵⁹  using the name of your descendants.’”

22:19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set out together ¹⁰⁶⁰  for Beer Sheba where Abraham stayed. ¹⁰⁶¹ 

22:20 After these things Abraham was told, “Milcah ¹⁰⁶²  also has borne children to your brother Nahor – 22:21 Uz the firstborn, his brother Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram), ¹⁰⁶³  22:22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 22:23 (Now ¹⁰⁶⁴  Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) These were the eight sons Milcah bore to Abraham’s brother Nahor. 22:24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore him children – Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

The Death of Sarah

23:1 Sarah lived 127 years. ¹⁰⁶⁵  23:2 Then she ¹⁰⁶⁶  died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. ¹⁰⁶⁷ 

23:3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife ¹⁰⁶⁸  and said to the sons of Heth, ¹⁰⁶⁹  23:4 “I am a temporary settler ¹⁰⁷⁰  among you. Grant ¹⁰⁷¹  me ownership ¹⁰⁷²  of a burial site among you so that I may ¹⁰⁷³  bury my dead.” ¹⁰⁷⁴ 

23:5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, ¹⁰⁷⁵  23:6 “Listen, sir, ¹⁰⁷⁶  you are a mighty prince ¹⁰⁷⁷  among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent you ¹⁰⁷⁸  from burying your dead.”

23:7 Abraham got up and bowed down to the local people, ¹⁰⁷⁹  the sons of Heth. 23:8 Then he said to them, “If you agree ¹⁰⁸⁰  that I may bury my dead, ¹⁰⁸¹  then hear me out. ¹⁰⁸²  Ask ¹⁰⁸³  Ephron the son of Zohar 23:9 if he will sell ¹⁰⁸⁴  me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me publicly ¹⁰⁸⁵  for the full price, ¹⁰⁸⁶  so that I may own it as a burial site.”

23:10 (Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth.) Ephron the Hethite ¹⁰⁸⁷  replied to Abraham in the hearing ¹⁰⁸⁸  of the sons of Heth – before all who entered the gate ¹⁰⁸⁹  of his city – 23:11 “No, my lord! Hear me out. I sell ¹⁰⁹⁰  you both the field and the cave that is in it. ¹⁰⁹¹  In the presence of my people ¹⁰⁹²  I sell it to you. Bury your dead.”

23:12 Abraham bowed before the local people 23:13 and said to Ephron in their hearing, “Hear me, if you will. I pay ¹⁰⁹³  to you the price ¹⁰⁹⁴  of the field. Take it from me so that I may ¹⁰⁹⁵  bury my dead there.”

23:14 Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 23:15 “Hear me, my lord. The land is worth ¹⁰⁹⁶  400 pieces of silver, ¹⁰⁹⁷  but what is that between me and you? So bury your dead.”

23:16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price ¹⁰⁹⁸  and weighed ¹⁰⁹⁹  out for him ¹¹⁰⁰  the price ¹¹⁰¹  that Ephron had quoted ¹¹⁰²  in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard measurement at the time. ¹¹⁰³ 

23:17 So Abraham secured ¹¹⁰⁴  Ephron’s field in Machpelah, next to Mamre, including the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and all around its border, 23:18 as his property in the presence of the sons of Heth before all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city. ¹¹⁰⁵ 

23:19 After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 23:20 So Abraham secured the field and the cave that was in it as a burial site ¹¹⁰⁶  from the sons of Heth.

The Wife for Isaac

24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, ¹¹⁰⁷  and the Lord had blessed him ¹¹⁰⁸  in everything. 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the senior one ¹¹⁰⁹  in his household who was in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh ¹¹¹⁰  24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise ¹¹¹¹  by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire ¹¹¹²  a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 24:4 You must go instead to my country and to my relatives ¹¹¹³  to find ¹¹¹⁴  a wife for my son Isaac.”

24:5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is not willing to come back with me ¹¹¹⁵  to this land? Must I then ¹¹¹⁶  take your son back to the land from which you came?”

24:6 “Be careful ¹¹¹⁷  never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. ¹¹¹⁸  24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, ¹¹¹⁹  promised me with a solemn oath, ¹¹²⁰  ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel ¹¹²¹  before you so that you may find ¹¹²²  a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, ¹¹²³  you will be free ¹¹²⁴  from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!” 24:9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. ¹¹²⁵ 

24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. ¹¹²⁶  He journeyed ¹¹²⁷  to the region of Aram Naharaim ¹¹²⁸  and the city of Nahor. 24:11 He made the camels kneel down by the well ¹¹²⁹  outside the city. It was evening, ¹¹³⁰  the time when the women would go out to draw water. 24:12 He prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, guide me today. ¹¹³¹  Be faithful ¹¹³²  to my master Abraham. 24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, ¹¹³³  and the daughters of the people ¹¹³⁴  who live in the town are coming out to draw water. 24:14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ ¹¹³⁵  In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” ¹¹³⁶ 

24:15 Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah ¹¹³⁷  with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor). ¹¹³⁸  24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. ¹¹³⁹  She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. 24:17 Abraham’s servant ¹¹⁴⁰  ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug.” 24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering ¹¹⁴¹  her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, ¹¹⁴²  she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied ¹¹⁴³  her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels. 24:21 Silently the man watched her with interest to determine ¹¹⁴⁴  if the Lord had made his journey successful ¹¹⁴⁵  or not.

24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka ¹¹⁴⁶  and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels ¹¹⁴⁷  and gave them to her. ¹¹⁴⁸  24:23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. ¹¹⁴⁹  “Tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

24:24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor. ¹¹⁵⁰  24:25 We have plenty of straw and feed,” she added, ¹¹⁵¹  “and room for you ¹¹⁵²  to spend the night.”

24:26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, 24:27 saying “Praised be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love ¹¹⁵³  for my master! The Lord has led me ¹¹⁵⁴  to the house ¹¹⁵⁵  of my master’s relatives!” ¹¹⁵⁶ 

24:28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household all about ¹¹⁵⁷  these things. 24:29 (Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) ¹¹⁵⁸  Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring. 24:30 When he saw the bracelets on his sister’s wrists and the nose ring ¹¹⁵⁹  and heard his sister Rebekah say, ¹¹⁶⁰  “This is what the man said to me,” he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing ¹¹⁶¹  by the camels near the spring. 24:31 Laban said to him, ¹¹⁶²  “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! ¹¹⁶³  Why are you standing out here when I have prepared ¹¹⁶⁴  the house and a place for the camels?”

24:32 So Abraham’s servant ¹¹⁶⁵  went to the house and unloaded ¹¹⁶⁶  the camels. Straw and feed were given ¹¹⁶⁷  to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. ¹¹⁶⁸  24:33 When food was served, ¹¹⁶⁹  he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” ¹¹⁷⁰  “Tell us,” Laban said. ¹¹⁷¹ 

24:34 “I am the servant of Abraham,” he began. 24:35 “The Lord has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. ¹¹⁷²  The Lord ¹¹⁷³  has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 24:36 My master’s wife Sarah bore a son to him ¹¹⁷⁴  when she was old, ¹¹⁷⁵  and my master ¹¹⁷⁶  has given him everything he owns. 24:37 My master made me swear an oath. He said, ‘You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 24:38 but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find ¹¹⁷⁷  a wife for my son.’ 24:39 But I said to my master, ‘What if the woman does not want to go ¹¹⁷⁸  with me?’ ¹¹⁷⁹  24:40 He answered, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, ¹¹⁸⁰  will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 24:41 You will be free from your oath ¹¹⁸¹  if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’ 24:42 When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, ¹¹⁸²  may events unfold as follows: ¹¹⁸³  24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. ¹¹⁸⁴  When ¹¹⁸⁵  the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.” 24:44 Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’

24:45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, ¹¹⁸⁶  along came Rebekah ¹¹⁸⁷  with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 24:46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels water. 24:47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.’ ¹¹⁸⁸  I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 24:48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to find the granddaughter ¹¹⁸⁹  of my master’s brother for his son. 24:49 Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way.” ¹¹⁹⁰ 

24:50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “This is the Lord’s doing. ¹¹⁹¹  Our wishes are of no concern. ¹¹⁹²  24:51 Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become ¹¹⁹³  the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord has decided.” ¹¹⁹⁴ 

24:52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 24:53 Then he ¹¹⁹⁵  brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother. 24:54 After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. ¹¹⁹⁶ 

When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now so I can return to my master.” ¹¹⁹⁷  24:55 But Rebekah’s ¹¹⁹⁸  brother and her mother replied, “Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go.” 24:56 But he said to them, “Don’t detain me – the Lord ¹¹⁹⁹  has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return ¹²⁰⁰  to my master.” 24:57 Then they said, “We’ll call the girl and find out what she wants to do.” ¹²⁰¹  24:58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want ¹²⁰²  to go with this man?” She replied, “I want to go.”

24:59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham’s servant and his men. 24:60 They blessed Rebekah with these words: ¹²⁰³ 

“Our sister, may you become the mother ¹²⁰⁴  of thousands of ten thousands!

May your descendants possess the strongholds ¹²⁰⁵  of their enemies.”

24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with ¹²⁰⁶  the man. So Abraham’s servant ¹²⁰⁷  took Rebekah and left.

24:62 Now ¹²⁰⁸  Isaac came from ¹²⁰⁹  Beer Lahai Roi, ¹²¹⁰  for ¹²¹¹  he was living in the Negev. ¹²¹²  24:63 He ¹²¹³  went out to relax ¹²¹⁴  in the field in the early evening. ¹²¹⁵  Then he looked up ¹²¹⁶  and saw that ¹²¹⁷  there were camels approaching. 24:64 Rebekah looked up ¹²¹⁸  and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 24:65 and asked ¹²¹⁹  Abraham’s servant, ¹²²⁰  “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” “That is my master,” the servant replied. ¹²²¹  So she took her veil and covered herself.

24:66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah ¹²²²  into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her ¹²²³  as his wife and loved her. ¹²²⁴  So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. ¹²²⁵ 

The Death of Abraham

25:1 Abraham had taken ¹²²⁶  another ¹²²⁷  wife, named Keturah. 25:2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 25:3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. ¹²²⁸  The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 25:4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants ¹²²⁹  of Keturah.

25:5 Everything he owned Abraham left to his son Isaac. 25:6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines ¹²³⁰  and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac. ¹²³¹ 

25:7 Abraham lived a total of ¹²³²  175 years. 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a full life. ¹²³³  He joined his ancestors. ¹²³⁴  25:9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah ¹²³⁵  near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hethite. 25:10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. ¹²³⁶  There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 25:11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed ¹²³⁷  his son Isaac. Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi. ¹²³⁸ 

The Sons of Ishmael

25:12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, ¹²³⁹  whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.

25:13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons, by their names according to their records: ¹²⁴⁰  Nebaioth (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 25:14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 25:15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their settlements and their camps – twelve princes ¹²⁴¹  according to their clans.

25:17 Ishmael lived a total of ¹²⁴²  137 years. He breathed his last and died; then he joined his ancestors. ¹²⁴³  25:18 His descendants ¹²⁴⁴  settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs next ¹²⁴⁵  to Egypt all the way ¹²⁴⁶  to Asshur. ¹²⁴⁷  They settled ¹²⁴⁸  away from all their relatives. ¹²⁴⁹ 

Jacob and Esau

25:19 This is the account of Isaac, ¹²⁵⁰  the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac. 25:20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, ¹²⁵¹  the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. ¹²⁵² 

25:21 Isaac prayed to ¹²⁵³  the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 25:22 But the children struggled ¹²⁵⁴  inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” ¹²⁵⁵  So she asked the Lord, ¹²⁵⁶  25:23 and the Lord said to her,

“Two nations ¹²⁵⁷  are in your womb,

and two peoples will be separated from within you.

One people will be stronger than the other,

and the older will serve the younger.”

25:24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, ¹²⁵⁸  there were ¹²⁵⁹  twins in her womb. 25:25 The first came out reddish ¹²⁶⁰  all over, ¹²⁶¹  like a hairy ¹²⁶²  garment, so they named him Esau. ¹²⁶³  25:26 When his brother came out with ¹²⁶⁴  his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob. ¹²⁶⁵  Isaac was sixty years old ¹²⁶⁶  when they were born.

25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled ¹²⁶⁷  hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. ¹²⁶⁸  25:28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, ¹²⁶⁹  but Rebekah loved ¹²⁷⁰  Jacob.

25:29 Now Jacob cooked some stew, ¹²⁷¹  and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished. 25:30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed ¹²⁷²  me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called ¹²⁷³  Edom.) ¹²⁷⁴ 

25:31 But Jacob replied, “First ¹²⁷⁵  sell me your birthright.” 25:32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” ¹²⁷⁶  25:33 But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.” ¹²⁷⁷  So Esau ¹²⁷⁸  swore an oath to him and sold his birthright ¹²⁷⁹  to Jacob.

25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. ¹²⁸⁰  So Esau despised his birthright. ¹²⁸¹ 

Isaac and Abimelech

26:1 There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred ¹²⁸²  in the days of Abraham. ¹²⁸³  Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar. 26:2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; ¹²⁸⁴  settle down in the land that I will point out to you. ¹²⁸⁵  26:3 Stay ¹²⁸⁶  in this land. Then I will be with you and will bless you, ¹²⁸⁷  for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants, ¹²⁸⁸  and I will fulfill ¹²⁸⁹  the solemn promise I made ¹²⁹⁰  to your father Abraham. 26:4 I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them ¹²⁹¹  all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants. ¹²⁹²  26:5 All this will come to pass ¹²⁹³  because Abraham obeyed me ¹²⁹⁴  and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” ¹²⁹⁵  26:6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.

26:7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he replied, “She is my sister.” ¹²⁹⁶  He was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” for he thought to himself, ¹²⁹⁷  “The men of this place will kill me to get ¹²⁹⁸  Rebekah because she is very beautiful.”

26:8 After Isaac ¹²⁹⁹  had been there a long time, ¹³⁰⁰  Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed ¹³⁰¹  Isaac caressing ¹³⁰²  his wife Rebekah. 26:9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really ¹³⁰³  your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.” ¹³⁰⁴ 

26:10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us? ¹³⁰⁵  One of the men ¹³⁰⁶  might easily have had sexual relations with ¹³⁰⁷  your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!” 26:11 So Abimelech commanded all the people, “Whoever touches ¹³⁰⁸  this man or his wife will surely be put to death.” ¹³⁰⁹ 

26:12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown, ¹³¹⁰  because the Lord blessed him. ¹³¹¹  26:13 The man became wealthy. ¹³¹²  His influence continued to grow ¹³¹³  until he became very prominent. 26:14 He had ¹³¹⁴  so many sheep ¹³¹⁵  and cattle ¹³¹⁶  and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous ¹³¹⁷  of him. 26:15 So the Philistines took dirt and filled up ¹³¹⁸  all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham.

26:16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere, ¹³¹⁹  for you have become much more powerful ¹³²⁰  than we are.” 26:17 So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley. ¹³²¹  26:18 Isaac reopened ¹³²²  the wells that had been dug ¹³²³  back in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up ¹³²⁴  after Abraham died. Isaac ¹³²⁵  gave these wells ¹³²⁶  the same names his father had given them. ¹³²⁷ 

26:19 When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well with fresh flowing ¹³²⁸  water there, 26:20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled ¹³²⁹  with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water belongs to us!” So Isaac ¹³³⁰  named the well ¹³³¹  Esek ¹³³²  because they argued with him about it. ¹³³³  26:21 His servants ¹³³⁴  dug another well, but they quarreled over it too, so Isaac named it ¹³³⁵  Sitnah. ¹³³⁶  26:22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaac ¹³³⁷  named it ¹³³⁸  Rehoboth, ¹³³⁹  saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”

26:23 From there Isaac ¹³⁴⁰  went up to Beer Sheba. 26:24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” 26:25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped ¹³⁴¹  the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well. ¹³⁴² 

26:26 Now Abimelech had come ¹³⁴³  to him from Gerar along with ¹³⁴⁴  Ahuzzah his friend ¹³⁴⁵  and Phicol the commander of his army. 26:27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You hate me ¹³⁴⁶  and sent me away from you.” 26:28 They replied, “We could plainly see ¹³⁴⁷  that the Lord is with you. So we decided there should be ¹³⁴⁸  a pact between us ¹³⁴⁹  – between us ¹³⁵⁰  and you. Allow us to make ¹³⁵¹  a treaty with you 26:29 so that ¹³⁵²  you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmed ¹³⁵³  you, but have always treated you well ¹³⁵⁴  before sending you away ¹³⁵⁵  in peace. Now you are blessed by the Lord.” ¹³⁵⁶ 

26:30 So Isaac ¹³⁵⁷  held a feast for them and they celebrated. ¹³⁵⁸  26:31 Early in the morning the men made a treaty with each other. ¹³⁵⁹  Isaac sent them off; they separated on good terms. ¹³⁶⁰ 

26:32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We’ve found water,” they reported. ¹³⁶¹  26:33 So he named it Shibah; ¹³⁶²  that is why the name of the city has been Beer Sheba ¹³⁶³  to this day.

26:34 When ¹³⁶⁴  Esau was forty years old, ¹³⁶⁵  he married ¹³⁶⁶  Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, as well as Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 26:35 They caused Isaac and Rebekah great anxiety. ¹³⁶⁷ 

Jacob Cheats Esau out of the Blessing

27:1 When ¹³⁶⁸  Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he was almost blind, ¹³⁶⁹  he called his older ¹³⁷⁰  son Esau and said to him, “My son!” “Here I am!” Esau ¹³⁷¹  replied. 27:2 Isaac ¹³⁷²  said, “Since ¹³⁷³  I am so old, I could die at any time. ¹³⁷⁴  27:3 Therefore, take your weapons – your quiver and your bow – and go out into the open fields and hunt down some wild game ¹³⁷⁵  for me. 27:4 Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then ¹³⁷⁶  I will eat it so that I may bless you ¹³⁷⁷  before I die.”

27:5 Now Rebekah had been listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. ¹³⁷⁸  When Esau went out to the open fields to hunt down some wild game and bring it back, ¹³⁷⁹  27:6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau, 27:7 ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare for me some tasty food. Then I will eat ¹³⁸⁰  it and bless you ¹³⁸¹  in the presence of the Lord ¹³⁸²  before I die.’ 27:8 Now then, my son, do ¹³⁸³  exactly what I tell you! ¹³⁸⁴  27:9 Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare ¹³⁸⁵  them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them. 27:10 Then you will take ¹³⁸⁶  it to your father. Thus he will eat it ¹³⁸⁷  and ¹³⁸⁸  bless you before he dies.”

27:11 “But Esau my brother is a hairy man,” Jacob protested to his mother Rebekah, “and I have smooth skin! ¹³⁸⁹  27:12 My father may touch me! Then he’ll think I’m mocking him ¹³⁹⁰  and I’ll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.” 27:13 So his mother told him, “Any curse against you will fall on me, ¹³⁹¹  my son! Just obey me! ¹³⁹²  Go and get them for me!”

27:14 So he went and got the goats ¹³⁹³  and brought them to his mother. She ¹³⁹⁴  prepared some tasty food, just the way his father loved it. 27:15 Then Rebekah took her older son Esau’s best clothes, which she had with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 27:16 She put the skins of the young goats ¹³⁹⁵  on his hands ¹³⁹⁶  and the smooth part of his neck. 27:17 Then she handed ¹³⁹⁷  the tasty food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.

27:18 He went to his father and said, “My father!” Isaac ¹³⁹⁸  replied, “Here I am. Which are you, my son?” ¹³⁹⁹  27:19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I’ve done as you told me. Now sit up ¹⁴⁰⁰  and eat some of my wild game so that you can bless me.” ¹⁴⁰¹  27:20 But Isaac asked his son, “How in the world ¹⁴⁰²  did you find it so quickly, ¹⁴⁰³  my son?” “Because the Lord your God brought it to me,” ¹⁴⁰⁴  he replied. ¹⁴⁰⁵  27:21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you, ¹⁴⁰⁶  my son, and know for certain if you really are my son Esau.” ¹⁴⁰⁷  27:22 So Jacob went over to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s.” 27:23 He did not recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So Isaac blessed Jacob. ¹⁴⁰⁸  27:24 Then he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” “I am,” Jacob ¹⁴⁰⁹  replied. 27:25 Isaac ¹⁴¹⁰  said, “Bring some of the wild game for me to eat, my son. ¹⁴¹¹  Then I will bless you.” ¹⁴¹²  So Jacob ¹⁴¹³  brought it to him, and he ate it. He also brought him wine, and Isaac ¹⁴¹⁴  drank. 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here and kiss me, my son.” 27:27 So Jacob ¹⁴¹⁵  went over and kissed him. When Isaac caught the scent ¹⁴¹⁶  of his clothing, he blessed him, saying,

“Yes, ¹⁴¹⁷  my son smells

like the scent of an open field

which the Lord has blessed.

27:28 May God give you

the dew of the sky ¹⁴¹⁸ 

and the richness ¹⁴¹⁹  of the earth,

and plenty of grain and new wine.

27:29 May peoples serve you

and nations bow down to you.

You will be ¹⁴²⁰  lord ¹⁴²¹  over your brothers,

and the sons of your mother will bow down to you. ¹⁴²² 

May those who curse you be cursed,

and those who bless you be blessed.”

27:30 Isaac had just finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely left ¹⁴²³  his father’s ¹⁴²⁴  presence, when his brother Esau returned from the hunt. ¹⁴²⁵  27:31 He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Esau ¹⁴²⁶  said to him, “My father, get up ¹⁴²⁷  and eat some of your son’s wild game. Then you can bless me.” ¹⁴²⁸  27:32 His father Isaac asked, ¹⁴²⁹  “Who are you?” “I am your firstborn son,” ¹⁴³⁰  he replied, “Esau!” 27:33 Isaac began to shake violently ¹⁴³¹  and asked, “Then who else hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it just before you arrived, and I blessed him. ¹⁴³²  He will indeed be blessed!”

27:34 When Esau heard ¹⁴³³  his father’s words, he wailed loudly and bitterly. ¹⁴³⁴  He said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!” 27:35 But Isaac ¹⁴³⁵  replied, “Your brother came in here deceitfully and took away ¹⁴³⁶  your blessing.” 27:36 Esau exclaimed, “‘Jacob’ is the right name for him! ¹⁴³⁷  He has tripped me up ¹⁴³⁸  two times! He took away my birthright, and now, look, he has taken away my blessing!” Then he asked, “Have you not kept back a blessing for me?”

27:37 Isaac replied to Esau, “Look! I have made him lord over you. I have made all his relatives his servants and provided him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?” 27:38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” ¹⁴³⁹  Then Esau wept loudly. ¹⁴⁴⁰ 

27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,

“Indeed, ¹⁴⁴¹  your home will be

away from the richness ¹⁴⁴²  of the earth,

and away from the dew of the sky above.

27:40 You will live by your sword

but you will serve your brother.

When you grow restless,

you will tear off his yoke

from your neck.” ¹⁴⁴³ 

27:41 So Esau hated ¹⁴⁴⁴  Jacob because of the blessing his father had given to his brother. ¹⁴⁴⁵  Esau said privately, ¹⁴⁴⁶  “The time ¹⁴⁴⁷  of mourning for my father is near; then I will kill ¹⁴⁴⁸  my brother Jacob!”

27:42 When Rebekah heard what her older son Esau had said, ¹⁴⁴⁹  she quickly summoned ¹⁴⁵⁰  her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is planning to get revenge by killing you. ¹⁴⁵¹  27:43 Now then, my son, do what I say. ¹⁴⁵²  Run away immediately ¹⁴⁵³  to my brother Laban in Haran. 27:44 Live with him for a little while ¹⁴⁵⁴  until your brother’s rage subsides. 27:45 Stay there ¹⁴⁵⁵  until your brother’s anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I’ll send someone to bring you back from there. ¹⁴⁵⁶  Why should I lose both of you in one day?” ¹⁴⁵⁷ 

27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am deeply depressed ¹⁴⁵⁸  because of these daughters of Heth. ¹⁴⁵⁹  If Jacob were to marry one of these daughters of Heth who live in this land, I would want to die!” ¹⁴⁶⁰ 

28:1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman! ¹⁴⁶¹  28:2 Leave immediately ¹⁴⁶²  for Paddan Aram! Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and find yourself a wife there, among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 28:3 May the sovereign God ¹⁴⁶³  bless you! May he make you fruitful and give you a multitude of descendants! ¹⁴⁶⁴  Then you will become ¹⁴⁶⁵  a large nation. ¹⁴⁶⁶  28:4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing he gave to Abraham ¹⁴⁶⁷  so that you may possess the land ¹⁴⁶⁸  God gave to Abraham, the land where you have been living as a temporary resident.” ¹⁴⁶⁹  28:5 So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

28:6 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him off to Paddan Aram to find a wife there. ¹⁴⁷⁰  As he blessed him, ¹⁴⁷¹  Isaac commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” ¹⁴⁷²  28:7 Jacob obeyed his father and mother and left for Paddan Aram. 28:8 Then Esau realized ¹⁴⁷³  that the Canaanite women ¹⁴⁷⁴  were displeasing to ¹⁴⁷⁵  his father Isaac. 28:9 So Esau went to Ishmael and married ¹⁴⁷⁶  Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, along with the wives he already had.

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

28:10 Meanwhile Jacob left Beer Sheba and set out for Haran. 28:11 He reached a certain place ¹⁴⁷⁷  where he decided to camp because the sun had gone down. ¹⁴⁷⁸  He took one of the stones ¹⁴⁷⁹  and placed it near his head. ¹⁴⁸⁰  Then he fell asleep ¹⁴⁸¹  in that place 28:12 and had a dream. ¹⁴⁸²  He saw ¹⁴⁸³  a stairway ¹⁴⁸⁴  erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it 28:13 and the Lord stood at its top. He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. ¹⁴⁸⁵  I will give you and your descendants the ground ¹⁴⁸⁶  you are lying on. 28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, ¹⁴⁸⁷  and you will spread out ¹⁴⁸⁸  to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ¹⁴⁸⁹  using your name and that of your descendants. ¹⁴⁹⁰  28:15 I am with you! ¹⁴⁹¹  I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you!”

28:16 Then Jacob woke up ¹⁴⁹²  and thought, ¹⁴⁹³  “Surely the Lord is in this place, but I did not realize it!” 28:17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!”

28:18 Early ¹⁴⁹⁴  in the morning Jacob ¹⁴⁹⁵  took the stone he had placed near his head ¹⁴⁹⁶  and set it up as a sacred stone. ¹⁴⁹⁷  Then he poured oil on top of it. 28:19 He called that place Bethel, ¹⁴⁹⁸  although the former name of the town was Luz. 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food ¹⁴⁹⁹  to eat and clothing to wear, 28:21 and I return safely to my father’s home, ¹⁵⁰⁰  then the Lord will become my God. 28:22 Then this stone ¹⁵⁰¹  that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely ¹⁵⁰²  give you back a tenth of everything you give me.” ¹⁵⁰³ 

The Marriages of Jacob

29:1 So Jacob moved on ¹⁵⁰⁴  and came to the land of the eastern people. ¹⁵⁰⁵  29:2 He saw ¹⁵⁰⁶  in the field a well with ¹⁵⁰⁷  three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. Now ¹⁵⁰⁸  a large stone covered the mouth of the well. 29:3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds ¹⁵⁰⁹  would roll the stone off the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the well’s mouth.

29:4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” They replied, “We’re from Haran.” 29:5 So he said to them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson ¹⁵¹⁰  of Nahor?” “We know him,” ¹⁵¹¹  they said. 29:6 “Is he well?” ¹⁵¹²  Jacob asked. They replied, “He is well. ¹⁵¹³  Now look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.” 29:7 Then Jacob ¹⁵¹⁴  said, “Since it is still the middle of the day, ¹⁵¹⁵  it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more.” ¹⁵¹⁶  29:8 “We can’t,” they said, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled off the mouth of the well. Then we water ¹⁵¹⁷  the sheep.”

29:9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was tending them. ¹⁵¹⁸  29:10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, ¹⁵¹⁹  and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he ¹⁵²⁰  went over ¹⁵²¹  and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. ¹⁵²²  29:11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep loudly. ¹⁵²³  29:12 When Jacob explained ¹⁵²⁴  to Rachel that he was a relative of her father ¹⁵²⁵  and the son of Rebekah, she ran and told her father. 29:13 When Laban heard this news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he rushed out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob ¹⁵²⁶  told Laban how he was related to him. ¹⁵²⁷  29:14 Then Laban said to him, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” ¹⁵²⁸  So Jacob ¹⁵²⁹  stayed with him for a month. ¹⁵³⁰ 

29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work ¹⁵³¹  for me for nothing because you are my relative? ¹⁵³²  Tell me what your wages should be.” 29:16 (Now Laban had two daughters; ¹⁵³³  the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel. 29:17 Leah’s eyes were tender, ¹⁵³⁴  but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.) ¹⁵³⁵  29:18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with ¹⁵³⁶  Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.” 29:19 Laban replied, “I’d rather give her to you than to another man. ¹⁵³⁷  Stay with me.” 29:20 So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. ¹⁵³⁸  But they seemed like only a few days to him ¹⁵³⁹  because his love for her was so great. ¹⁵⁴⁰ 

29:21 Finally Jacob said ¹⁵⁴¹  to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. ¹⁵⁴²  I want to have marital relations with her.” ¹⁵⁴³  29:22 So Laban invited all the people ¹⁵⁴⁴  of that place and prepared a feast. 29:23 In the evening he brought his daughter Leah ¹⁵⁴⁵  to Jacob, ¹⁵⁴⁶  and Jacob ¹⁵⁴⁷  had marital relations with her. ¹⁵⁴⁸  29:24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) ¹⁵⁴⁹ 

29:25 In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! ¹⁵⁵⁰  So Jacob ¹⁵⁵¹  said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me! ¹⁵⁵²  Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked ¹⁵⁵³  me?” 29:26 “It is not our custom here,” ¹⁵⁵⁴  Laban replied, “to give the younger daughter in marriage ¹⁵⁵⁵  before the firstborn. 29:27 Complete my older daughter’s bridal week. ¹⁵⁵⁶  Then we will give you the younger one ¹⁵⁵⁷  too, in exchange for seven more years of work.” ¹⁵⁵⁸ 

29:28 Jacob did as Laban said. ¹⁵⁵⁹  When Jacob ¹⁵⁶⁰  completed Leah’s bridal week, ¹⁵⁶¹  Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. ¹⁵⁶²  29:29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) ¹⁵⁶³  29:30 Jacob ¹⁵⁶⁴  had marital relations ¹⁵⁶⁵  with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban ¹⁵⁶⁶  for seven more years. ¹⁵⁶⁷ 

The Family of Jacob

29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, ¹⁵⁶⁸  he enabled her to become pregnant ¹⁵⁶⁹  while Rachel remained childless. 29:32 So Leah became pregnant ¹⁵⁷⁰  and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, ¹⁵⁷¹  for she said, “The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. ¹⁵⁷²  Surely my husband will love me now.”

29:33 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Because the Lord heard that I was unloved, ¹⁵⁷³  he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. ¹⁵⁷⁴ 

29:34 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Now this time my husband will show me affection, ¹⁵⁷⁵  because I have given birth to three sons for him.” That is why he was named Levi. ¹⁵⁷⁶ 

29:35 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” That is why she named him Judah. ¹⁵⁷⁷  Then she stopped having children.

30:1 When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she ¹⁵⁷⁸  became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children ¹⁵⁷⁹  or I’ll die!” 30:2 Jacob became furious ¹⁵⁸⁰  with Rachel and exclaimed, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” ¹⁵⁸¹  30:3 She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with ¹⁵⁸²  her so that she can bear ¹⁵⁸³  children ¹⁵⁸⁴  for me ¹⁵⁸⁵  and I can have a family through her.” ¹⁵⁸⁶ 

30:4 So Rachel ¹⁵⁸⁷  gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had marital relations with ¹⁵⁸⁸  her. 30:5 Bilhah became pregnant ¹⁵⁸⁹  and gave Jacob a son. ¹⁵⁹⁰  30:6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer ¹⁵⁹¹  and given me a son.” That is why ¹⁵⁹²  she named him Dan. ¹⁵⁹³ 

30:7 Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, became pregnant again and gave Jacob another son. ¹⁵⁹⁴  30:8 Then Rachel said, “I have fought a desperate struggle with my sister, but I have won.” ¹⁵⁹⁵  So she named him Naphtali. ¹⁵⁹⁶ 

30:9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave ¹⁵⁹⁷  her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. 30:10 Soon Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob a son. ¹⁵⁹⁸  30:11 Leah said, “How fortunate!” ¹⁵⁹⁹  So she named him Gad. ¹⁶⁰⁰ 

30:12 Then Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob another son. ¹⁶⁰¹  30:13 Leah said, “How happy I am, ¹⁶⁰²  for women ¹⁶⁰³  will call me happy!” So she named him Asher. ¹⁶⁰⁴ 

30:14 At the time ¹⁶⁰⁵  of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants ¹⁶⁰⁶  in a field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 30:15 But Leah replied, ¹⁶⁰⁷  “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes too?” “All right,” ¹⁶⁰⁸  Rachel said, “he may sleep ¹⁶⁰⁹  with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 30:16 When Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must sleep ¹⁶¹⁰  with me because I have paid for your services ¹⁶¹¹  with my son’s mandrakes.” So he had marital relations ¹⁶¹²  with her that night. 30:17 God paid attention ¹⁶¹³  to Leah; she became pregnant ¹⁶¹⁴  and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time. ¹⁶¹⁵  30:18 Then Leah said, “God has granted me a reward ¹⁶¹⁶  because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife.” ¹⁶¹⁷  So she named him Issachar. ¹⁶¹⁸ 

30:19 Leah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a son for the sixth time. ¹⁶¹⁹  30:20 Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will honor me because I have given him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. ¹⁶²⁰ 

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

30:22 Then God took note of ¹⁶²¹  Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant. ¹⁶²²  30:23 She became pregnant ¹⁶²³  and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.” ¹⁶²⁴  30:24 She named him Joseph, ¹⁶²⁵  saying, “May the Lord give me yet another son.”

The Flocks of Jacob

30:25 After Rachel had given birth ¹⁶²⁶  to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send ¹⁶²⁷  me on my way so that I can go ¹⁶²⁸  home to my own country. ¹⁶²⁹  30:26 Let me take my wives and my children whom I have acquired by working for you. ¹⁶³⁰  Then I’ll depart, ¹⁶³¹  because you know how hard I’ve worked for you.” ¹⁶³² 

30:27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, ¹⁶³³  for I have learned by divination ¹⁶³⁴  that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.” 30:28 He added, “Just name your wages – I’ll pay whatever you want.” ¹⁶³⁵ 

30:29 “You know how I have worked for you,” Jacob replied, ¹⁶³⁶  “and how well your livestock have fared under my care. ¹⁶³⁷  30:30 Indeed, ¹⁶³⁸  you had little before I arrived, ¹⁶³⁹  but now your possessions have increased many times over. ¹⁶⁴⁰  The Lord has blessed you wherever I worked. ¹⁶⁴¹  But now, how long must it be before I do something for my own family too?” ¹⁶⁴² 

30:31 So Laban asked, ¹⁶⁴³  “What should I give you?” “You don’t need to give me a thing,” ¹⁶⁴⁴  Jacob replied, ¹⁶⁴⁵  “but if you agree to this one condition, ¹⁶⁴⁶  I will continue to care for ¹⁶⁴⁷  your flocks and protect them: 30:32 Let me walk among ¹⁶⁴⁸  all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, ¹⁶⁴⁹  and the spotted or speckled goats. ¹⁶⁵⁰  These animals will be my wages. ¹⁶⁵¹  30:33 My integrity will testify for me ¹⁶⁵²  later on. ¹⁶⁵³  When you come to verify that I’ve taken only the wages we agreed on, ¹⁶⁵⁴  if I have in my possession any goat that is not speckled or spotted or any sheep that is not dark-colored, it will be considered stolen.” ¹⁶⁵⁵  30:34 “Agreed!” said Laban, “It will be as you say.” ¹⁶⁵⁶ 

30:35 So that day Laban ¹⁶⁵⁷  removed the male goats that were streaked or spotted, all the female goats that were speckled or spotted (all that had any white on them), and all the dark-colored lambs, and put them in the care ¹⁶⁵⁸  of his sons. 30:36 Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey, ¹⁶⁵⁹  while ¹⁶⁶⁰  Jacob was taking care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.

30:37 But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible. 30:38 Then he set up the peeled branches in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He set up the branches in front of the flocks when they were in heat and came to drink. ¹⁶⁶¹  30:39 When the sheep mated ¹⁶⁶²  in front of the branches, they ¹⁶⁶³  gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 30:40 Jacob removed these lambs, but he made the rest of the flock face ¹⁶⁶⁴  the streaked and completely dark-colored animals in Laban’s flock. So he made separate flocks for himself and did not mix them with Laban’s flocks. 30:41 When the stronger females were in heat, ¹⁶⁶⁵  Jacob would set up the branches in the troughs in front of the flock, so they would mate near the branches. 30:42 But if the animals were weaker, he did not set the branches there. ¹⁶⁶⁶  So the weaker animals ended up belonging to Laban ¹⁶⁶⁷  and the stronger animals to Jacob. 30:43 In this way Jacob ¹⁶⁶⁸  became extremely prosperous. He owned ¹⁶⁶⁹  large flocks, male and female servants, camels, and donkeys.

Jacob’s Flight from Laban

31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, ¹⁶⁷⁰  “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich ¹⁶⁷¹  at our father’s expense!” ¹⁶⁷²  31:2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. ¹⁶⁷³ 

31:3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers ¹⁶⁷⁴  and to your relatives. I will be with you.” ¹⁶⁷⁵  31:4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah ¹⁶⁷⁶  to come to the field ¹⁶⁷⁷  where his flocks were. ¹⁶⁷⁸  31:5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, ¹⁶⁷⁹  but the God of my father has been with me. 31:6 You know that I’ve worked for your father as hard as I could, ¹⁶⁸⁰  31:7 but your father has humiliated ¹⁶⁸¹  me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. 31:8 If he said, ¹⁶⁸²  ‘The speckled animals ¹⁶⁸³  will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled offspring. But if he said, ‘The streaked animals will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked offspring. 31:9 In this way God has snatched away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

31:10 “Once ¹⁶⁸⁴  during breeding season I saw ¹⁶⁸⁵  in a dream that the male goats mating with ¹⁶⁸⁶  the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 31:11 In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Here I am!’ I replied. 31:12 Then he said, ‘Observe ¹⁶⁸⁷  that all the male goats mating with ¹⁶⁸⁸  the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, ¹⁶⁸⁹  where you anointed ¹⁶⁹⁰  the sacred stone and made a vow to me. ¹⁶⁹¹  Now leave this land immediately ¹⁶⁹²  and return to your native land.’”

31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance ¹⁶⁹³  in our father’s house? 31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted ¹⁶⁹⁴  the money paid for us! ¹⁶⁹⁵  31:16 Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you.”

31:17 So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. ¹⁶⁹⁶  31:18 He took ¹⁶⁹⁷  away all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram and all his moveable property that he had accumulated. Then he set out toward the land of Canaan to return to his father Isaac. ¹⁶⁹⁸ 

31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, ¹⁶⁹⁹  Rachel stole the household idols ¹⁷⁰⁰  that belonged to her father. 31:20 Jacob also deceived ¹⁷⁰¹  Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. ¹⁷⁰²  31:21 He left ¹⁷⁰³  with all he owned. He quickly crossed ¹⁷⁰⁴  the Euphrates River ¹⁷⁰⁵  and headed for ¹⁷⁰⁶  the hill country of Gilead.

31:22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. ¹⁷⁰⁷  31:23 So he took his relatives ¹⁷⁰⁸  with him and pursued Jacob ¹⁷⁰⁹  for seven days. ¹⁷¹⁰  He caught up with ¹⁷¹¹  him in the hill country of Gilead. 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, ¹⁷¹²  “Be careful ¹⁷¹³  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” ¹⁷¹⁴ 

31:25 Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. ¹⁷¹⁵  31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me ¹⁷¹⁶  and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! ¹⁷¹⁷  31:27 Why did you run away secretly ¹⁷¹⁸  and deceive me? ¹⁷¹⁹  Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? ¹⁷²⁰  31:28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren ¹⁷²¹  good-bye. You have acted foolishly! 31:29 I have ¹⁷²²  the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful ¹⁷²³  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ ¹⁷²⁴  31:30 Now I understand that ¹⁷²⁵  you have gone away ¹⁷²⁶  because you longed desperately ¹⁷²⁷  for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?” ¹⁷²⁸ 

31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” ¹⁷²⁹  Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought ¹⁷³⁰  you might take your daughters away from me by force. ¹⁷³¹  31:32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! ¹⁷³²  In the presence of our relatives ¹⁷³³  identify whatever is yours and take it.” ¹⁷³⁴  (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) ¹⁷³⁵ 

31:33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, and Leah’s tent, and the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find the idols. ¹⁷³⁶  Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. ¹⁷³⁷  31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle ¹⁷³⁸  and sat on them.) ¹⁷³⁹  Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. ¹⁷⁴⁰  31:35 Rachel ¹⁷⁴¹  said to her father, “Don’t be angry, ¹⁷⁴²  my lord. I cannot stand up ¹⁷⁴³  in your presence because I am having my period.” ¹⁷⁴⁴  So he searched thoroughly, ¹⁷⁴⁵  but did not find the idols.

31:36 Jacob became angry ¹⁷⁴⁶  and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. ¹⁷⁴⁷  “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? ¹⁷⁴⁸  31:37 When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you? ¹⁷⁴⁹  Set it here before my relatives and yours, ¹⁷⁵⁰  and let them settle the dispute between the two of us! ¹⁷⁵¹ 

31:38 “I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 31:39 Animals torn by wild beasts I never brought to you; I always absorbed the loss myself. ¹⁷⁵²  You always made me pay for every missing animal, ¹⁷⁵³  whether it was taken by day or at night. 31:40 I was consumed by scorching heat ¹⁷⁵⁴  during the day and by piercing cold ¹⁷⁵⁵  at night, and I went without sleep. ¹⁷⁵⁶  31:41 This was my lot ¹⁷⁵⁷  for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave ¹⁷⁵⁸  for you – fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, but you changed my wages ten times! 31:42 If the God of my father – the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears ¹⁷⁵⁹  – had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, ¹⁷⁶⁰  and he rebuked you last night.”

31:43 Laban replied ¹⁷⁶¹  to Jacob, “These women ¹⁷⁶²  are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, ¹⁷⁶³  and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today ¹⁷⁶⁴  or the children to whom they have given birth? 31:44 So now, come, let’s make a formal agreement, ¹⁷⁶⁵  you and I, and it will be ¹⁷⁶⁶  proof that we have made peace.” ¹⁷⁶⁷ 

31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. 31:46 Then he ¹⁷⁶⁸  said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they brought stones and put them in a pile. ¹⁷⁶⁹  They ate there by the pile of stones. 31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, ¹⁷⁷⁰  but Jacob called it Galeed. ¹⁷⁷¹ 

31:48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement ¹⁷⁷²  today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 31:49 It was also called Mizpah ¹⁷⁷³  because he said, “May the Lord watch ¹⁷⁷⁴  between us ¹⁷⁷⁵  when we are out of sight of one another. ¹⁷⁷⁶  31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize ¹⁷⁷⁷  that God is witness to your actions.” ¹⁷⁷⁸ 

31:51 “Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you,” Laban said to Jacob. ¹⁷⁷⁹  31:52 “This pile of stones and the pillar are reminders that I will not pass beyond this pile to come to harm you and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to come to harm me. ¹⁷⁸⁰  31:53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, ¹⁷⁸¹  the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared. ¹⁷⁸²  31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice ¹⁷⁸³  on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. ¹⁷⁸⁴  They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.

31:55 (32:1) ¹⁷⁸⁵  Early in the morning Laban kissed ¹⁷⁸⁶  his grandchildren ¹⁷⁸⁷  and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. ¹⁷⁸⁸ 

Jacob Wrestles at Peniel

32:1 So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God ¹⁷⁸⁹  met him. 32:2 When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, ¹⁷⁹⁰  “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. ¹⁷⁹¹ 

32:3 Jacob sent messengers on ahead ¹⁷⁹²  to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region ¹⁷⁹³  of Edom. 32:4 He commanded them, “This is what you must say to my lord Esau: ‘This is what your servant ¹⁷⁹⁴  Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban until now. 32:5 I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent ¹⁷⁹⁵  this message ¹⁷⁹⁶  to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”

32:6 The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has four hundred men with him.” 32:7 Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels. 32:8 “If Esau attacks one camp,” ¹⁷⁹⁷  he thought, ¹⁷⁹⁸  “then the other camp will be able to escape.” ¹⁷⁹⁹ 

32:9 Then Jacob prayed, ¹⁸⁰⁰  “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said ¹⁸⁰¹  to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’ ¹⁸⁰²  32:10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love ¹⁸⁰³  you have shown ¹⁸⁰⁴  your servant. With only my walking stick ¹⁸⁰⁵  I crossed the Jordan, ¹⁸⁰⁶  but now I have become two camps. 32:11 Rescue me, ¹⁸⁰⁷  I pray, from the hand ¹⁸⁰⁸  of my brother Esau, ¹⁸⁰⁹  for I am afraid he will come ¹⁸¹⁰  and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children. ¹⁸¹¹  32:12 But you ¹⁸¹²  said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper ¹⁸¹³  and will make ¹⁸¹⁴  your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’” ¹⁸¹⁵ 

32:13 Jacob ¹⁸¹⁶  stayed there that night. Then he sent ¹⁸¹⁷  as a gift ¹⁸¹⁸  to his brother Esau 32:14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 32:15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 32:16 He entrusted them to ¹⁸¹⁹  his servants, who divided them into herds. ¹⁸²⁰  He told his servants, “Pass over before me, and keep some distance between one herd and the next.” 32:17 He instructed the servant leading the first herd, ¹⁸²¹  “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong? ¹⁸²²  Where are you going? Whose herds are you driving?’ ¹⁸²³  32:18 then you must say, ¹⁸²⁴  ‘They belong ¹⁸²⁵  to your servant Jacob. ¹⁸²⁶  They have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau. ¹⁸²⁷  In fact Jacob himself is behind us.’” ¹⁸²⁸ 

32:19 He also gave these instructions to the second and third servants, as well as all those who were following the herds, saying, “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. ¹⁸²⁹  32:20 You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’” ¹⁸³⁰  Jacob thought, ¹⁸³¹  “I will first appease him ¹⁸³²  by sending a gift ahead of me. ¹⁸³³  After that I will meet him. ¹⁸³⁴  Perhaps he will accept me.” ¹⁸³⁵  32:21 So the gifts were sent on ahead of him ¹⁸³⁶  while he spent that night in the camp. ¹⁸³⁷ 

32:22 During the night Jacob quickly took ¹⁸³⁸  his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons ¹⁸³⁹  and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. ¹⁸⁴⁰  32:23 He took them and sent them across the stream along with all his possessions. ¹⁸⁴¹  32:24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man ¹⁸⁴²  wrestled ¹⁸⁴³  with him until daybreak. ¹⁸⁴⁴  32:25 When the man ¹⁸⁴⁵  saw that he could not defeat Jacob, ¹⁸⁴⁶  he struck ¹⁸⁴⁷  the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

32:26 Then the man ¹⁸⁴⁸  said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” ¹⁸⁴⁹  “I will not let you go,” Jacob replied, ¹⁸⁵⁰  “unless you bless me.” ¹⁸⁵¹  32:27 The man asked him, ¹⁸⁵²  “What is your name?” ¹⁸⁵³  He answered, “Jacob.” 32:28 “No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him, ¹⁸⁵⁴  “but Israel, ¹⁸⁵⁵  because you have fought ¹⁸⁵⁶  with God and with men and have prevailed.”

32:29 Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” ¹⁸⁵⁷  “Why ¹⁸⁵⁸  do you ask my name?” the man replied. ¹⁸⁵⁹  Then he blessed ¹⁸⁶⁰  Jacob ¹⁸⁶¹  there. 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, ¹⁸⁶²  explaining, ¹⁸⁶³  “Certainly ¹⁸⁶⁴  I have seen God face to face ¹⁸⁶⁵  and have survived.” ¹⁸⁶⁶ 

32:31 The sun rose ¹⁸⁶⁷  over him as he crossed over Penuel, ¹⁸⁶⁸  but ¹⁸⁶⁹  he was limping because of his hip. 32:32 That is why to this day ¹⁸⁷⁰  the Israelites do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the hip, because he struck ¹⁸⁷¹  the socket of Jacob’s hip near the attached sinew.

Jacob Meets Esau

33:1 Jacob looked up ¹⁸⁷²  and saw that Esau was coming ¹⁸⁷³  along with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants. 33:2 He put the servants and their children in front, with Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them. ¹⁸⁷⁴  33:3 But Jacob ¹⁸⁷⁵  himself went on ahead of them, and he bowed toward the ground seven times as he approached ¹⁸⁷⁶  his brother. 33:4 But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Then they both wept. 33:5 When Esau ¹⁸⁷⁷  looked up ¹⁸⁷⁸  and saw the women and the children, he asked, “Who are these people with you?” Jacob ¹⁸⁷⁹  replied, “The children whom God has graciously given ¹⁸⁸⁰  your servant.” 33:6 The female servants came forward with their children and bowed down. ¹⁸⁸¹  33:7 Then Leah came forward with her children and they bowed down. Finally Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed down.

33:8 Esau ¹⁸⁸²  then asked, “What did you intend ¹⁸⁸³  by sending all these herds to meet me?” ¹⁸⁸⁴  Jacob ¹⁸⁸⁵  replied, “To find favor in your sight, my lord.” 33:9 But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother. Keep what belongs to you.” 33:10 “No, please take them,” Jacob said. ¹⁸⁸⁶  “If I have found favor in your sight, accept ¹⁸⁸⁷  my gift from my hand. Now that I have seen your face and you have accepted me, ¹⁸⁸⁸  it is as if I have seen the face of God. ¹⁸⁸⁹  33:11 Please take my present ¹⁸⁹⁰  that was brought to you, for God has been generous ¹⁸⁹¹  to me and I have all I need.” ¹⁸⁹²  When Jacob urged him, he took it. ¹⁸⁹³ 

33:12 Then Esau ¹⁸⁹⁴  said, “Let’s be on our way! ¹⁸⁹⁵  I will go in front of you.” 33:13 But Jacob ¹⁸⁹⁶  said to him, “My lord knows that the children are young, ¹⁸⁹⁷  and that I have to look after the sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. ¹⁸⁹⁸  If they are driven too hard for even a single day, all the animals will die. 33:14 Let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the herds and the children, ¹⁸⁹⁹  until I come to my lord at Seir.”

33:15 So Esau said, “Let me leave some of my men with you.” ¹⁹⁰⁰  “Why do that?” Jacob replied. ¹⁹⁰¹  “My lord has already been kind enough to me.” ¹⁹⁰² 

33:16 So that same day Esau made his way back ¹⁹⁰³  to Seir. 33:17 But ¹⁹⁰⁴  Jacob traveled to Succoth ¹⁹⁰⁵  where he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was called ¹⁹⁰⁶  Succoth. ¹⁹⁰⁷ 

33:18 After he left Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped near ¹⁹⁰⁸  the city. 33:19 Then he purchased the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent; he bought it ¹⁹⁰⁹  from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of money. ¹⁹¹⁰  33:20 There he set up an altar and called it “The God of Israel is God.” ¹⁹¹¹ 

Dinah and the Shechemites

34:1 Now Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she bore to Jacob, went to meet ¹⁹¹²  the young women ¹⁹¹³  of the land. 34:2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who ruled that area, saw her, he grabbed her, forced himself on her, ¹⁹¹⁴  and sexually assaulted her. ¹⁹¹⁵  34:3 Then he became very attached ¹⁹¹⁶  to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her. ¹⁹¹⁷  34:4 Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Acquire this young girl as my wife.” ¹⁹¹⁸  34:5 When ¹⁹¹⁹  Jacob heard that Shechem ¹⁹²⁰  had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field. So Jacob remained silent ¹⁹²¹  until they came in.

34:6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went to speak with Jacob about Dinah. ¹⁹²²  34:7 Now Jacob’s sons had come in from the field when they heard the news. ¹⁹²³  They ¹⁹²⁴  were offended ¹⁹²⁵  and very angry because Shechem ¹⁹²⁶  had disgraced Israel ¹⁹²⁷  by sexually assaulting ¹⁹²⁸  Jacob’s daughter, a crime that should not be committed. ¹⁹²⁹ 

34:8 But Hamor made this appeal to them: “My son Shechem is in love with your daughter. ¹⁹³⁰  Please give her to him as his wife. 34:9 Intermarry with us. ¹⁹³¹  Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves. ¹⁹³²  34:10 You may live ¹⁹³³  among us, and the land will be open to you. ¹⁹³⁴  Live in it, travel freely in it, ¹⁹³⁵  and acquire property in it.”

34:11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s ¹⁹³⁶  father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and whatever you require of me ¹⁹³⁷  I’ll give. ¹⁹³⁸  34:12 You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive, ¹⁹³⁹  and I’ll give ¹⁹⁴⁰  whatever you ask ¹⁹⁴¹  of me. Just give me the young woman as my wife!”

34:13 Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem ¹⁹⁴²  had violated their sister Dinah. 34:14 They said to them, “We cannot give ¹⁹⁴³  our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace ¹⁹⁴⁴  to us. 34:15 We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become ¹⁹⁴⁵  like us by circumcising ¹⁹⁴⁶  all your males. 34:16 Then we will give ¹⁹⁴⁷  you our daughters to marry, ¹⁹⁴⁸  and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. 34:17 But if you do not agree to our terms ¹⁹⁴⁹  by being circumcised, then we will take ¹⁹⁵⁰  our sister ¹⁹⁵¹  and depart.”

34:18 Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem. ¹⁹⁵²  34:19 The young man did not delay in doing what they asked ¹⁹⁵³  because he wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah ¹⁹⁵⁴  badly. (Now he was more important ¹⁹⁵⁵  than anyone in his father’s household.) ¹⁹⁵⁶  34:20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate ¹⁹⁵⁷  of their city and spoke to the men of their city, 34:21 “These men are at peace with us. So let them live in the land and travel freely in it, for the land is wide enough ¹⁹⁵⁸  for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry. ¹⁹⁵⁹  34:22 Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand ¹⁹⁶⁰  that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised. 34:23 If we do so, ¹⁹⁶¹  won’t their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? So let’s consent to their demand, so they will live among us.”

34:24 All the men who assembled at the city gate ¹⁹⁶²  agreed with ¹⁹⁶³  Hamor and his son Shechem. Every male who assembled at the city gate ¹⁹⁶⁴  was circumcised. 34:25 In three days, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword ¹⁹⁶⁵  and went to the unsuspecting city ¹⁹⁶⁶  and slaughtered every male. 34:26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. 34:27 Jacob’s sons killed them ¹⁹⁶⁷  and looted the city because their sister had been violated. ¹⁹⁶⁸  34:28 They took their flocks, herds, and donkeys, as well as everything in the city and in the surrounding fields. ¹⁹⁶⁹  34:29 They captured as plunder ¹⁹⁷⁰  all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, including everything in the houses.

34:30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought ruin ¹⁹⁷¹  on me by making me a foul odor ¹⁹⁷²  among the inhabitants of the land – among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I ¹⁹⁷³  am few in number; they will join forces against me and attack me, and both I and my family will be destroyed!” 34:31 But Simeon and Levi replied, ¹⁹⁷⁴  “Should he treat our sister like a common prostitute?”

The Return to Bethel

35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once ¹⁹⁷⁵  to Bethel ¹⁹⁷⁶  and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” ¹⁹⁷⁷  35:2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. ¹⁹⁷⁸  Purify yourselves and change your clothes. ¹⁹⁷⁹  35:3 Let us go up at once ¹⁹⁸⁰  to Bethel. Then I will make ¹⁹⁸¹  an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress ¹⁹⁸²  and has been with me wherever I went.” ¹⁹⁸³ 

35:4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession ¹⁹⁸⁴  and the rings that were in their ears. ¹⁹⁸⁵  Jacob buried them ¹⁹⁸⁶  under the oak ¹⁹⁸⁷  near Shechem 35:5 and they started on their journey. ¹⁹⁸⁸  The surrounding cities were afraid of God, ¹⁹⁸⁹  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) ¹⁹⁹⁰  in the land of Canaan. ¹⁹⁹¹  35:7 He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel ¹⁹⁹²  because there God had revealed himself ¹⁹⁹³  to him when he was fleeing from his brother. 35:8 (Deborah, ¹⁹⁹⁴  Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel; thus it was named ¹⁹⁹⁵  Oak of Weeping.) ¹⁹⁹⁶ 

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. ¹⁹⁹⁷  35:11 Then God said to him, “I am the sovereign God. ¹⁹⁹⁸  Be fruitful and multiply! A nation – even a company of nations – will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants! ¹⁹⁹⁹  35:12 The land I gave ²⁰⁰⁰  to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you. To your descendants ²⁰⁰¹  I will also give this land.” 35:13 Then God went up from the place ²⁰⁰²  where he spoke with him. 35:14 So Jacob set up a sacred stone pillar in the place where God spoke with him. ²⁰⁰³  He poured out a drink offering on it, and then he poured oil on it. ²⁰⁰⁴  35:15 Jacob named the place ²⁰⁰⁵  where God spoke with him Bethel. ²⁰⁰⁶ 

35:16 They traveled on from Bethel, and when Ephrath was still some distance away, ²⁰⁰⁷  Rachel went into labor ²⁰⁰⁸  – and her labor was hard. 35:17 When her labor was at its hardest, ²⁰⁰⁹  the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you are having another son.” ²⁰¹⁰  35:18 With her dying breath, ²⁰¹¹  she named him Ben-Oni. ²⁰¹²  But his father called him Benjamin instead. ²⁰¹³  35:19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). ²⁰¹⁴  35:20 Jacob set up a marker ²⁰¹⁵  over her grave; it is ²⁰¹⁶  the Marker of Rachel’s Grave to this day.

35:21 Then Israel traveled on and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. ²⁰¹⁷  35:22 While Israel was living in that land, Reuben had sexual relations with ²⁰¹⁸  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, ²⁰¹⁹  to Kiriath Arba ²⁰²⁰  (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. ²⁰²¹  35:28 Isaac lived to be 180 years old. ²⁰²²  35:29 Then Isaac breathed his last and joined his ancestors. ²⁰²³  He died an old man who had lived a full life. ²⁰²⁴  His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

The Descendants of Esau

36:1 What follows is the account of Esau (also known as Edom). ²⁰²⁵ 

36:2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: ²⁰²⁶  Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter ²⁰²⁷  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 ²⁰²⁸  Jacob his brother 36:7 because they had too many possessions to be able to stay together and the land where they had settled ²⁰²⁹  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. ²⁰³⁰ 

36:9 This is the account of Esau, the father ²⁰³¹  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 ²⁰³²  of Esau’s wife Adah.

36:13 These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons ²⁰³³  of Esau’s wife Basemath.

36:14 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter ²⁰³⁴  of Zibeon: She bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah to Esau.

36:15 These were the chiefs ²⁰³⁵  among the descendants ²⁰³⁶  of Esau, the sons of Eliphaz, Esau’s firstborn: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 36:16 chief Korah, ²⁰³⁷  chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons ²⁰³⁸  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 ²⁰³⁹  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, ²⁰⁴⁰  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 ²⁰⁴¹  of Seir in the land of Edom.

36:22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam; ²⁰⁴²  Lotan’s sister was Timna.

36:23 These were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, ²⁰⁴³  and Onam.

36:24 These were the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah (who discovered the hot springs ²⁰⁴⁴  in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon).

36:25 These were the children ²⁰⁴⁵  of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.

36:26 These were the sons of Dishon: ²⁰⁴⁶  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: ²⁰⁴⁷ 

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 ²⁰⁴⁸  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 ²⁰⁴⁹  reigned in his place; the name of his city was Pau. ²⁰⁵⁰  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 ²⁰⁵¹  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, ²⁰⁵²  in the land of Canaan. ²⁰⁵³ 

37:2 This is the account of Jacob.

Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, ²⁰⁵⁴  was taking care of ²⁰⁵⁵  the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster ²⁰⁵⁶  working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. ²⁰⁵⁷  Joseph brought back a bad report about them ²⁰⁵⁸  to their father.

37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons ²⁰⁵⁹  because he was a son born to him late in life, ²⁰⁶⁰  and he made a special ²⁰⁶¹  tunic for him. 37:4 When Joseph’s ²⁰⁶²  brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, ²⁰⁶³  they hated Joseph ²⁰⁶⁴  and were not able to speak to him kindly. ²⁰⁶⁵ 

37:5 Joseph ²⁰⁶⁶  had a dream, ²⁰⁶⁷  and when he told his brothers about it, ²⁰⁶⁸  they hated him even more. ²⁰⁶⁹  37:6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: ²⁰⁷⁰  37:7 There we were, ²⁰⁷¹  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 ²⁰⁷²  to it!” 37:8 Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?” ²⁰⁷³  They hated him even more ²⁰⁷⁴  because of his dream and because of what he said. ²⁰⁷⁵ 

37:9 Then he had another dream, ²⁰⁷⁶  and told it to his brothers. “Look,” ²⁰⁷⁷  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? ²⁰⁷⁸  Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?” ²⁰⁷⁹  37:11 His brothers were jealous ²⁰⁸⁰  of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said. ²⁰⁸¹ 

37:12 When his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 37:13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers ²⁰⁸²  are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” ²⁰⁸³  Joseph replied. ²⁰⁸⁴  37:14 So Jacob ²⁰⁸⁵  said to him, “Go now and check on ²⁰⁸⁶  the welfare ²⁰⁸⁷  of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word.” So Jacob ²⁰⁸⁸  sent him from the valley of Hebron.

37:15 When Joseph reached Shechem, ²⁰⁸⁹  a man found him wandering ²⁰⁹⁰  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 ²⁰⁹¹  me where they are grazing their flocks.” 37:17 The man said, “They left this area, ²⁰⁹²  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 ²⁰⁹³  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! ²⁰⁹⁴  37:20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild ²⁰⁹⁵  animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!” ²⁰⁹⁶ 

37:21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph ²⁰⁹⁷  from their hands, ²⁰⁹⁸  saying, ²⁰⁹⁹  “Let’s not take his life!” ²¹⁰⁰  37:22 Reuben continued, ²¹⁰¹  “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” ²¹⁰²  (Reuben said this ²¹⁰³  so he could rescue Joseph ²¹⁰⁴  from them ²¹⁰⁵  and take him back to his father.)

37:23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him ²¹⁰⁶  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; ²¹⁰⁷  there was no water in it.)

37:25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up ²¹⁰⁸  and saw ²¹⁰⁹  a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. ²¹¹⁰  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, ²¹¹¹  for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. ²¹¹²  37:28 So when the Midianite ²¹¹³  merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled ²¹¹⁴  him ²¹¹⁵  out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites ²¹¹⁶  then took Joseph to Egypt.

37:29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! ²¹¹⁷  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, ²¹¹⁸  and dipped the tunic in the blood. 37:32 Then they brought the special tunic to their father ²¹¹⁹  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! ²¹²⁰  Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 37:34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, ²¹²¹  and mourned for his son many days. 37:35 All his sons and daughters stood by ²¹²²  him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. “No,” he said, “I will go to the grave mourning my son.” ²¹²³  So Joseph’s ²¹²⁴  father wept for him.

37:36 Now ²¹²⁵  in Egypt the Midianites ²¹²⁶  sold Joseph ²¹²⁷  to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. ²¹²⁸ 

Judah and Tamar

38:1 At that time Judah left ²¹²⁹  his brothers and stayed ²¹³⁰  with an Adullamite man ²¹³¹  named Hirah.

38:2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man ²¹³²  named Shua. ²¹³³  Judah acquired her as a wife ²¹³⁴  and had marital relations with her. ²¹³⁵  38:3 She became pregnant ²¹³⁶  and had a son. Judah named ²¹³⁷  him Er. 38:4 She became pregnant again and had another son, whom she named Onan. 38:5 Then she had ²¹³⁸  yet another son, whom she named Shelah. She gave birth to him in Kezib. ²¹³⁹ 

38:6 Judah acquired ²¹⁴⁰  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 ²¹⁴¹  your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise ²¹⁴²  up a descendant for your brother.” ²¹⁴³  38:9 But Onan knew that the child ²¹⁴⁴  would not be considered his. ²¹⁴⁵  So whenever ²¹⁴⁶  he had sexual relations with ²¹⁴⁷  his brother’s wife, he withdrew prematurely ²¹⁴⁸  so as not to give his brother a descendant. 38:10 What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord ²¹⁴⁹  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, ²¹⁵⁰  “I don’t want him to die like his brothers.” ²¹⁵¹  So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

38:12 After some time ²¹⁵²  Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah was consoled, he left for Timnah to visit his sheepshearers, along with ²¹⁵³  his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 38:13 Tamar was told, ²¹⁵⁴  “Look, your father-in-law is going up ²¹⁵⁵  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 ²¹⁵⁶  she saw that she had not been given to Shelah as a wife, even though he had now grown up.) ²¹⁵⁷ 

38:15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute ²¹⁵⁸  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.” ²¹⁵⁹  (He did not realize ²¹⁶⁰  it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, “What will you give me in exchange for having sex with you?” ²¹⁶¹  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?” ²¹⁶²  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. ²¹⁶³  She became pregnant by him. 38:19 She left immediately, ²¹⁶⁴  removed her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes.

38:20 Then Judah had his friend Hirah ²¹⁶⁵  the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge, ²¹⁶⁶  but Hirah ²¹⁶⁷  could not find her. 38:21 He asked the men who were there, ²¹⁶⁸  “Where is the cult prostitute ²¹⁶⁹  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 ²¹⁷⁰  for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. ²¹⁷¹  I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”

38:24 After three months Judah was told, ²¹⁷²  “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, ²¹⁷³  and as a result she has become pregnant.” ²¹⁷⁴  Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” 38:25 While they were bringing her out, she sent word ²¹⁷⁵  to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” ²¹⁷⁶  Then she said, “Identify ²¹⁷⁷  the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.” 38:26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright ²¹⁷⁸  than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He did not have sexual relations with her ²¹⁷⁹  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 ²¹⁸⁰  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. ²¹⁸¹  She said, “How you have broken out of the womb!” ²¹⁸²  So he was named Perez. ²¹⁸³  38:30 Afterward his brother came out – the one who had the scarlet thread on his hand – and he was named Zerah. ²¹⁸⁴ 

Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

39:1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. ²¹⁸⁵  An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, ²¹⁸⁶  purchased him from ²¹⁸⁷  the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 39:2 The Lord was with Joseph. He was successful ²¹⁸⁸  and lived ²¹⁸⁹  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. ²¹⁹⁰  39:4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. ²¹⁹¹  Potiphar appointed Joseph ²¹⁹²  overseer of his household and put him in charge ²¹⁹³  of everything he owned. 39:5 From the time ²¹⁹⁴  Potiphar ²¹⁹⁵  appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed ²¹⁹⁶  the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both ²¹⁹⁷  in his house and in his fields. ²¹⁹⁸  39:6 So Potiphar ²¹⁹⁹  left ²²⁰⁰  everything he had in Joseph’s care; ²²⁰¹  he gave no thought ²²⁰²  to anything except the food he ate. ²²⁰³ 

Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. ²²⁰⁴  39:7 Soon after these things, his master’s wife took notice of ²²⁰⁵  Joseph and said, “Have sex with me.” ²²⁰⁶  39:8 But he refused, saying ²²⁰⁷  to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not give any thought ²²⁰⁸  to his household with me here, ²²⁰⁹  and everything that he owns he has put into my care. ²²¹⁰  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 ²²¹¹  such a great evil and sin against God?” 39:10 Even though she continued to speak ²²¹²  to Joseph day after day, he did not respond ²²¹³  to her invitation to have sex with her. ²²¹⁴ 

39:11 One day ²²¹⁵  he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants ²²¹⁶  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 ²²¹⁷  outside. ²²¹⁸  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 ²²¹⁹  in a Hebrew man ²²²⁰  to us to humiliate us. ²²²¹  He tried to have sex with me, ²²²²  but I screamed loudly. ²²²³  39:15 When he heard me raise ²²²⁴  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: ²²²⁵  “That Hebrew slave ²²²⁶  you brought to us tried to humiliate me, ²²²⁷  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, ²²²⁸  “This is the way ²²²⁹  your slave treated me,” ²²³⁰  he became furious. ²²³¹  39:20 Joseph’s master took him and threw him into the prison, ²²³²  the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in the prison. ²²³³ 

39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness. ²²³⁴  He granted him favor in the sight of the prison warden. ²²³⁵  39:22 The warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care. He was in charge of whatever they were doing. ²²³⁶  39:23 The warden did not concern himself ²²³⁷  with anything that was in Joseph’s ²²³⁸  care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.

[4:1]  ¹ tn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new episode in the ongoing narrative.

[4:1]  ² tn Heb “the man knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.

[4:1]  ³ tn Or “she conceived.”

[4:1]  ⁴ tn Here is another sound play (paronomasia) on a name. The sound of the verb קָנִיתִי (qaniti, “I have created”) reflects the sound of the name Cain in Hebrew (קַיִן, qayin) and gives meaning to it. The saying uses the Qal perfect of קָנָה (qanah). There are two homonymic verbs with this spelling, one meaning “obtain, acquire” and the other meaning “create” (see Gen 14:19, 22; Deut 32:6; Ps 139:13; Prov 8:22). The latter fits this context very well. Eve has created a man.

[4:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “with the Lord.” The particle אֶת־ (’et) is not the accusative/object sign, but the preposition “with” as the ancient versions attest. Some take the preposition in the sense of “with the help of” (see BDB 85 s.v. אֵת; cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV), while others prefer “along with” in the sense of “like, equally with, in common with” (see Lev 26:39; Isa 45:9; Jer 23:28). Either works well in this context; the latter is reflected in the present translation. Some understand אֶת־ as the accusative/object sign and translate, “I have acquired a man – the Lord.” They suggest that the woman thought (mistakenly) that she had given birth to the incarnate Lord, the Messiah who would bruise the Serpent’s head. This fanciful suggestion is based on a questionable allegorical interpretation of Gen 3:15 (see the note there on the word “heel”).

[4:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “And she again gave birth.”

[4:2]  ⁷ sn The name Abel is not defined here in the text, but the tone is ominous. Abel’s name, the Hebrew word הֶבֶל (hevel), means “breath, vapor, vanity,” foreshadowing Abel’s untimely and premature death.

[4:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “and Abel was a shepherd of the flock, and Cain was a worker of the ground.” The designations of the two occupations are expressed with active participles, רֹעֵה (ro’eh, “shepherd”) and עֹבֵד (’oved, “worker”). Abel is occupied with sheep, whereas Cain is living under the curse, cultivating the ground.

[4:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “And it happened at the end of days.” The clause indicates the passing of a set period of time leading up to offering sacrifices.

[4:3]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew term מִנְחָה (minkhah, “offering”) is a general word for tribute, a gift, or an offering. It is the main word used in Lev 2 for the dedication offering. This type of offering could be comprised of vegetables. The content of the offering (vegetables, as opposed to animals) was not the critical issue, but rather the attitude of the offerer.

[4:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “But Abel brought, also he….” The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) stresses the contrast between Cain’s offering and Abel’s.

[4:4]  ¹² tn Two prepositional phrases are used to qualify the kind of sacrifice that Abel brought: “from the firstborn” and “from the fattest of them.” These also could be interpreted as a hendiadys: “from the fattest of the firstborn of the flock.” Another option is to understand the second prepositional phrase as referring to the fat portions of the sacrificial sheep. In this case one may translate, “some of the firstborn of his flock, even some of their fat portions” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).

[4:4]  ¹³ tn The Hebrew verb שָׁעָה (sha’ah) simply means “to gaze at, to have regard for, to look on with favor [or “with devotion”].” The text does not indicate how this was communicated, but it indicates that Cain and Abel knew immediately. Either there was some manifestation of divine pleasure given to Abel and withheld from Cain (fire consuming the sacrifice?), or there was an inner awareness of divine response.

[4:5]  ¹⁴ sn The Letter to the Hebrews explains the difference between the brothers as one of faith – Abel by faith offered a better sacrifice. Cain’s offering as well as his reaction to God’s displeasure did not reflect faith. See further B. K. Waltke, “Cain and His Offering,” WTJ 48 (1986): 363-72.

[4:5]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and it was hot to Cain.” This Hebrew idiom means that Cain “burned” with anger.

[4:5]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “And his face fell.” The idiom means that the inner anger is reflected in Cain’s facial expression. The fallen or downcast face expresses anger, dejection, or depression. Conversely, in Num 6 the high priestly blessing speaks of the Lord lifting up his face and giving peace.

[4:7]  ¹⁷ tn The introduction of the conditional clause with an interrogative particle prods the answer from Cain, as if he should have known this. It is not a condemnation, but an encouragement to do what is right.

[4:7]  ¹⁸ tn The Hebrew text is difficult, because only one word occurs, שְׂאֵת (sÿ’et), which appears to be the infinitive construct from the verb “to lift up” (נָאָשׂ, na’as). The sentence reads: “If you do well, uplifting.” On the surface it seems to be the opposite of the fallen face. Everything will be changed if he does well. God will show him favor, he will not be angry, and his face will reflect that. But more may be intended since the second half of the verse forms the contrast: “If you do not do well, sin is crouching….” Not doing well leads to sinful attack; doing well leads to victory and God’s blessing.

[4:7]  ¹⁹ tn The Hebrew term translated “crouching” (רֹבֵץ, rovets) is an active participle. Sin is portrayed with animal imagery here as a beast crouching and ready to pounce (a figure of speech known as zoomorphism). An Akkadian cognate refers to a type of demon; in this case perhaps one could translate, “Sin is the demon at the door” (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 29, 32-33).

[4:7]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and toward you [is] its desire, but you must rule over it.” As in Gen 3:16, the Hebrew noun “desire” refers to an urge to control or dominate. Here the desire is that which sin has for Cain, a desire to control for the sake of evil, but Cain must have mastery over it. The imperfect is understood as having an obligatory sense. Another option is to understand it as expressing potential (“you can have [or “are capable of having”] mastery over it.”). It will be a struggle, but sin can be defeated by righteousness. In addition to this connection to Gen 3, other linguistic and thematic links between chaps. 3 and 4 are discussed by A. J. Hauser, “Linguistic and Thematic Links Between Genesis 4:1-6 and Genesis 2–3,” JETS 23 (1980): 297-306.

[4:8]  ²¹ tc The MT has simply “and Cain said to Abel his brother,” omitting Cain’s words to Abel. It is possible that the elliptical text is original. Perhaps the author uses the technique of aposiopesis, “a sudden silence” to create tension. In the midst of the story the narrator suddenly rushes ahead to what happened in the field. It is more likely that the ancient versions (Samaritan Pentateuch, LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac), which include Cain’s words, “Let’s go out to the field,” preserve the original reading here. After writing אָחִיו (’akhiyv, “his brother”), a scribe’s eye may have jumped to the end of the form בַּשָּׂדֶה (basadeh, “to the field”) and accidentally omitted the quotation. This would be an error of virtual homoioteleuton. In older phases of the Hebrew script the sequence יו (yod-vav) on אָחִיו is graphically similar to the final ה (he) on בַּשָּׂדֶה.

[4:8]  ²² tn Heb “arose against” (in a hostile sense).

[4:8]  ²³ sn The word “brother” appears six times in vv. 8-11, stressing the shocking nature of Cain’s fratricide (see 1 John 3:12).

[4:9]  ²⁴ sn Where is Abel your brother? Again the Lord confronts a guilty sinner with a rhetorical question (see Gen 3:9-13), asking for an explanation of what has happened.

[4:9]  ²⁵ tn Heb “The one guarding my brother [am] I?”

[4:10]  ²⁶ sn What have you done? Again the Lord’s question is rhetorical (see Gen 3:13), condemning Cain for his sin.

[4:10]  ²⁷ tn The word “voice” is a personification; the evidence of Abel’s shed blood condemns Cain, just as a human eyewitness would testify in court. For helpful insights, see G. von Rad, Biblical Interpretations in Preaching; and L. Morris, “The Biblical Use of the Term ‘Blood,’” JTS 6 (1955/56): 77-82.

[4:11]  ²⁸ tn Heb “cursed are you from the ground.” As in Gen 3:14, the word “cursed,” a passive participle from אָרָר (’arar), either means “punished” or “banished,” depending on how one interprets the following preposition. If the preposition is taken as indicating source, then the idea is “cursed (i.e., punished) are you from [i.e., “through the agency of”] the ground” (see v. 12a). If the preposition is taken as separative, then the idea is “cursed and banished from the ground.” In this case the ground rejects Cain’s efforts in such a way that he is banished from the ground and forced to become a fugitive out in the earth (see vv. 12b, 14).

[4:12]  ²⁹ tn Heb “work.”

[4:12]  ³⁰ tn Heb “it will not again (תֹסֵף, tosef) give (תֵּת, tet),” meaning the ground will no longer yield. In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb, and the imperfect verb form becomes adverbial.

[4:12]  ³¹ tn Heb “its strength.”

[4:12]  ³² tn Two similar sounding synonyms are used here: נָע וָנָד (na’ vanad, “a wanderer and a fugitive”). This juxtaposition of synonyms emphasizes the single idea. In translation one can serve as the main description, the other as a modifier. Other translation options include “a wandering fugitive” and a “ceaseless wanderer” (cf. NIV).

[4:13]  ³³ tn The primary meaning of the Hebrew word עָוֹן (’avon) is “sin, iniquity.” But by metonymy it can refer to the “guilt” of sin, or to “punishment” for sin. The third meaning applies here. Just before this the Lord announces the punishment for Cain’s actions, and right after this statement Cain complains of the severity of the punishment. Cain is not portrayed as repenting of his sin.

[4:13]  ³⁴ tn Heb “great is my punishment from bearing.” The preposition מִן (min, “from”) is used here in a comparative sense.

[4:14]  ³⁵ tn Heb “from upon the surface of the ground.”

[4:14]  ³⁶ sn I must hide from your presence. The motif of hiding from the Lord as a result of sin also appears in Gen 3:8-10.

[4:15]  ³⁷ tn The Hebrew term לָכֵן (lakhen, “therefore”) in this context carries the sense of “Okay,” or “in that case then I will do this.”

[4:15]  ³⁸ sn The symbolic number seven is used here to emphasize that the offender will receive severe punishment. For other rhetorical and hyperbolic uses of the expression “seven times over,” see Pss 12:6; 79:12; Prov 6:31; Isa 30:26.

[4:15]  ³⁹ tn Heb “sign”; “reminder.” The term “sign” is not used in the translation because it might imply to an English reader that God hung a sign on Cain. The text does not identify what the “sign” was. It must have been some outward, visual reminder of Cain’s special protected status.

[4:15]  ⁴⁰ sn God becomes Cain’s protector. Here is common grace – Cain and his community will live on under God’s care, but without salvation.

[4:16]  ⁴¹ sn The name Nod means “wandering” in Hebrew (see vv. 12, 14).

[4:17]  ⁴² tn Heb “knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.

[4:17]  ⁴³ tn Or “she conceived.”

[4:17]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “according to the name of.”

[4:18]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “and Irad fathered.”

[4:20]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “father.” In this passage the word “father” means “founder,” referring to the first to establish such lifestyles and occupations.

[4:20]  ⁴⁷ tn The word “keep” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation. Other words that might be supplied instead are “tend,” “raise” (NIV), or “have” (NRSV).

[4:22]  ⁴⁸ tn The traditional rendering here, “who forged” (or “a forger of”) is now more commonly associated with counterfeit or fraud (e.g., “forged copies” or “forged checks”) than with the forging of metal. The phrase “heated metal and shaped [it]” has been used in the translation instead.

[4:23]  ⁴⁹ tn The Hebrew term יֶלֶד (yeled) probably refers to a youthful warrior here, not a child.

[4:24]  ⁵⁰ sn Seventy-seven times. Lamech seems to reason this way: If Cain, a murderer, is to be avenged seven times (see v. 15), then how much more one who has been unjustly wronged! Lamech misses the point of God’s merciful treatment of Cain. God was not establishing a principle of justice when he warned he would avenge Cain’s murder. In fact he was trying to limit the shedding of blood, something Lamech wants to multiply instead. The use of “seventy-seven,” a multiple of seven, is hyperbolic, emphasizing the extreme severity of the vengeance envisioned by Lamech.

[4:25]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.

[4:25]  ⁵² sn The name Seth probably means something like “placed”; “appointed”; “set”; “granted,” assuming it is actually related to the verb that is used in the sentiment. At any rate, the name שֵׁת (shet) and the verb שָׁת (shat, “to place, to appoint, to set, to grant”) form a wordplay (paronomasia).

[4:25]  ⁵³ tn Heb “offspring.”

[4:26]  ⁵⁴ tn The word “people” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation. The construction uses a passive verb without an expressed subject. “To call was begun” can be interpreted to mean that people began to call.

[4:26]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “call in the name.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 12:8; 13:4; 21:33; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116.

[5:1]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “book” or “roll.” Cf. NIV “written account”; NRSV “list.”

[5:1]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “generations.” See the note on the phrase “this is the account of” in 2:4.

[5:1]  ⁵⁸ tn The Hebrew text has אָדָם (’adam).

[5:1]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “him.” The Hebrew text uses the third masculine singular pronominal suffix on the accusative sign. The pronoun agrees grammatically with its antecedent אָדָם (’adam). However, the next verse makes it clear that אָדָם is collective here and refers to “humankind,” so it is preferable to translate the pronoun with the English plural.

[5:2]  ⁶⁰ tn The Hebrew word used here is אָדָם (’adam).

[5:3]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “and Adam lived 130 years.” In the translation the verb is subordinated to the following verb, “and he fathered,” and rendered as a temporal clause.

[5:4]  ⁶² tn Heb “The days of Adam.”

[5:4]  ⁶³ tn Heb “he fathered.”

[5:4]  ⁶⁴ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[5:5]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “all the days of Adam which he lived”

[5:5]  ⁶⁶ sn The genealogy traces the line from Adam to Noah and forms a bridge between the earlier accounts and the flood story. Its constant theme of the reign of death in the human race is broken once with the account of Enoch, but the genealogy ends with hope for the future through Noah. See further G. F. Hasel, “The Genealogies of Gen. 5 and 11 and their Alleged Babylonian Background,” AUSS 16 (1978): 361-74; idem, “Genesis 5 and 11,” Origins 7 (1980): 23-37.

[5:6]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “he fathered.”

[5:7]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “he fathered.”

[5:7]  ⁶⁹ tn Here and in vv. 10, 13, 16, 19 the word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[5:22]  ⁷⁰ sn With the seventh panel there is a digression from the pattern. Instead of simply saying that Enoch lived, the text observes that he “walked with God.” The rare expression “walked with” (the Hitpael form of the verb הָלָךְ, halakh, “to walk” collocated with the preposition אֶת, ’et, “with”) is used in 1 Sam 25:15 to describe how David’s men maintained a cordial and cooperative relationship with Nabal’s men as they worked and lived side by side in the fields. In Gen 5:22 the phrase suggests that Enoch and God “got along.” This may imply that Enoch lived in close fellowship with God, leading a life of devotion and piety. An early Jewish tradition, preserved in 1 En. 1:9 and alluded to in Jude 14, says that Enoch preached about the coming judgment. See F. S. Parnham, “Walking with God,” EvQ 46 (1974): 117-18.

[5:22]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “and Enoch walked with God, after he became the father of Methuselah, [for] 300 years.”

[5:22]  ⁷² tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[5:24]  ⁷³ tn The Hebrew construction has the negative particle אֵין (’en, “there is not,” “there was not”) with a pronominal suffix, “he was not.” Instead of saying that Enoch died, the text says he no longer was present.

[5:24]  ⁷⁴ sn The text simply states that God took Enoch. Similar language is used of Elijah’s departure from this world (see 2 Kgs 2:10). The text implies that God overruled death for this man who walked with him.

[5:26]  ⁷⁵ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[5:29]  ⁷⁶ sn The name Noah appears to be related to the Hebrew word נוּחַ (nuakh, “to rest”). There are several wordplays on the name “Noah” in the story of the flood.

[5:29]  ⁷⁷ tn The Hebrew verb יְנַחֲמֵנוּ (yÿnakhamenu) is from the root נָחָם (nakham), which means “to comfort” in the Piel verbal stem. The letters נ (nun) and ח (heth) pick up the sounds in the name “Noah,” forming a paronomasia on the name. They are not from the same verbal root, and so the connection is only by sound. Lamech’s sentiment reflects the oppression of living under the curse on the ground, but also expresses the hope for relief in some way through the birth of Noah. His words proved to be ironic but prophetic. The relief would come with a new beginning after the flood. See E. G. Kraeling, “The Interpretations of the Name Noah in Genesis 5:29,” JBL 48 (1929): 138-43.

[5:30]  ⁷⁸ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[5:32]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “Noah.” The pronoun (“he”) has been employed in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[6:1]  ⁸⁰ tn The Hebrew text has the article prefixed to the noun. Here the article indicates the generic use of the word אָדָם (’adam): “humankind.”

[6:1]  ⁸¹ tn This disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is circumstantial to the initial temporal clause. It could be rendered, “with daughters being born to them.” For another example of such a disjunctive clause following the construction וַיְהִיכִּי (vayÿhiki, “and it came to pass when”), see 2 Sam 7:1.

[6:1]  ⁸² tn The pronominal suffix is third masculine plural, indicating that the antecedent “humankind” is collective.

[6:2]  ⁸³ sn The Hebrew phrase translated “sons of God” (בְנֵי־הָאֱלֹהִים, bÿne-ha’elohim) occurs only here (Gen 6:2, 4) and in Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7. There are three major interpretations of the phrase here. (1) In the Book of Job the phrase clearly refers to angelic beings. In Gen 6 the “sons of God” are distinct from “humankind,” suggesting they were not human. This is consistent with the use of the phrase in Job. Since the passage speaks of these beings cohabiting with women, they must have taken physical form or possessed the bodies of men. An early Jewish tradition preserved in 1 En. 6-7 elaborates on this angelic revolt and even names the ringleaders. (2) Not all scholars accept the angelic interpretation of the “sons of God,” however. Some argue that the “sons of God” were members of Seth’s line, traced back to God through Adam in Gen 5, while the “daughters of humankind” were descendants of Cain. But, as noted above, the text distinguishes the “sons of God” from humankind (which would include the Sethites as well as the Cainites) and suggests that the “daughters of humankind” are human women in general, not just Cainites. (3) Others identify the “sons of God” as powerful tyrants, perhaps demon-possessed, who viewed themselves as divine and, following the example of Lamech (see Gen 4:19), practiced polygamy. But usage of the phrase “sons of God” in Job militates against this view. For literature on the subject see G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:135.

[6:3]  ⁸⁴ tn The verb form יָדוֹן (yadon) only occurs here. Some derive it from the verbal root דִּין (din, “to judge”) and translate “strive” or “contend with” (so NIV), but in this case one expects the form to be יָדִין (yadin). The Old Greek has “remain with,” a rendering which may find support from an Arabic cognate (see C. Westermann, Genesis, 1:375). If one interprets the verb in this way, then it is possible to understand רוּחַ (ruakh) as a reference to the divine life-giving spirit or breath, rather than the Lord’s personal Spirit. E. A. Speiser argues that the term is cognate with an Akkadian word meaning “protect” or “shield.” In this case, the Lord’s Spirit will not always protect humankind, for the race will suddenly be destroyed (E. A. Speiser, “YDWN, Gen. 6:3,” JBL 75 [1956]: 126-29).

[6:3]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “forever.”

[6:3]  ⁸⁶ tn The form בְּשַׁגַּם (bÿshagam) appears to be a compound of the preposition בְּ (beth, “in”), the relative שֶׁ (she, “who” or “which”), and the particle גַּם (gam, “also, even”). It apparently means “because even” (see BDB 980 s.v. שֶׁ).

[6:3]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “he”; the plural pronoun has been used in the translation since “man” earlier in the verse has been understood as a collective (“humankind”).

[6:3]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “flesh.”

[6:3]  ⁸⁹ tn See the note on “they” earlier in this verse.

[6:3]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “his days will be 120 years.” Some interpret this to mean that the age expectancy of people from this point on would be 120, but neither the subsequent narrative nor reality favors this. It is more likely that this refers to the time remaining between this announcement of judgment and the coming of the flood.

[6:4]  ⁹¹ tn The Hebrew word נְפִילִים (nÿfilim) is simply transliterated here, because the meaning of the term is uncertain. According to the text, the Nephilim became mighty warriors and gained great fame in the antediluvian world. The text may imply they were the offspring of the sexual union of the “sons of God” and the “daughters of humankind” (v. 2), but it stops short of saying this in a direct manner. The Nephilim are mentioned in the OT only here and in Num 13:33, where it is stated that they were giants (thus KJV, TEV, NLT “giants” here). The narrator observes that the Anakites of Canaan were descendants of the Nephilim. Certainly these later Anakite Nephilim could not be descendants of the antediluvian Nephilim (see also the following note on the word “this”).

[6:4]  ⁹² tn This observation is parenthetical, explaining that there were Nephilim even after the flood. If all humankind, with the exception of Noah and his family, died in the flood, it is difficult to understand how the postdiluvian Nephilim could be related to the antediluvian Nephilim or how the Anakites of Canaan could be their descendants (see Num 13:33). It is likely that the term Nephilim refers generally to “giants” (see HALOT 709 s.v. נְפִילִים) without implying any ethnic connection between the antediluvian and postdiluvian varieties.

[6:4]  ⁹³ tn Heb “were entering to,” referring euphemistically to sexual intercourse here. The Hebrew imperfect verbal form draws attention to the ongoing nature of such sexual unions during the time before the flood.

[6:4]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “and they gave birth to them.” The masculine plural suffix “them” refers to the “sons of God,” to whom the “daughters of humankind” bore children. After the Qal form of the verb יָלָד (yalad, “to give birth”) the preposition לְ (lÿ, “to”) introduces the father of the child(ren). See Gen 16:1, 15; 17:19, 21; 21:2-3, 9; 22:23; 24:24, 47; 25:2, etc.

[6:4]  ⁹⁵ tn The parenthetical/explanatory clause uses the word הַגִּבֹּרִים (haggibborim) to describe these Nephilim. The word means “warriors; mighty men; heroes.” The appositional statement further explains that they were “men of renown.” The text refers to superhuman beings who held the world in their power and who lived on in ancient lore outside the Bible. See E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 45-46; C. Westermann, Genesis, 1:379-80; and Anne D. Kilmer, “The Mesopotamian Counterparts of the Biblical Nephilim,” Perspectives on Language and Text, 39-43.

[6:4]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “men of name” (i.e., famous men).

[6:5]  ⁹⁷ sn The Hebrew verb translated “saw” (רָאָה, ra’ah), used here of God’s evaluation of humankind’s evil deeds, contrasts with God’s evaluation of creative work in Gen 1, when he observed that everything was good.

[6:5]  ⁹⁸ tn The noun יֵצֶר (yetser) is related to the verb יָצָר (yatsar, “to form, to fashion [with a design]”). Here it refers to human plans or intentions (see Gen 8:21; 1 Chr 28:9; 29:18). People had taken their God-given capacities and used them to devise evil. The word יֵצֶר (yetser) became a significant theological term in Rabbinic literature for what might be called the sin nature – the evil inclination (see also R. E. Murphy, “Yeser in the Qumran Literature,” Bib 39 [1958]: 334-44).

[6:5]  ⁹⁹ tn The related verb הָשָׁב (hashav) means “to think, to devise, to reckon.” The noun (here) refers to thoughts or considerations.

[6:5]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “his heart” (referring to collective “humankind”). The Hebrew term לֵב (lev, “heart”) frequently refers to the seat of one’s thoughts (see BDB 524 s.v. לֵב). In contemporary English this is typically referred to as the “mind.”

[6:5]  ¹⁰¹ sn Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil. There is hardly a stronger statement of the wickedness of the human race than this. Here is the result of falling into the “knowledge of good and evil”: Evil becomes dominant, and the good is ruined by the evil.

[6:5]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “all the day.”

[6:6]  ¹⁰³ tn Or “was grieved”; “was sorry.” In the Niphal stem the verb נָחָם (nakham) can carry one of four semantic meanings, depending on the context: (1) “to experience emotional pain or weakness,” “to feel regret,” often concerning a past action (see Exod 13:17; Judg 21:6, 15; 1 Sam 15:11, 35; Job 42:6; Jer 31:19). In several of these texts כִּי (ki, “because”) introduces the cause of the emotional sorrow. (2) Another meaning is “to be comforted” or “to comfort oneself” (sometimes by taking vengeance). See Gen 24:67; 38:12; 2 Sam 13:39; Ps 77:3; Isa 1:24; Jer 31:15; Ezek 14:22; 31:16; 32:31. (This second category represents a polarization of category one.) (3) The meaning “to relent from” or “to repudiate” a course of action which is already underway is also possible (see Judg 2:18; 2 Sam 24:16 = 1 Chr 21:15; Pss 90:13; 106:45; Jer 8:6; 20:16; 42:10). (4) Finally, “to retract” (a statement) or “to relent or change one’s mind concerning,” “to deviate from” (a stated course of action) is possible (see Exod 32:12, 14; 1 Sam 15:29; Ps 110:4; Isa 57:6; Jer 4:28; 15:6; 18:8, 10; 26:3, 13, 19; Ezek 24:14; Joel 2:13-14; Am 7:3, 6; Jonah 3:9-10; 4:2; Zech 8:14). See R. B. Chisholm, “Does God ‘Change His Mind’?” BSac 152 (1995): 388. The first category applies here because the context speaks of God’s grief and emotional pain (see the following statement in v. 6) as a result of a past action (his making humankind). For a thorough study of the word נָחָם, see H. Van Dyke Parunak, “A Semantic Survey of NHM,” Bib 56 (1975): 512-32.

[6:6]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “and he was grieved to his heart.” The verb עָצָב (’atsav) can carry one of three semantic senses, depending on the context: (1) “to be injured” (Ps 56:5; Eccl 10:9; 1 Chr 4:10); (2) “to experience emotional pain”; “to be depressed emotionally”; “to be worried” (2 Sam 19:2; Isa 54:6; Neh 8:10-11); (3) “to be embarrassed”; “to be offended” (to the point of anger at another or oneself); “to be insulted” (Gen 34:7; 45:5; 1 Sam 20:3, 34; 1 Kgs 1:6; Isa 63:10; Ps 78:40). This third category develops from the second by metonymy. In certain contexts emotional pain leads to embarrassment and/or anger. In this last use the subject sometimes directs his anger against the source of grief (see especially Gen 34:7). The third category fits best in Gen 6:6 because humankind’s sin does not merely wound God emotionally. On the contrary, it prompts him to strike out in judgment against the source of his distress (see v. 7). The verb וַיִּתְעַצֵּב (vayyit’atsev), a Hitpael from עָצָב, alludes to the judgment oracles in Gen 3:16-19. Because Adam and Eve sinned, their life would be filled with pain; but sin in the human race also brought pain to God. The wording of v. 6 is ironic when compared to Gen 5:29. Lamech anticipated relief (נָחָם, nakham) from their work (מַעֲשֶׂה, ma’aseh) and their painful toil (עִצְּבֹן, ’itsÿvon), but now we read that God was sorry (נָחָם, nakham) that he had made (עָשָׂה, ’asah) humankind for it brought him great pain (עָצָב, ’atsav).

[6:7]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The text simply has “from man to beast, to creatures, and to birds of the air.” The use of the prepositions עַד…מִן (min...’ad) stresses the extent of the judgment in creation.

[6:8]  ¹⁰⁶ tn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is contrastive here: God condemns the human race, but he is pleased with Noah.

[6:8]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The Hebrew expression “find favor [in the eyes of]” is an idiom meaning “to be an object of another’s favorable disposition or action,” “to be a recipient of another’s favor, kindness, mercy.” The favor/kindness is often earned, coming in response to an action or condition (see Gen 32:5; 39:4; Deut 24:1; 1 Sam 25:8; Prov 3:4; Ruth 2:10). This is the case in Gen 6:8, where v. 9 gives the basis (Noah’s righteous character) for the divine favor.

[6:8]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “in the eyes of,” an anthropomorphic expression for God’s opinion or decision. The Lord saw that the whole human race was corrupt, but he looked in favor on Noah.

[6:9]  ¹⁰⁹ sn There is a vast body of scholarly literature about the flood story. The following studies are particularly helpful: A. Heidel, The Gilgamesh Epic and the Old Testament Parallels; M. Kessler, “Rhetorical Criticism of Genesis 7,” Rhetorical Criticism: Essays in Honor of James Muilenburg (PTMS), 1-17; I. M. Kikawada and A. Quinn, Before Abraham Was; A. R. Millard, “A New Babylonian ‘Genesis Story’,” TynBul 18 (1967): 3-18; G. J. Wenham, “The Coherence of the Flood Narrative,” VT 28 (1978): 336-48.

[6:9]  ¹¹⁰ tn The Hebrew term תָּמִים (tamim, “blameless”) is used of men in Gen 17:1 (associated with the idiom “walk before,” which means “maintain a proper relationship with,” see 24:40); Deut 18:13 (where it means “blameless” in the sense of not guilty of the idolatrous practices listed before this; see Josh 24:14); Pss 18:23, 26 (“blameless” in the sense of not having violated God’s commands); 37:18 (in contrast to the wicked); 101:2, 6 (in contrast to proud, deceitful slanderers; see 15:2); Prov 2:21; 11:5 (in contrast to the wicked); 28:10; Job 12:4.

[6:9]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “Noah was a godly man, blameless in his generations.” The singular “generation” can refer to one’s contemporaries, i.e., those living at a particular point in time. The plural “generations” can refer to successive generations in the past or the future. Here, where it is qualified by “his” (i.e., Noah’s), it refers to Noah’s contemporaries, comprised of the preceding generation (his father’s generation), those of Noah’s generation, and the next generation (those the same age as his children). In other words, “his generations” means the generations contemporary with him. See BDB 190 s.v. דוֹר.

[6:9]  ¹¹² tn Heb “Noah.” The proper name has been replaced with the pronoun in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[6:9]  ¹¹³ tn The construction translated “walked with” is used in Gen 5:22, 24 (see the note on this phrase in 5:22) and in 1 Sam 25:15, where it refers to David’s and Nabal’s men “rubbing shoulders” in the fields. Based on the use in 1 Sam 25:15, the expression seems to mean “live in close proximity to,” which may, by metonymy, mean “maintain cordial relations with.”

[6:10]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “fathered.”

[6:11]  ¹¹⁵ tn Apart from Gen 6:11-12, the Niphal form of this verb occurs in Exod 8:20 HT (8:24 ET), where it describes the effect of the swarms of flies on the land of Egypt; Jer 13:7 and 18:4, where it is used of a “ruined” belt and “marred” clay pot, respectively; and Ezek 20:44, where it describes Judah’s morally “corrupt” actions. The sense “morally corrupt” fits well in Gen 6:11 because of the parallelism (note “the earth was filled with violence”). In this case “earth” would stand by metonymy for its sinful inhabitants. However, the translation “ruined” works just as well, if not better. In this case humankind’s sin is viewed has having an adverse effect upon the earth. Note that vv. 12b-13 make a distinction between the earth and the living creatures who live on it.

[6:11]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “before.”

[6:11]  ¹¹⁷ tn The Hebrew word translated “violence” refers elsewhere to a broad range of crimes, including unjust treatment (Gen 16:5; Amos 3:10), injurious legal testimony (Deut 19:16), deadly assault (Gen 49:5), murder (Judg 9:24), and rape (Jer 13:22).

[6:12]  ¹¹⁸ tn Or “God saw how corrupt the earth was.”

[6:12]  ¹¹⁹ tn The repetition in the text (see v. 11) emphasizes the point.

[6:12]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “flesh.” Since moral corruption is in view here, most modern western interpreters understand the referent to be humankind. However, the phrase “all flesh” is used consistently of humankind and the animals in Gen 6-9 (6:17, 19; 7:15-16, 21; 8:17; 9:11, 15-17), suggesting that the author intends to picture all living creatures, humankind and animals, as guilty of moral failure. This would explain why the animals, not just humankind, are victims of the ensuing divine judgment. The OT sometimes views animals as morally culpable (Gen 9:5; Exod 21:28-29; Jonah 3:7-8). The OT also teaches that a person’s sin can contaminate others (people and animals) in the sinful person’s sphere (see the story of Achan, especially Josh 7:10). So the animals could be viewed here as morally contaminated because of their association with sinful humankind.

[6:12]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “had corrupted its way.” The third masculine singular pronominal suffix on “way” refers to the collective “all flesh.” The construction “corrupt one’s way” occurs only here (though Ezek 16:47 uses the Hiphil in an intransitive sense with the preposition בְּ [bet, “in”] followed by “ways”). The Hiphil of שָׁחָת (shakhat) means “to ruin, to destroy, to corrupt,” often as here in a moral/ethical sense. The Hebrew term דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) here refers to behavior or moral character, a sense that it frequently carries (see BDB 203 s.v. דֶּרֶךְ 6.a).

[6:13]  ¹²² sn On the divine style utilized here, see R. Lapointe, “The Divine Monologue as a Channel of Revelation,” CBQ 32 (1970): 161-81.

[6:13]  ¹²³ tn Heb “the end of all flesh is coming [or “has come”] before me.” (The verb form is either a perfect or a participle.) The phrase “end of all flesh” occurs only here. The term “end” refers here to the end of “life,” as v. 3 and the following context (which describes how God destroys all flesh) make clear. The statement “the end has come” occurs in Ezek 7:2, 6, where it is used of divine judgment. The phrase “come before” occurs in Exod 28:30, 35; 34:34; Lev 15:14; Num 27:17; 1 Sam 18:13, 16; 2 Sam 19:8; 20:8; 1 Kgs 1:23, 28, 32; Ezek 46:9; Pss 79:11 (groans come before God); 88:3 (a prayer comes before God); 100:2; 119:170 (prayer comes before God); Lam 1:22 (evil doing comes before God); Esth 1:19; 8:1; 9:25; 1 Chr 16:29. The expression often means “have an audience with” or “appear before.” But when used metaphorically, it can mean “get the attention of” or “prompt a response.” This is probably the sense in Gen 6:13. The necessity of ending the life of all flesh on earth is an issue that has gotten the attention of God. The term “end” may even be a metonymy for that which has prompted it – violence (see the following clause).

[6:13]  ¹²⁴ tn The participle, especially after הִנֵּה (hinneh) has an imminent future nuance. The Hiphil of שָׁחָת (shakhat) here has the sense “to destroy” (in judgment). Note the wordplay involving this verb in vv. 11-13: The earth is “ruined” because all flesh has acted in a morally “corrupt” manner. Consequently, God will “destroy” all flesh (the referent of the suffix “them”) along with the ruined earth. They had ruined themselves and the earth with violence, and now God would ruin them with judgment. For other cases where “earth” occurs as the object of the Hiphil of שָׁחָת, see 1 Sam 6:5; 1 Chr 20:1; Jer 36:29; 51:25.

[6:14]  ¹²⁵ sn The Hebrew verb is an imperative. A motif of this section is that Noah did as the Lord commanded him – he was obedient. That obedience had to come from faith in the word of the Lord. So the theme of obedience to God’s word is prominent in this prologue to the law.

[6:14]  ¹²⁶ tn A transliteration of the Hebrew term yields “gopher (גֹּפֶר, gofer) wood” (so KJV, NAB, NASB). While the exact nature of the wood involved is uncertain (cf. NLT “resinous wood”), many modern translations render the Hebrew term as “cypress” (so NEB, NIV, NRSV).

[6:14]  ¹²⁷ tn The Hebrew term כָּפָר (kafar, “to cover, to smear” [= to caulk]) appears here in the Qal stem with its primary, nonmetaphorical meaning. The Piel form כִּפֶּר (kipper), which has the metaphorical meaning “to atone, to expiate, to pacify,” is used in Levitical texts (see HALOT 493-94 s.v. כפר). Some authorities regard the form in v. 14 as a homonym of the much more common Levitical term (see BDB 498 s.v. כָּפָר).

[6:15]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high.” The standard cubit in the OT is assumed by most authorities to be about 18 inches (45 cm) long.

[6:16]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “a cubit.”

[6:16]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “to a cubit you shall finish it from above.” The idea is that Noah was to leave an 18-inch opening from the top for a window for light.

[6:17]  ¹³¹ tn The Hebrew construction uses the independent personal pronoun, followed by a suffixed form of הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) and the a participle used with an imminent future nuance: “As for me, look, I am going to bring.”

[6:17]  ¹³² tn Heb “the flood, water.”

[6:17]  ¹³³ tn The verb שָׁחָת (shakhat, “to destroy”) is repeated yet again, only now in an infinitival form expressing the purpose of the flood.

[6:17]  ¹³⁴ tn The Hebrew construction here is different from the previous two; here it is רוּחַ חַיִּים (ruakh khayyim) rather than נֶפֶשׁ הַיָּה (nefesh khayyah) or נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים (nishmat khayyim). It refers to everything that breathes.

[6:18]  ¹³⁵ tn The Hebrew verb וַהֲקִמֹתִי (vahaqimoti) is the Hiphil perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive (picking up the future sense from the participles) from קוּם (qum, “to rise up”). This may refer to the confirmation or fulfillment of an earlier promise, but it is more likely that it anticipates the unconditional promise made to humankind following the flood (see Gen 9:9, 11, 17).

[6:18]  ¹³⁶ tn The perfect verb form with vav (ו) consecutive is best understood as specific future, continuing God’s description of what will happen (see vv. 17-18a).

[6:19]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “from all life, from all flesh, two from all you must bring.” The disjunctive clause at the beginning of the verse (note the conjunction with prepositional phrase, followed by two more prepositional phrases in apposition and then the imperfect verb form) signals a change in mood from announcement (vv. 17-18) to instruction.

[6:19]  ¹³⁸ tn The Piel infinitive construct לְהַחֲיוֹת (lÿhakhayot, here translated as “to keep them alive”) shows the purpose of bringing the animals into the ark – saving life. The Piel of this verb means here “to preserve alive.”

[6:20]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “to keep alive.”

[6:21]  ¹⁴⁰ tn The verb is a direct imperative: “And you, take for yourself.” The form stresses the immediate nature of the instruction; the pronoun underscores the directness.

[6:21]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “from all food,” meaning “some of every kind of food.”

[6:21]  ¹⁴² tn Or “will be eaten.”

[6:21]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “and gather it to you.”

[6:22]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “according to all.”

[6:22]  ¹⁴⁵ tn The last clause seems redundant: “and thus (כֵּן, ken) he did.” It underscores the obedience of Noah to all that God had said.

[7:1]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “for you I see [as] godly before me in this generation.” The direct object (“you”) is placed first in the clause to give it prominence. The verb “to see” here signifies God’s evaluative discernment.

[7:2]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Or “seven pairs” (cf. NRSV).

[7:2]  ¹⁴⁸ sn For a study of the Levitical terminology of “clean” and “unclean,” see L. E. Toombs, IDB 1:643.

[7:2]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “a male and his female” (also a second time at the end of this verse). The terms used here for male and female animals (אִישׁ, ’ish) and אִשָּׁה, ’ishah) normally refer to humans.

[7:3]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Or “seven pairs” (cf. NRSV).

[7:3]  ¹⁵¹ tn Here (and in v. 9) the Hebrew text uses the normal generic terms for “male and female” (זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, zakhar unÿqevah).

[7:3]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “to keep alive offspring.”

[7:4]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “for seven days yet,” meaning “after [or “in”] seven days.”

[7:4]  ¹⁵⁴ tn The Hiphil participle מַמְטִיר (mamtir, “cause to rain”) here expresses the certainty of the act in the imminent future.

[7:5]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “according to all.”

[7:6]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “Now Noah was.” The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + predicate nominative after implied “to be” verb) provides background information. The age of Noah receives prominence.

[7:6]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “and the flood was water upon.” The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is circumstantial/temporal in relation to the preceding clause. The verb הָיָה (hayah) here carries the nuance “to come” (BDB 225 s.v. הָיָה). In this context the phrase “come upon” means “to engulf.”

[7:7]  ¹⁵⁸ tn The preposition מִן (min) is causal here, explaining why Noah and his family entered the ark.

[7:8]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “two two” meaning “in twos.”

[7:9]  ¹⁶⁰ tn The Hebrew text of vv. 8-9a reads, “From the clean animal[s] and from the animal[s] which are not clean and from the bird[s] and everything that creeps on the ground, two two they came to Noah to the ark, male and female.”

[7:9]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “Noah”; the pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:10]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “came upon.”

[7:11]  ¹⁶³ tn The Hebrew term תְּהוֹם (tÿhom, “deep”) refers to the watery deep, the salty ocean – especially the primeval ocean that surrounds and underlies the earth (see Gen 1:2).

[7:11]  ¹⁶⁴ sn On the prescientific view of the sky reflected here, see L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World (AnBib), 46.

[7:12]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “was.”

[7:13]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “On that very day Noah entered, and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and the wife of Noah, and the three wives of his sons with him into the ark.”

[7:14]  ¹⁶⁷ tn The verb “entered” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:14]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “every bird, every wing.”

[7:15]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “two two” meaning “in twos.”

[7:15]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “flesh.”

[7:16]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “Those that went in, male and female from all flesh they went in.”

[7:18]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “and the waters were great and multiplied exceedingly.” The first verb in the sequence is וַיִּגְבְּרוּ (vayyigbÿru, from גָּבַר, gavar), meaning “to become great, mighty.” The waters did not merely rise; they “prevailed” over the earth, overwhelming it.

[7:18]  ¹⁷³ tn Heb “went.”

[7:19]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “and the waters were great exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition emphasizes the depth of the waters.

[7:19]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “and.”

[7:20]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “rose fifteen cubits.” Since a cubit is considered by most authorities to be about eighteen inches, this would make the depth 22.5 feet. This figure might give the modern reader a false impression of exactness, however, so in the translation the phrase “fifteen cubits” has been rendered “more than twenty feet.”

[7:20]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “the waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward and they covered the mountains.” Obviously, a flood of twenty feet did not cover the mountains; the statement must mean the flood rose about twenty feet above the highest mountain.

[7:21]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “flesh.”

[7:22]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “everything which [has] the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils from all which is in the dry land.”

[7:23]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:23]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “wiped away” (cf. NRSV “blotted out”).

[7:23]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “from man to animal to creeping thing and to the bird of the sky.”

[7:23]  ¹⁸³ tn The Hebrew verb שָׁאָר (sha’ar) means “to be left over; to survive” in the Niphal verb stem. It is the word used in later biblical texts for the remnant that escapes judgment. See G. F. Hasel, “Semantic Values of Derivatives of the Hebrew Root só’r,” AUSS 11 (1973): 152-69.

[7:24]  ¹⁸⁴ sn The Hebrew verb translated “prevailed over” suggests that the waters were stronger than the earth. The earth and everything in it were no match for the return of the chaotic deep.

[8:1]  ¹⁸⁵ tn The Hebrew word translated “remembered” often carries the sense of acting in accordance with what is remembered, i.e., fulfilling covenant promises (see B. S. Childs, Memory and Tradition in Israel [SBT], especially p. 34).

[8:1]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “to pass over.”

[8:2]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Some (e.g., NIV) translate the preterite verb forms in this verse as past perfects (e.g., “had been closed”), for it seems likely that the sources of the water would have stopped before the waters receded.

[8:3]  ¹⁸⁸ tn The construction combines a Qal preterite from שׁוּב (shuv) with its infinitive absolute to indicate continuous action. The infinitive absolute from הָלָךְ (halakh) is included for emphasis: “the waters returned…going and returning.”

[8:3]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “the waters.” The pronoun (“they”) has been employed in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[8:3]  ¹⁹⁰ tn The vav (ו) consecutive with the preterite here describes the consequence of the preceding action.

[8:4]  ¹⁹¹ tn Heb “on the mountains of Ararat.” Obviously a boat (even one as large as the ark) cannot rest on multiple mountains. Perhaps (1) the preposition should be translated “among,” or (2) the plural “mountains” should be understood in the sense of “mountain range” (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 53). A more probable option (3) is that the plural indicates an indefinite singular, translated “one of the mountains” (see GKC 400 §124.o).

[8:5]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “the waters were going and lessening.” The perfect verb form הָיָה (hayah) is used as an auxiliary verb with the infinitive absolute חָסוֹר (khasor, “lessening”), while the infinitive absolute הָלוֹךְ (halokh) indicates continuous action.

[8:5]  ¹⁹³ tn Or “could be seen.”

[8:6]  ¹⁹⁴ tn The introductory verbal form וַיְהִי (vayÿhi), traditionally rendered “and it came to pass,” serves as a temporal indicator and has not been translated here.

[8:6]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “opened the window in the ark which he had made.” The perfect tense (“had made”) refers to action preceding the opening of the window, and is therefore rendered as a past perfect. Since in English “had made” could refer to either the ark or the window, the order of the phrases was reversed in the translation to clarify that the window is the referent.

[8:7]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “and it went out, going out and returning.” The Hebrew verb יָצָא (yatsa’), translated here “flying,” is modified by two infinitives absolute indicating that the raven went back and forth.

[8:8]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Noah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:8]  ¹⁹⁸ tn The Hebrew text adds “from him.” This has not been translated for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English.

[8:8]  ¹⁹⁹ tn The Hebrew verb קָלָל (qalal) normally means “to be light, to be slight”; it refers here to the waters receding.

[8:9]  ²⁰⁰ tn The words “still covered” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[8:9]  ²⁰¹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Noah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:9]  ²⁰² tn Heb “it”; the referent (the dove) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:9]  ²⁰³ tn Heb “and he brought it to himself to the ark.”

[8:11]  ²⁰⁴ tn The clause introduced by vav (ו) consecutive is translated as a temporal clause subordinated to the following clause.

[8:11]  ²⁰⁵ tn The deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to the olive leaf. It invites readers to enter into the story, as it were, and look at the olive leaf with their own eyes.

[8:12]  ²⁰⁶ tn The word “again” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[8:12]  ²⁰⁷ tn Heb “it did not again return to him still.” For a study of this section of the flood narrative, see W. O. E. Oesterley, “The Dove with the Olive Leaf (Gen VIII 8–11),” ExpTim 18 (1906/07): 377-78.

[8:13]  ²⁰⁸ tn Heb In the six hundred and first year.” Since this refers to the six hundred and first year of Noah’s life, the word “Noah’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[8:13]  ²⁰⁹ tn Heb “and saw and look.” As in v. 11, the deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites readers to enter into the story, as it were, and look at the dry ground with their own eyes.

[8:14]  ²¹⁰ tn In v. 13 the ground (הָאֲדָמָה, ha’adamah) is dry; now the earth (הָאָרֶץ, ha’arets) is dry.

[8:17]  ²¹¹ tn The words “bring out” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[8:17]  ²¹² tn Following the Hiphil imperative, “bring out,” the three perfect verb forms with vav (ו) consecutive carry an imperatival nuance. For a discussion of the Hebrew construction here and the difficulty of translating it into English, see S. R. Driver, A Treatise on the Use of the Tenses in Hebrew, 124-25.

[8:17]  ²¹³ tn Heb “and let them swarm in the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.”

[8:20]  ²¹⁴ sn Offered burnt offerings on the altar. F. D. Maurice includes a chapter on the sacrifice of Noah in The Doctrine of Sacrifice. The whole burnt offering, according to Leviticus 1, represented the worshiper’s complete surrender and dedication to the Lord. After the flood Noah could see that God was not only a God of wrath, but a God of redemption and restoration. The one who escaped the catastrophe could best express his gratitude and submission through sacrificial worship, acknowledging God as the sovereign of the universe.

[8:21]  ²¹⁵ tn The Lord “smelled” (וַיָּרַח, vayyarakh) a “soothing smell” (רֵיחַ הַנִּיהֹחַ, reakh hannihoakh). The object forms a cognate accusative with the verb. The language is anthropomorphic. The offering had a sweet aroma that pleased or soothed. The expression in Lev 1 signifies that God accepts the offering with pleasure, and in accepting the offering he accepts the worshiper.

[8:21]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “and the Lord said.”

[8:21]  ²¹⁷ tn Heb “in his heart.”

[8:21]  ²¹⁸ tn Here the Hebrew word translated “curse” is קָלָל (qalal), used in the Piel verbal stem.

[8:21]  ²¹⁹ tn The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) can be used in a concessive sense (see BDB 473 s.v. כִּי), which makes good sense in this context. Its normal causal sense (“for”) does not fit the context here very well.

[8:21]  ²²⁰ tn Heb “the inclination of the heart of humankind.”

[8:21]  ²²¹ tn Heb “from his youth.”

[8:22]  ²²² tn Heb “yet all the days of the earth.” The idea is “[while there are] yet all the days of the earth,” meaning, “as long as the earth exists.”

[8:22]  ²²³ tn Heb “seed,” which stands here by metonymy for the time when seed is planted.

[9:2]  ²²⁴ tn Heb “and fear of you and dread of you will be upon every living creature of the earth and upon every bird of the sky.” The suffixes on the nouns “fear” and “dread” are objective genitives. The animals will fear humans from this time forward.

[9:2]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “into your hand are given.” The “hand” signifies power. To say the animals have been given into the hands of humans means humans have been given authority over them.

[9:3]  ²²⁶ tn Heb “every moving thing that lives for you will be for food.”

[9:3]  ²²⁷ tn The words “I gave you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[9:3]  ²²⁸ tn The perfect verb form describes the action that accompanies the declaration.

[9:4]  ²²⁹ tn Heb “only.”

[9:4]  ²³⁰ tn Or “flesh.”

[9:4]  ²³¹ tn Heb “its life, its blood.” The second word is in apposition to the first, explaining what is meant by “its life.” Since the blood is equated with life, meat that had the blood in it was not to be eaten.

[9:4]  ²³² tn The words “in it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[9:5]  ²³³ tn Again the text uses apposition to clarify what kind of blood is being discussed: “your blood, [that is] for your life.” See C. L. Dewar, “The Biblical Use of the Term ‘Blood,’” JTS 4 (1953): 204-8.

[9:5]  ²³⁴ tn The word “punishment” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification. The verb דָּרָשׁ (darash) means “to require, to seek, to ask for, to exact.” Here it means that God will exact punishment for the taking of a life. See R. Mawdsley, “Capital Punishment in Gen. 9:6,” CentBib 18 (1975): 20-25.

[9:5]  ²³⁵ tn Heb “from the hand of,” which means “out of the hand of” or “out of the power of” and is nearly identical in sense to the preposition מִן (min) alone.

[9:5]  ²³⁶ tn Heb “and from the hand of the man.” The article has a generic function, indicating the class, i.e., humankind.

[9:5]  ²³⁷ tn Heb “of the man.”

[9:5]  ²³⁸ tn Heb “from the hand of a man, his brother.” The point is that God will require the blood of someone who kills, since the person killed is a relative (“brother”) of the killer. The language reflects Noah’s situation (after the flood everyone would be part of Noah’s extended family), but also supports the concept of the brotherhood of humankind. According to the Genesis account the entire human race descended from Noah.

[9:6]  ²³⁹ tn Heb “the blood of man.”

[9:6]  ²⁴⁰ tn Heb “by man,” a generic term here for other human beings.

[9:6]  ²⁴¹ sn See the notes on the words “humankind” and “likeness” in Gen 1:26, as well as J. Barr, “The Image of God in the Book of Genesis – A Study of Terminology,” BJRL 51 (1968/69): 11-26.

[9:6]  ²⁴² tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:7]  ²⁴³ sn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + pronominal subject + verb) here indicates a strong contrast to what has preceded. Against the backdrop of the warnings about taking life, God now instructs the people to produce life, using terms reminiscent of the mandate given to Adam (Gen 1:28).

[9:8]  ²⁴⁴ tn Heb “to Noah and to his sons with him, saying.”

[9:9]  ²⁴⁵ tn Heb “I, look, I confirm.” The particle הִנְנִי (hinni) used with the participle מֵקִים (meqim) gives the sense of immediacy or imminence, as if to say, “Look! I am now confirming.”

[9:9]  ²⁴⁶ tn The three pronominal suffixes (translated “you,” “your,” and “you”) are masculine plural. As v. 8 indicates, Noah and his sons are addressed.

[9:10]  ²⁴⁷ tn The verbal repetition is apparently for emphasis.

[9:11]  ²⁴⁸ tn The verb וַהֲקִמֹתִי (vahaqimoti) is a perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive and should be translated with the English present tense, just as the participle at the beginning of the speech was (v. 9). Another option is to translate both forms with the English future tense (“I will confirm”).

[9:11]  ²⁴⁹ tn Heb “all flesh.”

[9:11]  ²⁵⁰ tn Heb “cut off.”

[9:11]  ²⁵¹ tn Heb “and all flesh will not be cut off again by the waters of the flood.”

[9:12]  ²⁵² tn Heb “sign.”

[9:12]  ²⁵³ sn On the making of covenants in Genesis, see W. F. Albright, “The Hebrew Expression for ‘Making a Covenant’ in Pre-Israelite Documents,” BASOR 121 (1951): 21-22.

[9:12]  ²⁵⁴ tn Heb “between me and between you.”

[9:12]  ²⁵⁵ tn The words “a covenant” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[9:12]  ²⁵⁶ tn The Hebrew term עוֹלָם (’olam) means “ever, forever, lasting, perpetual.” The covenant would extend to subsequent generations.

[9:13]  ²⁵⁷ tn The translation assumes that the perfect verbal form is used rhetorically, emphasizing the certainty of the action. Other translation options include “I have placed” (present perfect; cf. NIV, NRSV) and “I place” (instantaneous perfect; cf. NEB).

[9:13]  ²⁵⁸ sn The Hebrew word קֶשֶׁת (qeshet) normally refers to a warrior’s bow. Some understand this to mean that God the warrior hangs up his battle bow at the end of the flood, indicating he is now at peace with humankind, but others question the legitimacy of this proposal. See C. Westermann, Genesis, 1:473, and G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:196.

[9:13]  ²⁵⁹ tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect of certitude.

[9:14]  ²⁶⁰ tn The temporal indicator (וְהָיָה, vÿhayah, conjunction + the perfect verb form), often translated “it will be,” anticipates a future development.

[9:15]  ²⁶¹ tn Heb “which [is] between me and between you.”

[9:15]  ²⁶² tn Heb “all flesh.”

[9:15]  ²⁶³ tn Heb “to destroy.”

[9:15]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “all flesh.”

[9:16]  ²⁶⁵ tn The translation assumes that the infinitive לִזְכֹּר (lizkor, “to remember”) here expresses the result of seeing the rainbow. Another option is to understand it as indicating purpose, in which case it could be translated, “I will look at it so that I may remember.”

[9:17]  ²⁶⁶ tn Heb “all flesh.”

[9:18]  ²⁶⁷ sn The concluding disjunctive clause is parenthetical. It anticipates the following story, which explains that the Canaanites, Ham’s descendants through Canaan, were cursed because they shared the same moral abandonment that their ancestor displayed. See A. van Selms, “The Canaanites in the Book of Genesis,” OTS 12 (1958): 182-213.

[9:19]  ²⁶⁸ tn Heb “was scattered.” The verb פָּצָה (patsah, “to scatter” [Niphal, “to be scattered”]) figures prominently in story of the dispersion of humankind in chap. 11.

[9:20]  ²⁶⁹ sn The epithet a man of the soil indicates that Noah was a farmer.

[9:20]  ²⁷⁰ tn Or “Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard”; Heb “and Noah, a man of the ground, began and he planted a vineyard.”

[9:21]  ²⁷¹ tn The Hebrew verb גָּלָה (galah) in the Hitpael verbal stem (וַיִּתְגַּל, vayyitggal) means “to uncover oneself” or “to be uncovered.” Noah became overheated because of the wine and uncovered himself in the tent.

[9:22]  ²⁷² sn For the second time (see v. 18) the text informs the reader of the relationship between Ham and Canaan. Genesis 10 will explain that Canaan was the ancestor of the Canaanite tribes living in the promised land.

[9:22]  ²⁷³ tn Some would translate “had sexual relations with,” arguing that Ham committed a homosexual act with his drunken father for which he was cursed. However, the expression “see nakedness” usually refers to observation of another’s nakedness, not a sexual act (see Gen 42:9, 12 where “nakedness” is used metaphorically to convey the idea of “weakness” or “vulnerability”; Deut 23:14 where “nakedness” refers to excrement; Isa 47:3; Ezek 16:37; Lam 1:8). The following verse (v. 23) clearly indicates that visual observation, not a homosexual act, is in view here. In Lev 20:17 the expression “see nakedness” does appear to be a euphemism for sexual intercourse, but the context there, unlike that of Gen 9:22, clearly indicates that in that passage sexual contact is in view. The expression “see nakedness” does not in itself suggest a sexual connotation. Some relate Gen 9:22 to Lev 18:6-11, 15-19, where the expression “uncover [another’s] nakedness” (the Piel form of גָּלָה, galah) refers euphemistically to sexual intercourse. However, Gen 9:22 does not say Ham “uncovered” the nakedness of his father. According to the text, Noah uncovered himself; Ham merely saw his father naked. The point of the text is that Ham had no respect for his father. Rather than covering his father up, he told his brothers. Noah then gave an oracle that Ham’s descendants, who would be characterized by the same moral abandonment, would be cursed. Leviticus 18 describes that greater evil of the Canaanites (see vv. 24-28).

[9:23]  ²⁷⁴ tn The word translated “garment” has the Hebrew definite article on it. The article may simply indicate that the garment is definite and vivid in the mind of the narrator, but it could refer instead to Noah’s garment. Did Ham bring it out when he told his brothers?

[9:23]  ²⁷⁵ tn Heb “their faces [were turned] back.”

[9:24]  ²⁷⁶ tn Heb “his wine,” used here by metonymy for the drunken stupor it produced.

[9:24]  ²⁷⁷ tn Heb “he knew.”

[9:24]  ²⁷⁸ tn The Hebrew verb עָשָׂה (’asah, “to do”) carries too general a sense to draw the conclusion that Ham had to have done more than look on his father’s nakedness and tell his brothers.

[9:25]  ²⁷⁹ sn For more on the curse, see H. C. Brichto, The Problem of “Curse” in the Hebrew Bible (JBLMS), and J. Scharbert, TDOT 1:405-18.

[9:25]  ²⁸⁰ sn Cursed be Canaan. The curse is pronounced on Canaan, not Ham. Noah sees a problem in Ham’s character, and on the basis of that he delivers a prophecy about the future descendants who will live in slavery to such things and then be controlled by others. (For more on the idea of slavery in general, see E. M. Yamauchi, “Slaves of God,” BETS 9 [1966]: 31-49). In a similar way Jacob pronounced oracles about his sons based on their revealed character (see Gen 49).

[9:25]  ²⁸¹ tn Heb “a servant of servants” (עֶבֶד עֲבָדִים, ’eved ’avadim), an example of the superlative genitive. It means Canaan will become the most abject of slaves.

[9:26]  ²⁸² tn Heb “blessed be.”

[9:26]  ²⁸³ tn Heb “a slave to him”; the referent (Shem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:27]  ²⁸⁴ tn Heb “may God enlarge Japheth.” The words “territory and numbers” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:27]  ²⁸⁵ tn In this context the prefixed verbal form is a jussive (note the distinct jussive forms both before and after this in vv. 26 and 27).

[10:1]  ²⁸⁶ tn The title אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת (’elle tolÿdot, here translated as “This is the account”) here covers 10:1–11:9, which contains the so-called Table of Nations and the account of how the nations came to be dispersed.

[10:1]  ²⁸⁷ sn Sons were born to them. A vertical genealogy such as this encompasses more than the names of sons. The list includes cities, tribes, and even nations. In a loose way, the names in the list have some derivation or connection to the three ancestors.

[10:1]  ²⁸⁸ tn It appears that the Table of Nations is a composite of at least two ancient sources: Some sections begin with the phrase “the sons of” (בְּנֵי, bÿne) while other sections use “begot” (יָלָד, yalad). It may very well be that the “sons of” list was an old, “bare bones” list that was retained in the family records, while the “begot” sections were editorial inserts by the writer of Genesis, reflecting his special interests. See A. P. Ross, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Structure,” BSac 137 (1980): 340-53; idem, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Content,” BSac 138 (1981): 22-34.

[10:2]  ²⁸⁹ sn The Greek form of the name Japheth, Iapetos, is used in Greek tradition for the ancestor of the Greeks.

[10:2]  ²⁹⁰ sn Gomer was the ancestor of the Cimmerians. For a discussion of the Cimmerians see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 49-61.

[10:2]  ²⁹¹ sn For a discussion of various proposals concerning the descendants of Magog see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 22-24.

[10:2]  ²⁹² sn Madai was the ancestor of the Medes, who lived east of Assyria.

[10:2]  ²⁹³ sn Javan was the father of the Hellenic race, the Ionians who lived in western Asia Minor.

[10:2]  ²⁹⁴ sn Tubal was the ancestor of militaristic tribes that lived north of the Black Sea. For a discussion of ancient references to Tubal see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 24-26.

[10:2]  ²⁹⁵ sn Meshech was the ancestor of the people known in Assyrian records as the Musku. For a discussion of ancient references to them see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 24-26.

[10:2]  ²⁹⁶ sn Tiras was the ancestor of the Thracians, some of whom possibly became the Pelasgian pirates of the Aegean.

[10:3]  ²⁹⁷ sn The descendants of Gomer were all northern tribes of the Upper Euphrates.

[10:3]  ²⁹⁸ sn Askenaz was the ancestor of a northern branch of Indo-Germanic tribes, possibly Scythians. For discussion see E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 63.

[10:3]  ²⁹⁹ sn The descendants of Riphath lived in a district north of the road from Haran to Carchemish.

[10:3]  ³⁰⁰ sn Togarmah is also mentioned in Ezek 38:6, where it refers to Til-garimmu, the capital of Kammanu, which bordered Tabal in eastern Turkey. See E. M. Yamauchi, Foes from the Northern Frontier (SBA), 26, n. 28.

[10:4]  ³⁰¹ sn The descendants of Elishah populated Cyprus.

[10:4]  ³⁰² sn The descendants of Tarshish settled along the southern coast of what is modern Turkey. However, some identify the site Tarshish (see Jonah 1:3) with Sardinia or Spain.

[10:4]  ³⁰³ sn The name Kittim is associated with Cyprus, as well as coastlands east of Rhodes. It is used in later texts to refer to the Romans.

[10:4]  ³⁰⁴ tc Most of the MT mss read “Dodanim” here, but 1 Chr 1:7 has “Rodanim,” perhaps referring to the island of Rhodes. But the Qere reading in 1 Chr 1:7 suggests “Dodanim.” Dodona is one of the most ancient and revered spots in ancient Greece.

[10:6]  ³⁰⁵ sn The descendants of Cush settled in Nubia (Ethiopia).

[10:6]  ³⁰⁶ sn The descendants of Mizraim settled in Upper and Lower Egypt.

[10:6]  ³⁰⁷ sn The descendants of Put settled in Libya.

[10:6]  ³⁰⁸ sn The descendants of Canaan lived in the region of Phoenicia (Palestine).

[10:7]  ³⁰⁹ sn The descendants of Seba settled in Upper Egypt along the Nile.

[10:7]  ³¹⁰ sn The Hebrew name Havilah apparently means “stretch of sand” (see HALOT 297 s.v. חֲוִילָה). Havilah’s descendants settled in eastern Arabia.

[10:7]  ³¹¹ sn The descendants of Sabtah settled near the western shore of the Persian Gulf in ancient Hadhramaut.

[10:7]  ³¹² sn The descendants of Raamah settled in southwest Arabia.

[10:7]  ³¹³ sn The descendants of Sabteca settled in Samudake, east toward the Persian Gulf.

[10:7]  ³¹⁴ sn Sheba became the name of a kingdom in southwest Arabia.

[10:7]  ³¹⁵ sn The name Dedan is associated with àUla in northern Arabia.

[10:8]  ³¹⁶ tn Heb “fathered.” Embedded within Cush’s genealogy is an account of Nimrod, a mighty warrior. There have been many attempts to identify him, but none are convincing.

[10:9]  ³¹⁷ tn The Hebrew word for “hunt” is צַיִד (tsayid), which is used on occasion for hunting men (1 Sam 24:12; Jer 16:16; Lam 3:15).

[10:9]  ³¹⁸ tn Another option is to take the divine name here, לִפְנֵי יִהוָה (lifne yÿhvah, “before the Lord [YHWH]”), as a means of expressing the superlative degree. In this case one may translate “Nimrod was the greatest hunter in the world.”

[10:10]  ³¹⁹ tn Heb “beginning.” E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 67, suggests “mainstays,” citing Jer 49:35 as another text where the Hebrew noun is so used.

[10:10]  ³²⁰ tn Or “Babylon.”

[10:10]  ³²¹ sn Erech (ancient Uruk, modern Warka), one of the most ancient civilizations, was located southeast of Babylon.

[10:10]  ³²² sn Akkad, or ancient Agade, was associated with Sargon and located north of Babylon.

[10:10]  ³²³ tn No such place is known in Shinar (i.e., Babylonia). Therefore some have translated the Hebrew term כַלְנֵה (khalneh) as “all of them,” referring to the three previous names (cf. NRSV).

[10:10]  ³²⁴ sn Shinar is another name for Babylonia.

[10:11]  ³²⁵ tn The subject of the verb translated “went” is probably still Nimrod. However, it has also been interpreted that “Ashur went,” referring to a derivative power.

[10:11]  ³²⁶ tn Heb “Asshur.”

[10:11]  ³²⁷ sn Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city situated on the Tigris River.

[10:11]  ³²⁸ sn The name Rehoboth-Ir means “and broad streets of a city,” perhaps referring to a suburb of Nineveh.

[10:11]  ³²⁹ sn Calah (modern Nimrud) was located twenty miles north of Nineveh.

[10:12]  ³³⁰ tn Heb “and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; it [i.e., Calah] is the great city.”

[10:13]  ³³¹ sn Mizraim is the Hebrew name for Egypt (cf. NRSV).

[10:13]  ³³² tn Heb “fathered.”

[10:13]  ³³³ sn The Ludites were African tribes west of the Nile Delta.

[10:13]  ³³⁴ sn The Anamites lived in North Africa, west of Egypt, near Cyrene.

[10:13]  ³³⁵ sn The Lehabites are identified with the Libyans.

[10:13]  ³³⁶ sn The Naphtuhites lived in Lower Egypt (the Nile Delta region).

[10:14]  ³³⁷ sn The Pathrusites are known in Egyptian as P-to-reshi; they resided in Upper Egypt.

[10:14]  ³³⁸ sn The Casluhites lived in Crete and eventually settled east of the Egyptian Delta, between Egypt and Canaan.

[10:14]  ³³⁹ tn Several commentators prefer to reverse the order of the words to put this clause after the next word, since the Philistines came from Crete (where the Caphtorites lived). But the table may suggest migration rather than lineage, and the Philistines, like the Israelites, came through the Nile Delta region of Egypt. For further discussion of the origin and migration of the Philistines, see D. M. Howard, “Philistines,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 232.

[10:14]  ³⁴⁰ sn The Caphtorites resided in Crete, but in Egyptian literature Caphtor refers to “the region beyond” the Mediterranean.

[10:15]  ³⁴¹ tn Heb “fathered.”

[10:15]  ³⁴² sn Sidon was the foremost city in Phoenicia; here Sidon may be the name of its founder.

[10:15]  ³⁴³ tn Some see a reference to “Hittites” here (cf. NIV), but this seems unlikely. See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.

[10:16]  ³⁴⁴ sn The Jebusites were the Canaanite inhabitants of ancient Jerusalem.

[10:16]  ³⁴⁵ sn Here Amorites refers to smaller groups of Canaanite inhabitants of the mountainous regions of Palestine, rather than the large waves of Amurru, or western Semites, who migrated to the region.

[10:16]  ³⁴⁶ sn The Girgashites are an otherwise unknown Canaanite tribe, though the name is possibly mentioned in Ugaritic texts (see G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 1:226).

[10:17]  ³⁴⁷ sn The Hivites were Canaanite tribes of a Hurrian origin.

[10:17]  ³⁴⁸ sn The Arkites lived in Arka, a city in Lebanon, north of Sidon.

[10:17]  ³⁴⁹ sn The Sinites lived in Sin, another town in Lebanon.

[10:18]  ³⁵⁰ sn The Arvadites lived in the city Arvad, located on an island near the mainland close to the river El Kebir.

[10:18]  ³⁵¹ sn The Zemarites lived in the town Sumur, north of Arka.

[10:18]  ³⁵² sn The Hamathites lived in Hamath on the Orontes River.

[10:19]  ³⁵³ tn Heb “were.”

[10:19]  ³⁵⁴ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[10:19]  ³⁵⁵ tn Heb “as you go.”

[10:19]  ³⁵⁶ tn Heb “as you go.”

[10:21]  ³⁵⁷ tn Heb “And to Shem was born.”

[10:21]  ³⁵⁸ tn Or “whose older brother was Japheth.” Some translations render Japheth as the older brother, understanding the adjective הַגָּדוֹל (haggadol, “older”) as modifying Japheth. However, in Hebrew when a masculine singular definite attributive adjective follows the sequence masculine singular construct noun + proper name, the adjective invariably modifies the noun in construct, not the proper name. Such is the case here. See Deut 11:7; Judg 1:13; 2:7; 3:9; 9:5; 2 Kgs 15:35; 2 Chr 27:3; Neh 3:30; Jer 13:9; 36:10; Ezek 10:19; 11:1.

[10:22]  ³⁵⁹ sn The Hebrew name Elam (עֵילָם, ’elam) means “highland.” The Elamites were a non-Semitic people who lived east of Babylon.

[10:22]  ³⁶⁰ sn Asshur is the name for the Assyrians. Asshur was the region in which Nimrod expanded his power (see v. 11, where the name is also mentioned). When names appear in both sections of a genealogical list, it probably means that there were both Hamites and Shemites living in that region in antiquity, especially if the name is a place name.

[10:22]  ³⁶¹ sn The descendants of Arphaxad may have lived northeast of Nineveh.

[10:22]  ³⁶² sn Lud may have been the ancestor of the Ludbu, who lived near the Tigris River.

[10:22]  ³⁶³ sn Aram became the collective name of the northern tribes living in the steppes of Mesopotamia and speaking Aramaic dialects.

[10:23]  ³⁶⁴ tc The MT reads “Mash”; the LXX and 1 Chr 1:17 read “Meshech.”

[10:24]  ³⁶⁵ tn Heb “fathered.”

[10:24]  ³⁶⁶ tc The MT reads “Arphaxad fathered Shelah”; the LXX reads “Arphaxad fathered Cainan, and Cainan fathered Sala [= Shelah].” The LXX reading also appears to lie behind Luke 3:35-36.

[10:24]  ³⁶⁷ sn Genesis 11 traces the line of Shem through Eber (עֵבֶר, ’ever ) to Abraham the “Hebrew” (עִבְרִי, ’ivri).

[10:25]  ³⁶⁸ tn The expression “the earth was divided” may refer to dividing the land with canals, but more likely it anticipates the division of languages at Babel (Gen 11). The verb פָּלָג (palag, “separate, divide”) is used in Ps 55:9 for a division of languages.

[10:26]  ³⁶⁹ tn Heb “fathered.”

[10:26]  ³⁷⁰ sn The name Almodad combines the Arabic article al with modad (“friend”). Almodad was the ancestor of a South Arabian people.

[10:26]  ³⁷¹ sn The name Sheleph may be related to Shilph, a district of Yemen; Shalph is a Yemenite tribe.

[10:26]  ³⁷² sn The name Hazarmaveth should be equated with Hadramawt, located in Southern Arabia.

[10:26]  ³⁷³ sn The name Jerah means “moon.”

[10:27]  ³⁷⁴ sn Uzal was the name of the old capital of Yemen.

[10:27]  ³⁷⁵ sn The name Diklah means “date-palm.”

[10:28]  ³⁷⁶ sn Obal was a name used for several localities in Yemen.

[10:28]  ³⁷⁷ sn The name Abimael is a genuine Sabean form which means “my father, truly, he is God.”

[10:28]  ³⁷⁸ sn The descendants of Sheba lived in South Arabia, where the Joktanites were more powerful than the Hamites.

[10:29]  ³⁷⁹ sn Ophir became the name of a territory in South Arabia. Many of the references to Ophir are connected with gold (e.g., 1 Kgs 9:28, 10:11, 22:48; 1 Chr 29:4; 2 Chr 8:18, 9:10; Job 22:24, 28:16; Ps 45:9; Isa 13:12).

[10:29]  ³⁸⁰ sn Havilah is listed with Ham in v. 7.

[10:30]  ³⁸¹ tn Heb “as you go.”

[10:32]  ³⁸² tn Or “separated.”

[11:1]  ³⁸³ sn The whole earth. Here “earth” is a metonymy of subject, referring to the people who lived in the earth. Genesis 11 begins with everyone speaking a common language, but chap. 10 has the nations arranged by languages. It is part of the narrative art of Genesis to give the explanation of the event after the narration of the event. On this passage see A. P. Ross, “The Dispersion of the Nations in Genesis 11:1-9,” BSac 138 (1981): 119-38.

[11:1]  ³⁸⁴ tn Heb “one lip and one [set of] words.” The term “lip” is a metonymy of cause, putting the instrument for the intended effect. They had one language. The term “words” refers to the content of their speech. They had the same vocabulary.

[11:2]  ³⁸⁵ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:2]  ³⁸⁶ tn Or perhaps “from the east” (NRSV) or “in the east.”

[11:2]  ³⁸⁷ tn Heb “in the land of Shinar.”

[11:3]  ³⁸⁸ tn Heb “a man to his neighbor.” The Hebrew idiom may be translated “to each other” or “one to another.”

[11:3]  ³⁸⁹ tn The speech contains two cohortatives of exhortation followed by their respective cognate accusatives: “let us brick bricks” (נִלְבְּנָה לְבֵנִים, nilbbÿnah lÿvenim) and “burn for burning” (נִשְׂרְפָה לִשְׂרֵפָה, nisrÿfah lisrefah). This stresses the intensity of the undertaking; it also reflects the Akkadian text which uses similar constructions (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 75-76).

[11:3]  ³⁹⁰ tn Or “bitumen” (cf. NEB, NRSV).

[11:3]  ³⁹¹ tn The disjunctive clause gives information parenthetical to the narrative.

[11:4]  ³⁹² tn A translation of “heavens” for שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) fits this context because the Babylonian ziggurats had temples at the top, suggesting they reached to the heavens, the dwelling place of the gods.

[11:4]  ³⁹³ tn The form וְנַעֲשֶׂה (vÿna’aseh, from the verb עשׂה, “do, make”) could be either the imperfect or the cohortative with a vav (ו) conjunction (“and let us make…”). Coming after the previous cohortative, this form expresses purpose.

[11:4]  ³⁹⁴ tn The Hebrew particle פֶּן (pen) expresses a negative purpose; it means “that we be not scattered.”

[11:4]  ³⁹⁵ sn The Hebrew verb פָּוָץ (pavats, translated “scatter”) is a key term in this passage. The focal point of the account is the dispersion (“scattering”) of the nations rather than the Tower of Babel. But the passage also forms a polemic against Babylon, the pride of the east and a cosmopolitan center with a huge ziggurat. To the Hebrews it was a monument to the judgment of God on pride.

[11:5]  ³⁹⁶ tn Heb “the sons of man.” The phrase is intended in this polemic to portray the builders as mere mortals, not the lesser deities that the Babylonians claimed built the city.

[11:5]  ³⁹⁷ tn The Hebrew text simply has בָּנוּ (banu), but since v. 8 says they left off building the city, an ingressive idea (“had started building”) should be understood here.

[11:6]  ³⁹⁸ tn Heb “and one lip to all of them.”

[11:6]  ³⁹⁹ tn Heb “and now.” The foundational clause beginning with הֵן (hen) expresses the condition, and the second clause the result. It could be rendered “If this…then now.”

[11:6]  ⁴⁰⁰ tn Heb “all that they purpose to do will not be withheld from them.”

[11:7]  ⁴⁰¹ tn The cohortatives mirror the cohortatives of the people. They build to ascend the heavens; God comes down to destroy their language. God speaks here to his angelic assembly. See the notes on the word “make” in 1:26 and “know” in 3:5, as well as Jub. 10:22-23, where an angel recounts this incident and says “And the Lord our God said to us…. And the Lord went down and we went down with him. And we saw the city and the tower which the sons of men built.” On the chiastic structure of the story, see G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:235.

[11:7]  ⁴⁰² tn Heb “they will not hear, a man the lip of his neighbor.”

[11:8]  ⁴⁰³ tn The infinitive construct לִבְנֹת (livnot, “building”) here serves as the object of the verb “they ceased, stopped,” answering the question of what they stopped doing.

[11:9]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn The verb has no expressed subject and so can be rendered as a passive in the translation.

[11:9]  ⁴⁰⁵ sn Babel. Here is the climax of the account, a parody on the pride of Babylon. In the Babylonian literature the name bab-ili meant “the gate of God,” but in Hebrew it sounds like the word for “confusion,” and so retained that connotation. The name “Babel” (בָּבֶל, bavel) and the verb translated “confused” (בָּלַל, balal) form a paronomasia (sound play). For the many wordplays and other rhetorical devices in Genesis, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).

[11:11]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[11:13]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[11:13]  ⁴⁰⁸ tc The reading of the MT is followed in vv. 11-12; the LXX reads, “And [= when] Arphaxad had lived thirty-five years, [and] he fathered [= became the father of] Cainan. And after he fathered [= became the father of] Cainan, Arphaxad lived four hundred and thirty years and fathered [= had] [other] sons and daughters, and [then] he died. And [= when] Cainan had lived one hundred and thirty years, [and] he fathered [= became the father of] Sala [= Shelah]. And after he fathered [= became the father of] Sala [= Shelah], Cainan lived three hundred and thirty years and fathered [= had] [other] sons and daughters, and [then] he died.” See also the note on “Shelah” in Gen 10:24; the LXX reading also appears to lie behind Luke 3:35-36.

[11:15]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn Here and in vv. 16, 19, 21, 23, 25 the word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[11:28]  ⁴¹⁰ sn The phrase of the Chaldeans is a later editorial clarification for the readers, designating the location of Ur. From all evidence there would have been no Chaldeans in existence at this early date; they are known in the time of the neo-Babylonian empire in the first millennium b.c.

[11:28]  ⁴¹¹ tn Heb “upon the face of Terah his father.”

[11:29]  ⁴¹² sn The name Sarai (a variant spelling of “Sarah”) means “princess” (or “lady”). Sharratu was the name of the wife of the moon god Sin. The original name may reflect the culture out of which the patriarch was called, for the family did worship other gods in Mesopotamia.

[11:29]  ⁴¹³ sn The name Milcah means “Queen.” But more to the point here is the fact that Malkatu was a title for Ishtar, the daughter of the moon god. If the women were named after such titles (and there is no evidence that this was the motivation for naming the girls “Princess” or “Queen”), that would not necessarily imply anything about the faith of the two women themselves.

[11:32]  ⁴¹⁴ tn Heb “And the days of Terah were.”

[11:32]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Heb “Terah”; the pronoun has been substituted for the proper name in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[12:1]  ⁴¹⁶ sn The Lord called Abram while he was in Ur (see Gen 15:7; Acts 7:2); but the sequence here makes it look like it was after the family left to migrate to Canaan (11:31-32). Genesis records the call of Abram at this place in the narrative because it is the formal beginning of the account of Abram. The record of Terah was brought to its end before this beginning.

[12:1]  ⁴¹⁷ tn The call of Abram begins with an imperative לֶךְ־לְךָ (lekh-lÿkha, “go out”) followed by three cohortatives (v. 2a) indicating purpose or consequence (“that I may” or “then I will”). If Abram leaves, then God will do these three things. The second imperative (v. 2b, literally “and be a blessing”) is subordinated to the preceding cohortatives and indicates God’s ultimate purpose in calling and blessing Abram. On the syntactical structure of vv. 1-2 see R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 37. For a similar sequence of volitive forms see Gen 45:18.

[12:1]  ⁴¹⁸ tn The initial command is the direct imperative (לֶךְ, lekh) from the verb הָלַךְ (halakh). It is followed by the lamed preposition with a pronominal suffix (לְךָ, lÿkha) emphasizing the subject of the imperative: “you leave.”

[12:1]  ⁴¹⁹ sn To the land that I will show you. The call of Abram illustrates the leading of the Lord. The command is to leave. The Lord’s word is very specific about what Abram is to leave (the three prepositional phrases narrow to his father’s household), but is not specific at all about where he is to go. God required faith, a point that Heb 11:8 notes.

[12:2]  ⁴²⁰ tn The three first person verbs in v. 2a should be classified as cohortatives. The first two have pronominal suffixes, so the form itself does not indicate a cohortative. The third verb form is clearly cohortative.

[12:2]  ⁴²¹ sn I will bless you. The blessing of creation is now carried forward to the patriarch. In the garden God blessed Adam and Eve; in that blessing he gave them (1) a fruitful place, (2) endowed them with fertility to multiply, and (3) made them rulers over creation. That was all ruined at the fall. Now God begins to build his covenant people; in Gen 12-22 he promises to give Abram (1) a land flowing with milk and honey, (2) a great nation without number, and (3) kingship.

[12:2]  ⁴²² tn Or “I will make you famous.”

[12:2]  ⁴²³ tn Heb “and be a blessing.” The verb form הְיֵה (hÿyeh) is the Qal imperative of the verb הָיָה (hayah). The vav (ו) with the imperative after the cohortatives indicates purpose or consequence. What does it mean for Abram to “be a blessing”? Will he be a channel or source of blessing for others, or a prime example of divine blessing? A similar statement occurs in Zech 8:13, where God assures his people, “You will be a blessing,” in contrast to the past when they “were a curse.” Certainly “curse” here does not refer to Israel being a source of a curse, but rather to the fact that they became a curse-word or byword among the nations, who regarded them as the epitome of an accursed people (see 2 Kgs 22:19; Jer 42:18; 44:8, 12, 22). Therefore the statement “be a blessing” seems to refer to Israel being transformed into a prime example of a blessed people, whose name will be used in blessing formulae, rather than in curses. If the statement “be a blessing” is understood in the same way in Gen 12:2, then it means that God would so bless Abram that other nations would hear of his fame and hold him up as a paradigm of divine blessing in their blessing formulae.

[12:3]  ⁴²⁴ tn The Piel cohortative has as its object a Piel participle, masculine plural. Since the Lord binds himself to Abram by covenant, those who enrich Abram in any way share in the blessings.

[12:3]  ⁴²⁵ tn In this part of God’s statement there are two significant changes that often go unnoticed. First, the parallel and contrasting participle מְקַלֶּלְךָ (mÿqallelkha) is now singular and not plural. All the versions and a few Masoretic mss read the plural. But if it had been plural, there would be no reason to change it to the singular and alter the parallelism. On the other hand, if it was indeed singular, it is easy to see why the versions would change it to match the first participle. The MT preserves the original reading: “the one who treats you lightly.” The point would be a contrast with the lavish way that God desires to bless many. The second change is in the vocabulary. The English usually says, “I will curse those who curse you.” But there are two different words for curse here. The first is קָלַל (qalal), which means “to be light” in the Qal, and in the Piel “to treat lightly, to treat with contempt, to curse.” The second verb is אָרַר (’arar), which means “to banish, to remove from the blessing.” The point is simple: Whoever treats Abram and the covenant with contempt as worthless God will banish from the blessing. It is important also to note that the verb is not a cohortative, but a simple imperfect. Since God is binding himself to Abram, this would then be an obligatory imperfect: “but the one who treats you with contempt I must curse.”

[12:3]  ⁴²⁶ tn Theoretically the Niphal can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Abram were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in later formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless [i.e., “pronounce blessings on”] themselves [or “one another”].” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[12:4]  ⁴²⁷ sn So Abram left. This is the report of Abram’s obedience to God’s command (see v. 1).

[12:4]  ⁴²⁸ tn Heb “just as the Lord said to him.”

[12:4]  ⁴²⁹ tn The disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + implied “to be” verb) is parenthetical, telling the age of Abram when he left Haran.

[12:4]  ⁴³⁰ tn Heb “was the son of five years and seventy year[s].”

[12:5]  ⁴³¹ tn Heb “the son of his brother.”

[12:5]  ⁴³² tn For the semantic nuance “acquire [property]” for the verb עָשָׂה (’asah), see BDB 795 s.v. עָשָׂה.

[12:5]  ⁴³³ tn Heb “went out to go.”

[12:6]  ⁴³⁴ tn Or “terebinth.”

[12:6]  ⁴³⁵ sn The Hebrew word Moreh (מוֹרֶה, moreh) means “teacher.” It may well be that the place of this great oak tree was a Canaanite shrine where instruction took place.

[12:6]  ⁴³⁶ tn Heb “as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh.”

[12:6]  ⁴³⁷ tn The disjunctive clause gives important information parenthetical in nature – the promised land was occupied by Canaanites.

[12:7]  ⁴³⁸ tn The same Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[12:7]  ⁴³⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[12:8]  ⁴⁴⁰ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[12:8]  ⁴⁴¹ tn Heb “he called in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 13:4; 21:33; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.

[12:9]  ⁴⁴² tn The Hebrew verb נָסַע (nasa’) means “to journey”; more specifically it means to pull up the tent and move to another place. The construction here uses the preterite of this verb with its infinitive absolute to stress the activity of traveling. But it also adds the infinitive absolute of הָלַךְ (halakh) to stress that the traveling was continually going on. Thus “Abram journeyed, going and journeying” becomes “Abram continually journeyed by stages.”

[12:9]  ⁴⁴³ tn Or “the South [country].”

[12:10]  ⁴⁴⁴ sn Abram went down to Egypt. The Abrahamic narrative foreshadows some of the events in the life of the nation of Israel. This sojourn in Egypt is typological of Israel’s bondage there. In both stories there is a famine that forces the family to Egypt, death is a danger to the males while the females are preserved alive, great plagues bring about their departure, there is a summons to stand before Pharaoh, and there is a return to the land of Canaan with great wealth.

[12:10]  ⁴⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” means “to stay for a while.” The “stranger” (traditionally “sojourner”) is one who is a temporary resident, a visitor, one who is passing through. Abram had no intention of settling down in Egypt or owning property. He was only there to wait out the famine.

[12:10]  ⁴⁴⁶ tn Heb “heavy in the land.” The words “in the land,” which also occur at the beginning of the verse in the Hebrew text, have not been repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[12:11]  ⁴⁴⁷ tn Heb “drew near to enter.”

[12:11]  ⁴⁴⁸ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is deictic here; it draws attention to the following fact.

[12:11]  ⁴⁴⁹ tn Heb “a woman beautiful of appearance are you.”

[12:12]  ⁴⁵⁰ tn The Piel of the verb חָיָה (khayah, “to live”) means “to keep alive, to preserve alive,” and in some places “to make alive.” See D. Marcus, “The Verb ‘to Live’ in Ugaritic,” JSS 17 (1972): 76-82.

[12:13]  ⁴⁵¹ tn Heb “say.”

[12:13]  ⁴⁵² sn Tell them you are my sister. Abram’s motives may not be as selfish as they appear. He is aware of the danger to the family. His method of dealing with it is deception with a half truth, for Sarai really was his sister – but the Egyptians would not know that. Abram presumably thought that there would be negotiations for a marriage by anyone interested (as Laban does later for his sister Rebekah), giving him time to react. But the plan backfires because Pharaoh does not take the time to negotiate. There is a good deal of literature on the wife-sister issue. See (among others) E. A. Speiser, “The Wife-Sister Motif in the Patriarchal Narratives,” Oriental and Biblical Studies, 62-81; C. J. Mullo-Weir, “The Alleged Hurrian Wife-Sister Motif in Genesis,” GOT 22 (1967-1970): 14-25.

[12:13]  ⁴⁵³ tn The Hebrew verb translated “go well” can encompass a whole range of favorable treatment, but the following clause indicates it means here that Abram’s life will be spared.

[12:13]  ⁴⁵⁴ tn Heb “and my life will live.”

[12:15]  ⁴⁵⁵ tn Heb “and the woman.” The word also means “wife”; the Hebrew article can express the possessive pronoun (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 19, §86). Here the proper name (Abram) has been used in the translation instead of a possessive pronoun (“his”) for clarity.

[12:15]  ⁴⁵⁶ tn The Hebrew term וַתֻּקַּח (vattuqqakh, “was taken”) is a rare verbal form, an old Qal passive preterite from the verb “to take.” It is pointed as a Hophal would be by the Masoretes, but does not have a Hophal meaning.

[12:15]  ⁴⁵⁷ tn The Hebrew text simply has “house of Pharaoh.” The word “house” refers to the household in general, more specifically to the royal harem.

[12:16]  ⁴⁵⁸ sn He did treat Abram well. The construction of the parenthetical disjunctive clause, beginning with the conjunction on the prepositional phrase, draws attention to the irony of the story. Abram wanted Sarai to lie “so that it would go well” with him. Though he lost Sarai to Pharaoh, it did go well for him – he received a lavish bride price. See also G. W. Coats, “Despoiling the Egyptians,” VT 18 (1968): 450-57.

[12:16]  ⁴⁵⁹ tn Heb “and there was to him.”

[12:17]  ⁴⁶⁰ tn The cognate accusative adds emphasis to the verbal sentence: “he plagued with great plagues,” meaning the Lord inflicted numerous plagues, probably diseases (see Exod 15:26). The adjective “great” emphasizes that the plagues were severe and overwhelming.

[12:18]  ⁴⁶¹ tn The demonstrative pronoun translated “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to me?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[12:19]  ⁴⁶² tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive here expresses consequence.

[12:19]  ⁴⁶³ tn Heb “to me for a wife.”

[12:19]  ⁴⁶⁴ tn Heb “Look, your wife!”

[12:19]  ⁴⁶⁵ tn Heb “take and go.”

[12:20]  ⁴⁶⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:1]  ⁴⁶⁷ tn Or “the South [country]” (also in v. 3).

[13:1]  ⁴⁶⁸ tn Heb “And Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all which was his, and Lot with him, to the Negev.”

[13:2]  ⁴⁶⁹ tn Heb “heavy.”

[13:2]  ⁴⁷⁰ tn This parenthetical clause, introduced by the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), provides information necessary to the point of the story.

[13:3]  ⁴⁷¹ tn Heb “on his journeys”; the verb and noun combination means to pick up the tents and move from camp to camp.

[13:3]  ⁴⁷² map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[13:3]  ⁴⁷³ tn The words “he returned” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:3]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn Heb “where his tent had been.”

[13:4]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn Heb “to the place of the altar which he had made there in the beginning” (cf. Gen 12:7-8).

[13:4]  ⁴⁷⁶ tn Heb “he called in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 21:33; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.

[13:5]  ⁴⁷⁷ tn Heb “was going.”

[13:5]  ⁴⁷⁸ tn The Hebrew idiom is “to Lot…there was,” the preposition here expressing possession.

[13:6]  ⁴⁷⁹ tn The potential nuance for the perfect tense is necessary here, and supported by the parallel clause that actually uses “to be able.”

[13:6]  ⁴⁸⁰ tn The infinitive construct לָשֶׁבֶת (lashevet, from יָשַׁב, yashav) explains what it was that the land could not support: “the land could not support them to live side by side.” See further J. C. de Moor, “Lexical Remarks Concerning Yahad and Yahdaw,” VT 7 (1957): 350-55.

[13:6]  ⁴⁸¹ tn The same infinitive occurs here, serving as the object of the verb.

[13:7]  ⁴⁸² tn The Hebrew term רִיב (riv) means “strife, conflict, quarreling.” In later texts it has the meaning of “legal controversy, dispute.” See B. Gemser, “The rîb – or Controversy – Pattern in Hebrew Mentality,” Wisdom in Israel and in the Ancient Near East [VTSup], 120-37.

[13:7]  ⁴⁸³ sn Since the quarreling was between the herdsmen, the dispute was no doubt over water and vegetation for the animals.

[13:7]  ⁴⁸⁴ tn This parenthetical clause, introduced with the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), again provides critical information. It tells in part why the land cannot sustain these two bedouins, and it also hints of the danger of weakening the family by inner strife.

[13:8]  ⁴⁸⁵ tn Heb “men, brothers [are] we.” Here “brothers” describes the closeness of the relationship, but could be misunderstood if taken literally, since Abram was Lot’s uncle.

[13:9]  ⁴⁸⁶ tn The words “you go” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons both times in this verse.

[13:10]  ⁴⁸⁷ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.” The expression draws attention to the act of looking, indicating that Lot took a good look. It also calls attention to the importance of what was seen.

[13:10]  ⁴⁸⁸ tn Or “plain”; Heb “circle.”

[13:10]  ⁴⁸⁹ tn The words “he noticed” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:10]  ⁴⁹⁰ sn Obliterated. The use of the term “destroy” (שַׁחֵת, shakhet) is reminiscent of the Noahic flood (Gen 6:13). Both at the flood and in Sodom the place was obliterated by catastrophe and only one family survived (see C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:178).

[13:10]  ⁴⁹¹ tn This short temporal clause (preposition + Piel infinitive construct + subjective genitive + direct object) is strategically placed in the middle of the lavish descriptions to sound an ominous note. The entire clause is parenthetical in nature. Most English translations place the clause at the end of v. 10 for stylistic reasons.

[13:10]  ⁴⁹² sn The narrative places emphasis on what Lot saw so that the reader can appreciate how it aroused his desire for the best land. It makes allusion to the garden of the Lord and to the land of Egypt for comparison. Just as the tree in the garden of Eden had awakened Eve’s desire, so the fertile valley attracted Lot. And just as certain memories of Egypt would cause the Israelites to want to turn back and abandon the trek to the promised land, so Lot headed for the good life.

[13:11]  ⁴⁹³ tn Heb “Lot traveled.” The proper name has not been repeated in the translation at this point for stylistic reasons.

[13:11]  ⁴⁹⁴ tn Heb “a man from upon his brother.”

[13:12]  ⁴⁹⁵ tn Or “the cities of the plain”; Heb “[the cities of] the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[13:13]  ⁴⁹⁶ tn Here is another significant parenthetical clause in the story, signaled by the vav (וו) disjunctive (translated “now”) on the noun at the beginning of the clause.

[13:13]  ⁴⁹⁷ tn Heb “men.” However, this is generic in sense; it is unlikely that only the male residents of Sodom were sinners.

[13:13]  ⁴⁹⁸ tn Heb “wicked and sinners against the Lord exceedingly.” The description of the sinfulness of the Sodomites is very emphatic. First, two nouns are used to form a hendiadys: “wicked and sinners” means “wicked sinners,” the first word becoming adjectival. The text is saying these were no ordinary sinners; they were wicked sinners, the type that cause pain for others. Then to this phrase is added “against the Lord,” stressing their violation of the laws of heaven and their culpability. Finally, to this is added מְאֹד (mÿ’od, “exceedingly,” translated here as “extremely”).

[13:14]  ⁴⁹⁹ tn Heb “and the Lord said to Abram after Lot separated himself from with him.” The disjunctive clause at the beginning of the verse signals a new scene.

[13:14]  ⁵⁰⁰ tn Heb “lift up your eyes and see.”

[13:15]  ⁵⁰¹ tn Heb “for all the land which you see to you I will give it and to your descendants.”

[13:16]  ⁵⁰² tn The translation “can be counted” (potential imperfect) is suggested by the use of יוּכַל (yukhal, “is able”) in the preceding clause.

[13:17]  ⁵⁰³ tn The connective “and” is not present in the Hebrew text; it has been supplied for purposes of English style.

[13:17]  ⁵⁰⁴ tn The Hitpael form הִתְהַלֵּךְ (hithallekh) means “to walk about”; it also can carry the ideas of moving about, traversing, going back and forth, or living in an area. It here has the connotation of traversing the land to survey it, to look it over.

[13:17]  ⁵⁰⁵ tn Heb “the land to its length and to its breadth.” This phrase has not been included in the translation because it is somewhat redundant (see the note on the word “throughout” in this verse).

[13:18]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn Heb “he came and lived.”

[13:18]  ⁵⁰⁷ tn Or “terebinths.”

[14:1]  ⁵⁰⁸ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayÿhi) followed by “in the days of.”

[14:1]  ⁵⁰⁹ sn Shinar (also in v. 9) is the region of Babylonia.

[14:1]  ⁵¹⁰ tn Or “king of Goyim.” The Hebrew term גּוֹיִם (goyim) means “nations,” but a number of modern translations merely transliterate the Hebrew (cf. NEB “Goyim”; NIV, NRSV “Goiim”).

[14:2]  ⁵¹¹ tn Heb “made war.”

[14:2]  ⁵¹² sn On the geographical background of vv. 1-2 see J. P. Harland, “Sodom and Gomorrah,” The Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 1:41-75; and D. N. Freedman, “The Real Story of the Ebla Tablets, Ebla and the Cities of the Plain,” BA 41 (1978): 143-64.

[14:3]  ⁵¹³ tn Heb “all these,” referring only to the last five kings named. The referent has been specified as “these last five kings” in the translation for clarity.

[14:3]  ⁵¹⁴ tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to join together; to unite; to be allied.” It stresses close associations, especially of friendships, marriages, or treaties.

[14:3]  ⁵¹⁵ sn The Salt Sea is the older name for the Dead Sea.

[14:4]  ⁵¹⁶ tn The sentence simply begins with “twelve years”; it serves as an adverbial accusative giving the duration of their bondage.

[14:4]  ⁵¹⁷ tn This is another adverbial accusative of time.

[14:4]  ⁵¹⁸ sn The story serves as a foreshadowing of the plight of the kingdom of Israel later. Eastern powers came and forced the western kingdoms into submission. Each year, then, they would send tribute east – to keep them away. Here, in the thirteenth year, they refused to send the tribute (just as later Hezekiah rebelled against Assyria). And so in the fourteenth year the eastern powers came to put them down again. This account from Abram’s life taught future generations that God can give victory over such threats – that people did not have to live in servitude to tyrants from the east.

[14:5]  ⁵¹⁹ tn The Hebrew verb נָכָה (nakhah) means “to attack, to strike, to smite.” In this context it appears that the strike was successful, and so a translation of “defeated” is preferable.

[14:6]  ⁵²⁰ sn The line of attack ran down the eastern side of the Jordan Valley into the desert, and then turned and came up the valley to the cities of the plain.

[14:7]  ⁵²¹ tn Heb “they returned and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh).” The two verbs together form a verbal hendiadys, the first serving as the adverb: “they returned and came” means “they came again.” Most English translations do not treat this as a hendiadys, but translate “they turned back” or something similar. Since in the context, however, “came again to” does not simply refer to travel but an assault against the place, the present translation expresses this as “attacked…again.”

[14:8]  ⁵²² tn Heb “against.”

[14:9]  ⁵²³ tn Or “Goyim.” See the note on the word “nations” in 14:1.

[14:9]  ⁵²⁴ tn The Hebrew text has simply “against.” The word “fought” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:10]  ⁵²⁵ tn Heb “Now the Valley of Siddim [was] pits, pits of tar.” This parenthetical disjunctive clause emphasizes the abundance of tar pits in the area through repetition of the noun “pits.”

[14:10]  ⁵²⁶ tn Or “they were defeated there.” After a verb of motion the Hebrew particle שָׁם (sham) with the directional heh (שָׁמָּה, shammah) can mean “into it, therein” (BDB 1027 s.v. שָׁם).

[14:10]  ⁵²⁷ tn Heb “the rest.”

[14:10]  ⁵²⁸ sn The reference to the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah must mean the kings along with their armies. Most of them were defeated in the valley, but some of them escaped to the hills.

[14:11]  ⁵²⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the four victorious kings, see v. 9) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  ⁵³⁰ tn Heb “Lot the son of his brother.”

[14:12]  ⁵³¹ tn Heb “and.”

[14:12]  ⁵³² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  ⁵³³ tn This disjunctive clause is circumstantial/causal, explaining that Lot was captured because he was living in Sodom at the time.

[14:13]  ⁵³⁴ tn Heb “the fugitive.” The article carries a generic force or indicates that this fugitive is definite in the mind of the speaker.

[14:13]  ⁵³⁵ sn E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103) suggests that part of this chapter came from an outside source since it refers to Abram the Hebrew. That is not impossible, given that the narrator likely utilized traditions and genealogies that had been collected and transmitted over the years. The meaning of the word “Hebrew” has proved elusive. It may be related to the verb “to cross over,” perhaps meaning “immigrant.” Or it might be derived from the name of Abram’s ancestor Eber (see Gen 11:14-16).

[14:13]  ⁵³⁶ tn Or “terebinths.”

[14:13]  ⁵³⁷ tn Or “a brother”; or “a relative”; or perhaps “an ally.”

[14:13]  ⁵³⁸ tn Heb “possessors of a treaty with.” Since it is likely that the qualifying statement refers to all three (Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner) the words “all these” have been supplied in the translation to make this clear.

[14:13]  ⁵³⁹ tn This parenthetical disjunctive clause explains how Abram came to be living in their territory, but it also explains why they must go to war with Abram.

[14:14]  ⁵⁴⁰ tn Heb “his brother,” by extension, “relative.” Here and in v. 16 the more specific term “nephew” has been used in the translation for clarity. Lot was the son of Haran, Abram’s brother (Gen 11:27).

[14:14]  ⁵⁴¹ tn The verb וַיָּרֶק (vayyareq) is a rare form, probably related to the word רֵיק (req, “to be empty”). If so, it would be a very figurative use: “he emptied out” (or perhaps “unsheathed”) his men. The LXX has “mustered” (cf. NEB). E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103-4) suggests reading with the Samaritan Pentateuch a verb diq, cognate with Akkadian deku, “to mobilize” troops. If this view is accepted, one must assume that a confusion of the Hebrew letters ד (dalet) and ר (resh) led to the error in the traditional Hebrew text. These two letters are easily confused in all phases of ancient Hebrew script development. The present translation is based on this view.

[14:14]  ⁵⁴² tn The words “the invaders” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:14]  ⁵⁴³ sn The use of the name Dan reflects a later perspective. The Danites did not migrate to this northern territory until centuries later (see Judg 18:29). Furthermore Dan was not even born until much later. By inserting this name a scribe has clarified the location of the region.

[14:15]  ⁵⁴⁴ tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.

[14:15]  ⁵⁴⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:15]  ⁵⁴⁶ tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”

[14:15]  ⁵⁴⁷ tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.

[14:16]  ⁵⁴⁸ tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:16]  ⁵⁴⁹ tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:17]  ⁵⁵⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:17]  ⁵⁵¹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:17]  ⁵⁵² sn The King’s Valley is possibly a reference to what came to be known later as the Kidron Valley.

[14:18]  ⁵⁵³ sn Salem is traditionally identified as the Jebusite stronghold of old Jerusalem. Accordingly, there has been much speculation about its king. Though some have identified him with the preincarnate Christ or with Noah’s son Shem, it is far more likely that Melchizedek was a Canaanite royal priest whom God used to renew the promise of the blessing to Abram, perhaps because Abram considered Melchizedek his spiritual superior. But Melchizedek remains an enigma. In a book filled with genealogical records he appears on the scene without a genealogy and then disappears from the narrative. In Psalm 110 the Lord declares that the Davidic king is a royal priest after the pattern of Melchizedek.

[14:18]  ⁵⁵⁴ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause significantly identifies Melchizedek as a priest as well as a king.

[14:19]  ⁵⁵⁵ tn The preposition לְ (lamed) introduces the agent after the passive participle.

[14:19]  ⁵⁵⁶ tn Some translate “possessor of heaven and earth” (cf. NASB). But cognate evidence from Ugaritic indicates that there were two homonymic roots ָקנָה (qanah), one meaning “to create” (as in Gen 4:1) and the other “to obtain, to acquire, to possess.” While “possessor” would fit here, “creator” is the more likely due to the collocation with “heaven and earth.”

[14:19]  ⁵⁵⁷ tn The terms translated “heaven” and “earth” are both objective genitives after the participle in construct.

[14:20]  ⁵⁵⁸ tn Heb “blessed be.” For God to be “blessed” means that is praised. His reputation is enriched in the world as his name is praised.

[14:20]  ⁵⁵⁹ sn Who delivered. The Hebrew verb מִגֵּן (miggen, “delivered”) foreshadows the statement by God to Abram in Gen 15:1, “I am your shield” (מָגֵן, magen). Melchizedek provided a theological interpretation of Abram’s military victory.

[14:20]  ⁵⁶⁰ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:22]  ⁵⁶¹ tn Abram takes an oath, raising his hand as a solemn gesture. The translation understands the perfect tense as having an instantaneous nuance: “Here and now I raise my hand.”

[14:22]  ⁵⁶² tn The words “and vow” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:23]  ⁵⁶³ tn The oath formula is elliptical, reading simply: “…if I take.” It is as if Abram says, “[May the Lord deal with me] if I take,” meaning, “I will surely not take.” The positive oath would add the negative adverb and be the reverse: “[God will deal with me] if I do not take,” meaning, “I certainly will.”

[14:23]  ⁵⁶⁴ tn The Hebrew text adds the independent pronoun (“I”) to the verb form for emphasis.

[14:24]  ⁵⁶⁵ tn The words “I will take nothing” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:24]  ⁵⁶⁶ tn Heb “except only what the young men have eaten.”

[15:1]  ⁵⁶⁷ sn The noun “shield” recalls the words of Melchizedek in 14:20. If God is the shield, then God will deliver. Abram need not fear reprisals from those he has fought.

[15:1]  ⁵⁶⁸ tn Heb “your reward [in] great abundance.” When the phrase הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ (harbeh mÿod) follows a noun it invariably modifies the noun and carries the nuance “very great” or “in great abundance.” (See its use in Gen 41:49; Deut 3:5; Josh 22:8; 2 Sam 8:8; 12:2; 1 Kgs 4:29; 10:10-11; 2 Chr 14:13; 32:27; Jer 40:12.) Here the noun “reward” is in apposition to “shield” and refers by metonymy to God as the source of the reward. Some translate here “your reward will be very great” (cf. NASB, NRSV), taking the statement as an independent clause and understanding the Hiphil infinitive absolute as a substitute for a finite verb. However, the construction הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ is never used this way elsewhere, where it either modifies a noun (see the texts listed above) or serves as an adverb in relation to a finite verb (see Josh 13:1; 1 Sam 26:21; 2 Sam 12:30; 2 Kgs 21:16; 1 Chr 20:2; Neh 2:2).

[15:2]  ⁵⁶⁹ tn The Hebrew text has אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה (’adonay yehvih, “Master, Lord”). Since the tetragrammaton (YHWH) usually is pointed with the vowels for the Hebrew word אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “master”) to avoid pronouncing the divine name, that would lead in this place to a repetition of אֲדֹנָי. So the tetragrammaton is here pointed with the vowels for the word אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “God”) instead. That would produce the reading of the Hebrew as “Master, God” in the Jewish textual tradition. But the presence of “Master” before the holy name is rather compelling evidence that the original would have been “Master, Lord,” which is rendered here “sovereign Lord.”

[15:2]  ⁵⁷⁰ tn The vav (ו) disjunctive at the beginning of the clause is circumstantial, expressing the cause or reason.

[15:2]  ⁵⁷¹ tn Heb “I am going.”

[15:2]  ⁵⁷² tn Heb “the son of the acquisition of my house.”

[15:2]  ⁵⁷³ tn The pronoun is anaphoric here, equivalent to the verb “to be” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 23, §115).

[15:2]  ⁵⁷⁴ sn The sentence in the Hebrew text employs a very effective wordplay on the name Damascus: “The son of the acquisition (בֶּן־מֶשֶׁק, ben-mesheq) of my house is Eliezer of Damascus (דַּמֶּשֶׁק, dammesheq).” The words are not the same; they have different sibilants. But the sound play gives the impression that “in the nomen is the omen.” Eliezer the Damascene will be Abram’s heir if Abram dies childless because “Damascus” seems to mean that. See M. F. Unger, “Some Comments on the Text of Genesis 15:2-3,” JBL 72 (1953): 49-50; H. L. Ginsberg, “Abram’s ‘Damascene’ Steward,” BASOR 200 (1970): 31-32.

[15:3]  ⁵⁷⁵ tn Heb “And Abram said.”

[15:3]  ⁵⁷⁶ tn The construction uses הֵן (hen) to introduce the foundational clause (“since…”), and וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh) to introduce the main clause (“then look…”).

[15:3]  ⁵⁷⁷ tn Heb “is inheriting me.”

[15:4]  ⁵⁷⁸ tn The disjunctive draws attention to God’s response and the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, translated “look”) mirrors Abram’s statement in v. 3 and highlights the fact that God responded to Abram.

[15:4]  ⁵⁷⁹ tn The subject of the verb is the demonstrative pronoun, which can be translated “this one” or “this man.” That the Lord does not mention him by name is significant; often in ancient times the use of the name would bring legitimacy to inheritance and adoption cases.

[15:4]  ⁵⁸⁰ tn Heb “inherit you.”

[15:4]  ⁵⁸¹ tn The Hebrew כִּי־אִם (ki-’im) forms a very strong adversative.

[15:4]  ⁵⁸² tn Heb “he who”; the implied referent (Abram’s unborn son who will be his heir) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:4]  ⁵⁸³ tn The pronoun could also be an emphatic subject: “whoever comes out of your body, he will inherit you.”

[15:4]  ⁵⁸⁴ tn Heb “will inherit you.”

[15:5]  ⁵⁸⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  ⁵⁸⁶ tn The nonconsecutive vav (ו) is on a perfect verbal form. If the composer of the narrative had wanted to show simple sequence, he would have used the vav consecutive with the preterite. The perfect with vav conjunctive (where one expects the preterite with vav consecutive) in narrative contexts can have a variety of discourse functions, but here it probably serves to highlight Abram’s response to God’s promise. For a detailed discussion of the vav + perfect construction in Hebrew narrative, see R. Longacre, “Weqatal Forms in Biblical Hebrew Prose: A Discourse-modular Approach,” Biblical Hebrew and Discourse Linguistics, 50-98. The Hebrew verb אָמַן (’aman) means “to confirm, to support” in the Qal verbal stem. Its derivative nouns refer to something or someone that/who provides support, such as a “pillar,” “nurse,” or “guardian, trustee.” In the Niphal stem it comes to mean “to be faithful, to be reliable, to be dependable,” or “to be firm, to be sure.” In the Hiphil, the form used here, it takes on a declarative sense: “to consider something reliable [or “dependable”].” Abram regarded the God who made this promise as reliable and fully capable of making it a reality.

[15:6]  ⁵⁸⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  ⁵⁸⁸ tn Heb “and he reckoned it to him.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix refers back to Abram’s act of faith, mentioned in the preceding clause. On third feminine singular pronouns referring back to verbal ideas see GKC 440-41 §135.p. Some propose taking the suffix as proleptic, anticipating the following feminine noun (“righteousness”). In this case one might translate: “and he reckoned it to him – [namely] righteousness.” See O. P. Robertson, “Genesis 15:6: A New Covenant Exposition of an Old Covenant Text,” WTJ 42 (1980): 259-89.

[15:6]  ⁵⁸⁹ tn Or “righteousness”; or “evidence of steadfast commitment.” The noun is an adverbial accusative. The verb translated “considered” (Heb “reckoned”) also appears with צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) in Ps 106:31. Alluding to the events recorded in Numbers 25, the psalmist notes that Phinehas’ actions were “credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.” Reference is made to the unconditional, eternal covenant with which God rewarded Phinehas’ loyalty (Num 25:12-13). So צְדָקָה seems to carry by metonymy the meaning “loyal, rewardable behavior” here, a nuance that fits nicely in Genesis 15, where God responds to Abram’s faith by formally ratifying his promise to give Abram and his descendants the land. (See R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 40.) In Phoenician and Old Aramaic inscriptions cognate nouns glossed as “correct, justifiable conduct” sometimes carry this same semantic nuance (DNWSI 2:962).

[15:7]  ⁵⁹⁰ tn Heb “And he said.”

[15:7]  ⁵⁹¹ sn I am the Lord. The Lord initiates the covenant-making ceremony with a declaration of who he is and what he has done for Abram. The same form appears at the beginning of the covenant made at Sinai (see Exod 20:1).

[15:7]  ⁵⁹² sn The phrase of the Chaldeans is a later editorial clarification for the readers, designating the location of Ur. From all evidence there would have been no Chaldeans in existence at this early date; they are known in the time of the neo-Babylonian empire in the first millennium b.c.

[15:8]  ⁵⁹³ tn Here the vav carries adversative force and is translated “but.”

[15:8]  ⁵⁹⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:8]  ⁵⁹⁵ tn See note on the phrase “sovereign Lord” in 15:2.

[15:8]  ⁵⁹⁶ tn Or “how.”

[15:9]  ⁵⁹⁷ tn Heb “He”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:10]  ⁵⁹⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:10]  ⁵⁹⁹ tn Heb “in the middle.”

[15:10]  ⁶⁰⁰ tn Heb “to meet its neighbor.”

[15:12]  ⁶⁰¹ tn Heb “a deep sleep fell on Abram.”

[15:12]  ⁶⁰² tn Heb “and look, terror, a great darkness was falling on him.”

[15:13]  ⁶⁰³ tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, with the Qal infinitive absolute followed by the imperfect from יָדַע (yada’, “know”). The imperfect here has an obligatory or imperatival force.

[15:13]  ⁶⁰⁴ tn The Hebrew word גֵּר (ger, “sojourner, stranger”) is related to the verb גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn, to stay for awhile”). Abram’s descendants will stay in a land as resident aliens without rights of citizenship.

[15:13]  ⁶⁰⁵ tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”

[15:13]  ⁶⁰⁶ tn Heb “and they will serve them and they will oppress them.” The verb עִנּוּ, (’innu, a Piel form from עָנָה, ’anah, “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly”), is used in Exod 1:11 to describe the oppression of the Israelites in Egypt.

[15:14]  ⁶⁰⁷ tn The participle דָּן (dan, from דִּין, din) is used here for the future: “I am judging” = “I will surely judge.” The judgment in this case will be condemnation and punishment. The translation “execute judgment on” implies that the judgment will certainly be carried out.

[15:15]  ⁶⁰⁸ tn The vav with the pronoun before the verb calls special attention to the subject in contrast to the preceding subject.

[15:15]  ⁶⁰⁹ sn You will go to your ancestors. This is a euphemistic expression for death.

[15:15]  ⁶¹⁰ tn Heb “in a good old age.”

[15:16]  ⁶¹¹ sn The term generation is being used here in its widest sense to refer to a full life span. When the chronological factors are considered and the genealogies tabulated, there are four hundred years of bondage. This suggests that in this context a generation is equivalent to one hundred years.

[15:16]  ⁶¹² tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[15:16]  ⁶¹³ tn Heb “is not yet complete.”

[15:17]  ⁶¹⁴ sn A smoking pot with a flaming torch. These same implements were used in Mesopotamian rituals designed to ward off evil (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 113-14).

[15:17]  ⁶¹⁵ tn Heb “these pieces.”

[15:18]  ⁶¹⁶ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[15:18]  ⁶¹⁷ tn The perfect verbal form is understood as instantaneous (“I here and now give”). Another option is to understand it as rhetorical, indicating certitude (“I have given” meaning it is as good as done, i.e., “I will surely give”).

[15:18]  ⁶¹⁸ sn The river of Egypt is a wadi (a seasonal stream) on the northeastern border of Egypt, not to the River Nile.

[15:19]  ⁶¹⁹ tn The words “the land” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[15:21]  ⁶²⁰ tn Each of the names in the list has the Hebrew definite article, which is used here generically for the class of people identified.

[16:1]  ⁶²¹ tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of a new episode in the story.

[16:1]  ⁶²² sn On the cultural background of the story of Sarai’s childlessness see J. Van Seters, “The Problem of Childlessness in Near Eastern Law and the Patriarchs of Israel,” JBL 87 (1968): 401-8.

[16:1]  ⁶²³ tn The Hebrew term שִׁפְחָה (shifkhah, translated “servant” here and in vv. 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8) refers to a menial female servant.

[16:1]  ⁶²⁴ sn The passage records the birth of Ishmael to Abram through an Egyptian woman. The story illustrates the limits of Abram’s faith as he tries to obtain a son through social custom. The barrenness of Sarai poses a challenge to Abram’s faith, just as the famine did in chap. 12. As in chap. 12, an Egyptian figures prominently. (Perhaps Hagar was obtained as a slave during Abram’s stay in Egypt.)

[16:2]  ⁶²⁵ tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) introduces the foundational clause for the imperative to follow.

[16:2]  ⁶²⁶ tn Heb “enter to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual relations (also in v. 4).

[16:2]  ⁶²⁷ tn Heb “perhaps I will be built from her.” Sarai hopes to have a family established through this surrogate mother.

[16:2]  ⁶²⁸ tn Heb “listened to the voice of,” which is an idiom meaning “obeyed.”

[16:3]  ⁶²⁹ tn Heb “at the end of ten years, to live, Abram.” The prepositional phrase introduces the temporal clause, the infinitive construct serves as the verb, and the name “Abram” is the subject.

[16:3]  ⁶³⁰ tn Heb “the Egyptian, her female servant.”

[16:3]  ⁶³¹ sn To be his wife. Hagar became a slave wife, not on equal standing with Sarai. However, if Hagar produced the heir, she would be the primary wife in the eyes of society. When this eventually happened, Hagar become insolent, prompting Sarai’s anger.

[16:4]  ⁶³² tn Heb “entered to.” See the note on the same expression in v. 2.

[16:4]  ⁶³³ tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 5)

[16:4]  ⁶³⁴ tn Heb “and she saw that she was pregnant and her mistress was despised in her eyes.” The Hebrew verb קָלַל (qalal) means “to despise, to treat lightly, to treat with contempt.” In Hagar’s opinion Sarai had been demoted.

[16:5]  ⁶³⁵ tn Heb “my wrong is because of you.”

[16:5]  ⁶³⁶ tn Heb “I placed my female servant in your bosom.”

[16:5]  ⁶³⁷ tn Heb “saw.”

[16:5]  ⁶³⁸ tn Heb “I was despised in her eyes.” The passive verb has been translated as active for stylistic reasons. Sarai was made to feel supplanted and worthless by Hagar the servant girl.

[16:5]  ⁶³⁹ tn Heb “me and you.”

[16:6]  ⁶⁴⁰ tn The clause is introduced with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), introducing a foundational clause for the coming imperative: “since…do.”

[16:6]  ⁶⁴¹ tn Heb “in your hand.”

[16:6]  ⁶⁴² tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”

[16:6]  ⁶⁴³ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:6]  ⁶⁴⁴ tn In the Piel stem the verb עָנָה (’anah) means “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly, to mistreat.”

[16:6]  ⁶⁴⁵ tn Heb “and she fled from her presence.” The referent of “her” (Sarai) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:7]  ⁶⁴⁶ tn Heb “the messenger of the Lord.” Some identify the angel of the Lord as the preincarnate Christ because in some texts the angel is identified with the Lord himself. However, it is more likely that the angel merely represents the Lord; he can speak for the Lord because he is sent with the Lord’s full authority. In some cases the angel is clearly distinct from the Lord (see Judg 6:11-23). It is not certain if the same angel is always in view. Though the proper name following the noun “angel” makes the construction definite, this may simply indicate that a definite angel sent from the Lord is referred to in any given context. It need not be the same angel on every occasion. Note the analogous expression “the servant of the Lord,” which refers to various individuals in the OT (see BDB 714 s.v. עֶבֶד).

[16:7]  ⁶⁴⁷ tn Heb “And the angel of the Lord found her near the spring of water in the desert, near the spring on the way to Shur.”

[16:8]  ⁶⁴⁸ tn Heb “from the presence of.”

[16:9]  ⁶⁴⁹ tn The imperative וְהִתְעַנִּי (vÿhit’anni) is the Hitpael of עָנָה (’anah, here translated “submit”), the same word used for Sarai’s harsh treatment of her. Hagar is instructed not only to submit to Sarai’s authority, but to whatever mistreatment that involves. God calls for Hagar to humble herself.

[16:10]  ⁶⁵⁰ tn Heb “The Lord’s angel said, ‘I will greatly multiply your descendants….” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:10]  ⁶⁵¹ tn Heb “cannot be numbered because of abundance.”

[16:11]  ⁶⁵² tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) focuses on her immediate situation: “Here you are pregnant.”

[16:11]  ⁶⁵³ tn The active participle refers here to something that is about to happen.

[16:11]  ⁶⁵⁴ sn The name Ishmael consists of the imperfect or jussive form of the Hebrew verb with the theophoric element added as the subject. It means “God hears” or “may God hear.”

[16:11]  ⁶⁵⁵ tn Heb “affliction,” which must refer here to Hagar’s painful groans of anguish.

[16:12]  ⁶⁵⁶ sn A wild donkey of a man. The prophecy is not an insult. The wild donkey lived a solitary existence in the desert away from society. Ishmael would be free-roaming, strong, and like a bedouin; he would enjoy the freedom his mother sought.

[16:12]  ⁶⁵⁷ tn Heb “His hand will be against everyone.” The “hand” by metonymy represents strength. His free-roaming life style would put him in conflict with those who follow social conventions. There would not be open warfare, only friction because of his antagonism to their way of life.

[16:12]  ⁶⁵⁸ tn Heb “And the hand of everyone will be against him.”

[16:12]  ⁶⁵⁹ tn Heb “opposite, across from.” Ishmael would live on the edge of society (cf. NASB “to the east of”). Some take this as an idiom meaning “be at odds with” (cf. NRSV, NLT) or “live in hostility toward” (cf. NIV).

[16:13]  ⁶⁶⁰ tn Heb “God of my seeing.” The pronominal suffix may be understood either as objective (“who sees me,” as in the translation) or subjective (“whom I see”).

[16:13]  ⁶⁶¹ tn Heb “after one who sees me.”

[16:14]  ⁶⁶² tn The verb does not have an expressed subject and so is rendered as passive in the translation.

[16:14]  ⁶⁶³ sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” The text suggests that God takes up the cause of those who are oppressed.

[16:14]  ⁶⁶⁴ tn Heb “look.” The words “it is located” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:15]  ⁶⁶⁵ tn Heb “and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”

[16:16]  ⁶⁶⁶ tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is parenthetical to the narrative.

[16:16]  ⁶⁶⁷ tn Heb “the son of eighty-six years.”

[16:16]  ⁶⁶⁸ tn The Hebrew text adds, “for Abram.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons; it is somewhat redundant given the three occurrences of Abram’s name in this and the previous verse.

[17:1]  ⁶⁶⁹ tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”

[17:1]  ⁶⁷⁰ tn Heb “appeared to Abram and said to him.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) and the final phrase “to him” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

[17:1]  ⁶⁷¹ 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 (see discussion below) its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. In Gen 17:1-8 he appeared to Abram, introduced himself as El Shaddai, and announced his intention to make the patriarch fruitful. In the role of El Shaddai God repeated these words (now elevated to the status of a decree) to Jacob (35:11). Earlier Isaac had pronounced a blessing on Jacob in which he asked El Shaddai to make Jacob fruitful (28:3). Jacob later prayed that his sons would be treated with mercy when they returned to Egypt with Benjamin (43:14). The fertility theme is not as apparent here, though one must remember that Jacob viewed Benjamin as the sole remaining son of the favored and once-barren Rachel (see 29:31; 30:22-24; 35:16-18). It is quite natural that he would appeal to El Shaddai to preserve Benjamin’s life, for it was El Shaddai’s miraculous power which made it possible for Rachel to give him sons in the first place. In 48:3 Jacob, prior to blessing Joseph’s sons, told him how El Shaddai appeared to him at Bethel (see Gen 28) and promised to make him fruitful. When blessing Joseph on his deathbed Jacob referred to Shaddai (we should probably read “El Shaddai,” along with a few Hebrew mss, the Samaritan Pentateuch, the LXX, and Syriac) as the one who provides abundant blessings, including “blessings of the breast and womb” (49:25). (The direct association of the name with “breasts” suggests the name might mean “the one of the breast” [i.e., the one who gives fertility], but the juxtaposition is probably better explained as wordplay. Note the wordplay involving the name and the root שָׁדַד, shadad, “destroy”] in Isa 13:6 and in Joel 1:15.) Outside Genesis the name Shaddai (minus the element “El” [“God”]) is normally used when God is viewed as the sovereign king who blesses/protects or curses/brings judgment. The name appears in the introduction to two of Balaam’s oracles (Num 24:4, 16) of blessing upon Israel. Naomi employs the name when accusing the Lord of treating her bitterly by taking the lives of her husband and sons (Ruth 1:20-21). In Ps 68:14; Isa 13:6; and Joel 1:15 Shaddai judges his enemies through warfare, while Ps 91:1 depicts him as the protector of his people. (In Ezek 1:24 and 10:5 the sound of the cherubs’ wings is compared to Shaddai’s powerful voice. The reference may be to the mighty divine warrior’s battle cry which accompanies his angry judgment.) Finally, the name occurs 31 times in the Book of Job. Job and his “friends” assume that Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world (11:7; 37:23a) who is the source of life (33:4b) and is responsible for maintaining justice (8:3; 34:10-12; 37:23b). He provides abundant blessings, including children (22:17-18; 29:4-6), but he can also discipline, punish, and destroy (5:17; 6:4; 21:20; 23:16). It is not surprising to see the name so often in this book, where the theme of God’s justice is primary and even called into question (24:1; 27:2). The most likely proposal is that the name means “God, the one of the mountain” (an Akkadian cognate means “mountain,” to which the Hebrew שַׁד, shad, “breast”] is probably related). For a discussion of proposed derivations see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 70-71. The name may originally have depicted God as the sovereign judge who, in Canaanite style, ruled from a sacred mountain. Isa 14:13 and Ezek 28:14, 16 associate such a mountain with God, while Ps 48:2 refers to Zion as “Zaphon,” the Canaanite Olympus from which the high god El ruled. (In Isa 14 the Canaanite god El may be in view. Note that Isaiah pictures pagan kings as taunting the king of Babylon, suggesting that pagan mythology may provide the background for the language and imagery.)

[17:1]  ⁶⁷² tn Or “Live out your life.” The Hebrew verb translated “walk” is the Hitpael; it means “to walk back and forth; to walk about; to live out one’s life.”

[17:1]  ⁶⁷³ tn Or “in my presence.”

[17:1]  ⁶⁷⁴ tn There are two imperatives here: “walk…and be blameless [or “perfect”].” The second imperative may be purely sequential (see the translation) or consequential: “walk before me and then you will be blameless.” How one interprets the sequence depends on the meaning of “walk before”: (1) If it simply refers in a neutral way to serving the Lord, then the second imperative is likely sequential. (2) But if it has a positive moral connotation (“serve me faithfully”), then the second imperative probably indicates purpose (or result). For other uses of the idiom see 1 Sam 2:30, 35 and 12:2 (where it occurs twice).

[17:2]  ⁶⁷⁵ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative indicates consequence. If Abram is blameless, then the Lord will ratify the covenant. Earlier the Lord ratified part of his promise to Abram (see Gen 15:18-21), guaranteeing him that his descendants would live in the land. But the expanded form of the promise, which includes numerous descendants and eternal possession of the land, remains to be ratified. This expanded form of the promise is in view here (see vv. 2b, 4-8). See the note at Gen 15:18 and R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 35-54.

[17:2]  ⁶⁷⁶ tn Heb “I will multiply you exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

[17:3]  ⁶⁷⁷ tn Heb “And Abram fell on his face.” This expression probably means that Abram sank to his knees and put his forehead to the ground, although it is possible that he completely prostrated himself. In either case the posture indicates humility and reverence.

[17:3]  ⁶⁷⁸ tn Heb “God spoke to him, saying.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:4]  ⁶⁷⁹ tn Heb “I.”

[17:4]  ⁶⁸⁰ tn Heb “is” (הִנֵּה, hinneh).

[17:5]  ⁶⁸¹ tn Heb “will your name be called.”

[17:5]  ⁶⁸² sn Your name will be Abraham. The renaming of Abram was a sign of confirmation to the patriarch. Every time the name was used it would be a reminder of God’s promise. “Abram” means “exalted father,” probably referring to Abram’s father Terah. The name looks to the past; Abram came from noble lineage. The name “Abraham” is a dialectical variant of the name Abram. But its significance is in the wordplay with אַב־הֲמוֹן (’av-hamon, “the father of a multitude,” which sounds like אַבְרָהָם, ’avraham, “Abraham”). The new name would be a reminder of God’s intention to make Abraham the father of a multitude. For a general discussion of renaming, see O. Eissfeldt, “Renaming in the Old Testament,” Words and Meanings, 70-83.

[17:5]  ⁶⁸³ tn The perfect verbal form is used here in a rhetorical manner to emphasize God’s intention.

[17:6]  ⁶⁸⁴ tn This verb starts a series of perfect verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive to express God’s intentions.

[17:6]  ⁶⁸⁵ tn Heb “exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

[17:6]  ⁶⁸⁶ tn Heb “and I will make you into nations, and kings will come out from you.”

[17:7]  ⁶⁸⁷ tn The verb קוּם (qum, “to arise, to stand up”) in the Hiphil verbal stem means “to confirm, to give effect to, to carry out” (i.e., a covenant or oath; see BDB 878-79 s.v. קוּם).

[17:7]  ⁶⁸⁸ tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:7]  ⁶⁸⁹ tn Heb “to be to you for God and to your descendants after you.”

[17:8]  ⁶⁹⁰ tn The verbal root is גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn, to reside temporarily,” i.e., as a resident alien). It is the land in which Abram resides, but does not yet possess as his very own.

[17:8]  ⁶⁹¹ tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:9]  ⁶⁹² tn The imperfect tense could be translated “you shall keep” as a binding command; but the obligatory nuance (“must”) captures the binding sense better.

[17:9]  ⁶⁹³ tn Heb “my covenant.” The Hebrew word בְּרִית (bÿrit) can refer to (1) the agreement itself between two parties (see v. 7), (2) the promise made by one party to another (see vv. 2-3, 7), (3) an obligation placed by one party on another, or (4) a reminder of the agreement. In vv. 9-10 the word refers to a covenantal obligation which God gives to Abraham and his descendants.

[17:10]  ⁶⁹⁴ tn Heb “This is my covenant that you must keep between me and you and your descendants after you.”

[17:10]  ⁶⁹⁵ sn For a discussion of male circumcision as the sign of the covenant in this passage see M. V. Fox, “The Sign of the Covenant: Circumcision in the Light of the Priestly ‘ot Etiologies,” RB 81 (1974): 557-96.

[17:11]  ⁶⁹⁶ tn Or “sign.”

[17:12]  ⁶⁹⁷ tn Heb “the son of eight days.”

[17:13]  ⁶⁹⁸ tn The emphatic construction employs the Niphal imperfect tense (collective singular) and the Niphal infinitive.

[17:13]  ⁶⁹⁹ tn Heb “my covenant.” Here in v. 13 the Hebrew word בְּרִית (bÿrit) refers to the outward, visible sign, or reminder, of the covenant. For the range of meaning of the term, see the note on the word “requirement” in v. 9.

[17:13]  ⁷⁰⁰ tn Or “an eternal.”

[17:14]  ⁷⁰¹ tn The disjunctive clause calls attention to the “uncircumcised male” and what will happen to him.

[17:14]  ⁷⁰² tn Heb “that person will be cut off.” The words “that person” have not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:14]  ⁷⁰³ tn Heb “he has broken my covenant.” The noun בְּרִית (bÿrit) here refers to the obligation required by God in conjunction with the covenantal agreement. For the range of meaning of the term, see the note on the word “requirement” in v. 9.

[17:15]  ⁷⁰⁴ tn Heb “[As for] Sarai your wife, you must not call her name Sarai, for Sarah [will be] her name.”

[17:15]  ⁷⁰⁵ sn Sarah. The name change seems to be a dialectical variation, both spellings meaning “princess” or “queen.” Like the name Abram, the name Sarai symbolized the past. The new name Sarah, like the name Abraham, would be a reminder of what God intended to do for Sarah in the future.

[17:16]  ⁷⁰⁶ tn Heb “she will become nations.”

[17:16]  ⁷⁰⁷ tn Heb “peoples.”

[17:17]  ⁷⁰⁸ sn Laughed. The Hebrew verb used here provides the basis for the naming of Isaac: “And he laughed” is וַיִּצְחָק (vayyitskhaq); the name “Isaac” is יִצְחָק (yitskhaq), “he laughs.” Abraham’s (and Sarah’s, see 18:12) laughter signals disbelief, but when the boy is born, the laughter signals surprise and joy.

[17:17]  ⁷⁰⁹ tn Heb “And he fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart.”

[17:17]  ⁷¹⁰ tn The imperfect verbal form here carries a potential nuance, as it expresses the disbelief of Abraham.

[17:17]  ⁷¹¹ tn Heb “to the son of a hundred years.”

[17:17]  ⁷¹² sn It is important to note that even though Abraham staggers at the announcement of the birth of a son, finding it almost too incredible, he nonetheless calls his wife Sarah, the new name given to remind him of the promise of God (v. 15).

[17:17]  ⁷¹³ tn Heb “the daughter of ninety years.”

[17:18]  ⁷¹⁴ tn The wish is introduced with the Hebrew particle לוּ (lu), “O that.”

[17:18]  ⁷¹⁵ tn Or “live with your blessing.”

[17:19]  ⁷¹⁶ tn Heb “will call his name Isaac.” The name means “he laughs,” or perhaps “may he laugh” (see the note on the word “laughed” in v. 17).

[17:19]  ⁷¹⁷ tn Or “as an eternal.”

[17:20]  ⁷¹⁸ sn The Hebrew verb translated “I have heard you” forms a wordplay with the name Ishmael, which means “God hears.” See the note on the name “Ishmael” in 16:11.

[17:20]  ⁷¹⁹ tn Heb “And I will multiply him exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition is emphatic.

[17:20]  ⁷²⁰ tn For a discussion of the Hebrew word translated “princes,” see E. A. Speiser, “Background and Function of the Biblical Nasi’,” CBQ 25 (1963): 111-17.

[17:22]  ⁷²¹ tn Heb “And when he finished speaking with him, God went up from Abraham.” The sequence of pronouns and proper names has been modified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:23]  ⁷²² tn Heb “Ishmael his son and all born in his house and all bought with money, every male among the men of the house of Abraham.”

[17:23]  ⁷²³ tn Heb “circumcised the flesh of their foreskin.” The Hebrew expression is somewhat pleonastic and has been simplified in the translation.

[17:24]  ⁷²⁴ tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”

[17:24]  ⁷²⁵ tn Heb “circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin” (also in v. 25).

[17:25]  ⁷²⁶ tn Heb “the son of thirteen years.”

[18:1]  ⁷²⁷ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ⁷²⁸ tn Or “terebinths.”

[18:1]  ⁷²⁹ tn The disjunctive clause here is circumstantial to the main clause.

[18:1]  ⁷³⁰ tn The Hebrew noun translated “entrance” is an adverbial accusative of place.

[18:2]  ⁷³¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:2]  ⁷³² tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

[18:2]  ⁷³³ tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to what he saw. The drawn-out description focuses the reader’s attention on Abraham’s deliberate, fixed gaze and indicates that what he is seeing is significant.

[18:2]  ⁷³⁴ tn The Hebrew preposition עַל (’al) indicates the three men were nearby, but not close by, for Abraham had to run to meet them.

[18:2]  ⁷³⁵ tn The pronoun “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

[18:2]  ⁷³⁶ tn The form וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ (vayyishtakhu, “and bowed low”) is from the verb הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה (hishtakhavah, “to worship, bow low to the ground”). It is probably from a root חָוָה (khavah), though some derive it from שָׁחָה (shakhah).

[18:2]  ⁷³⁷ sn The reader knows this is a theophany. The three visitors are probably the Lord and two angels (see Gen 19:1). It is not certain how soon Abraham recognized the true identity of the visitors. His actions suggest he suspected this was something out of the ordinary, though it is possible that his lavish treatment of the visitors was done quite unwittingly. Bowing down to the ground would be reserved for obeisance of kings or worship of the Lord. Whether he was aware of it or not, Abraham’s action was most appropriate.

[18:3]  ⁷³⁸ tc The MT has the form אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “Master”) which is reserved for God. This may reflect later scribal activity. The scribes, knowing it was the Lord, may have put the proper pointing with the word instead of the more common אֲדֹנִי (’adoni, “my master”).

[18:3]  ⁷³⁹ tn Heb “do not pass by from upon your servant.”

[18:4]  ⁷⁴⁰ tn The imperative after the jussive indicates purpose here.

[18:4]  ⁷⁴¹ tn The word “all” has been supplied in the translation because the Hebrew verb translated “wash” and the pronominal suffix on the word “feet” are plural, referring to all three of the visitors.

[18:5]  ⁷⁴² tn The Qal cohortative here probably has the nuance of polite request.

[18:5]  ⁷⁴³ tn Heb “a piece of bread.” The Hebrew word לֶחֶם (lekhem) can refer either to bread specifically or to food in general. Based on Abraham’s directions to Sarah in v. 6, bread was certainly involved, but v. 7 indicates that Abraham had a more elaborate meal in mind.

[18:5]  ⁷⁴⁴ tn Heb “strengthen your heart.” The imperative after the cohortative indicates purpose here.

[18:5]  ⁷⁴⁵ tn Heb “so that you may refresh yourselves, after [which] you may be on your way – for therefore you passed by near your servant.”

[18:6]  ⁷⁴⁶ tn The word “take” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the sentence lacks a verb other than the imperative “hurry.” The elliptical structure of the language reflects Abraham’s haste to get things ready quickly.

[18:6]  ⁷⁴⁷ sn Three measures (Heb “three seahs”) was equivalent to about twenty quarts (twenty-two liters) of flour, which would make a lot of bread. The animal prepared for the meal was far more than the three visitors needed. This was a banquet for royalty. Either it had been a lonely time for Abraham and the presence of visitors made him very happy, or he sensed this was a momentous visit.

[18:6]  ⁷⁴⁸ sn The bread was the simple, round bread made by bedouins that is normally prepared quickly for visitors.

[18:7]  ⁷⁴⁹ tn Heb “the young man.”

[18:7]  ⁷⁵⁰ tn The construction uses the Piel preterite, “he hurried,” followed by the infinitive construct; the two probably form a verbal hendiadys: “he quickly prepared.”

[18:8]  ⁷⁵¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:8]  ⁷⁵² tn The words “the food” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

[18:8]  ⁷⁵³ tn The disjunctive clause is a temporal circumstantial clause subordinate to the main verb.

[18:9]  ⁷⁵⁴ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) often accompanies a gesture of pointing or a focused gaze.

[18:10]  ⁷⁵⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (one of the three men introduced in v. 2) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Some English translations have specified the referent as the Lord (cf. RSV, NIV) based on vv. 1, 13, but the Hebrew text merely has “he said” at this point, referring to one of the three visitors. Aside from the introductory statement in v. 1, the incident is narrated from Abraham’s point of view, and the suspense is built up for the reader as Abraham’s elaborate banquet preparations in the preceding verses suggest he suspects these are important guests. But not until the promise of a son later in this verse does it become clear who is speaking. In v. 13 the Hebrew text explicitly mentions the Lord.

[18:10]  ⁷⁵⁶ tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, using the infinitive absolute with the imperfect tense.

[18:10]  ⁷⁵⁷ tn Heb “as/when the time lives” or “revives,” possibly referring to the springtime.

[18:10]  ⁷⁵⁸ tn Heb “and there will be (הִנֵּה, hinneh) a son for Sarah.”

[18:10]  ⁷⁵⁹ tn This is the first of two disjunctive parenthetical clauses preparing the reader for Sarah’s response (see v. 12).

[18:11]  ⁷⁶⁰ tn Heb “days.”

[18:11]  ⁷⁶¹ tn Heb “it had ceased to be for Sarah [after] a way like women.”

[18:12]  ⁷⁶² tn Heb “saying.”

[18:12]  ⁷⁶³ tn It has been suggested that this word should be translated “conception,” not “pleasure.” See A. A. McIntosh, “A Third Root ‘adah in Biblical Hebrew,” VT 24 (1974): 454-73.

[18:12]  ⁷⁶⁴ tn The word “too” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[18:13]  ⁷⁶⁵ tn Heb “Why, this?” The demonstrative pronoun following the interrogative pronoun is enclitic, emphasizing the Lord’s amazement: “Why on earth did Sarah laugh?”

[18:13]  ⁷⁶⁶ tn The Hebrew construction uses both הַאַף (ha’af) and אֻמְנָם (’umnam): “Indeed, truly, will I have a child?”

[18:14]  ⁷⁶⁷ tn The Hebrew verb פָּלָא (pala’) means “to be wonderful, to be extraordinary, to be surpassing, to be amazing.”

[18:14]  ⁷⁶⁸ sn Sarah will have a son. The passage brings God’s promise into clear focus. As long as it was a promise for the future, it really could be believed without much involvement. But now, when it seemed so impossible from the human standpoint, when the Lord fixed an exact date for the birth of the child, the promise became rather overwhelming to Abraham and Sarah. But then this was the Lord of creation, the one they had come to trust. The point of these narratives is that the creation of Abraham’s offspring, which eventually became Israel, is no less a miraculous work of creation than the creation of the world itself.

[18:15]  ⁷⁶⁹ tn Heb “And he said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:16]  ⁷⁷⁰ tn Heb “And the men arose from there.”

[18:16]  ⁷⁷¹ tn Heb “toward the face of.”

[18:16]  ⁷⁷² tn The disjunctive parenthetical clause sets the stage for the following speech.

[18:16]  ⁷⁷³ tn The Piel of שָׁלַח (shalakh) means “to lead out, to send out, to expel”; here it is used in the friendly sense of seeing the visitors on their way.

[18:17]  ⁷⁷⁴ tn The active participle here refers to an action that is imminent.

[18:18]  ⁷⁷⁵ tn Heb “And Abraham.” The disjunctive clause is probably causal, giving a reason why God should not hide his intentions from Abraham. One could translate, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation?”

[18:18]  ⁷⁷⁶ tn The infinitive absolute lends emphasis to the finite verb that follows.

[18:18]  ⁷⁷⁷ tn Theoretically the Niphal can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Abram were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in later formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless [i.e., “pronounce blessings upon”] themselves [or “one another”].” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 18:18 (like 12:2) predicts that Abraham will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[18:19]  ⁷⁷⁸ tn Heb “For I have known him.” The verb יָדַע (yada’) here means “to recognize and treat in a special manner, to choose” (see Amos 3:2). It indicates that Abraham stood in a special covenantal relationship with the Lord.

[18:19]  ⁷⁷⁹ tn Heb “and they will keep.” The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the subjective nuance of the preceding imperfect verbal form (translated “so that he may command”).

[18:19]  ⁷⁸⁰ tn The infinitive construct here indicates manner, explaining how Abraham’s children and his household will keep the way of the Lord.

[18:19]  ⁷⁸¹ tn Heb “bring on.” The infinitive after לְמַעַן (lÿma’an) indicates result here.

[18:19]  ⁷⁸² tn Heb “spoke to.”

[18:20]  ⁷⁸³ tn Heb “the outcry of Sodom,” which apparently refers to the outcry for divine justice from those (unidentified persons) who observe its sinful ways.

[18:20]  ⁷⁸⁴ tn Heb “heavy.”

[18:21]  ⁷⁸⁵ tn The cohortative indicates the Lord’s resolve.

[18:21]  ⁷⁸⁶ tn Heb “[if] according to the outcry that has come to me they have done completely.” Even the Lord, who is well aware of the human capacity to sin, finds it hard to believe that anyone could be as bad as the “outcry” against Sodom and Gomorrah suggests.

[18:21]  ⁷⁸⁷ sn The short phrase if not provides a ray of hope and inspires Abraham’s intercession.

[18:22]  ⁷⁸⁸ tn Heb “And the men turned from there.” The word “two” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied here for clarity. Gen 19:1 mentions only two individuals (described as “angels”), while Abraham had entertained three visitors (18:2). The implication is that the Lord was the third visitor, who remained behind with Abraham here. The words “from there” are not included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[18:22]  ⁷⁸⁹ tn Heb “went.”

[18:22]  ⁷⁹⁰ tc An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition reads “but the Lord remained standing before Abraham.” This reading is problematic because the phrase “standing before” typically indicates intercession, but the Lord would certainly not be interceding before Abraham.

[18:24]  ⁷⁹¹ tn Heb “lift up,” perhaps in the sense of “bear with” (cf. NRSV “forgive”).

[18:25]  ⁷⁹² tn Or “ruler.”

[18:25]  ⁷⁹³ sn Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right? For discussion of this text see J. L. Crenshaw, “Popular Questioning of the Justice of God in Ancient Israel,” ZAW 82 (1970): 380-95, and C. S. Rodd, “Shall Not the Judge of All the Earth Do What Is Just?” ExpTim 83 (1972): 137-39.

[18:27]  ⁷⁹⁴ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 30, 31, 32 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[18:27]  ⁷⁹⁵ tn The disjunctive clause is a concessive clause here, drawing out the humility as a contrast to the Lord.

[18:28]  ⁷⁹⁶ tn The Hebrew verb שָׁחַת (shakhat, “to destroy”) was used earlier to describe the effect of the flood.

[18:28]  ⁷⁹⁷ tn Heb “because of five.”

[18:29]  ⁷⁹⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:29]  ⁷⁹⁹ tn The construction is a verbal hendiadys – the preterite (“he added”) is combined with an adverb “yet” and an infinitive “to speak.”

[18:30]  ⁸⁰⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:30]  ⁸⁰¹ tn Heb “let it not be hot to the Lord.” This is an idiom which means “may the Lord not be angry.”

[18:30]  ⁸⁰² tn After the jussive, the cohortative indicates purpose/result.

[18:31]  ⁸⁰³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:32]  ⁸⁰⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:33]  ⁸⁰⁵ tn Heb “And the Lord went.”

[18:33]  ⁸⁰⁶ tn The infinitive construct (“speaking”) serves as the direct object of the verb “finished.”

[18:33]  ⁸⁰⁷ tn Heb “to his place.”

[19:1]  ⁸⁰⁸ tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.

[19:1]  ⁸⁰⁹ tn Heb “sitting in the gate of Sodom.” The phrase “the gate of Sodom” has been translated “the city’s gateway” for stylistic reasons.

[19:2]  ⁸¹⁰ tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.

[19:2]  ⁸¹¹ tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”

[19:2]  ⁸¹² sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.

[19:3]  ⁸¹³ tn The Hebrew verb פָּצַר (patsar, “to press, to insist”) ironically foreshadows the hostile actions of the men of the city (see v. 9, where the verb also appears). The repetition of the word serves to contrast Lot to his world.

[19:4]  ⁸¹⁴ tn The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) means “to lie down, to recline,” that is, “to go to bed.” Here what appears to be an imperfect is a preterite after the adverb טֶרֶם (terem). The nuance of potential (perfect) fits well.

[19:4]  ⁸¹⁵ tn Heb “and the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from the young to the old, all the people from the end [of the city].” The repetition of the phrase “men of” stresses all kinds of men.

[19:5]  ⁸¹⁶ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[19:5]  ⁸¹⁷ tn The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’, “to know”) is used here in the sense of “to lie with” or “to have sex with” (as in Gen 4:1). That this is indeed the meaning is clear from Lot’s warning that they not do so wickedly, and his willingness to give them his daughters instead.

[19:7]  ⁸¹⁸ tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”

[19:8]  ⁸¹⁹ tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[19:8]  ⁸²⁰ tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”

[19:8]  ⁸²¹ tn Heb “shadow.”

[19:8]  ⁸²² sn This chapter portrays Lot as a hypocrite. He is well aware of the way the men live in his city and is apparently comfortable in the midst of it. But when confronted by the angels, he finally draws the line. But he is nevertheless willing to sacrifice his daughters’ virginity to protect his guests. His opposition to the crowds leads to his rejection as a foreigner by those with whom he had chosen to live. The one who attempted to rescue his visitors ends up having to be rescued by them.

[19:9]  ⁸²³ tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”

[19:9]  ⁸²⁴ tn Heb “to live as a resident alien.”

[19:9]  ⁸²⁵ tn Heb “and he has judged, judging.” The infinitive absolute follows the finite verbal form for emphasis. This emphasis is reflected in the translation by the phrase “dares to judge.”

[19:9]  ⁸²⁶ tn The verb “to do wickedly” is repeated here (see v. 7). It appears that whatever “wickedness” the men of Sodom had intended to do to Lot’s visitors – probably nothing short of homosexual rape – they were now ready to inflict on Lot.

[19:9]  ⁸²⁷ tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”

[19:9]  ⁸²⁸ tn Heb “and they drew near.”

[19:10]  ⁸²⁹ tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “inside” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[19:10]  ⁸³⁰ tn The Hebrew text adds “their hand.” These words have not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[19:10]  ⁸³¹ tn Heb “to them into the house.”

[19:11]  ⁸³² tn Heb “from the least to the greatest.”

[19:11]  ⁸³³ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Sodom outside the door) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:12]  ⁸³⁴ tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “visitors” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[19:12]  ⁸³⁵ tn Heb “Yet who [is there] to you here?”

[19:12]  ⁸³⁶ tn The words “Do you have” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:12]  ⁸³⁷ tn Heb “a son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and anyone who (is) to you in the city.”

[19:12]  ⁸³⁸ tn Heb “the place.” The Hebrew article serves here as a demonstrative.

[19:13]  ⁸³⁹ tn The Hebrew participle expresses an imminent action here.

[19:13]  ⁸⁴⁰ tn Heb “for their outcry.” The words “about this place” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:13]  ⁸⁴¹ tn Heb “the Lord.” The repetition of the divine name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “he” for stylistic reasons.

[19:14]  ⁸⁴² sn The language has to be interpreted in the light of the context and the social customs. The men are called “sons-in-law” (literally “the takers of his daughters”), but the daughters had not yet had sex with a man. It is better to translate the phrase “who were going to marry his daughters.” Since formal marriage contracts were binding, the husbands-to-be could already be called sons-in-law.

[19:14]  ⁸⁴³ tn The Hebrew active participle expresses an imminent action.

[19:14]  ⁸⁴⁴ tn Heb “and he was like one taunting in the eyes of his sons-in-law.” These men mistakenly thought Lot was ridiculing them and their lifestyle. Their response illustrates how morally insensitive they had become.

[19:15]  ⁸⁴⁵ tn Heb “When dawn came up.”

[19:15]  ⁸⁴⁶ tn Heb “who are found.” The wording might imply he had other daughters living in the city, but the text does not explicitly state this.

[19:15]  ⁸⁴⁷ tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).

[19:16]  ⁸⁴⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:16]  ⁸⁴⁹ tn Heb “in the compassion of the Lord to them.”

[19:16]  ⁸⁵⁰ tn Heb “brought him out and placed him.” The third masculine singular suffixes refer specifically to Lot, though his wife and daughters accompanied him (see v. 17). For stylistic reasons these have been translated as plural pronouns (“them”).

[19:17]  ⁸⁵¹ tn Or “one of them”; Heb “he.” Several ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac) read the plural “they.” See also the note on “your” in v. 19.

[19:17]  ⁸⁵² tn Heb “escape.”

[19:17]  ⁸⁵³ tn The Hebrew verb translated “look” signifies an intense gaze, not a passing glance. This same verb is used later in v. 26 to describe Lot’s wife’s self-destructive look back at the city.

[19:17]  ⁸⁵⁴ tn Or “in the plain”; Heb “in the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:18]  ⁸⁵⁵ tn Or “my lords.” See the following note on the problem of identifying the addressee here. The Hebrew term is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[19:19]  ⁸⁵⁶ tn The second person pronominal suffixes are singular in this verse (note “your eyes,” “you have made great,” and “you have acted”). Verse 18a seems to indicate that Lot is addressing the angels, but the use of the singular and the appearance of the divine title “Lord” (אֲדֹנָי, ’adonay) in v. 18b suggests he is speaking to God.

[19:19]  ⁸⁵⁷ tn Heb “in your eyes.”

[19:19]  ⁸⁵⁸ tn Heb “you made great your kindness.”

[19:19]  ⁸⁵⁹ sn The Hebrew word חֶסֶד (khesed) can refer to “faithful love” or to “kindness,” depending on the context. The precise nuance here is uncertain.

[19:19]  ⁸⁶⁰ tn The infinitive construct explains how God has shown Lot kindness.

[19:19]  ⁸⁶¹ tn Heb “lest.”

[19:19]  ⁸⁶² tn The Hebrew verb דָּבַק (davaq) normally means “to stick to, to cleave, to join.” Lot is afraid he cannot outrun the coming calamity.

[19:19]  ⁸⁶³ tn The perfect verb form with vav consecutive carries the nuance of the imperfect verbal form before it.

[19:20]  ⁸⁶⁴ tn The Hebrew word עִיר (’ir) can refer to either a city or a town, depending on the size of the place. Given that this place was described by Lot later in this verse as a “little place,” the translation uses “town.”

[19:20]  ⁸⁶⁵ tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”

[19:20]  ⁸⁶⁶ tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.

[19:20]  ⁸⁶⁷ tn Heb “Is it not little?”

[19:20]  ⁸⁶⁸ tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.

[19:21]  ⁸⁶⁹ tn Heb “And he said, ‘Look, I will grant.’” The order of the clauses has been rearranged for stylistic reasons. The referent of the speaker (“he”) is somewhat ambiguous: It could be taken as the angel to whom Lot has been speaking (so NLT; note the singular references in vv. 18-19), or it could be that Lot is speaking directly to the Lord here. Most English translations leave the referent of the pronoun unspecified and maintain the ambiguity.

[19:21]  ⁸⁷⁰ tn Heb “I have lifted up your face [i.e., shown you favor] also concerning this matter.”

[19:21]  ⁸⁷¹ tn The negated infinitive construct indicates either the consequence of God’s granting the request (“I have granted this request, so that I will not”) or the manner in which he will grant it (“I have granted your request by not destroying”).

[19:22]  ⁸⁷² tn Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.

[19:22]  ⁸⁷³ tn Heb “Therefore the name of the city is called Zoar.” The name of the place, צוֹעַר (tso’ar) apparently means “Little Place,” in light of the wordplay with the term “little” (מִצְעָר, mits’ar) used twice by Lot to describe the town (v. 20).

[19:23]  ⁸⁷⁴ sn The sun had just risen. There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15) and sunrise (here).

[19:23]  ⁸⁷⁵ tn The juxtaposition of the two disjunctive clauses indicates synchronic action. The first action (the sun’s rising) occurred as the second (Lot’s entering Zoar) took place. The disjunctive clauses also signal closure for the preceding scene.

[19:24]  ⁸⁷⁶ tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of the next scene and highlights God’s action.

[19:24]  ⁸⁷⁷ tn Or “burning sulfur” (the traditional “fire and brimstone”).

[19:24]  ⁸⁷⁸ tn Heb “from the Lord from the heavens.” The words “It was sent down” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:25]  ⁸⁷⁹ tn Or “and all the plain”; Heb “and all the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:25]  ⁸⁸⁰ tn Heb “and the vegetation of the ground.”

[19:26]  ⁸⁸¹ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:26]  ⁸⁸² tn The Hebrew verb means “to look intently; to gaze” (see 15:5).

[19:27]  ⁸⁸³ tn The words “and went” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:28]  ⁸⁸⁴ tn Heb “upon the face of.”

[19:28]  ⁸⁸⁵ tn Or “all the land of the plain”; Heb “and all the face of the land of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:28]  ⁸⁸⁶ tn Heb “And he saw, and look, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.”

[19:29]  ⁸⁸⁷ tn The construction is a temporal clause comprised of the temporal indicator, an infinitive construct with a preposition, and the subjective genitive.

[19:29]  ⁸⁸⁸ tn Or “of the plain”; Heb “of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[19:29]  ⁸⁸⁹ tn Heb “remembered,” but this means more than mental recollection here. Abraham’s request (Gen 18:23-32) was that the Lord not destroy the righteous with the wicked. While the requisite minimum number of righteous people (ten, v. 32) needed for God to spare the cities was not found, God nevertheless rescued the righteous before destroying the wicked.

[19:29]  ⁸⁹⁰ sn God’s removal of Lot before the judgment is paradigmatic. He typically delivers the godly before destroying their world.

[19:29]  ⁸⁹¹ tn Heb “the overthrow when [he] overthrew.”

[19:31]  ⁸⁹² tn Heb “and the firstborn said.”

[19:31]  ⁸⁹³ tn Or perhaps “on earth,” in which case the statement would be hyperbolic; presumably there had been some men living in the town of Zoar to which Lot and his daughters had initially fled.

[19:31]  ⁸⁹⁴ tn Heb “to enter upon us.” This is a euphemism for sexual relations.

[19:32]  ⁸⁹⁵ tn Heb “drink wine.”

[19:32]  ⁸⁹⁶ tn Heb “and we will lie down.” The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive is subordinated to the preceding cohortative and indicates purpose/result.

[19:32]  ⁸⁹⁷ tn Or “that we may preserve.” Here the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates their ultimate goal.

[19:32]  ⁸⁹⁸ tn Heb “and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”

[19:33]  ⁸⁹⁹ tn Heb “drink wine.”

[19:33]  ⁹⁰⁰ tn Heb “the firstborn.”

[19:33]  ⁹⁰¹ tn Heb “and the firstborn came and lied down with her father.” The expression “lied down with” here and in the following verses is a euphemism for sexual relations.

[19:33]  ⁹⁰² tn Heb “and he did not know when she lay down and when she arose.”

[19:34]  ⁹⁰³ tn Heb “the firstborn.”

[19:34]  ⁹⁰⁴ tn Heb “Look, I lied down with my father. Let’s make him drink wine again tonight.”

[19:34]  ⁹⁰⁵ tn Heb “And go, lie down with him and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”

[19:35]  ⁹⁰⁶ tn Heb “drink wine.”

[19:35]  ⁹⁰⁷ tn Heb “lied down with him.”

[19:35]  ⁹⁰⁸ tn Heb “And he did not know when she lied down and when she arose.”

[19:37]  ⁹⁰⁹ tn Heb “the firstborn.”

[19:37]  ⁹¹⁰ sn The meaning of the name Moab is not certain. The name sounds like the Hebrew phrase “from our father” (מֵאָבִינוּ, me’avinu) which the daughters used twice (vv. 32, 34). This account is probably included in the narrative in order to portray the Moabites, who later became enemies of God’s people, in a negative light.

[19:38]  ⁹¹¹ sn The name Ben-Ammi means “son of my people.” Like the account of Moab’s birth, this story is probably included in the narrative to portray the Ammonites, another perennial enemy of Israel, in a negative light.

[20:1]  ⁹¹² tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”

[20:1]  ⁹¹³ tn Heb “and he sojourned.”

[20:3]  ⁹¹⁴ tn Heb “came.”

[20:3]  ⁹¹⁵ tn Heb “Look, you [are] dead.” The Hebrew construction uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with a second person pronominal particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with by the participle. It is a highly rhetorical expression.

[20:3]  ⁹¹⁶ tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.

[20:4]  ⁹¹⁷ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[20:4]  ⁹¹⁸ tn Apparently Abimelech assumes that God’s judgment will fall on his entire nation. Some, finding the reference to a nation problematic, prefer to emend the text and read, “Would you really kill someone who is innocent?” See E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 149.

[20:5]  ⁹¹⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:5]  ⁹²⁰ tn Heb “and she, even she.”

[20:5]  ⁹²¹ tn Heb “with the integrity of my heart.”

[20:6]  ⁹²² tn Heb “with the integrity of your heart.”

[20:6]  ⁹²³ tn Heb “and I, even I, kept you.”

[20:6]  ⁹²⁴ tn Heb “therefore.”

[20:7]  ⁹²⁵ tn Or “for,” if the particle is understood as causal (as many English translations do) rather than asseverative.

[20:7]  ⁹²⁶ sn For a discussion of the term prophet see N. Walker, “What is a Nabhi?” ZAW 73 (1961): 99-100.

[20:7]  ⁹²⁷ tn After the preceding jussive (or imperfect), the imperative with vav conjunctive here indicates result.

[20:7]  ⁹²⁸ tn Heb “if there is not you returning.” The suffix on the particle becomes the subject of the negated clause.

[20:7]  ⁹²⁹ tn The imperfect is preceded by the infinitive absolute to make the warning emphatic.

[20:8]  ⁹³⁰ tn Heb “And Abimelech rose early in the morning and he summoned.”

[20:8]  ⁹³¹ tn The verb קָרָא (qara’) followed by the preposition לְ (lamed) means “to summon.”

[20:8]  ⁹³² tn Heb “And he spoke all these things in their ears.”

[20:8]  ⁹³³ tn Heb “the men.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “they” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[20:9]  ⁹³⁴ tn Heb “How did I sin against you that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin?” The expression “great sin” refers to adultery. For discussion of the cultural background of the passage, see J. J. Rabinowitz, “The Great Sin in Ancient Egyptian Marriage Contracts,” JNES 18 (1959): 73, and W. L. Moran, “The Scandal of the ‘Great Sin’ at Ugarit,” JNES 18 (1959): 280-81.

[20:9]  ⁹³⁵ tn Heb “Deeds which should not be done you have done to me.” The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here.

[20:10]  ⁹³⁶ tn Heb “And Abimelech said to.”

[20:10]  ⁹³⁷ tn Heb “What did you see that you did this thing?” The question implies that Abraham had some motive for deceiving Abimelech.

[20:11]  ⁹³⁸ tn Heb “Because I said.”

[20:11]  ⁹³⁹ tn Heb “over the matter of.”

[20:12]  ⁹⁴⁰ tn Heb “but also.”

[20:13]  ⁹⁴¹ tn The Hebrew verb is plural. This may be a case of grammatical agreement with the name for God, which is plural in form. However, when this plural name refers to the one true God, accompanying predicates are usually singular in form. Perhaps Abraham is accommodating his speech to Abimelech’s polytheistic perspective. (See GKC 463 §145.i.) If so, one should translate, “when the gods made me wander.”

[20:13]  ⁹⁴² tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”

[20:14]  ⁹⁴³ tn Heb “took and gave.”

[20:15]  ⁹⁴⁴ tn Heb “In the [place that is] good in your eyes live!”

[20:16]  ⁹⁴⁵ sn A thousand pieces [Heb “shekels”] of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 11.5 kilograms, or 400 ounces (about 25 pounds).

[20:16]  ⁹⁴⁶ sn To your ‘brother.’ Note the way that the king refers to Abraham. Was he being sarcastic? It was surely a rebuke to Sarah. What is amazing is how patient this king was. It is proof that the fear of God was in that place, contrary to what Abraham believed (see v. 11).

[20:16]  ⁹⁴⁷ tn Heb “Look, it is for you a covering of the eyes, for all who are with you, and with all, and you are set right.” The exact meaning of the statement is unclear. Apparently it means that the gift of money somehow exonerates her in other people’s eyes. They will not look on her as compromised (see G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 2:74).

[20:18]  ⁹⁴⁸ tn In the Hebrew text the clause begins with “because.”

[20:18]  ⁹⁴⁹ tn Heb had completely closed up every womb.” In the Hebrew text infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.

[20:18]  ⁹⁵⁰ tn Heb “because of.” The words “he took” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[21:1]  ⁹⁵¹ sn The Hebrew verb translated “visit” (פָּקַד, paqad ) often describes divine intervention for blessing or cursing; it indicates God’s special attention to an individual or a matter, always with respect to his people’s destiny. He may visit (that is, destroy) the Amalekites; he may visit (that is, deliver) his people in Egypt. Here he visits Sarah, to allow her to have the promised child. One’s destiny is changed when the Lord “visits.” For a more detailed study of the term, see G. André, Determining the Destiny (ConBOT).

[21:1]  ⁹⁵² tn Heb “and the Lord did.” The divine name has not been repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[21:1]  ⁹⁵³ tn Heb “spoken.”

[21:2]  ⁹⁵⁴ tn Or “she conceived.”

[21:3]  ⁹⁵⁵ tn Heb “the one born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.” The two modifying clauses, the first introduced with an article and the second with the relative pronoun, are placed in the middle of the sentence, before the name Isaac is stated. They are meant to underscore that this was indeed an actual birth to Abraham and Sarah in fulfillment of the promise.

[21:4]  ⁹⁵⁶ tn Heb “Isaac his son, the son of eight days.” The name “Isaac” is repeated in the translation for clarity.

[21:4]  ⁹⁵⁷ sn Just as God had commanded him to do. With the birth of the promised child, Abraham obeyed the Lord by both naming (Gen 17:19) and circumcising Isaac (17:12).

[21:5]  ⁹⁵⁸ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause underscores how miraculous this birth was. Abraham was 100 years old. The fact that the genealogies give the ages of the fathers when their first son is born shows that this was considered a major milestone in one’s life (G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 2:80).

[21:6]  ⁹⁵⁹ tn Heb “Laughter God has made for me.”

[21:6]  ⁹⁶⁰ tn The words “about this” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[21:6]  ⁹⁶¹ sn Sarah’s words play on the name “Isaac” in a final triumphant manner. God prepared “laughter” (צְחֹק, ysÿkhoq ) for her, and everyone who hears about this “will laugh” (יִצְחַק, yitskhaq ) with her. The laughter now signals great joy and fulfillment, not unbelief (cf. Gen 18:12-15).

[21:7]  ⁹⁶² tn Heb “said.”

[21:7]  ⁹⁶³ tn The perfect form of the verb is used here to describe a hypothetical situation.

[21:8]  ⁹⁶⁴ tn Heb “made.”

[21:8]  ⁹⁶⁵ sn Children were weaned closer to the age of two or three in the ancient world, because infant mortality was high. If an infant grew to this stage, it was fairly certain he or she would live. Such an event called for a celebration, especially for parents who had waited so long for a child.

[21:9]  ⁹⁶⁶ tn Heb “saw.”

[21:9]  ⁹⁶⁷ tn The Piel participle used here is from the same root as the name “Isaac.” In the Piel stem the verb means “to jest; to make sport of; to play with,” not simply “to laugh,” which is the meaning of the verb in the Qal stem. What exactly Ishmael was doing is not clear. Interpreters have generally concluded that the boy was either (1) mocking Isaac (cf. NASB, NIV, NLT) or (2) merely playing with Isaac as if on equal footing (cf. NAB, NRSV). In either case Sarah saw it as a threat. The same participial form was used in Gen 19:14 to describe how some in Lot’s family viewed his attempt to warn them of impending doom. It also appears later in Gen 39:14, 17, where Potiphar accuses Joseph of mocking them.

[21:10]  ⁹⁶⁸ tn Heb “drive out.” The language may seem severe, but Sarah’s maternal instincts sensed a real danger in that Ishmael was not treating Isaac with the proper respect.

[21:11]  ⁹⁶⁹ tn Heb “and the word was very wrong in the eyes of Abraham on account of his son.” The verb רָעַע (ra’a’) often refers to what is morally or ethically “evil.” It usage here suggests that Abraham thought Sarah’s demand was ethically (and perhaps legally) wrong.

[21:12]  ⁹⁷⁰ tn Heb “Let it not be evil in your eyes.”

[21:12]  ⁹⁷¹ tn Heb “listen to her voice.” The idiomatic expression means “obey; comply.” Here her advice, though harsh, is necessary and conforms to the will of God. Later (see Gen 25), when Abraham has other sons, he sends them all away as well.

[21:12]  ⁹⁷² tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to an action that is underway.

[21:12]  ⁹⁷³ tn Or perhaps “will be named”; Heb “for in Isaac offspring will be called to you.” The exact meaning of the statement is not clear, but it does indicate that God’s covenantal promises to Abraham will be realized through Isaac, not Ishmael.

[21:14]  ⁹⁷⁴ tn Heb “and Abraham rose up early in the morning and he took.”

[21:14]  ⁹⁷⁵ tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.

[21:14]  ⁹⁷⁶ tn Heb “He put upon her shoulder, and the boy [or perhaps, “and with the boy”], and he sent her away.” It is unclear how “and the boy” relates syntactically to what precedes. Perhaps the words should be rearranged and the text read, “and he put [them] on her shoulder and he gave to Hagar the boy.”

[21:14]  ⁹⁷⁷ tn Heb “she went and wandered.”

[21:14]  ⁹⁷⁸ tn Or “desert,” although for English readers this usually connotes a sandy desert like the Sahara rather than the arid wasteland of this region with its sparse vegetation.

[21:15]  ⁹⁷⁹ tn Heb “threw,” but the child, who was now thirteen years old, would not have been carried, let alone thrown under a bush. The exaggerated language suggests Ishmael is limp from dehydration and is being abandoned to die. See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 2:85.

[21:16]  ⁹⁸⁰ sn A bowshot would be a distance of about a hundred yards (ninety meters).

[21:16]  ⁹⁸¹ tn Heb “said.”

[21:16]  ⁹⁸² tn Heb “I will not look on the death of the child.” The cohortative verbal form (note the negative particle אַל,’al) here expresses her resolve to avoid the stated action.

[21:16]  ⁹⁸³ tn Heb “and she lifted up her voice and wept” (that is, she wept uncontrollably). The LXX reads “he” (referring to Ishmael) rather than “she” (referring to Hagar), but this is probably an attempt to harmonize this verse with the following one, which refers to the boy’s cries.

[21:17]  ⁹⁸⁴ sn God heard the boy’s voice. The text has not to this point indicated that Ishmael was crying out, either in pain or in prayer. But the text here makes it clear that God heard him. Ishmael is clearly central to the story. Both the mother and the Lord are focused on the child’s imminent death.

[21:17]  ⁹⁸⁵ tn Heb “What to you?”

[21:17]  ⁹⁸⁶ sn Here the verb heard picks up the main motif of the name Ishmael (“God hears”), introduced back in chap. 16.

[21:19]  ⁹⁸⁷ tn Heb “And God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.” The referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:21]  ⁹⁸⁸ sn The wilderness of Paran is an area in the east central region of the Sinai peninsula, northeast from the traditional site of Mt. Sinai and with the Arabah and the Gulf of Aqaba as its eastern border.

[21:21]  ⁹⁸⁹ tn Heb “And his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt.”

[21:22]  ⁹⁹⁰ sn God is with you. Abimelech and Phicol recognized that Abraham enjoyed special divine provision and protection.

[21:23]  ⁹⁹¹ tn Heb “And now swear to me by God here.”

[21:23]  ⁹⁹² tn Heb “my offspring and my descendants.”

[21:23]  ⁹⁹³ tn The word “land” refers by metonymy to the people in the land.

[21:23]  ⁹⁹⁴ tn The Hebrew verb means “to stay, to live, to sojourn” as a temporary resident without ownership rights.

[21:23]  ⁹⁹⁵ tn Or “kindness.”

[21:23]  ⁹⁹⁶ tn Heb “According to the loyalty which I have done with you, do with me and with the land in which you are staying.”

[21:24]  ⁹⁹⁷ tn Heb “I swear.” No object is specified in the Hebrew text, but the content of the oath requested by Abimelech is the implied object.

[21:25]  ⁹⁹⁸ tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to argue; to dispute”; it can focus on the beginning of the dispute (as here), the dispute itself, or the resolution of a dispute (Isa 1:18). Apparently the complaint was lodged before the actual oath was taken.

[21:25]  ⁹⁹⁹ tn Heb “concerning the matter of the well of water.”

[21:25]  ¹⁰⁰⁰ tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to steal; to rob; to take violently.” The statement reflects Abraham’s perspective.

[21:26]  ¹⁰⁰¹ tn Heb “and also.”

[21:27]  ¹⁰⁰² tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[21:29]  ¹⁰⁰³ tn Heb “What are these?”

[21:30]  ¹⁰⁰⁴ tn Heb “that it be for me for a witness.”

[21:30]  ¹⁰⁰⁵ sn This well. Since the king wanted a treaty to share in Abraham’s good fortune, Abraham used the treaty to secure ownership of and protection for the well he dug. It would be useless to make a treaty to live in this territory if he had no rights to the water. Abraham consented to the treaty, but added his rider to it.

[21:31]  ¹⁰⁰⁶ tn Heb “that is why he called that place.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive, “that is why that place was called.”

[21:31]  ¹⁰⁰⁷ sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of the oath” or “well of the seven.” Both the verb “to swear” and the number “seven” have been used throughout the account. Now they are drawn in as part of the explanation of the significance of the name.

[21:31]  ¹⁰⁰⁸ sn The verb forms a wordplay with the name Beer Sheba.

[21:32]  ¹⁰⁰⁹ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[21:32]  ¹⁰¹⁰ tn Heb “arose and returned.”

[21:32]  ¹⁰¹¹ sn The Philistines mentioned here may not be ethnically related to those who lived in Palestine in the time of the judges and the united monarchy. See D. M. Howard, “Philistines,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 238.

[21:33]  ¹⁰¹² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:33]  ¹⁰¹³ sn The planting of the tamarisk tree is a sign of Abraham’s intent to stay there for a long time, not a religious act. A growing tree in the Negev would be a lasting witness to God’s provision of water.

[21:33]  ¹⁰¹⁴ tn Heb “he called there in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.

[21:34]  ¹⁰¹⁵ tn Heb “many days.”

[22:1]  ¹⁰¹⁶ sn The Hebrew verb used here means “to test; to try; to prove.” In this passage God tests Abraham to see if he would be obedient. See T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 44-48. See also J. L. Crenshaw, A Whirlpool of Torment (OBT), 9-30; and J. I. Lawlor, “The Test of Abraham,” GTJ 1 (1980): 19-35.

[22:1]  ¹⁰¹⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:2]  ¹⁰¹⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:2]  ¹⁰¹⁹ sn Take your son…Isaac. The instructions are very clear, but the details are deliberate. With every additional description the commandment becomes more challenging.

[22:2]  ¹⁰²⁰ sn There has been much debate over the location of Moriah; 2 Chr 3:1 suggests it may be the site where the temple was later built in Jerusalem.

[22:2]  ¹⁰²¹ sn A whole burnt offering signified the complete surrender of the worshiper and complete acceptance by God. The demand for a human sacrifice was certainly radical and may have seemed to Abraham out of character for God. Abraham would have to obey without fully understanding what God was about.

[22:2]  ¹⁰²² tn Heb “which I will say to.”

[22:3]  ¹⁰²³ tn Heb “Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey.”

[22:3]  ¹⁰²⁴ tn Heb “he arose and he went.”

[22:4]  ¹⁰²⁵ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.”

[22:5]  ¹⁰²⁶ tn Heb “And Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

[22:5]  ¹⁰²⁷ tn The Hebrew verb is masculine plural, referring to the two young servants who accompanied Abraham and Isaac on the journey.

[22:5]  ¹⁰²⁸ tn The disjunctive clause (with the compound subject preceding the verb) may be circumstantial and temporal.

[22:5]  ¹⁰²⁹ tn This Hebrew word literally means “to bow oneself close to the ground.” It often means “to worship.”

[22:5]  ¹⁰³⁰ sn It is impossible to know what Abraham was thinking when he said, “we will…return to you.” When he went he knew (1) that he was to sacrifice Isaac, and (2) that God intended to fulfill his earlier promises through Isaac. How he reconciled those facts is not clear in the text. Heb 11:17-19 suggests that Abraham believed God could restore Isaac to him through resurrection.

[22:6]  ¹⁰³¹ sn He took the fire and the knife in his hand. These details anticipate the sacrifice that lies ahead.

[22:7]  ¹⁰³² tn The Hebrew text adds “and said.” This is redundant and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[22:7]  ¹⁰³³ tn Heb “Here I am” (cf. Gen 22:1).

[22:7]  ¹⁰³⁴ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Here is the fire and the wood.’” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here and in the following verse the order of the introductory clauses and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:8]  ¹⁰³⁵ tn Heb “will see for himself.” The construction means “to look out for; to see to it; to provide.”

[22:9]  ¹⁰³⁶ sn Abraham built an altar there. The theme of Abraham’s altar building culminates here. He has been a faithful worshiper. Will he continue to worship when called upon to make such a radical sacrifice?

[22:9]  ¹⁰³⁷ sn Then he tied up. This text has given rise to an important theme in Judaism known as the Aqedah, from the Hebrew word for “binding.” When sacrifices were made in the sanctuary, God remembered the binding of Isaac, for which a substitute was offered. See D. Polish, “The Binding of Isaac,” Jud 6 (1957): 17-21.

[22:10]  ¹⁰³⁸ tn Heb “in order to slaughter.”

[22:11]  ¹⁰³⁹ sn Heb “the messenger of the Lord” (also in v. 15). Some identify the angel of the Lord as the preincarnate Christ because in some texts the angel is identified with the Lord himself. However, see the note on the phrase “the Lord’s angel” in Gen 16:7.

[22:12]  ¹⁰⁴⁰ tn Heb “Do not extend your hand toward the boy.”

[22:12]  ¹⁰⁴¹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Do not extend…’”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the context for clarity. The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:12]  ¹⁰⁴² sn For now I know. The test was designed to see if Abraham would be obedient (see v. 1).

[22:12]  ¹⁰⁴³ sn In this context fear refers by metonymy to obedience that grows from faith.

[22:13]  ¹⁰⁴⁴ tn Heb “lifted his eyes.”

[22:13]  ¹⁰⁴⁵ tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) draws attention to what Abraham saw and invites the audience to view the scene through his eyes.

[22:13]  ¹⁰⁴⁶ tc The translation follows the reading of the MT; a number of Hebrew mss, the LXX, Syriac, and Samaritan Pentateuch read “one” (אֶחָד, ’ekhad) instead of “behind him” (אַחַר, ’akhar).

[22:13]  ¹⁰⁴⁷ tn Heb “Abraham”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:14]  ¹⁰⁴⁸ tn Heb “the Lord sees” (יְהוָה יִרְאֶה, yÿhvah yir’eh, traditionally transliterated “Jehovah Jireh”; see the note on the word “provide” in v. 8). By so naming the place Abraham preserved in the memory of God’s people the amazing event that took place there.

[22:14]  ¹⁰⁴⁹ sn On the expression to this day see B. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until this Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.

[22:14]  ¹⁰⁵⁰ sn The saying connected with these events has some ambiguity, which was probably intended. The Niphal verb could be translated (1) “in the mountain of the Lord it will be seen/provided” or (2) “in the mountain the Lord will appear.” If the temple later stood here (see the note on “Moriah” in Gen 22:2), the latter interpretation might find support, for the people went to the temple to appear before the Lord, who “appeared” to them by providing for them his power and blessings. See S. R. Driver, Genesis, 219.

[22:16]  ¹⁰⁵¹ tn Heb “By myself I swear.”

[22:16]  ¹⁰⁵² tn Heb “the oracle of the Lord.” The phrase refers to a formal oracle or decree from the Lord.

[22:17]  ¹⁰⁵³ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.

[22:17]  ¹⁰⁵⁴ tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).

[22:17]  ¹⁰⁵⁵ tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[22:17]  ¹⁰⁵⁶ tn Or “inherit.”

[22:17]  ¹⁰⁵⁷ tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. To break through the gate complex would be to conquer the city, for the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”).

[22:18]  ¹⁰⁵⁸ tn In the Hebrew text this causal clause comes at the end of the sentence. The translation alters the word order for stylistic reasons.

[22:18]  ¹⁰⁵⁹ tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 26:4). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)

[22:19]  ¹⁰⁶⁰ tn Heb “and they arose and went together.”

[22:19]  ¹⁰⁶¹ tn Heb “and Abraham stayed in Beer Sheba. This has been translated as a relative clause for stylistic reasons.

[22:20]  ¹⁰⁶² tn In the Hebrew text the sentence begins with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to the statement.

[22:21]  ¹⁰⁶³ sn This parenthetical note about Kemuel’s descendant is probably a later insertion by the author/compiler of Genesis and not part of the original announcement.

[22:23]  ¹⁰⁶⁴ tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is important but parenthetical to the narrative. Rebekah would become the wife of Isaac (Gen 24:15).

[23:1]  ¹⁰⁶⁵ tn Heb “And the years of Sarah were one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.”

[23:2]  ¹⁰⁶⁶ tn Heb “Sarah.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“she”) for stylistic reasons.

[23:2]  ¹⁰⁶⁷ sn Mourn…weep. The description here is of standard mourning rites (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 149-50). They would have been carried out in the presence of the corpse, probably in Sarah’s tent. So Abraham came in to mourn; then he rose up to go and bury his dead (v. 3).

[23:3]  ¹⁰⁶⁸ tn Heb “And Abraham arose from upon the face of his dead.”

[23:3]  ¹⁰⁶⁹ tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (also in vv. 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.

[23:4]  ¹⁰⁷⁰ tn Heb “a resident alien and a settler.”

[23:4]  ¹⁰⁷¹ tn Heb “give,” which is used here as an idiom for “sell” (see v. 9). The idiom reflects the polite bartering that was done in the culture at the time.

[23:4]  ¹⁰⁷² tn Or “possession.”

[23:4]  ¹⁰⁷³ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose.

[23:4]  ¹⁰⁷⁴ tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:5]  ¹⁰⁷⁵ tn Heb “answered Abraham saying to him.”

[23:6]  ¹⁰⁷⁶ tn Heb “Hear us, my lord.”

[23:6]  ¹⁰⁷⁷ tn Heb “prince of God.” The divine name may be used here as a means of expressing the superlative, “mighty prince.” The word for “prince” probably means “tribal chief” here. See M. H. Gottstein, “Nasi’ ‘elohim (Gen 23:6),” VT 3 (1953) 298-99; and D. W. Thomas, “Consideration of Some Unusual Ways of Expressing the Superlative in Hebrew,” VT 3 (1953) 215-16.

[23:6]  ¹⁰⁷⁸ tn The phrase “to prevent you” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:7]  ¹⁰⁷⁹ tn Heb “to the people of the land” (also in v. 12).

[23:8]  ¹⁰⁸⁰ tn Heb “If it is with your purpose.” The Hebrew noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) here has the nuance “purpose” or perhaps “desire” (see BDB 661 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ).

[23:8]  ¹⁰⁸¹ tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:8]  ¹⁰⁸² tn Or “hear me.”

[23:8]  ¹⁰⁸³ tn Heb “intercede for me with.”

[23:9]  ¹⁰⁸⁴ tn Heb “give.” This is used here (also a second time later in this verse) as an idiom for “sell”; see the note on the word “grant” in v. 4.

[23:9]  ¹⁰⁸⁵ tn Heb “in your presence.”

[23:9]  ¹⁰⁸⁶ tn Heb “silver.”

[23:10]  ¹⁰⁸⁷ tn Or perhaps “Hittite,” but see the note on the name “Heth” in v. 3.

[23:10]  ¹⁰⁸⁸ tn Heb “ears.” By metonymy the “ears” stand for the presence or proximity (i.e., within earshot) of the persons named.

[23:10]  ¹⁰⁸⁹ sn On the expression all who entered the gate see E. A. Speiser, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate,” BASOR 144 (1956): 20-23; and G. Evans, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate: A Discussion of Professor Speiser’s Paper,” BASOR 150 (1958): 28-33.

[23:11]  ¹⁰⁹⁰ tn Heb “give.” The perfect tense has here a present nuance; this is a formal, legally binding declaration. Abraham asked only for a burial site/cave within the field; Ephron agrees to sell him the entire field.

[23:11]  ¹⁰⁹¹ tn The Hebrew text adds “to you I give [i.e., sell] it.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[23:11]  ¹⁰⁹² tn Heb “in the presence of the sons of my people.”

[23:13]  ¹⁰⁹³ tn Heb “give.”

[23:13]  ¹⁰⁹⁴ tn Heb “silver.”

[23:13]  ¹⁰⁹⁵ tn After the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose or result.

[23:15]  ¹⁰⁹⁶ tn The word “worth” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:15]  ¹⁰⁹⁷ sn Four hundred pieces of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 4.6 kilograms, or 160 ounces (about 10 pounds).

[23:16]  ¹⁰⁹⁸ tn Heb “listened to Ephron.”

[23:16]  ¹⁰⁹⁹ tn Heb “and Abraham weighed out.”

[23:16]  ¹¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “to Ephron.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:16]  ¹¹⁰¹ tn Heb “silver.”

[23:16]  ¹¹⁰² tn Heb “that he had spoken.” The referent (Ephron) has been specified here in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[23:16]  ¹¹⁰³ tn Heb “passing for the merchant.” The final clause affirms that the measurement of silver was according to the standards used by the merchants of the time.

[23:17]  ¹¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “And it was conveyed.” The recipient, Abraham (mentioned in the Hebrew text at the beginning of v. 18) has been placed here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:18]  ¹¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “his city”; the referent (Ephron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:20]  ¹¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “possession of a grave.”

[24:1]  ¹¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “days.”

[24:1]  ¹¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.

[24:2]  ¹¹⁰⁹ tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).

[24:2]  ¹¹¹⁰ sn Put your hand under my thigh. The taking of this oath had to do with the sanctity of the family and the continuation of the family line. See D. R. Freedman, “Put Your Hand Under My Thigh – the Patriarchal Oath,” BAR 2 (1976): 2-4, 42.

[24:3]  ¹¹¹¹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.

[24:3]  ¹¹¹² tn Heb “because you must not take.”

[24:4]  ¹¹¹³ tn Heb “for to my country and my relatives you must go.”

[24:4]  ¹¹¹⁴ tn Heb “and take.”

[24:5]  ¹¹¹⁵ tn Heb “to go after me.”

[24:5]  ¹¹¹⁶ tn In the Hebrew text the construction is emphatic; the infinitive absolute precedes the imperfect. However, it is difficult to reflect this emphasis in an English translation.

[24:6]  ¹¹¹⁷ tn Heb “guard yourself.”

[24:6]  ¹¹¹⁸ tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:7]  ¹¹¹⁹ tn Or “the land of my birth.”

[24:7]  ¹¹²⁰ tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”

[24:7]  ¹¹²¹ tn Or “his messenger.”

[24:7]  ¹¹²² tn Heb “before you and you will take.”

[24:8]  ¹¹²³ tn Heb “ to go after you.”

[24:8]  ¹¹²⁴ sn You will be free. If the prospective bride was not willing to accompany the servant back to Canaan, the servant would be released from his oath to Abraham.

[24:9]  ¹¹²⁵ tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”

[24:10]  ¹¹²⁶ tn Heb “and every good thing of his master was in his hand.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, explaining that he took all kinds of gifts to be used at his discretion.

[24:10]  ¹¹²⁷ tn Heb “and he arose and went.”

[24:10]  ¹¹²⁸ tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:11]  ¹¹²⁹ tn Heb “well of water.”

[24:11]  ¹¹³⁰ tn Heb “at the time of evening.”

[24:12]  ¹¹³¹ tn Heb “make it happen before me today.” Although a number of English translations understand this as a request for success in the task (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV) it is more likely that the servant is requesting an omen or sign from God (v. 14).

[24:12]  ¹¹³² tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”

[24:13]  ¹¹³³ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:13]  ¹¹³⁴ tn Heb “the men.”

[24:14]  ¹¹³⁵ sn I will also give your camels water. It would be an enormous test for a young woman to water ten camels. The idea is that such a woman would not only be industrious but hospitable and generous.

[24:14]  ¹¹³⁶ tn Heb “And let the young woman to whom I say, ‘Lower your jar that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I will also give your camels water,’ – her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac, and by it I will know that you have acted in faithfulness with my master.”

[24:15]  ¹¹³⁷ tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out!” Using the participle introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator dramatically transports the audience back into the event and invites them to see Rebekah through the servant’s eyes.

[24:15]  ¹¹³⁸ tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out – [she] who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham – and her jug [was] on her shoulder.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:16]  ¹¹³⁹ tn Heb “And the young woman was very good of appearance, a virgin, and a man she had not known.” Some argue that the Hebrew noun translated “virgin” (בְּתוּלָה, bÿtulah) is better understood in a general sense, “young woman” (see Joel 1:8, where the word appears to refer to one who is married). In this case the circumstantial clause (“and a man she had not known”) would be restrictive, rather than descriptive. If the term actually means “virgin,” one wonders why the circumstantial clause is necessary (see Judg 21:12 as well). Perhaps the repetition emphasizes her sexual purity as a prerequisite for her role as the mother of the covenant community.

[24:17]  ¹¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “and the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:18]  ¹¹⁴¹ tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”

[24:19]  ¹¹⁴² tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:20]  ¹¹⁴³ tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”

[24:21]  ¹¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “to know.”

[24:21]  ¹¹⁴⁵ tn The Hebrew term צָלָה (tsalah), meaning “to make successful” in the Hiphil verbal stem, is a key term in the story (see vv. 40, 42, 56).

[24:22]  ¹¹⁴⁶ sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).

[24:22]  ¹¹⁴⁷ sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).

[24:22]  ¹¹⁴⁸ tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:23]  ¹¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:24]  ¹¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “whom she bore to Nahor.” The referent (Milcah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:25]  ¹¹⁵¹ tn Heb “and she said, ‘We have plenty of both straw and feed.’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:25]  ¹¹⁵² tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:27]  ¹¹⁵³ tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”

[24:27]  ¹¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “As for me – in the way the Lord led me.”

[24:27]  ¹¹⁵⁵ tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.

[24:27]  ¹¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “brothers.”

[24:28]  ¹¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “according to.”

[24:29]  ¹¹⁵⁸ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.

[24:30]  ¹¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “And it was when he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister.” The word order is altered in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[24:30]  ¹¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying.”

[24:30]  ¹¹⁶¹ tn Heb “and look, he was standing.” The disjunctive clause with the participle following the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites the audience to view the scene through Laban’s eyes.

[24:31]  ¹¹⁶² tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:31]  ¹¹⁶³ sn Laban’s obsession with wealth is apparent; to him it represents how one is blessed by the Lord. Already the author is laying the foundation for subsequent events in the narrative, where Laban’s greed becomes his dominant characteristic.

[24:31]  ¹¹⁶⁴ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.

[24:32]  ¹¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:32]  ¹¹⁶⁶ tn Some translations (e.g., NEB, NASB, NRSV) understand Laban to be the subject of this and the following verbs or take the subject of this and the following verbs as indefinite (referring to an unnamed servant; e.g., NAB, NIV).

[24:32]  ¹¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.

[24:32]  ¹¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”

[24:33]  ¹¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”

[24:33]  ¹¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “my words.”

[24:33]  ¹¹⁷¹ tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”

[24:35]  ¹¹⁷² tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.

[24:35]  ¹¹⁷³ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:36]  ¹¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “to my master.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:36]  ¹¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “after her old age.”

[24:36]  ¹¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the servant’s master, Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:38]  ¹¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “but to the house of my father you must go and to my family and you must take a wife for my son.”

[24:39]  ¹¹⁷⁸ tn The imperfect is used here in a modal sense to indicate desire.

[24:39]  ¹¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “after me.”

[24:40]  ¹¹⁸⁰ tn The verb is the Hitpael of הָלַךְ (halakh), meaning “live one’s life” (see Gen 17:1). The statement may simply refer to serving the Lord or it may have a more positive moral connotation (“serve faithfully”).

[24:41]  ¹¹⁸¹ tn Heb “my oath” (twice in this verse). From the Hebrew perspective the oath belonged to the person to whom it was sworn (Abraham), although in contemporary English an oath is typically viewed as belonging to the person who swears it (the servant).

[24:42]  ¹¹⁸² tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”

[24:42]  ¹¹⁸³ tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[24:43]  ¹¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:43]  ¹¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “and it will be.”

[24:45]  ¹¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “As for me, before I finished speaking to my heart.” The adverb טֶרֶם (terem) indicates the verb is a preterite; the infinitive that follows is the direct object.

[24:45]  ¹¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out.” As in 24:15, the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is used here for dramatic effect.

[24:47]  ¹¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “whom Milcah bore to him.” The referent (Nahor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:48]  ¹¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “daughter.” Rebekah was actually the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. One can either translate the Hebrew term בַּת (bat) as “daughter,” in which case the term אָח (’akh) must be translated more generally as “relative” rather than “brother” (cf. NASB, NRSV) or one can translate בַּת as “granddaughter,” in which case אָח may be translated “brother” (cf. NIV).

[24:49]  ¹¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “and I will turn to the right or to the left.” The expression apparently means that Abraham’s servant will know where he should go if there is no further business here.

[24:50]  ¹¹⁹¹ tn Heb “From the Lord the matter has gone out.”

[24:50]  ¹¹⁹² tn Heb “We are not able to speak to you bad or good.” This means that Laban and Bethuel could not say one way or the other what they wanted, for they viewed it as God’s will.

[24:51]  ¹¹⁹³ tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[24:51]  ¹¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “as the Lord has spoken.”

[24:53]  ¹¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:54]  ¹¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “And they ate and drank, he and the men who [were] with him and they spent the night.”

[24:54]  ¹¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “Send me away to my master.”

[24:55]  ¹¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Rebekah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:56]  ¹¹⁹⁹ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, indicating a reason for the preceding request.

[24:56]  ¹²⁰⁰ tn After the preceding imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[24:57]  ¹²⁰¹ tn Heb “and we will ask her mouth.”

[24:58]  ¹²⁰² tn The imperfect verbal form here has a modal nuance, expressing desire.

[24:60]  ¹²⁰³ tn Heb “and said to her.”

[24:60]  ¹²⁰⁴ tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”

[24:60]  ¹²⁰⁵ tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”). A similar phrase occurs in Gen 22:17.

[24:61]  ¹²⁰⁶ tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”

[24:61]  ¹²⁰⁷ tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:62]  ¹²⁰⁸ tn The disjunctive clause switches the audience’s attention to Isaac and signals a new episode in the story.

[24:62]  ¹²⁰⁹ tn Heb “from the way of.”

[24:62]  ¹²¹⁰ sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” See Gen 16:14.

[24:62]  ¹²¹¹ tn This disjunctive clause is explanatory.

[24:62]  ¹²¹² tn Or “the South [country].”

[24:63]  ¹²¹³ tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:63]  ¹²¹⁴ tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain (cf. NASB, NIV “to meditate”; NRSV “to walk”).

[24:63]  ¹²¹⁵ tn Heb “at the turning of the evening.”

[24:63]  ¹²¹⁶ tn Heb “And he lifted up his eyes.” This idiom emphasizes the careful look Isaac had at the approaching caravan.

[24:63]  ¹²¹⁷ tn Heb “and look.” The clause introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) invites the audience to view the scene through Isaac’s eyes.

[24:64]  ¹²¹⁸ tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”

[24:65]  ¹²¹⁹ tn Heb “and she said to.”

[24:65]  ¹²²⁰ tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:65]  ¹²²¹ tn Heb “and the servant said.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:67]  ¹²²² tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.

[24:67]  ¹²²³ tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:67]  ¹²²⁴ tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”

[24:67]  ¹²²⁵ tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.

[25:1]  ¹²²⁶ tn Or “took.”

[25:1]  ¹²²⁷ tn Heb “And Abraham added and took.”

[25:3]  ¹²²⁸ sn The names Sheba and Dedan appear in Gen 10:7 as descendants of Ham through Cush and Raamah. Since these two names are usually interpreted to be place names, one plausible suggestion is that some of Abraham’s descendants lived in those regions and took names linked with it.

[25:4]  ¹²²⁹ tn Or “sons.”

[25:6]  ¹²³⁰ tn Heb “the sons of the concubines who [belonged] to Abraham.”

[25:6]  ¹²³¹ tn Heb “And he sent them away from upon Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the land of the east.”

[25:7]  ¹²³² tn Heb “and these are the days of the years of the lifetime of Abraham that he lived.” The normal genealogical formula is expanded here due to the importance of the life of Abraham.

[25:8]  ¹²³³ tn Heb “old and full.”

[25:8]  ¹²³⁴ tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.

[25:9]  ¹²³⁵ sn The cave of Machpelah was the place Abraham had purchased as a burial place for his wife Sarah (Gen 23:17-18).

[25:10]  ¹²³⁶ tn See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.

[25:11]  ¹²³⁷ sn God blessed Isaac. The Hebrew verb “bless” in this passage must include all the gifts that God granted to Isaac. But fertility was not one of them, at least not for twenty years, because Rebekah was barren as well (see v. 21).

[25:11]  ¹²³⁸ sn Beer Lahai Roi. See the note on this place name in Gen 24:62.

[25:12]  ¹²³⁹ sn This is the account of Ishmael. The Book of Genesis tends to tidy up the family records at every turning point. Here, before proceeding with the story of Isaac’s family, the narrative traces Ishmael’s family line. Later, before discussing Jacob’s family, the narrative traces Esau’s family line (see Gen 36).

[25:13]  ¹²⁴⁰ tn The meaning of this line is not easily understood. The sons of Ishmael are listed here “by their names” and “according to their descendants.”

[25:16]  ¹²⁴¹ tn Or “tribal chieftains.”

[25:17]  ¹²⁴² tn Heb “And these are the days of the years of Ishmael.”

[25:17]  ¹²⁴³ tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.

[25:18]  ¹²⁴⁴ tn Heb “they”; the referent (Ishmael’s descendants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:18]  ¹²⁴⁵ tn Heb “which is by the face of,” or near the border. The territory ran along the border of Egypt.

[25:18]  ¹²⁴⁶ tn Heb “as you go.”

[25:18]  ¹²⁴⁷ sn The name Asshur refers here to a tribal area in the Sinai.

[25:18]  ¹²⁴⁸ tn Heb “he fell.”

[25:18]  ¹²⁴⁹ tn Heb “upon the face of all his brothers.” This last expression, obviously alluding to the earlier oracle about Ishmael (Gen 16:12), could mean that the descendants of Ishmael lived in hostility to others or that they lived in a territory that was opposite the lands of their relatives. While there is some ambiguity about the meaning, the line probably does give a hint of the Ishmaelite-Israelite conflicts to come.

[25:19]  ¹²⁵⁰ sn This is the account of Isaac. What follows for several chapters is not the account of Isaac, except briefly, but the account of Jacob and Esau. The next chapters tell what became of Isaac and his family.

[25:20]  ¹²⁵¹ tn Heb “And Isaac was the son of forty years when he took Rebekah.”

[25:20]  ¹²⁵² sn Some valuable information is provided here. We learn here that Isaac married thirty-five years before Abraham died, that Rebekah was barren for twenty years, and that Abraham would have lived to see Jacob and Esau begin to grow up. The death of Abraham was recorded in the first part of the chapter as a “tidying up” of one generation before beginning the account of the next.

[25:21]  ¹²⁵³ tn The Hebrew verb עָתַר (’atar), translated “prayed [to]” here, appears in the story of God’s judgment on Egypt in which Moses asked the Lord to remove the plagues. The cognate word in Arabic means “to slaughter for sacrifice,” and the word is used in Zeph 3:10 to describe worshipers who bring offerings. Perhaps some ritual accompanied Isaac’s prayer here.

[25:22]  ¹²⁵⁴ tn The Hebrew word used here suggests a violent struggle that was out of the ordinary.

[25:22]  ¹²⁵⁵ tn Heb “If [it is] so, why [am] I this [way]?” Rebekah wanted to know what was happening to her, but the question itself reflects a growing despair over the struggle of the unborn children.

[25:22]  ¹²⁵⁶ sn Asked the Lord. In other passages (e.g., 1 Sam 9:9) this expression refers to inquiring of a prophet, but no details are provided here.

[25:23]  ¹²⁵⁷ sn By metonymy the two children in her womb are described as two nations of which the two children, Jacob and Esau, would become the fathers. The language suggests there would be a struggle between these nations, with one being stronger than the other. The oracle reveals that all of Jacob’s scheming was unnecessary in the final analysis. He would have become the dominant nation without using deception to steal his brother’s blessing.

[25:24]  ¹²⁵⁸ tn Heb “And her days were filled to give birth.”

[25:24]  ¹²⁵⁹ tn Heb “look!” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene as if they were actually present at the birth.

[25:25]  ¹²⁶⁰ sn Reddish. The Hebrew word translated “reddish” is אַדְמוֹנִי (’admoni), which forms a wordplay on the Edomites, Esau’s descendants. The writer sees in Esau’s appearance at birth a sign of what was to come. After all, the reader has already been made aware of the “nations” that were being born.

[25:25]  ¹²⁶¹ tn Heb “all of him.”

[25:25]  ¹²⁶² sn Hairy. Here is another wordplay involving the descendants of Esau. The Hebrew word translated “hairy” is שֵׂעָר (se’ar); the Edomites will later live in Mount Seir, perhaps named for its wooded nature.

[25:25]  ¹²⁶³ tn Heb “And they called his name Esau.” The name “Esau” (עֵשָׂו, ’esav) is not etymologically related to שֵׂעָר (se’ar), but it draws on some of the sounds.

[25:26]  ¹²⁶⁴ tn The disjunctive clause describes an important circumstance accompanying the birth. Whereas Esau was passive at birth, Jacob was active.

[25:26]  ¹²⁶⁵ tn Heb “And he called his name Jacob.” Some ancient witnesses read “they called his name Jacob” (see v. 25). In either case the subject is indefinite.

[25:26]  ¹²⁶⁶ tn Heb “the son of sixty years.”

[25:27]  ¹²⁶⁷ tn Heb “knowing.”

[25:27]  ¹²⁶⁸ tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Jacob with Esau and draws attention to the striking contrasts. In contrast to Esau, a man of the field, Jacob was civilized, as the phrase “living in tents” signifies. Whereas Esau was a skillful hunter, Jacob was calm and even-tempered (תָּם, tam), which normally has the idea of “blameless.”

[25:28]  ¹²⁶⁹ tn Heb “the taste of game was in his mouth.” The word for “game,” “venison” is here the same Hebrew word as “hunter” in the last verse. Here it is a metonymy, referring to that which the hunter kills.

[25:28]  ¹²⁷⁰ tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Rebekah with Jacob and draws attention to the contrast. The verb here is a participle, drawing attention to Rebekah’s continuing, enduring love for her son.

[25:29]  ¹²⁷¹ sn Jacob cooked some stew. There are some significant words and wordplays in this story that help clarify the points of the story. The verb “cook” is זִיד (zid), which sounds like the word for “hunter” (צַיִד, tsayid). This is deliberate, for the hunter becomes the hunted in this story. The word זִיד means “to cook, to boil,” but by the sound play with צַיִד it comes to mean “set a trap by cooking.” The usage of the word shows that it can also have the connotation of acting presumptuously (as in boiling over). This too may be a comment on the scene. For further discussion of the rhetorical devices in the Jacob narratives, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).

[25:30]  ¹²⁷² tn The rare term לָעַט (la’at), translated “feed,” is used in later Hebrew for feeding animals (see Jastrow, 714). If this nuance was attached to the word in the biblical period, then it may depict Esau in a negative light, comparing him to a hungry animal. Famished Esau comes in from the hunt, only to enter the trap. He can only point at the red stew and ask Jacob to feed him.

[25:30]  ¹²⁷³ tn The verb has no expressed subject and so is given a passive translation.

[25:30]  ¹²⁷⁴ sn Esau’s descendants would eventually be called Edom. Edom was the place where they lived, so-named probably because of the reddish nature of the hills. The writer can use the word “red” to describe the stew that Esau gasped for to convey the nature of Esau and his descendants. They were a lusty, passionate, and profane people who lived for the moment. Again, the wordplay is meant to capture the “omen in the nomen.”

[25:31]  ¹²⁷⁵ tn Heb “today.”

[25:32]  ¹²⁷⁶ tn Heb “And what is this to me, a birthright?”

[25:33]  ¹²⁷⁷ tn Heb “Swear to me today.”

[25:33]  ¹²⁷⁸ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:33]  ¹²⁷⁹ sn And sold his birthright. There is evidence from Hurrian culture that rights of inheritance were occasionally sold or transferred. Here Esau is portrayed as a profane person who would at the moment rather have a meal than the right to inherit. He will soon forget this trade and seek his father’s blessing in spite of it.

[25:34]  ¹²⁸⁰ sn The style here is typical of Hebrew narrative; after the tension is resolved with the dialogue, the working out of it is recorded in a rapid sequence of verbs (“gave”; “ate”; “drank”; “got up”; “went out”). See also Gen 3:1-7 for another example.

[25:34]  ¹²⁸¹ sn So Esau despised his birthright. This clause, which concludes the episode, is a summary statement which reveals the underlying significance of Esau’s actions. “To despise” means to treat something as worthless or with contempt. Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered it to be unimportant.

[26:1]  ¹²⁸² tn Heb “in addition to the first famine which was.”

[26:1]  ¹²⁸³ sn This account is parallel to two similar stories about Abraham (see Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Many scholars do not believe there were three similar incidents, only one that got borrowed and duplicated. Many regard the account about Isaac as the original, which then was attached to the more important person, Abraham, with supernatural elements being added. For a critique of such an approach, see R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 47-62. It is more likely that the story illustrates the proverb “like father, like son” (see T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 53). In typical human fashion the son follows his father’s example of lying to avoid problems. The appearance of similar events reported in a similar way underscores the fact that the blessing has now passed to Isaac, even if he fails as his father did.

[26:2]  ¹²⁸⁴ sn Do not go down to Egypt. The words echo Gen 12:10, which reports that “Abram went down to Egypt,” but state the opposite.

[26:2]  ¹²⁸⁵ tn Heb “say to you.”

[26:3]  ¹²⁸⁶ tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur) means “to live temporarily without ownership of land.” Abraham’s family will not actually possess the land of Canaan until the Israelite conquest hundreds of years later.

[26:3]  ¹²⁸⁷ tn After the imperative “stay” the two prefixed verb forms with prefixed conjunction here indicate consequence.

[26:3]  ¹²⁸⁸ tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[26:3]  ¹²⁸⁹ tn The Hiphil stem of the verb קוּם (qum) here means “to fulfill, to bring to realization.” For other examples of this use of this verb form, see Lev 26:9; Num 23:19; Deut 8:18; 9:5; 1 Sam 1:23; 1 Kgs 6:12; Jer 11:5.

[26:3]  ¹²⁹⁰ tn Heb “the oath which I swore.”

[26:4]  ¹²⁹¹ tn Heb “your descendants.”

[26:4]  ¹²⁹² tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 22:18). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)

[26:5]  ¹²⁹³ tn The words “All this will come to pass” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[26:5]  ¹²⁹⁴ tn Heb “listened to my voice.”

[26:5]  ¹²⁹⁵ sn My charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. The language of this verse is clearly interpretive, for Abraham did not have all these laws. The terms are legal designations for sections of the Mosaic law and presuppose the existence of the law. Some Rabbinic views actually conclude that Abraham had fulfilled the whole law before it was given (see m. Qiddushin 4:14). Some scholars argue that this story could only have been written after the law was given (C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:424-25). But the simplest explanation is that the narrator (traditionally taken to be Moses the Lawgiver) elaborated on the simple report of Abraham’s obedience by using terms with which the Israelites were familiar. In this way he depicts Abraham as the model of obedience to God’s commands, whose example Israel should follow.

[26:7]  ¹²⁹⁶ sn Rebekah, unlike Sarah, was not actually her husband’s sister.

[26:7]  ¹²⁹⁷ tn Heb “lest.” The words “for he thought to himself” are supplied because the next clause is written with a first person pronoun, showing that Isaac was saying or thinking this.

[26:7]  ¹²⁹⁸ tn Heb “kill me on account of.”

[26:8]  ¹²⁹⁹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:8]  ¹³⁰⁰ tn Heb “and it happened when the days were long to him there.”

[26:8]  ¹³⁰¹ tn Heb “look, Isaac.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene through Abimelech’s eyes.

[26:8]  ¹³⁰² tn Or “fondling.”

[26:9]  ¹³⁰³ tn Heb “Surely, look!” See N. H. Snaith, “The meaning of Hebrew ‘ak,” VT 14 (1964): 221-25.

[26:9]  ¹³⁰⁴ tn Heb “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” Since the verb “said” probably means “said to myself” (i.e., “thought”) here, the direct discourse in the Hebrew statement has been converted to indirect discourse in the translation. In addition the simple prepositional phrase “on account of her” has been clarified in the translation as “to get her” (cf. v. 7).

[26:10]  ¹³⁰⁵ tn Heb “What is this you have done to us?” The Hebrew demonstrative pronoun “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to us?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[26:10]  ¹³⁰⁶ tn Heb “people.”

[26:10]  ¹³⁰⁷ tn The Hebrew verb means “to lie down.” Here the expression “lie with” or “sleep with” is euphemistic for “have sexual relations with.”

[26:11]  ¹³⁰⁸ tn Heb “strikes.” Here the verb has the nuance “to harm in any way.” It would include assaulting the woman or killing the man.

[26:11]  ¹³⁰⁹ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the imperfect makes the construction emphatic.

[26:12]  ¹³¹⁰ tn Heb “a hundredfold.”

[26:12]  ¹³¹¹ tn This final clause explains why Isaac had such a bountiful harvest.

[26:13]  ¹³¹² tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Isaac’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are included.

[26:13]  ¹³¹³ tn Heb “and he went, going and becoming great.” The construction stresses that his growth in possessions and power continued steadily.

[26:14]  ¹³¹⁴ tn Heb “and there was to him.”

[26:14]  ¹³¹⁵ tn Heb “possessions of sheep.”

[26:14]  ¹³¹⁶ tn Heb “possessions of cattle.”

[26:14]  ¹³¹⁷ tn The Hebrew verb translated “became jealous” refers here to intense jealousy or envy that leads to hostile action (see v. 15).

[26:15]  ¹³¹⁸ tn Heb “and the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with dirt.”

[26:16]  ¹³¹⁹ tn Heb “Go away from us.”

[26:16]  ¹³²⁰ sn You have become much more powerful. This explanation for the expulsion of Isaac from Philistine territory foreshadows the words used later by the Egyptians to justify their oppression of Israel (see Exod 1:9).

[26:17]  ¹³²¹ tn Heb “and he camped in the valley of Gerar and he lived there.”

[26:18]  ¹³²² tn Heb “he returned and dug,” meaning “he dug again” or “he reopened.”

[26:18]  ¹³²³ tn Heb “that they dug.” Since the subject is indefinite, the verb is translated as passive.

[26:18]  ¹³²⁴ tn Heb “and the Philistines had stopped them up.” This clause explains why Isaac had to reopen them.

[26:18]  ¹³²⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:18]  ¹³²⁶ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the wells) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:18]  ¹³²⁷ tn Heb “called names to them according to the names that his father called them.”

[26:19]  ¹³²⁸ tn Heb “living.” This expression refers to a well supplied by subterranean streams (see Song 4:15).

[26:20]  ¹³²⁹ tn The Hebrew verb translated “quarreled” describes a conflict that often has legal ramifications.

[26:20]  ¹³³⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:20]  ¹³³¹ tn Heb “and he called the name of the well.”

[26:20]  ¹³³² sn The name Esek means “argument” in Hebrew. The following causal clause explains that Isaac gave the well this name as a reminder of the conflict its discovery had created. In the Hebrew text there is a wordplay, for the name is derived from the verb translated “argued.”

[26:20]  ¹³³³ tn The words “about it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:21]  ¹³³⁴ tn Heb “they”; the referent (Isaac’s servants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:21]  ¹³³⁵ tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:21]  ¹³³⁶ sn The name Sitnah (שִׂטְנָה, sitnah) is derived from a Hebrew verbal root meaning “to oppose; to be an adversary” (cf. Job 1:6). The name was a reminder that the digging of this well caused “opposition” from the Philistines.

[26:22]  ¹³³⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:22]  ¹³³⁸ tn Heb “and he called its name.”

[26:22]  ¹³³⁹ sn The name Rehoboth (רְהֹבוֹת, rehovot) is derived from a verbal root meaning “to make room.” The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. The story shows Isaac’s patience with the opposition; it also shows how God’s blessing outdistanced the men of Gerar. They could not stop it or seize it any longer.

[26:23]  ¹³⁴⁰ tn Heb “and he went up from there”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:25]  ¹³⁴¹ tn Heb “called in the name of.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; 21:33). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116.

[26:25]  ¹³⁴² tn Heb “and they dug there, the servants of Isaac, a well.”

[26:26]  ¹³⁴³ tn The disjunctive clause supplies pertinent supplemental information. The past perfect is used because the following narrative records the treaty at Beer Sheba. Prior to this we are told that Isaac settled in Beer Sheba; presumably this treaty would have allowed him to do that. However, it may be that he settled there and then made the treaty by which he renamed the place Beer Sheba. In this case one may translate “Now Abimelech came to him.”

[26:26]  ¹³⁴⁴ tn Heb “and.”

[26:26]  ¹³⁴⁵ tn Many modern translations render the Hebrew term מֵרֵעַ (merea’) as “councillor” or “adviser,” but the term may not designate an official position but simply a close personal friend.

[26:27]  ¹³⁴⁶ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, expressing the reason for his question.

[26:28]  ¹³⁴⁷ tn The infinitive absolute before the verb emphasizes the clarity of their perception.

[26:28]  ¹³⁴⁸ tn Heb “And we said, ‘Let there be.’” The direct discourse in the Hebrew text has been rendered as indirect discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:28]  ¹³⁴⁹ tn The pronoun “us” here is inclusive – it refers to the Philistine contingent on the one hand and Isaac on the other.

[26:28]  ¹³⁵⁰ tn The pronoun “us” here is exclusive – it refers to just the Philistine contingent (the following “you” refers to Isaac).

[26:28]  ¹³⁵¹ tn The translation assumes that the cohortative expresses their request. Another option is to understand the cohortative as indicating resolve: “We want to make.’”

[26:29]  ¹³⁵² tn The oath formula is used: “if you do us harm” means “so that you will not do.”

[26:29]  ¹³⁵³ tn Heb “touched.”

[26:29]  ¹³⁵⁴ tn Heb “and just as we have done only good with you.”

[26:29]  ¹³⁵⁵ tn Heb “and we sent you away.”

[26:29]  ¹³⁵⁶ tn The Philistine leaders are making an observation, not pronouncing a blessing, so the translation reads “you are blessed” rather than “may you be blessed” (cf. NAB).

[26:30]  ¹³⁵⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:30]  ¹³⁵⁸ tn Heb “and they ate and drank.”

[26:31]  ¹³⁵⁹ tn Heb “and they got up early and they swore an oath, a man to his brother.”

[26:31]  ¹³⁶⁰ tn Heb “and they went from him in peace.”

[26:32]  ¹³⁶¹ tn Heb “and they said to him, ‘We have found water.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:33]  ¹³⁶² sn The name Shibah (שִׁבְעָה, shiv’ah) means (or at least sounds like) the word meaning “oath.” The name was a reminder of the oath sworn by Isaac and the Philistines to solidify their treaty.

[26:33]  ¹³⁶³ sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of an oath” or “well of seven.” According to Gen 21:31 Abraham gave Beer Sheba its name when he made a treaty with the Philistines. Because of the parallels between this earlier story and the account in 26:26-33, some scholars see chaps. 21 and 26 as two versions (or doublets) of one original story. However, if one takes the text as it stands, it appears that Isaac made a later treaty agreement with the people of the land that was similar to his father’s. Abraham dug a well at the site and named the place Beer Sheba; Isaac dug another well there and named the well Shibah. Later generations then associated the name Beer Sheba with Isaac, even though Abraham gave the place its name at an earlier time.

[26:34]  ¹³⁶⁴ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making this clause subordinate to the next.

[26:34]  ¹³⁶⁵ tn Heb “the son of forty years.”

[26:34]  ¹³⁶⁶ tn Heb “took as a wife.”

[26:35]  ¹³⁶⁷ tn Heb “And they were [a source of ] bitterness in spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah.”

[27:1]  ¹³⁶⁸ tn The clause begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making it subordinate to the main clause that follows later in the sentence.

[27:1]  ¹³⁶⁹ tn Heb “and his eyes were weak from seeing.”

[27:1]  ¹³⁷⁰ tn Heb “greater” (in terms of age).

[27:1]  ¹³⁷¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Esau) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2]  ¹³⁷² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaac) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2]  ¹³⁷³ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here introduces a logically foundational statement, upon which the coming instruction will be based.

[27:2]  ¹³⁷⁴ tn Heb “I do not know the day of my death.”

[27:3]  ¹³⁷⁵ tn The Hebrew word is to be spelled either צַיִד (tsayid) following the marginal reading (Qere), or צֵידָה (tsedah) following the consonantal text (Kethib). Either way it is from the same root as the imperative צוּדָה (tsudah, “hunt down”).

[27:4]  ¹³⁷⁶ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:4]  ¹³⁷⁷ tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The use of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as the subject emphasizes that the blessing will be made with all Isaac’s desire and vitality. The conjunction “so that” closely relates the meal to the blessing, suggesting that this will be a ritual meal in conjunction with the giving of a formal blessing.

[27:5]  ¹³⁷⁸ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a conjunction with the subject, followed by the predicate) here introduces a new scene in the story.

[27:5]  ¹³⁷⁹ tc The LXX adds here “to his father,” which may have been accidentally omitted in the MT.

[27:7]  ¹³⁸⁰ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:7]  ¹³⁸¹ tn The cohortative, with the prefixed conjunction, also expresses logical sequence. See vv. 4, 19, 27.

[27:7]  ¹³⁸² tn In her report to Jacob, Rebekah plays down Isaac’s strong desire to bless Esau by leaving out נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”), but by adding the phrase “in the presence of the Lord,” she stresses how serious this matter is.

[27:8]  ¹³⁸³ tn Heb “listen to my voice.” The Hebrew idiom means “to comply; to obey.”

[27:8]  ¹³⁸⁴ tn Heb “to that which I am commanding you.”

[27:9]  ¹³⁸⁵ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:10]  ¹³⁸⁶ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive. It carries forward the tone of instruction initiated by the command to “go…and get” in the preceding verse.

[27:10]  ¹³⁸⁷ tn The form is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the future nuance of the preceding verbs of instruction, but by switching the subject to Jacob, indicates the expected result of the subterfuge.

[27:10]  ¹³⁸⁸ tn Heb “so that.” The conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:11]  ¹³⁸⁹ tn Heb “And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, but I am a smooth [skinned] man.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:12]  ¹³⁹⁰ tn Heb “Perhaps my father will feel me and I will be in his eyes like a mocker.” The Hebrew expression “I will be in his eyes like” means “I would appear to him as.”

[27:13]  ¹³⁹¹ tn Heb “upon me your curse.”

[27:13]  ¹³⁹² tn Heb “only listen to my voice.”

[27:14]  ¹³⁹³ tn The words “the goats” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:14]  ¹³⁹⁴ tn Heb “his mother.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “she” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:16]  ¹³⁹⁵ tn In the Hebrew text the object (“the skins of the young goats”) precedes the verb. The disjunctive clause draws attention to this key element in the subterfuge.

[27:16]  ¹³⁹⁶ tn The word “hands” probably includes the forearms here. How the skins were attached is not specified in the Hebrew text; cf. NLT “she made him a pair of gloves.”

[27:17]  ¹³⁹⁷ tn Heb “gave…into the hand of.”

[27:18]  ¹³⁹⁸ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:18]  ¹³⁹⁹ sn Which are you, my son? Isaac’s first question shows that the deception is going to require more subterfuge than Rebekah had anticipated. Jacob will have to pull off the deceit.

[27:19]  ¹⁴⁰⁰ tn Heb “get up and sit.” This may mean simply “sit up,” or it may indicate that he was to get up from his couch and sit at a table.

[27:19]  ¹⁴⁰¹ tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.” These words, though not reported by Rebekah to Jacob (see v. 7) accurately reflect what Isaac actually said to Esau (see v. 4). Perhaps Jacob knew more than Rebekah realized, but it is more likely that this was an idiom for sincere blessing with which Jacob was familiar. At any rate, his use of the precise wording was a nice, convincing touch.

[27:20]  ¹⁴⁰² tn Heb “What is this?” The enclitic pronoun “this” adds emphasis to the question, which is comparable to the English rhetorical question, “How in the world?”

[27:20]  ¹⁴⁰³ tn Heb “you hastened to find.” In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb and the first verb becomes adverbial.

[27:20]  ¹⁴⁰⁴ tn Heb “caused to meet before me.”

[27:20]  ¹⁴⁰⁵ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Because the Lord your God….’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:21]  ¹⁴⁰⁶ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:21]  ¹⁴⁰⁷ tn Heb “Are you this one, Esau, my son, or not?” On the use of the interrogative particle here, see BDB 210 s.v. הֲ.

[27:23]  ¹⁴⁰⁸ tn Heb “and he blessed him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” (Isaac) and “him” (Jacob) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:24]  ¹⁴⁰⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ¹⁴¹⁰ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ¹⁴¹¹ tn Heb “Bring near to me and I will eat of the wild game, my son.” Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:25]  ¹⁴¹² tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The presence of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as subject emphasizes Isaac’s heartfelt desire to do this. The conjunction indicates that the ritual meal must be first eaten before the formal blessing may be given.

[27:25]  ¹⁴¹³ tn Heb “and he brought”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ¹⁴¹⁴ tn Heb “and he drank”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ¹⁴¹⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ¹⁴¹⁶ tn Heb “and he smelled the smell”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ¹⁴¹⁷ tn Heb “see.”

[27:28]  ¹⁴¹⁸ tn Heb “and from the dew of the sky.”

[27:28]  ¹⁴¹⁹ tn Heb “and from the fatness.”

[27:29]  ¹⁴²⁰ tn Heb “and be.” The verb is an imperative, which is used rhetorically in this oracle of blessing. It is an invitation to exercise authority his brothers and indicates that he is granted such authority by the patriarch of the family. Furthermore, the blessing enables the recipient to accomplish this.

[27:29]  ¹⁴²¹ tn The Hebrew word is גְבִיר (gevir, “lord, mighty one”). The one being blessed will be stronger and therefore more powerful than his brother. See Gen 25:23. The feminine form of this rare noun means “mistress” or “queen-mother.”

[27:29]  ¹⁴²² tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (which is either an imperfect or a jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:30]  ¹⁴²³ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite form of the verb makes the construction emphatic.

[27:30]  ¹⁴²⁴ tn Heb “the presence of Isaac his father.” The repetition of the proper name (“Isaac”) was

[27:30]  ¹⁴²⁵ tn Heb “and Esau his brother came from his hunt.”

[27:31]  ¹⁴²⁶ tn Heb “and he said to his father”; the referent of “he” (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity, while the words “his father” have been replaced by the pronoun “him” for stylistic reasons.

[27:31]  ¹⁴²⁷ tn Or “arise” (i.e., sit up).

[27:31]  ¹⁴²⁸ tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.”

[27:32]  ¹⁴²⁹ tn Heb “said.”

[27:32]  ¹⁴³⁰ tn Heb “and he said, ‘I [am] your son, your firstborn.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[27:33]  ¹⁴³¹ tn Heb “and Isaac trembled with a great trembling to excess.” The verb “trembled” is joined with a cognate accusative, which is modified by an adjective “great,” and a prepositional phrase “to excess.” All of this is emphatic, showing the violence of Isaac’s reaction to the news.

[27:33]  ¹⁴³² tn Heb “Who then is he who hunted game and brought [it] to me so that I ate from all before you arrived and blessed him?”

[27:34]  ¹⁴³³ tn The temporal clause is introduced with the temporal indicator and has the infinitive as its verb.

[27:34]  ¹⁴³⁴ tn Heb “and he yelled [with] a great and bitter yell to excess.”

[27:35]  ¹⁴³⁵ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:35]  ¹⁴³⁶ tn Or “took”; “received.”

[27:36]  ¹⁴³⁷ tn Heb “Is he not rightly named Jacob?” The rhetorical question, since it expects a positive reply, has been translated as a declarative statement.

[27:36]  ¹⁴³⁸ sn He has tripped me up. When originally given, the name Jacob was a play on the word “heel” (see Gen 25:26). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. Esau gives the name “Jacob” a negative connotation here, the meaning “to trip up; to supplant.”

[27:38]  ¹⁴³⁹ tn Heb “Bless me, me also, my father.” The words “my father” have not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:38]  ¹⁴⁴⁰ tn Heb “and Esau lifted his voice and wept.”

[27:39]  ¹⁴⁴¹ tn Heb “look.”

[27:39]  ¹⁴⁴² tn Heb “from the fatness.”

[27:40]  ¹⁴⁴³ sn You will tear off his yoke from your neck. It may be that this prophetic blessing found its fulfillment when Jerusalem fell and Edom got its revenge. The oracle makes Edom subservient to Israel and suggests the Edomites would live away from the best land and be forced to sustain themselves by violent measures.

[27:41]  ¹⁴⁴⁴ tn Or “bore a grudge against” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV). The Hebrew verb שָׂטַם (satam) describes persistent hatred.

[27:41]  ¹⁴⁴⁵ tn Heb “because of the blessing which his father blessed him.”

[27:41]  ¹⁴⁴⁶ tn Heb “said in his heart.” The expression may mean “said to himself.” Even if this is the case, v. 42 makes it clear that he must have shared his intentions with someone, because the news reached Rebekah.

[27:41]  ¹⁴⁴⁷ tn Heb “days.”

[27:41]  ¹⁴⁴⁸ tn The cohortative here expresses Esau’s determined resolve to kill Jacob.

[27:42]  ¹⁴⁴⁹ tn Heb “and the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah.”

[27:42]  ¹⁴⁵⁰ tn Heb “she sent and called for.”

[27:42]  ¹⁴⁵¹ tn Heb “is consoling himself with respect to you to kill you.” The only way Esau had of dealing with his anger at the moment was to plan to kill his brother after the death of Isaac.

[27:43]  ¹⁴⁵² tn Heb “listen to my voice.”

[27:43]  ¹⁴⁵³ tn Heb “arise, flee.”

[27:44]  ¹⁴⁵⁴ tn Heb “a few days.” Rebekah probably downplays the length of time Jacob will be gone, perhaps to encourage him and assure him that things will settle down soon. She probably expects Esau’s anger to die down quickly. However, Jacob ends up being gone twenty years and he never sees Rebekah again.

[27:45]  ¹⁴⁵⁵ tn The words “stay there” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:45]  ¹⁴⁵⁶ tn Heb “and I will send and I will take you from there.” The verb “send” has no object in the Hebrew text; one must be supplied in the translation. Either “someone” or “a message” could be supplied, but since in those times a message would require a messenger, “someone” has been used.

[27:45]  ¹⁴⁵⁷ tn If Jacob stayed, he would be killed and Esau would be forced to run away.

[27:46]  ¹⁴⁵⁸ tn Heb “loathe my life.” The Hebrew verb translated “loathe” refers to strong disgust (see Lev 20:23).

[27:46]  ¹⁴⁵⁹ tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (see also Gen 23:3), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.

[27:46]  ¹⁴⁶⁰ tn Heb “If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, why to me life?”

[28:1]  ¹⁴⁶¹ tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:2]  ¹⁴⁶² tn Heb “Arise! Go!” The first of the two imperatives is adverbial and stresses the immediacy of the departure.

[28:3]  ¹⁴⁶³ tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[28:3]  ¹⁴⁶⁴ tn Heb “and make you fruitful and multiply you.” See Gen 17:6, 20 for similar terminology.

[28:3]  ¹⁴⁶⁵ tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here indicates consequence. The collocation הָיָה + preposition לְ (hayah + lÿ) means “become.”

[28:3]  ¹⁴⁶⁶ tn Heb “an assembly of peoples.”

[28:4]  ¹⁴⁶⁷ tn Heb “and may he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you.” The name “Abraham” is an objective genitive here; this refers to the blessing that God gave to Abraham.

[28:4]  ¹⁴⁶⁸ tn The words “the land” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[28:4]  ¹⁴⁶⁹ tn Heb “the land of your sojournings,” that is, the land where Jacob had been living as a resident alien, as his future descendants would after him.

[28:6]  ¹⁴⁷⁰ tn Heb “to take for himself from there a wife.”

[28:6]  ¹⁴⁷¹ tn The infinitive construct with the preposition and the suffix form a temporal clause.

[28:6]  ¹⁴⁷² tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:8]  ¹⁴⁷³ tn Heb “saw.”

[28:8]  ¹⁴⁷⁴ tn Heb “the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:8]  ¹⁴⁷⁵ tn Heb “evil in the eyes of.”

[28:9]  ¹⁴⁷⁶ tn Heb “took for a wife.”

[28:11]  ¹⁴⁷⁷ tn Heb “the place.” The article may indicate simply that the place is definite in the mind of the narrator. However, as the story unfolds the place is transformed into a holy place. See A. P. Ross, “Jacob’s Vision: The Founding of Bethel,” BSac 142 (1985): 224-37.

[28:11]  ¹⁴⁷⁸ tn Heb “and he spent the night there because the sun had gone down.”

[28:11]  ¹⁴⁷⁹ tn Heb “he took from the stones of the place,” which here means Jacob took one of the stones (see v. 18).

[28:11]  ¹⁴⁸⁰ tn Heb “and he put [it at] the place of his head.” The text does not actually say the stone was placed under his head to serve as a pillow, although most interpreters and translators assume this. It is possible the stone served some other purpose. Jacob does not seem to have been a committed monotheist yet (see v. 20-21) so he may have believed it contained some spiritual power. Note that later in the story he anticipates the stone becoming the residence of God (see v. 22). Many cultures throughout the world view certain types of stones as magical and/or sacred. See J. G. Fraser, Folklore in the Old Testament, 231-37.

[28:11]  ¹⁴⁸¹ tn Heb “lay down.”

[28:12]  ¹⁴⁸² tn Heb “and dreamed.”

[28:12]  ¹⁴⁸³ tn Heb “and look.” The scene which Jacob witnessed is described in three clauses introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh). In this way the narrator invites the reader to witness the scene through Jacob’s eyes. J. P. Fokkelman points out that the particle goes with a lifted arm and an open mouth: “There, a ladder! Oh, angels! and look, the Lord himself” (Narrative Art in Genesis [SSN], 51-52).

[28:12]  ¹⁴⁸⁴ tn The Hebrew noun סֻלָּם (sullam, “ladder, stairway”) occurs only here in the OT, but there appears to be an Akkadian cognate simmiltu (with metathesis of the second and third consonants and a feminine ending) which has a specialized meaning of “stairway, ramp.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 34. For further discussion see C. Houtman, “What Did Jacob See in His Dream at Bethel? Some Remarks on Genesis 28:10-22,” VT 27 (1977): 337-52; J. G. Griffiths, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 76 (1964/65): 229-30; and A. R. Millard, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 78 (1966/67): 86-87.

[28:13]  ¹⁴⁸⁵ tn Heb “the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.” The Hebrew word for “father” can typically be used in a broader sense than the English word, in this case referring to Abraham (who was Jacob’s grandfather). For stylistic reasons and for clarity, the words “your father” are supplied with “Isaac” in the translation.

[28:13]  ¹⁴⁸⁶ tn The Hebrew term אֶרֶץ (’erets) can mean “[the] earth,” “land,” “region,” “piece of ground,” or “ground” depending on the context. Here the term specifically refers to the plot of ground on which Jacob was lying, but at the same time this stands by metonymy for the entire land of Canaan.

[28:14]  ¹⁴⁸⁷ tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.

[28:14]  ¹⁴⁸⁸ tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.

[28:14]  ¹⁴⁸⁹ tn Theoretically the Niphal stem can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Jacob were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in other formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless (i.e., pronounce blessings upon) themselves/one another.” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 28:14 predicts that Jacob will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae (see Gen 12:2 and 18:18 as well, where Abram/Abraham receives this promise). For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[28:14]  ¹⁴⁹⁰ tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”

[28:15]  ¹⁴⁹¹ tn Heb “Look, I [am] with you.” The clause is a nominal clause; the verb to be supplied could be present (as in the translation) or future, “Look, I [will be] with you” (cf. NEB).

[28:16]  ¹⁴⁹² tn Heb “woke up from his sleep.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[28:16]  ¹⁴⁹³ tn Heb “said.”

[28:18]  ¹⁴⁹⁴ tn Heb “and he got up early…and he took.”

[28:18]  ¹⁴⁹⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:18]  ¹⁴⁹⁶ tn See the note on this phrase in v. 11.

[28:18]  ¹⁴⁹⁷ tn Heb “standing stone.”

[28:19]  ¹⁴⁹⁸ tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew (see v. 17).

[28:20]  ¹⁴⁹⁹ tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.

[28:21]  ¹⁵⁰⁰ tn Heb “and I return in peace to the house of my father.”

[28:22]  ¹⁵⁰¹ tn The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/subject) is used to highlight the statement.

[28:22]  ¹⁵⁰² tn The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb for emphasis.

[28:22]  ¹⁵⁰³ tn Heb “and all which you give to me I will surely give a tenth of it to you.” The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/object) highlights this statement as well.

[29:1]  ¹⁵⁰⁴ tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his feet.” This unusual expression suggests that Jacob had a new lease on life now that God had promised him the blessing he had so desperately tried to gain by his own efforts. The text portrays him as having a new step in his walk.

[29:1]  ¹⁵⁰⁵ tn Heb “the land of the sons of the east.”

[29:2]  ¹⁵⁰⁶ tn Heb “and he saw, and look.” As in Gen 28:12-15, the narrator uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here and in the next clause to draw the reader into the story.

[29:2]  ¹⁵⁰⁷ tn Heb “and look, there.”

[29:2]  ¹⁵⁰⁸ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the noun with the prefixed conjunction) provides supplemental information that is important to the story.

[29:3]  ¹⁵⁰⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the shepherds) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:5]  ¹⁵¹⁰ tn Heb “son.”

[29:5]  ¹⁵¹¹ tn Heb “and they said, ‘We know.’” The word “him” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the translation several introductory clauses throughout this section have been placed after the direct discourse they introduce for stylistic reasons as well.

[29:6]  ¹⁵¹² tn Heb “and he said to them, ‘Is there peace to him?’”

[29:6]  ¹⁵¹³ tn Heb “peace.”

[29:7]  ¹⁵¹⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:7]  ¹⁵¹⁵ tn Heb “the day is great.”

[29:7]  ¹⁵¹⁶ tn Heb “water the sheep and go and pasture [them].” The verbal forms are imperatives, but Jacob would hardly be giving direct orders to someone else’s shepherds. The nuance here is probably one of advice.

[29:8]  ¹⁵¹⁷ tn The perfect verbal forms with the vav (ו) consecutive carry on the sequence begun by the initial imperfect form.

[29:9]  ¹⁵¹⁸ tn Heb “was a shepherdess.”

[29:10]  ¹⁵¹⁹ tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother” (twice in this verse).

[29:10]  ¹⁵²⁰ tn Heb “Jacob.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:10]  ¹⁵²¹ tn Heb “drew near, approached.”

[29:10]  ¹⁵²² tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother.” The text says nothing initially about the beauty of Rachel. But the reader is struck by the repetition of “Laban the brother of his mother.” G. J. Wenham is no doubt correct when he observes that Jacob’s primary motive at this stage is to ingratiate himself with Laban (Genesis [WBC], 2:231).

[29:11]  ¹⁵²³ tn Heb “and he lifted up his voice and wept.” The idiom calls deliberate attention to the fact that Jacob wept out loud.

[29:12]  ¹⁵²⁴ tn Heb “declared.”

[29:12]  ¹⁵²⁵ tn Heb “that he [was] the brother of her father.”

[29:13]  ¹⁵²⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:13]  ¹⁵²⁷ tn Heb “and he told to Laban all these things.” This might mean Jacob told Laban how he happened to be there, but Laban’s response (see v. 14) suggests “all these things” refers to what Jacob had previously told Rachel (see v. 12).

[29:14]  ¹⁵²⁸ tn Heb “indeed, my bone and my flesh are you.” The expression sounds warm enough, but the presence of “indeed” may suggest that Laban had to be convinced of Jacob’s identity before permitting him to stay. To be one’s “bone and flesh” is to be someone’s blood relative. For example, the phrase describes the relationship between Abimelech and the Shechemites (Judg 9:2; his mother was a Shechemite); David and the Israelites (2 Sam 5:1); David and the elders of Judah (2 Sam 19:12,); and David and his nephew Amasa (2 Sam 19:13, see 2 Sam 17:2; 1 Chr 2:16-17).

[29:14]  ¹⁵²⁹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:14]  ¹⁵³⁰ tn Heb “a month of days.”

[29:15]  ¹⁵³¹ tn The verb is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; the nuance in the question is deliberative.

[29:15]  ¹⁵³² tn Heb “my brother.” The term “brother” is used in a loose sense; actually Jacob was Laban’s nephew.

[29:16]  ¹⁵³³ tn Heb “and to Laban [there were] two daughters.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a prepositional phrase) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, vv. 16-17 have been set in parentheses in the translation.

[29:17]  ¹⁵³⁴ tn Heb “and the eyes of Leah were tender.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a noun) continues the parenthesis begun in v. 16. It is not clear what is meant by “tender” (or “delicate”) eyes. The expression may mean she had appealing eyes (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT), though some suggest that they were plain, not having the brightness normally expected. Either way, she did not measure up to her gorgeous sister.

[29:17]  ¹⁵³⁵ tn Heb “and Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance.”

[29:18]  ¹⁵³⁶ tn Heb “Jacob loved.”

[29:19]  ¹⁵³⁷ tn Heb “Better my giving her to you than my giving her to another man.”

[29:20]  ¹⁵³⁸ tn Heb “in exchange for Rachel.”

[29:20]  ¹⁵³⁹ sn But they seemed like only a few days to him. This need not mean that the time passed quickly. More likely it means that the price seemed insignificant when compared to what he was getting in the bargain.

[29:20]  ¹⁵⁴⁰ tn Heb “because of his love for her.” The words “was so great” are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[29:21]  ¹⁵⁴¹ tn Heb “and Jacob said.”

[29:21]  ¹⁵⁴² tn Heb “my days are fulfilled.”

[29:21]  ¹⁵⁴³ tn Heb “and I will go in to her.” The verb is a cohortative; it may be subordinated to the preceding request, “that I may go in,” or it may be an independent clause expressing his desire. The verb “go in” in this context refers to sexual intercourse (i.e., the consummation of the marriage).

[29:22]  ¹⁵⁴⁴ tn Heb “men.”

[29:23]  ¹⁵⁴⁵ tn Heb “and it happened in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her.”

[29:23]  ¹⁵⁴⁶ tn Heb “to him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:23]  ¹⁵⁴⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:23]  ¹⁵⁴⁸ tn Heb “went in to her.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.

[29:24]  ¹⁵⁴⁹ tn Heb “and Laban gave to her Zilpah his female servant, to Leah his daughter [for] a servant.” This clause gives information parenthetical to the narrative.

[29:25]  ¹⁵⁵⁰ tn Heb “and it happened in the morning that look, it was Leah.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.

[29:25]  ¹⁵⁵¹ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:25]  ¹⁵⁵² tn Heb What is this you have done to me?” The use of the pronoun “this” is enclitic, adding emphasis to the question: “What in the world have you done to me?”

[29:25]  ¹⁵⁵³ sn The Hebrew verb translated tricked here (רָמָה, ramah) is cognate to the noun used in Gen 27:35 to describe Jacob’s deception of Esau. Jacob is discovering that what goes around, comes around. See J. A. Diamond, “The Deception of Jacob: A New Perspective on an Ancient Solution to the Problem,” VT 34 (1984): 211-13.

[29:26]  ¹⁵⁵⁴ tn Heb “and Laban said, ‘It is not done so in our place.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:26]  ¹⁵⁵⁵ tn Heb “to give the younger.” The words “daughter” and “in marriage” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[29:27]  ¹⁵⁵⁶ tn Heb “fulfill the period of seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as “my older daughter” for clarity.

[29:27]  ¹⁵⁵⁷ tn Heb “this other one.”

[29:27]  ¹⁵⁵⁸ tn Heb “and we will give to you also this one in exchange for labor which you will work with me, still seven other years.”

[29:28]  ¹⁵⁵⁹ tn Heb “and Jacob did so.” The words “as Laban said” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:28]  ¹⁵⁶⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:28]  ¹⁵⁶¹ tn Heb “the seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as Leah to avoid confusion with Rachel, mentioned later in the verse.

[29:28]  ¹⁵⁶² tn Heb “and he gave to him Rachel his daughter for him for a wife.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:29]  ¹⁵⁶³ tn Heb “and Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his female servant, for her for a servant.”

[29:30]  ¹⁵⁶⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:30]  ¹⁵⁶⁵ tn Heb “went in also to Rachel.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.

[29:30]  ¹⁵⁶⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:30]  ¹⁵⁶⁷ tn Heb “and he loved also Rachel, more than Leah, and he served with him still seven other years.”

[29:31]  ¹⁵⁶⁸ tn Heb “hated.” The rhetorical device of overstatement is used (note v. 30, which says simply that Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah) to emphasize that Rachel, as Jacob’s true love and the primary object of his affections, had an advantage over Leah.

[29:31]  ¹⁵⁶⁹ tn Heb “he opened up her womb.”

[29:32]  ¹⁵⁷⁰ tn Or “Leah conceived” (also in vv. 33, 34, 35).

[29:32]  ¹⁵⁷¹ sn The name Reuben (רְאוּבֵן, rÿ’uven) means “look, a son.”

[29:32]  ¹⁵⁷² tn Heb “looked on my affliction.”

[29:33]  ¹⁵⁷³ tn Heb “hated.” See the note on the word “unloved” in v. 31.

[29:33]  ¹⁵⁷⁴ sn The name Simeon (שִׁמְעוֹן, shim’on) is derived from the verbal root שָׁמַע (shama’) and means “hearing.” The name is appropriate since it is reminder that the Lord “heard” about Leah’s unloved condition and responded with pity.

[29:34]  ¹⁵⁷⁵ tn Heb “will be joined to me.”

[29:34]  ¹⁵⁷⁶ sn The name Levi (לֵוִי, levi), the precise meaning of which is debated, was appropriate because it sounds like the verb לָוָה (lavah, “to join”), used in the statement recorded earlier in the verse.

[29:35]  ¹⁵⁷⁷ sn The name Judah (יְהוּדָה, yÿhudah) means “he will be praised” and reflects the sentiment Leah expresses in the statement recorded earlier in the verse. For further discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names ‘Israel’ and ‘Judah’ with an Excursus on the Etymology of Todah and Torah,” JBL 46 (1927): 151-85; and A. R. Millard, “The Meaning of the Name Judah,” ZAW 86 (1974): 216-18.

[30:1]  ¹⁵⁷⁸ tn Heb “Rachel.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“she”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:1]  ¹⁵⁷⁹ tn Heb “sons.”

[30:2]  ¹⁵⁸⁰ tn Heb “and the anger of Jacob was hot.”

[30:2]  ¹⁵⁸¹ tn Heb “who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb.”

[30:3]  ¹⁵⁸² tn Heb “go in to.” The expression “go in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.

[30:3]  ¹⁵⁸³ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates the immediate purpose of the proposed activity.

[30:3]  ¹⁵⁸⁴ tn The word “children” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:3]  ¹⁵⁸⁵ tn Heb “upon my knees.” This is an idiomatic way of saying that Bilhah will be simply a surrogate mother. Rachel will adopt the child as her own.

[30:3]  ¹⁵⁸⁶ tn Heb “and I will be built up, even I, from her.” The prefixed verbal form with the conjunction is subordinated to the preceding prefixed verbal form and gives the ultimate purpose for the proposed action. The idiom of “built up” here refers to having a family (see Gen 16:2, as well as Ruth 4:11 and BDB 125 s.v. בָנָה).

[30:4]  ¹⁵⁸⁷ tn Heb “and she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:4]  ¹⁵⁸⁸ tn Heb “went in to.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.

[30:5]  ¹⁵⁸⁹ tn Or “Bilhah conceived” (also in v. 7).

[30:5]  ¹⁵⁹⁰ tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a son.”

[30:6]  ¹⁵⁹¹ tn Heb “and also he has heard my voice.” The expression means that God responded positively to Rachel’s cry and granted her request.

[30:6]  ¹⁵⁹² tn Or “therefore.”

[30:6]  ¹⁵⁹³ sn The name Dan means “he vindicated” or “he judged.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. The verb translated “vindicated” is from דִּין (din, “to judge, to vindicate”), the same verbal root from which the name is derived. Rachel sensed that God was righting the wrong.

[30:7]  ¹⁵⁹⁴ tn Heb “and she became pregnant again and Bilhah, the servant of Rachel, bore a second son for Jacob.”

[30:8]  ¹⁵⁹⁵ tn Heb “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister, also I have prevailed.” The phrase “mighty struggle” reads literally “struggles of God.” The plural participle “struggles” reflects the ongoing nature of the struggle, while the divine name is used here idiomatically to emphasize the intensity of the struggle. See J. Skinner, Genesis (ICC), 387.

[30:8]  ¹⁵⁹⁶ sn The name Naphtali (נַפְתָּלִי, naftali) must mean something like “my struggle” in view of the statement Rachel made in the preceding clause. The name plays on this earlier statement, “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister.”

[30:9]  ¹⁵⁹⁷ tn Heb “she took her servant Zilpah and gave her.” The verbs “took” and “gave” are treated as a hendiadys in the translation: “she gave.”

[30:10]  ¹⁵⁹⁸ tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore for Jacob a son.”

[30:11]  ¹⁵⁹⁹ tc The statement in the Kethib (consonantal text) appears to mean literally “with good fortune,” if one takes the initial בְּ (bet) as a preposition indicating accompaniment. The Qere (marginal reading) means “good fortune has arrived.”

[30:11]  ¹⁶⁰⁰ sn The name Gad (גָּד, gad) means “good fortune.” The name reflects Leah’s feeling that good fortune has come her way, as expressed in her statement recorded earlier in the verse.

[30:12]  ¹⁶⁰¹ tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore a second son for Jacob.”

[30:13]  ¹⁶⁰² tn The Hebrew statement apparently means “with my happiness.”

[30:13]  ¹⁶⁰³ tn Heb “daughters.”

[30:13]  ¹⁶⁰⁴ sn The name Asher (אָשֶׁר, ’asher) apparently means “happy one.” The name plays on the words used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. Both the Hebrew noun and verb translated “happy” and “call me happy,” respectively, are derived from the same root as the name Asher.

[30:14]  ¹⁶⁰⁵ tn Heb “during the days.”

[30:14]  ¹⁶⁰⁶ sn Mandrake plants were popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac in the culture of the time.

[30:15]  ¹⁶⁰⁷ tn Heb “and she said to her”; the referent of the pronoun “she” (Leah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:15]  ¹⁶⁰⁸ tn Heb “therefore.”

[30:15]  ¹⁶⁰⁹ tn Heb “lie down.” The expression “lie down with” in this context (here and in the following verse) refers to sexual intercourse. The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.

[30:16]  ¹⁶¹⁰ tn Heb “must come in to me.” The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. She has acquired him for the night and feels he is obligated to have sexual relations with her.

[30:16]  ¹⁶¹¹ tn Heb “I have surely hired.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form for emphasis. The name Issachar (see v. 18) seems to be related to this expression.

[30:16]  ¹⁶¹² tn This is the same Hebrew verb (שָׁכַב, shakhav) translated “sleep with” in v. 15. In direct discourse the more euphemistic “sleep with” was used, but here in the narrative “marital relations” reflects more clearly the emphasis on sexual intercourse.

[30:17]  ¹⁶¹³ tn Heb “listened to.”

[30:17]  ¹⁶¹⁴ tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 19).

[30:17]  ¹⁶¹⁵ tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a fifth son,” i.e., this was the fifth son that Leah had given Jacob.

[30:18]  ¹⁶¹⁶ tn Heb “God has given my reward.”

[30:18]  ¹⁶¹⁷ tn The words “as a wife” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity (cf. v. 9).

[30:18]  ¹⁶¹⁸ sn The name Issachar (יְשָּׁשכָר, yishakhar) appears to mean “man of reward” or possibly “there is reward.” The name plays on the word used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew noun translated “reward” is derived from the same root as the name Issachar. The irony is that Rachel thought the mandrakes would work for her, and she was willing to trade one night for them. But in that one night Leah became pregnant.

[30:19]  ¹⁶¹⁹ tn Heb “and she bore a sixth son for Jacob,” i.e., this was the sixth son that Leah had given Jacob.

[30:20]  ¹⁶²⁰ sn The name Zebulun (זְבֻלוּן, zevulun) apparently means “honor.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew verb translated “will honor” and the name Zebulun derive from the same root.

[30:22]  ¹⁶²¹ tn Heb “remembered.”

[30:22]  ¹⁶²² tn Heb “and God listened to her and opened up her womb.” Since “God” is the subject of the previous clause, the noun has been replaced by the pronoun “he” in the translation for stylistic reasons

[30:23]  ¹⁶²³ tn Or “conceived.”

[30:23]  ¹⁶²⁴ tn Heb “my reproach.” A “reproach” is a cutting taunt or painful ridicule, but here it probably refers by metonymy to Rachel’s barren condition, which was considered shameful in this culture and was the reason why she was the object of taunting and ridicule.

[30:24]  ¹⁶²⁵ sn The name Joseph (יוֹסֵף, yoseph) means “may he add.” The name expresses Rachel’s desire to have an additional son. In Hebrew the name sounds like the verb (אָסַף,’asasf) translated “taken away” in the earlier statement made in v. 23. So the name, while reflecting Rachel’s hope, was also a reminder that God had removed her shame.

[30:25]  ¹⁶²⁶ tn The perfect verbal form is translated as a past perfect because Rachel’s giving birth to Joseph preceded Jacob’s conversation with Laban.

[30:25]  ¹⁶²⁷ tn The imperatival form here expresses a request.

[30:25]  ¹⁶²⁸ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[30:25]  ¹⁶²⁹ tn Heb “to my place and to my land.”

[30:26]  ¹⁶³⁰ tn Heb “give my wives and my children, for whom I have served you.” In one sense Laban had already “given” Jacob his two daughters as wives (Gen 29:21, 28). Here Jacob was asking for permission to take his own family along with him on the journey back to Canaan.

[30:26]  ¹⁶³¹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[30:26]  ¹⁶³² tn Heb “for you, you know my service [with] which I have served you.”

[30:27]  ¹⁶³³ tn The words “please stay here” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[30:27]  ¹⁶³⁴ tn Or perhaps “I have grown rich and the Lord has blessed me” (cf. NEB). See J. Finkelstein, “An Old Babylonian Herding Contract and Genesis 31:38f.,” JAOS 88 (1968): 34, n. 19.

[30:28]  ¹⁶³⁵ tn Heb “set your wage for me so I may give [it].”

[30:29]  ¹⁶³⁶ tn Heb “and he said to him, ‘You know how I have served you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons, and the referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:29]  ¹⁶³⁷ tn Heb “and how your cattle were with me.”

[30:30]  ¹⁶³⁸ tn Or “for.”

[30:30]  ¹⁶³⁹ tn Heb “before me.”

[30:30]  ¹⁶⁴⁰ tn Heb “and it has broken out with respect to abundance.”

[30:30]  ¹⁶⁴¹ tn Heb “at my foot.”

[30:30]  ¹⁶⁴² tn Heb “How long [until] I do, also I, for my house?”

[30:31]  ¹⁶⁴³ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:31]  ¹⁶⁴⁴ tn The negated imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance.

[30:31]  ¹⁶⁴⁵ tn The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:31]  ¹⁶⁴⁶ tn Heb “If you do for me this thing.”

[30:31]  ¹⁶⁴⁷ tn Heb “I will return, I will tend,” an idiom meaning “I will continue tending.”

[30:32]  ¹⁶⁴⁸ tn Heb “pass through.”

[30:32]  ¹⁶⁴⁹ tn Or “every black lamb”; Heb “and every dark sheep among the lambs.”

[30:32]  ¹⁶⁵⁰ tn Heb “and the spotted and speckled among the goats.”

[30:32]  ¹⁶⁵¹ tn Heb “and it will be my wage.” The referent collective singular pronoun (“it) has been specified as “these animals” in the translation for clarity.

[30:33]  ¹⁶⁵² tn Heb “will answer on my behalf.”

[30:33]  ¹⁶⁵³ tn Heb “on the following day,” or “tomorrow.”

[30:33]  ¹⁶⁵⁴ tn Heb “when you come concerning my wage before you.”

[30:33]  ¹⁶⁵⁵ tn Heb “every one which is not speckled and spotted among the lambs and dark among the goats, stolen it is with me.”

[30:34]  ¹⁶⁵⁶ tn Heb “and Laban said, ‘Good, let it be according to your word.’” On the asseverative use of the particle לוּ (lu) here, see HALOT 521 s.v. לוּ.

[30:35]  ¹⁶⁵⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:35]  ¹⁶⁵⁸ tn Heb “and he gave [them] into the hand.”

[30:36]  ¹⁶⁵⁹ tn Heb “and he put a journey of three days between himself and Jacob.”

[30:36]  ¹⁶⁶⁰ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the vav with subject) is circumstantial/temporal; Laban removed the animals while Jacob was taking care of the rest.

[30:38]  ¹⁶⁶¹ sn He put the branches in front of the flocks…when they came to drink. It was generally believed that placing such “visual aids” before the animals as they were mating, it was possible to influence the appearance of their offspring. E. A. Speiser notes that “Jacob finds a way to outwit his father-in-law, through prenatal conditioning of the flock by visual aids – in conformance with universal folk beliefs” (Genesis [AB], 238). Nevertheless, in spite of Jacob’s efforts at animal husbandry, he still attributes the resulting success to God (see 31:5).

[30:39]  ¹⁶⁶² tn The Hebrew verb used here can mean “to be in heat” (see v. 38) or “to mate; to conceive; to become pregnant.” The latter nuance makes better sense in this verse, for the next clause describes them giving birth.

[30:39]  ¹⁶⁶³ tn Heb “the sheep.” The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“they”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:40]  ¹⁶⁶⁴ tn Heb “and he set the faces of.”

[30:41]  ¹⁶⁶⁵ tn Heb “and at every breeding-heat of the flock.”

[30:42]  ¹⁶⁶⁶ tn Heb “he did not put [them] in.” The referent of the [understood] direct object, “them,” has been specified as “the branches” in the translation for clarity.

[30:42]  ¹⁶⁶⁷ tn Heb “were for Laban.”

[30:43]  ¹⁶⁶⁸ tn Heb “the man”; Jacob’s name has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[30:43]  ¹⁶⁶⁹ tn Heb “and there were to him.”

[31:1]  ¹⁶⁷⁰ tn Heb “and he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying.”

[31:1]  ¹⁶⁷¹ sn The Hebrew word translated “gotten rich” (כָּבוֹד, cavod) has the basic idea of “weight.” If one is heavy with possessions, then that one is wealthy (13:2). Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph all became wealthy when they left the promised land. Jacob’s wealth foreshadows what will happen to Israel when they leave the land of Egypt (Exod 12:35-38).

[31:1]  ¹⁶⁷² tn Heb “and from that which belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.”

[31:2]  ¹⁶⁷³ tn Heb “and Jacob saw the face of Laban, and look, he was not with him as formerly.” Jacob knew from the expression on Laban’s face that his attitude toward him had changed – Jacob had become persona non grata.

[31:3]  ¹⁶⁷⁴ tn Or perhaps “ancestors” (so NRSV), although the only “ancestors” Jacob had there were his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac.

[31:3]  ¹⁶⁷⁵ sn I will be with you. Though Laban was no longer “with him,” the Lord promised to be.

[31:4]  ¹⁶⁷⁶ tn Heb “sent and called for Rachel and for Leah.” Jacob did not go in person, but probably sent a servant with a message for his wives to meet him in the field.

[31:4]  ¹⁶⁷⁷ tn Heb “the field.” The word is an adverbial accusative, indicating that this is where Jacob wanted them to meet him. The words “to come to” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.

[31:4]  ¹⁶⁷⁸ tn Heb “to his flock.”

[31:5]  ¹⁶⁷⁹ tn Heb “I see the face of your father, that he is not toward me as formerly.”

[31:6]  ¹⁶⁸⁰ tn Heb “with all my strength.”

[31:7]  ¹⁶⁸¹ tn This rare verb means “to make a fool of” someone. It involves deceiving someone so that their public reputation suffers (see Exod 8:25).

[31:8]  ¹⁶⁸² tn In the protasis (“if” section) of this conditional clause, the imperfect verbal form has a customary nuance – whatever he would say worked to Jacob’s benefit.

[31:8]  ¹⁶⁸³ tn Heb “speckled” (twice this verse). The word “animals” (after the first occurrence of “speckled”) and “offspring” (after the second) have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The same two terms (“animals” and “offspring”) have been supplied after the two occurrences of “streaked” later in this verse.

[31:10]  ¹⁶⁸⁴ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator, “and it happened at the time of.”

[31:10]  ¹⁶⁸⁵ tn Heb “in the time of the breeding of the flock I lifted up my eyes and I saw.”

[31:10]  ¹⁶⁸⁶ tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

[31:12]  ¹⁶⁸⁷ tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”

[31:12]  ¹⁶⁸⁸ tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

[31:13]  ¹⁶⁸⁹ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[31:13]  ¹⁶⁹⁰ sn You anointed the sacred stone. In Gen 28:18 the text simply reported that Jacob poured oil on top of the stone. Now that pouring is interpreted by the Lord as an anointing. Jacob had consecrated the place.

[31:13]  ¹⁶⁹¹ sn And made a vow to me. The second clause reminds Jacob of the vow he made to the Lord when he anointed the stone (Gen 28:20-22). God is now going to take him back to the land, and so he will have to fulfill his vow.

[31:13]  ¹⁶⁹² tn Heb “arise, leave!” The first imperative draws attention to the need for immediate action.

[31:14]  ¹⁶⁹³ tn The two nouns may form a hendiadys, meaning “a share in the inheritance” or “a portion to inherit.”

[31:15]  ¹⁶⁹⁴ tn Heb “and he devoured, even devouring.” The infinitive absolute (following the finite verb here) is used for emphasis.

[31:15]  ¹⁶⁹⁵ tn Heb “our money.” The word “money” is used figuratively here; it means the price paid for Leah and Rachel. A literal translation (“our money”) makes it sound as if Laban wasted money that belonged to Rachel and Leah, rather than the money paid for them.

[31:17]  ¹⁶⁹⁶ tn Heb “and Jacob arose and he lifted up his sons and his wives on to the camels.”

[31:18]  ¹⁶⁹⁷ tn Heb “drove,” but this is subject to misunderstanding in contemporary English.

[31:18]  ¹⁶⁹⁸ tn Heb “and he led away all his cattle and all his moveable property which he acquired, the cattle he obtained, which he acquired in Paddan Aram to go to Isaac his father to the land of Canaan.”

[31:19]  ¹⁶⁹⁹ tn This disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new scene. In the English translation it may be subordinated to the following clause.

[31:19]  ¹⁷⁰⁰ tn Or “household gods.” Some translations merely transliterate the Hebrew term תְּרָפִים (tÿrafim) as “teraphim,” which apparently refers to household idols. Some contend that possession of these idols guaranteed the right of inheritance, but it is more likely that they were viewed simply as protective deities. See M. Greenberg, “Another Look at Rachel’s Theft of the Teraphim,” JBL 81 (1962): 239-48.

[31:20]  ¹⁷⁰¹ tn Heb “stole the heart of,” an expression which apparently means “to deceive.” The repetition of the verb “to steal” shows that Jacob and Rachel are kindred spirits. Any thought that Laban would have resigned himself to their departure was now out of the question.

[31:20]  ¹⁷⁰² tn Heb “fleeing,” which reflects Jacob’s viewpoint.

[31:21]  ¹⁷⁰³ tn Heb “and he fled.”

[31:21]  ¹⁷⁰⁴ tn Heb “he arose and crossed.” The first verb emphasizes that he wasted no time in getting across.

[31:21]  ¹⁷⁰⁵ tn Heb “the river”; the referent (the Euphrates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:21]  ¹⁷⁰⁶ tn Heb “he set his face.”

[31:22]  ¹⁷⁰⁷ tn Heb “and it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.”

[31:23]  ¹⁷⁰⁸ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[31:23]  ¹⁷⁰⁹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:23]  ¹⁷¹⁰ tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”

[31:23]  ¹⁷¹¹ tn Heb “drew close to.”

[31:24]  ¹⁷¹² tn Heb “said to him.”

[31:24]  ¹⁷¹³ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:24]  ¹⁷¹⁴ tn Heb “lest you speak with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 29, is uncertain. Since Laban proceeded to speak to Jacob at length, it cannot mean to maintain silence. Nor does it seem to be a prohibition against criticism (see vv. 26-30). Most likely it refers to a formal pronouncement, whether it be a blessing or a curse. Laban was to avoid saying anything to Jacob that would be intended to enhance him or to harm him.

[31:25]  ¹⁷¹⁵ tn Heb “and Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban pitched with his brothers in the hill country of Gilead.” The juxtaposition of disjunctive clauses (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb in both clauses) indicates synchronism of action.

[31:26]  ¹⁷¹⁶ tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).

[31:26]  ¹⁷¹⁷ tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”

[31:27]  ¹⁷¹⁸ tn Heb “Why did you hide in order to flee?” The verb “hide” and the infinitive “to flee” form a hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the other the adverb: “flee secretly.”

[31:27]  ¹⁷¹⁹ tn Heb “and steal me.”

[31:27]  ¹⁷²⁰ tn Heb “And [why did] you not tell me so I could send you off with joy and with songs, with a tambourine and with a harp?”

[31:28]  ¹⁷²¹ tn Heb “my sons and my daughters.” Here “sons” refers to “grandsons,” and has been translated “grandchildren” since at least one granddaughter, Dinah, was involved. The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:29]  ¹⁷²² tn Heb “there is to my hand.”

[31:29]  ¹⁷²³ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:29]  ¹⁷²⁴ tn Heb “from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 24, is uncertain. See the note on the same phrase in v. 24.

[31:30]  ¹⁷²⁵ tn Heb “and now.” The words “I understand that” have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[31:30]  ¹⁷²⁶ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the certainty of the action.

[31:30]  ¹⁷²⁷ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of emotion involved.

[31:30]  ¹⁷²⁸ sn Yet why did you steal my gods? This last sentence is dropped into the speech rather suddenly. See C. Mabee, “Jacob and Laban: The Structure of Judicial Proceedings,” VT 30 (1980): 192-207, and G. W. Coats, “Self-Abasement and Insult Formulas,” JBL 91 (1972): 90-92.

[31:31]  ¹⁷²⁹ tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘Because I was afraid.’” This statement is a not a response to the question about Laban’s household gods that immediately precedes, but to the earlier question about Jacob’s motivation for leaving so quickly and secretly (see v. 27). For this reason the words “I left secretly” are supplied in the translation to indicate the connection to Laban’s earlier question in v. 27. Additionally the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:31]  ¹⁷³⁰ tn Heb “for I said.”

[31:31]  ¹⁷³¹ tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”

[31:32]  ¹⁷³² tn Heb “With whomever you find your gods, he will not live.”

[31:32]  ¹⁷³³ tn Heb “brothers.”

[31:32]  ¹⁷³⁴ tn Heb “recognize for yourself what is with me and take for yourself.”

[31:32]  ¹⁷³⁵ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, it has been placed in parentheses in the translation.

[31:33]  ¹⁷³⁶ tn No direct object is specified for the verb “find” in the Hebrew text. The words “the idols” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[31:33]  ¹⁷³⁷ tn Heb “and he went out from the tent of Leah and went into the tent of Rachel.”

[31:34]  ¹⁷³⁸ tn The “camel’s saddle” was probably some sort of basket-saddle, a cushioned saddle with a basket bound on. Cf. NAB “inside a camel cushion.”

[31:34]  ¹⁷³⁹ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides another parenthetical statement necessary to the storyline.

[31:34]  ¹⁷⁴⁰ tn The word “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[31:35]  ¹⁷⁴¹ tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:35]  ¹⁷⁴² tn Heb “let it not be hot in the eyes of my lord.” This idiom refers to anger, in this case as a result of Rachel’s failure to stand in the presence of her father as a sign of respect.

[31:35]  ¹⁷⁴³ tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”

[31:35]  ¹⁷⁴⁴ tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.

[31:35]  ¹⁷⁴⁵ tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

[31:36]  ¹⁷⁴⁶ tn Heb “it was hot to Jacob.” This idiom refers to anger.

[31:36]  ¹⁷⁴⁷ tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘What is my sin?’” The proper name “Jacob” has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation and the order of the introductory clause and direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[31:36]  ¹⁷⁴⁸ tn Heb “What is my sin that you have hotly pursued after me.” The Hebrew verb translated “pursue hotly” is used elsewhere of soldiers chasing defeated enemies (1 Sam 17:53).

[31:37]  ¹⁷⁴⁹ tn Heb “what did you find from all the goods of your house?”

[31:37]  ¹⁷⁵⁰ tn Heb “your relatives.” The word “relatives” has not been repeated in the translation here for stylistic reasons.

[31:37]  ¹⁷⁵¹ tn Heb “that they may decide between us two.”

[31:39]  ¹⁷⁵² tn The imperfect verbal form indicates that this was a customary or typical action.

[31:39]  ¹⁷⁵³ tn Heb “from my hand you exacted it.” The imperfect verbal form again indicates that this was a customary or typical action. The words “for every missing animal” are supplied in the translation for clarity; the following clause in Hebrew, “stolen by day or stolen by night,” probably means “stolen by wild beasts” and refers to the same animals “torn by wild beasts” in the previous clause, although it may refer to animals stolen by people. The translation used here, “missing,” is ambiguous enough to cover either eventuality.

[31:40]  ¹⁷⁵⁴ tn Or “by drought.”

[31:40]  ¹⁷⁵⁵ tn Heb “frost, ice,” though when contrasted with the חֹרֶב (khorev, “drought, parching heat”) of the day, “piercing cold” is more appropriate as a contrast.

[31:40]  ¹⁷⁵⁶ tn Heb “and my sleep fled from my eyes.”

[31:41]  ¹⁷⁵⁷ tn Heb “this to me.”

[31:41]  ¹⁷⁵⁸ tn Heb “served you,” but in this accusatory context the meaning is more “worked like a slave.”

[31:42]  ¹⁷⁵⁹ tn Heb “the fear of Isaac,” that is, the one whom Isaac feared and respected. For further discussion of this title see M. Malul, “More on pahad yitschaq (Gen. 31:42,53) and the Oath by the Thigh,” VT 35 (1985): 192-200.

[31:42]  ¹⁷⁶⁰ tn Heb “My oppression and the work of my hands God saw.”

[31:43]  ¹⁷⁶¹ tn Heb “answered and said.”

[31:43]  ¹⁷⁶² tn Heb “daughters.”

[31:43]  ¹⁷⁶³ tn Heb “children.”

[31:43]  ¹⁷⁶⁴ tn Heb “but to my daughters what can I do to these today?”

[31:44]  ¹⁷⁶⁵ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[31:44]  ¹⁷⁶⁶ tn The verb הָיָה (hayah) followed by the preposition לְ (lÿ) means “become.”

[31:44]  ¹⁷⁶⁷ tn Heb “and it will become a witness between me and you.”

[31:46]  ¹⁷⁶⁸ tn Heb “Jacob”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:46]  ¹⁷⁶⁹ sn The Hebrew word for “pile” is גַּל (gal), which sounds like the name “Galeed” (גַּלְעֵד, gal’ed). See v. 48.

[31:47]  ¹⁷⁷⁰ sn Jegar Sahadutha. Laban the Aramean gave the place an Aramaic name which means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness.”

[31:47]  ¹⁷⁷¹ sn Galeed also means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness,” but this name is Canaanite or Western Semitic and closer to later Hebrew. Jacob, though certainly capable of speaking Aramaic, here prefers to use the western dialect.

[31:48]  ¹⁷⁷² tn Heb “a witness between me and you.”

[31:49]  ¹⁷⁷³ tn Heb “and Mizpah.”

[31:49]  ¹⁷⁷⁴ sn The name Mizpah (מִצְפָּה, mitspah), which means “watchpost,” sounds like the verb translated “may he watch” (יִצֶף, yitsef). Neither Laban nor Jacob felt safe with each other, and so they agreed to go their separate ways, trusting the Lord to keep watch at the border. Jacob did not need this treaty, but Laban, perhaps because he had lost his household gods, felt he did.

[31:49]  ¹⁷⁷⁵ tn Heb “between me and you.”

[31:49]  ¹⁷⁷⁶ tn Heb “for we will be hidden, each man from his neighbor.”

[31:50]  ¹⁷⁷⁷ tn Heb “see.”

[31:50]  ¹⁷⁷⁸ tn Heb “between me and you.”

[31:51]  ¹⁷⁷⁹ tn Heb “and Laban said to Jacob, ‘Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between men and you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:52]  ¹⁷⁸⁰ tn Heb “This pile is a witness and the pillar is a witness, if I go past this pile to you and if you go past this pile and this pillar to me for harm.”

[31:53]  ¹⁷⁸¹ tn The God of Abraham and the god of Nahor. The Hebrew verb translated “judge” is plural, suggesting that Laban has more than one “god” in mind. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX, apparently in an effort to make the statement monotheistic, have a singular verb. In this case one could translate, “May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” However, Laban had a polytheistic world view, as evidenced by his possession of household idols (cf. 31:19). The translation uses “God” when referring to Abraham’s God, for Genesis makes it clear that Abraham worshiped the one true God. It employs “god” when referring to Nahor’s god, for in the Hebrew text Laban refers to a different god here, probably one of the local deities.

[31:53]  ¹⁷⁸² tn Heb “by the fear of his father Isaac.” See the note on the word “fears” in v. 42.

[31:54]  ¹⁷⁸³ tn The construction is a cognate accusative with the verb, expressing a specific sacrifice.

[31:54]  ¹⁷⁸⁴ tn Heb “bread, food.” Presumably this was a type of peace offering, where the person bringing the offering ate the animal being sacrificed.

[31:55]  ¹⁷⁸⁵ sn Beginning with 31:55, the verse numbers in the English Bible through 32:32 differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 31:55 ET = 32:1 HT, 32:1 ET = 32:2 HT, etc., through 32:32 ET = 32:33 HT. From 33:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.

[31:55]  ¹⁷⁸⁶ tn Heb “and Laban got up early in the morning and he kissed.”

[31:55]  ¹⁷⁸⁷ tn Heb “his sons.”

[31:55]  ¹⁷⁸⁸ tn Heb “to his place.”

[32:1]  ¹⁷⁸⁹ sn The phrase angels of God occurs only here and in Gen 28:12 in the OT. Jacob saw a vision of angels just before he left the promised land. Now he encounters angels as he prepares to return to it. The text does not give the details of the encounter, but Jacob’s response suggests it was amicable. This location was a spot where heaven made contact with earth, and where God made his presence known to the patriarch. See C. Houtman, “Jacob at Mahanaim: Some Remarks on Genesis XXXII 2-3,” VT 28 (1978): 37-44.

[32:2]  ¹⁷⁹⁰ tn Heb “and Jacob said when he saw them.”

[32:2]  ¹⁷⁹¹ sn The name Mahanaim apparently means “two camps.” Perhaps the two camps were those of God and of Jacob.

[32:3]  ¹⁷⁹² tn Heb “before him.”

[32:3]  ¹⁷⁹³ tn Heb “field.”

[32:4]  ¹⁷⁹⁴ sn Your servant. The narrative recounts Jacob’s groveling in fear before Esau as he calls his brother his “lord,” as if to minimize what had been done twenty years ago.

[32:5]  ¹⁷⁹⁵ tn Or “I am sending.” The form is a preterite with the vav consecutive; it could be rendered as an English present tense – as the Hebrew perfect/preterite allows – much like an epistolary aorist in Greek. The form assumes the temporal perspective of the one who reads the message.

[32:5]  ¹⁷⁹⁶ tn The words “this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:8]  ¹⁷⁹⁷ tn Heb “If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.”

[32:8]  ¹⁷⁹⁸ tn Heb “and he said, ‘If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.” The Hebrew verb אָמַר (’amar) here represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “he thought.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:8]  ¹⁷⁹⁹ tn Heb “the surviving camp will be for escape.” The word “escape” is a feminine noun. The term most often refers to refugees from war.

[32:9]  ¹⁸⁰⁰ tn Heb “said.”

[32:9]  ¹⁸⁰¹ tn Heb “the one who said.”

[32:9]  ¹⁸⁰² tn Heb “I will cause good” or “I will treat well [or “favorably”].” The idea includes more than prosperity, though that is its essential meaning. Here the form is subordinated to the preceding imperative and indicates purpose or result. Jacob is reminding God of his promise in the hope that God will honor his word.

[32:10]  ¹⁸⁰³ tn Heb “the loving deeds and faithfulness” (see 24:27, 49).

[32:10]  ¹⁸⁰⁴ tn Heb “you have done with.”

[32:10]  ¹⁸⁰⁵ tn Heb “for with my staff.” The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally translated “staff,” has been rendered as “walking stick” because a “staff” in contemporary English refers typically to the support personnel in an organization.

[32:10]  ¹⁸⁰⁶ tn Heb “this Jordan.”

[32:11]  ¹⁸⁰⁷ tn The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.

[32:11]  ¹⁸⁰⁸ tn The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”

[32:11]  ¹⁸⁰⁹ tn Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”

[32:11]  ¹⁸¹⁰ tn Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”

[32:11]  ¹⁸¹¹ sn Heb “me, [the] mother upon [the] sons.” The first person pronoun “me” probably means here “me and mine,” as the following clause suggests.

[32:12]  ¹⁸¹² tn Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

[32:12]  ¹⁸¹³ tn Or “will certainly deal well with you.” The infinitive absolute appears before the imperfect, underscoring God’s promise to bless. The statement is more emphatic than in v. 9.

[32:12]  ¹⁸¹⁴ tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.

[32:12]  ¹⁸¹⁵ tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.

[32:13]  ¹⁸¹⁶ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:13]  ¹⁸¹⁷ tn Heb “and he took from that which was going into his hand,” meaning that he took some of what belonged to him.

[32:13]  ¹⁸¹⁸ sn The Hebrew noun translated gift can in some contexts refer to the tribute paid by a subject to his lord. Such a nuance is possible here, because Jacob refers to Esau as his lord and to himself as Esau’s servant (v. 4).

[32:16]  ¹⁸¹⁹ tn Heb “and he put them in the hand of.”

[32:16]  ¹⁸²⁰ tn Heb “a herd, a herd, by itself,” or “each herd by itself.” The distributive sense is expressed by repetition.

[32:17]  ¹⁸²¹ tn Heb “the first”; this has been specified as “the servant leading the first herd” in the translation for clarity.

[32:17]  ¹⁸²² tn Heb “to whom are you?”

[32:17]  ¹⁸²³ tn Heb “and to whom are these before you?”

[32:18]  ¹⁸²⁴ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive; it has the nuance of an imperfect of instruction.

[32:18]  ¹⁸²⁵ tn The words “they belong” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:18]  ¹⁸²⁶ tn Heb “to your servant, to Jacob.”

[32:18]  ¹⁸²⁷ tn Heb “to my lord, to Esau.”

[32:18]  ¹⁸²⁸ tn Heb “and look, also he [is] behind us.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:19]  ¹⁸²⁹ tn Heb “And he commanded also the second, also the third, also all the ones going after the herds, saying: ‘According to this word you will speak when you find him.’”

[32:20]  ¹⁸³⁰ tn Heb “and look, your servant Jacob [is] behind us.”

[32:20]  ¹⁸³¹ tn Heb “for he said.” The referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “thought.”

[32:20]  ¹⁸³² tn Heb “I will appease his face.” The cohortative here expresses Jacob’s resolve. In the Book of Leviticus the Hebrew verb translated “appease” has the idea of removing anger due to sin or guilt, a nuance that fits this passage very well. Jacob wanted to buy Esau off with a gift of more than five hundred and fifty animals.

[32:20]  ¹⁸³³ tn Heb “with a gift going before me.”

[32:20]  ¹⁸³⁴ tn Heb “I will see his face.”

[32:20]  ¹⁸³⁵ tn Heb “Perhaps he will lift up my face.” In this context the idiom refers to acceptance.

[32:21]  ¹⁸³⁶ tn Heb “and the gift passed over upon his face.”

[32:21]  ¹⁸³⁷ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial/temporal.

[32:22]  ¹⁸³⁸ tn Heb “and he arose in that night and he took.” The first verb is adverbial, indicating that he carried out the crossing right away.

[32:22]  ¹⁸³⁹ tn The Hebrew term used here is יֶלֶד (yeled) which typically describes male offspring. Some translations render the term “children” but this is a problem because by this time Jacob had twelve children in all, including one daughter, Dinah, born to Leah (Gen 30:21). Benjamin, his twelfth son and thirteenth child, was not born until later (Gen 35:16-19).

[32:22]  ¹⁸⁴⁰ sn Hebrew narrative style often includes a summary statement of the whole passage followed by a more detailed report of the event. Here v. 22 is the summary statement, while v. 23 begins the detailed account.

[32:23]  ¹⁸⁴¹ tn Heb “and he sent across what he had.”

[32:24]  ¹⁸⁴² sn Reflecting Jacob’s perspective at the beginning of the encounter, the narrator calls the opponent simply “a man.” Not until later in the struggle does Jacob realize his true identity.

[32:24]  ¹⁸⁴³ sn The verb translated “wrestled” (וַיֵּאָבֵק, vayye’aveq) sounds in Hebrew like the names “Jacob” (יַעֲקֹב, ya’aqov) and “Jabbok” (יַבֹּק, yabboq). In this way the narrator links the setting, the main action, and the main participant together in the mind of the reader or hearer.

[32:24]  ¹⁸⁴⁴ tn Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”

[32:25]  ¹⁸⁴⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ¹⁸⁴⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ¹⁸⁴⁷ tn Or “injured”; traditionally “touched.” The Hebrew verb translated “struck” has the primary meanings “to touch; to reach; to strike.” It can, however, carry the connotation “to harm; to molest; to injure.” God’s “touch” cripples Jacob – it would be comparable to a devastating blow.

[32:26]  ¹⁸⁴⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:26]  ¹⁸⁴⁹ tn Heb “dawn has arisen.”

[32:26]  ¹⁸⁵⁰ tn Heb “and he said, ‘I will not let you go.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:26]  ¹⁸⁵¹ sn Jacob wrestled with a man thinking him to be a mere man, and on that basis was equal to the task. But when it had gone on long enough, the night visitor touched Jacob and crippled him. Jacob’s request for a blessing can only mean that he now knew that his opponent was supernatural. Contrary to many allegorical interpretations of the passage that make fighting equivalent to prayer, this passage shows that Jacob stopped fighting, and then asked for a blessing.

[32:27]  ¹⁸⁵² tn Heb “and he said to him.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:27]  ¹⁸⁵³ sn What is your name? The question is rhetorical, since the Lord obviously knew Jacob’s identity. But since the Lord is going to change Jacob’s name, this question is designed to bring focus Jacob’s attention on all that his name had come to signify.

[32:28]  ¹⁸⁵⁴ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:28]  ¹⁸⁵⁵ sn The name Israel is a common construction, using a verb with a theophoric element (אֵל, ’el) that usually indicates the subject of the verb. Here it means “God fights.” This name will replace the name Jacob; it will be both a promise and a call for faith. In essence, the Lord was saying that Jacob would have victory and receive the promises because God would fight for him.

[32:28]  ¹⁸⁵⁶ sn You have fought. The explanation of the name Israel includes a sound play. In Hebrew the verb translated “you have fought” (שָׂרִיתָ, sarita) sounds like the name “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל, yisra’el ), meaning “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). The name would evoke the memory of the fight and what it meant. A. Dillmann says that ever after this the name would tell the Israelites that, when Jacob contended successfully with God, he won the battle with man (Genesis, 2:279). To be successful with God meant that he had to be crippled in his own self-sufficiency (A. P. Ross, “Jacob at the Jabboq, Israel at Peniel,” BSac 142 [1985]: 51-62).

[32:29]  ¹⁸⁵⁷ sn Tell me your name. In primitive thought to know the name of a deity or supernatural being would enable one to use it for magical manipulation or power (A. S. Herbert, Genesis 12-50 [TBC], 108). For a thorough structural analysis of the passage discussing the plays on the names and the request of Jacob, see R. Barthes, “The Struggle with the Angel: Textual Analysis of Genesis 32:23-33,” Structural Analysis and Biblical Exegesis (PTMS), 21-33.

[32:29]  ¹⁸⁵⁸ tn The question uses the enclitic pronoun “this” to emphasize the import of the question.

[32:29]  ¹⁸⁵⁹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:29]  ¹⁸⁶⁰ tn The verb here means that the Lord endowed Jacob with success; he would be successful in everything he did, including meeting Esau.

[32:29]  ¹⁸⁶¹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:30]  ¹⁸⁶² sn The name Peniel means “face of God.” Since Jacob saw God face to face here, the name is appropriate.

[32:30]  ¹⁸⁶³ tn The word “explaining” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:30]  ¹⁸⁶⁴ tn Or “because.”

[32:30]  ¹⁸⁶⁵ sn I have seen God face to face. See the note on the name “Peniel” earlier in the verse.

[32:30]  ¹⁸⁶⁶ tn Heb “and my soul [= life] has been preserved.”

[32:31]  ¹⁸⁶⁷ tn Heb “shone.”

[32:31]  ¹⁸⁶⁸ sn The name is spelled Penuel here, apparently a variant spelling of Peniel (see v. 30).

[32:31]  ¹⁸⁶⁹ tn The disjunctive clause draws attention to an important fact: He may have crossed the stream, but he was limping.

[32:32]  ¹⁸⁷⁰ sn On the use of the expression to this day, see B. S. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until This Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.

[32:32]  ¹⁸⁷¹ tn Or “because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive. On the translation of the word “struck” see the note on this term in v. 25.

[33:1]  ¹⁸⁷² tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his eyes.”

[33:1]  ¹⁸⁷³ tn Or “and look, Esau was coming.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.

[33:2]  ¹⁸⁷⁴ sn This kind of ranking according to favoritism no doubt fed the jealousy over Joseph that later becomes an important element in the narrative. It must have been painful to the family to see that they were expendable.

[33:3]  ¹⁸⁷⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:3]  ¹⁸⁷⁶ tn Heb “until his drawing near unto his brother.” The construction uses the preposition with the infinitive construct to express a temporal clause.

[33:5]  ¹⁸⁷⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:5]  ¹⁸⁷⁸ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

[33:5]  ¹⁸⁷⁹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:5]  ¹⁸⁸⁰ tn The Hebrew verb means “to be gracious; to show favor”; here it carries the nuance “to give graciously.”

[33:6]  ¹⁸⁸¹ tn Heb “and the female servants drew near, they and their children and they bowed down.”

[33:8]  ¹⁸⁸² tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:8]  ¹⁸⁸³ tn Heb “Who to you?”

[33:8]  ¹⁸⁸⁴ tn Heb “all this camp which I met.”

[33:8]  ¹⁸⁸⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:10]  ¹⁸⁸⁶ tn Heb “and Jacob said, ‘No, please.’” The words “take them” have been supplied in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[33:10]  ¹⁸⁸⁷ tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, expressing a contingent future nuance in the “then” section of the conditional sentence.

[33:10]  ¹⁸⁸⁸ tn The verbal form is the preterite with a vav (ו) consecutive, indicating result here.

[33:10]  ¹⁸⁸⁹ tn Heb “for therefore I have seen your face like seeing the face of God and you have accepted me.”

[33:11]  ¹⁸⁹⁰ tn Heb “blessing.” It is as if Jacob is trying to repay what he stole from his brother twenty years earlier.

[33:11]  ¹⁸⁹¹ tn Or “gracious,” but in the specific sense of prosperity.

[33:11]  ¹⁸⁹² tn Heb “all.”

[33:11]  ¹⁸⁹³ tn Heb “and he urged him and he took.” The referent of the first pronoun in the sequence (“he”) has been specified as “Jacob” in the translation for clarity.

[33:12]  ¹⁸⁹⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:12]  ¹⁸⁹⁵ tn Heb “let us travel and let us go.” The two cohortatives are used in combination with the sense, “let’s travel along, get going, be on our way.”

[33:13]  ¹⁸⁹⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:13]  ¹⁸⁹⁷ tn Heb “weak.”

[33:13]  ¹⁸⁹⁸ tn Heb “and the sheep and the cattle nursing [are] upon me.”

[33:14]  ¹⁸⁹⁹ tn Heb “and I, I will move along according to my leisure at the foot of the property which is before me and at the foot of the children.”

[33:15]  ¹⁹⁰⁰ tn The cohortative verbal form here indicates a polite offer of help.

[33:15]  ¹⁹⁰¹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why this?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[33:15]  ¹⁹⁰² tn Heb “I am finding favor in the eyes of my lord.”

[33:16]  ¹⁹⁰³ tn Heb “returned on his way.”

[33:17]  ¹⁹⁰⁴ tn The disjunctive clause contrasts Jacob’s action with Esau’s.

[33:17]  ¹⁹⁰⁵ sn But Jacob traveled to Succoth. There are several reasons why Jacob chose not to go to Mt. Seir after Esau. First, as he said, his herds and children probably could not keep up with the warriors. Second, he probably did not fully trust his brother. The current friendliness could change, and he could lose everything. And third, God did tell him to return to his land, not Seir. But Jacob is still not able to deal truthfully, probably because of fear of Esau.

[33:17]  ¹⁹⁰⁶ tn Heb “why he called.” One could understand “Jacob” as the subject of the verb, but it is more likely that the subject is indefinite, in which case the verb is better translated as passive.

[33:17]  ¹⁹⁰⁷ sn The name Succoth means “shelters,” an appropriate name in light of the shelters Jacob built there for his livestock.

[33:18]  ¹⁹⁰⁸ tn Heb “in front of.”

[33:19]  ¹⁹⁰⁹ tn The words “he bought it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 19 is one long sentence.

[33:19]  ¹⁹¹⁰ tn The Hebrew word קְשִׂיטָה (qÿsitah) is generally understood to refer to a unit of money, but the value is unknown. (However, cf. REB, which renders the term as “sheep”).

[33:20]  ¹⁹¹¹ tn Heb “God, the God of Israel.” Rather than translating the name, a number of modern translations merely transliterate it from the Hebrew as “El Elohe Israel” (cf. NIV, NRSV, REB). It is not entirely clear how the name should be interpreted grammatically. One option is to supply an equative verb, as in the translation: “The God of Israel [is] God.” Another interpretive option is “the God of Israel [is] strong [or “mighty”].” Buying the land and settling down for a while was a momentous step for the patriarch, so the commemorative naming of the altar is significant.

[34:1]  ¹⁹¹² tn Heb “went out to see.” The verb “to see,” followed by the preposition בְּ (bÿ), here has the idea of “look over.” The young girl wanted to meet these women and see what they were like.

[34:1]  ¹⁹¹³ tn Heb “daughters.”

[34:2]  ¹⁹¹⁴ tn Heb “and he took her and lay with her.” The suffixed form following the verb appears to be the sign of the accusative instead of the preposition, but see BDB 1012 s.v. שָׁכַב.

[34:2]  ¹⁹¹⁵ tn The verb עָנָה (’anah) in the Piel stem can have various shades of meaning, depending on the context: “to defile; to mistreat; to violate; to rape; to shame; to afflict.” Here it means that Shechem violated or humiliated Dinah by raping her.

[34:3]  ¹⁹¹⁶ tn Heb “his soul stuck to [or “joined with”],” meaning Shechem became very attached to Dinah emotionally.

[34:3]  ¹⁹¹⁷ tn Heb “and he spoke to the heart of the young woman,” which apparently refers in this context to tender, romantic speech (Hos 2:14). Another option is to translate the expression “he reassured the young woman” (see Judg 19:3, 2 Sam 19:7; cf. NEB “comforted her”).

[34:4]  ¹⁹¹⁸ tn Heb “Take for me this young woman for a wife.”

[34:5]  ¹⁹¹⁹ tn The two disjunctive clauses in this verse (“Now Jacob heard…and his sons were”) are juxtaposed to indicate synchronic action.

[34:5]  ¹⁹²⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:5]  ¹⁹²¹ sn The expected response would be anger or rage; but Jacob remained silent. He appears too indifferent or confused to act decisively. When the leader does not act decisively, the younger zealots will, and often with disastrous results.

[34:6]  ¹⁹²² tn Heb “went out to Jacob to speak with him.” The words “about Dinah” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:7]  ¹⁹²³ tn Heb “when they heard.” The words “the news” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[34:7]  ¹⁹²⁴ tn Heb “the men.” This sounds as if a new group has been introduced into the narrative, so it has been translated as “they” to indicate that it refers to Jacob’s sons, mentioned in the first part of the verse.

[34:7]  ¹⁹²⁵ tn The Hebrew verb עָצַב (’atsav) can carry one of three semantic nuances depending on the context: (1) “to be injured” (Ps 56:5; Eccl 10:9; 1 Chr 4:10); (2) “to experience emotional pain; to be depressed emotionally; to be worried” (2 Sam 19:2; Isa 54:6; Neh 8:10-11); (3) “to be embarrassed; to be insulted; to be offended” (to the point of anger at another or oneself; Gen 6:6; 45:5; 1 Sam 20:3, 34; 1 Kgs 1:6; Isa 63:10; Ps 78:40). This third category develops from the second by metonymy. In certain contexts emotional pain leads to embarrassment and/or anger. In this last use the subject sometimes directs his anger against the source of grief (see especially Gen 6:6). The third category fits best in Gen 34:7 because Jacob’s sons were not merely wounded emotionally. On the contrary, Shechem’s action prompted them to strike out in judgment against the source of their distress.

[34:7]  ¹⁹²⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:7]  ¹⁹²⁷ tn Heb “a disgraceful thing he did against Israel.”

[34:7]  ¹⁹²⁸ tn Heb “by lying with the daughter of Jacob.” The infinitive here explains the preceding verb, indicating exactly how he had disgraced Jacob. The expression “to lie with” is a euphemism for sexual relations, or in this case, sexual assault.

[34:7]  ¹⁹²⁹ tn Heb “and so it should not be done.” The negated imperfect has an obligatory nuance here, but there is also a generalizing tone. The narrator emphasizes that this particular type of crime (sexual assault) is especially reprehensible.

[34:8]  ¹⁹³⁰ tn Heb “Shechem my son, his soul is attached to your daughter.” The verb means “to love” in the sense of being emotionally attached to or drawn to someone. This is a slightly different way of saying what was reported earlier (v. 3). However, there is no mention here of the offense. Even though Hamor is speaking to Dinah’s brothers, he refers to her as their daughter (see v. 17).

[34:9]  ¹⁹³¹ tn Heb “form marriage alliances with us.”

[34:9]  ¹⁹³² tn Heb “Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.” In the translation the words “let…marry” and “as wives” are supplied for clarity.

[34:10]  ¹⁹³³ tn The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.

[34:10]  ¹⁹³⁴ tn Heb “before you.”

[34:10]  ¹⁹³⁵ tn The verb seems to carry the basic meaning “travel about freely,” although the substantival participial form refers to a trader (see E. A. Speiser, “The Verb sh£r in Genesis and Early Hebrew Movements,” BASOR 164 [1961]: 23-28); cf. NIV, NRSV “trade in it.”

[34:11]  ¹⁹³⁶ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Dinah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:11]  ¹⁹³⁷ tn Heb “whatever you say.”

[34:11]  ¹⁹³⁸ tn Or “pay.”

[34:12]  ¹⁹³⁹ tn Heb “Make very great upon me the bride price and gift.” The imperatives are used in a rhetorical manner. Shechem’s point is that he will pay the price, no matter how expensive it might be.

[34:12]  ¹⁹⁴⁰ tn The cohortative expresses Shechem’s resolve to have Dinah as his wife.

[34:12]  ¹⁹⁴¹ tn Heb “say.”

[34:13]  ¹⁹⁴² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:14]  ¹⁹⁴³ tn Heb “we are not able to do this thing, to give.” The second infinitive is in apposition to the first, explaining what they are not able to do.

[34:14]  ¹⁹⁴⁴ tn The Hebrew word translated “disgrace” usually means “ridicule; taunt; reproach.” It can also refer to the reason the condition of shame or disgrace causes ridicule or a reproach.

[34:15]  ¹⁹⁴⁵ tn Heb “if you are like us.”

[34:15]  ¹⁹⁴⁶ tn The infinitive here explains how they would become like them.

[34:16]  ¹⁹⁴⁷ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.

[34:16]  ¹⁹⁴⁸ tn The words “to marry” (and the words “as wives” in the following clause) are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:17]  ¹⁹⁴⁹ tn Heb “listen to us.”

[34:17]  ¹⁹⁵⁰ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.

[34:17]  ¹⁹⁵¹ tn Heb “daughter.” Jacob’s sons call Dinah their daughter, even though she was their sister (see v. 8). This has been translated as “sister” for clarity.

[34:18]  ¹⁹⁵² tn Heb “and their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem son of Hamor.”

[34:19]  ¹⁹⁵³ tn Heb “doing the thing.”

[34:19]  ¹⁹⁵⁴ tn Heb “Jacob’s daughter.” The proper name “Dinah” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:19]  ¹⁹⁵⁵ tn The Hebrew verb כָּבֵד (kaved), translated “was…important,” has the primary meaning “to be heavy,” but here carries a secondary sense of “to be important” (that is, “heavy” in honor or respect).

[34:19]  ¹⁹⁵⁶ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause explains why the community would respond to him (see vv. 20-24).

[34:20]  ¹⁹⁵⁷ sn The gate. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the location for conducting important public business.

[34:21]  ¹⁹⁵⁸ tn Heb “wide on both hands,” that is, in both directions.

[34:21]  ¹⁹⁵⁹ tn The words “to marry” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:22]  ¹⁹⁶⁰ tn Heb “when every one of our males is circumcised.”

[34:23]  ¹⁹⁶¹ tn The words “If we do so” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[34:24]  ¹⁹⁶² tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”

[34:24]  ¹⁹⁶³ tn Heb “listened to.”

[34:24]  ¹⁹⁶⁴ tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”

[34:25]  ¹⁹⁶⁵ tn Heb “a man his sword.”

[34:25]  ¹⁹⁶⁶ tn Heb “and they came upon the city, [which was] secure.” In this case “secure” means the city was caught unprepared and at peace, not expecting an attack.

[34:27]  ¹⁹⁶⁷ tn Heb “came upon the slain.” Because of this statement the preceding phrase “Jacob’s sons” is frequently taken to mean the other sons of Jacob besides Simeon and Levi, but the text does not clearly affirm this.

[34:27]  ¹⁹⁶⁸ tn Heb “because they violated their sister.” The plural verb is active in form, but with no expressed subject, it may be translated passive.

[34:28]  ¹⁹⁶⁹ tn Heb “and what was in the city and what was in the field they took.”

[34:29]  ¹⁹⁷⁰ tn Heb “they took captive and they plundered,” that is, “they captured as plunder.”

[34:30]  ¹⁹⁷¹ tn The traditional translation is “troubled me” (KJV, ASV), but the verb refers to personal or national disaster and suggests complete ruin (see Josh 7:25, Judg 11:35, Prov 11:17). The remainder of the verse describes the “trouble” Simeon and Levi had caused.

[34:30]  ¹⁹⁷² tn In the causative stem the Hebrew verb בָּאַשׁ (ba’ash) means “to cause to stink, to have a foul smell.” In the contexts in which it is used it describes foul smells, stenches, or things that are odious. Jacob senses that the people in the land will find this act terribly repulsive. See P. R. Ackroyd, “The Hebrew Root באשׁ,” JTS 2 (1951): 31-36.

[34:30]  ¹⁹⁷³ tn Jacob speaks in the first person as the head and representative of the entire family.

[34:31]  ¹⁹⁷⁴ tn Heb “but they said.” The referent of “they” (Simeon and Levi) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[35:1]  ¹⁹⁷⁵ tn Heb “arise, go up.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.

[35:1]  ¹⁹⁷⁶ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:1]  ¹⁹⁷⁷ sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).

[35:2]  ¹⁹⁷⁸ tn Heb “which are in your midst.”

[35:2]  ¹⁹⁷⁹ 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]  ¹⁹⁸⁰ tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.

[35:3]  ¹⁹⁸¹ tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.

[35:3]  ¹⁹⁸² tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.

[35:3]  ¹⁹⁸³ 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]  ¹⁹⁸⁴ tn Heb “in their hand.”

[35:4]  ¹⁹⁸⁵ 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]  ¹⁹⁸⁶ 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]  ¹⁹⁸⁷ tn Or “terebinth.”

[35:5]  ¹⁹⁸⁸ tn Heb “and they journeyed.”

[35:5]  ¹⁹⁸⁹ 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]  ¹⁹⁹⁰ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:6]  ¹⁹⁹¹ 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]  ¹⁹⁹² sn The name El-Bethel means “God of Bethel.”

[35:7]  ¹⁹⁹³ 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]  ¹⁹⁹⁴ 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]  ¹⁹⁹⁵ tn “and he called its name.” There is no expressed subject, so the verb can be translated as passive.

[35:8]  ¹⁹⁹⁶ 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]  ¹⁹⁹⁷ 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]  ¹⁹⁹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹⁹⁹ tn Heb “A nation and a company of nations will be from you and kings from your loins will come out.”

[35:12]  ²⁰⁰⁰ 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]  ²⁰⁰¹ tn Heb “and to your offspring after you.”

[35:13]  ²⁰⁰² tn Heb “went up from upon him in the place.”

[35:14]  ²⁰⁰³ 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]  ²⁰⁰⁴ 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]  ²⁰⁰⁵ 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]  ²⁰⁰⁶ tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew.

[35:16]  ²⁰⁰⁷ tn Heb “and there was still a stretch of the land to go to Ephrath.”

[35:16]  ²⁰⁰⁸ 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]  ²⁰⁰⁹ 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]  ²⁰¹⁰ 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]  ²⁰¹¹ tn Heb “in the going out of her life, for she was dying.” Rachel named the child with her dying breath.

[35:18]  ²⁰¹² 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]  ²⁰¹³ tn The disjunctive clause is contrastive.

[35:19]  ²⁰¹⁴ sn This explanatory note links the earlier name Ephrath with the later name Bethlehem.

[35:20]  ²⁰¹⁵ tn Heb “standing stone.”

[35:20]  ²⁰¹⁶ tn Or perhaps “it is known as” (cf. NEB).

[35:21]  ²⁰¹⁷ 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]  ²⁰¹⁸ tn Heb “and Reuben went and lay with.” The expression “lay with” is a euphemism for having sexual intercourse.

[35:27]  ²⁰¹⁹ tn This is an adverbial accusative of location.

[35:27]  ²⁰²⁰ tn The name “Kiriath Arba” is in apposition to the preceding name, “Mamre.”

[35:27]  ²⁰²¹ tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” refers to temporary settlement without ownership rights.

[35:28]  ²⁰²² tn Heb “And the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years.”

[35:29]  ²⁰²³ 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]  ²⁰²⁴ tn Heb “old and full of years.”

[36:1]  ²⁰²⁵ 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]  ²⁰²⁶ tn Heb “from the daughters of Canaan.”

[36:2]  ²⁰²⁷ tn Heb “daughter,” but see Gen 36:24-25.

[36:6]  ²⁰²⁸ tn Heb “from before.”

[36:7]  ²⁰²⁹ tn Heb “land of their settlements.”

[36:8]  ²⁰³⁰ 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]  ²⁰³¹ 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]  ²⁰³² tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:13]  ²⁰³³ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:14]  ²⁰³⁴ tn Heb “daughter,” but see Gen 36:24-25.

[36:15]  ²⁰³⁵ tn Or “clan leaders” (so also throughout this chapter).

[36:15]  ²⁰³⁶ tn Or “sons.”

[36:16]  ²⁰³⁷ tc The Samaritan Pentateuch omits the name “Korah” (see v. 11 and 1 Chr 1:36).

[36:16]  ²⁰³⁸ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:17]  ²⁰³⁹ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:20]  ²⁰⁴⁰ 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]  ²⁰⁴¹ tn Or “sons.”

[36:22]  ²⁰⁴² tn Heb “Hemam”; this is probably a variant spelling of “Homam” (1 Chr 1:39); cf. NRSV, NLT “Heman.”

[36:23]  ²⁰⁴³ tn This name is given as “Shephi” in 1 Chr 1:40.

[36:24]  ²⁰⁴⁴ tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain; Syriac reads “water” and Vulgate reads “hot water.”

[36:25]  ²⁰⁴⁵ tn Heb “sons,” but since a daughter is included in the list, the word must be translated “children.”

[36:26]  ²⁰⁴⁶ 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]  ²⁰⁴⁷ tn Or perhaps “before any Israelite king ruled over [them].”

[36:37]  ²⁰⁴⁸ 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]  ²⁰⁴⁹ 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]  ²⁰⁵⁰ tn The name of the city is given as “Pai” in 1 Chr 1:50.

[36:43]  ²⁰⁵¹ tn Or perhaps “territories”; Heb “dwelling places.”

[37:1]  ²⁰⁵² tn Heb “the land of the sojournings of his father.”

[37:1]  ²⁰⁵³ 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]  ²⁰⁵⁴ tn Heb “a son of seventeen years.” The word “son” is in apposition to the name “Joseph.”

[37:2]  ²⁰⁵⁵ tn Or “tending”; Heb “shepherding” or “feeding.”

[37:2]  ²⁰⁵⁶ 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]  ²⁰⁵⁷ 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]  ²⁰⁵⁸ tn Heb “their bad report.” The pronoun is an objective genitive, specifying that the bad or damaging report was about the brothers.

[37:3]  ²⁰⁵⁹ tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information vital to the story. It explains in part the brothers’ animosity toward Joseph.

[37:3]  ²⁰⁶⁰ 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]  ²⁰⁶¹ 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]  ²⁰⁶² tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ²⁰⁶³ tn Heb “of his brothers.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “them.”

[37:4]  ²⁰⁶⁴ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ²⁰⁶⁵ tn Heb “speak to him for peace.”

[37:5]  ²⁰⁶⁶ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:5]  ²⁰⁶⁷ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[37:5]  ²⁰⁶⁸ 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]  ²⁰⁶⁹ tn The construction uses a hendiadys, “they added to hate,” meaning they hated him even more.

[37:6]  ²⁰⁷⁰ tn Heb “hear this dream which I dreamed.”

[37:7]  ²⁰⁷¹ 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]  ²⁰⁷² tn The verb means “to bow down to the ground.” It is used to describe worship and obeisance to masters.

[37:8]  ²⁰⁷³ 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]  ²⁰⁷⁴ tn This construction is identical to the one in Gen 37:5.

[37:8]  ²⁰⁷⁵ 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]  ²⁰⁷⁶ tn Heb “And he dreamed yet another dream.”

[37:9]  ²⁰⁷⁷ 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]  ²⁰⁷⁸ 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]  ²⁰⁷⁹ 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]  ²⁰⁸⁰ 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]  ²⁰⁸¹ 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]  ²⁰⁸² tn The text uses an interrogative clause: “Are not your brothers,” which means “your brothers are.”

[37:13]  ²⁰⁸³ sn With these words Joseph is depicted here as an obedient son who is ready to do what his father commands.

[37:13]  ²⁰⁸⁴ 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]  ²⁰⁸⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:14]  ²⁰⁸⁶ tn Heb “see.”

[37:14]  ²⁰⁸⁷ tn Heb “peace.”

[37:14]  ²⁰⁸⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ²⁰⁸⁹ tn Heb “and he [i.e., Joseph] went to Shechem.” The referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ²⁰⁹⁰ 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]  ²⁰⁹¹ tn The imperative in this sentence has more of the nuance of a request than a command.

[37:17]  ²⁰⁹² tn Heb “they traveled from this place.”

[37:18]  ²⁰⁹³ tn Heb “and they”; the referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:19]  ²⁰⁹⁴ 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]  ²⁰⁹⁵ 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]  ²⁰⁹⁶ tn Heb “what his dreams will be.”

[37:21]  ²⁰⁹⁷ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:21]  ²⁰⁹⁸ sn From their hands. The instigators of this plot may have been the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (see v. 2).

[37:21]  ²⁰⁹⁹ tn Heb “and he said.”

[37:21]  ²¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “we must not strike him down [with respect to] life.”

[37:22]  ²¹⁰¹ tn Heb “and Reuben said to them.”

[37:22]  ²¹⁰² 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]  ²¹⁰³ tn The words “Reuben said this” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:22]  ²¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:22]  ²¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “from their hands” (cf. v. 21). This expression has been translated as “them” here for stylistic reasons.

[37:23]  ²¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “Joseph”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:24]  ²¹⁰⁷ tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that helps the reader or hearer to picture what happened.

[37:25]  ²¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “lifted up their eyes.”

[37:25]  ²¹⁰⁹ 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]  ²¹¹⁰ tn Heb “and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh, going to go down to Egypt.”

[37:27]  ²¹¹¹ tn Heb “let not our hand be upon him.”

[37:27]  ²¹¹² tn Heb “listened.”

[37:28]  ²¹¹³ sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.

[37:28]  ²¹¹⁴ 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]  ²¹¹⁵ 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]  ²¹¹⁶ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:29]  ²¹¹⁷ 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]  ²¹¹⁸ 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]  ²¹¹⁹ 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]  ²¹²⁰ 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]  ²¹²¹ tn Heb “and put sackcloth on his loins.”

[37:35]  ²¹²² tn Heb “arose, stood”; which here suggests that they stood by him in his time of grief.

[37:35]  ²¹²³ 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]  ²¹²⁴ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:36]  ²¹²⁵ tn The disjunctive clause formally signals closure for this episode of Joseph’s story, which will be resumed in Gen 39.

[37:36]  ²¹²⁶ 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]  ²¹²⁷ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:36]  ²¹²⁸ sn The expression captain of the guard might indicate that Potiphar was the chief executioner.

[38:1]  ²¹²⁹ tn Heb “went down from.”

[38:1]  ²¹³⁰ tn Heb “and he turned aside unto.”

[38:1]  ²¹³¹ tn Heb “a man, an Adullamite.”

[38:2]  ²¹³² tn Heb “a man, a Canaanite.”

[38:2]  ²¹³³ tn Heb “and his name was Shua.”

[38:2]  ²¹³⁴ tn Heb “and he took her.”

[38:2]  ²¹³⁵ tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:3]  ²¹³⁶ tn Or “she conceived” (also in the following verse).

[38:3]  ²¹³⁷ 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]  ²¹³⁸ 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]  ²¹³⁹ tn Or “and he [i.e., Judah] was in Kezib when she gave birth to him.”

[38:6]  ²¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “and Judah took.”

[38:8]  ²¹⁴¹ tn Heb “go to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:8]  ²¹⁴² tn The imperative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose.

[38:8]  ²¹⁴³ 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]  ²¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “offspring.”

[38:9]  ²¹⁴⁵ 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]  ²¹⁴⁶ tn The construction shows that this was a repeated practice and not merely one action.

[38:9]  ²¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “he went to.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:9]  ²¹⁴⁸ 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]  ²¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[38:11]  ²¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “said.”

[38:11]  ²¹⁵¹ tn Heb “Otherwise he will die, also he, like his brothers.”

[38:12]  ²¹⁵² 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]  ²¹⁵³ tn Heb “and he went up to the shearers of his sheep, he and.”

[38:13]  ²¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “And it was told to Tamar, saying.”

[38:13]  ²¹⁵⁵ tn The active participle indicates the action was in progress or about to begin.

[38:14]  ²¹⁵⁶ 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]  ²¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she was not given to him as a wife.”

[38:15]  ²¹⁵⁸ 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]  ²¹⁵⁹ 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]  ²¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “for he did not know that.”

[38:16]  ²¹⁶¹ tn Heb “when you come to me.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:17]  ²¹⁶² tn Heb “until you send.”

[38:18]  ²¹⁶³ tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:19]  ²¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “and she arose and left,” the first verb in the pair emphasizing that she wasted no time.

[38:20]  ²¹⁶⁵ 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]  ²¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand.”

[38:20]  ²¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Judah’s friend Hirah the Adullamite) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[38:21]  ²¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “the men of her place,” that is, who lived at the place where she had been.

[38:21]  ²¹⁶⁹ 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]  ²¹⁷⁰ tn The words “the things” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:23]  ²¹⁷¹ 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]  ²¹⁷² tn Heb “it was told to Judah, saying.”

[38:24]  ²¹⁷³ tn Or “has been sexually promiscuous.” The verb may refer here to loose or promiscuous activity, not necessarily prostitution.

[38:24]  ²¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “and also look, she is with child by prostitution.”

[38:25]  ²¹⁷⁵ 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]  ²¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “who these to him.”

[38:25]  ²¹⁷⁷ 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]  ²¹⁷⁸ tn Traditionally “more righteous”; cf. NCV, NRSV, NLT “more in the right.”

[38:26]  ²¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “and he did not add again to know her.” Here “know” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:28]  ²¹⁸⁰ tn The word “child” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:29]  ²¹⁸¹ 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]  ²¹⁸² 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]  ²¹⁸³ 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]  ²¹⁸⁴ 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]  ²¹⁸⁵ 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]  ²¹⁸⁶ sn Captain of the guard. See the note on this phrase in Gen 37:36.

[39:1]  ²¹⁸⁷ tn Heb “from the hand of.”

[39:2]  ²¹⁸⁸ 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]  ²¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “and he was.”

[39:3]  ²¹⁹⁰ tn The Hebrew text adds “in his hand,” a phrase not included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:4]  ²¹⁹¹ 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]  ²¹⁹² tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:4]  ²¹⁹³ tn Heb “put into his hand.”

[39:5]  ²¹⁹⁴ tn Heb “and it was from then.”

[39:5]  ²¹⁹⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:5]  ²¹⁹⁶ 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]  ²¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “in the house and in the field.” The word “both” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:5]  ²¹⁹⁸ 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]  ²¹⁹⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:6]  ²²⁰⁰ 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]  ²²⁰¹ tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.

[39:6]  ²²⁰² tn Heb “did not know.”

[39:6]  ²²⁰³ 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]  ²²⁰⁴ tn Heb “handsome of form and handsome of appearance.” The same Hebrew expressions were used in Gen 29:17 for Rachel.

[39:7]  ²²⁰⁵ tn Heb “she lifted up her eyes toward,” an expression that emphasizes her deliberate and careful scrutiny of him.

[39:7]  ²²⁰⁶ tn Heb “lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:8]  ²²⁰⁷ tn Heb “and he said.”

[39:8]  ²²⁰⁸ tn Heb “know.”

[39:8]  ²²⁰⁹ tn The word “here” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:8]  ²²¹⁰ tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.

[39:9]  ²²¹¹ tn The nuance of potential imperfect fits this context.

[39:10]  ²²¹² 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]  ²²¹³ tn Heb “listen to.”

[39:10]  ²²¹⁴ tn Heb “to lie beside her to be with her.” Here the expression “to lie beside” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:11]  ²²¹⁵ tn Heb “and it was about this day.”

[39:11]  ²²¹⁶ tn Heb “the men of the house.”

[39:12]  ²²¹⁷ tn Heb “he fled and he went out.” The construction emphasizes the point that Joseph got out of there quickly.

[39:12]  ²²¹⁸ sn For discussion of this episode, see A. M. Honeyman, “The Occasion of Joseph’s Temptation,” VT 2 (1952): 85-87.

[39:14]  ²²¹⁹ 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]  ²²²⁰ sn A Hebrew man. Potiphar’s wife raises the ethnic issue when talking to her servants about what their boss had done.

[39:14]  ²²²¹ 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]  ²²²² tn Heb “he came to me to lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:14]  ²²²³ tn Heb “and I cried out with a loud voice.”

[39:15]  ²²²⁴ tn Heb “that I raised.”

[39:17]  ²²²⁵ tn Heb “and she spoke to him according to these words, saying.”

[39:17]  ²²²⁶ 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]  ²²²⁷ 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]  ²²²⁸ tn Heb “and when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying.”

[39:19]  ²²²⁹ tn Heb “according to these words.”

[39:19]  ²²³⁰ tn Heb “did to me.”

[39:19]  ²²³¹ tn Heb “his anger burned.”

[39:20]  ²²³² tn Heb “the house of roundness,” suggesting that the prison might have been a fortress or citadel.

[39:20]  ²²³³ 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]  ²²³⁴ tn Heb “and he extended to him loyal love.”

[39:21]  ²²³⁵ tn Or “the chief jailer” (also in the following verses).

[39:22]  ²²³⁶ 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]  ²²³⁷ tn Heb “was not looking at anything.”

[39:23]  ²²³⁸ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.