Genesis 46:1-34

The Family of Jacob goes to Egypt

46:1 So Israel began his journey, taking with him all that he had. ¹  When he came to Beer Sheba ²  he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 46:2 God spoke to Israel in a vision during the night ³  and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He replied, “Here I am!” 46:3 He said, “I am God, ⁴  the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 46:4 I will go down with you to Egypt and I myself will certainly bring you back from there. ⁵  Joseph will close your eyes.” ⁶ 

46:5 Then Jacob started out ⁷  from Beer Sheba, and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little children, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent along to transport him. 46:6 Jacob and all his descendants took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and they went to Egypt. ⁸  46:7 He brought with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons, ⁹  his daughters and granddaughters – all his descendants.

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

Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob.

46:9 The sons of Reuben:

Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

46:10 The sons of Simeon:

Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar,

and Shaul (the son of a Canaanite woman).

46:11 The sons of Levi:

Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

46:12 The sons of Judah:

Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah

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

The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

46:13 The sons of Issachar:

Tola, Puah, ¹⁰  Jashub, ¹¹  and Shimron.

46:14 The sons of Zebulun:

Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

46:15 These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, along with Dinah his daughter. His sons and daughters numbered thirty-three in all. ¹² 

46:16 The sons of Gad:

Zephon, ¹³  Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

46:17 The sons of Asher:

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

The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel.

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

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

Joseph and Benjamin.

46:20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, ¹⁴  bore them to him.

46:21 The sons of Benjamin: ¹⁵ 

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

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

46:23 The son of Dan: Hushim. ¹⁶ 

46:24 The sons of Naphtali:

Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

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

46:26 All the direct descendants of Jacob who went to Egypt with him were sixty-six in number. (This number does not include the wives of Jacob’s sons.) ¹⁷  46:27 Counting the two sons ¹⁸  of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt, all the people of the household of Jacob who were in Egypt numbered seventy. ¹⁹ 

46:28 Jacob ²⁰  sent Judah before him to Joseph to accompany him to Goshen. ²¹  So they came to the land of Goshen. 46:29 Joseph harnessed his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. When he met him, ²²  he hugged his neck and wept on his neck for quite some time.

46:30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” ²³  46:31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, ²⁴  ‘My brothers and my father’s household who were in the land of Canaan have come to me. 46:32 The men are shepherds; ²⁵  they take care of livestock. ²⁶  They have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ 46:33 Pharaoh will summon you and say, ‘What is your occupation?’ 46:34 Tell him, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle ²⁷  from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen, ²⁸  for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting ²⁹  to the Egyptians.”

Genesis 8:5-7

8:5 The waters kept on receding ³⁰  until the tenth month. On the first day of the tenth month, the tops of the mountains became visible. ³¹ 

8:6 At the end of forty days, ³²  Noah opened the window he had made in the ark ³³  8:7 and sent out a raven; it kept flying ³⁴  back and forth until the waters had dried up on the earth.

Genesis 19:14

19:14 Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters. ³⁵  He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy ³⁶  the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them. ³⁷ 

Genesis 19:27

19:27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went ³⁸  to the place where he had stood before the Lord.

Jeremiah 44:16-17

44:16 “We will not listen to what you claim the Lord has spoken to us! ³⁹  44:17 Instead we will do everything we vowed we would do. ⁴⁰  We will sacrifice and pour out drink offerings to the goddess called the Queen of Heaven ⁴¹  just as we and our ancestors, our kings, and our leaders previously did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and had no troubles. ⁴² 

Ezekiel 33:31

33:31 They come to you in crowds, ⁴³  and they sit in front of you as ⁴⁴  my people. They hear your words, but do not obey ⁴⁵  them. For they talk lustfully, ⁴⁶  and their heart is set on ⁴⁷  their own advantage. ⁴⁸ 

Matthew 21:29-30

21:29 The boy answered, ⁴⁹  ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart ⁵⁰  and went. 21:30 The father ⁵¹  went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered, ⁵²  ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go.

Matthew 23:3

23:3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach. ⁵³ 

John 15:2

15:2 He takes away ⁵⁴  every branch that does not bear ⁵⁵  fruit in me. He ⁵⁶  prunes ⁵⁷  every branch that bears ⁵⁸  fruit so that it will bear more fruit.

James 1:22-26

1:22 But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. 1:23 For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone ⁵⁹  who gazes at his own face ⁶⁰  in a mirror. 1:24 For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets ⁶¹  what sort of person he was. 1:25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, ⁶²  and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out – he ⁶³  will be blessed in what he does. ⁶⁴  1:26 If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile.

James 2:17-26

2:17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” ⁶⁵  Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by ⁶⁶  my works. 2:19 You believe that God is one; well and good. ⁶⁷  Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear. ⁶⁸ 

2:20 But would you like evidence, ⁶⁹  you empty fellow, ⁷⁰  that faith without works is useless? ⁷¹  2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 2:22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” ⁷²  and he was called God’s friend. ⁷³  2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 2:25 And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? 2:26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

James 2:2

2:2 For if someone ⁷⁴  comes into your assembly ⁷⁵  wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a poor person enters in filthy clothes,

James 1:5-9

1:5 But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him. 1:6 But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind. 1:7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, 1:8 since he is a double-minded individual, ⁷⁶  unstable in all his ways.

1:9 Now the believer ⁷⁷  of humble means ⁷⁸  should take pride ⁷⁹  in his high position. ⁸⁰ 

James 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From James, ⁸¹  a slave ⁸²  of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. ⁸³  Greetings!

James 2:3-4

2:3 do you pay attention to the one who is finely dressed and say, ⁸⁴  “You sit here in a good place,” ⁸⁵  and to the poor person, “You stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor”? ⁸⁶  2:4 If so, have you not made distinctions ⁸⁷  among yourselves and become judges with evil motives? ⁸⁸ 

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

[46:1]  ² sn Beer Sheba. See Gen 21:31; 28:10.

[46:2]  ³ tn Heb “in visions of the night.” The plural form has the singular meaning, probably as a plural of intensity.

[46:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “the God.”

[46:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “and I, I will bring you up, also bringing up.” The independent personal pronoun before the first person imperfect verbal form draws attention to the speaker/subject, while the infinitive absolute after the imperfect strongly emphasizes the statement: “I myself will certainly bring you up.”

[46:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “and Joseph will put his hand upon your eyes.” This is a promise of peaceful death in Egypt with Joseph present to close his eyes.

[46:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “arose.”

[46:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “and they took their livestock and their possessions which they had acquired in the land of Canaan and they went to Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[46:7]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew text adds “with him” here. This is omitted in the translation because it is redundant in English style (note the same phrase earlier in the verse).

[46:13]  ¹⁰ tc The MT reads “Puvah” (cf. Num 26:23); the Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac read “Puah” (cf. 1 Chr 7:1).

[46:13]  ¹¹ tc The MT reads “Iob,” but the Samaritan Pentateuch and some LXX mss read “Jashub” (see Num 26:24; 1 Chr 7:1).

[46:15]  ¹² tn Heb “all the lives of his sons and his daughters, thirty-three.”

[46:16]  ¹³ tc The MT reads “Ziphion,” but see Num 26:15, the Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX, all of which read “Zephon.”

[46:20]  ¹⁴ sn On is another name for the city of Heliopolis.

[46:21]  ¹⁵ sn The sons of Benjamin. It is questionable whether youthful Benjamin had ten sons by the time he went into Egypt, but it is not impossible. If Benjamin was born when Joseph was six or seven, he was ten when Joseph was sold into Egypt, and would have been thirty-two at this point. Some suggest that the list originally served another purpose and included the names of all who were in the immediate family of the sons, whether born in Canaan or later in Egypt.

[46:23]  ¹⁶ tn This name appears as “Shuham” in Num 26:42. The LXX reads “Hashum” here.

[46:26]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “All the people who went with Jacob to Egypt, the ones who came out of his body, apart from the wives of the sons of Jacob, all the people were sixty-six.”

[46:27]  ¹⁸ tn The LXX reads “nine sons,” probably counting the grandsons of Joseph born to Ephraim and Manasseh (cf. 1 Chr 7:14-20).

[46:27]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two people; all the people belonging to the house of Jacob who came to Egypt were seventy.”

[46:28]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[46:28]  ²¹ tn Heb “to direct before him to Goshen.”

[46:29]  ²² tn Heb “and he appeared to him.”

[46:30]  ²³ tn Heb “after my seeing your face that you are still alive.”

[46:31]  ²⁴ tn Heb “tell Pharaoh and say to him.”

[46:32]  ²⁵ tn Heb “feeders of sheep.”

[46:32]  ²⁶ tn Heb “for men of livestock they are.”

[46:34]  ²⁷ tn Heb “your servants are men of cattle.”

[46:34]  ²⁸ sn So that you may live in the land of Goshen. Joseph is apparently trying to stress to Pharaoh that his family is self-sufficient, that they will not be a drain on the economy of Egypt. But they will need land for their animals and so Goshen, located on the edge of Egypt, would be a suitable place for them to live. The settled Egyptians were uneasy with nomadic people, but if Jacob and his family settled in Goshen they would represent no threat.

[46:34]  ²⁹ tn Heb “is an abomination.” The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “abomination”) describes something that is loathsome or off-limits. For other practices the Egyptians considered disgusting, see Gen 43:32 and Exod 8:22.

[8:5]  ³⁰ 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]  ³¹ tn Or “could be seen.”

[8:6]  ³² 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]  ³³ 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]  ³⁴ 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.

[19:14]  ³⁵ 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]  ³⁶ tn The Hebrew active participle expresses an imminent action.

[19:14]  ³⁷ 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.

[19:27]  ³⁸ tn The words “and went” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[44:16]  ³⁹ tn Heb “the word [or message] you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord.” For an explanation of the rendering of “in the name of the Lord” see the study notes on 10:25 and 23:27.

[44:17]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “that went out of our mouth.” I.e., everything we said, promised, or vowed.

[44:17]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “sacrifice to the Queen of Heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” The expressions have been combined to simplify and shorten the sentence. The same combination also occurs in vv. 18, 19.

[44:17]  ⁴² tn Heb “saw [or experienced] no disaster/trouble/harm.”

[33:31]  ⁴³ tn Heb “as people come.” Apparently this is an idiom indicating that they come in crowds. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:264.

[33:31]  ⁴⁴ tn The word “as” is supplied in the translation.

[33:31]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “do.”

[33:31]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “They do lust with their mouths.”

[33:31]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “goes after.”

[33:31]  ⁴⁸ tn The present translation understands the term often used for “unjust gain” in a wider sense, following M. Greenberg, who also notes that the LXX uses a term which can describe either sexual or ritual pollution. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:687.

[21:29]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here the referent (“the boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:29]  ⁵⁰ tn The Greek text reads here μεταμέλομαι (metamelomai): “to change one’s mind about something, with the probable implication of regret” (L&N 31.59); cf. also BDAG 639 s.v. The idea in this context involves more than just a change of mind, for the son regrets his initial response. The same verb is used in v. 32.

[21:30]  ⁵¹ tn “And he”; here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:30]  ⁵² tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated. Here the referent (“this boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:3]  ⁵³ tn Grk “for they say and do not do.”

[15:2]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “He cuts off.”

[15:2]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “does not yield.”

[15:2]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “And he”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been omitted in the translation in keeping with the tendency in contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[15:2]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “trims”; Grk “cleanses” (a wordplay with “clean” in v. 3). Καθαίρει (kaqairei) is not the word one would have expected here, but it provides the transition from the vine imagery to the disciples – there is a wordplay (not reproducible in English) between αἴρει (airei) and καθαίρει in this verse. While the purpose of the Father in cleansing his people is clear, the precise means by which he does so is not immediately obvious. This will become clearer, however, in the following verse.

[15:2]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “that yields.”

[1:23]  ⁵⁹ tn The word for “man” or “individual” is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” However, as BDAG 79 s.v. 2 says, here it is “equivalent to τὶς someone, a person.”

[1:23]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “the face of his beginning [or origin].”

[1:24]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “and he has gone out and immediately has forgotten.”

[1:25]  ⁶² tn Grk “continues.”

[1:25]  ⁶³ tn Grk “this one.”

[1:25]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “in his doing.”

[2:18]  ⁶⁵ tn There is considerable doubt about where the words of the “someone” end and where James’ reply begins. Some see the quotation running to the end of v. 18; others to the end of v. 19. But most punctuate as shown above. The “someone” is then an objector, and the sense of his words is something like, “Some have faith; others have works; don’t expect everyone to have both.” James’ reply is that faith cannot exist or be seen without works.

[2:18]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “from.”

[2:19]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “you do well.”

[2:19]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “believe and tremble.” The words “with fear” are implied.

[2:20]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “do you want to know.”

[2:20]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “O empty man.” Here the singular vocative ἄνθρωπε (anqrwpe, “man”) means “person” or even “fellow.” Cf. BDAG 82 s.v. ἄνθρωπος 8 which views this as an instance of rhetorical address in a letter; the pejorative sense is also discussed under the previous heading (7).

[2:20]  ⁷¹ tc Most witnesses, including several important ones (א A C² P Ψ 33 Ï sy bo), have νεκρά (nekra, “dead”) here, while Ì⁷⁴ reads κενή (kenh, “empty”). Both variants are most likely secondary, derived from ἀργή (argh, “useless”). The reading of the majority is probably an assimilation to the statements in vv. 17 and 26, while Ì⁷⁴’s reading picks up on κενέ (kene) earlier in the verse. The external evidence (B C* 323 945 1739 sa) for ἀργή is sufficient for authenticity; coupled with the strong internal evidence for the reading (if νεκρά were original, how would ἀργή have arisen here and not in vv. 17 or 26?), it is strongly preferred.

[2:23]  ⁷² sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.

[2:23]  ⁷³ sn An allusion to 2 Chr 20:7; Isa 41:8; 51:2; Dan 3:35 (LXX), in which Abraham is called God’s “beloved.”

[2:2]  ⁷⁴ tn The word for “man” or “individual” here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” But as BDAG 79 s.v. 2 says, “equivalent to τὶς someone.”

[2:2]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “synagogue.” Usually συναγωγή refers to Jewish places of worship (e.g., Matt 4:23, Mark 1:21, Luke 4:15, John 6:59). The word can be used generally to refer to a place of assembly, and here it refers specifically to a Christian assembly (BDAG 963 s.v. 2.b.).

[1:8]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “a man of two minds,” continuing the description of the person in v. 7, giving the reason that he cannot expect to receive anything. The word for “man” or “individual” is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” But it sometimes is used generically to mean “anyone,” “a person,” as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 2).

[1:9]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “brother.” Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. TEV, NLT “Christians”; CEV “God’s people”). The term broadly connotes familial relationships within the family of God (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a).

[1:9]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “the lowly brother,” but “lowly/humble” is clarified in context by the contrast with “wealthy” in v. 10.

[1:9]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “let him boast.”

[1:9]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “his height,” “his exaltation.”

[1:1]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “James.” The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ⁸² tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ⁸³ tn Grk “to the twelve tribes in the Diaspora.” The Greek term διασπορά (diaspora, “dispersion”) refers to Jews not living in Palestine but “dispersed” or scattered among the Gentiles.

[2:3]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “and you pay attention…and say,” continuing the “if” clauses from v. 2. In the Greek text, vv. 2-4 form one long sentence.

[2:3]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “sit here, please.”

[2:3]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “sit under my footstool.” The words “on the floor” have been supplied in the translation to clarify for the modern reader the undesirability of this seating arrangement (so also TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). Another option followed by a number of translations is to replace “under my footstool” with “at my feet” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[2:4]  ⁸⁷ tn Grk “have you not made distinctions” (as the conclusion to the series of “if” clauses in vv. 2-3).

[2:4]  ⁸⁸ tn Grk “judges of evil reasonings.”