Discovery BoxGenesis 46:1--49:33
Context46:1 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.”
47:1 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father, my brothers, their flocks and herds, and all that they own have arrived from the land of
Canaan. They are now 30 in the land of Goshen.” 47:2 He took five of his brothers and introduced them to Pharaoh. 31
47:3 Pharaoh said to Joseph’s 32 brothers, “What is your occupation?” They said to Pharaoh, “Your servants take care of flocks, just as our ancestors did.” 33 47:4 Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live as temporary residents 34 in the land. There 35 is no pasture for your servants’ flocks because the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. So now, please let your servants live in the land of Goshen.”
47:5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 47:6 The land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best region of the land. They may live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any highly capable men 36 among them, put them in charge 37 of my livestock.”
47:7 Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob and presented him 38 before Pharaoh. Jacob blessed 39 Pharaoh. 47:8 Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How long have you lived?” 40 47:9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, “All 41 the years of my travels 42 are 130. All 43 the years of my life have been few and painful; 44 the years of my travels are not as long as those of my ancestors.” 45 47:10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. 46
47:11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers. He gave them territory 47 in the land of Egypt, in the best region of the land, the land of Rameses, 48 just as Pharaoh had commanded. 47:12 Joseph also provided food for his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household, according to the number of their little children.
47:13 But there was no food in all the land because the famine was very severe; the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan wasted away 49 because of the famine. 47:14 Joseph collected all the money that could be found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan as payment 50 for the grain they were buying. Then Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s palace. 51 47:15 When the money from the lands of Egypt and Canaan was used up, all the Egyptians 52 came to Joseph and said, “Give us food! Why should we die 53 before your very eyes because our money has run out?”
47:16 Then Joseph said, “If your money is gone, bring your livestock, and I will give you food 54 in exchange for 55 your livestock.” 47:17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for their horses, the livestock of their flocks and herds, and their donkeys. 56 He got them through that year by giving them food in exchange for livestock.
47:18 When that year was over, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We cannot hide from our 57 lord that the money is used up and the livestock and the animals belong to our lord. Nothing remains before our lord except our bodies and our land. 47:19 Why should we die before your very eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we, with our land, will become 58 Pharaoh’s slaves. 59 Give us seed that we may live 60 and not die. Then the land will not become desolate.” 61
47:20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. Each 62 of the Egyptians sold his field, for the famine was severe. 63 So the land became Pharaoh’s. 47:21 Joseph 64 made all the people slaves 65 from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end of it. 47:22 But he did not purchase the land of the priests because the priests had an allotment from Pharaoh and they ate from their allotment that Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.
47:23 Joseph said to the people, “Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate 66 the land. 47:24 When you gather in the crop, 67 give 68 one-fifth of it to Pharaoh, and the rest 69 will be yours for seed for the fields and for you to eat, including those in your households and your little children.” 47:25 They replied, “You have saved our lives! You are showing us favor, 70 and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” 71
47:26 So Joseph made it a statute, 72 which is in effect 73 to this day throughout the land of Egypt: One-fifth belongs to Pharaoh. Only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.
47:27 Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they owned land there. They were fruitful and increased rapidly in number.
47:28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; the years 74 of Jacob’s life were 147 in all. 47:29 The time 75 for Israel to die approached, so he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh 76 and show me kindness and faithfulness. 77 Do not bury me in Egypt, 47:30 but when I rest 78 with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” Joseph 79 said, “I will do as you say.”
47:31 Jacob 80 said, “Swear to me that you will do so.” 81 So Joseph 82 gave him his word. 83 Then Israel bowed down 84 at the head of his bed. 85
48:1 After these things Joseph was told, 86 “Your father is weakening.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 48:2 When Jacob was told, 87 “Your son Joseph has just 88 come to you,” Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed. 48:3 Jacob said to Joseph, “The sovereign God 89 appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 48:4 He said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful 90 and will multiply you. 91 I will make you into a group of nations, and I will give this land to your descendants 92 as an everlasting possession.’ 93
48:5 “Now, as for your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, they will be mine. 94 Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine just as Reuben and Simeon are. 48:6 Any children that you father 95 after them will be yours; they will be listed 96 under the names of their brothers in their inheritance. 97 48:7 But as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died – to my sorrow 98 – in the land of Canaan. It happened along the way, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there on the way to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem). 99
48:8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he asked, “Who are these?” 48:9 Joseph said to his father, “They are the 100 sons God has given me in this place.” His father 101 said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.” 102 48:10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing 103 because of his age; he was not able to see well. So Joseph 104 brought his sons 105 near to him, and his father 106 kissed them and embraced them. 48:11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected 107 to see you 108 again, but now God has allowed me to see your children 109 too.”
48:12 So Joseph moved them from Israel’s knees 110 and bowed down with his face to the ground. 48:13 Joseph positioned them; 111 he put Ephraim on his right hand across from Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh on his left hand across from Israel’s right hand. Then Joseph brought them closer to his father. 112 48:14 Israel stretched out his right hand and placed it on Ephraim’s head, although he was the younger. 113 Crossing his hands, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
48:15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,
“May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked –
the God who has been my shepherd 114
all my life long to this day,
48:16 the Angel 115 who has protected me 116
from all harm –
bless these boys.
May my name be named in them, 117
and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.
May they grow into a multitude on the earth.”
48:17 When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him. 118 So he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 48:18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”
48:19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a nation and he too will become great. In spite of this, his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will become a multitude 119 of nations.” 48:20 So he blessed them that day, saying,
“By you 120 will Israel bless, 121 saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”
So he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 122
48:21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you 123 and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. 48:22 As one who is above your 124 brothers, I give to you the mountain slope, 125 which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”
49:1 Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather together so I can tell you 126 what will happen to you in the future. 127
49:2 “Assemble and listen, you sons of Jacob;
listen to Israel, your father.
49:3 Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might and the beginning of my strength,
outstanding in dignity, outstanding in power.
49:4 You are destructive 128 like water and will not excel, 129
for you got on your father’s bed, 130
then you defiled it – he got on my couch! 131
49:5 Simeon and Levi are brothers,
weapons of violence are their knives! 132
49:6 O my soul, do not come into their council,
do not be united to their assembly, my heart, 133
for in their anger they have killed men,
and for pleasure they have hamstrung oxen.
49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce,
and their fury, for it was cruel.
I will divide them in Jacob,
and scatter them in Israel! 134
49:8 Judah, 135 your brothers will praise you.
Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies,
your father’s sons will bow down before you.
49:9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah,
from the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He crouches and lies down like a lion;
like a lioness – who will rouse him?
49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, 136
until he comes to whom it belongs; 137
the nations will obey him. 138
49:11 Binding his foal to the vine,
and his colt to the choicest vine,
he will wash 139 his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
49:12 His eyes will be dark from wine,
and his teeth white from milk. 140
49:13 Zebulun will live 141 by the haven of the sea
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend to Sidon. 142
49:14 Issachar is a strong-boned donkey
lying down between two saddlebags.
49:15 When he sees 143 a good resting place,
and the pleasant land,
he will bend his shoulder to the burden
and become a slave laborer. 144
49:16 Dan 145 will judge 146 his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
49:17 May Dan be a snake beside the road,
a viper by the path,
that bites the heels of the horse
so that its rider falls backward. 147
49:18 I wait for your deliverance, O Lord. 148
49:19 Gad will be raided by marauding bands,
but he will attack them at their heels. 149
49:20 Asher’s 150 food will be rich, 151
and he will provide delicacies 152 to royalty.
49:21 Naphtali is a free running doe, 153
he speaks delightful words. 154
49:22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, 155
a fruitful bough near a spring
whose branches 156 climb over the wall.
49:23 The archers will attack him, 157
they will shoot at him and oppose him.
49:24 But his bow will remain steady,
and his hands 158 will be skillful;
because of the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of 159 the Shepherd, the Rock 160 of Israel,
49:25 because of the God of your father,
who will help you, 161
because of the sovereign God, 162
who will bless you 163
with blessings from the sky above,
blessings from the deep that lies below,
and blessings of the breasts and womb. 164
49:26 The blessings of your father are greater
than 165 the blessings of the eternal mountains 166
or the desirable things of the age-old hills.
They will be on the head of Joseph
and on the brow of the prince of his brothers. 167
49:27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning devouring the prey,
and in the evening dividing the plunder.”
49:28 These 168 are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He gave each of them an appropriate blessing. 169
49:29 Then he instructed them, 170 “I am about to go 171 to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. 49:30 It is the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought for a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite. 49:31 There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah; there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah; and there I buried Leah. 49:32 The field and the cave in it were acquired from the sons of Heth.” 172
49:33 When Jacob finished giving these instructions to his sons, he pulled his feet up onto the bed, breathed his last breath, and went 173 to his people.
Genesis 8:1
Context8:1 But God remembered 174 Noah and all the wild animals and domestic animals that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to blow over 175 the earth and the waters receded.
[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.
[46:4] 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.
[46:6] 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
[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.
[47:1] 30 tn Heb “Look they [are] in the land of Goshen.” Joseph draws attention to the fact of their presence in Goshen.
[47:2] 31 tn Heb “and from the whole of his brothers he took five men and presented them before Pharaoh.”
[47:3] 32 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[47:3] 33 tn Heb “both we and our fathers.”
[47:4] 34 tn Heb “to sojourn.”
[47:4] 35 tn Heb “for there.” The Hebrew uses a causal particle to connect what follows with what precedes. The translation divides the statement into two sentences for stylistic reasons.
[47:6] 36 tn Heb “men of skill.”
[47:6] 37 tn Heb “make them rulers.”
[47:7] 38 tn Heb “caused him to stand.”
[47:7] 39 sn The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb translated “blessed” is difficult in this passage, because the content of Jacob’s blessing is not given. The expression could simply mean that he greeted Pharaoh, but that seems insufficient in this setting. Jacob probably praised Pharaoh, for the verb is used this way for praising God. It is also possible that he pronounced a formal prayer of blessing, asking God to reward Pharaoh for his kindness.
[47:8] 40 tn Heb “How many are the days of the years of your life?”
[47:9] 41 tn Heb “the days of.”
[47:9] 42 tn Heb “sojournings.” Jacob uses a term that depicts him as one who has lived an unsettled life, temporarily residing in many different places.
[47:9] 43 tn Heb “the days of.”
[47:9] 44 tn The Hebrew word רַע (ra’) can sometimes mean “evil,” but that would give the wrong connotation here, where it refers to pain, difficulty, and sorrow. Jacob is thinking back through all the troubles he had to endure to get to this point.
[47:9] 45 tn Heb “and they have not reached the days of the years of my fathers in the days of their sojournings.”
[47:10] 46 tn Heb “from before Pharaoh.”
[47:11] 47 tn Heb “a possession,” or “a holding.” Joseph gave them a plot of land with rights of ownership in the land of Goshen.
[47:11] 48 sn The land of Rameses is another designation for the region of Goshen. It is named Rameses because of a city in that region (Exod 1:11; 12:37). The use of this name may represent a modernization of the text for the understanding of the intended readers, substituting a later name for an earlier one. Alternatively, there may have been an earlier Rameses for which the region was named.
[47:13] 49 tn The verb לַהַה (lahah, = לָאָה, la’ah) means “to faint, to languish”; it figuratively describes the land as wasting away, drooping, being worn out.
[47:14] 50 tn Or “in exchange.” On the use of the preposition here see BDB 90 s.v. בְּ.
[47:15] 52 tn Heb “all Egypt.” The expression is a metonymy and refers to all the people of Egypt.
[47:15] 53 tn The imperfect verbal form has a deliberative force here.
[47:16] 54 tn The word “food” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[47:16] 55 tn On the use of the preposition here see BDB 90 s.v. בְּ.
[47:17] 56 tn The definite article is translated here as a possessive pronoun.
[47:18] 57 tn Heb “my.” The expression “my lord” occurs twice more in this verse.
[47:19] 58 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates consequence.
[47:19] 59 sn Pharaoh’s slaves. The idea of slavery is not attractive to the modern mind, but in the ancient world it was the primary way of dealing with the poor and destitute. If the people became slaves of Pharaoh, it was Pharaoh’s responsibility to feed them and care for them. It was the best way for them to survive the famine.
[47:19] 60 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav here indicates purpose or result.
[47:19] 61 tn The disjunctive clause structure (vav [ו] + subject + negated verb) highlights the statement and brings their argument to a conclusion.
[47:20] 62 tn The Hebrew text connects this clause with the preceding one with a causal particle (כִּי, ki). The translation divides the clauses into two sentences for stylistic reasons.
[47:20] 63 tn The Hebrew text adds “upon them.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[47:21] 64 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[47:21] 65 tc The MT reads “and the people he removed to the cities,” which does not make a lot of sense in this context. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX read “he enslaved them as slaves.”
[47:23] 66 tn The perfect verbal form with the vav consecutive is equivalent to a command here.
[47:24] 67 tn The words “the crop” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[47:24] 68 tn The perfect form with the vav (ו) consecutive is equivalent to an imperfect of instruction here.
[47:24] 69 tn Heb “four parts.”
[47:25] 70 tn Heb “we find favor in the eyes of my lord.” Some interpret this as a request, “may we find favor in the eyes of my lord.”
[47:25] 71 sn Slaves. See the note on this word in v. 21.
[47:26] 72 tn On the term translated “statute” see P. Victor, “A Note on Hoq in the Old Testament,” VT 16 (1966): 358-61.
[47:26] 73 tn The words “which is in effect” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[47:28] 74 tn Heb “the days of the years.”
[47:29] 76 sn On the expression put your hand under my thigh see Gen 24:2.
[47:29] 77 tn Or “deal with me in faithful love.”
[47:30] 78 tn Heb “lie down.” Here the expression “lie down” refers to death.
[47:30] 79 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[47:31] 80 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[47:31] 81 tn Heb “swear on oath to me.” The words “that you will do so” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[47:31] 82 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[47:31] 83 tn Heb “swore on oath to him.”
[47:31] 84 sn The Hebrew verb normally means “bow down,” especially in worship or prayer. Here it might simply mean “bend low,” perhaps from weakness or approaching death. The narrative is ambiguous at this point and remains open to all these interpretations.
[47:31] 85 tc The MT reads מִטָּה (mittah, “bed, couch”). The LXX reads the word as מַטֶּה (matteh, “staff, rod”) and interprets this to mean that Jacob bowed down in worship while leaning on the top of his staff. The LXX reading was used in turn by the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 11:21).
[48:1] 86 tn Heb “and one said.” With no expressed subject in the Hebrew text, the verb can be translated with the passive voice.
[48:2] 87 tn Heb “and one told and said.” The verbs have no expressed subject and can be translated with the passive voice.
[48:2] 88 tn Heb “Look, your son Joseph.”
[48:3] 89 tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.
[48:4] 90 tn Heb “Look, I am making you fruitful.” The participle following הִנֵּה (hinneh) has the nuance of a certain and often imminent future.
[48:4] 91 tn The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the certain future idea.
[48:4] 92 tn The Hebrew text adds “after you,” which has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[48:4] 93 tn The Hebrew word אֲחֻזָּה (’akhuzzah), translated “possession,” describes a permanent holding in the land. It is the noun form of the same verb (אָחַז, ’akhaz) that was used for the land given to them in Goshen (Gen 47:27).
[48:5] 94 sn They will be mine. Jacob is here adopting his two grandsons Manasseh and Ephraim as his sons, and so they will have equal share with the other brothers. They will be in the place of Joseph and Levi (who will become a priestly tribe) in the settlement of the land. See I. Mendelsohn, “A Ugaritic Parallel to the Adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh,” IEJ (1959): 180-83.
[48:6] 95 tn Or “you fathered.”
[48:6] 96 tn Heb “called” or “named.”
[48:6] 97 sn Listed under the names of their brothers in their inheritance. This means that any subsequent children of Joseph will be incorporated into the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.
[48:7] 98 tn Heb “upon me, against me,” which might mean something like “to my sorrow.”
[48:7] 99 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[48:9] 101 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[48:9] 102 tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the imperative.
[48:10] 104 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[48:10] 105 tn Heb “them”; the referent (Joseph’s sons) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[48:10] 106 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[48:11] 107 tn On the meaning of the Hebrew verb פָּלַל (palal) here, see E. A. Speiser, “The Stem pll in Hebrew,” JBL 82 (1963): 301-6. Speiser argues that this verb means “to estimate” as in Exod 21:22.
[48:11] 108 tn Heb “your face.”
[48:11] 109 tn Heb “offspring.”
[48:12] 110 tn Heb “and Joseph brought them out from with his knees.” The two boys had probably been standing by Israel’s knees when being adopted and blessed. The referent of the pronoun “his” (Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[48:13] 111 tn Heb “and Joseph took the two of them.”
[48:13] 112 tn Heb “and he brought near to him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” and “him” (Joseph and his father respectively) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[48:14] 113 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-concessive here.
[48:15] 114 tn Heb “shepherded me.” The verb has been translated as an English noun for stylistic reasons.
[48:16] 115 sn The Samaritan Pentateuch reads “king” here, but the traditional reading (“angel”) may be maintained. Jacob closely associates God with an angelic protective presence. This does not mean that Jacob viewed his God as a mere angel, but it does suggest that he was aware of an angelic presence sent by God to protect him. Here he so closely associates the two that they become virtually indistinguishable. In this culture messengers typically carried the authority of the one who sent them and could even be addressed as such. Perhaps Jacob thought that the divine blessing would be mediated through this angelic messenger.
[48:16] 116 tn The verb גָּאַל (ga’al) has the basic idea of “protect” as a near relative might do. It is used for buying someone out of bondage, marrying a deceased brother’s widow, paying off debts, avenging the family, and the like. The meanings of “deliver, protect, avenge” are most fitting when God is the subject (see A. R. Johnson, “The Primary Meaning of √גאל,” Congress Volume: Copenhagen, 1953 [VTSup], 67-77).
[48:16] 117 tn Or “be recalled through them.”
[48:17] 118 tn Heb “it was bad in his eyes.”
[48:19] 119 tn Heb “fullness.”
[48:20] 120 tn The pronoun is singular in the Hebrew text, apparently elevating Ephraim as the more prominent of the two. Note, however, that both are named in the blessing formula that follows.
[48:20] 121 tn Or “pronounce a blessing.”
[48:20] 122 sn On the elevation of Ephraim over Manasseh see E. C. Kingsbury, “He Set Ephraim Before Manasseh,” HUCA 38 (1967): 129-36; H. Mowvley, “The Concept and Content of ‘Blessing’ in the Old Testament,” BT 16 (1965): 74-80; and I. Mendelsohn, “On the Preferential Status of the Eldest Son,” BASOR 156 (1959): 38-40.
[48:21] 123 tn The pronouns translated “you,” “you,” and “your” in this verse are plural in the Hebrew text.
[48:22] 124 tn The pronouns translated “your” and “you” in this verse are singular in the Hebrew text.
[48:22] 125 tn The Hebrew word שְׁכֶם (shÿkhem) could be translated either as “mountain slope” or “shoulder, portion,” or even taken as the proper name “Shechem.” Jacob was giving Joseph either (1) one portion above his brothers, or (2) the mountain ridge he took from the Amorites, or (3) Shechem. The ambiguity actually allows for all three to be the referent. He could be referring to the land in Shechem he bought in Gen 33:18-19, but he mentions here that it was acquired by warfare, suggesting that the events of 34:25-29 are in view (even though at the time he denounced it, 34:30). Joseph was later buried in Shechem (Josh 24:32).
[49:1] 126 tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose/result.
[49:1] 127 tn The expression “in the future” (אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים, ’akharit hayyamim, “in the end of days”) is found most frequently in prophetic passages; it may refer to the end of the age, the eschaton, or to the distant future. The contents of some of the sayings in this chapter stretch from the immediate circumstances to the time of the settlement in the land to the coming of Messiah. There is a great deal of literature on this chapter, including among others C. Armerding, “The Last Words of Jacob: Genesis 49,” BSac 112 (1955): 320-28; H. Pehlke, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Genesis 49:1-28” (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1985); and B. Vawter, “The Canaanite Background of Genesis 49,” CBQ 17 (1955): 1-18.
[49:4] 128 tn The Hebrew noun פַּחַז (pakhaz) only occurs here in the OT. A related verb occurs twice in the prophets (Jer 23:32; Zeph 3:4) for false prophets inventing their messages, and once in Judges for unscrupulous men bribed to murder (Judg 9:4). It would describe Reuben as being “frothy, boiling, turbulent” as water. The LXX has “run riot,” the Vulgate has “poured out,” and Tg. Onq. has “you followed your own direction.” It is a reference to Reuben’s misconduct in Gen 35, but the simile and the rare word invite some speculation. H. Pehlke suggests “destructive like water,” for Reuben acted with pride and presumption; see his “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Genesis 49:1-28” (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1985).
[49:4] 129 tn Heb “Do not excel!” The Hiphil of the verb יָתַר (yatar) has this meaning only here. The negated jussive is rhetorical here. Rather than being a command, it anticipates what will transpire. The prophecy says that because of the character of the ancestor, the tribe of Reuben would not have the character to lead (see 1 Chr 5:1).
[49:4] 130 sn This is a euphemism for having sexual intercourse with Jacob’s wives (see Gen 35:22).
[49:4] 131 tn The last verb is third masculine singular, as if for the first time Jacob told the brothers, or let them know that he knew. For a discussion of this passage see S. Gevirtz, “The Reprimand of Reuben,” JNES 30 (1971): 87-98.
[49:5] 132 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word מְכֵרָה (mÿkherah) is uncertain. It has been rendered (1) “habitations”; (2) “merchandise”; (3) “counsels”; (4) “swords”; (5) “wedding feasts.” If it is from the verb כָּרַת (karat) and formed after noun patterns for instruments and tools (maqtil, miqtil form), then it would refer to “knives.” Since the verb is used in Exod 4:25 for circumcision, the idea would be “their circumcision knives,” an allusion to the events of Gen 34 (see M. J. Dahood, “‘MKRTYHM’ in Genesis 49,5,” CBQ 23 [1961]: 54-56). Another explanation also connects the word to the events of Gen 34 as a reference to the intended “wedding feast” for Dinah which could take place only after the men of Shechem were circumcised (see D. W. Young, “A Ghost Word in the Testament of Jacob (Gen 49:5)?” JBL 100 [1981]: 335-422).
[49:6] 133 tn The Hebrew text reads “my glory,” but it is preferable to repoint the form and read “my liver.” The liver was sometimes viewed as the seat of the emotions and will (see HALOT 456 s.v. II כָּבֵד) for which the heart is the modern equivalent.
[49:7] 134 sn Divide…scatter. What is predicted here is a division of their tribes. Most commentators see here an anticipation of Levi being in every area but not their own. That may be part of it, but not entirely what the curse intended. These tribes for their ruthless cruelty would be eliminated from the power and prestige of leadership.
[49:8] 135 sn There is a wordplay here; the name Judah (יְהוּדָה, yÿhudah) sounds in Hebrew like the verb translated praise (יוֹדוּךָ, yodukha). The wordplay serves to draw attention to the statement as having special significance.
[49:10] 136 tn Or perhaps “from his descendants,” taking the expression “from between his feet” as a euphemism referring to the genitals. In this case the phrase refers by metonymy to those who come forth from his genitals, i.e., his descendants.
[49:10] 137 tn The Hebrew form שִׁילֹה (shiloh) is a major interpretive problem. There are at least four major options (with many variations and less likely alternatives): (1) Some prefer to leave the text as it is, reading “Shiloh” and understanding it as the place where the ark rested for a while in the time of the Judges. (2) By repointing the text others arrive at the translation “until the [or “his”] ruler comes,” a reference to a Davidic ruler or the Messiah. (3) Another possibility that does not require emendation of the consonantal text, but only repointing, is “until tribute is brought to him” (so NEB, JPS, NRSV), which has the advantage of providing good parallelism with the following line, “the nations will obey him.” (4) The interpretation followed in the present translation, “to whom it [belongs]” (so RSV, NIV, REB), is based on the ancient versions. Again, this would refer to the Davidic dynasty or, ultimately, to the Messiah.
[49:10] 138 tn “and to him [will be] the obedience of the nations.” For discussion of this verse see J. Blenkinsopp, “The Oracle of Judah and the Messianic Entry,” JBL 80 (1961): 55-64; and E. M. Good, “The ‘Blessing’ on Judah,” JBL 82 (1963): 427-32.
[49:11] 139 tn The perfect verbal form is used rhetorically, describing coming events as though they have already taken place.
[49:12] 140 tn Some translate these as comparatives, “darker than wine…whiter than milk,” and so a reference to his appearance (so NEB, NIV, NRSV). But if it is in the age of abundance, symbolized by wine and milk, then the dark (i.e., red or perhaps dull) eyes would be from drinking wine, and the white teeth from drinking milk.
[49:13] 141 tn The verb שָׁכַן (shakhan) means “to settle,” but not necessarily as a permanent dwelling place. The tribal settlements by the sea would have been temporary and not the tribe’s territory.
[49:13] 142 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[49:15] 143 tn The verb forms in this verse (“sees,” “will bend,” and “[will] become”) are preterite; they is used in a rhetorical manner, describing the future as if it had already transpired.
[49:15] 144 sn The oracle shows that the tribe of Issachar will be willing to trade liberty for the material things of life. Issachar would work (become a slave laborer) for the Canaanites, a reversal of the oracle on Canaan. See C. M. Carmichael, “Some Sayings in Genesis 49,” JBL 88 (1969): 435-44; and S. Gevirtz, “The Issachar Oracle in the Testament of Jacob,” ErIsr 12 (1975): 104-12.
[49:16] 145 sn The name Dan (דָּן, dan) means “judge” and forms a wordplay with the following verb.
[49:17] 147 sn The comparison of the tribe of Dan to a venomous serpent is meant to say that Dan, though small, would be potent, gaining victory through its skill and shrewdness. Jewish commentators have linked the image in part with Samson. That link at least illustrates the point: Though a minority tribe, Dan would gain the upper hand over others.
[49:18] 148 sn I wait for your deliverance, O
[49:19] 149 tc Heb “heel.” The MT has suffered from misdivision at this point. The initial mem on the first word in the next verse should probably be taken as a plural ending on the word “heel.”
[49:20] 150 tc Heb “from Asher,” but the initial mem (מ) of the MT should probably be moved to the end of the preceding verse and taken as a plural ending on “heel.”
[49:20] 151 tn The Hebrew word translated “rich,” when applied to products of the ground, means abundant in quantity and quality.
[49:20] 152 tn The word translated “delicacies” refers to foods that were delightful, the kind fit for a king.
[49:21] 153 tn Heb “a doe set free.”
[49:21] 154 tn Heb “the one who gives words of beauty.” The deer imagery probably does not continue into this line; Naphtali is the likely antecedent of the substantival participle, which is masculine, not feminine, in form. If the animal imagery is retained from the preceding line, the image of a talking deer is preposterous. For this reason some read the second line “the one who bears beautiful fawns,” interpreting אִמְרֵי (’imre) as a reference to young animals, not words (see HALOT 67 s.v. *אִמֵּר).
[49:22] 155 tn The Hebrew text appears to mean “[is] a son of fruitfulness.” The second word is an active participle, feminine singular, from the verb פָּרָה (parah, “to be fruitful”). The translation “bough” is employed for בֵּן (ben, elsewhere typically “son”) because Joseph is pictured as a healthy and fruitful vine growing by the wall. But there are difficulties with this interpretation. The word “son” nowhere else refers to a plant and the noun translated “branches” (Heb “daughters”) in the third line is a plural form whereas its verb is singular. In the other oracles of Gen 49 an animal is used for comparison and not a plant, leading some to translate the opening phrase בֵּן פָּרָה (ben parah, “fruitful bough”) as “wild donkey” (JPS, NAB). Various other interpretations involving more radical emendation of the text have also been offered.
[49:22] 156 tn Heb “daughters.”
[49:23] 157 tn The verb forms in vv. 23-24 are used in a rhetorical manner, describing future events as if they had already taken place.
[49:24] 158 tn Heb “the arms of his hands.”
[49:24] 159 tn Heb “from there,” but the phrase should be revocalized and read “from [i.e., because of] the name of.”
[49:25] 161 tn Heb “and he will help you.”
[49:25] 162 tn Heb “Shaddai.” See the note on the title “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1. The preposition אֵת (’et) in the Hebrew text should probably be emended to אֵל (’el, “God”).
[49:25] 163 tn Heb “and he will bless you.”
[49:25] 164 sn Jacob envisions God imparting both agricultural (blessings from the sky above, blessings from the deep that lies below) and human fertility (blessings of the breasts and womb) to Joseph and his family.
[49:26] 165 tn Heb “have prevailed over.”
[49:26] 166 tn One could interpret the phrase הוֹרַי (horay) to mean “my progenitors” (literally, “the ones who conceived me”), but the masculine form argues against this. It is better to emend the text to הַרֲרֵי (harare, “mountains of”) because it forms a better parallel with the next clause. In this case the final yod (י) on the form is a construct plural marker, not a pronominal suffix.
[49:26] 167 tn For further discussion of this passage, see I. Sonne, “Genesis 49:24-26,” JBL 65 (1946): 303-6.
[49:28] 168 tn Heb “All these.”
[49:28] 169 tn Heb “and he blessed them, each of whom according to his blessing, he blessed them.”
[49:29] 170 tn The Hebrew text adds “and he said to them,” which is not included in the translation because it is redundant in English.
[49:29] 171 tn Heb “I am about to be gathered” The participle is used here to describe what is imminent.
[49:32] 172 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.
[49:33] 173 tn Heb “was gathered.”
[8:1] 174 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).
