Discovery BoxGenesis 9:1--11:32
Context9:1 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. 1 Everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea are under your authority. 2 9:3 You may eat any moving thing that lives. 3 As I gave you 4 the green plants, I now give 5 you everything.
9:4 But 6 you must not eat meat 7 with its life (that is, 8 its blood) in it. 9 9:5 For your lifeblood 10 I will surely exact punishment, 11 from 12 every living creature I will exact punishment. From each person 13 I will exact punishment for the life of the individual 14 since the man was his relative. 15
9:6 “Whoever sheds human blood, 16
by other humans 17
must his blood be shed;
for in God’s image 18
God 19 has made humankind.”
9:7 But as for you, 20 be fruitful and multiply; increase abundantly on the earth and multiply on it.”
9:8 God said to Noah and his sons, 21 9:9 “Look! I now confirm 22 my covenant with you and your descendants after you 23 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. 24 9:11 I confirm 25 my covenant with you: Never again will all living things 26 be wiped out 27 by the waters of a flood; 28 never again will a flood destroy the earth.”
9:12 And God said, “This is the guarantee 29 of the covenant I am making 30 with you 31 and every living creature with you, a covenant 32 for all subsequent 33 generations: 9:13 I will place 34 my rainbow 35 in the clouds, and it will become 36 a guarantee of the covenant between me and the earth. 9:14 Whenever 37 I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 9:15 then I will remember my covenant with you 38 and with all living creatures of all kinds. 39 Never again will the waters become a flood and destroy 40 all living things. 41 9:16 When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will notice it and remember 42 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 43 that are on the earth.”
9:18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Now Ham was the father of Canaan.) 44 9:19 These were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was populated. 45
9:20 Noah, a man of the soil, 46 began to plant a vineyard. 47 9:21 When he drank some of the wine, he got drunk and uncovered himself 48 inside his tent. 9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, 49 saw his father’s nakedness 50 and told his two brothers who were outside. 9:23 Shem and Japheth took the garment 51 and placed it on their shoulders. Then they walked in backwards and covered up their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned 52 the other way so they did not see their father’s nakedness.
9:24 When Noah awoke from his drunken stupor 53 he learned 54 what his youngest son had done 55 to him. 9:25 So he said,
The lowest of slaves 58
he will be to his brothers.”
9:26 He also said,
“Worthy of praise is 59 the Lord, the God of Shem!
May Canaan be the slave of Shem! 60
9:27 May God enlarge Japheth’s territory and numbers! 61
May he live 62 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.
10:1 This is the account 63 of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons 64 were born 65 to them after the flood.
10:2 The sons of Japheth 66 were Gomer, 67 Magog, 68 Madai, 69 Javan, 70 Tubal, 71 Meshech, 72 and Tiras. 73 10:3 The sons of Gomer were 74 Askenaz, 75 Riphath, 76 and Togarmah. 77 10:4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, 78 Tarshish, 79 the Kittim, 80 and the Dodanim. 81 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, 82 Mizraim, 83 Put, 84 and Canaan. 85 10:7 The sons of Cush were Seba, 86 Havilah, 87 Sabtah, 88 Raamah, 89 and Sabteca. 90 The sons of Raamah were Sheba 91 and Dedan. 92
10:8 Cush was the father of 93 Nimrod; he began to be a valiant warrior on the earth. 10:9 He was a mighty hunter 94 before the Lord. 95 (That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.”) 10:10 The primary regions 96 of his kingdom were Babel, 97 Erech, 98 Akkad, 99 and Calneh 100 in the land of Shinar. 101 10:11 From that land he went 102 to Assyria, 103 where he built Nineveh, 104 Rehoboth-Ir, 105 Calah, 106 10:12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city Calah. 107
10:13 Mizraim 108 was the father of 109 the Ludites, 110 Anamites, 111 Lehabites, 112 Naphtuhites, 113 10:14 Pathrusites, 114 Casluhites 115 (from whom the Philistines came), 116 and Caphtorites. 117
10:15 Canaan was the father of 118 Sidon his firstborn, 119 Heth, 120 10:16 the Jebusites, 121 Amorites, 122 Girgashites, 123 10:17 Hivites, 124 Arkites, 125 Sinites, 126 10:18 Arvadites, 127 Zemarites, 128 and Hamathites. 129 Eventually the families of the Canaanites were scattered 10:19 and the borders of Canaan extended 130 from Sidon 131 all the way to 132 Gerar as far as Gaza, and all the way to 133 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 134 to Shem (the older brother of Japheth), 135 the father of all the sons of Eber.
10:22 The sons of Shem were Elam, 136 Asshur, 137 Arphaxad, 138 Lud, 139 and Aram. 140 10:23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 141 10:24 Arphaxad was the father of 142 Shelah, 143 and Shelah was the father of Eber. 144 10:25 Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg because in his days the earth was divided, 145 and his brother’s name was Joktan. 10:26 Joktan was the father of 146 Almodad, 147 Sheleph, 148 Hazarmaveth, 149 Jerah, 150 10:27 Hadoram, Uzal, 151 Diklah, 152 10:28 Obal, 153 Abimael, 154 Sheba, 155 10:29 Ophir, 156 Havilah, 157 and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. 10:30 Their dwelling place was from Mesha all the way to 158 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 159 over the earth after the flood.
11:1 The whole earth 160 had a common language and a common vocabulary. 161 11:2 When the people 162 moved eastward, 163 they found a plain in Shinar 164 and settled there. 11:3 Then they said to one another, 165 “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” 166 (They had brick instead of stone and tar 167 instead of mortar.) 168 11:4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens 169 so that 170 we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise 171 we will be scattered 172 across the face of the entire earth.”
11:5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people 173 had started 174 building. 11:6 And the Lord said, “If as one people all sharing a common language 175 they have begun to do this, then 176 nothing they plan to do will be beyond them. 177 11:7 Come, let’s go down and confuse 178 their language so they won’t be able to understand each other.” 179
11:8 So the Lord scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth, and they stopped building 180 the city. 11:9 That is why its name was called 181 Babel 182 – 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.
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 183 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 184 sons and daughters. 185
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 186 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.
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, 187 while his father Terah was still alive. 188 11:29 And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, 189 and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah; 190 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 191 of Terah was 205 years, and he 192 died in Haran.
Genesis 19:1-38
Context19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while 193 Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway. 194 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 195 and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” 196 “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” 197
19:3 But he urged 198 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, 199 all the men – both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom – surrounded the house. 200 19:5 They shouted to Lot, 201 “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex 202 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! 203 19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with 204 a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. 205 Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection 206 of my roof.” 207
19:9 “Out of our way!” 208 they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, 209 and now he dares to judge us! 210 We’ll do more harm 211 to you than to them!” They kept 212 pressing in on Lot until they were close enough 213 to break down the door.
19:10 So the men inside 214 reached out 215 and pulled Lot back into the house 216 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, 217 with blindness. The men outside 218 wore themselves out trying to find the door. 19:12 Then the two visitors 219 said to Lot, “Who else do you have here? 220 Do you have 221 any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city? 222 Get them out of this 223 place 19:13 because we are about to destroy 224 it. The outcry against this place 225 is so great before the Lord that he 226 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. 227 He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy 228 the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them. 229
19:15 At dawn 230 the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, 231 or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!” 232 19:16 When Lot 233 hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. 234 They led them away and placed them 235 outside the city. 19:17 When they had brought them outside, they 236 said, “Run 237 for your lives! Don’t look 238 behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! 239 Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”
19:18 But Lot said to them, “No, please, Lord! 240 19:19 Your 241 servant has found favor with you, 242 and you have shown me great 243 kindness 244 by sparing 245 my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because 246 this disaster will overtake 247 me and I’ll die. 248 19:20 Look, this town 249 over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one. 250 Let me go there. 251 It’s just a little place, isn’t it? 252 Then I’ll survive.” 253
19:21 “Very well,” he replied, 254 “I will grant this request too 255 and will not overthrow 256 the town you mentioned. 19:22 Run there quickly, 257 for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.) 258
19:23 The sun had just risen 259 over the land as Lot reached Zoar. 260 19:24 Then the Lord rained down 261 sulfur and fire 262 on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord. 263 19:25 So he overthrew those cities and all that region, 264 including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew 265 from the ground. 19:26 But Lot’s 266 wife looked back longingly 267 and was turned into a pillar of salt.
19:27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went 268 to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 19:28 He looked out toward 269 Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region. 270 As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace. 271
19:29 So when God destroyed 272 the cities of the region, 273 God honored 274 Abraham’s request. He removed Lot 275 from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed 276 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 277 to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby 278 to have sexual relations with us, 279 according to the way of all the world. 19:32 Come, let’s make our father drunk with wine 280 so we can have sexual relations 281 with him and preserve 282 our family line through our father.” 283
19:33 So that night they made their father drunk with wine, 284 and the older daughter 285 came and had sexual relations with her father. 286 But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. 287 19:34 So in the morning the older daughter 288 said to the younger, “Since I had sexual relations with my father last night, let’s make him drunk again tonight. 289 Then you go and have sexual relations with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” 290 19:35 So they made their father drunk 291 that night as well, and the younger one came and had sexual relations with him. 292 But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. 293
19:36 In this way both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 19:37 The older daughter 294 gave birth to a son and named him Moab. 295 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. 296 He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today.
Genesis 5:12
Context5:12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel.
Genesis 14:17
Context14:17 After Abram 297 returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram 298 in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley). 299
Genesis 14:21
Context14:21 Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and take the possessions for yourself.”
Exodus 15:9
Context15:9 The enemy said, ‘I will chase, 300 I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil;
my desire 301 will be satisfied on them.
I will draw 302 my sword, my hand will destroy them.’ 303
Leviticus 26:25
Context26:25 I will bring on you an avenging sword, a covenant vengeance. 304 Although 305 you will gather together into your cities, I will send pestilence among you and you will be given into enemy hands. 306
Leviticus 26:33
Context26:33 I will scatter you among the nations and unsheathe the sword 307 after you, so your land will become desolate and your cities will become a waste.
Deuteronomy 32:41-42
Context32:41 I will sharpen my lightning-like sword,
and my hand will grasp hold of the weapon of judgment; 308
I will execute vengeance on my foes,
and repay those who hate me! 309
32:42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood,
and my sword will devour flesh –
the blood of the slaughtered and captured,
the chief 310 of the enemy’s leaders!’”
Psalms 17:13
Context17:13 Rise up, Lord!
Confront him! 311 Knock him down! 312
Use your sword to rescue me from the wicked man! 313
Isaiah 10:5
Context10:5 Assyria, the club I use to vent my anger, is as good as dead, 314
a cudgel with which I angrily punish. 315
Isaiah 34:5
Context34:5 He says, 316 “Indeed, my sword has slaughtered heavenly powers. 317
Look, it now descends on Edom, 318
on the people I will annihilate in judgment.”
Jeremiah 47:6-7
Context47:6 How long will you cry out, 319 ‘Oh, sword of the Lord,
how long will it be before you stop killing? 320
Go back into your sheath!
Stay there and rest!’ 321
when I, the Lord, have 323 given it orders?
I have ordered it to attack
the people of Ashkelon and the seacoast. 324
Jeremiah 51:20
Context51:20 “Babylon, 325 you are my war club, 326
my weapon for battle.
I used you to smash nations. 327
I used you to destroy kingdoms.
Zephaniah 2:12
Context2:12 “You 328 Ethiopians 329 will also die by my sword!” 330
Zechariah 13:7
Context13:7 “Awake, sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who is my associate,”
says the Lord who rules over all.
Strike the shepherd that the flock may be scattered; 331
I will turn my hand against the insignificant ones.
[9:2] 1 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] 2 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] 3 tn Heb “every moving thing that lives for you will be for food.”
[9:3] 4 tn The words “I gave you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[9:3] 5 tn The perfect verb form describes the action that accompanies the declaration.
[9:4] 8 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] 9 tn The words “in it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[9:5] 10 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] 11 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] 12 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] 13 tn Heb “and from the hand of the man.” The article has a generic function, indicating the class, i.e., humankind.
[9:5] 15 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] 16 tn Heb “the blood of man.”
[9:6] 17 tn Heb “by man,” a generic term here for other human beings.
[9:6] 18 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] 19 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:7] 20 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] 21 tn Heb “to Noah and to his sons with him, saying.”
[9:9] 22 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] 23 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] 24 tn The verbal repetition is apparently for emphasis.
[9:11] 25 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] 28 tn Heb “and all flesh will not be cut off again by the waters of the flood.”
[9:12] 30 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] 31 tn Heb “between me and between you.”
[9:12] 32 tn The words “a covenant” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[9:12] 33 tn The Hebrew term עוֹלָם (’olam) means “ever, forever, lasting, perpetual.” The covenant would extend to subsequent generations.
[9:13] 34 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] 35 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] 36 tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect of certitude.
[9:14] 37 tn The temporal indicator (וְהָיָה, vÿhayah, conjunction + the perfect verb form), often translated “it will be,” anticipates a future development.
[9:15] 38 tn Heb “which [is] between me and between you.”
[9:15] 40 tn Heb “to destroy.”
[9:16] 42 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.”
[9:18] 44 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] 45 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] 46 sn The epithet a man of the soil indicates that Noah was a farmer.
[9:20] 47 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] 48 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] 49 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] 50 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] 51 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] 52 tn Heb “their faces [were turned] back.”
[9:24] 53 tn Heb “his wine,” used here by metonymy for the drunken stupor it produced.
[9:24] 55 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] 56 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] 57 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] 58 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] 59 tn Heb “blessed be.”
[9:26] 60 tn Heb “a slave to him”; the referent (Shem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:27] 61 tn Heb “may God enlarge Japheth.” The words “territory and numbers” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[9:27] 62 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] 63 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] 64 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] 65 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] 66 sn The Greek form of the name Japheth, Iapetos, is used in Greek tradition for the ancestor of the Greeks.
[10:2] 67 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] 68 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] 69 sn Madai was the ancestor of the Medes, who lived east of Assyria.
[10:2] 70 sn Javan was the father of the Hellenic race, the Ionians who lived in western Asia Minor.
[10:2] 71 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] 72 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] 73 sn Tiras was the ancestor of the Thracians, some of whom possibly became the Pelasgian pirates of the Aegean.
[10:3] 74 sn The descendants of Gomer were all northern tribes of the Upper Euphrates.
[10:3] 75 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] 76 sn The descendants of Riphath lived in a district north of the road from Haran to Carchemish.
[10:3] 77 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] 78 sn The descendants of Elishah populated Cyprus.
[10:4] 79 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] 80 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] 81 tc Most of the MT
[10:6] 82 sn The descendants of Cush settled in Nubia (Ethiopia).
[10:6] 83 sn The descendants of Mizraim settled in Upper and Lower Egypt.
[10:6] 84 sn The descendants of Put settled in Libya.
[10:6] 85 sn The descendants of Canaan lived in the region of Phoenicia (Palestine).
[10:7] 86 sn The descendants of Seba settled in Upper Egypt along the Nile.
[10:7] 87 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] 88 sn The descendants of Sabtah settled near the western shore of the Persian Gulf in ancient Hadhramaut.
[10:7] 89 sn The descendants of Raamah settled in southwest Arabia.
[10:7] 90 sn The descendants of Sabteca settled in Samudake, east toward the Persian Gulf.
[10:7] 91 sn Sheba became the name of a kingdom in southwest Arabia.
[10:7] 92 sn The name Dedan is associated with àUla in northern Arabia.
[10:8] 93 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] 94 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] 95 tn Another option is to take the divine name here, לִפְנֵי יִהוָה (lifne yÿhvah, “before the
[10:10] 96 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] 98 sn Erech (ancient Uruk, modern Warka), one of the most ancient civilizations, was located southeast of Babylon.
[10:10] 99 sn Akkad, or ancient Agade, was associated with Sargon and located north of Babylon.
[10:10] 100 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] 101 sn Shinar is another name for Babylonia.
[10:11] 102 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] 104 sn Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city situated on the Tigris River.
[10:11] 105 sn The name Rehoboth-Ir means “and broad streets of a city,” perhaps referring to a suburb of Nineveh.
[10:11] 106 sn Calah (modern Nimrud) was located twenty miles north of Nineveh.
[10:12] 107 tn Heb “and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; it [i.e., Calah] is the great city.”
[10:13] 108 sn Mizraim is the Hebrew name for Egypt (cf. NRSV).
[10:13] 109 tn Heb “fathered.”
[10:13] 110 sn The Ludites were African tribes west of the Nile Delta.
[10:13] 111 sn The Anamites lived in North Africa, west of Egypt, near Cyrene.
[10:13] 112 sn The Lehabites are identified with the Libyans.
[10:13] 113 sn The Naphtuhites lived in Lower Egypt (the Nile Delta region).
[10:14] 114 sn The Pathrusites are known in Egyptian as P-to-reshi; they resided in Upper Egypt.
[10:14] 115 sn The Casluhites lived in Crete and eventually settled east of the Egyptian Delta, between Egypt and Canaan.
[10:14] 116 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] 117 sn The Caphtorites resided in Crete, but in Egyptian literature Caphtor refers to “the region beyond” the Mediterranean.
[10:15] 118 tn Heb “fathered.”
[10:15] 119 sn Sidon was the foremost city in Phoenicia; here Sidon may be the name of its founder.
[10:15] 120 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] 121 sn The Jebusites were the Canaanite inhabitants of ancient Jerusalem.
[10:16] 122 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] 123 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] 124 sn The Hivites were Canaanite tribes of a Hurrian origin.
[10:17] 125 sn The Arkites lived in Arka, a city in Lebanon, north of Sidon.
[10:17] 126 sn The Sinites lived in Sin, another town in Lebanon.
[10:18] 127 sn The Arvadites lived in the city Arvad, located on an island near the mainland close to the river El Kebir.
[10:18] 128 sn The Zemarites lived in the town Sumur, north of Arka.
[10:18] 129 sn The Hamathites lived in Hamath on the Orontes River.
[10:19] 131 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[10:19] 132 tn Heb “as you go.”
[10:19] 133 tn Heb “as you go.”
[10:21] 134 tn Heb “And to Shem was born.”
[10:21] 135 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] 136 sn The Hebrew name Elam (עֵילָם, ’elam) means “highland.” The Elamites were a non-Semitic people who lived east of Babylon.
[10:22] 137 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] 138 sn The descendants of Arphaxad may have lived northeast of Nineveh.
[10:22] 139 sn Lud may have been the ancestor of the Ludbu, who lived near the Tigris River.
[10:22] 140 sn Aram became the collective name of the northern tribes living in the steppes of Mesopotamia and speaking Aramaic dialects.
[10:23] 141 tc The MT reads “Mash”; the LXX and 1 Chr 1:17 read “Meshech.”
[10:24] 142 tn Heb “fathered.”
[10:24] 143 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] 144 sn Genesis 11 traces the line of Shem through Eber (עֵבֶר, ’ever ) to Abraham the “Hebrew” (עִבְרִי, ’ivri).
[10:25] 145 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] 146 tn Heb “fathered.”
[10:26] 147 sn The name Almodad combines the Arabic article al with modad (“friend”). Almodad was the ancestor of a South Arabian people.
[10:26] 148 sn The name Sheleph may be related to Shilph, a district of Yemen; Shalph is a Yemenite tribe.
[10:26] 149 sn The name Hazarmaveth should be equated with Hadramawt, located in Southern Arabia.
[10:26] 150 sn The name Jerah means “moon.”
[10:27] 151 sn Uzal was the name of the old capital of Yemen.
[10:27] 152 sn The name Diklah means “date-palm.”
[10:28] 153 sn Obal was a name used for several localities in Yemen.
[10:28] 154 sn The name Abimael is a genuine Sabean form which means “my father, truly, he is God.”
[10:28] 155 sn The descendants of Sheba lived in South Arabia, where the Joktanites were more powerful than the Hamites.
[10:29] 156 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] 157 sn Havilah is listed with Ham in v. 7.
[10:30] 158 tn Heb “as you go.”
[10:32] 159 tn Or “separated.”
[11:1] 160 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] 161 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] 162 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:2] 163 tn Or perhaps “from the east” (NRSV) or “in the east.”
[11:2] 164 tn Heb “in the land of Shinar.”
[11:3] 165 tn Heb “a man to his neighbor.” The Hebrew idiom may be translated “to each other” or “one to another.”
[11:3] 166 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] 167 tn Or “bitumen” (cf. NEB, NRSV).
[11:3] 168 tn The disjunctive clause gives information parenthetical to the narrative.
[11:4] 169 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] 170 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] 171 tn The Hebrew particle פֶּן (pen) expresses a negative purpose; it means “that we be not scattered.”
[11:4] 172 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] 173 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] 174 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] 175 tn Heb “and one lip to all of them.”
[11:6] 176 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] 177 tn Heb “all that they purpose to do will not be withheld from them.”
[11:7] 178 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
[11:7] 179 tn Heb “they will not hear, a man the lip of his neighbor.”
[11:8] 180 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] 181 tn The verb has no expressed subject and so can be rendered as a passive in the translation.
[11:9] 182 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] 183 tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.
[11:13] 184 tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.
[11:13] 185 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] 186 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] 187 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
[11:28] 188 tn Heb “upon the face of Terah his father.”
[11:29] 189 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] 190 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] 191 tn Heb “And the days of Terah were.”
[11:32] 192 tn Heb “Terah”; the pronoun has been substituted for the proper name in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:1] 193 tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.
[19:1] 194 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] 195 tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.
[19:2] 196 tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”
[19:2] 197 sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.
[19:3] 198 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] 199 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] 200 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] 201 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[19:5] 202 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] 203 tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”
[19:8] 204 tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[19:8] 205 tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”
[19:8] 207 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] 208 tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”
[19:9] 209 tn Heb “to live as a resident alien.”
[19:9] 210 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] 211 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] 212 tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”
[19:9] 213 tn Heb “and they drew near.”
[19:10] 214 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] 215 tn The Hebrew text adds “their hand.” These words have not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[19:10] 216 tn Heb “to them into the house.”
[19:11] 217 tn Heb “from the least to the greatest.”
[19:11] 218 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Sodom outside the door) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:12] 219 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] 220 tn Heb “Yet who [is there] to you here?”
[19:12] 221 tn The words “Do you have” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:12] 222 tn Heb “a son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and anyone who (is) to you in the city.”
[19:12] 223 tn Heb “the place.” The Hebrew article serves here as a demonstrative.
[19:13] 224 tn The Hebrew participle expresses an imminent action here.
[19:13] 225 tn Heb “for their outcry.” The words “about this place” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:13] 226 tn Heb “the
[19:14] 227 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] 228 tn The Hebrew active participle expresses an imminent action.
[19:14] 229 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] 230 tn Heb “When dawn came up.”
[19:15] 231 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] 232 tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[19:16] 233 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:16] 234 tn Heb “in the compassion of the
[19:16] 235 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] 236 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] 238 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] 239 tn Or “in the plain”; Heb “in the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:18] 240 tn Or “my lords.” See the following note on the problem of identifying the addressee here. The Hebrew term is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[19:19] 241 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] 242 tn Heb “in your eyes.”
[19:19] 243 tn Heb “you made great your kindness.”
[19:19] 244 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] 245 tn The infinitive construct explains how God has shown Lot kindness.
[19:19] 247 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] 248 tn The perfect verb form with vav consecutive carries the nuance of the imperfect verbal form before it.
[19:20] 249 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] 250 tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”
[19:20] 251 tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.
[19:20] 252 tn Heb “Is it not little?”
[19:20] 253 tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.
[19:21] 254 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
[19:21] 255 tn Heb “I have lifted up your face [i.e., shown you favor] also concerning this matter.”
[19:21] 256 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] 257 tn Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.
[19:22] 258 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] 259 sn The sun had just risen. There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15) and sunrise (here).
[19:23] 260 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] 261 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of the next scene and highlights God’s action.
[19:24] 262 tn Or “burning sulfur” (the traditional “fire and brimstone”).
[19:24] 263 tn Heb “from the
[19:25] 264 tn Or “and all the plain”; Heb “and all the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:25] 265 tn Heb “and the vegetation of the ground.”
[19:26] 266 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:26] 267 tn The Hebrew verb means “to look intently; to gaze” (see 15:5).
[19:27] 268 tn The words “and went” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:28] 269 tn Heb “upon the face of.”
[19:28] 270 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] 271 tn Heb “And he saw, and look, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.”
[19:29] 272 tn The construction is a temporal clause comprised of the temporal indicator, an infinitive construct with a preposition, and the subjective genitive.
[19:29] 273 tn Or “of the plain”; Heb “of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:29] 274 tn Heb “remembered,” but this means more than mental recollection here. Abraham’s request (Gen 18:23-32) was that the
[19:29] 275 sn God’s removal of Lot before the judgment is paradigmatic. He typically delivers the godly before destroying their world.
[19:29] 276 tn Heb “the overthrow when [he] overthrew.”
[19:31] 277 tn Heb “and the firstborn said.”
[19:31] 278 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] 279 tn Heb “to enter upon us.” This is a euphemism for sexual relations.
[19:32] 280 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:32] 281 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] 282 tn Or “that we may preserve.” Here the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates their ultimate goal.
[19:32] 283 tn Heb “and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”
[19:33] 284 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:33] 285 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:33] 286 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] 287 tn Heb “and he did not know when she lay down and when she arose.”
[19:34] 288 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:34] 289 tn Heb “Look, I lied down with my father. Let’s make him drink wine again tonight.”
[19:34] 290 tn Heb “And go, lie down with him and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”
[19:35] 291 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:35] 292 tn Heb “lied down with him.”
[19:35] 293 tn Heb “And he did not know when she lied down and when she arose.”
[19:37] 294 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:37] 295 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] 296 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.
[14:17] 297 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:17] 298 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[14:17] 299 sn The King’s Valley is possibly a reference to what came to be known later as the Kidron Valley.
[15:9] 300 sn W. C. Kaiser observes the staccato phrases that almost imitate the heavy, breathless heaving of the Egyptians as, with what reserve of strength they have left, they vow, “I will…, I will…, I will…” (“Exodus,” EBC 2:395).
[15:9] 301 tn The form is נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”). But this word refers to the whole person, the body and the soul, or better, a bundle of appetites in a body. It therefore can figuratively refer to the desires or appetites (Deut 12:15; 14:26; 23:24). Here, with the verb “to be full” means “to be satisfied”; the whole expression might indicate “I will be sated with them” or “I will gorge myself.” The greedy appetite was to destroy.
[15:9] 302 tn The verb רִיק (riq) means “to be empty” in the Qal, and in the Hiphil “to empty.” Here the idea is to unsheathe a sword.
[15:9] 303 tn The verb is יָרַשׁ (yarash), which in the Hiphil means “to dispossess” or “root out.” The meaning “destroy” is a general interpretation.
[26:25] 304 tn Heb “vengeance of covenant”; cf. NAB “the avenger of my covenant.”
[26:25] 305 tn Heb “and.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) has a concessive force in this context.
[26:25] 306 tn Heb “in hand of enemy,” but Tg. Ps.-J. and Tg. Neof. have “in the hands of your enemies” (J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 454).
[26:33] 307 tn Heb “and I will empty sword” (see HALOT 1228 s.v. ריק 3).
[32:41] 308 tn Heb “judgment.” This is a metonymy, a figure of speech in which the effect (judgment) is employed as an instrument (sword, spear, or the like), the means, by which it is brought about.
[32:41] 309 tn The Hebrew term שָׂנֵא (sane’, “hate”) in this covenant context speaks of those who reject Yahweh’s covenant overtures, that is, who disobey its stipulations (see note on the word “rejecting” in Deut 5:9; also see Deut 7:10; 2 Chr 19:2; Ps 81:15; 139:20-21).
[32:42] 310 tn Or “head” (the same Hebrew word can mean “head” in the sense of “leader, chieftain” or “head” in the sense of body part).
[17:13] 311 tn Heb “Be in front of his face.”
[17:13] 312 tn Or “bring him to his knees.”
[17:13] 313 tn Heb “rescue my life from the wicked [one] [by] your sword.”
[10:5] 314 tn Heb “Woe [to] Assyria, the club of my anger.” On הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) see the note on the first phrase of 1:4.
[10:5] 315 tn Heb “a cudgel is he, in their hand is my anger.” It seems likely that the final mem (ם) on בְיָדָם (bÿyadam) is not a pronominal suffix (“in their hand”), but an enclitic mem. If so, one can translate literally, “a cudgel is he in the hand of my anger.”
[34:5] 316 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Lord speaks at this point.
[34:5] 317 tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] my sword is drenched in the heavens.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsaa has תראה (“[my sword] appeared [in the heavens]”), but this is apparently an attempt to make sense out of a difficult metaphor. Cf. NIV “My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens.”
[34:5] 318 sn Edom is mentioned here as epitomizing the hostile nations that oppose God.
[47:6] 319 tn The words “How long will you cry out” are not in the text but some such introduction seems necessary because the rest of the speech assumes a personal subject.
[47:6] 320 tn Heb “before you are quiet/at rest.”
[47:6] 321 sn The passage is highly figurative. The sword of the
[47:7] 322 tn The reading here follows the Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions. The Hebrew text reads “how can you rest” as a continuation of the second person in v. 6.
[47:7] 323 tn Heb “When the
[47:7] 324 tn Heb “Against Ashkelon and the sea coast, there he has appointed it.” For the switch to the first person see the preceding translator’s note. “There” is poetical and redundant and the idea of “attacking” is implicit in “against.”
[51:20] 325 tn Or “Media.” The referent is not identified in the text; the text merely says “you are my war club.” Commentators in general identify the referent as Babylon because Babylon has been referred to as a hammer in 50:23 and Babylon is referred to in v. 25 as a “destroying mountain” (compare v. 20d). However, S. R. Driver, Jeremiah, 317, n. c maintains that v. 24 speaks against this. It does seem a little inconsistent to render the vav consecutive perfect at the beginning of v. 24 as future while rendering those in vv. 20b-23 as customary past. However, change in person from second masculine singular (vv. 20b-23) to the second masculine plural in “before your very eyes” and its position at the end of the verse after “which they did in Zion” argue that a change in address occurs there. Driver has to ignore the change in person and take “before your eyes” with the verb “repay” at the beginning to maintain the kind of consistency he seeks. The vav (ו) consecutive imperfect can be used for either the customary past (GKC 335-36 §112.dd with cross reference back to GKC 331-32 §112.e) or the future (GKC 334 §112.x). Hence the present translation has followed the majority of commentaries (and English versions like TEV, NCV, CEV, NIrV) in understanding the referent as Babylon and v. 24 being a transition to vv. 25-26 (cf., e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 356-57, and J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 756-57). If the referent is understood as Media then the verbs in vv. 20-23 should all be translated as futures. See also the translator’s note on v. 24.
[51:20] 326 tn This Hebrew word (מַפֵּץ, mappets) only occurs here in the Hebrew Bible, but its meaning is assured from the use of the verbs that follow which are from the same root (נָפַץ, nafats) and there is a cognate noun מַפָּץ (mappats) that occurs in Ezek 9:2 in the sense of weapon of “smashing.”
[51:20] 327 tn Heb “I smash nations with you.” This same structure is repeated throughout the series in vv. 20c-23.
[2:12] 328 sn Though there is no formal introduction, these words are apparently spoken by the
[2:12] 329 tn Heb “Cushites.” This is traditionally assumed to refer to people from the region south of Egypt, i.e., Nubia or northern Sudan, referred to as “Ethiopia” by classical authors (not the more recent Abyssinia).
[2:12] 330 tn Heb “Also you Cushites, who lie dead by my sword.”
[13:7] 331 sn Despite the NT use of this text to speak of the scattering of the disciples following Jesus’ crucifixion (Matt 26:31; Mark 14:27), the immediate context of Zechariah suggests that unfaithful shepherds (kings) will be punished by the
