Genesis 9:1--15:21

God’s Covenant with Humankind through Noah

9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 9:2 Every living creature of the earth and every bird of the sky will be terrified of you. 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.”

The Curse of Canaan

9:18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Now Ham was the father of Canaan.) 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,

“Cursed ⁵⁶  be Canaan! ⁵⁷ 

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.

The Table of Nations

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.

The Dispersion of the Nations at Babel

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.

The Genealogy of Shem

11:10 This is the account of Shem.

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

The Record of Terah

11:27 This is the account of Terah.

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 11:28 Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans, 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.

The Obedience of Abram

12:1 Now the Lord said ¹⁹³  to Abram, ¹⁹⁴ 

“Go out ¹⁹⁵  from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household

to the land that I will show you. ¹⁹⁶ 

12:2 Then I will make you ¹⁹⁷  into a great nation, and I will bless you, ¹⁹⁸ 

and I will make your name great, ¹⁹⁹ 

so that you will exemplify divine blessing. ²⁰⁰ 

12:3 I will bless those who bless you, ²⁰¹ 

but the one who treats you lightly ²⁰²  I must curse,

and all the families of the earth will bless one another ²⁰³  by your name.”

12:4 So Abram left, ²⁰⁴  just as the Lord had told him to do, ²⁰⁵  and Lot went with him. (Now ²⁰⁶  Abram was 75 years old ²⁰⁷  when he departed from Haran.) 12:5 And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew ²⁰⁸  Lot, and all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired ²⁰⁹  in Haran, and they left for ²¹⁰  the land of Canaan. They entered the land of Canaan.

12:6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the oak tree ²¹¹  of Moreh ²¹²  at Shechem. ²¹³  (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) ²¹⁴  12:7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants ²¹⁵  I will give this land.” So Abram ²¹⁶  built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

12:8 Then he moved from there to the hill country east of Bethel ²¹⁷  and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and worshiped the Lord. ²¹⁸  12:9 Abram continually journeyed by stages ²¹⁹  down to the Negev. ²²⁰ 

The Promised Blessing Jeopardized

12:10 There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt ²²¹  to stay for a while ²²²  because the famine was severe. ²²³  12:11 As he approached ²²⁴  Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, ²²⁵  I know that you are a beautiful woman. ²²⁶  12:12 When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive. ²²⁷  12:13 So tell them ²²⁸  you are my sister ²²⁹  so that it may go well ²³⁰  for me because of you and my life will be spared ²³¹  on account of you.”

12:14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 12:15 When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. So Abram’s wife ²³²  was taken ²³³  into the household of Pharaoh, ²³⁴  12:16 and he did treat Abram well ²³⁵  on account of her. Abram received ²³⁶  sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

12:17 But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases ²³⁷  because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 12:18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this ²³⁸  you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? 12:19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her ²³⁹  to be my wife? ²⁴⁰  Here is your wife! ²⁴¹  Take her and go!” ²⁴²  12:20 Pharaoh gave his men orders about Abram, ²⁴³  and so they expelled him, along with his wife and all his possessions.

Abram’s Solution to the Strife

13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt into the Negev. ²⁴⁴  He took his wife and all his possessions with him, as well as Lot. ²⁴⁵  13:2 (Now Abram was very wealthy ²⁴⁶  in livestock, silver, and gold.) ²⁴⁷ 

13:3 And he journeyed from place to place ²⁴⁸  from the Negev as far as Bethel. ²⁴⁹  He returned ²⁵⁰  to the place where he had pitched his tent ²⁵¹  at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai. 13:4 This was the place where he had first built the altar, ²⁵²  and there Abram worshiped the Lord. ²⁵³ 

13:5 Now Lot, who was traveling ²⁵⁴  with Abram, also had ²⁵⁵  flocks, herds, and tents. 13:6 But the land could ²⁵⁶  not support them while they were living side by side. ²⁵⁷  Because their possessions were so great, they were not able to live ²⁵⁸  alongside one another. 13:7 So there were quarrels ²⁵⁹  between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. ²⁶⁰  (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.) ²⁶¹ 

13:8 Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no quarreling between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are close relatives. ²⁶²  13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself now from me. If you go ²⁶³  to the left, then I’ll go to the right, but if you go to the right, then I’ll go to the left.”

13:10 Lot looked up and saw ²⁶⁴  the whole region ²⁶⁵  of the Jordan. He noticed ²⁶⁶  that all of it was well-watered (before the Lord obliterated ²⁶⁷  Sodom and Gomorrah) ²⁶⁸  like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, ²⁶⁹  all the way to Zoar. 13:11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled ²⁷⁰  toward the east.

So the relatives separated from each other. ²⁷¹  13:12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled among the cities of the Jordan plain ²⁷²  and pitched his tents next to Sodom. 13:13 (Now ²⁷³  the people ²⁷⁴  of Sodom were extremely wicked rebels against the Lord.) ²⁷⁵ 

13:14 After Lot had departed, the Lord said to Abram, ²⁷⁶  “Look ²⁷⁷  from the place where you stand to the north, south, east, and west. 13:15 I will give all the land that you see to you and your descendants ²⁷⁸  forever. 13:16 And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted. ²⁷⁹  13:17 Get up and ²⁸⁰  walk throughout ²⁸¹  the land, ²⁸²  for I will give it to you.”

13:18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live ²⁸³  by the oaks ²⁸⁴  of Mamre in Hebron, and he built an altar to the Lord there.

The Blessing of Victory for God’s People

14:1 At that time ²⁸⁵  Amraphel king of Shinar, ²⁸⁶  Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations ²⁸⁷  14:2 went to war ²⁸⁸  against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). ²⁸⁹  14:3 These last five kings ²⁹⁰  joined forces ²⁹¹  in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). ²⁹²  14:4 For twelve years ²⁹³  they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year ²⁹⁴  they rebelled. ²⁹⁵  14:5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were his allies came and defeated ²⁹⁶  the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 14:6 and the Horites in their hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is near the desert. ²⁹⁷  14:7 Then they attacked En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) again, ²⁹⁸  and they conquered all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.

14:8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and prepared for battle. In the Valley of Siddim they met ²⁹⁹  14:9 Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, ³⁰⁰  Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. Four kings fought against ³⁰¹  five. 14:10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. ³⁰²  When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, ³⁰³  but some survivors ³⁰⁴  fled to the hills. ³⁰⁵  14:11 The four victorious kings ³⁰⁶  took all the possessions and food of Sodom and Gomorrah and left. 14:12 They also took Abram’s nephew ³⁰⁷  Lot and his possessions when ³⁰⁸  they left, for Lot ³⁰⁹  was living in Sodom. ³¹⁰ 

14:13 A fugitive ³¹¹  came and told Abram the Hebrew. ³¹²  Now Abram was living by the oaks ³¹³  of Mamre the Amorite, the brother ³¹⁴  of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty ³¹⁵  with Abram.) ³¹⁶  14:14 When Abram heard that his nephew ³¹⁷  had been taken captive, he mobilized ³¹⁸  his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders ³¹⁹  as far as Dan. ³²⁰  14:15 Then, during the night, ³²¹  Abram ³²²  divided his forces ³²³  against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north ³²⁴  of Damascus. 14:16 He retrieved all the stolen property. ³²⁵  He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of ³²⁶  the people.

14:17 After Abram ³²⁷  returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram ³²⁸  in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley). ³²⁹  14:18 Melchizedek king of Salem ³³⁰  brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.) ³³¹  14:19 He blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by ³³²  the Most High God,

Creator ³³³  of heaven and earth. ³³⁴ 

14:20 Worthy of praise is ³³⁵  the Most High God,

who delivered ³³⁶  your enemies into your hand.”

Abram gave Melchizedek ³³⁷  a tenth of everything.

14:21 Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and take the possessions for yourself.” 14:22 But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I raise my hand ³³⁸  to the Lord, the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, and vow ³³⁹  14:23 that I will take nothing ³⁴⁰  belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, ‘It is I ³⁴¹  who made Abram rich.’ 14:24 I will take nothing ³⁴²  except compensation for what the young men have eaten. ³⁴³  As for the share of the men who went with me – Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre – let them take their share.”

The Cutting of the Covenant

15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield ³⁴⁴  and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” ³⁴⁵ 

15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, ³⁴⁶  what will you give me since ³⁴⁷  I continue to be ³⁴⁸  childless, and my heir ³⁴⁹  is ³⁵⁰  Eliezer of Damascus?” ³⁵¹  15:3 Abram added, ³⁵²  “Since ³⁵³  you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!” ³⁵⁴ 

15:4 But look, ³⁵⁵  the word of the Lord came to him: “This man ³⁵⁶  will not be your heir, ³⁵⁷  but instead ³⁵⁸  a son ³⁵⁹  who comes from your own body will be ³⁶⁰  your heir.” ³⁶¹  15:5 The Lord ³⁶²  took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”

15:6 Abram believed ³⁶³  the Lord, and the Lord ³⁶⁴  considered his response of faith ³⁶⁵  as proof of genuine loyalty. ³⁶⁶ 

15:7 The Lord said ³⁶⁷  to him, “I am the Lord ³⁶⁸  who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans ³⁶⁹  to give you this land to possess.” 15:8 But ³⁷⁰  Abram ³⁷¹  said, “O sovereign Lord, ³⁷²  by what ³⁷³  can I know that I am to possess it?”

15:9 The Lord ³⁷⁴  said to him, “Take for me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” 15:10 So Abram ³⁷⁵  took all these for him and then cut them in two ³⁷⁶  and placed each half opposite the other, ³⁷⁷  but he did not cut the birds in half. 15:11 When birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

15:12 When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep, ³⁷⁸  and great terror overwhelmed him. ³⁷⁹  15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain ³⁸⁰  that your descendants will be strangers ³⁸¹  in a foreign country. ³⁸²  They will be enslaved and oppressed ³⁸³  for four hundred years. 15:14 But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. ³⁸⁴  Afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15:15 But as for you, ³⁸⁵  you will go to your ancestors ³⁸⁶  in peace and be buried at a good old age. ³⁸⁷  15:16 In the fourth generation ³⁸⁸  your descendants ³⁸⁹  will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” ³⁹⁰ 

15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch ³⁹¹  passed between the animal parts. ³⁹²  15:18 That day the Lord made a covenant ³⁹³  with Abram: “To your descendants I give ³⁹⁴  this land, from the river of Egypt ³⁹⁵  to the great river, the Euphrates River – 15:19 the land ³⁹⁶  of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 15:20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 15:21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” ³⁹⁷ 

Genesis 27:1--28:22

Jacob Cheats Esau out of the Blessing

27:1 When ³⁹⁸  Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he was almost blind, ³⁹⁹  he called his older ⁴⁰⁰  son Esau and said to him, “My son!” “Here I am!” Esau ⁴⁰¹  replied. 27:2 Isaac ⁴⁰²  said, “Since ⁴⁰³  I am so old, I could die at any time. ⁴⁰⁴  27:3 Therefore, take your weapons – your quiver and your bow – and go out into the open fields and hunt down some wild game ⁴⁰⁵  for me. 27:4 Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then ⁴⁰⁶  I will eat it so that I may bless you ⁴⁰⁷  before I die.”

27:5 Now Rebekah had been listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. ⁴⁰⁸  When Esau went out to the open fields to hunt down some wild game and bring it back, ⁴⁰⁹  27:6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau, 27:7 ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare for me some tasty food. Then I will eat ⁴¹⁰  it and bless you ⁴¹¹  in the presence of the Lord ⁴¹²  before I die.’ 27:8 Now then, my son, do ⁴¹³  exactly what I tell you! ⁴¹⁴  27:9 Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare ⁴¹⁵  them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them. 27:10 Then you will take ⁴¹⁶  it to your father. Thus he will eat it ⁴¹⁷  and ⁴¹⁸  bless you before he dies.”

27:11 “But Esau my brother is a hairy man,” Jacob protested to his mother Rebekah, “and I have smooth skin! ⁴¹⁹  27:12 My father may touch me! Then he’ll think I’m mocking him ⁴²⁰  and I’ll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.” 27:13 So his mother told him, “Any curse against you will fall on me, ⁴²¹  my son! Just obey me! ⁴²²  Go and get them for me!”

27:14 So he went and got the goats ⁴²³  and brought them to his mother. She ⁴²⁴  prepared some tasty food, just the way his father loved it. 27:15 Then Rebekah took her older son Esau’s best clothes, which she had with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 27:16 She put the skins of the young goats ⁴²⁵  on his hands ⁴²⁶  and the smooth part of his neck. 27:17 Then she handed ⁴²⁷  the tasty food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.

27:18 He went to his father and said, “My father!” Isaac ⁴²⁸  replied, “Here I am. Which are you, my son?” ⁴²⁹  27:19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I’ve done as you told me. Now sit up ⁴³⁰  and eat some of my wild game so that you can bless me.” ⁴³¹  27:20 But Isaac asked his son, “How in the world ⁴³²  did you find it so quickly, ⁴³³  my son?” “Because the Lord your God brought it to me,” ⁴³⁴  he replied. ⁴³⁵  27:21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you, ⁴³⁶  my son, and know for certain if you really are my son Esau.” ⁴³⁷  27:22 So Jacob went over to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s.” 27:23 He did not recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So Isaac blessed Jacob. ⁴³⁸  27:24 Then he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” “I am,” Jacob ⁴³⁹  replied. 27:25 Isaac ⁴⁴⁰  said, “Bring some of the wild game for me to eat, my son. ⁴⁴¹  Then I will bless you.” ⁴⁴²  So Jacob ⁴⁴³  brought it to him, and he ate it. He also brought him wine, and Isaac ⁴⁴⁴  drank. 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here and kiss me, my son.” 27:27 So Jacob ⁴⁴⁵  went over and kissed him. When Isaac caught the scent ⁴⁴⁶  of his clothing, he blessed him, saying,

“Yes, ⁴⁴⁷  my son smells

like the scent of an open field

which the Lord has blessed.

27:28 May God give you

the dew of the sky ⁴⁴⁸ 

and the richness ⁴⁴⁹  of the earth,

and plenty of grain and new wine.

27:29 May peoples serve you

and nations bow down to you.

You will be ⁴⁵⁰  lord ⁴⁵¹  over your brothers,

and the sons of your mother will bow down to you. ⁴⁵² 

May those who curse you be cursed,

and those who bless you be blessed.”

27:30 Isaac had just finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely left ⁴⁵³  his father’s ⁴⁵⁴  presence, when his brother Esau returned from the hunt. ⁴⁵⁵  27:31 He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Esau ⁴⁵⁶  said to him, “My father, get up ⁴⁵⁷  and eat some of your son’s wild game. Then you can bless me.” ⁴⁵⁸  27:32 His father Isaac asked, ⁴⁵⁹  “Who are you?” “I am your firstborn son,” ⁴⁶⁰  he replied, “Esau!” 27:33 Isaac began to shake violently ⁴⁶¹  and asked, “Then who else hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it just before you arrived, and I blessed him. ⁴⁶²  He will indeed be blessed!”

27:34 When Esau heard ⁴⁶³  his father’s words, he wailed loudly and bitterly. ⁴⁶⁴  He said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!” 27:35 But Isaac ⁴⁶⁵  replied, “Your brother came in here deceitfully and took away ⁴⁶⁶  your blessing.” 27:36 Esau exclaimed, “‘Jacob’ is the right name for him! ⁴⁶⁷  He has tripped me up ⁴⁶⁸  two times! He took away my birthright, and now, look, he has taken away my blessing!” Then he asked, “Have you not kept back a blessing for me?”

27:37 Isaac replied to Esau, “Look! I have made him lord over you. I have made all his relatives his servants and provided him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?” 27:38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” ⁴⁶⁹  Then Esau wept loudly. ⁴⁷⁰ 

27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,

“Indeed, ⁴⁷¹  your home will be

away from the richness ⁴⁷²  of the earth,

and away from the dew of the sky above.

27:40 You will live by your sword

but you will serve your brother.

When you grow restless,

you will tear off his yoke

from your neck.” ⁴⁷³ 

27:41 So Esau hated ⁴⁷⁴  Jacob because of the blessing his father had given to his brother. ⁴⁷⁵  Esau said privately, ⁴⁷⁶  “The time ⁴⁷⁷  of mourning for my father is near; then I will kill ⁴⁷⁸  my brother Jacob!”

27:42 When Rebekah heard what her older son Esau had said, ⁴⁷⁹  she quickly summoned ⁴⁸⁰  her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is planning to get revenge by killing you. ⁴⁸¹  27:43 Now then, my son, do what I say. ⁴⁸²  Run away immediately ⁴⁸³  to my brother Laban in Haran. 27:44 Live with him for a little while ⁴⁸⁴  until your brother’s rage subsides. 27:45 Stay there ⁴⁸⁵  until your brother’s anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I’ll send someone to bring you back from there. ⁴⁸⁶  Why should I lose both of you in one day?” ⁴⁸⁷ 

27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am deeply depressed ⁴⁸⁸  because of these daughters of Heth. ⁴⁸⁹  If Jacob were to marry one of these daughters of Heth who live in this land, I would want to die!” ⁴⁹⁰ 

28:1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman! ⁴⁹¹  28:2 Leave immediately ⁴⁹²  for Paddan Aram! Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and find yourself a wife there, among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 28:3 May the sovereign God ⁴⁹³  bless you! May he make you fruitful and give you a multitude of descendants! ⁴⁹⁴  Then you will become ⁴⁹⁵  a large nation. ⁴⁹⁶  28:4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing he gave to Abraham ⁴⁹⁷  so that you may possess the land ⁴⁹⁸  God gave to Abraham, the land where you have been living as a temporary resident.” ⁴⁹⁹  28:5 So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

28:6 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him off to Paddan Aram to find a wife there. ⁵⁰⁰  As he blessed him, ⁵⁰¹  Isaac commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” ⁵⁰²  28:7 Jacob obeyed his father and mother and left for Paddan Aram. 28:8 Then Esau realized ⁵⁰³  that the Canaanite women ⁵⁰⁴  were displeasing to ⁵⁰⁵  his father Isaac. 28:9 So Esau went to Ishmael and married ⁵⁰⁶  Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, along with the wives he already had.

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

28:10 Meanwhile Jacob left Beer Sheba and set out for Haran. 28:11 He reached a certain place ⁵⁰⁷  where he decided to camp because the sun had gone down. ⁵⁰⁸  He took one of the stones ⁵⁰⁹  and placed it near his head. ⁵¹⁰  Then he fell asleep ⁵¹¹  in that place 28:12 and had a dream. ⁵¹²  He saw ⁵¹³  a stairway ⁵¹⁴  erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it 28:13 and the Lord stood at its top. He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. ⁵¹⁵  I will give you and your descendants the ground ⁵¹⁶  you are lying on. 28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, ⁵¹⁷  and you will spread out ⁵¹⁸  to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ⁵¹⁹  using your name and that of your descendants. ⁵²⁰  28:15 I am with you! ⁵²¹  I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you!”

28:16 Then Jacob woke up ⁵²²  and thought, ⁵²³  “Surely the Lord is in this place, but I did not realize it!” 28:17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!”

28:18 Early ⁵²⁴  in the morning Jacob ⁵²⁵  took the stone he had placed near his head ⁵²⁶  and set it up as a sacred stone. ⁵²⁷  Then he poured oil on top of it. 28:19 He called that place Bethel, ⁵²⁸  although the former name of the town was Luz. 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food ⁵²⁹  to eat and clothing to wear, 28:21 and I return safely to my father’s home, ⁵³⁰  then the Lord will become my God. 28:22 Then this stone ⁵³¹  that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely ⁵³²  give you back a tenth of everything you give me.” ⁵³³ 

Genesis 1:1-31

The Creation of the World

1:1 In the beginning ⁵³⁴  God ⁵³⁵  created ⁵³⁶  the heavens and the earth. ⁵³⁷ 

1:2 Now ⁵³⁸  the earth ⁵³⁹  was without shape and empty, ⁵⁴⁰  and darkness ⁵⁴¹  was over the surface of the watery deep, ⁵⁴²  but the Spirit of God ⁵⁴³  was moving ⁵⁴⁴  over the surface ⁵⁴⁵  of the water. ⁵⁴⁶  1:3 God said, ⁵⁴⁷  “Let there be ⁵⁴⁸  light.” ⁵⁴⁹  And there was light! 1:4 God saw ⁵⁵⁰  that the light was good, ⁵⁵¹  so God separated ⁵⁵²  the light from the darkness. 1:5 God called ⁵⁵³  the light “day” and the darkness ⁵⁵⁴  “night.” There was evening, and there was morning, marking the first day. ⁵⁵⁵ 

1:6 God said, “Let there be an expanse ⁵⁵⁶  in the midst of the waters and let it separate water ⁵⁵⁷  from water. 1:7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. ⁵⁵⁸  It was so. ⁵⁵⁹  1:8 God called the expanse “sky.” ⁵⁶⁰  There was evening, and there was morning, a second day.

1:9 God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place ⁵⁶¹  and let dry ground appear.” ⁵⁶²  It was so. 1:10 God called the dry ground “land” ⁵⁶³  and the gathered waters he called “seas.” God saw that it was good.

1:11 God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: ⁵⁶⁴  plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, ⁵⁶⁵  and ⁵⁶⁶  trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.” It was so. 1:12 The land produced vegetation – plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. God saw that it was good. 1:13 There was evening, and there was morning, a third day.

1:14 God said, “Let there be lights ⁵⁶⁷  in the expanse ⁵⁶⁸  of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs ⁵⁶⁹  to indicate seasons and days and years, 1:15 and let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” It was so. 1:16 God made two great lights ⁵⁷⁰  – the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night. He made the stars also. ⁵⁷¹  1:17 God placed the lights ⁵⁷²  in the expanse of the sky to shine on the earth, 1:18 to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. ⁵⁷³  God saw that it was good. 1:19 There was evening, and there was morning, a fourth day.

1:20 God said, “Let the water swarm with swarms ⁵⁷⁴  of living creatures and let birds fly ⁵⁷⁵  above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” 1:21 God created the great sea creatures ⁵⁷⁶  and every living and moving thing with which the water swarmed, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. God saw that it was good. 1:22 God blessed them ⁵⁷⁷  and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” ⁵⁷⁸  1:23 There was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day.

1:24 God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” ⁵⁷⁹  It was so. 1:25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the cattle according to their kinds, and all the creatures that creep along the ground according to their kinds. God saw that it was good.

1:26 Then God said, “Let us make ⁵⁸⁰ 

humankind ⁵⁸¹  in our image, after our likeness, ⁵⁸²  so they may rule ⁵⁸³  over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, ⁵⁸⁴  and over all the creatures that move ⁵⁸⁵  on the earth.”

1:27 God created humankind ⁵⁸⁶  in his own image,

in the image of God he created them, ⁵⁸⁷ 

male and female he created them. ⁵⁸⁸ 

1:28 God blessed ⁵⁸⁹  them and said ⁵⁹⁰  to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! ⁵⁹¹  Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.” ⁵⁹²  1:29 Then God said, “I now ⁵⁹³  give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ⁵⁹⁴  1:30 And to all the animals of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give ⁵⁹⁵  every green plant for food.” It was so.

1:31 God saw all that he had made – and it was very good! ⁵⁹⁶  There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.

1 Samuel 8:7-8

8:7 The Lord said to Samuel, “Do everything the people request of you. ⁵⁹⁷  For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king. 8:8 Just as they have done ⁵⁹⁸  from the day that I brought them up from Egypt until this very day, they have rejected me and have served other gods. This is what they are also doing to you.

1 Samuel 10:27

10:27 But some wicked men ⁵⁹⁹  said, “How can this man save us?” They despised him and did not even bring him a gift. But Saul said nothing about it. ⁶⁰⁰ 

Luke 19:14

19:14 But his citizens ⁶⁰¹  hated ⁶⁰²  him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man ⁶⁰³  to be king ⁶⁰⁴  over us!’

John 18:40

18:40 Then they shouted back, ⁶⁰⁵  “Not this man, ⁶⁰⁶  but Barabbas!” ⁶⁰⁷  (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary. ⁶⁰⁸ ) ⁶⁰⁹ 

John 19:15

19:15 Then they ⁶¹⁰  shouted out, “Away with him! Away with him! ⁶¹¹  Crucify ⁶¹²  him!” Pilate asked, ⁶¹³  “Shall I crucify your king?” The high priests replied, “We have no king except Caesar!”

[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]  ⁶ tn Heb “only.”

[9:4]  ⁷ tn Or “flesh.”

[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]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “of the man.”

[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]  ²⁶ tn Heb “all flesh.”

[9:11]  ²⁷ tn Heb “cut off.”

[9:11]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and all flesh will not be cut off again by the waters of the flood.”

[9:12]  ²⁹ tn Heb “sign.”

[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]  ³⁹ tn Heb “all flesh.”

[9:15]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “to destroy.”

[9:15]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “all flesh.”

[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.”

[9:17]  ⁴³ tn Heb “all flesh.”

[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]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “he knew.”

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

[10:6]  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 Lord [YHWH]”), as a means of expressing the superlative degree. In this case one may translate “Nimrod was the greatest hunter in the world.”

[10:10]  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]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “Babylon.”

[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]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “Asshur.”

[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]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “were.”

[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 Lord our God said to us…. And the Lord went down and we went down with him. And we saw the city and the tower which the sons of men built.” On the chiastic structure of the story, see G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:235.

[11:7]  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 b.c.

[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.

[12:1]  ¹⁹³ sn The Lord called Abram while he was in Ur (see Gen 15:7; Acts 7:2); but the sequence here makes it look like it was after the family left to migrate to Canaan (11:31-32). Genesis records the call of Abram at this place in the narrative because it is the formal beginning of the account of Abram. The record of Terah was brought to its end before this beginning.

[12:1]  ¹⁹⁴ tn The call of Abram begins with an imperative לֶךְ־לְךָ (lekh-lÿkha, “go out”) followed by three cohortatives (v. 2a) indicating purpose or consequence (“that I may” or “then I will”). If Abram leaves, then God will do these three things. The second imperative (v. 2b, literally “and be a blessing”) is subordinated to the preceding cohortatives and indicates God’s ultimate purpose in calling and blessing Abram. On the syntactical structure of vv. 1-2 see R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 37. For a similar sequence of volitive forms see Gen 45:18.

[12:1]  ¹⁹⁵ tn The initial command is the direct imperative (לֶךְ, lekh) from the verb הָלַךְ (halakh). It is followed by the lamed preposition with a pronominal suffix (לְךָ, lÿkha) emphasizing the subject of the imperative: “you leave.”

[12:1]  ¹⁹⁶ sn To the land that I will show you. The call of Abram illustrates the leading of the Lord. The command is to leave. The Lord’s word is very specific about what Abram is to leave (the three prepositional phrases narrow to his father’s household), but is not specific at all about where he is to go. God required faith, a point that Heb 11:8 notes.

[12:2]  ¹⁹⁷ tn The three first person verbs in v. 2a should be classified as cohortatives. The first two have pronominal suffixes, so the form itself does not indicate a cohortative. The third verb form is clearly cohortative.

[12:2]  ¹⁹⁸ sn I will bless you. The blessing of creation is now carried forward to the patriarch. In the garden God blessed Adam and Eve; in that blessing he gave them (1) a fruitful place, (2) endowed them with fertility to multiply, and (3) made them rulers over creation. That was all ruined at the fall. Now God begins to build his covenant people; in Gen 12-22 he promises to give Abram (1) a land flowing with milk and honey, (2) a great nation without number, and (3) kingship.

[12:2]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Or “I will make you famous.”

[12:2]  ²⁰⁰ tn Heb “and be a blessing.” The verb form הְיֵה (hÿyeh) is the Qal imperative of the verb הָיָה (hayah). The vav (ו) with the imperative after the cohortatives indicates purpose or consequence. What does it mean for Abram to “be a blessing”? Will he be a channel or source of blessing for others, or a prime example of divine blessing? A similar statement occurs in Zech 8:13, where God assures his people, “You will be a blessing,” in contrast to the past when they “were a curse.” Certainly “curse” here does not refer to Israel being a source of a curse, but rather to the fact that they became a curse-word or byword among the nations, who regarded them as the epitome of an accursed people (see 2 Kgs 22:19; Jer 42:18; 44:8, 12, 22). Therefore the statement “be a blessing” seems to refer to Israel being transformed into a prime example of a blessed people, whose name will be used in blessing formulae, rather than in curses. If the statement “be a blessing” is understood in the same way in Gen 12:2, then it means that God would so bless Abram that other nations would hear of his fame and hold him up as a paradigm of divine blessing in their blessing formulae.

[12:3]  ²⁰¹ tn The Piel cohortative has as its object a Piel participle, masculine plural. Since the Lord binds himself to Abram by covenant, those who enrich Abram in any way share in the blessings.

[12:3]  ²⁰² tn In this part of God’s statement there are two significant changes that often go unnoticed. First, the parallel and contrasting participle מְקַלֶּלְךָ (mÿqallelkha) is now singular and not plural. All the versions and a few Masoretic mss read the plural. But if it had been plural, there would be no reason to change it to the singular and alter the parallelism. On the other hand, if it was indeed singular, it is easy to see why the versions would change it to match the first participle. The MT preserves the original reading: “the one who treats you lightly.” The point would be a contrast with the lavish way that God desires to bless many. The second change is in the vocabulary. The English usually says, “I will curse those who curse you.” But there are two different words for curse here. The first is קָלַל (qalal), which means “to be light” in the Qal, and in the Piel “to treat lightly, to treat with contempt, to curse.” The second verb is אָרַר (’arar), which means “to banish, to remove from the blessing.” The point is simple: Whoever treats Abram and the covenant with contempt as worthless God will banish from the blessing. It is important also to note that the verb is not a cohortative, but a simple imperfect. Since God is binding himself to Abram, this would then be an obligatory imperfect: “but the one who treats you with contempt I must curse.”

[12:3]  ²⁰³ tn Theoretically the Niphal can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Abram were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in later formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless [i.e., “pronounce blessings on”] themselves [or “one another”].” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[12:4]  ²⁰⁴ sn So Abram left. This is the report of Abram’s obedience to God’s command (see v. 1).

[12:4]  ²⁰⁵ tn Heb “just as the Lord said to him.”

[12:4]  ²⁰⁶ tn The disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + implied “to be” verb) is parenthetical, telling the age of Abram when he left Haran.

[12:4]  ²⁰⁷ tn Heb “was the son of five years and seventy year[s].”

[12:5]  ²⁰⁸ tn Heb “the son of his brother.”

[12:5]  ²⁰⁹ tn For the semantic nuance “acquire [property]” for the verb עָשָׂה (’asah), see BDB 795 s.v. עָשָׂה.

[12:5]  ²¹⁰ tn Heb “went out to go.”

[12:6]  ²¹¹ tn Or “terebinth.”

[12:6]  ²¹² sn The Hebrew word Moreh (מוֹרֶה, moreh) means “teacher.” It may well be that the place of this great oak tree was a Canaanite shrine where instruction took place.

[12:6]  ²¹³ tn Heb “as far as the place of Shechem, as far as the oak of Moreh.”

[12:6]  ²¹⁴ tn The disjunctive clause gives important information parenthetical in nature – the promised land was occupied by Canaanites.

[12:7]  ²¹⁵ tn The same Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[12:7]  ²¹⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[12:8]  ²¹⁷ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[12:8]  ²¹⁸ tn Heb “he called in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 13:4; 21:33; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.

[12:9]  ²¹⁹ tn The Hebrew verb נָסַע (nasa’) means “to journey”; more specifically it means to pull up the tent and move to another place. The construction here uses the preterite of this verb with its infinitive absolute to stress the activity of traveling. But it also adds the infinitive absolute of הָלַךְ (halakh) to stress that the traveling was continually going on. Thus “Abram journeyed, going and journeying” becomes “Abram continually journeyed by stages.”

[12:9]  ²²⁰ tn Or “the South [country].”

[12:10]  ²²¹ sn Abram went down to Egypt. The Abrahamic narrative foreshadows some of the events in the life of the nation of Israel. This sojourn in Egypt is typological of Israel’s bondage there. In both stories there is a famine that forces the family to Egypt, death is a danger to the males while the females are preserved alive, great plagues bring about their departure, there is a summons to stand before Pharaoh, and there is a return to the land of Canaan with great wealth.

[12:10]  ²²² tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” means “to stay for a while.” The “stranger” (traditionally “sojourner”) is one who is a temporary resident, a visitor, one who is passing through. Abram had no intention of settling down in Egypt or owning property. He was only there to wait out the famine.

[12:10]  ²²³ tn Heb “heavy in the land.” The words “in the land,” which also occur at the beginning of the verse in the Hebrew text, have not been repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[12:11]  ²²⁴ tn Heb “drew near to enter.”

[12:11]  ²²⁵ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is deictic here; it draws attention to the following fact.

[12:11]  ²²⁶ tn Heb “a woman beautiful of appearance are you.”

[12:12]  ²²⁷ tn The Piel of the verb חָיָה (khayah, “to live”) means “to keep alive, to preserve alive,” and in some places “to make alive.” See D. Marcus, “The Verb ‘to Live’ in Ugaritic,” JSS 17 (1972): 76-82.

[12:13]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “say.”

[12:13]  ²²⁹ sn Tell them you are my sister. Abram’s motives may not be as selfish as they appear. He is aware of the danger to the family. His method of dealing with it is deception with a half truth, for Sarai really was his sister – but the Egyptians would not know that. Abram presumably thought that there would be negotiations for a marriage by anyone interested (as Laban does later for his sister Rebekah), giving him time to react. But the plan backfires because Pharaoh does not take the time to negotiate. There is a good deal of literature on the wife-sister issue. See (among others) E. A. Speiser, “The Wife-Sister Motif in the Patriarchal Narratives,” Oriental and Biblical Studies, 62-81; C. J. Mullo-Weir, “The Alleged Hurrian Wife-Sister Motif in Genesis,” GOT 22 (1967-1970): 14-25.

[12:13]  ²³⁰ tn The Hebrew verb translated “go well” can encompass a whole range of favorable treatment, but the following clause indicates it means here that Abram’s life will be spared.

[12:13]  ²³¹ tn Heb “and my life will live.”

[12:15]  ²³² tn Heb “and the woman.” The word also means “wife”; the Hebrew article can express the possessive pronoun (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 19, §86). Here the proper name (Abram) has been used in the translation instead of a possessive pronoun (“his”) for clarity.

[12:15]  ²³³ tn The Hebrew term וַתֻּקַּח (vattuqqakh, “was taken”) is a rare verbal form, an old Qal passive preterite from the verb “to take.” It is pointed as a Hophal would be by the Masoretes, but does not have a Hophal meaning.

[12:15]  ²³⁴ tn The Hebrew text simply has “house of Pharaoh.” The word “house” refers to the household in general, more specifically to the royal harem.

[12:16]  ²³⁵ sn He did treat Abram well. The construction of the parenthetical disjunctive clause, beginning with the conjunction on the prepositional phrase, draws attention to the irony of the story. Abram wanted Sarai to lie “so that it would go well” with him. Though he lost Sarai to Pharaoh, it did go well for him – he received a lavish bride price. See also G. W. Coats, “Despoiling the Egyptians,” VT 18 (1968): 450-57.

[12:16]  ²³⁶ tn Heb “and there was to him.”

[12:17]  ²³⁷ tn The cognate accusative adds emphasis to the verbal sentence: “he plagued with great plagues,” meaning the Lord inflicted numerous plagues, probably diseases (see Exod 15:26). The adjective “great” emphasizes that the plagues were severe and overwhelming.

[12:18]  ²³⁸ tn The demonstrative pronoun translated “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to me?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[12:19]  ²³⁹ tn The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive here expresses consequence.

[12:19]  ²⁴⁰ tn Heb “to me for a wife.”

[12:19]  ²⁴¹ tn Heb “Look, your wife!”

[12:19]  ²⁴² tn Heb “take and go.”

[12:20]  ²⁴³ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:1]  ²⁴⁴ tn Or “the South [country]” (also in v. 3).

[13:1]  ²⁴⁵ tn Heb “And Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all which was his, and Lot with him, to the Negev.”

[13:2]  ²⁴⁶ tn Heb “heavy.”

[13:2]  ²⁴⁷ tn This parenthetical clause, introduced by the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), provides information necessary to the point of the story.

[13:3]  ²⁴⁸ tn Heb “on his journeys”; the verb and noun combination means to pick up the tents and move from camp to camp.

[13:3]  ²⁴⁹ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[13:3]  ²⁵⁰ tn The words “he returned” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:3]  ²⁵¹ tn Heb “where his tent had been.”

[13:4]  ²⁵² tn Heb “to the place of the altar which he had made there in the beginning” (cf. Gen 12:7-8).

[13:4]  ²⁵³ tn Heb “he called in the name of the Lord.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 21:33; 26:25). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116, 281.

[13:5]  ²⁵⁴ tn Heb “was going.”

[13:5]  ²⁵⁵ tn The Hebrew idiom is “to Lot…there was,” the preposition here expressing possession.

[13:6]  ²⁵⁶ tn The potential nuance for the perfect tense is necessary here, and supported by the parallel clause that actually uses “to be able.”

[13:6]  ²⁵⁷ tn The infinitive construct לָשֶׁבֶת (lashevet, from יָשַׁב, yashav) explains what it was that the land could not support: “the land could not support them to live side by side.” See further J. C. de Moor, “Lexical Remarks Concerning Yahad and Yahdaw,” VT 7 (1957): 350-55.

[13:6]  ²⁵⁸ tn The same infinitive occurs here, serving as the object of the verb.

[13:7]  ²⁵⁹ tn The Hebrew term רִיב (riv) means “strife, conflict, quarreling.” In later texts it has the meaning of “legal controversy, dispute.” See B. Gemser, “The rîb – or Controversy – Pattern in Hebrew Mentality,” Wisdom in Israel and in the Ancient Near East [VTSup], 120-37.

[13:7]  ²⁶⁰ sn Since the quarreling was between the herdsmen, the dispute was no doubt over water and vegetation for the animals.

[13:7]  ²⁶¹ tn This parenthetical clause, introduced with the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), again provides critical information. It tells in part why the land cannot sustain these two bedouins, and it also hints of the danger of weakening the family by inner strife.

[13:8]  ²⁶² tn Heb “men, brothers [are] we.” Here “brothers” describes the closeness of the relationship, but could be misunderstood if taken literally, since Abram was Lot’s uncle.

[13:9]  ²⁶³ tn The words “you go” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons both times in this verse.

[13:10]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.” The expression draws attention to the act of looking, indicating that Lot took a good look. It also calls attention to the importance of what was seen.

[13:10]  ²⁶⁵ tn Or “plain”; Heb “circle.”

[13:10]  ²⁶⁶ tn The words “he noticed” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:10]  ²⁶⁷ sn Obliterated. The use of the term “destroy” (שַׁחֵת, shakhet) is reminiscent of the Noahic flood (Gen 6:13). Both at the flood and in Sodom the place was obliterated by catastrophe and only one family survived (see C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:178).

[13:10]  ²⁶⁸ tn This short temporal clause (preposition + Piel infinitive construct + subjective genitive + direct object) is strategically placed in the middle of the lavish descriptions to sound an ominous note. The entire clause is parenthetical in nature. Most English translations place the clause at the end of v. 10 for stylistic reasons.

[13:10]  ²⁶⁹ sn The narrative places emphasis on what Lot saw so that the reader can appreciate how it aroused his desire for the best land. It makes allusion to the garden of the Lord and to the land of Egypt for comparison. Just as the tree in the garden of Eden had awakened Eve’s desire, so the fertile valley attracted Lot. And just as certain memories of Egypt would cause the Israelites to want to turn back and abandon the trek to the promised land, so Lot headed for the good life.

[13:11]  ²⁷⁰ tn Heb “Lot traveled.” The proper name has not been repeated in the translation at this point for stylistic reasons.

[13:11]  ²⁷¹ tn Heb “a man from upon his brother.”

[13:12]  ²⁷² tn Or “the cities of the plain”; Heb “[the cities of] the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[13:13]  ²⁷³ tn Here is another significant parenthetical clause in the story, signaled by the vav (וו) disjunctive (translated “now”) on the noun at the beginning of the clause.

[13:13]  ²⁷⁴ tn Heb “men.” However, this is generic in sense; it is unlikely that only the male residents of Sodom were sinners.

[13:13]  ²⁷⁵ tn Heb “wicked and sinners against the Lord exceedingly.” The description of the sinfulness of the Sodomites is very emphatic. First, two nouns are used to form a hendiadys: “wicked and sinners” means “wicked sinners,” the first word becoming adjectival. The text is saying these were no ordinary sinners; they were wicked sinners, the type that cause pain for others. Then to this phrase is added “against the Lord,” stressing their violation of the laws of heaven and their culpability. Finally, to this is added מְאֹד (mÿ’od, “exceedingly,” translated here as “extremely”).

[13:14]  ²⁷⁶ tn Heb “and the Lord said to Abram after Lot separated himself from with him.” The disjunctive clause at the beginning of the verse signals a new scene.

[13:14]  ²⁷⁷ tn Heb “lift up your eyes and see.”

[13:15]  ²⁷⁸ tn Heb “for all the land which you see to you I will give it and to your descendants.”

[13:16]  ²⁷⁹ tn The translation “can be counted” (potential imperfect) is suggested by the use of יוּכַל (yukhal, “is able”) in the preceding clause.

[13:17]  ²⁸⁰ tn The connective “and” is not present in the Hebrew text; it has been supplied for purposes of English style.

[13:17]  ²⁸¹ tn The Hitpael form הִתְהַלֵּךְ (hithallekh) means “to walk about”; it also can carry the ideas of moving about, traversing, going back and forth, or living in an area. It here has the connotation of traversing the land to survey it, to look it over.

[13:17]  ²⁸² tn Heb “the land to its length and to its breadth.” This phrase has not been included in the translation because it is somewhat redundant (see the note on the word “throughout” in this verse).

[13:18]  ²⁸³ tn Heb “he came and lived.”

[13:18]  ²⁸⁴ tn Or “terebinths.”

[14:1]  ²⁸⁵ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayÿhi) followed by “in the days of.”

[14:1]  ²⁸⁶ sn Shinar (also in v. 9) is the region of Babylonia.

[14:1]  ²⁸⁷ tn Or “king of Goyim.” The Hebrew term גּוֹיִם (goyim) means “nations,” but a number of modern translations merely transliterate the Hebrew (cf. NEB “Goyim”; NIV, NRSV “Goiim”).

[14:2]  ²⁸⁸ tn Heb “made war.”

[14:2]  ²⁸⁹ sn On the geographical background of vv. 1-2 see J. P. Harland, “Sodom and Gomorrah,” The Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 1:41-75; and D. N. Freedman, “The Real Story of the Ebla Tablets, Ebla and the Cities of the Plain,” BA 41 (1978): 143-64.

[14:3]  ²⁹⁰ tn Heb “all these,” referring only to the last five kings named. The referent has been specified as “these last five kings” in the translation for clarity.

[14:3]  ²⁹¹ tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to join together; to unite; to be allied.” It stresses close associations, especially of friendships, marriages, or treaties.

[14:3]  ²⁹² sn The Salt Sea is the older name for the Dead Sea.

[14:4]  ²⁹³ tn The sentence simply begins with “twelve years”; it serves as an adverbial accusative giving the duration of their bondage.

[14:4]  ²⁹⁴ tn This is another adverbial accusative of time.

[14:4]  ²⁹⁵ sn The story serves as a foreshadowing of the plight of the kingdom of Israel later. Eastern powers came and forced the western kingdoms into submission. Each year, then, they would send tribute east – to keep them away. Here, in the thirteenth year, they refused to send the tribute (just as later Hezekiah rebelled against Assyria). And so in the fourteenth year the eastern powers came to put them down again. This account from Abram’s life taught future generations that God can give victory over such threats – that people did not have to live in servitude to tyrants from the east.

[14:5]  ²⁹⁶ tn The Hebrew verb נָכָה (nakhah) means “to attack, to strike, to smite.” In this context it appears that the strike was successful, and so a translation of “defeated” is preferable.

[14:6]  ²⁹⁷ sn The line of attack ran down the eastern side of the Jordan Valley into the desert, and then turned and came up the valley to the cities of the plain.

[14:7]  ²⁹⁸ tn Heb “they returned and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh).” The two verbs together form a verbal hendiadys, the first serving as the adverb: “they returned and came” means “they came again.” Most English translations do not treat this as a hendiadys, but translate “they turned back” or something similar. Since in the context, however, “came again to” does not simply refer to travel but an assault against the place, the present translation expresses this as “attacked…again.”

[14:8]  ²⁹⁹ tn Heb “against.”

[14:9]  ³⁰⁰ tn Or “Goyim.” See the note on the word “nations” in 14:1.

[14:9]  ³⁰¹ tn The Hebrew text has simply “against.” The word “fought” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:10]  ³⁰² tn Heb “Now the Valley of Siddim [was] pits, pits of tar.” This parenthetical disjunctive clause emphasizes the abundance of tar pits in the area through repetition of the noun “pits.”

[14:10]  ³⁰³ tn Or “they were defeated there.” After a verb of motion the Hebrew particle שָׁם (sham) with the directional heh (שָׁמָּה, shammah) can mean “into it, therein” (BDB 1027 s.v. שָׁם).

[14:10]  ³⁰⁴ tn Heb “the rest.”

[14:10]  ³⁰⁵ sn The reference to the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah must mean the kings along with their armies. Most of them were defeated in the valley, but some of them escaped to the hills.

[14:11]  ³⁰⁶ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the four victorious kings, see v. 9) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  ³⁰⁷ tn Heb “Lot the son of his brother.”

[14:12]  ³⁰⁸ tn Heb “and.”

[14:12]  ³⁰⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  ³¹⁰ tn This disjunctive clause is circumstantial/causal, explaining that Lot was captured because he was living in Sodom at the time.

[14:13]  ³¹¹ tn Heb “the fugitive.” The article carries a generic force or indicates that this fugitive is definite in the mind of the speaker.

[14:13]  ³¹² sn E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103) suggests that part of this chapter came from an outside source since it refers to Abram the Hebrew. That is not impossible, given that the narrator likely utilized traditions and genealogies that had been collected and transmitted over the years. The meaning of the word “Hebrew” has proved elusive. It may be related to the verb “to cross over,” perhaps meaning “immigrant.” Or it might be derived from the name of Abram’s ancestor Eber (see Gen 11:14-16).

[14:13]  ³¹³ tn Or “terebinths.”

[14:13]  ³¹⁴ tn Or “a brother”; or “a relative”; or perhaps “an ally.”

[14:13]  ³¹⁵ tn Heb “possessors of a treaty with.” Since it is likely that the qualifying statement refers to all three (Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner) the words “all these” have been supplied in the translation to make this clear.

[14:13]  ³¹⁶ tn This parenthetical disjunctive clause explains how Abram came to be living in their territory, but it also explains why they must go to war with Abram.

[14:14]  ³¹⁷ tn Heb “his brother,” by extension, “relative.” Here and in v. 16 the more specific term “nephew” has been used in the translation for clarity. Lot was the son of Haran, Abram’s brother (Gen 11:27).

[14:14]  ³¹⁸ tn The verb וַיָּרֶק (vayyareq) is a rare form, probably related to the word רֵיק (req, “to be empty”). If so, it would be a very figurative use: “he emptied out” (or perhaps “unsheathed”) his men. The LXX has “mustered” (cf. NEB). E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103-4) suggests reading with the Samaritan Pentateuch a verb diq, cognate with Akkadian deku, “to mobilize” troops. If this view is accepted, one must assume that a confusion of the Hebrew letters ד (dalet) and ר (resh) led to the error in the traditional Hebrew text. These two letters are easily confused in all phases of ancient Hebrew script development. The present translation is based on this view.

[14:14]  ³¹⁹ tn The words “the invaders” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:14]  ³²⁰ sn The use of the name Dan reflects a later perspective. The Danites did not migrate to this northern territory until centuries later (see Judg 18:29). Furthermore Dan was not even born until much later. By inserting this name a scribe has clarified the location of the region.

[14:15]  ³²¹ tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.

[14:15]  ³²² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:15]  ³²³ tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”

[14:15]  ³²⁴ tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.

[14:16]  ³²⁵ tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:16]  ³²⁶ tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:17]  ³²⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:17]  ³²⁸ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:17]  ³²⁹ sn The King’s Valley is possibly a reference to what came to be known later as the Kidron Valley.

[14:18]  ³³⁰ sn Salem is traditionally identified as the Jebusite stronghold of old Jerusalem. Accordingly, there has been much speculation about its king. Though some have identified him with the preincarnate Christ or with Noah’s son Shem, it is far more likely that Melchizedek was a Canaanite royal priest whom God used to renew the promise of the blessing to Abram, perhaps because Abram considered Melchizedek his spiritual superior. But Melchizedek remains an enigma. In a book filled with genealogical records he appears on the scene without a genealogy and then disappears from the narrative. In Psalm 110 the Lord declares that the Davidic king is a royal priest after the pattern of Melchizedek.

[14:18]  ³³¹ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause significantly identifies Melchizedek as a priest as well as a king.

[14:19]  ³³² tn The preposition לְ (lamed) introduces the agent after the passive participle.

[14:19]  ³³³ tn Some translate “possessor of heaven and earth” (cf. NASB). But cognate evidence from Ugaritic indicates that there were two homonymic roots ָקנָה (qanah), one meaning “to create” (as in Gen 4:1) and the other “to obtain, to acquire, to possess.” While “possessor” would fit here, “creator” is the more likely due to the collocation with “heaven and earth.”

[14:19]  ³³⁴ tn The terms translated “heaven” and “earth” are both objective genitives after the participle in construct.

[14:20]  ³³⁵ tn Heb “blessed be.” For God to be “blessed” means that is praised. His reputation is enriched in the world as his name is praised.

[14:20]  ³³⁶ sn Who delivered. The Hebrew verb מִגֵּן (miggen, “delivered”) foreshadows the statement by God to Abram in Gen 15:1, “I am your shield” (מָגֵן, magen). Melchizedek provided a theological interpretation of Abram’s military victory.

[14:20]  ³³⁷ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:22]  ³³⁸ tn Abram takes an oath, raising his hand as a solemn gesture. The translation understands the perfect tense as having an instantaneous nuance: “Here and now I raise my hand.”

[14:22]  ³³⁹ tn The words “and vow” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:23]  ³⁴⁰ tn The oath formula is elliptical, reading simply: “…if I take.” It is as if Abram says, “[May the Lord deal with me] if I take,” meaning, “I will surely not take.” The positive oath would add the negative adverb and be the reverse: “[God will deal with me] if I do not take,” meaning, “I certainly will.”

[14:23]  ³⁴¹ tn The Hebrew text adds the independent pronoun (“I”) to the verb form for emphasis.

[14:24]  ³⁴² tn The words “I will take nothing” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:24]  ³⁴³ tn Heb “except only what the young men have eaten.”

[15:1]  ³⁴⁴ sn The noun “shield” recalls the words of Melchizedek in 14:20. If God is the shield, then God will deliver. Abram need not fear reprisals from those he has fought.

[15:1]  ³⁴⁵ tn Heb “your reward [in] great abundance.” When the phrase הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ (harbeh mÿod) follows a noun it invariably modifies the noun and carries the nuance “very great” or “in great abundance.” (See its use in Gen 41:49; Deut 3:5; Josh 22:8; 2 Sam 8:8; 12:2; 1 Kgs 4:29; 10:10-11; 2 Chr 14:13; 32:27; Jer 40:12.) Here the noun “reward” is in apposition to “shield” and refers by metonymy to God as the source of the reward. Some translate here “your reward will be very great” (cf. NASB, NRSV), taking the statement as an independent clause and understanding the Hiphil infinitive absolute as a substitute for a finite verb. However, the construction הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ is never used this way elsewhere, where it either modifies a noun (see the texts listed above) or serves as an adverb in relation to a finite verb (see Josh 13:1; 1 Sam 26:21; 2 Sam 12:30; 2 Kgs 21:16; 1 Chr 20:2; Neh 2:2).

[15:2]  ³⁴⁶ tn The Hebrew text has אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה (’adonay yehvih, “Master, Lord”). Since the tetragrammaton (YHWH) usually is pointed with the vowels for the Hebrew word אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “master”) to avoid pronouncing the divine name, that would lead in this place to a repetition of אֲדֹנָי. So the tetragrammaton is here pointed with the vowels for the word אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “God”) instead. That would produce the reading of the Hebrew as “Master, God” in the Jewish textual tradition. But the presence of “Master” before the holy name is rather compelling evidence that the original would have been “Master, Lord,” which is rendered here “sovereign Lord.”

[15:2]  ³⁴⁷ tn The vav (ו) disjunctive at the beginning of the clause is circumstantial, expressing the cause or reason.

[15:2]  ³⁴⁸ tn Heb “I am going.”

[15:2]  ³⁴⁹ tn Heb “the son of the acquisition of my house.”

[15:2]  ³⁵⁰ tn The pronoun is anaphoric here, equivalent to the verb “to be” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 23, §115).

[15:2]  ³⁵¹ sn The sentence in the Hebrew text employs a very effective wordplay on the name Damascus: “The son of the acquisition (בֶּן־מֶשֶׁק, ben-mesheq) of my house is Eliezer of Damascus (דַּמֶּשֶׁק, dammesheq).” The words are not the same; they have different sibilants. But the sound play gives the impression that “in the nomen is the omen.” Eliezer the Damascene will be Abram’s heir if Abram dies childless because “Damascus” seems to mean that. See M. F. Unger, “Some Comments on the Text of Genesis 15:2-3,” JBL 72 (1953): 49-50; H. L. Ginsberg, “Abram’s ‘Damascene’ Steward,” BASOR 200 (1970): 31-32.

[15:3]  ³⁵² tn Heb “And Abram said.”

[15:3]  ³⁵³ tn The construction uses הֵן (hen) to introduce the foundational clause (“since…”), and וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh) to introduce the main clause (“then look…”).

[15:3]  ³⁵⁴ tn Heb “is inheriting me.”

[15:4]  ³⁵⁵ tn The disjunctive draws attention to God’s response and the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, translated “look”) mirrors Abram’s statement in v. 3 and highlights the fact that God responded to Abram.

[15:4]  ³⁵⁶ tn The subject of the verb is the demonstrative pronoun, which can be translated “this one” or “this man.” That the Lord does not mention him by name is significant; often in ancient times the use of the name would bring legitimacy to inheritance and adoption cases.

[15:4]  ³⁵⁷ tn Heb “inherit you.”

[15:4]  ³⁵⁸ tn The Hebrew כִּי־אִם (ki-’im) forms a very strong adversative.

[15:4]  ³⁵⁹ tn Heb “he who”; the implied referent (Abram’s unborn son who will be his heir) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:4]  ³⁶⁰ tn The pronoun could also be an emphatic subject: “whoever comes out of your body, he will inherit you.”

[15:4]  ³⁶¹ tn Heb “will inherit you.”

[15:5]  ³⁶² tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  ³⁶³ tn The nonconsecutive vav (ו) is on a perfect verbal form. If the composer of the narrative had wanted to show simple sequence, he would have used the vav consecutive with the preterite. The perfect with vav conjunctive (where one expects the preterite with vav consecutive) in narrative contexts can have a variety of discourse functions, but here it probably serves to highlight Abram’s response to God’s promise. For a detailed discussion of the vav + perfect construction in Hebrew narrative, see R. Longacre, “Weqatal Forms in Biblical Hebrew Prose: A Discourse-modular Approach,” Biblical Hebrew and Discourse Linguistics, 50-98. The Hebrew verb אָמַן (’aman) means “to confirm, to support” in the Qal verbal stem. Its derivative nouns refer to something or someone that/who provides support, such as a “pillar,” “nurse,” or “guardian, trustee.” In the Niphal stem it comes to mean “to be faithful, to be reliable, to be dependable,” or “to be firm, to be sure.” In the Hiphil, the form used here, it takes on a declarative sense: “to consider something reliable [or “dependable”].” Abram regarded the God who made this promise as reliable and fully capable of making it a reality.

[15:6]  ³⁶⁴ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  ³⁶⁵ tn Heb “and he reckoned it to him.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix refers back to Abram’s act of faith, mentioned in the preceding clause. On third feminine singular pronouns referring back to verbal ideas see GKC 440-41 §135.p. Some propose taking the suffix as proleptic, anticipating the following feminine noun (“righteousness”). In this case one might translate: “and he reckoned it to him – [namely] righteousness.” See O. P. Robertson, “Genesis 15:6: A New Covenant Exposition of an Old Covenant Text,” WTJ 42 (1980): 259-89.

[15:6]  ³⁶⁶ tn Or “righteousness”; or “evidence of steadfast commitment.” The noun is an adverbial accusative. The verb translated “considered” (Heb “reckoned”) also appears with צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) in Ps 106:31. Alluding to the events recorded in Numbers 25, the psalmist notes that Phinehas’ actions were “credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.” Reference is made to the unconditional, eternal covenant with which God rewarded Phinehas’ loyalty (Num 25:12-13). So צְדָקָה seems to carry by metonymy the meaning “loyal, rewardable behavior” here, a nuance that fits nicely in Genesis 15, where God responds to Abram’s faith by formally ratifying his promise to give Abram and his descendants the land. (See R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 40.) In Phoenician and Old Aramaic inscriptions cognate nouns glossed as “correct, justifiable conduct” sometimes carry this same semantic nuance (DNWSI 2:962).

[15:7]  ³⁶⁷ tn Heb “And he said.”

[15:7]  ³⁶⁸ sn I am the Lord. The Lord initiates the covenant-making ceremony with a declaration of who he is and what he has done for Abram. The same form appears at the beginning of the covenant made at Sinai (see Exod 20:1).

[15:7]  ³⁶⁹ sn The phrase of the Chaldeans is a later editorial clarification for the readers, designating the location of Ur. From all evidence there would have been no Chaldeans in existence at this early date; they are known in the time of the neo-Babylonian empire in the first millennium b.c.

[15:8]  ³⁷⁰ tn Here the vav carries adversative force and is translated “but.”

[15:8]  ³⁷¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:8]  ³⁷² tn See note on the phrase “sovereign Lord” in 15:2.

[15:8]  ³⁷³ tn Or “how.”

[15:9]  ³⁷⁴ tn Heb “He”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:10]  ³⁷⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:10]  ³⁷⁶ tn Heb “in the middle.”

[15:10]  ³⁷⁷ tn Heb “to meet its neighbor.”

[15:12]  ³⁷⁸ tn Heb “a deep sleep fell on Abram.”

[15:12]  ³⁷⁹ tn Heb “and look, terror, a great darkness was falling on him.”

[15:13]  ³⁸⁰ tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, with the Qal infinitive absolute followed by the imperfect from יָדַע (yada’, “know”). The imperfect here has an obligatory or imperatival force.

[15:13]  ³⁸¹ tn The Hebrew word גֵּר (ger, “sojourner, stranger”) is related to the verb גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn, to stay for awhile”). Abram’s descendants will stay in a land as resident aliens without rights of citizenship.

[15:13]  ³⁸² tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”

[15:13]  ³⁸³ tn Heb “and they will serve them and they will oppress them.” The verb עִנּוּ, (’innu, a Piel form from עָנָה, ’anah, “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly”), is used in Exod 1:11 to describe the oppression of the Israelites in Egypt.

[15:14]  ³⁸⁴ tn The participle דָּן (dan, from דִּין, din) is used here for the future: “I am judging” = “I will surely judge.” The judgment in this case will be condemnation and punishment. The translation “execute judgment on” implies that the judgment will certainly be carried out.

[15:15]  ³⁸⁵ tn The vav with the pronoun before the verb calls special attention to the subject in contrast to the preceding subject.

[15:15]  ³⁸⁶ sn You will go to your ancestors. This is a euphemistic expression for death.

[15:15]  ³⁸⁷ tn Heb “in a good old age.”

[15:16]  ³⁸⁸ sn The term generation is being used here in its widest sense to refer to a full life span. When the chronological factors are considered and the genealogies tabulated, there are four hundred years of bondage. This suggests that in this context a generation is equivalent to one hundred years.

[15:16]  ³⁸⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[15:16]  ³⁹⁰ tn Heb “is not yet complete.”

[15:17]  ³⁹¹ sn A smoking pot with a flaming torch. These same implements were used in Mesopotamian rituals designed to ward off evil (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 113-14).

[15:17]  ³⁹² tn Heb “these pieces.”

[15:18]  ³⁹³ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[15:18]  ³⁹⁴ tn The perfect verbal form is understood as instantaneous (“I here and now give”). Another option is to understand it as rhetorical, indicating certitude (“I have given” meaning it is as good as done, i.e., “I will surely give”).

[15:18]  ³⁹⁵ sn The river of Egypt is a wadi (a seasonal stream) on the northeastern border of Egypt, not to the River Nile.

[15:19]  ³⁹⁶ tn The words “the land” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[15:21]  ³⁹⁷ tn Each of the names in the list has the Hebrew definite article, which is used here generically for the class of people identified.

[27:1]  ³⁹⁸ tn The clause begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making it subordinate to the main clause that follows later in the sentence.

[27:1]  ³⁹⁹ tn Heb “and his eyes were weak from seeing.”

[27:1]  ⁴⁰⁰ tn Heb “greater” (in terms of age).

[27:1]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Esau) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2]  ⁴⁰² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaac) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2]  ⁴⁰³ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here introduces a logically foundational statement, upon which the coming instruction will be based.

[27:2]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn Heb “I do not know the day of my death.”

[27:3]  ⁴⁰⁵ tn The Hebrew word is to be spelled either צַיִד (tsayid) following the marginal reading (Qere), or צֵידָה (tsedah) following the consonantal text (Kethib). Either way it is from the same root as the imperative צוּדָה (tsudah, “hunt down”).

[27:4]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:4]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The use of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as the subject emphasizes that the blessing will be made with all Isaac’s desire and vitality. The conjunction “so that” closely relates the meal to the blessing, suggesting that this will be a ritual meal in conjunction with the giving of a formal blessing.

[27:5]  ⁴⁰⁸ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a conjunction with the subject, followed by the predicate) here introduces a new scene in the story.

[27:5]  ⁴⁰⁹ tc The LXX adds here “to his father,” which may have been accidentally omitted in the MT.

[27:7]  ⁴¹⁰ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:7]  ⁴¹¹ tn The cohortative, with the prefixed conjunction, also expresses logical sequence. See vv. 4, 19, 27.

[27:7]  ⁴¹² tn In her report to Jacob, Rebekah plays down Isaac’s strong desire to bless Esau by leaving out נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”), but by adding the phrase “in the presence of the Lord,” she stresses how serious this matter is.

[27:8]  ⁴¹³ tn Heb “listen to my voice.” The Hebrew idiom means “to comply; to obey.”

[27:8]  ⁴¹⁴ tn Heb “to that which I am commanding you.”

[27:9]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:10]  ⁴¹⁶ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive. It carries forward the tone of instruction initiated by the command to “go…and get” in the preceding verse.

[27:10]  ⁴¹⁷ tn The form is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the future nuance of the preceding verbs of instruction, but by switching the subject to Jacob, indicates the expected result of the subterfuge.

[27:10]  ⁴¹⁸ tn Heb “so that.” The conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:11]  ⁴¹⁹ tn Heb “And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, but I am a smooth [skinned] man.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:12]  ⁴²⁰ tn Heb “Perhaps my father will feel me and I will be in his eyes like a mocker.” The Hebrew expression “I will be in his eyes like” means “I would appear to him as.”

[27:13]  ⁴²¹ tn Heb “upon me your curse.”

[27:13]  ⁴²² tn Heb “only listen to my voice.”

[27:14]  ⁴²³ tn The words “the goats” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:14]  ⁴²⁴ tn Heb “his mother.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “she” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:16]  ⁴²⁵ tn In the Hebrew text the object (“the skins of the young goats”) precedes the verb. The disjunctive clause draws attention to this key element in the subterfuge.

[27:16]  ⁴²⁶ tn The word “hands” probably includes the forearms here. How the skins were attached is not specified in the Hebrew text; cf. NLT “she made him a pair of gloves.”

[27:17]  ⁴²⁷ tn Heb “gave…into the hand of.”

[27:18]  ⁴²⁸ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:18]  ⁴²⁹ sn Which are you, my son? Isaac’s first question shows that the deception is going to require more subterfuge than Rebekah had anticipated. Jacob will have to pull off the deceit.

[27:19]  ⁴³⁰ tn Heb “get up and sit.” This may mean simply “sit up,” or it may indicate that he was to get up from his couch and sit at a table.

[27:19]  ⁴³¹ tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.” These words, though not reported by Rebekah to Jacob (see v. 7) accurately reflect what Isaac actually said to Esau (see v. 4). Perhaps Jacob knew more than Rebekah realized, but it is more likely that this was an idiom for sincere blessing with which Jacob was familiar. At any rate, his use of the precise wording was a nice, convincing touch.

[27:20]  ⁴³² tn Heb “What is this?” The enclitic pronoun “this” adds emphasis to the question, which is comparable to the English rhetorical question, “How in the world?”

[27:20]  ⁴³³ tn Heb “you hastened to find.” In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb and the first verb becomes adverbial.

[27:20]  ⁴³⁴ tn Heb “caused to meet before me.”

[27:20]  ⁴³⁵ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Because the Lord your God….’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:21]  ⁴³⁶ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:21]  ⁴³⁷ tn Heb “Are you this one, Esau, my son, or not?” On the use of the interrogative particle here, see BDB 210 s.v. הֲ.

[27:23]  ⁴³⁸ tn Heb “and he blessed him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” (Isaac) and “him” (Jacob) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:24]  ⁴³⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ⁴⁴⁰ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ⁴⁴¹ tn Heb “Bring near to me and I will eat of the wild game, my son.” Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:25]  ⁴⁴² tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The presence of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as subject emphasizes Isaac’s heartfelt desire to do this. The conjunction indicates that the ritual meal must be first eaten before the formal blessing may be given.

[27:25]  ⁴⁴³ tn Heb “and he brought”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ⁴⁴⁴ tn Heb “and he drank”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ⁴⁴⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ⁴⁴⁶ tn Heb “and he smelled the smell”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ⁴⁴⁷ tn Heb “see.”

[27:28]  ⁴⁴⁸ tn Heb “and from the dew of the sky.”

[27:28]  ⁴⁴⁹ tn Heb “and from the fatness.”

[27:29]  ⁴⁵⁰ tn Heb “and be.” The verb is an imperative, which is used rhetorically in this oracle of blessing. It is an invitation to exercise authority his brothers and indicates that he is granted such authority by the patriarch of the family. Furthermore, the blessing enables the recipient to accomplish this.

[27:29]  ⁴⁵¹ tn The Hebrew word is גְבִיר (gevir, “lord, mighty one”). The one being blessed will be stronger and therefore more powerful than his brother. See Gen 25:23. The feminine form of this rare noun means “mistress” or “queen-mother.”

[27:29]  ⁴⁵² tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (which is either an imperfect or a jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:30]  ⁴⁵³ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite form of the verb makes the construction emphatic.

[27:30]  ⁴⁵⁴ tn Heb “the presence of Isaac his father.” The repetition of the proper name (“Isaac”) was

[27:30]  ⁴⁵⁵ tn Heb “and Esau his brother came from his hunt.”

[27:31]  ⁴⁵⁶ tn Heb “and he said to his father”; the referent of “he” (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity, while the words “his father” have been replaced by the pronoun “him” for stylistic reasons.

[27:31]  ⁴⁵⁷ tn Or “arise” (i.e., sit up).

[27:31]  ⁴⁵⁸ tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.”

[27:32]  ⁴⁵⁹ tn Heb “said.”

[27:32]  ⁴⁶⁰ tn Heb “and he said, ‘I [am] your son, your firstborn.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[27:33]  ⁴⁶¹ tn Heb “and Isaac trembled with a great trembling to excess.” The verb “trembled” is joined with a cognate accusative, which is modified by an adjective “great,” and a prepositional phrase “to excess.” All of this is emphatic, showing the violence of Isaac’s reaction to the news.

[27:33]  ⁴⁶² tn Heb “Who then is he who hunted game and brought [it] to me so that I ate from all before you arrived and blessed him?”

[27:34]  ⁴⁶³ tn The temporal clause is introduced with the temporal indicator and has the infinitive as its verb.

[27:34]  ⁴⁶⁴ tn Heb “and he yelled [with] a great and bitter yell to excess.”

[27:35]  ⁴⁶⁵ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:35]  ⁴⁶⁶ tn Or “took”; “received.”

[27:36]  ⁴⁶⁷ tn Heb “Is he not rightly named Jacob?” The rhetorical question, since it expects a positive reply, has been translated as a declarative statement.

[27:36]  ⁴⁶⁸ sn He has tripped me up. When originally given, the name Jacob was a play on the word “heel” (see Gen 25:26). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. Esau gives the name “Jacob” a negative connotation here, the meaning “to trip up; to supplant.”

[27:38]  ⁴⁶⁹ tn Heb “Bless me, me also, my father.” The words “my father” have not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:38]  ⁴⁷⁰ tn Heb “and Esau lifted his voice and wept.”

[27:39]  ⁴⁷¹ tn Heb “look.”

[27:39]  ⁴⁷² tn Heb “from the fatness.”

[27:40]  ⁴⁷³ sn You will tear off his yoke from your neck. It may be that this prophetic blessing found its fulfillment when Jerusalem fell and Edom got its revenge. The oracle makes Edom subservient to Israel and suggests the Edomites would live away from the best land and be forced to sustain themselves by violent measures.

[27:41]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn Or “bore a grudge against” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV). The Hebrew verb שָׂטַם (satam) describes persistent hatred.

[27:41]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn Heb “because of the blessing which his father blessed him.”

[27:41]  ⁴⁷⁶ tn Heb “said in his heart.” The expression may mean “said to himself.” Even if this is the case, v. 42 makes it clear that he must have shared his intentions with someone, because the news reached Rebekah.

[27:41]  ⁴⁷⁷ tn Heb “days.”

[27:41]  ⁴⁷⁸ tn The cohortative here expresses Esau’s determined resolve to kill Jacob.

[27:42]  ⁴⁷⁹ tn Heb “and the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah.”

[27:42]  ⁴⁸⁰ tn Heb “she sent and called for.”

[27:42]  ⁴⁸¹ tn Heb “is consoling himself with respect to you to kill you.” The only way Esau had of dealing with his anger at the moment was to plan to kill his brother after the death of Isaac.

[27:43]  ⁴⁸² tn Heb “listen to my voice.”

[27:43]  ⁴⁸³ tn Heb “arise, flee.”

[27:44]  ⁴⁸⁴ tn Heb “a few days.” Rebekah probably downplays the length of time Jacob will be gone, perhaps to encourage him and assure him that things will settle down soon. She probably expects Esau’s anger to die down quickly. However, Jacob ends up being gone twenty years and he never sees Rebekah again.

[27:45]  ⁴⁸⁵ tn The words “stay there” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:45]  ⁴⁸⁶ tn Heb “and I will send and I will take you from there.” The verb “send” has no object in the Hebrew text; one must be supplied in the translation. Either “someone” or “a message” could be supplied, but since in those times a message would require a messenger, “someone” has been used.

[27:45]  ⁴⁸⁷ tn If Jacob stayed, he would be killed and Esau would be forced to run away.

[27:46]  ⁴⁸⁸ tn Heb “loathe my life.” The Hebrew verb translated “loathe” refers to strong disgust (see Lev 20:23).

[27:46]  ⁴⁸⁹ tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (see also Gen 23:3), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.

[27:46]  ⁴⁹⁰ tn Heb “If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, why to me life?”

[28:1]  ⁴⁹¹ tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:2]  ⁴⁹² tn Heb “Arise! Go!” The first of the two imperatives is adverbial and stresses the immediacy of the departure.

[28:3]  ⁴⁹³ tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[28:3]  ⁴⁹⁴ tn Heb “and make you fruitful and multiply you.” See Gen 17:6, 20 for similar terminology.

[28:3]  ⁴⁹⁵ tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here indicates consequence. The collocation הָיָה + preposition לְ (hayah + lÿ) means “become.”

[28:3]  ⁴⁹⁶ tn Heb “an assembly of peoples.”

[28:4]  ⁴⁹⁷ tn Heb “and may he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you.” The name “Abraham” is an objective genitive here; this refers to the blessing that God gave to Abraham.

[28:4]  ⁴⁹⁸ tn The words “the land” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[28:4]  ⁴⁹⁹ tn Heb “the land of your sojournings,” that is, the land where Jacob had been living as a resident alien, as his future descendants would after him.

[28:6]  ⁵⁰⁰ tn Heb “to take for himself from there a wife.”

[28:6]  ⁵⁰¹ tn The infinitive construct with the preposition and the suffix form a temporal clause.

[28:6]  ⁵⁰² tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:8]  ⁵⁰³ tn Heb “saw.”

[28:8]  ⁵⁰⁴ tn Heb “the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:8]  ⁵⁰⁵ tn Heb “evil in the eyes of.”

[28:9]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn Heb “took for a wife.”

[28:11]  ⁵⁰⁷ tn Heb “the place.” The article may indicate simply that the place is definite in the mind of the narrator. However, as the story unfolds the place is transformed into a holy place. See A. P. Ross, “Jacob’s Vision: The Founding of Bethel,” BSac 142 (1985): 224-37.

[28:11]  ⁵⁰⁸ tn Heb “and he spent the night there because the sun had gone down.”

[28:11]  ⁵⁰⁹ tn Heb “he took from the stones of the place,” which here means Jacob took one of the stones (see v. 18).

[28:11]  ⁵¹⁰ tn Heb “and he put [it at] the place of his head.” The text does not actually say the stone was placed under his head to serve as a pillow, although most interpreters and translators assume this. It is possible the stone served some other purpose. Jacob does not seem to have been a committed monotheist yet (see v. 20-21) so he may have believed it contained some spiritual power. Note that later in the story he anticipates the stone becoming the residence of God (see v. 22). Many cultures throughout the world view certain types of stones as magical and/or sacred. See J. G. Fraser, Folklore in the Old Testament, 231-37.

[28:11]  ⁵¹¹ tn Heb “lay down.”

[28:12]  ⁵¹² tn Heb “and dreamed.”

[28:12]  ⁵¹³ tn Heb “and look.” The scene which Jacob witnessed is described in three clauses introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh). In this way the narrator invites the reader to witness the scene through Jacob’s eyes. J. P. Fokkelman points out that the particle goes with a lifted arm and an open mouth: “There, a ladder! Oh, angels! and look, the Lord himself” (Narrative Art in Genesis [SSN], 51-52).

[28:12]  ⁵¹⁴ tn The Hebrew noun סֻלָּם (sullam, “ladder, stairway”) occurs only here in the OT, but there appears to be an Akkadian cognate simmiltu (with metathesis of the second and third consonants and a feminine ending) which has a specialized meaning of “stairway, ramp.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 34. For further discussion see C. Houtman, “What Did Jacob See in His Dream at Bethel? Some Remarks on Genesis 28:10-22,” VT 27 (1977): 337-52; J. G. Griffiths, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 76 (1964/65): 229-30; and A. R. Millard, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 78 (1966/67): 86-87.

[28:13]  ⁵¹⁵ tn Heb “the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.” The Hebrew word for “father” can typically be used in a broader sense than the English word, in this case referring to Abraham (who was Jacob’s grandfather). For stylistic reasons and for clarity, the words “your father” are supplied with “Isaac” in the translation.

[28:13]  ⁵¹⁶ tn The Hebrew term אֶרֶץ (’erets) can mean “[the] earth,” “land,” “region,” “piece of ground,” or “ground” depending on the context. Here the term specifically refers to the plot of ground on which Jacob was lying, but at the same time this stands by metonymy for the entire land of Canaan.

[28:14]  ⁵¹⁷ tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.

[28:14]  ⁵¹⁸ tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.

[28:14]  ⁵¹⁹ tn Theoretically the Niphal stem can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Jacob were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in other formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless (i.e., pronounce blessings upon) themselves/one another.” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 28:14 predicts that Jacob will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae (see Gen 12:2 and 18:18 as well, where Abram/Abraham receives this promise). For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[28:14]  ⁵²⁰ tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”

[28:15]  ⁵²¹ tn Heb “Look, I [am] with you.” The clause is a nominal clause; the verb to be supplied could be present (as in the translation) or future, “Look, I [will be] with you” (cf. NEB).

[28:16]  ⁵²² tn Heb “woke up from his sleep.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[28:16]  ⁵²³ tn Heb “said.”

[28:18]  ⁵²⁴ tn Heb “and he got up early…and he took.”

[28:18]  ⁵²⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:18]  ⁵²⁶ tn See the note on this phrase in v. 11.

[28:18]  ⁵²⁷ tn Heb “standing stone.”

[28:19]  ⁵²⁸ tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew (see v. 17).

[28:20]  ⁵²⁹ tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.

[28:21]  ⁵³⁰ tn Heb “and I return in peace to the house of my father.”

[28:22]  ⁵³¹ tn The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/subject) is used to highlight the statement.

[28:22]  ⁵³² tn The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb for emphasis.

[28:22]  ⁵³³ tn Heb “and all which you give to me I will surely give a tenth of it to you.” The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/object) highlights this statement as well.

[1:1]  ⁵³⁴ tn The translation assumes that the form translated “beginning” is in the absolute state rather than the construct (“in the beginning of,” or “when God created”). In other words, the clause in v. 1 is a main clause, v. 2 has three clauses that are descriptive and supply background information, and v. 3 begins the narrative sequence proper. The referent of the word “beginning” has to be defined from the context since there is no beginning or ending with God.

[1:1]  ⁵³⁵ sn God. This frequently used Hebrew name for God (אֱלֹהִים,’elohim ) is a plural form. When it refers to the one true God, the singular verb is normally used, as here. The plural form indicates majesty; the name stresses God’s sovereignty and incomparability – he is the “God of gods.”

[1:1]  ⁵³⁶ tn The English verb “create” captures well the meaning of the Hebrew term in this context. The verb בָּרָא (bara’) always describes the divine activity of fashioning something new, fresh, and perfect. The verb does not necessarily describe creation out of nothing (see, for example, v. 27, where it refers to the creation of man); it often stresses forming anew, reforming, renewing (see Ps 51:10; Isa 43:15, 65:17).

[1:1]  ⁵³⁷ tn Or “the entire universe”; or “the sky and the dry land.” This phrase is often interpreted as a merism, referring to the entire ordered universe, including the heavens and the earth and everything in them. The “heavens and the earth” were completed in seven days (see Gen 2:1) and are characterized by fixed laws (see Jer 33:25). “Heavens” refers specifically to the sky, created on the second day (see v. 8), while “earth” refers specifically to the dry land, created on the third day (see v. 10). Both are distinct from the sea/seas (see v. 10 and Exod 20:11).

[1:2]  ⁵³⁸ tn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) at the beginning of v. 2 gives background information for the following narrative, explaining the state of things when “God said…” (v. 3). Verse one is a title to the chapter, v. 2 provides information about the state of things when God spoke, and v. 3 begins the narrative per se with the typical narrative construction (vav [ו] consecutive followed by the prefixed verbal form). (This literary structure is paralleled in the second portion of the book: Gen 2:4 provides the title or summary of what follows, 2:5-6 use disjunctive clause structures to give background information for the following narrative, and 2:7 begins the narrative with the vav consecutive attached to a prefixed verbal form.) Some translate 1:2a “and the earth became,” arguing that v. 1 describes the original creation of the earth, while v. 2 refers to a judgment that reduced it to a chaotic condition. Verses 3ff. then describe the re-creation of the earth. However, the disjunctive clause at the beginning of v. 2 cannot be translated as if it were relating the next event in a sequence. If v. 2 were sequential to v. 1, the author would have used the vav consecutive followed by a prefixed verbal form and the subject.

[1:2]  ⁵³⁹ tn That is, what we now call “the earth.” The creation of the earth as we know it is described in vv. 9-10. Prior to this the substance which became the earth (= dry land) lay dormant under the water.

[1:2]  ⁵⁴⁰ tn Traditional translations have followed a more literal rendering of “waste and void.” The words describe a condition that is without form and empty. What we now know as “the earth” was actually an unfilled mass covered by water and darkness. Later תֹהוּ (tohu) and בֹּהוּ (bohu), when used in proximity, describe a situation resulting from judgment (Isa 34:11; Jer 4:23). Both prophets may be picturing judgment as the reversal of creation in which God’s judgment causes the world to revert to its primordial condition. This later use of the terms has led some to conclude that Gen 1:2 presupposes the judgment of a prior world, but it is unsound method to read the later application of the imagery (in a context of judgment) back into Gen 1:2.

[1:2]  ⁵⁴¹ sn Darkness. The Hebrew word simply means “darkness,” but in the Bible it has come to symbolize what opposes God, such as judgment (Exod 10:21), death (Ps 88:13), oppression (Isa 9:1), the wicked (1 Sam 2:9) and in general, sin. In Isa 45:7 it parallels “evil.” It is a fitting cover for the primeval waste, but it prepares the reader for the fact that God is about to reveal himself through his works.

[1:2]  ⁵⁴² tn The Hebrew term תְּהוֹם (tÿhom, “deep”) refers to the watery deep, the salty ocean – especially the primeval ocean that surrounds and underlies the earth (see Gen 7:11).

[1:2]  ⁵⁴³ tn The traditional rendering “Spirit of God” is preserved here, as opposed to a translation like “wind from/breath of God” (cf. NRSV) or “mighty wind” (cf. NEB), taking the word “God” to represent the superlative. Elsewhere in the OT the phrase refers consistently to the divine spirit that empowers and energizes individuals (see Gen 41:38; Exod 31:3; 35:31; Num 24:2; 1 Sam 10:10; 11:6; 19:20, 23; Ezek 11:24; 2 Chr 15:1; 24:20).

[1:2]  ⁵⁴⁴ tn The Hebrew verb has been translated “hovering” or “moving” (as a bird over her young, see Deut 32:11). The Syriac cognate term means “to brood over; to incubate.” How much of that sense might be attached here is hard to say, but the verb does depict the presence of the Spirit of God moving about mysteriously over the waters, presumably preparing for the acts of creation to follow. If one reads “mighty wind” (cf. NEB) then the verse describes how the powerful wind begins to blow in preparation for the creative act described in vv. 9-10. (God also used a wind to drive back the flood waters in Noah’s day. See Gen 8:1.)

[1:2]  ⁵⁴⁵ tn Heb “face.”

[1:2]  ⁵⁴⁶ sn The water. The text deliberately changes now from the term for the watery deep to the general word for water. The arena is now the life-giving water and not the chaotic abyss-like deep. The change may be merely stylistic, but it may also carry some significance. The deep carries with it the sense of the abyss, chaos, darkness – in short, that which is not good for life.

[1:3]  ⁵⁴⁷ tn The prefixed verb form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the narrative sequence. Ten times in the chapter the decree of God in creation will be so expressed. For the power of the divine word in creation, see Ps 33:9, John 1:1-3, 1 Cor 8:6, and Col 1:16.

[1:3]  ⁵⁴⁸ tn “Let there be” is the short jussive form of the verb “to be”; the following expression “and there was” is the short preterite form of the same verb. As such, יְהִי (yÿhi) and וַיְהִי (vayÿhi) form a profound wordplay to express both the calling into existence and the complete fulfillment of the divine word.

[1:3]  ⁵⁴⁹ sn Light. The Hebrew word simply means “light,” but it is used often in scripture to convey the ideas of salvation, joy, knowledge, righteousness, and life. In this context one cannot ignore those connotations, for it is the antithesis of the darkness. The first thing God does is correct the darkness; without the light there is only chaos.

[1:4]  ⁵⁵⁰ tn Heb “And God saw the light, that it was good.” The verb “saw” in this passage carries the meaning “reflected on,” “surveyed,” “concluded,” “noted.” It is a description of reflection of the mind – it is God’s opinion.

[1:4]  ⁵⁵¹ tn The Hebrew word טוֹב (tov) in this context signifies whatever enhances, promotes, produces, or is conducive for life. It is the light that God considers “good,” not the darkness. Whatever is conducive to life in God’s creation is good, for God himself is good, and that goodness is reflected in all of his works.

[1:4]  ⁵⁵² tn The verb “separate, divide” here explains how God used the light to dispel the darkness. It did not do away with the darkness completely, but made a separation. The light came alongside the darkness, but they are mutually exclusive – a theme that will be developed in the Gospel of John (cf. John 1:5).

[1:5]  ⁵⁵³ tn Heb “he called to,” meaning “he named.”

[1:5]  ⁵⁵⁴ tn Heb “and the darkness he called night.” The words “he called” have not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:5]  ⁵⁵⁵ tn Another option is to translate, “Evening came, and then morning came.” This formula closes the six days of creation. It seems to follow the Jewish order of reckoning time: from evening to morning. Day one started with the dark, continued through the creation of light, and ended with nightfall. Another alternative would be to translate, “There was night and then there was day, one day.”

[1:6]  ⁵⁵⁶ tn The Hebrew word refers to an expanse of air pressure between the surface of the sea and the clouds, separating water below from water above. In v. 8 it is called “sky.”

[1:6]  ⁵⁵⁷ tn Heb “the waters from the waters.”

[1:7]  ⁵⁵⁸ tn Heb “the expanse.”

[1:7]  ⁵⁵⁹ tn This statement indicates that it happened the way God designed it, underscoring the connection between word and event.

[1:8]  ⁵⁶⁰ tn Though the Hebrew word can mean “heaven,” it refers in this context to “the sky.”

[1:9]  ⁵⁶¹ sn Let the water…be gathered to one place. In the beginning the water covered the whole earth; now the water was to be restricted to an area to form the ocean. The picture is one of the dry land as an island with the sea surrounding it. Again the sovereignty of God is revealed. Whereas the pagans saw the sea as a force to be reckoned with, God controls the boundaries of the sea. And in the judgment at the flood he will blur the boundaries so that chaos returns.

[1:9]  ⁵⁶² tn When the waters are collected to one place, dry land emerges above the surface of the receding water.

[1:10]  ⁵⁶³ tn Heb “earth,” but here the term refers to the dry ground as opposed to the sea.

[1:11]  ⁵⁶⁴ tn The Hebrew construction employs a cognate accusative, where the nominal object (“vegetation”) derives from the verbal root employed. It stresses the abundant productivity that God created.

[1:11]  ⁵⁶⁵ sn After their kinds. The Hebrew word translated “kind” (מִין, min) indicates again that God was concerned with defining and dividing time, space, and species. The point is that creation was with order, as opposed to chaos. And what God created and distinguished with boundaries was not to be confused (see Lev 19:19 and Deut 22:9-11).

[1:11]  ⁵⁶⁶ tn The conjunction “and” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation to clarify the relationship of the clauses.

[1:14]  ⁵⁶⁷ sn Let there be lights. Light itself was created before the light-bearers. The order would not seem strange to the ancient Hebrew mind that did not automatically link daylight with the sun (note that dawn and dusk appear to have light without the sun).

[1:14]  ⁵⁶⁸ tn The language describing the cosmos, which reflects a prescientific view of the world, must be interpreted as phenomenal, describing what appears to be the case. The sun and the moon are not in the sky (below the clouds), but from the viewpoint of a person standing on the earth, they appear that way. Even today we use similar phenomenological expressions, such as “the sun is rising” or “the stars in the sky.”

[1:14]  ⁵⁶⁹ tn The text has “for signs and for seasons and for days and years.” It seems likely from the meanings of the words involved that “signs” is the main idea, followed by two categories, “seasons” and “days and years.” This is the simplest explanation, and one that matches vv. 11-13. It could even be rendered “signs for the fixed seasons, that is [explicative vav (ו)] days and years.”

[1:16]  ⁵⁷⁰ sn Two great lights. The text goes to great length to discuss the creation of these lights, suggesting that the subject was very important to the ancients. Since these “lights” were considered deities in the ancient world, the section serves as a strong polemic (see G. Hasel, “The Polemical Nature of the Genesis Cosmology,” EvQ 46 [1974]: 81-102). The Book of Genesis is affirming they are created entities, not deities. To underscore this the text does not even give them names. If used here, the usual names for the sun and moon [Shemesh and Yarih, respectively] might have carried pagan connotations, so they are simply described as greater and lesser lights. Moreover, they serve in the capacity that God gives them, which would not be the normal function the pagans ascribed to them. They merely divide, govern, and give light in God’s creation.

[1:16]  ⁵⁷¹ tn Heb “and the stars.” Now the term “stars” is added as a third object of the verb “made.” Perhaps the language is phenomenological, meaning that the stars appeared in the sky from this time forward.

[1:17]  ⁵⁷² tn Heb “them”; the referent (the lights mentioned in the preceding verses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:18]  ⁵⁷³ sn In days one to three there is a naming by God; in days five and six there is a blessing by God. But on day four there is neither. It could be a mere stylistic variation. But it could also be a deliberate design to avoid naming “sun” and “moon” or promoting them beyond what they are, things that God made to serve in his creation.

[1:20]  ⁵⁷⁴ tn The Hebrew text again uses a cognate construction (“swarm with swarms”) to emphasize the abundant fertility. The idea of the verb is one of swift movement back and forth, literally swarming. This verb is used in Exod 1:7 to describe the rapid growth of the Israelite population in bondage.

[1:20]  ⁵⁷⁵ tn The Hebrew text uses the Polel form of the verb instead of the simple Qal; it stresses a swarming flight again to underscore the abundant fruitfulness.

[1:21]  ⁵⁷⁶ tn For the first time in the narrative proper the verb “create” (בָּרָא, bara’) appears. (It is used in the summary statement of v. 1.) The author wishes to underscore that these creatures – even the great ones – are part of God’s perfect creation. The Hebrew term תַנִּינִם (tanninim) is used for snakes (Exod 7:9), crocodiles (Ezek 29:3), or other powerful animals (Jer 51:34). In Isa 27:1 the word is used to describe a mythological sea creature that symbolizes God’s enemies.

[1:22]  ⁵⁷⁷ tn While the translation “blessed” has been retained here for the sake of simplicity, it would be most helpful to paraphrase it as “God endowed them with fruitfulness” or something similar, for here it refers to God’s giving the animals the capacity to reproduce. The expression “blessed” needs clarification in its different contexts, for it is one of the unifying themes of the Book of Genesis. The divine blessing occurs after works of creation and is intended to continue that work – the word of blessing guarantees success. The word means “to enrich; to endow,” and the most visible evidence of that enrichment is productivity or fruitfulness. See C. Westermann, Blessing in the Bible and the Life of the Church (OBT).

[1:22]  ⁵⁷⁸ sn The instruction God gives to creation is properly a fuller expression of the statement just made (“God blessed them”), that he enriched them with the ability to reproduce. It is not saying that these were rational creatures who heard and obeyed the word; rather, it stresses that fruitfulness in the animal world is a result of the divine decree and not of some pagan cultic ritual for fruitfulness. The repeated emphasis of “be fruitful – multiply – fill” adds to this abundance God has given to life. The meaning is underscored by the similar sounds: בָּרָךְ (barakh) with בָּרָא (bara’), and פָּרָה (parah) with רָבָה (ravah).

[1:24]  ⁵⁷⁹ tn There are three groups of land animals here: the cattle or livestock (mostly domesticated), things that creep or move close to the ground (such as reptiles or rodents), and the wild animals (all animals of the field). The three terms are general classifications without specific details.

[1:26]  ⁵⁸⁰ sn The plural form of the verb has been the subject of much discussion through the years, and not surprisingly several suggestions have been put forward. Many Christian theologians interpret it as an early hint of plurality within the Godhead, but this view imposes later trinitarian concepts on the ancient text. Some have suggested the plural verb indicates majesty, but the plural of majesty is not used with verbs. C. Westermann (Genesis, 1:145) argues for a plural of “deliberation” here, but his proposed examples of this use (2 Sam 24:14; Isa 6:8) do not actually support his theory. In 2 Sam 24:14 David uses the plural as representative of all Israel, and in Isa 6:8 the Lord speaks on behalf of his heavenly court. In its ancient Israelite context the plural is most naturally understood as referring to God and his heavenly court (see 1 Kgs 22:19-22; Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6; Isa 6:1-8). (The most well-known members of this court are God’s messengers, or angels. In Gen 3:5 the serpent may refer to this group as “gods/divine beings.” See the note on the word “evil” in 3:5.) If this is the case, God invites the heavenly court to participate in the creation of humankind (perhaps in the role of offering praise, see Job 38:7), but he himself is the one who does the actual creative work (v. 27). Of course, this view does assume that the members of the heavenly court possess the divine “image” in some way. Since the image is closely associated with rulership, perhaps they share the divine image in that they, together with God and under his royal authority, are the executive authority over the world.

[1:26]  ⁵⁸¹ tn The Hebrew word is אָדָם (’adam), which can sometimes refer to man, as opposed to woman. The term refers here to humankind, comprised of male and female. The singular is clearly collective (see the plural verb, “[that] they may rule” in v. 26b) and the referent is defined specifically as “male and female” in v. 27. Usage elsewhere in Gen 1-11 supports this as well. In 5:2 we read: “Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and called their name ‘humankind’ (אָדָם).” The noun also refers to humankind in 6:1, 5-7 and in 9:5-6.

[1:26]  ⁵⁸² tn The two prepositions translated “in” and “according to” have overlapping fields of meaning and in this context seem to be virtually equivalent. In 5:3 they are reversed with the two words. The word צֶלֶם (tselem, “image”) is used frequently of statues, models, and images – replicas (see D. J. A. Clines, “The Etymology of Hebrew selem,” JNSL 3 [1974]: 19-25). The word דְּמוּת (dÿmut, “likeness”) is an abstract noun; its verbal root means “to be like; to resemble.” In the Book of Genesis the two terms describe human beings who in some way reflect the form and the function of the creator. The form is more likely stressing the spiritual rather than the physical. The “image of God” would be the God-given mental and spiritual capacities that enable people to relate to God and to serve him by ruling over the created order as his earthly vice-regents.

[1:26]  ⁵⁸³ tn Following the cohortative (“let us make”), the prefixed verb form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result (see Gen 19:20; 34:23; 2 Sam 3:21). God’s purpose in giving humankind his image is that they might rule the created order on behalf of the heavenly king and his royal court. So the divine image, however it is defined, gives humankind the capacity and/or authority to rule over creation.

[1:26]  ⁵⁸⁴ tc The MT reads “earth”; the Syriac reads “wild animals” (cf. NRSV).

[1:26]  ⁵⁸⁵ tn Heb “creep” (also in v. 28).

[1:27]  ⁵⁸⁶ tn The Hebrew text has the article prefixed to the noun (הָאָדָם, ha’adam). The article does not distinguish man from woman here (“the man” as opposed to “the woman”), but rather indicates previous reference (see v. 26, where the noun appears without the article). It has the same function as English “the aforementioned.”

[1:27]  ⁵⁸⁷ tn The third person suffix on the particle אֵת (’et) is singular here, but collective.

[1:27]  ⁵⁸⁸ sn The distinction of “humankind” as “male” and “female” is another point of separation in God’s creation. There is no possibility that the verse is teaching that humans were first androgynous (having both male and female physical characteristics) and afterward were separated. The mention of male and female prepares for the blessing to follow.

[1:28]  ⁵⁸⁹ tn As in v. 22 the verb “bless” here means “to endow with the capacity to reproduce and be fruitful,” as the following context indicates. As in v. 22, the statement directly precedes the command “be fruitful and multiply.” The verb carries this same nuance in Gen 17:16 (where God’s blessing of Sarai imparts to her the capacity to bear a child); Gen 48:16 (where God’s blessing of Joseph’s sons is closely associated with their having numerous descendants); and Deut 7:13 (where God’s blessing is associated with fertility in general, including numerous descendants). See also Gen 49:25 (where Jacob uses the noun derivative in referring to “blessings of the breast and womb,” an obvious reference to fertility) and Gen 27:27 (where the verb is used of a field to which God has given the capacity to produce vegetation).

[1:28]  ⁵⁹⁰ tn Heb “and God said.” For stylistic reasons “God” has not been repeated here in the translation.

[1:28]  ⁵⁹¹ tn Elsewhere the Hebrew verb translated “subdue” means “to enslave” (2 Chr 28:10; Neh 5:5; Jer 34:11, 16), “to conquer,” (Num 32:22, 29; Josh 18:1; 2 Sam 8:11; 1 Chr 22:18; Zech 9:13; and probably Mic 7:19), and “to assault sexually” (Esth 7:8). None of these nuances adequately meets the demands of this context, for humankind is not viewed as having an adversarial relationship with the world. The general meaning of the verb appears to be “to bring under one’s control for one’s advantage.” In Gen 1:28 one might paraphrase it as follows: “harness its potential and use its resources for your benefit.” In an ancient Israelite context this would suggest cultivating its fields, mining its mineral riches, using its trees for construction, and domesticating its animals.

[1:28]  ⁵⁹² sn The several imperatives addressed to both males and females together (plural imperative forms) actually form two commands: reproduce and rule. God’s word is not merely a form of blessing, but is now addressed to them personally; this is a distinct emphasis with the creation of human beings. But with the blessing comes the ability to be fruitful and to rule. In procreation they will share in the divine work of creating human life and passing on the divine image (see 5:1-3); in ruling they will serve as God’s vice-regents on earth. They together, the human race collectively, have the responsibility of seeing to the welfare of that which is put under them and the privilege of using it for their benefit.

[1:29]  ⁵⁹³ tn The text uses הִנֵּה (hinneh), often archaically translated “behold.” It is often used to express the dramatic present, the immediacy of an event – “Look, this is what I am doing!”

[1:29]  ⁵⁹⁴ sn G. J. Wenham (Genesis [WBC], 1:34) points out that there is nothing in the passage that prohibits the man and the woman from eating meat. He suggests that eating meat came after the fall. Gen 9:3 may then ratify the postfall practice of eating meat rather than inaugurate the practice, as is often understood.

[1:30]  ⁵⁹⁵ tn The phrase “I give” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[1:31]  ⁵⁹⁶ tn The Hebrew text again uses הִנֵּה (hinneh) for the sake of vividness. It is a particle that goes with the gesture of pointing, calling attention to something.

[8:7]  ⁵⁹⁷ tn Heb “Listen to the voice of the people, to all which they say to you.”

[8:8]  ⁵⁹⁸ tn Heb “according to all the deeds which they have done.”

[10:27]  ⁵⁹⁹ tn Heb “sons of worthlessness” (see 2:12).

[10:27]  ⁶⁰⁰ tc In place of the MT (“and it was like one being silent”) the LXX has “after about a month,” taking the expression with the first part of the following chapter rather than with 10:27. Some Hebrew support for this reading appears in the corrected hand of a Qumran ms of Samuel, which has here “about a month.” However, it seems best to stay with the MT here even though it is difficult.

[19:14]  ⁶⁰¹ tn Or “subjects.” Technically these people were not his subjects yet, but would be upon his return. They were citizens of his country who opposed his appointment as their king; later the newly-appointed king will refer to them as his “enemies” (v. 27).

[19:14]  ⁶⁰² tn The imperfect is intense in this context, suggesting an ongoing attitude.

[19:14]  ⁶⁰³ tn Grk “this one” (somewhat derogatory in this context).

[19:14]  ⁶⁰⁴ tn Or “to rule.”

[18:40]  ⁶⁰⁵ tn Or “they shouted again,” or “they shouted in turn.” On the difficulty of translating πάλιν (palin) see BDAG 753 s.v. 5. It is simplest in the context of John’s Gospel to understand the phrase to mean “they shouted back” as a reply to Pilate’s question.

[18:40]  ⁶⁰⁶ tn Grk “this one.”

[18:40]  ⁶⁰⁷ sn The name Barabbas in Aramaic means “son of abba,” that is, “son of the father,” and presumably the man in question had another name (it may also have been Jesus, according to the textual variant in Matt 27:16, although this is uncertain). For the author this name held ironic significance: The crowd was asking for the release of a man called Barabbas, “son of the father,” while Jesus, who was truly the Son of the Father, was condemned to die instead.

[18:40]  ⁶⁰⁸ tn Or “robber.” It is possible that Barabbas was merely a robber or highwayman, but more likely, given the use of the term ληστής (lhsth") in Josephus and other early sources, that he was a guerrilla warrior or revolutionary leader. See both R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:857) and K. H. Rengstorf (TDNT 4:258) for more information. The word λῃστής was used a number of times by Josephus (J. W. 2.13.2-3 [2.253-254]) to describe the revolutionaries or guerrilla fighters who, from mixed motives of nationalism and greed, kept the rural districts of Judea in constant turmoil.

[18:40]  ⁶⁰⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:15]  ⁶¹⁰ tn Grk “Then these.”

[19:15]  ⁶¹¹ tn The words “with him” (twice) are not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[19:15]  ⁶¹² sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.

[19:15]  ⁶¹³ tn Grk “Pilate said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated because it is clear in English who Pilate is addressing.