Genesis 1:3

1:3 God said, ¹  “Let there be ²  light.” ³  And there was light!

Genesis 1:17

1:17 God placed the lights ⁴  in the expanse of the sky to shine on the earth,

Genesis 3:9

3:9 But the Lord God called to ⁵  the man and said to him, “Where are you?” ⁶ 

Genesis 6:22

6:22 And Noah did all ⁷  that God commanded him – he did indeed. ⁸ 

Genesis 17:3

17:3 Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, ⁹  and God said to him, ¹⁰ 

Genesis 17:18

17:18 Abraham said to God, “O that ¹¹  Ishmael might live before you!” ¹² 

Genesis 17:22

17:22 When he finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. ¹³ 

Genesis 30:17

30:17 God paid attention ¹⁴  to Leah; she became pregnant ¹⁵  and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time. ¹⁶ 

Genesis 32:1

Jacob Wrestles at Peniel

32:1 So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God ¹⁷  met him.

Genesis 35:13

35:13 Then God went up from the place ¹⁸  where he spoke with him.

[1:3]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ 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.

[1:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the lights mentioned in the preceding verses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:9]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to call”) followed by the preposition אֶל־ or לְ (’el- or lÿ, “to, unto”) often carries the connotation of “summon.”

[3:9]  ⁸ sn Where are you? The question is probably rhetorical (a figure of speech called erotesis) rather than literal, because it was spoken to the man, who answers it with an explanation of why he was hiding rather than a location. The question has more the force of “Why are you hiding?”

[6:22]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “according to all.”

[6:22]  ¹¹ tn The last clause seems redundant: “and thus (כֵּן, ken) he did.” It underscores the obedience of Noah to all that God had said.

[17:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “And Abram fell on his face.” This expression probably means that Abram sank to his knees and put his forehead to the ground, although it is possible that he completely prostrated himself. In either case the posture indicates humility and reverence.

[17:3]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “God spoke to him, saying.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:18]  ¹⁶ tn The wish is introduced with the Hebrew particle לוּ (lu), “O that.”

[17:18]  ¹⁷ tn Or “live with your blessing.”

[17:22]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “And when he finished speaking with him, God went up from Abraham.” The sequence of pronouns and proper names has been modified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:17]  ²² tn Heb “listened to.”

[30:17]  ²³ tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 19).

[30:17]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a fifth son,” i.e., this was the fifth son that Leah had given Jacob.

[32:1]  ²⁵ sn The phrase angels of God occurs only here and in Gen 28:12 in the OT. Jacob saw a vision of angels just before he left the promised land. Now he encounters angels as he prepares to return to it. The text does not give the details of the encounter, but Jacob’s response suggests it was amicable. This location was a spot where heaven made contact with earth, and where God made his presence known to the patriarch. See C. Houtman, “Jacob at Mahanaim: Some Remarks on Genesis XXXII 2-3,” VT 28 (1978): 37-44.

[35:13]  ²⁸ tn Heb “went up from upon him in the place.”