Genesis 1:31

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

Genesis 4:4

4:4 But Abel brought ²  some of the firstborn of his flock – even the fattest ³  of them. And the Lord was pleased with ⁴  Abel and his offering,

Genesis 39:23

39:23 The warden did not concern himself ⁵  with anything that was in Joseph’s ⁶  care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.

Genesis 41:21

41:21 When they had eaten them, ⁷  no one would have known ⁸  that they had done so, for they were just as bad-looking as before. Then I woke up.

Genesis 43:30

43:30 Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome by affection for his brother ⁹  and was at the point of tears. ¹⁰  So he went to his room and wept there.

[1:31]  ¹ 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.

[4:4]  ² tn Heb “But Abel brought, also he….” The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) stresses the contrast between Cain’s offering and Abel’s.

[4:4]  ³ tn Two prepositional phrases are used to qualify the kind of sacrifice that Abel brought: “from the firstborn” and “from the fattest of them.” These also could be interpreted as a hendiadys: “from the fattest of the firstborn of the flock.” Another option is to understand the second prepositional phrase as referring to the fat portions of the sacrificial sheep. In this case one may translate, “some of the firstborn of his flock, even some of their fat portions” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).

[4:4]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew verb שָׁעָה (sha’ah) simply means “to gaze at, to have regard for, to look on with favor [or “with devotion”].” The text does not indicate how this was communicated, but it indicates that Cain and Abel knew immediately. Either there was some manifestation of divine pleasure given to Abel and withheld from Cain (fire consuming the sacrifice?), or there was an inner awareness of divine response.

[39:23]  ³ tn Heb “was not looking at anything.”

[39:23]  ⁴ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:21]  ⁴ tn Heb “when they went inside them.”

[41:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “it was not known.”

[43:30]  ⁵ tn Heb “for his affection boiled up concerning his brother.” The same expression is used in 1 Kgs 3:26 for the mother’s feelings for her endangered child.

[43:30]  ⁶ tn Heb “and he sought to weep.”