Genesis 14:13

14:13 A fugitive ¹  came and told Abram the Hebrew. ²  Now Abram was living by the oaks ³  of Mamre the Amorite, the brother ⁴  of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty ⁵  with Abram.) ⁶ 

Genesis 22:20

22:20 After these things Abraham was told, “Milcah ⁷  also has borne children to your brother Nahor –

Genesis 29:12

29:12 When Jacob explained ⁸  to Rachel that he was a relative of her father ⁹  and the son of Rebekah, she ran and told her father.

Genesis 38:24

38:24 After three months Judah was told, ¹⁰  “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution, ¹¹  and as a result she has become pregnant.” ¹²  Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”

Genesis 47:1

Joseph’s Wise Administration

47:1 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, “My father, my brothers, their flocks and herds, and all that they own have arrived from the land of

Canaan. They are now ¹³  in the land of Goshen.”

Genesis 48:2

48:2 When Jacob was told, ¹⁴  “Your son Joseph has just ¹⁵  come to you,” Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed.

[14:13]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ tn Or “terebinths.”

[14:13]  ⁴ tn Or “a brother”; or “a relative”; or perhaps “an ally.”

[14:13]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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.

[22:20]  ⁷ tn In the Hebrew text the sentence begins with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to the statement.

[29:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “declared.”

[29:12]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “that he [was] the brother of her father.”

[38:24]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “it was told to Judah, saying.”

[38:24]  ²⁰ tn Or “has been sexually promiscuous.” The verb may refer here to loose or promiscuous activity, not necessarily prostitution.

[38:24]  ²¹ tn Heb “and also look, she is with child by prostitution.”

[47:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “Look they [are] in the land of Goshen.” Joseph draws attention to the fact of their presence in Goshen.

[48:2]  ³¹ tn Heb “and one told and said.” The verbs have no expressed subject and can be translated with the passive voice.

[48:2]  ³² tn Heb “Look, your son Joseph.”