Genesis 14:15

14:15 Then, during the night, ¹  Abram ²  divided his forces ³  against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north ⁴  of Damascus.

Genesis 14:14

14:14 When Abram heard that his nephew ⁵  had been taken captive, he mobilized ⁶  his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders ⁷  as far as Dan. ⁸ 

Genesis 31:23

31:23 So he took his relatives ⁹  with him and pursued Jacob ¹⁰  for seven days. ¹¹  He caught up with ¹²  him in the hill country of Gilead.

Genesis 35:5

35:5 and they started on their journey. ¹³  The surrounding cities were afraid of God, ¹⁴  and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

Genesis 44:4

44:4 They had not gone very far from the city ¹⁵  when Joseph said ¹⁶  to the servant who was over his household, “Pursue the men at once! ¹⁷  When you overtake ¹⁸  them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?

[14:15]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.

[14:15]  ² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:15]  ³ tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”

[14:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.

[14:14]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn The words “the invaders” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:14]  ⁸ 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.

[31:23]  ⁹ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[31:23]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:23]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”

[31:23]  ¹² tn Heb “drew close to.”

[35:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “and they journeyed.”

[35:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and the fear of God was upon the cities which were round about them.” The expression “fear of God” apparently refers (1) to a fear of God (objective genitive; God is the object of their fear). (2) But it could mean “fear from God,” that is, fear which God placed in them (cf. NRSV “a terror from God”). Another option (3) is that the divine name is used as a superlative here, referring to “tremendous fear” (cf. NEB “were panic-stricken”; NASB “a great terror”).

[44:4]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “they left the city, they were not far,” meaning “they had not gone very far.”

[44:4]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and Joseph said.” This clause, like the first one in the verse, has the subject before the verb, indicating synchronic action.

[44:4]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “arise, chase after the men.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.

[44:4]  ²⁰ tn After the imperative this perfect verbal form with vav consecutive has the same nuance of instruction. In the translation it is subordinated to the verbal form that follows (also a perfect with vav consecutive): “and overtake them and say,” becomes “when you overtake them, say.”