Genesis 16:12

16:12 He will be a wild donkey ¹  of a man.

He will be hostile to everyone, ² 

and everyone will be hostile to him. ³ 

He will live away from ⁴  his brothers.”

Genesis 24:9

24:9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. ⁵ 

Genesis 38:28-29

38:28 While she was giving birth, one child ⁶  put out his hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 38:29 But then he drew back his hand, and his brother came out before him. ⁷  She said, “How you have broken out of the womb!” ⁸  So he was named Perez. ⁹ 

Genesis 41:44

41:44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission ¹⁰  no one ¹¹  will move his hand or his foot ¹²  in all the land of Egypt.”

Genesis 46:4

46:4 I will go down with you to Egypt and I myself will certainly bring you back from there. ¹³  Joseph will close your eyes.” ¹⁴ 

[16:12]  ¹ sn A wild donkey of a man. The prophecy is not an insult. The wild donkey lived a solitary existence in the desert away from society. Ishmael would be free-roaming, strong, and like a bedouin; he would enjoy the freedom his mother sought.

[16:12]  ² tn Heb “His hand will be against everyone.” The “hand” by metonymy represents strength. His free-roaming life style would put him in conflict with those who follow social conventions. There would not be open warfare, only friction because of his antagonism to their way of life.

[16:12]  ³ tn Heb “And the hand of everyone will be against him.”

[16:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “opposite, across from.” Ishmael would live on the edge of society (cf. NASB “to the east of”). Some take this as an idiom meaning “be at odds with” (cf. NRSV, NLT) or “live in hostility toward” (cf. NIV).

[24:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”

[38:28]  ⁹ tn The word “child” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:29]  ¹³ tn Heb “Look, his brother came out.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through the midwife’s eyes. The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:29]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “How you have made a breach for yourself!” The Hebrew verb translated “make a breach” frequently occurs, as here, with a cognate accusative. The event provided the meaningful name Perez, “he who breaks through.”

[38:29]  ¹⁵ sn The name Perez means “he who breaks through,” referring to Perez reaching out his hand at birth before his brother was born. The naming signified the completion of Tamar’s struggle and also depicted the destiny of the tribe of Perez who later became dominant (Gen 46:12 and Num 26:20). Judah and his brothers had sold Joseph into slavery, thinking they could thwart God’s plan that the elder brothers should serve the younger. God demonstrated that principle through these births in Judah’s own family, affirming that the elder will serve the younger, and that Joseph’s leadership could not so easily be set aside. See J. Goldin, “The Youngest Son; or, Where Does Genesis 38 Belong?” JBL 96 (1977): 27-44.

[41:44]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “apart from you.”

[41:44]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “no man,” but here “man” is generic, referring to people in general.

[41:44]  ¹⁹ tn The idiom “lift up hand or foot” means “take any action” here.

[46:4]  ²¹ tn Heb “and I, I will bring you up, also bringing up.” The independent personal pronoun before the first person imperfect verbal form draws attention to the speaker/subject, while the infinitive absolute after the imperfect strongly emphasizes the statement: “I myself will certainly bring you up.”

[46:4]  ²² tn Heb “and Joseph will put his hand upon your eyes.” This is a promise of peaceful death in Egypt with Joseph present to close his eyes.