Genesis 18:1

Three Special Visitors

18:1 The Lord appeared to Abraham ¹  by the oaks ²  of Mamre while ³  he was sitting at the entrance ⁴  to his tent during the hottest time of the day.

Genesis 19:37

19:37 The older daughter ⁵  gave birth to a son and named him Moab. ⁶  He is the ancestor of the Moabites of today.

Genesis 26:33

26:33 So he named it Shibah; ⁷  that is why the name of the city has been Beer Sheba ⁸  to this day.

Genesis 35:20

35:20 Jacob set up a marker ⁹  over her grave; it is ¹⁰  the Marker of Rachel’s Grave to this day.

Genesis 41:9

41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. ¹¹ 

[18:1]  ¹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ² tn Or “terebinths.”

[18:1]  ³ tn The disjunctive clause here is circumstantial to the main clause.

[18:1]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew noun translated “entrance” is an adverbial accusative of place.

[19:37]  ⁵ tn Heb “the firstborn.”

[19:37]  ⁶ sn The meaning of the name Moab is not certain. The name sounds like the Hebrew phrase “from our father” (מֵאָבִינוּ, me’avinu) which the daughters used twice (vv. 32, 34). This account is probably included in the narrative in order to portray the Moabites, who later became enemies of God’s people, in a negative light.

[26:33]  ⁹ sn The name Shibah (שִׁבְעָה, shiv’ah) means (or at least sounds like) the word meaning “oath.” The name was a reminder of the oath sworn by Isaac and the Philistines to solidify their treaty.

[26:33]  ¹⁰ sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of an oath” or “well of seven.” According to Gen 21:31 Abraham gave Beer Sheba its name when he made a treaty with the Philistines. Because of the parallels between this earlier story and the account in 26:26-33, some scholars see chaps. 21 and 26 as two versions (or doublets) of one original story. However, if one takes the text as it stands, it appears that Isaac made a later treaty agreement with the people of the land that was similar to his father’s. Abraham dug a well at the site and named the place Beer Sheba; Isaac dug another well there and named the well Shibah. Later generations then associated the name Beer Sheba with Isaac, even though Abraham gave the place its name at an earlier time.

[35:20]  ¹³ tn Heb “standing stone.”

[35:20]  ¹⁴ tn Or perhaps “it is known as” (cf. NEB).

[41:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “sins, offenses.” He probably refers here to the offenses that landed him in prison (see 40:1).