Genesis 19:14

19:14 Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters. ¹  He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy ²  the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them. ³ 

Genesis 22:3

22:3 Early in the morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. ⁴  He took two of his young servants with him, along with his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he started out ⁵  for the place God had spoken to him about.

Genesis 38:14

38:14 So she removed her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil. She wrapped herself and sat at the entrance to Enaim which is on the way to Timnah. (She did this because ⁶  she saw that she had not been given to Shelah as a wife, even though he had now grown up.) ⁷ 

Genesis 43:18

43:18 But the men were afraid when they were brought to Joseph’s house. They said, “We are being brought in because of ⁸  the money that was returned in our sacks last time. ⁹  He wants to capture us, ¹⁰  make us slaves, and take ¹¹  our donkeys!”

Genesis 50:17

50:17 ‘Tell Joseph this: Please forgive the sin of your brothers and the wrong they did when they treated you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sin of the servants of the God of your father.” When this message was reported to him, Joseph wept. ¹² 

[19:14]  ¹ sn The language has to be interpreted in the light of the context and the social customs. The men are called “sons-in-law” (literally “the takers of his daughters”), but the daughters had not yet had sex with a man. It is better to translate the phrase “who were going to marry his daughters.” Since formal marriage contracts were binding, the husbands-to-be could already be called sons-in-law.

[19:14]  ² tn The Hebrew active participle expresses an imminent action.

[19:14]  ³ tn Heb “and he was like one taunting in the eyes of his sons-in-law.” These men mistakenly thought Lot was ridiculing them and their lifestyle. Their response illustrates how morally insensitive they had become.

[22:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey.”

[22:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “he arose and he went.”

[38:14]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew text simply has “because,” connecting this sentence to what precedes. For stylistic reasons the words “she did this” are supplied in the translation and a new sentence begun.

[38:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she was not given to him as a wife.”

[43:18]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “over the matter of.”

[43:18]  ¹¹ tn Heb “in the beginning,” that is, at the end of their first visit.

[43:18]  ¹² tn Heb “to roll himself upon us and to cause himself to fall upon us.” The infinitives here indicate the purpose (as viewed by the brothers) for their being brought to Joseph’s house.

[43:18]  ¹³ tn The word “take” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[50:17]  ¹³ tn Heb “and Joseph wept when they spoke to him.”