Genesis 19:23

19:23 The sun had just risen ¹  over the land as Lot reached Zoar. ² 

Genesis 32:31

32:31 The sun rose ³  over him as he crossed over Penuel, ⁴  but ⁵  he was limping because of his hip.

Genesis 15:12

15:12 When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep, ⁶  and great terror overwhelmed him. ⁷ 

Genesis 15:17

15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch ⁸  passed between the animal parts. ⁹ 

Genesis 28:11

28:11 He reached a certain place ¹⁰  where he decided to camp because the sun had gone down. ¹¹  He took one of the stones ¹²  and placed it near his head. ¹³  Then he fell asleep ¹⁴  in that place

Genesis 37:9

37:9 Then he had another dream, ¹⁵  and told it to his brothers. “Look,” ¹⁶  he said. “I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

[19:23]  ¹ sn The sun had just risen. There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15) and sunrise (here).

[19:23]  ² tn The juxtaposition of the two disjunctive clauses indicates synchronic action. The first action (the sun’s rising) occurred as the second (Lot’s entering Zoar) took place. The disjunctive clauses also signal closure for the preceding scene.

[32:31]  ³ tn Heb “shone.”

[32:31]  ⁴ sn The name is spelled Penuel here, apparently a variant spelling of Peniel (see v. 30).

[32:31]  ⁵ tn The disjunctive clause draws attention to an important fact: He may have crossed the stream, but he was limping.

[15:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “a deep sleep fell on Abram.”

[15:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “and look, terror, a great darkness was falling on him.”

[15:17]  ⁷ sn A smoking pot with a flaming torch. These same implements were used in Mesopotamian rituals designed to ward off evil (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 113-14).

[15:17]  ⁸ tn Heb “these pieces.”

[28:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “the place.” The article may indicate simply that the place is definite in the mind of the narrator. However, as the story unfolds the place is transformed into a holy place. See A. P. Ross, “Jacob’s Vision: The Founding of Bethel,” BSac 142 (1985): 224-37.

[28:11]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and he spent the night there because the sun had gone down.”

[28:11]  ¹¹ tn Heb “he took from the stones of the place,” which here means Jacob took one of the stones (see v. 18).

[28:11]  ¹² tn Heb “and he put [it at] the place of his head.” The text does not actually say the stone was placed under his head to serve as a pillow, although most interpreters and translators assume this. It is possible the stone served some other purpose. Jacob does not seem to have been a committed monotheist yet (see v. 20-21) so he may have believed it contained some spiritual power. Note that later in the story he anticipates the stone becoming the residence of God (see v. 22). Many cultures throughout the world view certain types of stones as magical and/or sacred. See J. G. Fraser, Folklore in the Old Testament, 231-37.

[28:11]  ¹³ tn Heb “lay down.”

[37:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “And he dreamed yet another dream.”

[37:9]  ¹² tn Heb “and he said, ‘Look.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons. Both clauses of the dream report begin with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which lends vividness to the report.