Genesis 2:10

2:10 Now ¹  a river flows ²  from Eden ³  to

water the orchard, and from there it divides ⁴  into four headstreams. ⁵ 

Genesis 10:1

The Table of Nations

10:1 This is the account ⁶  of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons ⁷  were born ⁸  to them after the flood.

Genesis 20:1

Abraham and Abimelech

20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev ⁹  region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident ¹⁰  in Gerar,

Genesis 31:19

31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, ¹¹  Rachel stole the household idols ¹²  that belonged to her father.

Genesis 35:17

35:17 When her labor was at its hardest, ¹³  the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you are having another son.” ¹⁴ 

Genesis 37:5

37:5 Joseph ¹⁵  had a dream, ¹⁶  and when he told his brothers about it, ¹⁷  they hated him even more. ¹⁸ 

Genesis 37:24

37:24 Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty; ¹⁹  there was no water in it.)

Genesis 42:1

Joseph’s Brothers in Egypt

42:1 When Jacob heard ²⁰  there was grain in Egypt, he ²¹  said to his sons, “Why are you looking at each other?” ²² 

Genesis 45:12

45:12 You and my brother Benjamin can certainly see with your own eyes that I really am the one who speaks to you. ²³ 

Genesis 46:8

46:8 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt – Jacob and his sons:

Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob.

[2:10]  ¹ tn The disjunctive clause (note the construction conjunction + subject + predicate) introduces an entire paragraph about the richness of the region in the east.

[2:10]  ² tn The Hebrew active participle may be translated here as indicating past durative action, “was flowing,” or as a present durative, “flows.” Since this river was the source of the rivers mentioned in vv. 11-14, which appear to describe a situation contemporary with the narrator, it is preferable to translate the participle in v. 10 with the present tense. This suggests that Eden and its orchard still existed in the narrator’s time. According to ancient Jewish tradition, Enoch was taken to the Garden of Eden, where his presence insulated the garden from the destructive waters of Noah’s flood. See Jub. 4:23-24.

[2:10]  ³ sn Eden is portrayed here as a source of life-giving rivers (that is, perennial streams). This is no surprise because its orchard is where the tree of life is located. Eden is a source of life, but tragically its orchard is no longer accessible to humankind. The river flowing out of Eden is a tantalizing reminder of this. God continues to provide life-giving water to sustain physical existence on the earth, but immortality has been lost.

[2:10]  ⁴ tn The imperfect verb form has the same nuance as the preceding participle. (If the participle is taken as past durative, then the imperfect would be translated “was dividing.”)

[2:10]  ⁵ tn Or “branches”; Heb “heads.” Cf. NEB “streams”; NASB “rivers.”

[10:1]  ⁶ tn The title אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת (’elle tolÿdot, here translated as “This is the account”) here covers 10:1–11:9, which contains the so-called Table of Nations and the account of how the nations came to be dispersed.

[10:1]  ⁷ sn Sons were born to them. A vertical genealogy such as this encompasses more than the names of sons. The list includes cities, tribes, and even nations. In a loose way, the names in the list have some derivation or connection to the three ancestors.

[10:1]  ⁸ tn It appears that the Table of Nations is a composite of at least two ancient sources: Some sections begin with the phrase “the sons of” (בְּנֵי, bÿne) while other sections use “begot” (יָלָד, yalad). It may very well be that the “sons of” list was an old, “bare bones” list that was retained in the family records, while the “begot” sections were editorial inserts by the writer of Genesis, reflecting his special interests. See A. P. Ross, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Structure,” BSac 137 (1980): 340-53; idem, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Content,” BSac 138 (1981): 22-34.

[20:1]  ¹¹ tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”

[20:1]  ¹² tn Heb “and he sojourned.”

[31:19]  ¹⁶ tn This disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new scene. In the English translation it may be subordinated to the following clause.

[31:19]  ¹⁷ tn Or “household gods.” Some translations merely transliterate the Hebrew term תְּרָפִים (tÿrafim) as “teraphim,” which apparently refers to household idols. Some contend that possession of these idols guaranteed the right of inheritance, but it is more likely that they were viewed simply as protective deities. See M. Greenberg, “Another Look at Rachel’s Theft of the Teraphim,” JBL 81 (1962): 239-48.

[35:17]  ²¹ tn The construction uses a Hiphil infinitive, which E. A. Speiser classifies as an elative Hiphil. The contrast is with the previous Piel: there “she had hard labor,” and here, “her labor was at its hardest.” Failure to see this, Speiser notes, has led to redundant translations and misunderstandings (Genesis [AB], 273).

[35:17]  ²² sn Another son. The episode recalls and fulfills the prayer of Rachel at the birth of Joseph (Gen 30:24): “may he add” another son.

[37:5]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:5]  ²⁷ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[37:5]  ²⁸ sn Some interpreters see Joseph as gloating over his brothers, but the text simply says he told his brothers about it (i.e., the dream). The text gives no warrant for interpreting his manner as arrogant or condescending. It seems normal that he would share a dream with the family.

[37:5]  ²⁹ tn The construction uses a hendiadys, “they added to hate,” meaning they hated him even more.

[37:24]  ³¹ tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that helps the reader or hearer to picture what happened.

[42:1]  ³⁶ tn Heb “saw.”

[42:1]  ³⁷ tn Heb “Jacob.” Here the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:1]  ³⁸ sn Why are you looking at each other? The point of Jacob’s question is that his sons should be going to get grain rather than sitting around doing nothing. Jacob, as the patriarch, still makes the decisions for the whole clan.

[45:12]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “And, look, your eyes see and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that my mouth is the one speaking to you.”