Genesis 2:6

2:6 Springs ¹  would well up ²  from the earth and water ³  the whole surface of the ground. ⁴ 

Genesis 18:12

18:12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, ⁵  “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, ⁶  especially when my husband is old too?” ⁷ 

Genesis 22:18

22:18 Because you have obeyed me, ⁸  all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ⁹  using the name of your descendants.’”

Genesis 28:19

28:19 He called that place Bethel, ¹⁰  although the former name of the town was Luz.

Genesis 37:24

37:24 Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty; ¹¹  there was no water in it.)

Genesis 42:23

42:23 (Now ¹²  they did not know that Joseph could understand them, ¹³  for he was speaking through an interpreter.) ¹⁴ 

[2:6]  ¹ tn The conjunction vav (ו) introduces a third disjunctive clause. The Hebrew word אֵד (’ed) was traditionally translated “mist” because of its use in Job 36:27. However, an Akkadian cognate edu in Babylonian texts refers to subterranean springs or waterways. Such a spring would fit the description in this context, since this water “goes up” and waters the ground.

[2:6]  ² tn Heb “was going up.” The verb is an imperfect form, which in this narrative context carries a customary nuance, indicating continual action in past time.

[2:6]  ³ tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same nuance as the preceding verb. Whenever it would well up, it would water the ground.

[2:6]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew word אֲדָמָה (’adamah) actually means “ground; fertile soil.”

[18:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “saying.”

[18:12]  ⁶ tn It has been suggested that this word should be translated “conception,” not “pleasure.” See A. A. McIntosh, “A Third Root ‘adah in Biblical Hebrew,” VT 24 (1974): 454-73.

[18:12]  ⁷ tn The word “too” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:18]  ⁹ tn In the Hebrew text this causal clause comes at the end of the sentence. The translation alters the word order for stylistic reasons.

[22:18]  ¹⁰ tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 26:4). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)

[28:19]  ¹³ tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew (see v. 17).

[37:24]  ¹⁷ tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that helps the reader or hearer to picture what happened.

[42:23]  ²¹ tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information that is important to the story.

[42:23]  ²² tn “was listening.” The brothers were not aware that Joseph could understand them as they spoke the preceding words in their native language.

[42:23]  ²³ tn Heb “for [there was] an interpreter between them.” On the meaning of the word here translated “interpreter” see HALOT 590 s.v. מֵלִיץ and M. A. Canney, “The Hebrew melis (Prov IX 12; Gen XLII 2-3),” AJSL 40 (1923/24): 135-37.