Genesis 2:7

2:7 The Lord God formed ¹  the man from the soil of the ground ²  and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, ³  and the man became a living being. ⁴ 

Genesis 2:22

2:22 Then the Lord God made ⁵  a woman from the part he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

Genesis 4:11

4:11 So now, you are banished ⁶  from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

Genesis 5:29

5:29 He named him Noah, ⁷  saying, “This one will bring us comfort ⁸  from our labor and from the painful toil of our hands because of the ground that the Lord has cursed.”

Genesis 7:8

7:8 Pairs ⁹  of clean animals, of unclean animals, of birds, and of everything that creeps along the ground,

Genesis 8:19

8:19 Every living creature, every creeping thing, every bird, and everything that moves on the earth went out of the ark in their groups.

Genesis 9:18

The Curse of Canaan

9:18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Now Ham was the father of Canaan.) ¹⁰ 

Genesis 10:11

10:11 From that land he went ¹¹  to Assyria, ¹²  where he built Nineveh, ¹³  Rehoboth-Ir, ¹⁴  Calah, ¹⁵ 

Genesis 19:12

19:12 Then the two visitors ¹⁶  said to Lot, “Who else do you have here? ¹⁷  Do you have ¹⁸  any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city? ¹⁹  Get them out of this ²⁰  place

Genesis 25:30

25:30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed ²¹  me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called ²²  Edom.) ²³ 

Genesis 33:15

33:15 So Esau said, “Let me leave some of my men with you.” ²⁴  “Why do that?” Jacob replied. ²⁵  “My lord has already been kind enough to me.” ²⁶ 

Genesis 38:17

38:17 He replied, “I’ll send you a young goat from the flock.” She asked, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?” ²⁷ 

Genesis 40:14

40:14 But remember me ²⁸  when it goes well for you, and show ²⁹  me kindness. ³⁰  Make mention ³¹  of me to Pharaoh and bring me out of this prison, ³² 

Genesis 40:17

40:17 In the top basket there were baked goods of every kind for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them from the basket that was on my head.”

Genesis 41:3

41:3 Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, ³³  and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. ³⁴ 

Genesis 41:14

41:14 Then Pharaoh summoned ³⁵  Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh.

[2:7]  ¹ tn Or “fashioned.” The prefixed verb form with vav (ו) consecutive initiates narrative sequence. The Hebrew word יָצַר (yatsar) means “to form” or “to fashion,” usually by plan or design (see the related noun יֵצֶר [yetser] in Gen 6:5). It is the term for an artist’s work (the Hebrew term יוֹצֵר [yotser] refers to a potter; see Jer 18:2-4.)

[2:7]  ² tn The line literally reads “And Yahweh God formed the man, soil, from the ground.” “Soil” is an adverbial accusative, identifying the material from which the man was made.

[2:7]  ³ tn The Hebrew word נְשָׁמָה (nÿshamah, “breath”) is used for God and for the life imparted to humans, not animals (see T. C. Mitchell, “The Old Testament Usage of Nÿshama,” VT 11 [1961]: 177-87). Its usage in the Bible conveys more than a breathing living organism (נֶפֶשׁ חַיַּה, nefesh khayyah). Whatever is given this breath of life becomes animated with the life from God, has spiritual understanding (Job 32:8), and has a functioning conscience (Prov 20:27).

[2:7]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being”) is often translated “soul,” but the word usually refers to the whole person. The phrase נֶפֶשׁ חַיַּה (nefesh khayyah, “living being”) is used of both animals and human beings (see 1:20, 24, 30; 2:19).

[2:22]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew verb is בָּנָה (banah, “to make, to build, to construct”). The text states that the Lord God built the rib into a woman. Again, the passage gives no indication of precisely how this was done.

[4:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “cursed are you from the ground.” As in Gen 3:14, the word “cursed,” a passive participle from אָרָר (’arar), either means “punished” or “banished,” depending on how one interprets the following preposition. If the preposition is taken as indicating source, then the idea is “cursed (i.e., punished) are you from [i.e., “through the agency of”] the ground” (see v. 12a). If the preposition is taken as separative, then the idea is “cursed and banished from the ground.” In this case the ground rejects Cain’s efforts in such a way that he is banished from the ground and forced to become a fugitive out in the earth (see vv. 12b, 14).

[5:29]  ¹³ sn The name Noah appears to be related to the Hebrew word נוּחַ (nuakh, “to rest”). There are several wordplays on the name “Noah” in the story of the flood.

[5:29]  ¹⁴ tn The Hebrew verb יְנַחֲמֵנוּ (yÿnakhamenu) is from the root נָחָם (nakham), which means “to comfort” in the Piel verbal stem. The letters נ (nun) and ח (heth) pick up the sounds in the name “Noah,” forming a paronomasia on the name. They are not from the same verbal root, and so the connection is only by sound. Lamech’s sentiment reflects the oppression of living under the curse on the ground, but also expresses the hope for relief in some way through the birth of Noah. His words proved to be ironic but prophetic. The relief would come with a new beginning after the flood. See E. G. Kraeling, “The Interpretations of the Name Noah in Genesis 5:29,” JBL 48 (1929): 138-43.

[7:8]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “two two” meaning “in twos.”

[9:18]  ²¹ sn The concluding disjunctive clause is parenthetical. It anticipates the following story, which explains that the Canaanites, Ham’s descendants through Canaan, were cursed because they shared the same moral abandonment that their ancestor displayed. See A. van Selms, “The Canaanites in the Book of Genesis,” OTS 12 (1958): 182-213.

[10:11]  ²⁵ tn The subject of the verb translated “went” is probably still Nimrod. However, it has also been interpreted that “Ashur went,” referring to a derivative power.

[10:11]  ²⁶ tn Heb “Asshur.”

[10:11]  ²⁷ sn Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city situated on the Tigris River.

[10:11]  ²⁸ sn The name Rehoboth-Ir means “and broad streets of a city,” perhaps referring to a suburb of Nineveh.

[10:11]  ²⁹ sn Calah (modern Nimrud) was located twenty miles north of Nineveh.

[19:12]  ²⁹ tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “visitors” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[19:12]  ³⁰ tn Heb “Yet who [is there] to you here?”

[19:12]  ³¹ tn The words “Do you have” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:12]  ³² tn Heb “a son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and anyone who (is) to you in the city.”

[19:12]  ³³ tn Heb “the place.” The Hebrew article serves here as a demonstrative.

[25:30]  ³³ tn The rare term לָעַט (la’at), translated “feed,” is used in later Hebrew for feeding animals (see Jastrow, 714). If this nuance was attached to the word in the biblical period, then it may depict Esau in a negative light, comparing him to a hungry animal. Famished Esau comes in from the hunt, only to enter the trap. He can only point at the red stew and ask Jacob to feed him.

[25:30]  ³⁴ tn The verb has no expressed subject and so is given a passive translation.

[25:30]  ³⁵ sn Esau’s descendants would eventually be called Edom. Edom was the place where they lived, so-named probably because of the reddish nature of the hills. The writer can use the word “red” to describe the stew that Esau gasped for to convey the nature of Esau and his descendants. They were a lusty, passionate, and profane people who lived for the moment. Again, the wordplay is meant to capture the “omen in the nomen.”

[33:15]  ³⁷ tn The cohortative verbal form here indicates a polite offer of help.

[33:15]  ³⁸ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why this?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[33:15]  ³⁹ tn Heb “I am finding favor in the eyes of my lord.”

[38:17]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “until you send.”

[40:14]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “but you have remembered me with you.” The perfect verbal form may be used rhetorically here to emphasize Joseph’s desire to be remembered. He speaks of the action as already being accomplished in order to make it clear that he expects it to be done. The form can be translated as volitional, expressing a plea or a request.

[40:14]  ⁴⁶ tn This perfect verbal form with the prefixed conjunction (and the two that immediately follow) carry the same force as the preceding perfect.

[40:14]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “deal with me [in] kindness.”

[40:14]  ⁴⁸ tn The verb זָכַר (zakhar) in the Hiphil stem means “to cause to remember, to make mention, to boast.” The implication is that Joseph would be pleased for them to tell his story and give him the credit due him so that Pharaoh would release him. Since Pharaoh had never met Joseph, the simple translation of “cause him to remember me” would mean little.

[40:14]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “house.” The word “prison” has been substituted in the translation for clarity.

[41:3]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “And look, seven other cows were coming up after them from the Nile, bad of appearance and thin of flesh.”

[41:3]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “the Nile.” This has been replaced by “the river” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:14]  ⁵³ tn Heb “and Pharaoh sent and called,” indicating a summons to the royal court.