Genesis 23:3

23:3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife ¹  and said to the sons of Heth, ² 

Genesis 34:3

34:3 Then he became very attached ³  to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her. ⁴ 

Genesis 41:9

41:9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. ⁵ 

Genesis 41:17

41:17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing ⁶  by the edge of the Nile.

[23:3]  ¹ tn Heb “And Abraham arose from upon the face of his dead.”

[23:3]  ² tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (also in vv. 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.

[34:3]  ³ tn Heb “his soul stuck to [or “joined with”],” meaning Shechem became very attached to Dinah emotionally.

[34:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “and he spoke to the heart of the young woman,” which apparently refers in this context to tender, romantic speech (Hos 2:14). Another option is to translate the expression “he reassured the young woman” (see Judg 19:3, 2 Sam 19:7; cf. NEB “comforted her”).

[41:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “sins, offenses.” He probably refers here to the offenses that landed him in prison (see 40:1).

[41:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “In my dream look, I was standing.” The use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here (and also in vv. 18, 19, 22, 23) invites the hearer (within the context of the narrative, Joseph; but in the broader sense the reader or hearer of the Book of Genesis) to observe the scene through Pharaoh’s eyes.