Genesis 24:22

24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka ¹  and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels ²  and gave them to her. ³ 

Genesis 24:44

24:44 Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’

Genesis 25:34

25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. ⁴  So Esau despised his birthright. ⁵ 

Genesis 27:25

27:25 Isaac ⁶  said, “Bring some of the wild game for me to eat, my son. ⁷  Then I will bless you.” ⁸  So Jacob ⁹  brought it to him, and he ate it. He also brought him wine, and Isaac ¹⁰  drank.

Genesis 43:34

43:34 He gave them portions of the food set before him, ¹¹  but the portion for Benjamin was five times greater than the portions for any of the others. They drank with Joseph until they all became drunk. ¹² 

Genesis 44:5

44:5 Doesn’t my master drink from this cup ¹³  and use it for divination? ¹⁴  You have done wrong!’” ¹⁵ 

[24:22]  ¹ sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).

[24:22]  ² sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).

[24:22]  ³ tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[25:34]  ⁴ sn The style here is typical of Hebrew narrative; after the tension is resolved with the dialogue, the working out of it is recorded in a rapid sequence of verbs (“gave”; “ate”; “drank”; “got up”; “went out”). See also Gen 3:1-7 for another example.

[25:34]  ⁵ sn So Esau despised his birthright. This clause, which concludes the episode, is a summary statement which reveals the underlying significance of Esau’s actions. “To despise” means to treat something as worthless or with contempt. Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered it to be unimportant.

[27:25]  ⁷ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ⁸ tn Heb “Bring near to me and I will eat of the wild game, my son.” Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:25]  ⁹ tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The presence of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as subject emphasizes Isaac’s heartfelt desire to do this. The conjunction indicates that the ritual meal must be first eaten before the formal blessing may be given.

[27:25]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and he brought”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and he drank”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[43:34]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and he lifted up portions from before his face to them.”

[43:34]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and they drank and were intoxicated with him” (cf. NIV “drank freely with him”; NEB “grew merry”; NRSV “were merry”). The brothers were apparently relaxed and set at ease, despite Joseph’s obvious favoritism toward Benjamin.

[44:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “Is this not what my master drinks from.” The word “cup” is not in the Hebrew text, but is obviously the referent of “this,” and so has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[44:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and he, divining, divines with it.” The infinitive absolute is emphatic, stressing the importance of the cup to Joseph.

[44:5]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “you have caused to be evil what you have done.”