Genesis 24:3

24:3 so that I may make you solemnly promise ¹  by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire ²  a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living.

Genesis 31:5

31:5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, ³  but the God of my father has been with me.

Genesis 31:53

31:53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, ⁴  the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared. ⁵ 

Genesis 32:9

32:9 Then Jacob prayed, ⁶  “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said ⁷  to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’ ⁸ 

Genesis 28:13

28:13 and the Lord stood at its top. He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. ⁹  I will give you and your descendants the ground ¹⁰  you are lying on.

Genesis 31:29

31:29 I have ¹¹  the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful ¹²  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ ¹³ 

Genesis 43:23

43:23 “Everything is fine,” ¹⁴  the man in charge of Joseph’s household told them. “Don’t be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks. ¹⁵  I had your money.” ¹⁶  Then he brought Simeon out to them.

[24:3]  ¹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.

[24:3]  ² tn Heb “because you must not take.”

[31:5]  ³ tn Heb “I see the face of your father, that he is not toward me as formerly.”

[31:53]  ⁵ tn The God of Abraham and the god of Nahor. The Hebrew verb translated “judge” is plural, suggesting that Laban has more than one “god” in mind. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the LXX, apparently in an effort to make the statement monotheistic, have a singular verb. In this case one could translate, “May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” However, Laban had a polytheistic world view, as evidenced by his possession of household idols (cf. 31:19). The translation uses “God” when referring to Abraham’s God, for Genesis makes it clear that Abraham worshiped the one true God. It employs “god” when referring to Nahor’s god, for in the Hebrew text Laban refers to a different god here, probably one of the local deities.

[31:53]  ⁶ tn Heb “by the fear of his father Isaac.” See the note on the word “fears” in v. 42.

[32:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “said.”

[32:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “the one who said.”

[32:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “I will cause good” or “I will treat well [or “favorably”].” The idea includes more than prosperity, though that is its essential meaning. Here the form is subordinated to the preceding imperative and indicates purpose or result. Jacob is reminding God of his promise in the hope that God will honor his word.

[28:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.” The Hebrew word for “father” can typically be used in a broader sense than the English word, in this case referring to Abraham (who was Jacob’s grandfather). For stylistic reasons and for clarity, the words “your father” are supplied with “Isaac” in the translation.

[28:13]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew term אֶרֶץ (’erets) can mean “[the] earth,” “land,” “region,” “piece of ground,” or “ground” depending on the context. Here the term specifically refers to the plot of ground on which Jacob was lying, but at the same time this stands by metonymy for the entire land of Canaan.

[31:29]  ¹¹ tn Heb “there is to my hand.”

[31:29]  ¹² tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:29]  ¹³ tn Heb “from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 24, is uncertain. See the note on the same phrase in v. 24.

[43:23]  ¹³ tn Heb “and he said, ‘peace to you.’” Here the statement has the force of “everything is fine,” or perhaps even “calm down.” The referent of “he” (the man in charge of Joseph’ household) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[43:23]  ¹⁴ sn Your God and the God of your father…This is the first clear reference in the story to the theme of divine providence – that God works through the human actions to do his will.

[43:23]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “your money came to me.”