Genesis 24:45

24:45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, ¹  along came Rebekah ²  with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’

Genesis 37:25

37:25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up ³  and saw ⁴  a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. ⁵ 

Genesis 43:7

43:7 They replied, “The man questioned us ⁶  thoroughly ⁷  about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ ⁸  So we answered him in this way. ⁹  How could we possibly know ¹⁰  that he would say, ¹¹  ‘Bring your brother down’?”

Genesis 43:11

43:11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and take a gift down to the man – a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.

Genesis 45:9

45:9 Now go up to my father quickly ¹²  and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not delay!

[24:45]  ¹ tn Heb “As for me, before I finished speaking to my heart.” The adverb טֶרֶם (terem) indicates the verb is a preterite; the infinitive that follows is the direct object.

[24:45]  ² tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out.” As in 24:15, the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is used here for dramatic effect.

[37:25]  ³ tn Heb “lifted up their eyes.”

[37:25]  ⁴ tn Heb “and they saw and look.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the event through the eyes of the brothers.

[37:25]  ⁵ tn Heb “and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh, going to go down to Egypt.”

[43:7]  ⁵ tn The word “us” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[43:7]  ⁶ tn The infinitive absolute with the perfect verbal form emphasizes that Joseph questioned them thoroughly.

[43:7]  ⁷ sn The report given here concerning Joseph’s interrogation does not exactly match the previous account where they supplied the information to clear themselves (see 42:13). This section may reflect how they remembered the impact of his interrogation, whether he asked the specific questions or not. That may be twisting the truth to protect themselves, not wanting to admit that they volunteered the information. (They admitted as much in 42:31, but now they seem to be qualifying that comment.) On the other hand, when speaking to Joseph later (see 44:19), Judah claims that Joseph asked for the information about their family, making it possible that 42:13 leaves out some of the details of their first encounter.

[43:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “and we told to him according to these words.”

[43:7]  ⁹ tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the imperfect verbal form, which here is a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of a past time).

[43:7]  ¹⁰ tn Once again the imperfect verbal form is used as a historic future (that is, future from the perspective of past time).

[45:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “hurry and go up.”