Genesis 25:19--35:22

Jacob and Esau

25:19 This is the account of Isaac, ¹  the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac. 25:20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, ²  the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. ³ 

25:21 Isaac prayed to ⁴  the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 25:22 But the children struggled ⁵  inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” ⁶  So she asked the Lord, ⁷  25:23 and the Lord said to her,

“Two nations ⁸  are in your womb,

and two peoples will be separated from within you.

One people will be stronger than the other,

and the older will serve the younger.”

25:24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, ⁹  there were ¹⁰  twins in her womb. 25:25 The first came out reddish ¹¹  all over, ¹²  like a hairy ¹³  garment, so they named him Esau. ¹⁴  25:26 When his brother came out with ¹⁵  his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob. ¹⁶  Isaac was sixty years old ¹⁷  when they were born.

25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled ¹⁸  hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. ¹⁹  25:28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, ²⁰  but Rebekah loved ²¹  Jacob.

25:29 Now Jacob cooked some stew, ²²  and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished. 25:30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed ²³  me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called ²⁴  Edom.) ²⁵ 

25:31 But Jacob replied, “First ²⁶  sell me your birthright.” 25:32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” ²⁷  25:33 But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.” ²⁸  So Esau ²⁹  swore an oath to him and sold his birthright ³⁰  to Jacob.

25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. ³¹  So Esau despised his birthright. ³² 

Isaac and Abimelech

26:1 There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred ³³  in the days of Abraham. ³⁴  Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar. 26:2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; ³⁵  settle down in the land that I will point out to you. ³⁶  26:3 Stay ³⁷  in this land. Then I will be with you and will bless you, ³⁸  for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants, ³⁹  and I will fulfill ⁴⁰  the solemn promise I made ⁴¹  to your father Abraham. 26:4 I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them ⁴²  all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants. ⁴³  26:5 All this will come to pass ⁴⁴  because Abraham obeyed me ⁴⁵  and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” ⁴⁶  26:6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.

26:7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he replied, “She is my sister.” ⁴⁷  He was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” for he thought to himself, ⁴⁸  “The men of this place will kill me to get ⁴⁹  Rebekah because she is very beautiful.”

26:8 After Isaac ⁵⁰  had been there a long time, ⁵¹  Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed ⁵²  Isaac caressing ⁵³  his wife Rebekah. 26:9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really ⁵⁴  your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.” ⁵⁵ 

26:10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us? ⁵⁶  One of the men ⁵⁷  might easily have had sexual relations with ⁵⁸  your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!” 26:11 So Abimelech commanded all the people, “Whoever touches ⁵⁹  this man or his wife will surely be put to death.” ⁶⁰ 

26:12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown, ⁶¹  because the Lord blessed him. ⁶²  26:13 The man became wealthy. ⁶³  His influence continued to grow ⁶⁴  until he became very prominent. 26:14 He had ⁶⁵  so many sheep ⁶⁶  and cattle ⁶⁷  and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous ⁶⁸  of him. 26:15 So the Philistines took dirt and filled up ⁶⁹  all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham.

26:16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere, ⁷⁰  for you have become much more powerful ⁷¹  than we are.” 26:17 So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley. ⁷²  26:18 Isaac reopened ⁷³  the wells that had been dug ⁷⁴  back in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up ⁷⁵  after Abraham died. Isaac ⁷⁶  gave these wells ⁷⁷  the same names his father had given them. ⁷⁸ 

26:19 When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well with fresh flowing ⁷⁹  water there, 26:20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled ⁸⁰  with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water belongs to us!” So Isaac ⁸¹  named the well ⁸²  Esek ⁸³  because they argued with him about it. ⁸⁴  26:21 His servants ⁸⁵  dug another well, but they quarreled over it too, so Isaac named it ⁸⁶  Sitnah. ⁸⁷  26:22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaac ⁸⁸  named it ⁸⁹  Rehoboth, ⁹⁰  saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”

26:23 From there Isaac ⁹¹  went up to Beer Sheba. 26:24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” 26:25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped ⁹²  the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well. ⁹³ 

26:26 Now Abimelech had come ⁹⁴  to him from Gerar along with ⁹⁵  Ahuzzah his friend ⁹⁶  and Phicol the commander of his army. 26:27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You hate me ⁹⁷  and sent me away from you.” 26:28 They replied, “We could plainly see ⁹⁸  that the Lord is with you. So we decided there should be ⁹⁹  a pact between us ¹⁰⁰  – between us ¹⁰¹  and you. Allow us to make ¹⁰²  a treaty with you 26:29 so that ¹⁰³  you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmed ¹⁰⁴  you, but have always treated you well ¹⁰⁵  before sending you away ¹⁰⁶  in peace. Now you are blessed by the Lord.” ¹⁰⁷ 

26:30 So Isaac ¹⁰⁸  held a feast for them and they celebrated. ¹⁰⁹  26:31 Early in the morning the men made a treaty with each other. ¹¹⁰  Isaac sent them off; they separated on good terms. ¹¹¹ 

26:32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We’ve found water,” they reported. ¹¹²  26:33 So he named it Shibah; ¹¹³  that is why the name of the city has been Beer Sheba ¹¹⁴  to this day.

26:34 When ¹¹⁵  Esau was forty years old, ¹¹⁶  he married ¹¹⁷  Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, as well as Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 26:35 They caused Isaac and Rebekah great anxiety. ¹¹⁸ 

Jacob Cheats Esau out of the Blessing

27:1 When ¹¹⁹  Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he was almost blind, ¹²⁰  he called his older ¹²¹  son Esau and said to him, “My son!” “Here I am!” Esau ¹²²  replied. 27:2 Isaac ¹²³  said, “Since ¹²⁴  I am so old, I could die at any time. ¹²⁵  27:3 Therefore, take your weapons – your quiver and your bow – and go out into the open fields and hunt down some wild game ¹²⁶  for me. 27:4 Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then ¹²⁷  I will eat it so that I may bless you ¹²⁸  before I die.”

27:5 Now Rebekah had been listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. ¹²⁹  When Esau went out to the open fields to hunt down some wild game and bring it back, ¹³⁰  27:6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau, 27:7 ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare for me some tasty food. Then I will eat ¹³¹  it and bless you ¹³²  in the presence of the Lord ¹³³  before I die.’ 27:8 Now then, my son, do ¹³⁴  exactly what I tell you! ¹³⁵  27:9 Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare ¹³⁶  them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them. 27:10 Then you will take ¹³⁷  it to your father. Thus he will eat it ¹³⁸  and ¹³⁹  bless you before he dies.”

27:11 “But Esau my brother is a hairy man,” Jacob protested to his mother Rebekah, “and I have smooth skin! ¹⁴⁰  27:12 My father may touch me! Then he’ll think I’m mocking him ¹⁴¹  and I’ll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.” 27:13 So his mother told him, “Any curse against you will fall on me, ¹⁴²  my son! Just obey me! ¹⁴³  Go and get them for me!”

27:14 So he went and got the goats ¹⁴⁴  and brought them to his mother. She ¹⁴⁵  prepared some tasty food, just the way his father loved it. 27:15 Then Rebekah took her older son Esau’s best clothes, which she had with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 27:16 She put the skins of the young goats ¹⁴⁶  on his hands ¹⁴⁷  and the smooth part of his neck. 27:17 Then she handed ¹⁴⁸  the tasty food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.

27:18 He went to his father and said, “My father!” Isaac ¹⁴⁹  replied, “Here I am. Which are you, my son?” ¹⁵⁰  27:19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I’ve done as you told me. Now sit up ¹⁵¹  and eat some of my wild game so that you can bless me.” ¹⁵²  27:20 But Isaac asked his son, “How in the world ¹⁵³  did you find it so quickly, ¹⁵⁴  my son?” “Because the Lord your God brought it to me,” ¹⁵⁵  he replied. ¹⁵⁶  27:21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you, ¹⁵⁷  my son, and know for certain if you really are my son Esau.” ¹⁵⁸  27:22 So Jacob went over to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s.” 27:23 He did not recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So Isaac blessed Jacob. ¹⁵⁹  27:24 Then he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” “I am,” Jacob ¹⁶⁰  replied. 27:25 Isaac ¹⁶¹  said, “Bring some of the wild game for me to eat, my son. ¹⁶²  Then I will bless you.” ¹⁶³  So Jacob ¹⁶⁴  brought it to him, and he ate it. He also brought him wine, and Isaac ¹⁶⁵  drank. 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here and kiss me, my son.” 27:27 So Jacob ¹⁶⁶  went over and kissed him. When Isaac caught the scent ¹⁶⁷  of his clothing, he blessed him, saying,

“Yes, ¹⁶⁸  my son smells

like the scent of an open field

which the Lord has blessed.

27:28 May God give you

the dew of the sky ¹⁶⁹ 

and the richness ¹⁷⁰  of the earth,

and plenty of grain and new wine.

27:29 May peoples serve you

and nations bow down to you.

You will be ¹⁷¹  lord ¹⁷²  over your brothers,

and the sons of your mother will bow down to you. ¹⁷³ 

May those who curse you be cursed,

and those who bless you be blessed.”

27:30 Isaac had just finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely left ¹⁷⁴  his father’s ¹⁷⁵  presence, when his brother Esau returned from the hunt. ¹⁷⁶  27:31 He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Esau ¹⁷⁷  said to him, “My father, get up ¹⁷⁸  and eat some of your son’s wild game. Then you can bless me.” ¹⁷⁹  27:32 His father Isaac asked, ¹⁸⁰  “Who are you?” “I am your firstborn son,” ¹⁸¹  he replied, “Esau!” 27:33 Isaac began to shake violently ¹⁸²  and asked, “Then who else hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it just before you arrived, and I blessed him. ¹⁸³  He will indeed be blessed!”

27:34 When Esau heard ¹⁸⁴  his father’s words, he wailed loudly and bitterly. ¹⁸⁵  He said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!” 27:35 But Isaac ¹⁸⁶  replied, “Your brother came in here deceitfully and took away ¹⁸⁷  your blessing.” 27:36 Esau exclaimed, “‘Jacob’ is the right name for him! ¹⁸⁸  He has tripped me up ¹⁸⁹  two times! He took away my birthright, and now, look, he has taken away my blessing!” Then he asked, “Have you not kept back a blessing for me?”

27:37 Isaac replied to Esau, “Look! I have made him lord over you. I have made all his relatives his servants and provided him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?” 27:38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” ¹⁹⁰  Then Esau wept loudly. ¹⁹¹ 

27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,

“Indeed, ¹⁹²  your home will be

away from the richness ¹⁹³  of the earth,

and away from the dew of the sky above.

27:40 You will live by your sword

but you will serve your brother.

When you grow restless,

you will tear off his yoke

from your neck.” ¹⁹⁴ 

27:41 So Esau hated ¹⁹⁵  Jacob because of the blessing his father had given to his brother. ¹⁹⁶  Esau said privately, ¹⁹⁷  “The time ¹⁹⁸  of mourning for my father is near; then I will kill ¹⁹⁹  my brother Jacob!”

27:42 When Rebekah heard what her older son Esau had said, ²⁰⁰  she quickly summoned ²⁰¹  her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is planning to get revenge by killing you. ²⁰²  27:43 Now then, my son, do what I say. ²⁰³  Run away immediately ²⁰⁴  to my brother Laban in Haran. 27:44 Live with him for a little while ²⁰⁵  until your brother’s rage subsides. 27:45 Stay there ²⁰⁶  until your brother’s anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I’ll send someone to bring you back from there. ²⁰⁷  Why should I lose both of you in one day?” ²⁰⁸ 

27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am deeply depressed ²⁰⁹  because of these daughters of Heth. ²¹⁰  If Jacob were to marry one of these daughters of Heth who live in this land, I would want to die!” ²¹¹ 

28:1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman! ²¹²  28:2 Leave immediately ²¹³  for Paddan Aram! Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and find yourself a wife there, among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 28:3 May the sovereign God ²¹⁴  bless you! May he make you fruitful and give you a multitude of descendants! ²¹⁵  Then you will become ²¹⁶  a large nation. ²¹⁷  28:4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing he gave to Abraham ²¹⁸  so that you may possess the land ²¹⁹  God gave to Abraham, the land where you have been living as a temporary resident.” ²²⁰  28:5 So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

28:6 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him off to Paddan Aram to find a wife there. ²²¹  As he blessed him, ²²²  Isaac commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” ²²³  28:7 Jacob obeyed his father and mother and left for Paddan Aram. 28:8 Then Esau realized ²²⁴  that the Canaanite women ²²⁵  were displeasing to ²²⁶  his father Isaac. 28:9 So Esau went to Ishmael and married ²²⁷  Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, along with the wives he already had.

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

28:10 Meanwhile Jacob left Beer Sheba and set out for Haran. 28:11 He reached a certain place ²²⁸  where he decided to camp because the sun had gone down. ²²⁹  He took one of the stones ²³⁰  and placed it near his head. ²³¹  Then he fell asleep ²³²  in that place 28:12 and had a dream. ²³³  He saw ²³⁴  a stairway ²³⁵  erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it 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. ²³⁶  I will give you and your descendants the ground ²³⁷  you are lying on. 28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, ²³⁸  and you will spread out ²³⁹  to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ²⁴⁰  using your name and that of your descendants. ²⁴¹  28:15 I am with you! ²⁴²  I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you!”

28:16 Then Jacob woke up ²⁴³  and thought, ²⁴⁴  “Surely the Lord is in this place, but I did not realize it!” 28:17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!”

28:18 Early ²⁴⁵  in the morning Jacob ²⁴⁶  took the stone he had placed near his head ²⁴⁷  and set it up as a sacred stone. ²⁴⁸  Then he poured oil on top of it. 28:19 He called that place Bethel, ²⁴⁹  although the former name of the town was Luz. 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food ²⁵⁰  to eat and clothing to wear, 28:21 and I return safely to my father’s home, ²⁵¹  then the Lord will become my God. 28:22 Then this stone ²⁵²  that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely ²⁵³  give you back a tenth of everything you give me.” ²⁵⁴ 

The Marriages of Jacob

29:1 So Jacob moved on ²⁵⁵  and came to the land of the eastern people. ²⁵⁶  29:2 He saw ²⁵⁷  in the field a well with ²⁵⁸  three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. Now ²⁵⁹  a large stone covered the mouth of the well. 29:3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds ²⁶⁰  would roll the stone off the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the well’s mouth.

29:4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” They replied, “We’re from Haran.” 29:5 So he said to them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson ²⁶¹  of Nahor?” “We know him,” ²⁶²  they said. 29:6 “Is he well?” ²⁶³  Jacob asked. They replied, “He is well. ²⁶⁴  Now look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.” 29:7 Then Jacob ²⁶⁵  said, “Since it is still the middle of the day, ²⁶⁶  it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more.” ²⁶⁷  29:8 “We can’t,” they said, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled off the mouth of the well. Then we water ²⁶⁸  the sheep.”

29:9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was tending them. ²⁶⁹  29:10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, ²⁷⁰  and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he ²⁷¹  went over ²⁷²  and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. ²⁷³  29:11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep loudly. ²⁷⁴  29:12 When Jacob explained ²⁷⁵  to Rachel that he was a relative of her father ²⁷⁶  and the son of Rebekah, she ran and told her father. 29:13 When Laban heard this news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he rushed out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob ²⁷⁷  told Laban how he was related to him. ²⁷⁸  29:14 Then Laban said to him, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” ²⁷⁹  So Jacob ²⁸⁰  stayed with him for a month. ²⁸¹ 

29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work ²⁸²  for me for nothing because you are my relative? ²⁸³  Tell me what your wages should be.” 29:16 (Now Laban had two daughters; ²⁸⁴  the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel. 29:17 Leah’s eyes were tender, ²⁸⁵  but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.) ²⁸⁶  29:18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with ²⁸⁷  Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.” 29:19 Laban replied, “I’d rather give her to you than to another man. ²⁸⁸  Stay with me.” 29:20 So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. ²⁸⁹  But they seemed like only a few days to him ²⁹⁰  because his love for her was so great. ²⁹¹ 

29:21 Finally Jacob said ²⁹²  to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. ²⁹³  I want to have marital relations with her.” ²⁹⁴  29:22 So Laban invited all the people ²⁹⁵  of that place and prepared a feast. 29:23 In the evening he brought his daughter Leah ²⁹⁶  to Jacob, ²⁹⁷  and Jacob ²⁹⁸  had marital relations with her. ²⁹⁹  29:24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) ³⁰⁰ 

29:25 In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! ³⁰¹  So Jacob ³⁰²  said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me! ³⁰³  Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked ³⁰⁴  me?” 29:26 “It is not our custom here,” ³⁰⁵  Laban replied, “to give the younger daughter in marriage ³⁰⁶  before the firstborn. 29:27 Complete my older daughter’s bridal week. ³⁰⁷  Then we will give you the younger one ³⁰⁸  too, in exchange for seven more years of work.” ³⁰⁹ 

29:28 Jacob did as Laban said. ³¹⁰  When Jacob ³¹¹  completed Leah’s bridal week, ³¹²  Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. ³¹³  29:29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) ³¹⁴  29:30 Jacob ³¹⁵  had marital relations ³¹⁶  with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban ³¹⁷  for seven more years. ³¹⁸ 

The Family of Jacob

29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, ³¹⁹  he enabled her to become pregnant ³²⁰  while Rachel remained childless. 29:32 So Leah became pregnant ³²¹  and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, ³²²  for she said, “The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. ³²³  Surely my husband will love me now.”

29:33 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Because the Lord heard that I was unloved, ³²⁴  he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. ³²⁵ 

29:34 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Now this time my husband will show me affection, ³²⁶  because I have given birth to three sons for him.” That is why he was named Levi. ³²⁷ 

29:35 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” That is why she named him Judah. ³²⁸  Then she stopped having children.

30:1 When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she ³²⁹  became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children ³³⁰  or I’ll die!” 30:2 Jacob became furious ³³¹  with Rachel and exclaimed, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” ³³²  30:3 She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with ³³³  her so that she can bear ³³⁴  children ³³⁵  for me ³³⁶  and I can have a family through her.” ³³⁷ 

30:4 So Rachel ³³⁸  gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had marital relations with ³³⁹  her. 30:5 Bilhah became pregnant ³⁴⁰  and gave Jacob a son. ³⁴¹  30:6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer ³⁴²  and given me a son.” That is why ³⁴³  she named him Dan. ³⁴⁴ 

30:7 Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, became pregnant again and gave Jacob another son. ³⁴⁵  30:8 Then Rachel said, “I have fought a desperate struggle with my sister, but I have won.” ³⁴⁶  So she named him Naphtali. ³⁴⁷ 

30:9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave ³⁴⁸  her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. 30:10 Soon Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob a son. ³⁴⁹  30:11 Leah said, “How fortunate!” ³⁵⁰  So she named him Gad. ³⁵¹ 

30:12 Then Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob another son. ³⁵²  30:13 Leah said, “How happy I am, ³⁵³  for women ³⁵⁴  will call me happy!” So she named him Asher. ³⁵⁵ 

30:14 At the time ³⁵⁶  of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants ³⁵⁷  in a field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 30:15 But Leah replied, ³⁵⁸  “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes too?” “All right,” ³⁵⁹  Rachel said, “he may sleep ³⁶⁰  with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 30:16 When Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must sleep ³⁶¹  with me because I have paid for your services ³⁶²  with my son’s mandrakes.” So he had marital relations ³⁶³  with her that night. 30:17 God paid attention ³⁶⁴  to Leah; she became pregnant ³⁶⁵  and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time. ³⁶⁶  30:18 Then Leah said, “God has granted me a reward ³⁶⁷  because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife.” ³⁶⁸  So she named him Issachar. ³⁶⁹ 

30:19 Leah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a son for the sixth time. ³⁷⁰  30:20 Then Leah said, “God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will honor me because I have given him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. ³⁷¹ 

30:21 After that she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

30:22 Then God took note of ³⁷²  Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant. ³⁷³  30:23 She became pregnant ³⁷⁴  and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.” ³⁷⁵  30:24 She named him Joseph, ³⁷⁶  saying, “May the Lord give me yet another son.”

The Flocks of Jacob

30:25 After Rachel had given birth ³⁷⁷  to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send ³⁷⁸  me on my way so that I can go ³⁷⁹  home to my own country. ³⁸⁰  30:26 Let me take my wives and my children whom I have acquired by working for you. ³⁸¹  Then I’ll depart, ³⁸²  because you know how hard I’ve worked for you.” ³⁸³ 

30:27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, ³⁸⁴  for I have learned by divination ³⁸⁵  that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.” 30:28 He added, “Just name your wages – I’ll pay whatever you want.” ³⁸⁶ 

30:29 “You know how I have worked for you,” Jacob replied, ³⁸⁷  “and how well your livestock have fared under my care. ³⁸⁸  30:30 Indeed, ³⁸⁹  you had little before I arrived, ³⁹⁰  but now your possessions have increased many times over. ³⁹¹  The Lord has blessed you wherever I worked. ³⁹²  But now, how long must it be before I do something for my own family too?” ³⁹³ 

30:31 So Laban asked, ³⁹⁴  “What should I give you?” “You don’t need to give me a thing,” ³⁹⁵  Jacob replied, ³⁹⁶  “but if you agree to this one condition, ³⁹⁷  I will continue to care for ³⁹⁸  your flocks and protect them: 30:32 Let me walk among ³⁹⁹  all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, ⁴⁰⁰  and the spotted or speckled goats. ⁴⁰¹  These animals will be my wages. ⁴⁰²  30:33 My integrity will testify for me ⁴⁰³  later on. ⁴⁰⁴  When you come to verify that I’ve taken only the wages we agreed on, ⁴⁰⁵  if I have in my possession any goat that is not speckled or spotted or any sheep that is not dark-colored, it will be considered stolen.” ⁴⁰⁶  30:34 “Agreed!” said Laban, “It will be as you say.” ⁴⁰⁷ 

30:35 So that day Laban ⁴⁰⁸  removed the male goats that were streaked or spotted, all the female goats that were speckled or spotted (all that had any white on them), and all the dark-colored lambs, and put them in the care ⁴⁰⁹  of his sons. 30:36 Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey, ⁴¹⁰  while ⁴¹¹  Jacob was taking care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.

30:37 But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible. 30:38 Then he set up the peeled branches in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. He set up the branches in front of the flocks when they were in heat and came to drink. ⁴¹²  30:39 When the sheep mated ⁴¹³  in front of the branches, they ⁴¹⁴  gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 30:40 Jacob removed these lambs, but he made the rest of the flock face ⁴¹⁵  the streaked and completely dark-colored animals in Laban’s flock. So he made separate flocks for himself and did not mix them with Laban’s flocks. 30:41 When the stronger females were in heat, ⁴¹⁶  Jacob would set up the branches in the troughs in front of the flock, so they would mate near the branches. 30:42 But if the animals were weaker, he did not set the branches there. ⁴¹⁷  So the weaker animals ended up belonging to Laban ⁴¹⁸  and the stronger animals to Jacob. 30:43 In this way Jacob ⁴¹⁹  became extremely prosperous. He owned ⁴²⁰  large flocks, male and female servants, camels, and donkeys.

Jacob’s Flight from Laban

31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, ⁴²¹  “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich ⁴²²  at our father’s expense!” ⁴²³  31:2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. ⁴²⁴ 

31:3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers ⁴²⁵  and to your relatives. I will be with you.” ⁴²⁶  31:4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah ⁴²⁷  to come to the field ⁴²⁸  where his flocks were. ⁴²⁹  31:5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, ⁴³⁰  but the God of my father has been with me. 31:6 You know that I’ve worked for your father as hard as I could, ⁴³¹  31:7 but your father has humiliated ⁴³²  me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. 31:8 If he said, ⁴³³  ‘The speckled animals ⁴³⁴  will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled offspring. But if he said, ‘The streaked animals will be your wage,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked offspring. 31:9 In this way God has snatched away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

31:10 “Once ⁴³⁵  during breeding season I saw ⁴³⁶  in a dream that the male goats mating with ⁴³⁷  the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 31:11 In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Here I am!’ I replied. 31:12 Then he said, ‘Observe ⁴³⁸  that all the male goats mating with ⁴³⁹  the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, ⁴⁴⁰  where you anointed ⁴⁴¹  the sacred stone and made a vow to me. ⁴⁴²  Now leave this land immediately ⁴⁴³  and return to your native land.’”

31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance ⁴⁴⁴  in our father’s house? 31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted ⁴⁴⁵  the money paid for us! ⁴⁴⁶  31:16 Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you.”

31:17 So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. ⁴⁴⁷  31:18 He took ⁴⁴⁸  away all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram and all his moveable property that he had accumulated. Then he set out toward the land of Canaan to return to his father Isaac. ⁴⁴⁹ 

31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, ⁴⁵⁰  Rachel stole the household idols ⁴⁵¹  that belonged to her father. 31:20 Jacob also deceived ⁴⁵²  Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. ⁴⁵³  31:21 He left ⁴⁵⁴  with all he owned. He quickly crossed ⁴⁵⁵  the Euphrates River ⁴⁵⁶  and headed for ⁴⁵⁷  the hill country of Gilead.

31:22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. ⁴⁵⁸  31:23 So he took his relatives ⁴⁵⁹  with him and pursued Jacob ⁴⁶⁰  for seven days. ⁴⁶¹  He caught up with ⁴⁶²  him in the hill country of Gilead. 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, ⁴⁶³  “Be careful ⁴⁶⁴  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” ⁴⁶⁵ 

31:25 Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. ⁴⁶⁶  31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me ⁴⁶⁷  and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! ⁴⁶⁸  31:27 Why did you run away secretly ⁴⁶⁹  and deceive me? ⁴⁷⁰  Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? ⁴⁷¹  31:28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren ⁴⁷²  good-bye. You have acted foolishly! 31:29 I have ⁴⁷³  the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful ⁴⁷⁴  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ ⁴⁷⁵  31:30 Now I understand that ⁴⁷⁶  you have gone away ⁴⁷⁷  because you longed desperately ⁴⁷⁸  for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?” ⁴⁷⁹ 

31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” ⁴⁸⁰  Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought ⁴⁸¹  you might take your daughters away from me by force. ⁴⁸²  31:32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! ⁴⁸³  In the presence of our relatives ⁴⁸⁴  identify whatever is yours and take it.” ⁴⁸⁵  (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) ⁴⁸⁶ 

31:33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, and Leah’s tent, and the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find the idols. ⁴⁸⁷  Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. ⁴⁸⁸  31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle ⁴⁸⁹  and sat on them.) ⁴⁹⁰  Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. ⁴⁹¹  31:35 Rachel ⁴⁹²  said to her father, “Don’t be angry, ⁴⁹³  my lord. I cannot stand up ⁴⁹⁴  in your presence because I am having my period.” ⁴⁹⁵  So he searched thoroughly, ⁴⁹⁶  but did not find the idols.

31:36 Jacob became angry ⁴⁹⁷  and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. ⁴⁹⁸  “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? ⁴⁹⁹  31:37 When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you? ⁵⁰⁰  Set it here before my relatives and yours, ⁵⁰¹  and let them settle the dispute between the two of us! ⁵⁰² 

31:38 “I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 31:39 Animals torn by wild beasts I never brought to you; I always absorbed the loss myself. ⁵⁰³  You always made me pay for every missing animal, ⁵⁰⁴  whether it was taken by day or at night. 31:40 I was consumed by scorching heat ⁵⁰⁵  during the day and by piercing cold ⁵⁰⁶  at night, and I went without sleep. ⁵⁰⁷  31:41 This was my lot ⁵⁰⁸  for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave ⁵⁰⁹  for you – fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, but you changed my wages ten times! 31:42 If the God of my father – the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears ⁵¹⁰  – had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, ⁵¹¹  and he rebuked you last night.”

31:43 Laban replied ⁵¹²  to Jacob, “These women ⁵¹³  are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, ⁵¹⁴  and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today ⁵¹⁵  or the children to whom they have given birth? 31:44 So now, come, let’s make a formal agreement, ⁵¹⁶  you and I, and it will be ⁵¹⁷  proof that we have made peace.” ⁵¹⁸ 

31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. 31:46 Then he ⁵¹⁹  said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they brought stones and put them in a pile. ⁵²⁰  They ate there by the pile of stones. 31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, ⁵²¹  but Jacob called it Galeed. ⁵²² 

31:48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement ⁵²³  today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 31:49 It was also called Mizpah ⁵²⁴  because he said, “May the Lord watch ⁵²⁵  between us ⁵²⁶  when we are out of sight of one another. ⁵²⁷  31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize ⁵²⁸  that God is witness to your actions.” ⁵²⁹ 

31:51 “Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you,” Laban said to Jacob. ⁵³⁰  31:52 “This pile of stones and the pillar are reminders that I will not pass beyond this pile to come to harm you and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to come to harm me. ⁵³¹  31:53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, ⁵³²  the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared. ⁵³³  31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice ⁵³⁴  on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. ⁵³⁵  They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.

31:55 (32:1) ⁵³⁶  Early in the morning Laban kissed ⁵³⁷  his grandchildren ⁵³⁸  and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. ⁵³⁹ 

Jacob Wrestles at Peniel

32:1 So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God ⁵⁴⁰  met him. 32:2 When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, ⁵⁴¹  “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim. ⁵⁴² 

32:3 Jacob sent messengers on ahead ⁵⁴³  to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region ⁵⁴⁴  of Edom. 32:4 He commanded them, “This is what you must say to my lord Esau: ‘This is what your servant ⁵⁴⁵  Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban until now. 32:5 I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent ⁵⁴⁶  this message ⁵⁴⁷  to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”

32:6 The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has four hundred men with him.” 32:7 Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels. 32:8 “If Esau attacks one camp,” ⁵⁴⁸  he thought, ⁵⁴⁹  “then the other camp will be able to escape.” ⁵⁵⁰ 

32:9 Then Jacob prayed, ⁵⁵¹  “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you said ⁵⁵²  to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.’ ⁵⁵³  32:10 I am not worthy of all the faithful love ⁵⁵⁴  you have shown ⁵⁵⁵  your servant. With only my walking stick ⁵⁵⁶  I crossed the Jordan, ⁵⁵⁷  but now I have become two camps. 32:11 Rescue me, ⁵⁵⁸  I pray, from the hand ⁵⁵⁹  of my brother Esau, ⁵⁶⁰  for I am afraid he will come ⁵⁶¹  and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children. ⁵⁶²  32:12 But you ⁵⁶³  said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper ⁵⁶⁴  and will make ⁵⁶⁵  your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.’” ⁵⁶⁶ 

32:13 Jacob ⁵⁶⁷  stayed there that night. Then he sent ⁵⁶⁸  as a gift ⁵⁶⁹  to his brother Esau 32:14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 32:15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 32:16 He entrusted them to ⁵⁷⁰  his servants, who divided them into herds. ⁵⁷¹  He told his servants, “Pass over before me, and keep some distance between one herd and the next.” 32:17 He instructed the servant leading the first herd, ⁵⁷²  “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong? ⁵⁷³  Where are you going? Whose herds are you driving?’ ⁵⁷⁴  32:18 then you must say, ⁵⁷⁵  ‘They belong ⁵⁷⁶  to your servant Jacob. ⁵⁷⁷  They have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau. ⁵⁷⁸  In fact Jacob himself is behind us.’” ⁵⁷⁹ 

32:19 He also gave these instructions to the second and third servants, as well as all those who were following the herds, saying, “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. ⁵⁸⁰  32:20 You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’” ⁵⁸¹  Jacob thought, ⁵⁸²  “I will first appease him ⁵⁸³  by sending a gift ahead of me. ⁵⁸⁴  After that I will meet him. ⁵⁸⁵  Perhaps he will accept me.” ⁵⁸⁶  32:21 So the gifts were sent on ahead of him ⁵⁸⁷  while he spent that night in the camp. ⁵⁸⁸ 

32:22 During the night Jacob quickly took ⁵⁸⁹  his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons ⁵⁹⁰  and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. ⁵⁹¹  32:23 He took them and sent them across the stream along with all his possessions. ⁵⁹²  32:24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man ⁵⁹³  wrestled ⁵⁹⁴  with him until daybreak. ⁵⁹⁵  32:25 When the man ⁵⁹⁶  saw that he could not defeat Jacob, ⁵⁹⁷  he struck ⁵⁹⁸  the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

32:26 Then the man ⁵⁹⁹  said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” ⁶⁰⁰  “I will not let you go,” Jacob replied, ⁶⁰¹  “unless you bless me.” ⁶⁰²  32:27 The man asked him, ⁶⁰³  “What is your name?” ⁶⁰⁴  He answered, “Jacob.” 32:28 “No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him, ⁶⁰⁵  “but Israel, ⁶⁰⁶  because you have fought ⁶⁰⁷  with God and with men and have prevailed.”

32:29 Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” ⁶⁰⁸  “Why ⁶⁰⁹  do you ask my name?” the man replied. ⁶¹⁰  Then he blessed ⁶¹¹  Jacob ⁶¹²  there. 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, ⁶¹³  explaining, ⁶¹⁴  “Certainly ⁶¹⁵  I have seen God face to face ⁶¹⁶  and have survived.” ⁶¹⁷ 

32:31 The sun rose ⁶¹⁸  over him as he crossed over Penuel, ⁶¹⁹  but ⁶²⁰  he was limping because of his hip. 32:32 That is why to this day ⁶²¹  the Israelites do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the hip, because he struck ⁶²²  the socket of Jacob’s hip near the attached sinew.

Jacob Meets Esau

33:1 Jacob looked up ⁶²³  and saw that Esau was coming ⁶²⁴  along with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants. 33:2 He put the servants and their children in front, with Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them. ⁶²⁵  33:3 But Jacob ⁶²⁶  himself went on ahead of them, and he bowed toward the ground seven times as he approached ⁶²⁷  his brother. 33:4 But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Then they both wept. 33:5 When Esau ⁶²⁸  looked up ⁶²⁹  and saw the women and the children, he asked, “Who are these people with you?” Jacob ⁶³⁰  replied, “The children whom God has graciously given ⁶³¹  your servant.” 33:6 The female servants came forward with their children and bowed down. ⁶³²  33:7 Then Leah came forward with her children and they bowed down. Finally Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed down.

33:8 Esau ⁶³³  then asked, “What did you intend ⁶³⁴  by sending all these herds to meet me?” ⁶³⁵  Jacob ⁶³⁶  replied, “To find favor in your sight, my lord.” 33:9 But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother. Keep what belongs to you.” 33:10 “No, please take them,” Jacob said. ⁶³⁷  “If I have found favor in your sight, accept ⁶³⁸  my gift from my hand. Now that I have seen your face and you have accepted me, ⁶³⁹  it is as if I have seen the face of God. ⁶⁴⁰  33:11 Please take my present ⁶⁴¹  that was brought to you, for God has been generous ⁶⁴²  to me and I have all I need.” ⁶⁴³  When Jacob urged him, he took it. ⁶⁴⁴ 

33:12 Then Esau ⁶⁴⁵  said, “Let’s be on our way! ⁶⁴⁶  I will go in front of you.” 33:13 But Jacob ⁶⁴⁷  said to him, “My lord knows that the children are young, ⁶⁴⁸  and that I have to look after the sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. ⁶⁴⁹  If they are driven too hard for even a single day, all the animals will die. 33:14 Let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the herds and the children, ⁶⁵⁰  until I come to my lord at Seir.”

33:15 So Esau said, “Let me leave some of my men with you.” ⁶⁵¹  “Why do that?” Jacob replied. ⁶⁵²  “My lord has already been kind enough to me.” ⁶⁵³ 

33:16 So that same day Esau made his way back ⁶⁵⁴  to Seir. 33:17 But ⁶⁵⁵  Jacob traveled to Succoth ⁶⁵⁶  where he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was called ⁶⁵⁷  Succoth. ⁶⁵⁸ 

33:18 After he left Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped near ⁶⁵⁹  the city. 33:19 Then he purchased the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent; he bought it ⁶⁶⁰  from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of money. ⁶⁶¹  33:20 There he set up an altar and called it “The God of Israel is God.” ⁶⁶² 

Dinah and the Shechemites

34:1 Now Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she bore to Jacob, went to meet ⁶⁶³  the young women ⁶⁶⁴  of the land. 34:2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who ruled that area, saw her, he grabbed her, forced himself on her, ⁶⁶⁵  and sexually assaulted her. ⁶⁶⁶  34:3 Then he became very attached ⁶⁶⁷  to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her. ⁶⁶⁸  34:4 Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Acquire this young girl as my wife.” ⁶⁶⁹  34:5 When ⁶⁷⁰  Jacob heard that Shechem ⁶⁷¹  had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field. So Jacob remained silent ⁶⁷²  until they came in.

34:6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went to speak with Jacob about Dinah. ⁶⁷³  34:7 Now Jacob’s sons had come in from the field when they heard the news. ⁶⁷⁴  They ⁶⁷⁵  were offended ⁶⁷⁶  and very angry because Shechem ⁶⁷⁷  had disgraced Israel ⁶⁷⁸  by sexually assaulting ⁶⁷⁹  Jacob’s daughter, a crime that should not be committed. ⁶⁸⁰ 

34:8 But Hamor made this appeal to them: “My son Shechem is in love with your daughter. ⁶⁸¹  Please give her to him as his wife. 34:9 Intermarry with us. ⁶⁸²  Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves. ⁶⁸³  34:10 You may live ⁶⁸⁴  among us, and the land will be open to you. ⁶⁸⁵  Live in it, travel freely in it, ⁶⁸⁶  and acquire property in it.”

34:11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s ⁶⁸⁷  father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and whatever you require of me ⁶⁸⁸  I’ll give. ⁶⁸⁹  34:12 You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive, ⁶⁹⁰  and I’ll give ⁶⁹¹  whatever you ask ⁶⁹²  of me. Just give me the young woman as my wife!”

34:13 Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem ⁶⁹³  had violated their sister Dinah. 34:14 They said to them, “We cannot give ⁶⁹⁴  our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace ⁶⁹⁵  to us. 34:15 We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become ⁶⁹⁶  like us by circumcising ⁶⁹⁷  all your males. 34:16 Then we will give ⁶⁹⁸  you our daughters to marry, ⁶⁹⁹  and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. 34:17 But if you do not agree to our terms ⁷⁰⁰  by being circumcised, then we will take ⁷⁰¹  our sister ⁷⁰²  and depart.”

34:18 Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem. ⁷⁰³  34:19 The young man did not delay in doing what they asked ⁷⁰⁴  because he wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah ⁷⁰⁵  badly. (Now he was more important ⁷⁰⁶  than anyone in his father’s household.) ⁷⁰⁷  34:20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate ⁷⁰⁸  of their city and spoke to the men of their city, 34:21 “These men are at peace with us. So let them live in the land and travel freely in it, for the land is wide enough ⁷⁰⁹  for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry. ⁷¹⁰  34:22 Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand ⁷¹¹  that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised. 34:23 If we do so, ⁷¹²  won’t their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? So let’s consent to their demand, so they will live among us.”

34:24 All the men who assembled at the city gate ⁷¹³  agreed with ⁷¹⁴  Hamor and his son Shechem. Every male who assembled at the city gate ⁷¹⁵  was circumcised. 34:25 In three days, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword ⁷¹⁶  and went to the unsuspecting city ⁷¹⁷  and slaughtered every male. 34:26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. 34:27 Jacob’s sons killed them ⁷¹⁸  and looted the city because their sister had been violated. ⁷¹⁹  34:28 They took their flocks, herds, and donkeys, as well as everything in the city and in the surrounding fields. ⁷²⁰  34:29 They captured as plunder ⁷²¹  all their wealth, all their little ones, and their wives, including everything in the houses.

34:30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought ruin ⁷²²  on me by making me a foul odor ⁷²³  among the inhabitants of the land – among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I ⁷²⁴  am few in number; they will join forces against me and attack me, and both I and my family will be destroyed!” 34:31 But Simeon and Levi replied, ⁷²⁵  “Should he treat our sister like a common prostitute?”

The Return to Bethel

35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once ⁷²⁶  to Bethel ⁷²⁷  and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” ⁷²⁸  35:2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. ⁷²⁹  Purify yourselves and change your clothes. ⁷³⁰  35:3 Let us go up at once ⁷³¹  to Bethel. Then I will make ⁷³²  an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress ⁷³³  and has been with me wherever I went.” ⁷³⁴ 

35:4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession ⁷³⁵  and the rings that were in their ears. ⁷³⁶  Jacob buried them ⁷³⁷  under the oak ⁷³⁸  near Shechem 35:5 and they started on their journey. ⁷³⁹  The surrounding cities were afraid of God, ⁷⁴⁰  and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

35:6 Jacob and all those who were with him arrived at Luz (that is, Bethel) ⁷⁴¹  in the land of Canaan. ⁷⁴²  35:7 He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel ⁷⁴³  because there God had revealed himself ⁷⁴⁴  to him when he was fleeing from his brother. 35:8 (Deborah, ⁷⁴⁵  Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel; thus it was named ⁷⁴⁶  Oak of Weeping.) ⁷⁴⁷ 

35:9 God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan Aram and blessed him. 35:10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but your name will no longer be called Jacob; Israel will be your name.” So God named him Israel. ⁷⁴⁸  35:11 Then God said to him, “I am the sovereign God. ⁷⁴⁹  Be fruitful and multiply! A nation – even a company of nations – will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants! ⁷⁵⁰  35:12 The land I gave ⁷⁵¹  to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you. To your descendants ⁷⁵²  I will also give this land.” 35:13 Then God went up from the place ⁷⁵³  where he spoke with him. 35:14 So Jacob set up a sacred stone pillar in the place where God spoke with him. ⁷⁵⁴  He poured out a drink offering on it, and then he poured oil on it. ⁷⁵⁵  35:15 Jacob named the place ⁷⁵⁶  where God spoke with him Bethel. ⁷⁵⁷ 

35:16 They traveled on from Bethel, and when Ephrath was still some distance away, ⁷⁵⁸  Rachel went into labor ⁷⁵⁹  – and her labor was hard. 35:17 When her labor was at its hardest, ⁷⁶⁰  the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you are having another son.” ⁷⁶¹  35:18 With her dying breath, ⁷⁶²  she named him Ben-Oni. ⁷⁶³  But his father called him Benjamin instead. ⁷⁶⁴  35:19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). ⁷⁶⁵  35:20 Jacob set up a marker ⁷⁶⁶  over her grave; it is ⁷⁶⁷  the Marker of Rachel’s Grave to this day.

35:21 Then Israel traveled on and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. ⁷⁶⁸  35:22 While Israel was living in that land, Reuben had sexual relations with ⁷⁶⁹  Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard about it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

[25:19]  ¹ sn This is the account of Isaac. What follows for several chapters is not the account of Isaac, except briefly, but the account of Jacob and Esau. The next chapters tell what became of Isaac and his family.

[25:20]  ² tn Heb “And Isaac was the son of forty years when he took Rebekah.”

[25:20]  ³ sn Some valuable information is provided here. We learn here that Isaac married thirty-five years before Abraham died, that Rebekah was barren for twenty years, and that Abraham would have lived to see Jacob and Esau begin to grow up. The death of Abraham was recorded in the first part of the chapter as a “tidying up” of one generation before beginning the account of the next.

[25:21]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew verb עָתַר (’atar), translated “prayed [to]” here, appears in the story of God’s judgment on Egypt in which Moses asked the Lord to remove the plagues. The cognate word in Arabic means “to slaughter for sacrifice,” and the word is used in Zeph 3:10 to describe worshipers who bring offerings. Perhaps some ritual accompanied Isaac’s prayer here.

[25:22]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew word used here suggests a violent struggle that was out of the ordinary.

[25:22]  ⁶ tn Heb “If [it is] so, why [am] I this [way]?” Rebekah wanted to know what was happening to her, but the question itself reflects a growing despair over the struggle of the unborn children.

[25:22]  ⁷ sn Asked the Lord. In other passages (e.g., 1 Sam 9:9) this expression refers to inquiring of a prophet, but no details are provided here.

[25:23]  ⁸ sn By metonymy the two children in her womb are described as two nations of which the two children, Jacob and Esau, would become the fathers. The language suggests there would be a struggle between these nations, with one being stronger than the other. The oracle reveals that all of Jacob’s scheming was unnecessary in the final analysis. He would have become the dominant nation without using deception to steal his brother’s blessing.

[25:24]  ⁹ tn Heb “And her days were filled to give birth.”

[25:24]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “look!” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene as if they were actually present at the birth.

[25:25]  ¹¹ sn Reddish. The Hebrew word translated “reddish” is אַדְמוֹנִי (’admoni), which forms a wordplay on the Edomites, Esau’s descendants. The writer sees in Esau’s appearance at birth a sign of what was to come. After all, the reader has already been made aware of the “nations” that were being born.

[25:25]  ¹² tn Heb “all of him.”

[25:25]  ¹³ sn Hairy. Here is another wordplay involving the descendants of Esau. The Hebrew word translated “hairy” is שֵׂעָר (se’ar); the Edomites will later live in Mount Seir, perhaps named for its wooded nature.

[25:25]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “And they called his name Esau.” The name “Esau” (עֵשָׂו, ’esav) is not etymologically related to שֵׂעָר (se’ar), but it draws on some of the sounds.

[25:26]  ¹⁵ tn The disjunctive clause describes an important circumstance accompanying the birth. Whereas Esau was passive at birth, Jacob was active.

[25:26]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “And he called his name Jacob.” Some ancient witnesses read “they called his name Jacob” (see v. 25). In either case the subject is indefinite.

[25:26]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the son of sixty years.”

[25:27]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “knowing.”

[25:27]  ¹⁹ tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Jacob with Esau and draws attention to the striking contrasts. In contrast to Esau, a man of the field, Jacob was civilized, as the phrase “living in tents” signifies. Whereas Esau was a skillful hunter, Jacob was calm and even-tempered (תָּם, tam), which normally has the idea of “blameless.”

[25:28]  ²⁰ tn Heb “the taste of game was in his mouth.” The word for “game,” “venison” is here the same Hebrew word as “hunter” in the last verse. Here it is a metonymy, referring to that which the hunter kills.

[25:28]  ²¹ tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Rebekah with Jacob and draws attention to the contrast. The verb here is a participle, drawing attention to Rebekah’s continuing, enduring love for her son.

[25:29]  ²² sn Jacob cooked some stew. There are some significant words and wordplays in this story that help clarify the points of the story. The verb “cook” is זִיד (zid), which sounds like the word for “hunter” (צַיִד, tsayid). This is deliberate, for the hunter becomes the hunted in this story. The word זִיד means “to cook, to boil,” but by the sound play with צַיִד it comes to mean “set a trap by cooking.” The usage of the word shows that it can also have the connotation of acting presumptuously (as in boiling over). This too may be a comment on the scene. For further discussion of the rhetorical devices in the Jacob narratives, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).

[25:30]  ²³ 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]  ²⁴ tn The verb has no expressed subject and so is given a passive translation.

[25:30]  ²⁵ 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.”

[25:31]  ²⁶ tn Heb “today.”

[25:32]  ²⁷ tn Heb “And what is this to me, a birthright?”

[25:33]  ²⁸ tn Heb “Swear to me today.”

[25:33]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:33]  ³⁰ sn And sold his birthright. There is evidence from Hurrian culture that rights of inheritance were occasionally sold or transferred. Here Esau is portrayed as a profane person who would at the moment rather have a meal than the right to inherit. He will soon forget this trade and seek his father’s blessing in spite of it.

[25:34]  ³¹ 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]  ³² 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.

[26:1]  ³³ tn Heb “in addition to the first famine which was.”

[26:1]  ³⁴ sn This account is parallel to two similar stories about Abraham (see Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Many scholars do not believe there were three similar incidents, only one that got borrowed and duplicated. Many regard the account about Isaac as the original, which then was attached to the more important person, Abraham, with supernatural elements being added. For a critique of such an approach, see R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 47-62. It is more likely that the story illustrates the proverb “like father, like son” (see T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 53). In typical human fashion the son follows his father’s example of lying to avoid problems. The appearance of similar events reported in a similar way underscores the fact that the blessing has now passed to Isaac, even if he fails as his father did.

[26:2]  ³⁵ sn Do not go down to Egypt. The words echo Gen 12:10, which reports that “Abram went down to Egypt,” but state the opposite.

[26:2]  ³⁶ tn Heb “say to you.”

[26:3]  ³⁷ tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur) means “to live temporarily without ownership of land.” Abraham’s family will not actually possess the land of Canaan until the Israelite conquest hundreds of years later.

[26:3]  ³⁸ tn After the imperative “stay” the two prefixed verb forms with prefixed conjunction here indicate consequence.

[26:3]  ³⁹ tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[26:3]  ⁴⁰ tn The Hiphil stem of the verb קוּם (qum) here means “to fulfill, to bring to realization.” For other examples of this use of this verb form, see Lev 26:9; Num 23:19; Deut 8:18; 9:5; 1 Sam 1:23; 1 Kgs 6:12; Jer 11:5.

[26:3]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “the oath which I swore.”

[26:4]  ⁴² tn Heb “your descendants.”

[26:4]  ⁴³ tn Traditionally the verb is taken as passive (“will be blessed”) here, as if Abraham’s descendants were going to be a channel or source of blessing to the nations. But the Hitpael is better understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another” (see also Gen 22:18). Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. Earlier formulations of this promise (see Gen 12:2; 18:18) use the Niphal stem. (See also Gen 28:14.)

[26:5]  ⁴⁴ tn The words “All this will come to pass” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[26:5]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “listened to my voice.”

[26:5]  ⁴⁶ sn My charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. The language of this verse is clearly interpretive, for Abraham did not have all these laws. The terms are legal designations for sections of the Mosaic law and presuppose the existence of the law. Some Rabbinic views actually conclude that Abraham had fulfilled the whole law before it was given (see m. Qiddushin 4:14). Some scholars argue that this story could only have been written after the law was given (C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:424-25). But the simplest explanation is that the narrator (traditionally taken to be Moses the Lawgiver) elaborated on the simple report of Abraham’s obedience by using terms with which the Israelites were familiar. In this way he depicts Abraham as the model of obedience to God’s commands, whose example Israel should follow.

[26:7]  ⁴⁷ sn Rebekah, unlike Sarah, was not actually her husband’s sister.

[26:7]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “lest.” The words “for he thought to himself” are supplied because the next clause is written with a first person pronoun, showing that Isaac was saying or thinking this.

[26:7]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “kill me on account of.”

[26:8]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:8]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “and it happened when the days were long to him there.”

[26:8]  ⁵² tn Heb “look, Isaac.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene through Abimelech’s eyes.

[26:8]  ⁵³ tn Or “fondling.”

[26:9]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “Surely, look!” See N. H. Snaith, “The meaning of Hebrew ‘ak,” VT 14 (1964): 221-25.

[26:9]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” Since the verb “said” probably means “said to myself” (i.e., “thought”) here, the direct discourse in the Hebrew statement has been converted to indirect discourse in the translation. In addition the simple prepositional phrase “on account of her” has been clarified in the translation as “to get her” (cf. v. 7).

[26:10]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “What is this you have done to us?” The Hebrew demonstrative pronoun “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to us?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[26:10]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “people.”

[26:10]  ⁵⁸ tn The Hebrew verb means “to lie down.” Here the expression “lie with” or “sleep with” is euphemistic for “have sexual relations with.”

[26:11]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “strikes.” Here the verb has the nuance “to harm in any way.” It would include assaulting the woman or killing the man.

[26:11]  ⁶⁰ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the imperfect makes the construction emphatic.

[26:12]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “a hundredfold.”

[26:12]  ⁶² tn This final clause explains why Isaac had such a bountiful harvest.

[26:13]  ⁶³ tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Isaac’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are included.

[26:13]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “and he went, going and becoming great.” The construction stresses that his growth in possessions and power continued steadily.

[26:14]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “and there was to him.”

[26:14]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “possessions of sheep.”

[26:14]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “possessions of cattle.”

[26:14]  ⁶⁸ tn The Hebrew verb translated “became jealous” refers here to intense jealousy or envy that leads to hostile action (see v. 15).

[26:15]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “and the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with dirt.”

[26:16]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “Go away from us.”

[26:16]  ⁷¹ sn You have become much more powerful. This explanation for the expulsion of Isaac from Philistine territory foreshadows the words used later by the Egyptians to justify their oppression of Israel (see Exod 1:9).

[26:17]  ⁷² tn Heb “and he camped in the valley of Gerar and he lived there.”

[26:18]  ⁷³ tn Heb “he returned and dug,” meaning “he dug again” or “he reopened.”

[26:18]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “that they dug.” Since the subject is indefinite, the verb is translated as passive.

[26:18]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “and the Philistines had stopped them up.” This clause explains why Isaac had to reopen them.

[26:18]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:18]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the wells) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:18]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “called names to them according to the names that his father called them.”

[26:19]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “living.” This expression refers to a well supplied by subterranean streams (see Song 4:15).

[26:20]  ⁸⁰ tn The Hebrew verb translated “quarreled” describes a conflict that often has legal ramifications.

[26:20]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:20]  ⁸² tn Heb “and he called the name of the well.”

[26:20]  ⁸³ sn The name Esek means “argument” in Hebrew. The following causal clause explains that Isaac gave the well this name as a reminder of the conflict its discovery had created. In the Hebrew text there is a wordplay, for the name is derived from the verb translated “argued.”

[26:20]  ⁸⁴ tn The words “about it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:21]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “they”; the referent (Isaac’s servants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:21]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:21]  ⁸⁷ sn The name Sitnah (שִׂטְנָה, sitnah) is derived from a Hebrew verbal root meaning “to oppose; to be an adversary” (cf. Job 1:6). The name was a reminder that the digging of this well caused “opposition” from the Philistines.

[26:22]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:22]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “and he called its name.”

[26:22]  ⁹⁰ sn The name Rehoboth (רְהֹבוֹת, rehovot) is derived from a verbal root meaning “to make room.” The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. The story shows Isaac’s patience with the opposition; it also shows how God’s blessing outdistanced the men of Gerar. They could not stop it or seize it any longer.

[26:23]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “and he went up from there”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:25]  ⁹² tn Heb “called in the name of.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; 21:33). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116.

[26:25]  ⁹³ tn Heb “and they dug there, the servants of Isaac, a well.”

[26:26]  ⁹⁴ tn The disjunctive clause supplies pertinent supplemental information. The past perfect is used because the following narrative records the treaty at Beer Sheba. Prior to this we are told that Isaac settled in Beer Sheba; presumably this treaty would have allowed him to do that. However, it may be that he settled there and then made the treaty by which he renamed the place Beer Sheba. In this case one may translate “Now Abimelech came to him.”

[26:26]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “and.”

[26:26]  ⁹⁶ tn Many modern translations render the Hebrew term מֵרֵעַ (merea’) as “councillor” or “adviser,” but the term may not designate an official position but simply a close personal friend.

[26:27]  ⁹⁷ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, expressing the reason for his question.

[26:28]  ⁹⁸ tn The infinitive absolute before the verb emphasizes the clarity of their perception.

[26:28]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “And we said, ‘Let there be.’” The direct discourse in the Hebrew text has been rendered as indirect discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:28]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The pronoun “us” here is inclusive – it refers to the Philistine contingent on the one hand and Isaac on the other.

[26:28]  ¹⁰¹ tn The pronoun “us” here is exclusive – it refers to just the Philistine contingent (the following “you” refers to Isaac).

[26:28]  ¹⁰² tn The translation assumes that the cohortative expresses their request. Another option is to understand the cohortative as indicating resolve: “We want to make.’”

[26:29]  ¹⁰³ tn The oath formula is used: “if you do us harm” means “so that you will not do.”

[26:29]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Heb “touched.”

[26:29]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “and just as we have done only good with you.”

[26:29]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “and we sent you away.”

[26:29]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The Philistine leaders are making an observation, not pronouncing a blessing, so the translation reads “you are blessed” rather than “may you be blessed” (cf. NAB).

[26:30]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:30]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “and they ate and drank.”

[26:31]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “and they got up early and they swore an oath, a man to his brother.”

[26:31]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “and they went from him in peace.”

[26:32]  ¹¹² tn Heb “and they said to him, ‘We have found water.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[26:33]  ¹¹³ sn The name Shibah (שִׁבְעָה, shiv’ah) means (or at least sounds like) the word meaning “oath.” The name was a reminder of the oath sworn by Isaac and the Philistines to solidify their treaty.

[26:33]  ¹¹⁴ sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of an oath” or “well of seven.” According to Gen 21:31 Abraham gave Beer Sheba its name when he made a treaty with the Philistines. Because of the parallels between this earlier story and the account in 26:26-33, some scholars see chaps. 21 and 26 as two versions (or doublets) of one original story. However, if one takes the text as it stands, it appears that Isaac made a later treaty agreement with the people of the land that was similar to his father’s. Abraham dug a well at the site and named the place Beer Sheba; Isaac dug another well there and named the well Shibah. Later generations then associated the name Beer Sheba with Isaac, even though Abraham gave the place its name at an earlier time.

[26:34]  ¹¹⁵ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making this clause subordinate to the next.

[26:34]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “the son of forty years.”

[26:34]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “took as a wife.”

[26:35]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “And they were [a source of ] bitterness in spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah.”

[27:1]  ¹¹⁹ tn The clause begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making it subordinate to the main clause that follows later in the sentence.

[27:1]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “and his eyes were weak from seeing.”

[27:1]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “greater” (in terms of age).

[27:1]  ¹²² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Esau) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2]  ¹²³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaac) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:2]  ¹²⁴ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here introduces a logically foundational statement, upon which the coming instruction will be based.

[27:2]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “I do not know the day of my death.”

[27:3]  ¹²⁶ tn The Hebrew word is to be spelled either צַיִד (tsayid) following the marginal reading (Qere), or צֵידָה (tsedah) following the consonantal text (Kethib). Either way it is from the same root as the imperative צוּדָה (tsudah, “hunt down”).

[27:4]  ¹²⁷ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:4]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “so that my soul may bless you.” The use of נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”) as the subject emphasizes that the blessing will be made with all Isaac’s desire and vitality. The conjunction “so that” closely relates the meal to the blessing, suggesting that this will be a ritual meal in conjunction with the giving of a formal blessing.

[27:5]  ¹²⁹ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a conjunction with the subject, followed by the predicate) here introduces a new scene in the story.

[27:5]  ¹³⁰ tc The LXX adds here “to his father,” which may have been accidentally omitted in the MT.

[27:7]  ¹³¹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:7]  ¹³² tn The cohortative, with the prefixed conjunction, also expresses logical sequence. See vv. 4, 19, 27.

[27:7]  ¹³³ tn In her report to Jacob, Rebekah plays down Isaac’s strong desire to bless Esau by leaving out נַפְשִׁי (nafshi, “my soul”), but by adding the phrase “in the presence of the Lord,” she stresses how serious this matter is.

[27:8]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “listen to my voice.” The Hebrew idiom means “to comply; to obey.”

[27:8]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “to that which I am commanding you.”

[27:9]  ¹³⁶ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with the prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:10]  ¹³⁷ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive. It carries forward the tone of instruction initiated by the command to “go…and get” in the preceding verse.

[27:10]  ¹³⁸ tn The form is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; it carries the future nuance of the preceding verbs of instruction, but by switching the subject to Jacob, indicates the expected result of the subterfuge.

[27:10]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “so that.” The conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:11]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, but I am a smooth [skinned] man.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:12]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “Perhaps my father will feel me and I will be in his eyes like a mocker.” The Hebrew expression “I will be in his eyes like” means “I would appear to him as.”

[27:13]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “upon me your curse.”

[27:13]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “only listen to my voice.”

[27:14]  ¹⁴⁴ tn The words “the goats” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:14]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “his mother.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “she” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:16]  ¹⁴⁶ tn In the Hebrew text the object (“the skins of the young goats”) precedes the verb. The disjunctive clause draws attention to this key element in the subterfuge.

[27:16]  ¹⁴⁷ tn The word “hands” probably includes the forearms here. How the skins were attached is not specified in the Hebrew text; cf. NLT “she made him a pair of gloves.”

[27:17]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “gave…into the hand of.”

[27:18]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:18]  ¹⁵⁰ sn Which are you, my son? Isaac’s first question shows that the deception is going to require more subterfuge than Rebekah had anticipated. Jacob will have to pull off the deceit.

[27:19]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “get up and sit.” This may mean simply “sit up,” or it may indicate that he was to get up from his couch and sit at a table.

[27:19]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.” These words, though not reported by Rebekah to Jacob (see v. 7) accurately reflect what Isaac actually said to Esau (see v. 4). Perhaps Jacob knew more than Rebekah realized, but it is more likely that this was an idiom for sincere blessing with which Jacob was familiar. At any rate, his use of the precise wording was a nice, convincing touch.

[27:20]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “What is this?” The enclitic pronoun “this” adds emphasis to the question, which is comparable to the English rhetorical question, “How in the world?”

[27:20]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “you hastened to find.” In translation the infinitive becomes the main verb and the first verb becomes adverbial.

[27:20]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “caused to meet before me.”

[27:20]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Because the Lord your God….’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:21]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative (with prefixed conjunction) indicates purpose or result.

[27:21]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “Are you this one, Esau, my son, or not?” On the use of the interrogative particle here, see BDB 210 s.v. הֲ.

[27:23]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “and he blessed him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” (Isaac) and “him” (Jacob) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:24]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ¹⁶² 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]  ¹⁶³ 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]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “and he brought”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:25]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “and he drank”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “and he smelled the smell”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:27]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “see.”

[27:28]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Heb “and from the dew of the sky.”

[27:28]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Heb “and from the fatness.”

[27:29]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “and be.” The verb is an imperative, which is used rhetorically in this oracle of blessing. It is an invitation to exercise authority his brothers and indicates that he is granted such authority by the patriarch of the family. Furthermore, the blessing enables the recipient to accomplish this.

[27:29]  ¹⁷² tn The Hebrew word is גְבִיר (gevir, “lord, mighty one”). The one being blessed will be stronger and therefore more powerful than his brother. See Gen 25:23. The feminine form of this rare noun means “mistress” or “queen-mother.”

[27:29]  ¹⁷³ tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verbal form (which is either an imperfect or a jussive) with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[27:30]  ¹⁷⁴ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite form of the verb makes the construction emphatic.

[27:30]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “the presence of Isaac his father.” The repetition of the proper name (“Isaac”) was

[27:30]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “and Esau his brother came from his hunt.”

[27:31]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “and he said to his father”; the referent of “he” (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity, while the words “his father” have been replaced by the pronoun “him” for stylistic reasons.

[27:31]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Or “arise” (i.e., sit up).

[27:31]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “so that your soul may bless me.”

[27:32]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Heb “said.”

[27:32]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘I [am] your son, your firstborn.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[27:33]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “and Isaac trembled with a great trembling to excess.” The verb “trembled” is joined with a cognate accusative, which is modified by an adjective “great,” and a prepositional phrase “to excess.” All of this is emphatic, showing the violence of Isaac’s reaction to the news.

[27:33]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “Who then is he who hunted game and brought [it] to me so that I ate from all before you arrived and blessed him?”

[27:34]  ¹⁸⁴ tn The temporal clause is introduced with the temporal indicator and has the infinitive as its verb.

[27:34]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “and he yelled [with] a great and bitter yell to excess.”

[27:35]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:35]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Or “took”; “received.”

[27:36]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “Is he not rightly named Jacob?” The rhetorical question, since it expects a positive reply, has been translated as a declarative statement.

[27:36]  ¹⁸⁹ sn He has tripped me up. When originally given, the name Jacob was a play on the word “heel” (see Gen 25:26). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. Esau gives the name “Jacob” a negative connotation here, the meaning “to trip up; to supplant.”

[27:38]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “Bless me, me also, my father.” The words “my father” have not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:38]  ¹⁹¹ tn Heb “and Esau lifted his voice and wept.”

[27:39]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “look.”

[27:39]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “from the fatness.”

[27:40]  ¹⁹⁴ sn You will tear off his yoke from your neck. It may be that this prophetic blessing found its fulfillment when Jerusalem fell and Edom got its revenge. The oracle makes Edom subservient to Israel and suggests the Edomites would live away from the best land and be forced to sustain themselves by violent measures.

[27:41]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Or “bore a grudge against” (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV). The Hebrew verb שָׂטַם (satam) describes persistent hatred.

[27:41]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “because of the blessing which his father blessed him.”

[27:41]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “said in his heart.” The expression may mean “said to himself.” Even if this is the case, v. 42 makes it clear that he must have shared his intentions with someone, because the news reached Rebekah.

[27:41]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “days.”

[27:41]  ¹⁹⁹ tn The cohortative here expresses Esau’s determined resolve to kill Jacob.

[27:42]  ²⁰⁰ tn Heb “and the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah.”

[27:42]  ²⁰¹ tn Heb “she sent and called for.”

[27:42]  ²⁰² tn Heb “is consoling himself with respect to you to kill you.” The only way Esau had of dealing with his anger at the moment was to plan to kill his brother after the death of Isaac.

[27:43]  ²⁰³ tn Heb “listen to my voice.”

[27:43]  ²⁰⁴ tn Heb “arise, flee.”

[27:44]  ²⁰⁵ tn Heb “a few days.” Rebekah probably downplays the length of time Jacob will be gone, perhaps to encourage him and assure him that things will settle down soon. She probably expects Esau’s anger to die down quickly. However, Jacob ends up being gone twenty years and he never sees Rebekah again.

[27:45]  ²⁰⁶ tn The words “stay there” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:45]  ²⁰⁷ tn Heb “and I will send and I will take you from there.” The verb “send” has no object in the Hebrew text; one must be supplied in the translation. Either “someone” or “a message” could be supplied, but since in those times a message would require a messenger, “someone” has been used.

[27:45]  ²⁰⁸ tn If Jacob stayed, he would be killed and Esau would be forced to run away.

[27:46]  ²⁰⁹ tn Heb “loathe my life.” The Hebrew verb translated “loathe” refers to strong disgust (see Lev 20:23).

[27:46]  ²¹⁰ tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (see also Gen 23:3), 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.

[27:46]  ²¹¹ tn Heb “If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, why to me life?”

[28:1]  ²¹² tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:2]  ²¹³ tn Heb “Arise! Go!” The first of the two imperatives is adverbial and stresses the immediacy of the departure.

[28:3]  ²¹⁴ tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[28:3]  ²¹⁵ tn Heb “and make you fruitful and multiply you.” See Gen 17:6, 20 for similar terminology.

[28:3]  ²¹⁶ tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here indicates consequence. The collocation הָיָה + preposition לְ (hayah + lÿ) means “become.”

[28:3]  ²¹⁷ tn Heb “an assembly of peoples.”

[28:4]  ²¹⁸ tn Heb “and may he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you.” The name “Abraham” is an objective genitive here; this refers to the blessing that God gave to Abraham.

[28:4]  ²¹⁹ tn The words “the land” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[28:4]  ²²⁰ tn Heb “the land of your sojournings,” that is, the land where Jacob had been living as a resident alien, as his future descendants would after him.

[28:6]  ²²¹ tn Heb “to take for himself from there a wife.”

[28:6]  ²²² tn The infinitive construct with the preposition and the suffix form a temporal clause.

[28:6]  ²²³ tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:8]  ²²⁴ tn Heb “saw.”

[28:8]  ²²⁵ tn Heb “the daughters of Canaan.”

[28:8]  ²²⁶ tn Heb “evil in the eyes of.”

[28:9]  ²²⁷ tn Heb “took for a wife.”

[28:11]  ²²⁸ tn Heb “the place.” The article may indicate simply that the place is definite in the mind of the narrator. However, as the story unfolds the place is transformed into a holy place. See A. P. Ross, “Jacob’s Vision: The Founding of Bethel,” BSac 142 (1985): 224-37.

[28:11]  ²²⁹ tn Heb “and he spent the night there because the sun had gone down.”

[28:11]  ²³⁰ tn Heb “he took from the stones of the place,” which here means Jacob took one of the stones (see v. 18).

[28:11]  ²³¹ tn Heb “and he put [it at] the place of his head.” The text does not actually say the stone was placed under his head to serve as a pillow, although most interpreters and translators assume this. It is possible the stone served some other purpose. Jacob does not seem to have been a committed monotheist yet (see v. 20-21) so he may have believed it contained some spiritual power. Note that later in the story he anticipates the stone becoming the residence of God (see v. 22). Many cultures throughout the world view certain types of stones as magical and/or sacred. See J. G. Fraser, Folklore in the Old Testament, 231-37.

[28:11]  ²³² tn Heb “lay down.”

[28:12]  ²³³ tn Heb “and dreamed.”

[28:12]  ²³⁴ tn Heb “and look.” The scene which Jacob witnessed is described in three clauses introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh). In this way the narrator invites the reader to witness the scene through Jacob’s eyes. J. P. Fokkelman points out that the particle goes with a lifted arm and an open mouth: “There, a ladder! Oh, angels! and look, the Lord himself” (Narrative Art in Genesis [SSN], 51-52).

[28:12]  ²³⁵ tn The Hebrew noun סֻלָּם (sullam, “ladder, stairway”) occurs only here in the OT, but there appears to be an Akkadian cognate simmiltu (with metathesis of the second and third consonants and a feminine ending) which has a specialized meaning of “stairway, ramp.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 34. For further discussion see C. Houtman, “What Did Jacob See in His Dream at Bethel? Some Remarks on Genesis 28:10-22,” VT 27 (1977): 337-52; J. G. Griffiths, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 76 (1964/65): 229-30; and A. R. Millard, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 78 (1966/67): 86-87.

[28:13]  ²³⁶ 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]  ²³⁷ 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.

[28:14]  ²³⁸ tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.

[28:14]  ²³⁹ tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.

[28:14]  ²⁴⁰ tn Theoretically the Niphal stem can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Jacob were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in other formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless (i.e., pronounce blessings upon) themselves/one another.” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 28:14 predicts that Jacob will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae (see Gen 12:2 and 18:18 as well, where Abram/Abraham receives this promise). For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[28:14]  ²⁴¹ tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”

[28:15]  ²⁴² tn Heb “Look, I [am] with you.” The clause is a nominal clause; the verb to be supplied could be present (as in the translation) or future, “Look, I [will be] with you” (cf. NEB).

[28:16]  ²⁴³ tn Heb “woke up from his sleep.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[28:16]  ²⁴⁴ tn Heb “said.”

[28:18]  ²⁴⁵ tn Heb “and he got up early…and he took.”

[28:18]  ²⁴⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:18]  ²⁴⁷ tn See the note on this phrase in v. 11.

[28:18]  ²⁴⁸ tn Heb “standing stone.”

[28:19]  ²⁴⁹ tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew (see v. 17).

[28:20]  ²⁵⁰ tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.

[28:21]  ²⁵¹ tn Heb “and I return in peace to the house of my father.”

[28:22]  ²⁵² tn The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/subject) is used to highlight the statement.

[28:22]  ²⁵³ tn The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb for emphasis.

[28:22]  ²⁵⁴ tn Heb “and all which you give to me I will surely give a tenth of it to you.” The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/object) highlights this statement as well.

[29:1]  ²⁵⁵ tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his feet.” This unusual expression suggests that Jacob had a new lease on life now that God had promised him the blessing he had so desperately tried to gain by his own efforts. The text portrays him as having a new step in his walk.

[29:1]  ²⁵⁶ tn Heb “the land of the sons of the east.”

[29:2]  ²⁵⁷ tn Heb “and he saw, and look.” As in Gen 28:12-15, the narrator uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here and in the next clause to draw the reader into the story.

[29:2]  ²⁵⁸ tn Heb “and look, there.”

[29:2]  ²⁵⁹ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the noun with the prefixed conjunction) provides supplemental information that is important to the story.

[29:3]  ²⁶⁰ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the shepherds) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:5]  ²⁶¹ tn Heb “son.”

[29:5]  ²⁶² tn Heb “and they said, ‘We know.’” The word “him” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the translation several introductory clauses throughout this section have been placed after the direct discourse they introduce for stylistic reasons as well.

[29:6]  ²⁶³ tn Heb “and he said to them, ‘Is there peace to him?’”

[29:6]  ²⁶⁴ tn Heb “peace.”

[29:7]  ²⁶⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:7]  ²⁶⁶ tn Heb “the day is great.”

[29:7]  ²⁶⁷ tn Heb “water the sheep and go and pasture [them].” The verbal forms are imperatives, but Jacob would hardly be giving direct orders to someone else’s shepherds. The nuance here is probably one of advice.

[29:8]  ²⁶⁸ tn The perfect verbal forms with the vav (ו) consecutive carry on the sequence begun by the initial imperfect form.

[29:9]  ²⁶⁹ tn Heb “was a shepherdess.”

[29:10]  ²⁷⁰ tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother” (twice in this verse).

[29:10]  ²⁷¹ tn Heb “Jacob.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:10]  ²⁷² tn Heb “drew near, approached.”

[29:10]  ²⁷³ tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother.” The text says nothing initially about the beauty of Rachel. But the reader is struck by the repetition of “Laban the brother of his mother.” G. J. Wenham is no doubt correct when he observes that Jacob’s primary motive at this stage is to ingratiate himself with Laban (Genesis [WBC], 2:231).

[29:11]  ²⁷⁴ tn Heb “and he lifted up his voice and wept.” The idiom calls deliberate attention to the fact that Jacob wept out loud.

[29:12]  ²⁷⁵ tn Heb “declared.”

[29:12]  ²⁷⁶ tn Heb “that he [was] the brother of her father.”

[29:13]  ²⁷⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:13]  ²⁷⁸ tn Heb “and he told to Laban all these things.” This might mean Jacob told Laban how he happened to be there, but Laban’s response (see v. 14) suggests “all these things” refers to what Jacob had previously told Rachel (see v. 12).

[29:14]  ²⁷⁹ tn Heb “indeed, my bone and my flesh are you.” The expression sounds warm enough, but the presence of “indeed” may suggest that Laban had to be convinced of Jacob’s identity before permitting him to stay. To be one’s “bone and flesh” is to be someone’s blood relative. For example, the phrase describes the relationship between Abimelech and the Shechemites (Judg 9:2; his mother was a Shechemite); David and the Israelites (2 Sam 5:1); David and the elders of Judah (2 Sam 19:12,); and David and his nephew Amasa (2 Sam 19:13, see 2 Sam 17:2; 1 Chr 2:16-17).

[29:14]  ²⁸⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:14]  ²⁸¹ tn Heb “a month of days.”

[29:15]  ²⁸² tn The verb is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; the nuance in the question is deliberative.

[29:15]  ²⁸³ tn Heb “my brother.” The term “brother” is used in a loose sense; actually Jacob was Laban’s nephew.

[29:16]  ²⁸⁴ tn Heb “and to Laban [there were] two daughters.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a prepositional phrase) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, vv. 16-17 have been set in parentheses in the translation.

[29:17]  ²⁸⁵ tn Heb “and the eyes of Leah were tender.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a noun) continues the parenthesis begun in v. 16. It is not clear what is meant by “tender” (or “delicate”) eyes. The expression may mean she had appealing eyes (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT), though some suggest that they were plain, not having the brightness normally expected. Either way, she did not measure up to her gorgeous sister.

[29:17]  ²⁸⁶ tn Heb “and Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance.”

[29:18]  ²⁸⁷ tn Heb “Jacob loved.”

[29:19]  ²⁸⁸ tn Heb “Better my giving her to you than my giving her to another man.”

[29:20]  ²⁸⁹ tn Heb “in exchange for Rachel.”

[29:20]  ²⁹⁰ sn But they seemed like only a few days to him. This need not mean that the time passed quickly. More likely it means that the price seemed insignificant when compared to what he was getting in the bargain.

[29:20]  ²⁹¹ tn Heb “because of his love for her.” The words “was so great” are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[29:21]  ²⁹² tn Heb “and Jacob said.”

[29:21]  ²⁹³ tn Heb “my days are fulfilled.”

[29:21]  ²⁹⁴ tn Heb “and I will go in to her.” The verb is a cohortative; it may be subordinated to the preceding request, “that I may go in,” or it may be an independent clause expressing his desire. The verb “go in” in this context refers to sexual intercourse (i.e., the consummation of the marriage).

[29:22]  ²⁹⁵ tn Heb “men.”

[29:23]  ²⁹⁶ tn Heb “and it happened in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her.”

[29:23]  ²⁹⁷ tn Heb “to him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:23]  ²⁹⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:23]  ²⁹⁹ tn Heb “went in to her.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.

[29:24]  ³⁰⁰ tn Heb “and Laban gave to her Zilpah his female servant, to Leah his daughter [for] a servant.” This clause gives information parenthetical to the narrative.

[29:25]  ³⁰¹ tn Heb “and it happened in the morning that look, it was Leah.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.

[29:25]  ³⁰² tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:25]  ³⁰³ tn Heb What is this you have done to me?” The use of the pronoun “this” is enclitic, adding emphasis to the question: “What in the world have you done to me?”

[29:25]  ³⁰⁴ sn The Hebrew verb translated tricked here (רָמָה, ramah) is cognate to the noun used in Gen 27:35 to describe Jacob’s deception of Esau. Jacob is discovering that what goes around, comes around. See J. A. Diamond, “The Deception of Jacob: A New Perspective on an Ancient Solution to the Problem,” VT 34 (1984): 211-13.

[29:26]  ³⁰⁵ tn Heb “and Laban said, ‘It is not done so in our place.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:26]  ³⁰⁶ tn Heb “to give the younger.” The words “daughter” and “in marriage” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[29:27]  ³⁰⁷ tn Heb “fulfill the period of seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as “my older daughter” for clarity.

[29:27]  ³⁰⁸ tn Heb “this other one.”

[29:27]  ³⁰⁹ tn Heb “and we will give to you also this one in exchange for labor which you will work with me, still seven other years.”

[29:28]  ³¹⁰ tn Heb “and Jacob did so.” The words “as Laban said” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:28]  ³¹¹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:28]  ³¹² tn Heb “the seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as Leah to avoid confusion with Rachel, mentioned later in the verse.

[29:28]  ³¹³ tn Heb “and he gave to him Rachel his daughter for him for a wife.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:29]  ³¹⁴ tn Heb “and Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his female servant, for her for a servant.”

[29:30]  ³¹⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:30]  ³¹⁶ tn Heb “went in also to Rachel.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.

[29:30]  ³¹⁷ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:30]  ³¹⁸ tn Heb “and he loved also Rachel, more than Leah, and he served with him still seven other years.”

[29:31]  ³¹⁹ tn Heb “hated.” The rhetorical device of overstatement is used (note v. 30, which says simply that Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah) to emphasize that Rachel, as Jacob’s true love and the primary object of his affections, had an advantage over Leah.

[29:31]  ³²⁰ tn Heb “he opened up her womb.”

[29:32]  ³²¹ tn Or “Leah conceived” (also in vv. 33, 34, 35).

[29:32]  ³²² sn The name Reuben (רְאוּבֵן, rÿ’uven) means “look, a son.”

[29:32]  ³²³ tn Heb “looked on my affliction.”

[29:33]  ³²⁴ tn Heb “hated.” See the note on the word “unloved” in v. 31.

[29:33]  ³²⁵ sn The name Simeon (שִׁמְעוֹן, shim’on) is derived from the verbal root שָׁמַע (shama’) and means “hearing.” The name is appropriate since it is reminder that the Lord “heard” about Leah’s unloved condition and responded with pity.

[29:34]  ³²⁶ tn Heb “will be joined to me.”

[29:34]  ³²⁷ sn The name Levi (לֵוִי, levi), the precise meaning of which is debated, was appropriate because it sounds like the verb לָוָה (lavah, “to join”), used in the statement recorded earlier in the verse.

[29:35]  ³²⁸ sn The name Judah (יְהוּדָה, yÿhudah) means “he will be praised” and reflects the sentiment Leah expresses in the statement recorded earlier in the verse. For further discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names ‘Israel’ and ‘Judah’ with an Excursus on the Etymology of Todah and Torah,” JBL 46 (1927): 151-85; and A. R. Millard, “The Meaning of the Name Judah,” ZAW 86 (1974): 216-18.

[30:1]  ³²⁹ tn Heb “Rachel.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“she”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:1]  ³³⁰ tn Heb “sons.”

[30:2]  ³³¹ tn Heb “and the anger of Jacob was hot.”

[30:2]  ³³² tn Heb “who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb.”

[30:3]  ³³³ tn Heb “go in to.” The expression “go in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.

[30:3]  ³³⁴ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates the immediate purpose of the proposed activity.

[30:3]  ³³⁵ tn The word “children” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:3]  ³³⁶ tn Heb “upon my knees.” This is an idiomatic way of saying that Bilhah will be simply a surrogate mother. Rachel will adopt the child as her own.

[30:3]  ³³⁷ tn Heb “and I will be built up, even I, from her.” The prefixed verbal form with the conjunction is subordinated to the preceding prefixed verbal form and gives the ultimate purpose for the proposed action. The idiom of “built up” here refers to having a family (see Gen 16:2, as well as Ruth 4:11 and BDB 125 s.v. בָנָה).

[30:4]  ³³⁸ tn Heb “and she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:4]  ³³⁹ tn Heb “went in to.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.

[30:5]  ³⁴⁰ tn Or “Bilhah conceived” (also in v. 7).

[30:5]  ³⁴¹ tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a son.”

[30:6]  ³⁴² tn Heb “and also he has heard my voice.” The expression means that God responded positively to Rachel’s cry and granted her request.

[30:6]  ³⁴³ tn Or “therefore.”

[30:6]  ³⁴⁴ sn The name Dan means “he vindicated” or “he judged.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. The verb translated “vindicated” is from דִּין (din, “to judge, to vindicate”), the same verbal root from which the name is derived. Rachel sensed that God was righting the wrong.

[30:7]  ³⁴⁵ tn Heb “and she became pregnant again and Bilhah, the servant of Rachel, bore a second son for Jacob.”

[30:8]  ³⁴⁶ tn Heb “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister, also I have prevailed.” The phrase “mighty struggle” reads literally “struggles of God.” The plural participle “struggles” reflects the ongoing nature of the struggle, while the divine name is used here idiomatically to emphasize the intensity of the struggle. See J. Skinner, Genesis (ICC), 387.

[30:8]  ³⁴⁷ sn The name Naphtali (נַפְתָּלִי, naftali) must mean something like “my struggle” in view of the statement Rachel made in the preceding clause. The name plays on this earlier statement, “[with] a mighty struggle I have struggled with my sister.”

[30:9]  ³⁴⁸ tn Heb “she took her servant Zilpah and gave her.” The verbs “took” and “gave” are treated as a hendiadys in the translation: “she gave.”

[30:10]  ³⁴⁹ tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore for Jacob a son.”

[30:11]  ³⁵⁰ tc The statement in the Kethib (consonantal text) appears to mean literally “with good fortune,” if one takes the initial בְּ (bet) as a preposition indicating accompaniment. The Qere (marginal reading) means “good fortune has arrived.”

[30:11]  ³⁵¹ sn The name Gad (גָּד, gad) means “good fortune.” The name reflects Leah’s feeling that good fortune has come her way, as expressed in her statement recorded earlier in the verse.

[30:12]  ³⁵² tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore a second son for Jacob.”

[30:13]  ³⁵³ tn The Hebrew statement apparently means “with my happiness.”

[30:13]  ³⁵⁴ tn Heb “daughters.”

[30:13]  ³⁵⁵ sn The name Asher (אָשֶׁר, ’asher) apparently means “happy one.” The name plays on the words used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. Both the Hebrew noun and verb translated “happy” and “call me happy,” respectively, are derived from the same root as the name Asher.

[30:14]  ³⁵⁶ tn Heb “during the days.”

[30:14]  ³⁵⁷ sn Mandrake plants were popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac in the culture of the time.

[30:15]  ³⁵⁸ tn Heb “and she said to her”; the referent of the pronoun “she” (Leah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:15]  ³⁵⁹ tn Heb “therefore.”

[30:15]  ³⁶⁰ tn Heb “lie down.” The expression “lie down with” in this context (here and in the following verse) refers to sexual intercourse. The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.

[30:16]  ³⁶¹ tn Heb “must come in to me.” The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. She has acquired him for the night and feels he is obligated to have sexual relations with her.

[30:16]  ³⁶² tn Heb “I have surely hired.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form for emphasis. The name Issachar (see v. 18) seems to be related to this expression.

[30:16]  ³⁶³ tn This is the same Hebrew verb (שָׁכַב, shakhav) translated “sleep with” in v. 15. In direct discourse the more euphemistic “sleep with” was used, but here in the narrative “marital relations” reflects more clearly the emphasis on sexual intercourse.

[30:17]  ³⁶⁴ tn Heb “listened to.”

[30:17]  ³⁶⁵ tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 19).

[30:17]  ³⁶⁶ tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a fifth son,” i.e., this was the fifth son that Leah had given Jacob.

[30:18]  ³⁶⁷ tn Heb “God has given my reward.”

[30:18]  ³⁶⁸ tn The words “as a wife” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity (cf. v. 9).

[30:18]  ³⁶⁹ sn The name Issachar (יְשָּׁשכָר, yishakhar) appears to mean “man of reward” or possibly “there is reward.” The name plays on the word used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew noun translated “reward” is derived from the same root as the name Issachar. The irony is that Rachel thought the mandrakes would work for her, and she was willing to trade one night for them. But in that one night Leah became pregnant.

[30:19]  ³⁷⁰ tn Heb “and she bore a sixth son for Jacob,” i.e., this was the sixth son that Leah had given Jacob.

[30:20]  ³⁷¹ sn The name Zebulun (זְבֻלוּן, zevulun) apparently means “honor.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew verb translated “will honor” and the name Zebulun derive from the same root.

[30:22]  ³⁷² tn Heb “remembered.”

[30:22]  ³⁷³ tn Heb “and God listened to her and opened up her womb.” Since “God” is the subject of the previous clause, the noun has been replaced by the pronoun “he” in the translation for stylistic reasons

[30:23]  ³⁷⁴ tn Or “conceived.”

[30:23]  ³⁷⁵ tn Heb “my reproach.” A “reproach” is a cutting taunt or painful ridicule, but here it probably refers by metonymy to Rachel’s barren condition, which was considered shameful in this culture and was the reason why she was the object of taunting and ridicule.

[30:24]  ³⁷⁶ sn The name Joseph (יוֹסֵף, yoseph) means “may he add.” The name expresses Rachel’s desire to have an additional son. In Hebrew the name sounds like the verb (אָסַף,’asasf) translated “taken away” in the earlier statement made in v. 23. So the name, while reflecting Rachel’s hope, was also a reminder that God had removed her shame.

[30:25]  ³⁷⁷ tn The perfect verbal form is translated as a past perfect because Rachel’s giving birth to Joseph preceded Jacob’s conversation with Laban.

[30:25]  ³⁷⁸ tn The imperatival form here expresses a request.

[30:25]  ³⁷⁹ tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[30:25]  ³⁸⁰ tn Heb “to my place and to my land.”

[30:26]  ³⁸¹ tn Heb “give my wives and my children, for whom I have served you.” In one sense Laban had already “given” Jacob his two daughters as wives (Gen 29:21, 28). Here Jacob was asking for permission to take his own family along with him on the journey back to Canaan.

[30:26]  ³⁸² tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.

[30:26]  ³⁸³ tn Heb “for you, you know my service [with] which I have served you.”

[30:27]  ³⁸⁴ tn The words “please stay here” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[30:27]  ³⁸⁵ tn Or perhaps “I have grown rich and the Lord has blessed me” (cf. NEB). See J. Finkelstein, “An Old Babylonian Herding Contract and Genesis 31:38f.,” JAOS 88 (1968): 34, n. 19.

[30:28]  ³⁸⁶ tn Heb “set your wage for me so I may give [it].”

[30:29]  ³⁸⁷ tn Heb “and he said to him, ‘You know how I have served you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons, and the referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:29]  ³⁸⁸ tn Heb “and how your cattle were with me.”

[30:30]  ³⁸⁹ tn Or “for.”

[30:30]  ³⁹⁰ tn Heb “before me.”

[30:30]  ³⁹¹ tn Heb “and it has broken out with respect to abundance.”

[30:30]  ³⁹² tn Heb “at my foot.”

[30:30]  ³⁹³ tn Heb “How long [until] I do, also I, for my house?”

[30:31]  ³⁹⁴ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:31]  ³⁹⁵ tn The negated imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance.

[30:31]  ³⁹⁶ tn The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:31]  ³⁹⁷ tn Heb “If you do for me this thing.”

[30:31]  ³⁹⁸ tn Heb “I will return, I will tend,” an idiom meaning “I will continue tending.”

[30:32]  ³⁹⁹ tn Heb “pass through.”

[30:32]  ⁴⁰⁰ tn Or “every black lamb”; Heb “and every dark sheep among the lambs.”

[30:32]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Heb “and the spotted and speckled among the goats.”

[30:32]  ⁴⁰² tn Heb “and it will be my wage.” The referent collective singular pronoun (“it) has been specified as “these animals” in the translation for clarity.

[30:33]  ⁴⁰³ tn Heb “will answer on my behalf.”

[30:33]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn Heb “on the following day,” or “tomorrow.”

[30:33]  ⁴⁰⁵ tn Heb “when you come concerning my wage before you.”

[30:33]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn Heb “every one which is not speckled and spotted among the lambs and dark among the goats, stolen it is with me.”

[30:34]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn Heb “and Laban said, ‘Good, let it be according to your word.’” On the asseverative use of the particle לוּ (lu) here, see HALOT 521 s.v. לוּ.

[30:35]  ⁴⁰⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[30:35]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn Heb “and he gave [them] into the hand.”

[30:36]  ⁴¹⁰ tn Heb “and he put a journey of three days between himself and Jacob.”

[30:36]  ⁴¹¹ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the vav with subject) is circumstantial/temporal; Laban removed the animals while Jacob was taking care of the rest.

[30:38]  ⁴¹² sn He put the branches in front of the flocks…when they came to drink. It was generally believed that placing such “visual aids” before the animals as they were mating, it was possible to influence the appearance of their offspring. E. A. Speiser notes that “Jacob finds a way to outwit his father-in-law, through prenatal conditioning of the flock by visual aids – in conformance with universal folk beliefs” (Genesis [AB], 238). Nevertheless, in spite of Jacob’s efforts at animal husbandry, he still attributes the resulting success to God (see 31:5).

[30:39]  ⁴¹³ tn The Hebrew verb used here can mean “to be in heat” (see v. 38) or “to mate; to conceive; to become pregnant.” The latter nuance makes better sense in this verse, for the next clause describes them giving birth.

[30:39]  ⁴¹⁴ tn Heb “the sheep.” The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“they”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:40]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Heb “and he set the faces of.”

[30:41]  ⁴¹⁶ tn Heb “and at every breeding-heat of the flock.”

[30:42]  ⁴¹⁷ tn Heb “he did not put [them] in.” The referent of the [understood] direct object, “them,” has been specified as “the branches” in the translation for clarity.

[30:42]  ⁴¹⁸ tn Heb “were for Laban.”

[30:43]  ⁴¹⁹ tn Heb “the man”; Jacob’s name has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[30:43]  ⁴²⁰ tn Heb “and there were to him.”

[31:1]  ⁴²¹ tn Heb “and he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying.”

[31:1]  ⁴²² sn The Hebrew word translated “gotten rich” (כָּבוֹד, cavod) has the basic idea of “weight.” If one is heavy with possessions, then that one is wealthy (13:2). Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph all became wealthy when they left the promised land. Jacob’s wealth foreshadows what will happen to Israel when they leave the land of Egypt (Exod 12:35-38).

[31:1]  ⁴²³ tn Heb “and from that which belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.”

[31:2]  ⁴²⁴ tn Heb “and Jacob saw the face of Laban, and look, he was not with him as formerly.” Jacob knew from the expression on Laban’s face that his attitude toward him had changed – Jacob had become persona non grata.

[31:3]  ⁴²⁵ tn Or perhaps “ancestors” (so NRSV), although the only “ancestors” Jacob had there were his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac.

[31:3]  ⁴²⁶ sn I will be with you. Though Laban was no longer “with him,” the Lord promised to be.

[31:4]  ⁴²⁷ tn Heb “sent and called for Rachel and for Leah.” Jacob did not go in person, but probably sent a servant with a message for his wives to meet him in the field.

[31:4]  ⁴²⁸ tn Heb “the field.” The word is an adverbial accusative, indicating that this is where Jacob wanted them to meet him. The words “to come to” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.

[31:4]  ⁴²⁹ tn Heb “to his flock.”

[31:5]  ⁴³⁰ tn Heb “I see the face of your father, that he is not toward me as formerly.”

[31:6]  ⁴³¹ tn Heb “with all my strength.”

[31:7]  ⁴³² tn This rare verb means “to make a fool of” someone. It involves deceiving someone so that their public reputation suffers (see Exod 8:25).

[31:8]  ⁴³³ tn In the protasis (“if” section) of this conditional clause, the imperfect verbal form has a customary nuance – whatever he would say worked to Jacob’s benefit.

[31:8]  ⁴³⁴ tn Heb “speckled” (twice this verse). The word “animals” (after the first occurrence of “speckled”) and “offspring” (after the second) have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The same two terms (“animals” and “offspring”) have been supplied after the two occurrences of “streaked” later in this verse.

[31:10]  ⁴³⁵ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator, “and it happened at the time of.”

[31:10]  ⁴³⁶ tn Heb “in the time of the breeding of the flock I lifted up my eyes and I saw.”

[31:10]  ⁴³⁷ tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

[31:12]  ⁴³⁸ tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”

[31:12]  ⁴³⁹ tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

[31:13]  ⁴⁴⁰ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[31:13]  ⁴⁴¹ sn You anointed the sacred stone. In Gen 28:18 the text simply reported that Jacob poured oil on top of the stone. Now that pouring is interpreted by the Lord as an anointing. Jacob had consecrated the place.

[31:13]  ⁴⁴² sn And made a vow to me. The second clause reminds Jacob of the vow he made to the Lord when he anointed the stone (Gen 28:20-22). God is now going to take him back to the land, and so he will have to fulfill his vow.

[31:13]  ⁴⁴³ tn Heb “arise, leave!” The first imperative draws attention to the need for immediate action.

[31:14]  ⁴⁴⁴ tn The two nouns may form a hendiadys, meaning “a share in the inheritance” or “a portion to inherit.”

[31:15]  ⁴⁴⁵ tn Heb “and he devoured, even devouring.” The infinitive absolute (following the finite verb here) is used for emphasis.

[31:15]  ⁴⁴⁶ tn Heb “our money.” The word “money” is used figuratively here; it means the price paid for Leah and Rachel. A literal translation (“our money”) makes it sound as if Laban wasted money that belonged to Rachel and Leah, rather than the money paid for them.

[31:17]  ⁴⁴⁷ tn Heb “and Jacob arose and he lifted up his sons and his wives on to the camels.”

[31:18]  ⁴⁴⁸ tn Heb “drove,” but this is subject to misunderstanding in contemporary English.

[31:18]  ⁴⁴⁹ tn Heb “and he led away all his cattle and all his moveable property which he acquired, the cattle he obtained, which he acquired in Paddan Aram to go to Isaac his father to the land of Canaan.”

[31:19]  ⁴⁵⁰ tn This disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new scene. In the English translation it may be subordinated to the following clause.

[31:19]  ⁴⁵¹ tn Or “household gods.” Some translations merely transliterate the Hebrew term תְּרָפִים (tÿrafim) as “teraphim,” which apparently refers to household idols. Some contend that possession of these idols guaranteed the right of inheritance, but it is more likely that they were viewed simply as protective deities. See M. Greenberg, “Another Look at Rachel’s Theft of the Teraphim,” JBL 81 (1962): 239-48.

[31:20]  ⁴⁵² tn Heb “stole the heart of,” an expression which apparently means “to deceive.” The repetition of the verb “to steal” shows that Jacob and Rachel are kindred spirits. Any thought that Laban would have resigned himself to their departure was now out of the question.

[31:20]  ⁴⁵³ tn Heb “fleeing,” which reflects Jacob’s viewpoint.

[31:21]  ⁴⁵⁴ tn Heb “and he fled.”

[31:21]  ⁴⁵⁵ tn Heb “he arose and crossed.” The first verb emphasizes that he wasted no time in getting across.

[31:21]  ⁴⁵⁶ tn Heb “the river”; the referent (the Euphrates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:21]  ⁴⁵⁷ tn Heb “he set his face.”

[31:22]  ⁴⁵⁸ tn Heb “and it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.”

[31:23]  ⁴⁵⁹ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[31:23]  ⁴⁶⁰ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:23]  ⁴⁶¹ tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”

[31:23]  ⁴⁶² tn Heb “drew close to.”

[31:24]  ⁴⁶³ tn Heb “said to him.”

[31:24]  ⁴⁶⁴ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:24]  ⁴⁶⁵ tn Heb “lest you speak with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 29, is uncertain. Since Laban proceeded to speak to Jacob at length, it cannot mean to maintain silence. Nor does it seem to be a prohibition against criticism (see vv. 26-30). Most likely it refers to a formal pronouncement, whether it be a blessing or a curse. Laban was to avoid saying anything to Jacob that would be intended to enhance him or to harm him.

[31:25]  ⁴⁶⁶ tn Heb “and Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban pitched with his brothers in the hill country of Gilead.” The juxtaposition of disjunctive clauses (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb in both clauses) indicates synchronism of action.

[31:26]  ⁴⁶⁷ tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).

[31:26]  ⁴⁶⁸ tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”

[31:27]  ⁴⁶⁹ tn Heb “Why did you hide in order to flee?” The verb “hide” and the infinitive “to flee” form a hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the other the adverb: “flee secretly.”

[31:27]  ⁴⁷⁰ tn Heb “and steal me.”

[31:27]  ⁴⁷¹ tn Heb “And [why did] you not tell me so I could send you off with joy and with songs, with a tambourine and with a harp?”

[31:28]  ⁴⁷² tn Heb “my sons and my daughters.” Here “sons” refers to “grandsons,” and has been translated “grandchildren” since at least one granddaughter, Dinah, was involved. The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:29]  ⁴⁷³ tn Heb “there is to my hand.”

[31:29]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:29]  ⁴⁷⁵ 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.

[31:30]  ⁴⁷⁶ tn Heb “and now.” The words “I understand that” have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[31:30]  ⁴⁷⁷ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the certainty of the action.

[31:30]  ⁴⁷⁸ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of emotion involved.

[31:30]  ⁴⁷⁹ sn Yet why did you steal my gods? This last sentence is dropped into the speech rather suddenly. See C. Mabee, “Jacob and Laban: The Structure of Judicial Proceedings,” VT 30 (1980): 192-207, and G. W. Coats, “Self-Abasement and Insult Formulas,” JBL 91 (1972): 90-92.

[31:31]  ⁴⁸⁰ tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘Because I was afraid.’” This statement is a not a response to the question about Laban’s household gods that immediately precedes, but to the earlier question about Jacob’s motivation for leaving so quickly and secretly (see v. 27). For this reason the words “I left secretly” are supplied in the translation to indicate the connection to Laban’s earlier question in v. 27. Additionally the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:31]  ⁴⁸¹ tn Heb “for I said.”

[31:31]  ⁴⁸² tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”

[31:32]  ⁴⁸³ tn Heb “With whomever you find your gods, he will not live.”

[31:32]  ⁴⁸⁴ tn Heb “brothers.”

[31:32]  ⁴⁸⁵ tn Heb “recognize for yourself what is with me and take for yourself.”

[31:32]  ⁴⁸⁶ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, it has been placed in parentheses in the translation.

[31:33]  ⁴⁸⁷ tn No direct object is specified for the verb “find” in the Hebrew text. The words “the idols” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[31:33]  ⁴⁸⁸ tn Heb “and he went out from the tent of Leah and went into the tent of Rachel.”

[31:34]  ⁴⁸⁹ tn The “camel’s saddle” was probably some sort of basket-saddle, a cushioned saddle with a basket bound on. Cf. NAB “inside a camel cushion.”

[31:34]  ⁴⁹⁰ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides another parenthetical statement necessary to the storyline.

[31:34]  ⁴⁹¹ tn The word “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[31:35]  ⁴⁹² tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:35]  ⁴⁹³ tn Heb “let it not be hot in the eyes of my lord.” This idiom refers to anger, in this case as a result of Rachel’s failure to stand in the presence of her father as a sign of respect.

[31:35]  ⁴⁹⁴ tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”

[31:35]  ⁴⁹⁵ tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.

[31:35]  ⁴⁹⁶ tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

[31:36]  ⁴⁹⁷ tn Heb “it was hot to Jacob.” This idiom refers to anger.

[31:36]  ⁴⁹⁸ tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘What is my sin?’” The proper name “Jacob” has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation and the order of the introductory clause and direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[31:36]  ⁴⁹⁹ tn Heb “What is my sin that you have hotly pursued after me.” The Hebrew verb translated “pursue hotly” is used elsewhere of soldiers chasing defeated enemies (1 Sam 17:53).

[31:37]  ⁵⁰⁰ tn Heb “what did you find from all the goods of your house?”

[31:37]  ⁵⁰¹ tn Heb “your relatives.” The word “relatives” has not been repeated in the translation here for stylistic reasons.

[31:37]  ⁵⁰² tn Heb “that they may decide between us two.”

[31:39]  ⁵⁰³ tn The imperfect verbal form indicates that this was a customary or typical action.

[31:39]  ⁵⁰⁴ tn Heb “from my hand you exacted it.” The imperfect verbal form again indicates that this was a customary or typical action. The words “for every missing animal” are supplied in the translation for clarity; the following clause in Hebrew, “stolen by day or stolen by night,” probably means “stolen by wild beasts” and refers to the same animals “torn by wild beasts” in the previous clause, although it may refer to animals stolen by people. The translation used here, “missing,” is ambiguous enough to cover either eventuality.

[31:40]  ⁵⁰⁵ tn Or “by drought.”

[31:40]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn Heb “frost, ice,” though when contrasted with the חֹרֶב (khorev, “drought, parching heat”) of the day, “piercing cold” is more appropriate as a contrast.

[31:40]  ⁵⁰⁷ tn Heb “and my sleep fled from my eyes.”

[31:41]  ⁵⁰⁸ tn Heb “this to me.”

[31:41]  ⁵⁰⁹ tn Heb “served you,” but in this accusatory context the meaning is more “worked like a slave.”

[31:42]  ⁵¹⁰ tn Heb “the fear of Isaac,” that is, the one whom Isaac feared and respected. For further discussion of this title see M. Malul, “More on pahad yitschaq (Gen. 31:42,53) and the Oath by the Thigh,” VT 35 (1985): 192-200.

[31:42]  ⁵¹¹ tn Heb “My oppression and the work of my hands God saw.”

[31:43]  ⁵¹² tn Heb “answered and said.”

[31:43]  ⁵¹³ tn Heb “daughters.”

[31:43]  ⁵¹⁴ tn Heb “children.”

[31:43]  ⁵¹⁵ tn Heb “but to my daughters what can I do to these today?”

[31:44]  ⁵¹⁶ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[31:44]  ⁵¹⁷ tn The verb הָיָה (hayah) followed by the preposition לְ (lÿ) means “become.”

[31:44]  ⁵¹⁸ tn Heb “and it will become a witness between me and you.”

[31:46]  ⁵¹⁹ tn Heb “Jacob”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:46]  ⁵²⁰ sn The Hebrew word for “pile” is גַּל (gal), which sounds like the name “Galeed” (גַּלְעֵד, gal’ed). See v. 48.

[31:47]  ⁵²¹ sn Jegar Sahadutha. Laban the Aramean gave the place an Aramaic name which means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness.”

[31:47]  ⁵²² sn Galeed also means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness,” but this name is Canaanite or Western Semitic and closer to later Hebrew. Jacob, though certainly capable of speaking Aramaic, here prefers to use the western dialect.

[31:48]  ⁵²³ tn Heb “a witness between me and you.”

[31:49]  ⁵²⁴ tn Heb “and Mizpah.”

[31:49]  ⁵²⁵ sn The name Mizpah (מִצְפָּה, mitspah), which means “watchpost,” sounds like the verb translated “may he watch” (יִצֶף, yitsef). Neither Laban nor Jacob felt safe with each other, and so they agreed to go their separate ways, trusting the Lord to keep watch at the border. Jacob did not need this treaty, but Laban, perhaps because he had lost his household gods, felt he did.

[31:49]  ⁵²⁶ tn Heb “between me and you.”

[31:49]  ⁵²⁷ tn Heb “for we will be hidden, each man from his neighbor.”

[31:50]  ⁵²⁸ tn Heb “see.”

[31:50]  ⁵²⁹ tn Heb “between me and you.”

[31:51]  ⁵³⁰ tn Heb “and Laban said to Jacob, ‘Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between men and you.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:52]  ⁵³¹ tn Heb “This pile is a witness and the pillar is a witness, if I go past this pile to you and if you go past this pile and this pillar to me for harm.”

[31:53]  ⁵³² 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]  ⁵³³ tn Heb “by the fear of his father Isaac.” See the note on the word “fears” in v. 42.

[31:54]  ⁵³⁴ tn The construction is a cognate accusative with the verb, expressing a specific sacrifice.

[31:54]  ⁵³⁵ tn Heb “bread, food.” Presumably this was a type of peace offering, where the person bringing the offering ate the animal being sacrificed.

[31:55]  ⁵³⁶ sn Beginning with 31:55, the verse numbers in the English Bible through 32:32 differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 31:55 ET = 32:1 HT, 32:1 ET = 32:2 HT, etc., through 32:32 ET = 32:33 HT. From 33:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.

[31:55]  ⁵³⁷ tn Heb “and Laban got up early in the morning and he kissed.”

[31:55]  ⁵³⁸ tn Heb “his sons.”

[31:55]  ⁵³⁹ tn Heb “to his place.”

[32:1]  ⁵⁴⁰ sn The phrase angels of God occurs only here and in Gen 28:12 in the OT. Jacob saw a vision of angels just before he left the promised land. Now he encounters angels as he prepares to return to it. The text does not give the details of the encounter, but Jacob’s response suggests it was amicable. This location was a spot where heaven made contact with earth, and where God made his presence known to the patriarch. See C. Houtman, “Jacob at Mahanaim: Some Remarks on Genesis XXXII 2-3,” VT 28 (1978): 37-44.

[32:2]  ⁵⁴¹ tn Heb “and Jacob said when he saw them.”

[32:2]  ⁵⁴² sn The name Mahanaim apparently means “two camps.” Perhaps the two camps were those of God and of Jacob.

[32:3]  ⁵⁴³ tn Heb “before him.”

[32:3]  ⁵⁴⁴ tn Heb “field.”

[32:4]  ⁵⁴⁵ sn Your servant. The narrative recounts Jacob’s groveling in fear before Esau as he calls his brother his “lord,” as if to minimize what had been done twenty years ago.

[32:5]  ⁵⁴⁶ tn Or “I am sending.” The form is a preterite with the vav consecutive; it could be rendered as an English present tense – as the Hebrew perfect/preterite allows – much like an epistolary aorist in Greek. The form assumes the temporal perspective of the one who reads the message.

[32:5]  ⁵⁴⁷ tn The words “this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:8]  ⁵⁴⁸ tn Heb “If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.”

[32:8]  ⁵⁴⁹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it.” The Hebrew verb אָמַר (’amar) here represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “he thought.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:8]  ⁵⁵⁰ tn Heb “the surviving camp will be for escape.” The word “escape” is a feminine noun. The term most often refers to refugees from war.

[32:9]  ⁵⁵¹ tn Heb “said.”

[32:9]  ⁵⁵² tn Heb “the one who said.”

[32:9]  ⁵⁵³ 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.

[32:10]  ⁵⁵⁴ tn Heb “the loving deeds and faithfulness” (see 24:27, 49).

[32:10]  ⁵⁵⁵ tn Heb “you have done with.”

[32:10]  ⁵⁵⁶ tn Heb “for with my staff.” The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally translated “staff,” has been rendered as “walking stick” because a “staff” in contemporary English refers typically to the support personnel in an organization.

[32:10]  ⁵⁵⁷ tn Heb “this Jordan.”

[32:11]  ⁵⁵⁸ tn The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.

[32:11]  ⁵⁵⁹ tn The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”

[32:11]  ⁵⁶⁰ tn Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”

[32:11]  ⁵⁶¹ tn Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”

[32:11]  ⁵⁶² sn Heb “me, [the] mother upon [the] sons.” The first person pronoun “me” probably means here “me and mine,” as the following clause suggests.

[32:12]  ⁵⁶³ tn Heb “But you, you said.” One of the occurrences of the pronoun “you” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

[32:12]  ⁵⁶⁴ tn Or “will certainly deal well with you.” The infinitive absolute appears before the imperfect, underscoring God’s promise to bless. The statement is more emphatic than in v. 9.

[32:12]  ⁵⁶⁵ tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, carrying the nuance of the preceding verb forward.

[32:12]  ⁵⁶⁶ tn Heb “which cannot be counted because of abundance.” The imperfect verbal form indicates potential here.

[32:13]  ⁵⁶⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:13]  ⁵⁶⁸ tn Heb “and he took from that which was going into his hand,” meaning that he took some of what belonged to him.

[32:13]  ⁵⁶⁹ sn The Hebrew noun translated gift can in some contexts refer to the tribute paid by a subject to his lord. Such a nuance is possible here, because Jacob refers to Esau as his lord and to himself as Esau’s servant (v. 4).

[32:16]  ⁵⁷⁰ tn Heb “and he put them in the hand of.”

[32:16]  ⁵⁷¹ tn Heb “a herd, a herd, by itself,” or “each herd by itself.” The distributive sense is expressed by repetition.

[32:17]  ⁵⁷² tn Heb “the first”; this has been specified as “the servant leading the first herd” in the translation for clarity.

[32:17]  ⁵⁷³ tn Heb “to whom are you?”

[32:17]  ⁵⁷⁴ tn Heb “and to whom are these before you?”

[32:18]  ⁵⁷⁵ tn The form is the perfect tense with the vav (ו) consecutive; it has the nuance of an imperfect of instruction.

[32:18]  ⁵⁷⁶ tn The words “they belong” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:18]  ⁵⁷⁷ tn Heb “to your servant, to Jacob.”

[32:18]  ⁵⁷⁸ tn Heb “to my lord, to Esau.”

[32:18]  ⁵⁷⁹ tn Heb “and look, also he [is] behind us.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:19]  ⁵⁸⁰ tn Heb “And he commanded also the second, also the third, also all the ones going after the herds, saying: ‘According to this word you will speak when you find him.’”

[32:20]  ⁵⁸¹ tn Heb “and look, your servant Jacob [is] behind us.”

[32:20]  ⁵⁸² tn Heb “for he said.” The referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “thought.”

[32:20]  ⁵⁸³ tn Heb “I will appease his face.” The cohortative here expresses Jacob’s resolve. In the Book of Leviticus the Hebrew verb translated “appease” has the idea of removing anger due to sin or guilt, a nuance that fits this passage very well. Jacob wanted to buy Esau off with a gift of more than five hundred and fifty animals.

[32:20]  ⁵⁸⁴ tn Heb “with a gift going before me.”

[32:20]  ⁵⁸⁵ tn Heb “I will see his face.”

[32:20]  ⁵⁸⁶ tn Heb “Perhaps he will lift up my face.” In this context the idiom refers to acceptance.

[32:21]  ⁵⁸⁷ tn Heb “and the gift passed over upon his face.”

[32:21]  ⁵⁸⁸ tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial/temporal.

[32:22]  ⁵⁸⁹ tn Heb “and he arose in that night and he took.” The first verb is adverbial, indicating that he carried out the crossing right away.

[32:22]  ⁵⁹⁰ tn The Hebrew term used here is יֶלֶד (yeled) which typically describes male offspring. Some translations render the term “children” but this is a problem because by this time Jacob had twelve children in all, including one daughter, Dinah, born to Leah (Gen 30:21). Benjamin, his twelfth son and thirteenth child, was not born until later (Gen 35:16-19).

[32:22]  ⁵⁹¹ sn Hebrew narrative style often includes a summary statement of the whole passage followed by a more detailed report of the event. Here v. 22 is the summary statement, while v. 23 begins the detailed account.

[32:23]  ⁵⁹² tn Heb “and he sent across what he had.”

[32:24]  ⁵⁹³ sn Reflecting Jacob’s perspective at the beginning of the encounter, the narrator calls the opponent simply “a man.” Not until later in the struggle does Jacob realize his true identity.

[32:24]  ⁵⁹⁴ sn The verb translated “wrestled” (וַיֵּאָבֵק, vayye’aveq) sounds in Hebrew like the names “Jacob” (יַעֲקֹב, ya’aqov) and “Jabbok” (יַבֹּק, yabboq). In this way the narrator links the setting, the main action, and the main participant together in the mind of the reader or hearer.

[32:24]  ⁵⁹⁵ tn Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”

[32:25]  ⁵⁹⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ⁵⁹⁷ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:25]  ⁵⁹⁸ tn Or “injured”; traditionally “touched.” The Hebrew verb translated “struck” has the primary meanings “to touch; to reach; to strike.” It can, however, carry the connotation “to harm; to molest; to injure.” God’s “touch” cripples Jacob – it would be comparable to a devastating blow.

[32:26]  ⁵⁹⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:26]  ⁶⁰⁰ tn Heb “dawn has arisen.”

[32:26]  ⁶⁰¹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘I will not let you go.’” 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.

[32:26]  ⁶⁰² sn Jacob wrestled with a man thinking him to be a mere man, and on that basis was equal to the task. But when it had gone on long enough, the night visitor touched Jacob and crippled him. Jacob’s request for a blessing can only mean that he now knew that his opponent was supernatural. Contrary to many allegorical interpretations of the passage that make fighting equivalent to prayer, this passage shows that Jacob stopped fighting, and then asked for a blessing.

[32:27]  ⁶⁰³ tn Heb “and he said to him.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:27]  ⁶⁰⁴ sn What is your name? The question is rhetorical, since the Lord obviously knew Jacob’s identity. But since the Lord is going to change Jacob’s name, this question is designed to bring focus Jacob’s attention on all that his name had come to signify.

[32:28]  ⁶⁰⁵ tn Heb “and he said.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with 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.

[32:28]  ⁶⁰⁶ sn The name Israel is a common construction, using a verb with a theophoric element (אֵל, ’el) that usually indicates the subject of the verb. Here it means “God fights.” This name will replace the name Jacob; it will be both a promise and a call for faith. In essence, the Lord was saying that Jacob would have victory and receive the promises because God would fight for him.

[32:28]  ⁶⁰⁷ sn You have fought. The explanation of the name Israel includes a sound play. In Hebrew the verb translated “you have fought” (שָׂרִיתָ, sarita) sounds like the name “Israel” (יִשְׂרָאֵל, yisra’el ), meaning “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). The name would evoke the memory of the fight and what it meant. A. Dillmann says that ever after this the name would tell the Israelites that, when Jacob contended successfully with God, he won the battle with man (Genesis, 2:279). To be successful with God meant that he had to be crippled in his own self-sufficiency (A. P. Ross, “Jacob at the Jabboq, Israel at Peniel,” BSac 142 [1985]: 51-62).

[32:29]  ⁶⁰⁸ sn Tell me your name. In primitive thought to know the name of a deity or supernatural being would enable one to use it for magical manipulation or power (A. S. Herbert, Genesis 12-50 [TBC], 108). For a thorough structural analysis of the passage discussing the plays on the names and the request of Jacob, see R. Barthes, “The Struggle with the Angel: Textual Analysis of Genesis 32:23-33,” Structural Analysis and Biblical Exegesis (PTMS), 21-33.

[32:29]  ⁶⁰⁹ tn The question uses the enclitic pronoun “this” to emphasize the import of the question.

[32:29]  ⁶¹⁰ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with 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.

[32:29]  ⁶¹¹ tn The verb here means that the Lord endowed Jacob with success; he would be successful in everything he did, including meeting Esau.

[32:29]  ⁶¹² tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:30]  ⁶¹³ sn The name Peniel means “face of God.” Since Jacob saw God face to face here, the name is appropriate.

[32:30]  ⁶¹⁴ tn The word “explaining” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:30]  ⁶¹⁵ tn Or “because.”

[32:30]  ⁶¹⁶ sn I have seen God face to face. See the note on the name “Peniel” earlier in the verse.

[32:30]  ⁶¹⁷ tn Heb “and my soul [= life] has been preserved.”

[32:31]  ⁶¹⁸ tn Heb “shone.”

[32:31]  ⁶¹⁹ sn The name is spelled Penuel here, apparently a variant spelling of Peniel (see v. 30).

[32:31]  ⁶²⁰ tn The disjunctive clause draws attention to an important fact: He may have crossed the stream, but he was limping.

[32:32]  ⁶²¹ sn On the use of the expression to this day, see B. S. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until This Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.

[32:32]  ⁶²² tn Or “because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck.” Some translations render this as an impersonal passive. On the translation of the word “struck” see the note on this term in v. 25.

[33:1]  ⁶²³ tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his eyes.”

[33:1]  ⁶²⁴ tn Or “and look, Esau was coming.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.

[33:2]  ⁶²⁵ sn This kind of ranking according to favoritism no doubt fed the jealousy over Joseph that later becomes an important element in the narrative. It must have been painful to the family to see that they were expendable.

[33:3]  ⁶²⁶ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:3]  ⁶²⁷ tn Heb “until his drawing near unto his brother.” The construction uses the preposition with the infinitive construct to express a temporal clause.

[33:5]  ⁶²⁸ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:5]  ⁶²⁹ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

[33:5]  ⁶³⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:5]  ⁶³¹ tn The Hebrew verb means “to be gracious; to show favor”; here it carries the nuance “to give graciously.”

[33:6]  ⁶³² tn Heb “and the female servants drew near, they and their children and they bowed down.”

[33:8]  ⁶³³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:8]  ⁶³⁴ tn Heb “Who to you?”

[33:8]  ⁶³⁵ tn Heb “all this camp which I met.”

[33:8]  ⁶³⁶ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:10]  ⁶³⁷ tn Heb “and Jacob said, ‘No, please.’” The words “take them” have been supplied in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[33:10]  ⁶³⁸ tn The form is the perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive, expressing a contingent future nuance in the “then” section of the conditional sentence.

[33:10]  ⁶³⁹ tn The verbal form is the preterite with a vav (ו) consecutive, indicating result here.

[33:10]  ⁶⁴⁰ tn Heb “for therefore I have seen your face like seeing the face of God and you have accepted me.”

[33:11]  ⁶⁴¹ tn Heb “blessing.” It is as if Jacob is trying to repay what he stole from his brother twenty years earlier.

[33:11]  ⁶⁴² tn Or “gracious,” but in the specific sense of prosperity.

[33:11]  ⁶⁴³ tn Heb “all.”

[33:11]  ⁶⁴⁴ tn Heb “and he urged him and he took.” The referent of the first pronoun in the sequence (“he”) has been specified as “Jacob” in the translation for clarity.

[33:12]  ⁶⁴⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:12]  ⁶⁴⁶ tn Heb “let us travel and let us go.” The two cohortatives are used in combination with the sense, “let’s travel along, get going, be on our way.”

[33:13]  ⁶⁴⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:13]  ⁶⁴⁸ tn Heb “weak.”

[33:13]  ⁶⁴⁹ tn Heb “and the sheep and the cattle nursing [are] upon me.”

[33:14]  ⁶⁵⁰ tn Heb “and I, I will move along according to my leisure at the foot of the property which is before me and at the foot of the children.”

[33:15]  ⁶⁵¹ tn The cohortative verbal form here indicates a polite offer of help.

[33:15]  ⁶⁵² 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]  ⁶⁵³ tn Heb “I am finding favor in the eyes of my lord.”

[33:16]  ⁶⁵⁴ tn Heb “returned on his way.”

[33:17]  ⁶⁵⁵ tn The disjunctive clause contrasts Jacob’s action with Esau’s.

[33:17]  ⁶⁵⁶ sn But Jacob traveled to Succoth. There are several reasons why Jacob chose not to go to Mt. Seir after Esau. First, as he said, his herds and children probably could not keep up with the warriors. Second, he probably did not fully trust his brother. The current friendliness could change, and he could lose everything. And third, God did tell him to return to his land, not Seir. But Jacob is still not able to deal truthfully, probably because of fear of Esau.

[33:17]  ⁶⁵⁷ tn Heb “why he called.” One could understand “Jacob” as the subject of the verb, but it is more likely that the subject is indefinite, in which case the verb is better translated as passive.

[33:17]  ⁶⁵⁸ sn The name Succoth means “shelters,” an appropriate name in light of the shelters Jacob built there for his livestock.

[33:18]  ⁶⁵⁹ tn Heb “in front of.”

[33:19]  ⁶⁶⁰ tn The words “he bought it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 19 is one long sentence.

[33:19]  ⁶⁶¹ tn The Hebrew word קְשִׂיטָה (qÿsitah) is generally understood to refer to a unit of money, but the value is unknown. (However, cf. REB, which renders the term as “sheep”).

[33:20]  ⁶⁶² tn Heb “God, the God of Israel.” Rather than translating the name, a number of modern translations merely transliterate it from the Hebrew as “El Elohe Israel” (cf. NIV, NRSV, REB). It is not entirely clear how the name should be interpreted grammatically. One option is to supply an equative verb, as in the translation: “The God of Israel [is] God.” Another interpretive option is “the God of Israel [is] strong [or “mighty”].” Buying the land and settling down for a while was a momentous step for the patriarch, so the commemorative naming of the altar is significant.

[34:1]  ⁶⁶³ tn Heb “went out to see.” The verb “to see,” followed by the preposition בְּ (bÿ), here has the idea of “look over.” The young girl wanted to meet these women and see what they were like.

[34:1]  ⁶⁶⁴ tn Heb “daughters.”

[34:2]  ⁶⁶⁵ tn Heb “and he took her and lay with her.” The suffixed form following the verb appears to be the sign of the accusative instead of the preposition, but see BDB 1012 s.v. שָׁכַב.

[34:2]  ⁶⁶⁶ tn The verb עָנָה (’anah) in the Piel stem can have various shades of meaning, depending on the context: “to defile; to mistreat; to violate; to rape; to shame; to afflict.” Here it means that Shechem violated or humiliated Dinah by raping her.

[34:3]  ⁶⁶⁷ tn Heb “his soul stuck to [or “joined with”],” meaning Shechem became very attached to Dinah emotionally.

[34:3]  ⁶⁶⁸ 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”).

[34:4]  ⁶⁶⁹ tn Heb “Take for me this young woman for a wife.”

[34:5]  ⁶⁷⁰ tn The two disjunctive clauses in this verse (“Now Jacob heard…and his sons were”) are juxtaposed to indicate synchronic action.

[34:5]  ⁶⁷¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:5]  ⁶⁷² sn The expected response would be anger or rage; but Jacob remained silent. He appears too indifferent or confused to act decisively. When the leader does not act decisively, the younger zealots will, and often with disastrous results.

[34:6]  ⁶⁷³ tn Heb “went out to Jacob to speak with him.” The words “about Dinah” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:7]  ⁶⁷⁴ tn Heb “when they heard.” The words “the news” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[34:7]  ⁶⁷⁵ tn Heb “the men.” This sounds as if a new group has been introduced into the narrative, so it has been translated as “they” to indicate that it refers to Jacob’s sons, mentioned in the first part of the verse.

[34:7]  ⁶⁷⁶ tn The Hebrew verb עָצַב (’atsav) can carry one of three semantic nuances depending on the context: (1) “to be injured” (Ps 56:5; Eccl 10:9; 1 Chr 4:10); (2) “to experience emotional pain; to be depressed emotionally; to be worried” (2 Sam 19:2; Isa 54:6; Neh 8:10-11); (3) “to be embarrassed; to be insulted; to be offended” (to the point of anger at another or oneself; Gen 6:6; 45:5; 1 Sam 20:3, 34; 1 Kgs 1:6; Isa 63:10; Ps 78:40). This third category develops from the second by metonymy. In certain contexts emotional pain leads to embarrassment and/or anger. In this last use the subject sometimes directs his anger against the source of grief (see especially Gen 6:6). The third category fits best in Gen 34:7 because Jacob’s sons were not merely wounded emotionally. On the contrary, Shechem’s action prompted them to strike out in judgment against the source of their distress.

[34:7]  ⁶⁷⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:7]  ⁶⁷⁸ tn Heb “a disgraceful thing he did against Israel.”

[34:7]  ⁶⁷⁹ tn Heb “by lying with the daughter of Jacob.” The infinitive here explains the preceding verb, indicating exactly how he had disgraced Jacob. The expression “to lie with” is a euphemism for sexual relations, or in this case, sexual assault.

[34:7]  ⁶⁸⁰ tn Heb “and so it should not be done.” The negated imperfect has an obligatory nuance here, but there is also a generalizing tone. The narrator emphasizes that this particular type of crime (sexual assault) is especially reprehensible.

[34:8]  ⁶⁸¹ tn Heb “Shechem my son, his soul is attached to your daughter.” The verb means “to love” in the sense of being emotionally attached to or drawn to someone. This is a slightly different way of saying what was reported earlier (v. 3). However, there is no mention here of the offense. Even though Hamor is speaking to Dinah’s brothers, he refers to her as their daughter (see v. 17).

[34:9]  ⁶⁸² tn Heb “form marriage alliances with us.”

[34:9]  ⁶⁸³ tn Heb “Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.” In the translation the words “let…marry” and “as wives” are supplied for clarity.

[34:10]  ⁶⁸⁴ tn The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.

[34:10]  ⁶⁸⁵ tn Heb “before you.”

[34:10]  ⁶⁸⁶ tn The verb seems to carry the basic meaning “travel about freely,” although the substantival participial form refers to a trader (see E. A. Speiser, “The Verb sh£r in Genesis and Early Hebrew Movements,” BASOR 164 [1961]: 23-28); cf. NIV, NRSV “trade in it.”

[34:11]  ⁶⁸⁷ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Dinah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:11]  ⁶⁸⁸ tn Heb “whatever you say.”

[34:11]  ⁶⁸⁹ tn Or “pay.”

[34:12]  ⁶⁹⁰ tn Heb “Make very great upon me the bride price and gift.” The imperatives are used in a rhetorical manner. Shechem’s point is that he will pay the price, no matter how expensive it might be.

[34:12]  ⁶⁹¹ tn The cohortative expresses Shechem’s resolve to have Dinah as his wife.

[34:12]  ⁶⁹² tn Heb “say.”

[34:13]  ⁶⁹³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Shechem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:14]  ⁶⁹⁴ tn Heb “we are not able to do this thing, to give.” The second infinitive is in apposition to the first, explaining what they are not able to do.

[34:14]  ⁶⁹⁵ tn The Hebrew word translated “disgrace” usually means “ridicule; taunt; reproach.” It can also refer to the reason the condition of shame or disgrace causes ridicule or a reproach.

[34:15]  ⁶⁹⁶ tn Heb “if you are like us.”

[34:15]  ⁶⁹⁷ tn The infinitive here explains how they would become like them.

[34:16]  ⁶⁹⁸ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.

[34:16]  ⁶⁹⁹ tn The words “to marry” (and the words “as wives” in the following clause) are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:17]  ⁷⁰⁰ tn Heb “listen to us.”

[34:17]  ⁷⁰¹ tn The perfect verbal form with the vav (ו) consecutive introduces the apodosis of the conditional sentence.

[34:17]  ⁷⁰² tn Heb “daughter.” Jacob’s sons call Dinah their daughter, even though she was their sister (see v. 8). This has been translated as “sister” for clarity.

[34:18]  ⁷⁰³ tn Heb “and their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and in the eyes of Shechem son of Hamor.”

[34:19]  ⁷⁰⁴ tn Heb “doing the thing.”

[34:19]  ⁷⁰⁵ tn Heb “Jacob’s daughter.” The proper name “Dinah” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:19]  ⁷⁰⁶ tn The Hebrew verb כָּבֵד (kaved), translated “was…important,” has the primary meaning “to be heavy,” but here carries a secondary sense of “to be important” (that is, “heavy” in honor or respect).

[34:19]  ⁷⁰⁷ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause explains why the community would respond to him (see vv. 20-24).

[34:20]  ⁷⁰⁸ sn The gate. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the location for conducting important public business.

[34:21]  ⁷⁰⁹ tn Heb “wide on both hands,” that is, in both directions.

[34:21]  ⁷¹⁰ tn The words “to marry” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[34:22]  ⁷¹¹ tn Heb “when every one of our males is circumcised.”

[34:23]  ⁷¹² tn The words “If we do so” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[34:24]  ⁷¹³ tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”

[34:24]  ⁷¹⁴ tn Heb “listened to.”

[34:24]  ⁷¹⁵ tn Heb “all those going out the gate of his city.”

[34:25]  ⁷¹⁶ tn Heb “a man his sword.”

[34:25]  ⁷¹⁷ tn Heb “and they came upon the city, [which was] secure.” In this case “secure” means the city was caught unprepared and at peace, not expecting an attack.

[34:27]  ⁷¹⁸ tn Heb “came upon the slain.” Because of this statement the preceding phrase “Jacob’s sons” is frequently taken to mean the other sons of Jacob besides Simeon and Levi, but the text does not clearly affirm this.

[34:27]  ⁷¹⁹ tn Heb “because they violated their sister.” The plural verb is active in form, but with no expressed subject, it may be translated passive.

[34:28]  ⁷²⁰ tn Heb “and what was in the city and what was in the field they took.”

[34:29]  ⁷²¹ tn Heb “they took captive and they plundered,” that is, “they captured as plunder.”

[34:30]  ⁷²² tn The traditional translation is “troubled me” (KJV, ASV), but the verb refers to personal or national disaster and suggests complete ruin (see Josh 7:25, Judg 11:35, Prov 11:17). The remainder of the verse describes the “trouble” Simeon and Levi had caused.

[34:30]  ⁷²³ tn In the causative stem the Hebrew verb בָּאַשׁ (ba’ash) means “to cause to stink, to have a foul smell.” In the contexts in which it is used it describes foul smells, stenches, or things that are odious. Jacob senses that the people in the land will find this act terribly repulsive. See P. R. Ackroyd, “The Hebrew Root באשׁ,” JTS 2 (1951): 31-36.

[34:30]  ⁷²⁴ tn Jacob speaks in the first person as the head and representative of the entire family.

[34:31]  ⁷²⁵ tn Heb “but they said.” The referent of “they” (Simeon and Levi) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[35:1]  ⁷²⁶ tn Heb “arise, go up.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.

[35:1]  ⁷²⁷ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:1]  ⁷²⁸ sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).

[35:2]  ⁷²⁹ tn Heb “which are in your midst.”

[35:2]  ⁷³⁰ sn The actions of removing false gods, becoming ritually clean, and changing garments would become necessary steps in Israel when approaching the Lord in worship.

[35:3]  ⁷³¹ tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.

[35:3]  ⁷³² tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.

[35:3]  ⁷³³ tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.

[35:3]  ⁷³⁴ tn Heb “in the way in which I went.” Jacob alludes here to God’s promise to be with him (see Gen 28:20).

[35:4]  ⁷³⁵ tn Heb “in their hand.”

[35:4]  ⁷³⁶ sn On the basis of a comparison with Gen 34 and Num 31, G. J. Wenham argues that the foreign gods and the rings could have been part of the plunder that came from the destruction of Shechem (Genesis [WBC], 2:324).

[35:4]  ⁷³⁷ sn Jacob buried them. On the burial of the gods, see E. Nielson, “The Burial of the Foreign Gods,” ST 8 (1954/55): 102-22.

[35:4]  ⁷³⁸ tn Or “terebinth.”

[35:5]  ⁷³⁹ tn Heb “and they journeyed.”

[35:5]  ⁷⁴⁰ tn Heb “and the fear of God was upon the cities which were round about them.” The expression “fear of God” apparently refers (1) to a fear of God (objective genitive; God is the object of their fear). (2) But it could mean “fear from God,” that is, fear which God placed in them (cf. NRSV “a terror from God”). Another option (3) is that the divine name is used as a superlative here, referring to “tremendous fear” (cf. NEB “were panic-stricken”; NASB “a great terror”).

[35:6]  ⁷⁴¹ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:6]  ⁷⁴² tn Heb “and Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan – it is Bethel – he and all the people who were with him.”

[35:7]  ⁷⁴³ sn The name El-Bethel means “God of Bethel.”

[35:7]  ⁷⁴⁴ tn Heb “revealed themselves.” The verb נִגְלוּ (niglu), translated “revealed himself,” is plural, even though one expects the singular form with the plural of majesty. Perhaps אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a numerical plural, referring both to God and the angelic beings that appeared to Jacob. See the note on the word “know” in Gen 3:5.

[35:8]  ⁷⁴⁵ sn Deborah. This woman had been Rebekah’s nurse, but later attached herself to Jacob. She must have been about one hundred and eighty years old when she died.

[35:8]  ⁷⁴⁶ tn “and he called its name.” There is no expressed subject, so the verb can be translated as passive.

[35:8]  ⁷⁴⁷ tn Or “Allon Bacuth,” if one transliterates the Hebrew name (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). An oak tree was revered in the ancient world and often designated as a shrine or landmark. This one was named for the weeping (mourning) occasioned by the death of Deborah.

[35:10]  ⁷⁴⁸ tn Heb “and he called his name Israel.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[35:11]  ⁷⁴⁹ tn The name אֵל שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72. Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world who grants, blesses, and judges. In the Book of Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name are uncertain its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. For a fuller discussion see the note on “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[35:11]  ⁷⁵⁰ tn Heb “A nation and a company of nations will be from you and kings from your loins will come out.”

[35:12]  ⁷⁵¹ tn The Hebrew verb translated “gave” refers to the Abrahamic promise of the land. However, the actual possession of that land lay in the future. The decree of the Lord made it certain; but it has the sense “promised to give.”

[35:12]  ⁷⁵² tn Heb “and to your offspring after you.”

[35:13]  ⁷⁵³ tn Heb “went up from upon him in the place.”

[35:14]  ⁷⁵⁴ tn Heb “and Jacob set up a sacred pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a sacred pillar of stone” (see the notes on the term “sacred stone” in Gen 28:18). This passage stands parallel to Gen 28:18-19, where Jacob set up a sacred stone, poured oil on it, and called the place Bethel. Some commentators see these as two traditions referring to the same event, but it is more likely that Jacob reconsecrated the place in fulfillment of the vow he had made here earlier. In support of this is the fact that the present narrative alludes to and is built on the previous one.

[35:14]  ⁷⁵⁵ tn The verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “to pour out, to make libations,” and the noun נֶסֶךְ (nesekh) is a “drink-offering,” usually of wine or of blood. The verb יָצַק (yatsaq) means “to pour out,” often of anointing oil, but of other elements as well.

[35:15]  ⁷⁵⁶ sn Called the name of the place. In view of the previous naming of Bethel in Gen 28:19, here Jacob was confirming or affirming the name through an official ritual marking the fulfillment of the vow. This place now did become Bethel, the house of God.

[35:15]  ⁷⁵⁷ tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew.

[35:16]  ⁷⁵⁸ tn Heb “and there was still a stretch of the land to go to Ephrath.”

[35:16]  ⁷⁵⁹ tn Normally the verb would be translated “she gave birth,” but because that obviously had not happened yet, it is better to translate the verb as ingressive, “began to give birth” (cf. NIV) or “went into labor.”

[35:17]  ⁷⁶⁰ tn The construction uses a Hiphil infinitive, which E. A. Speiser classifies as an elative Hiphil. The contrast is with the previous Piel: there “she had hard labor,” and here, “her labor was at its hardest.” Failure to see this, Speiser notes, has led to redundant translations and misunderstandings (Genesis [AB], 273).

[35:17]  ⁷⁶¹ sn Another son. The episode recalls and fulfills the prayer of Rachel at the birth of Joseph (Gen 30:24): “may he add” another son.

[35:18]  ⁷⁶² tn Heb “in the going out of her life, for she was dying.” Rachel named the child with her dying breath.

[35:18]  ⁷⁶³ sn The name Ben-Oni means “son of my suffering.” It is ironic that Rachel’s words to Jacob in Gen 30:1, “Give me children or I’ll die,” take a different turn here, for it was having the child that brought about her death.

[35:18]  ⁷⁶⁴ tn The disjunctive clause is contrastive.

[35:19]  ⁷⁶⁵ sn This explanatory note links the earlier name Ephrath with the later name Bethlehem.

[35:20]  ⁷⁶⁶ tn Heb “standing stone.”

[35:20]  ⁷⁶⁷ tn Or perhaps “it is known as” (cf. NEB).

[35:21]  ⁷⁶⁸ sn The location of Migdal Eder is not given. It appears to be somewhere between Bethlehem and Hebron. Various traditions have identified it as at the shepherds’ fields near Bethlehem (the Hebrew name Migdal Eder means “tower of the flock”; see Mic 4:8) or located it near Solomon’s pools.

[35:22]  ⁷⁶⁹ tn Heb “and Reuben went and lay with.” The expression “lay with” is a euphemism for having sexual intercourse.