Discovery BoxGenesis 29:1--31:55
Context29:1 So Jacob moved on 1 and came to the land of the eastern people. 2 29:2 He saw 3 in the field a well with 4 three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. Now 5 a large stone covered the mouth of the well. 29:3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds 6 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 7 of Nahor?” “We know him,” 8 they said. 29:6 “Is he well?” 9 Jacob asked. They replied, “He is well. 10 Now look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.” 29:7 Then Jacob 11 said, “Since it is still the middle of the day, 12 it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more.” 13 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 14 the sheep.”
29:9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was tending them. 15 29:10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, 16 and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he 17 went over 18 and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. 19 29:11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep loudly. 20 29:12 When Jacob explained 21 to Rachel that he was a relative of her father 22 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 23 told Laban how he was related to him. 24 29:14 Then Laban said to him, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” 25 So Jacob 26 stayed with him for a month. 27
29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work 28 for me for nothing because you are my relative? 29 Tell me what your wages should be.” 29:16 (Now Laban had two daughters; 30 the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel. 29:17 Leah’s eyes were tender, 31 but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.) 32 29:18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with 33 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. 34 Stay with me.” 29:20 So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. 35 But they seemed like only a few days to him 36 because his love for her was so great. 37
29:21 Finally Jacob said 38 to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. 39 I want to have marital relations with her.” 40 29:22 So Laban invited all the people 41 of that place and prepared a feast. 29:23 In the evening he brought his daughter Leah 42 to Jacob, 43 and Jacob 44 had marital relations with her. 45 29:24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 46
29:25 In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! 47 So Jacob 48 said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me! 49 Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked 50 me?” 29:26 “It is not our custom here,” 51 Laban replied, “to give the younger daughter in marriage 52 before the firstborn. 29:27 Complete my older daughter’s bridal week. 53 Then we will give you the younger one 54 too, in exchange for seven more years of work.” 55
29:28 Jacob did as Laban said. 56 When Jacob 57 completed Leah’s bridal week, 58 Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 59 29:29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) 60 29:30 Jacob 61 had marital relations 62 with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban 63 for seven more years. 64
29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, 65 he enabled her to become pregnant 66 while Rachel remained childless. 29:32 So Leah became pregnant 67 and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, 68 for she said, “The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. 69 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, 70 he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. 71
29:34 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Now this time my husband will show me affection, 72 because I have given birth to three sons for him.” That is why he was named Levi. 73
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. 74 Then she stopped having children.
30:1 When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she 75 became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children 76 or I’ll die!” 30:2 Jacob became furious 77 with Rachel and exclaimed, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” 78 30:3 She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with 79 her so that she can bear 80 children 81 for me 82 and I can have a family through her.” 83
30:4 So Rachel 84 gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had marital relations with 85 her. 30:5 Bilhah became pregnant 86 and gave Jacob a son. 87 30:6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer 88 and given me a son.” That is why 89 she named him Dan. 90
30:7 Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, became pregnant again and gave Jacob another son. 91 30:8 Then Rachel said, “I have fought a desperate struggle with my sister, but I have won.” 92 So she named him Naphtali. 93
30:9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave 94 her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. 30:10 Soon Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob a son. 95 30:11 Leah said, “How fortunate!” 96 So she named him Gad. 97
30:12 Then Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob another son. 98 30:13 Leah said, “How happy I am, 99 for women 100 will call me happy!” So she named him Asher. 101
30:14 At the time 102 of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants 103 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, 104 “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes too?” “All right,” 105 Rachel said, “he may sleep 106 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 107 with me because I have paid for your services 108 with my son’s mandrakes.” So he had marital relations 109 with her that night. 30:17 God paid attention 110 to Leah; she became pregnant 111 and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time. 112 30:18 Then Leah said, “God has granted me a reward 113 because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife.” 114 So she named him Issachar. 115
30:19 Leah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a son for the sixth time. 116 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. 117
30:21 After that she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
30:22 Then God took note of 118 Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant. 119 30:23 She became pregnant 120 and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.” 121 30:24 She named him Joseph, 122 saying, “May the Lord give me yet another son.”
30:25 After Rachel had given birth 123 to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send 124 me on my way so that I can go 125 home to my own country. 126 30:26 Let me take my wives and my children whom I have acquired by working for you. 127 Then I’ll depart, 128 because you know how hard I’ve worked for you.” 129
30:27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, 130 for I have learned by divination 131 that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.” 30:28 He added, “Just name your wages – I’ll pay whatever you want.” 132
30:29 “You know how I have worked for you,” Jacob replied, 133 “and how well your livestock have fared under my care. 134 30:30 Indeed, 135 you had little before I arrived, 136 but now your possessions have increased many times over. 137 The Lord has blessed you wherever I worked. 138 But now, how long must it be before I do something for my own family too?” 139
30:31 So Laban asked, 140 “What should I give you?” “You don’t need to give me a thing,” 141 Jacob replied, 142 “but if you agree to this one condition, 143 I will continue to care for 144 your flocks and protect them: 30:32 Let me walk among 145 all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, 146 and the spotted or speckled goats. 147 These animals will be my wages. 148 30:33 My integrity will testify for me 149 later on. 150 When you come to verify that I’ve taken only the wages we agreed on, 151 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.” 152 30:34 “Agreed!” said Laban, “It will be as you say.” 153
30:35 So that day Laban 154 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 155 of his sons. 30:36 Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey, 156 while 157 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. 158 30:39 When the sheep mated 159 in front of the branches, they 160 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 161 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, 162 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. 163 So the weaker animals ended up belonging to Laban 164 and the stronger animals to Jacob. 30:43 In this way Jacob 165 became extremely prosperous. He owned 166 large flocks, male and female servants, camels, and donkeys.
31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, 167 “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich 168 at our father’s expense!” 169 31:2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. 170
31:3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers 171 and to your relatives. I will be with you.” 172 31:4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah 173 to come to the field 174 where his flocks were. 175 31:5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, 176 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, 177 31:7 but your father has humiliated 178 me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. 31:8 If he said, 179 ‘The speckled animals 180 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 181 during breeding season I saw 182 in a dream that the male goats mating with 183 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 184 that all the male goats mating with 185 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, 186 where you anointed 187 the sacred stone and made a vow to me. 188 Now leave this land immediately 189 and return to your native land.’”
31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance 190 in our father’s house? 31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted 191 the money paid for us! 192 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. 193 31:18 He took 194 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. 195
31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, 196 Rachel stole the household idols 197 that belonged to her father. 31:20 Jacob also deceived 198 Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. 199 31:21 He left 200 with all he owned. He quickly crossed 201 the Euphrates River 202 and headed for 203 the hill country of Gilead.
31:22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. 204 31:23 So he took his relatives 205 with him and pursued Jacob 206 for seven days. 207 He caught up with 208 him in the hill country of Gilead. 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, 209 “Be careful 210 that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” 211
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. 212 31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me 213 and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! 214 31:27 Why did you run away secretly 215 and deceive me? 216 Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? 217 31:28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren 218 good-bye. You have acted foolishly! 31:29 I have 219 the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful 220 that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’ 221 31:30 Now I understand that 222 you have gone away 223 because you longed desperately 224 for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?” 225
31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” 226 Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought 227 you might take your daughters away from me by force. 228 31:32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! 229 In the presence of our relatives 230 identify whatever is yours and take it.” 231 (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) 232
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. 233 Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. 234 31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle 235 and sat on them.) 236 Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. 237 31:35 Rachel 238 said to her father, “Don’t be angry, 239 my lord. I cannot stand up 240 in your presence because I am having my period.” 241 So he searched thoroughly, 242 but did not find the idols.
31:36 Jacob became angry 243 and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. 244 “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? 245 31:37 When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you? 246 Set it here before my relatives and yours, 247 and let them settle the dispute between the two of us! 248
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. 249 You always made me pay for every missing animal, 250 whether it was taken by day or at night. 31:40 I was consumed by scorching heat 251 during the day and by piercing cold 252 at night, and I went without sleep. 253 31:41 This was my lot 254 for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave 255 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 256 – 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, 257 and he rebuked you last night.”
31:43 Laban replied 258 to Jacob, “These women 259 are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, 260 and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today 261 or the children to whom they have given birth? 31:44 So now, come, let’s make a formal agreement, 262 you and I, and it will be 263 proof that we have made peace.” 264
31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. 31:46 Then he 265 said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they brought stones and put them in a pile. 266 They ate there by the pile of stones. 31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, 267 but Jacob called it Galeed. 268
31:48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement 269 today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 31:49 It was also called Mizpah 270 because he said, “May the Lord watch 271 between us 272 when we are out of sight of one another. 273 31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize 274 that God is witness to your actions.” 275
31:51 “Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you,” Laban said to Jacob. 276 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. 277 31:53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, 278 the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared. 279 31:54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice 280 on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat the meal. 281 They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.
31:55 (32:1) 282 Early in the morning Laban kissed 283 his grandchildren 284 and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. 285
[29:1] 1 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] 2 tn Heb “the land of the sons of the east.”
[29:2] 3 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] 4 tn Heb “and look, there.”
[29:2] 5 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the noun with the prefixed conjunction) provides supplemental information that is important to the story.
[29:3] 6 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the shepherds) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:5] 8 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] 9 tn Heb “and he said to them, ‘Is there peace to him?’”
[29:7] 11 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:7] 12 tn Heb “the day is great.”
[29:7] 13 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] 14 tn The perfect verbal forms with the vav (ו) consecutive carry on the sequence begun by the initial imperfect form.
[29:9] 15 tn Heb “was a shepherdess.”
[29:10] 16 tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother” (twice in this verse).
[29:10] 17 tn Heb “Jacob.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[29:10] 18 tn Heb “drew near, approached.”
[29:10] 19 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] 20 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] 22 tn Heb “that he [was] the brother of her father.”
[29:13] 23 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:13] 24 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] 25 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] 26 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:14] 27 tn Heb “a month of days.”
[29:15] 28 tn The verb is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; the nuance in the question is deliberative.
[29:15] 29 tn Heb “my brother.” The term “brother” is used in a loose sense; actually Jacob was Laban’s nephew.
[29:16] 30 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] 31 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] 32 tn Heb “and Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance.”
[29:18] 33 tn Heb “Jacob loved.”
[29:19] 34 tn Heb “Better my giving her to you than my giving her to another man.”
[29:20] 35 tn Heb “in exchange for Rachel.”
[29:20] 36 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] 37 tn Heb “because of his love for her.” The words “was so great” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
[29:21] 38 tn Heb “and Jacob said.”
[29:21] 39 tn Heb “my days are fulfilled.”
[29:21] 40 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).
[29:23] 42 tn Heb “and it happened in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her.”
[29:23] 43 tn Heb “to him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:23] 44 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:23] 45 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] 46 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] 47 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] 48 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:25] 49 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] 50 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] 51 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] 52 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] 53 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] 54 tn Heb “this other one.”
[29:27] 55 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] 56 tn Heb “and Jacob did so.” The words “as Laban said” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[29:28] 57 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:28] 58 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] 59 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] 60 tn Heb “and Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his female servant, for her for a servant.”
[29:30] 61 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:30] 62 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] 63 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:30] 64 tn Heb “and he loved also Rachel, more than Leah, and he served with him still seven other years.”
[29:31] 65 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] 66 tn Heb “he opened up her womb.”
[29:32] 67 tn Or “Leah conceived” (also in vv. 33, 34, 35).
[29:32] 68 sn The name Reuben (רְאוּבֵן, rÿ’uven) means “look, a son.”
[29:32] 69 tn Heb “looked on my affliction.”
[29:33] 70 tn Heb “hated.” See the note on the word “unloved” in v. 31.
[29:33] 71 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
[29:34] 72 tn Heb “will be joined to me.”
[29:34] 73 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] 74 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] 75 tn Heb “Rachel.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“she”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:2] 77 tn Heb “and the anger of Jacob was hot.”
[30:2] 78 tn Heb “who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb.”
[30:3] 79 tn Heb “go in to.” The expression “go in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.
[30:3] 80 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates the immediate purpose of the proposed activity.
[30:3] 81 tn The word “children” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:3] 82 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] 83 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] 84 tn Heb “and she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:4] 85 tn Heb “went in to.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.
[30:5] 86 tn Or “Bilhah conceived” (also in v. 7).
[30:5] 87 tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a son.”
[30:6] 88 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] 90 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] 91 tn Heb “and she became pregnant again and Bilhah, the servant of Rachel, bore a second son for Jacob.”
[30:8] 92 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] 93 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] 94 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] 95 tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore for Jacob a son.”
[30:11] 96 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] 97 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] 98 tn Heb “and Zilpah, the servant of Leah, bore a second son for Jacob.”
[30:13] 99 tn The Hebrew statement apparently means “with my happiness.”
[30:13] 100 tn Heb “daughters.”
[30:13] 101 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] 102 tn Heb “during the days.”
[30:14] 103 sn Mandrake plants were popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac in the culture of the time.
[30:15] 104 tn Heb “and she said to her”; the referent of the pronoun “she” (Leah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:15] 105 tn Heb “therefore.”
[30:15] 106 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] 107 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] 108 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] 109 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] 110 tn Heb “listened to.”
[30:17] 111 tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 19).
[30:17] 112 tn Heb “and she bore for Jacob a fifth son,” i.e., this was the fifth son that Leah had given Jacob.
[30:18] 113 tn Heb “God has given my reward.”
[30:18] 114 tn The words “as a wife” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity (cf. v. 9).
[30:18] 115 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] 116 tn Heb “and she bore a sixth son for Jacob,” i.e., this was the sixth son that Leah had given Jacob.
[30:20] 117 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] 118 tn Heb “remembered.”
[30:22] 119 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] 120 tn Or “conceived.”
[30:23] 121 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] 122 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] 123 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] 124 tn The imperatival form here expresses a request.
[30:25] 125 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[30:25] 126 tn Heb “to my place and to my land.”
[30:26] 127 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] 128 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[30:26] 129 tn Heb “for you, you know my service [with] which I have served you.”
[30:27] 130 tn The words “please stay here” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[30:27] 131 tn Or perhaps “I have grown rich and the
[30:28] 132 tn Heb “set your wage for me so I may give [it].”
[30:29] 133 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] 134 tn Heb “and how your cattle were with me.”
[30:30] 136 tn Heb “before me.”
[30:30] 137 tn Heb “and it has broken out with respect to abundance.”
[30:30] 138 tn Heb “at my foot.”
[30:30] 139 tn Heb “How long [until] I do, also I, for my house?”
[30:31] 140 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:31] 141 tn The negated imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance.
[30:31] 142 tn The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:31] 143 tn Heb “If you do for me this thing.”
[30:31] 144 tn Heb “I will return, I will tend,” an idiom meaning “I will continue tending.”
[30:32] 145 tn Heb “pass through.”
[30:32] 146 tn Or “every black lamb”; Heb “and every dark sheep among the lambs.”
[30:32] 147 tn Heb “and the spotted and speckled among the goats.”
[30:32] 148 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] 149 tn Heb “will answer on my behalf.”
[30:33] 150 tn Heb “on the following day,” or “tomorrow.”
[30:33] 151 tn Heb “when you come concerning my wage before you.”
[30:33] 152 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] 153 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] 154 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[30:35] 155 tn Heb “and he gave [them] into the hand.”
[30:36] 156 tn Heb “and he put a journey of three days between himself and Jacob.”
[30:36] 157 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] 158 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] 159 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] 160 tn Heb “the sheep.” The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“they”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[30:40] 161 tn Heb “and he set the faces of.”
[30:41] 162 tn Heb “and at every breeding-heat of the flock.”
[30:42] 163 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] 164 tn Heb “were for Laban.”
[30:43] 165 tn Heb “the man”; Jacob’s name has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[30:43] 166 tn Heb “and there were to him.”
[31:1] 167 tn Heb “and he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying.”
[31:1] 168 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] 169 tn Heb “and from that which belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.”
[31:2] 170 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] 171 tn Or perhaps “ancestors” (so NRSV), although the only “ancestors” Jacob had there were his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac.
[31:3] 172 sn I will be with you. Though Laban was no longer “with him,” the
[31:4] 173 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] 174 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] 175 tn Heb “to his flock.”
[31:5] 176 tn Heb “I see the face of your father, that he is not toward me as formerly.”
[31:6] 177 tn Heb “with all my strength.”
[31:7] 178 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] 179 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] 180 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] 181 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator, “and it happened at the time of.”
[31:10] 182 tn Heb “in the time of the breeding of the flock I lifted up my eyes and I saw.”
[31:10] 183 tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.
[31:12] 184 tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”
[31:12] 185 tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.
[31:13] 186 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
[31:13] 187 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
[31:13] 188 sn And made a vow to me. The second clause reminds Jacob of the vow he made to the
[31:13] 189 tn Heb “arise, leave!” The first imperative draws attention to the need for immediate action.
[31:14] 190 tn The two nouns may form a hendiadys, meaning “a share in the inheritance” or “a portion to inherit.”
[31:15] 191 tn Heb “and he devoured, even devouring.” The infinitive absolute (following the finite verb here) is used for emphasis.
[31:15] 192 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] 193 tn Heb “and Jacob arose and he lifted up his sons and his wives on to the camels.”
[31:18] 194 tn Heb “drove,” but this is subject to misunderstanding in contemporary English.
[31:18] 195 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] 196 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] 197 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] 198 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] 199 tn Heb “fleeing,” which reflects Jacob’s viewpoint.
[31:21] 200 tn Heb “and he fled.”
[31:21] 201 tn Heb “he arose and crossed.” The first verb emphasizes that he wasted no time in getting across.
[31:21] 202 tn Heb “the river”; the referent (the Euphrates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[31:21] 203 tn Heb “he set his face.”
[31:22] 204 tn Heb “and it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.”
[31:23] 205 tn Heb “his brothers.”
[31:23] 206 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[31:23] 207 tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”
[31:23] 208 tn Heb “drew close to.”
[31:24] 209 tn Heb “said to him.”
[31:24] 210 tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.
[31:24] 211 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] 212 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] 213 tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).
[31:26] 214 tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”
[31:27] 215 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] 216 tn Heb “and steal me.”
[31:27] 217 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] 218 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] 219 tn Heb “there is to my hand.”
[31:29] 220 tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.
[31:29] 221 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] 222 tn Heb “and now.” The words “I understand that” have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[31:30] 223 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the certainty of the action.
[31:30] 224 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of emotion involved.
[31:30] 225 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] 226 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] 227 tn Heb “for I said.”
[31:31] 228 tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”
[31:32] 229 tn Heb “With whomever you find your gods, he will not live.”
[31:32] 230 tn Heb “brothers.”
[31:32] 231 tn Heb “recognize for yourself what is with me and take for yourself.”
[31:32] 232 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] 233 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] 234 tn Heb “and he went out from the tent of Leah and went into the tent of Rachel.”
[31:34] 235 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] 236 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides another parenthetical statement necessary to the storyline.
[31:34] 237 tn The word “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
[31:35] 238 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[31:35] 239 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] 240 tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”
[31:35] 241 tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.
[31:35] 242 tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
[31:36] 243 tn Heb “it was hot to Jacob.” This idiom refers to anger.
[31:36] 244 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] 245 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] 246 tn Heb “what did you find from all the goods of your house?”
[31:37] 247 tn Heb “your relatives.” The word “relatives” has not been repeated in the translation here for stylistic reasons.
[31:37] 248 tn Heb “that they may decide between us two.”
[31:39] 249 tn The imperfect verbal form indicates that this was a customary or typical action.
[31:39] 250 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] 251 tn Or “by drought.”
[31:40] 252 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] 253 tn Heb “and my sleep fled from my eyes.”
[31:41] 254 tn Heb “this to me.”
[31:41] 255 tn Heb “served you,” but in this accusatory context the meaning is more “worked like a slave.”
[31:42] 256 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] 257 tn Heb “My oppression and the work of my hands God saw.”
[31:43] 258 tn Heb “answered and said.”
[31:43] 259 tn Heb “daughters.”
[31:43] 260 tn Heb “children.”
[31:43] 261 tn Heb “but to my daughters what can I do to these today?”
[31:44] 262 tn Heb “cut a covenant.”
[31:44] 263 tn The verb הָיָה (hayah) followed by the preposition לְ (lÿ) means “become.”
[31:44] 264 tn Heb “and it will become a witness between me and you.”
[31:46] 265 tn Heb “Jacob”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[31:46] 266 sn The Hebrew word for “pile” is גַּל (gal), which sounds like the name “Galeed” (גַּלְעֵד, gal’ed). See v. 48.
[31:47] 267 sn Jegar Sahadutha. Laban the Aramean gave the place an Aramaic name which means “witness pile” or “the pile is a witness.”
[31:47] 268 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] 269 tn Heb “a witness between me and you.”
[31:49] 270 tn Heb “and Mizpah.”
[31:49] 271 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
[31:49] 272 tn Heb “between me and you.”
[31:49] 273 tn Heb “for we will be hidden, each man from his neighbor.”
[31:50] 275 tn Heb “between me and you.”
[31:51] 276 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] 277 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] 278 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] 279 tn Heb “by the fear of his father Isaac.” See the note on the word “fears” in v. 42.
[31:54] 280 tn The construction is a cognate accusative with the verb, expressing a specific sacrifice.
[31:54] 281 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] 282 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] 283 tn Heb “and Laban got up early in the morning and he kissed.”
