Genesis 3:10

3:10 The man replied, ¹  “I heard you moving about ²  in the orchard, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”

Genesis 4:10

4:10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? ³  The voice ⁴  of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!

Genesis 22:18

22:18 Because you have obeyed me, ⁵  all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ⁶  using the name of your descendants.’”

Genesis 26:5

26:5 All this will come to pass ⁷  because Abraham obeyed me ⁸  and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” ⁹ 

Genesis 27:13

27:13 So his mother told him, “Any curse against you will fall on me, ¹⁰  my son! Just obey me! ¹¹  Go and get them for me!”

Genesis 27:43

27:43 Now then, my son, do what I say. ¹²  Run away immediately ¹³  to my brother Laban in Haran.

Genesis 39:15

39:15 When he heard me raise ¹⁴  my voice and scream, he left his outer garment beside me and ran outside.”

Genesis 39:18

39:18 but when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his outer garment and ran outside.”

Genesis 45:2

45:2 He wept loudly; ¹⁵  the Egyptians heard it and Pharaoh’s household heard about it. ¹⁶ 

[3:10]  ¹ tn Heb “and he said.”

[3:10]  ² tn Heb “your sound.” If one sees a storm theophany here (see the note on the word “time” in v. 8), then one could translate, “your powerful voice.”

[4:10]  ³ sn What have you done? Again the Lord’s question is rhetorical (see Gen 3:13), condemning Cain for his sin.

[4:10]  ⁴ tn The word “voice” is a personification; the evidence of Abel’s shed blood condemns Cain, just as a human eyewitness would testify in court. For helpful insights, see G. von Rad, Biblical Interpretations in Preaching; and L. Morris, “The Biblical Use of the Term ‘Blood,’” JTS 6 (1955/56): 77-82.

[22:18]  ⁵ tn In the Hebrew text this causal clause comes at the end of the sentence. The translation alters the word order for stylistic reasons.

[22:18]  ⁶ 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 26:4). 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]  ⁷ tn The words “All this will come to pass” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[26:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “listened to my voice.”

[26:5]  ⁹ 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.

[27:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “upon me your curse.”

[27:13]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “only listen to my voice.”

[27:43]  ¹¹ tn Heb “listen to my voice.”

[27:43]  ¹² tn Heb “arise, flee.”

[39:15]  ¹³ tn Heb “that I raised.”

[45:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and he gave his voice in weeping,” meaning that Joseph could not restrain himself and wept out loud.

[45:2]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and the Egyptians heard and the household of Pharaoh heard.” Presumably in the latter case this was by means of a report.