Genesis 3:13

3:13 So the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this ¹  you have done?” And the woman replied, “The serpent ²  tricked ³  me, and I ate.”

Genesis 4:10

4:10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? ⁴  The voice ⁵  of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!

Genesis 20:10

20:10 Then Abimelech asked ⁶  Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?” ⁷ 

Genesis 21:29

21:29 Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these ⁸  seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?”

Genesis 29:15

29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work ⁹  for me for nothing because you are my relative? ¹⁰  Tell me what your wages should be.”

Genesis 37:15

37:15 When Joseph reached Shechem, ¹¹  a man found him wandering ¹²  in the field, so the man asked him, “What are you looking for?”

[3:13]  ¹ tn The use of the demonstrative pronoun is enclitic, serving as an undeclined particle for emphasis. It gives the sense of “What in the world have you done?” (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[3:13]  ² sn The Hebrew word order puts the subject (“the serpent”) before the verb here, giving prominence to it.

[3:13]  ³ tn This verb (the Hiphil of נָשָׁא, nasha) is used elsewhere of a king or god misleading his people into false confidence (2 Kgs 18:29 = 2 Chr 32:15 = Isa 36:14; 2 Kgs 19:10 = Isa 37:10), of an ally deceiving a partner (Obad 7), of God deceiving his sinful people as a form of judgment (Jer 4:10), of false prophets instilling their audience with false hope (Jer 29:8), and of pride and false confidence producing self-deception (Jer 37:9; 49:16; Obad 3).

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

[4:10]  ⁵ 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.

[20:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “And Abimelech said to.”

[20:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “What did you see that you did this thing?” The question implies that Abraham had some motive for deceiving Abimelech.

[21:29]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “What are these?”

[29:15]  ¹³ tn The verb is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; the nuance in the question is deliberative.

[29:15]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “my brother.” The term “brother” is used in a loose sense; actually Jacob was Laban’s nephew.

[37:15]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and he [i.e., Joseph] went to Shechem.” The referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and a man found him and look, he was wandering in the field.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the action through this unnamed man’s eyes.