Genesis 3:20

3:20 The man ¹  named his wife Eve, ²  because ³  she was the mother of all the living. ⁴ 

Genesis 18:12

18:12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, ⁵  “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, ⁶  especially when my husband is old too?” ⁷ 

Genesis 29:17

29:17 Leah’s eyes were tender, ⁸  but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.) ⁹ 

[3:20]  ¹ tn Or “Adam”; however, the Hebrew term has the definite article here.

[3:20]  ² sn The name Eve means “Living one” or “Life-giver” in Hebrew.

[3:20]  ³ tn The explanatory clause gives the reason for the name. Where the one doing the naming gives the explanation, the text normally uses “saying”; where the narrator explains it, the explanatory clause is typically used.

[3:20]  ⁴ tn The explanation of the name forms a sound play (paronomasia) with the name. “Eve” is חַוָּה (khavvah) and “living” is חַי (khay). The name preserves the archaic form of the verb חָיָה (khayah, “to live”) with the middle vav (ו) instead of yod (י). The form חַי (khay) is derived from the normal form חַיָּה (khayyah). Compare the name Yahweh (יְהוָה) explained from הָיָה (hayah, “to be”) rather than from הַוָה (havah). The biblical account stands in contrast to the pagan material that presents a serpent goddess hawwat who is the mother of life. See J. Heller, “Der Name Eva,” ArOr 26 (1958): 636-56; and A. F. Key, “The Giving of Proper Names in the OT,” JBL 83 (1964): 55-59.

[18:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “saying.”

[18:12]  ⁶ tn It has been suggested that this word should be translated “conception,” not “pleasure.” See A. A. McIntosh, “A Third Root ‘adah in Biblical Hebrew,” VT 24 (1974): 454-73.

[18:12]  ⁷ tn The word “too” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:17]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance.”