Genesis 3:24

3:24 When he drove ¹  the man out, he placed on the eastern side ²  of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries ³  who used the flame of a whirling sword ⁴  to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 15:13

15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain ⁵  that your descendants will be strangers ⁶  in a foreign country. ⁷  They will be enslaved and oppressed ⁸  for four hundred years.

Genesis 16:11

16:11 Then the Lord’s angel said to her,

“You are now ⁹  pregnant

and are about to give birth ¹⁰  to a son.

You are to name him Ishmael, ¹¹ 

for the Lord has heard your painful groans. ¹² 

Genesis 18:25

18:25 Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge ¹³  of the whole earth do what is right?” ¹⁴ 

Genesis 23:6

23:6 “Listen, sir, ¹⁵  you are a mighty prince ¹⁶  among us! You may bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb to prevent you ¹⁷  from burying your dead.”

Genesis 44:17

44:17 But Joseph said, “Far be it from me to do this! The man in whose hand the cup was found will become my slave, but the rest of ¹⁸  you may go back ¹⁹  to your father in peace.”

[3:24]  ¹ tn The verb with the vav (ו) consecutive is made subordinate to the next verb forming a temporal clause. This avoids any tautology with the previous verse that already stated that the Lord expelled the man.

[3:24]  ² tn Or “placed in front.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.

[3:24]  ³ tn The Hebrew word is traditionally transliterated “the cherubim.”

[3:24]  ⁴ tn Heb “the flame of the sword that turns round and round.” The noun “flame” is qualified by the genitive of specification, “the sword,” which in turn is modified by the attributive participle “whirling.” The Hitpael of the verb “turn” has an iterative function here, indicating repeated action. The form is used in Job 37:12 of swirling clouds and in Judg 7:13 of a tumbling roll of bread. Verse 24 depicts the sword as moving from side to side to prevent anyone from passing or as whirling around, ready to cut to shreds anyone who tries to pass.

[15:13]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, with the Qal infinitive absolute followed by the imperfect from יָדַע (yada’, “know”). The imperfect here has an obligatory or imperatival force.

[15:13]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew word גֵּר (ger, “sojourner, stranger”) is related to the verb גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn, to stay for awhile”). Abram’s descendants will stay in a land as resident aliens without rights of citizenship.

[15:13]  ⁷ tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”

[15:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “and they will serve them and they will oppress them.” The verb עִנּוּ, (’innu, a Piel form from עָנָה, ’anah, “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly”), is used in Exod 1:11 to describe the oppression of the Israelites in Egypt.

[16:11]  ⁹ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) focuses on her immediate situation: “Here you are pregnant.”

[16:11]  ¹⁰ tn The active participle refers here to something that is about to happen.

[16:11]  ¹¹ sn The name Ishmael consists of the imperfect or jussive form of the Hebrew verb with the theophoric element added as the subject. It means “God hears” or “may God hear.”

[16:11]  ¹² tn Heb “affliction,” which must refer here to Hagar’s painful groans of anguish.

[18:25]  ¹³ tn Or “ruler.”

[18:25]  ¹⁴ sn Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right? For discussion of this text see J. L. Crenshaw, “Popular Questioning of the Justice of God in Ancient Israel,” ZAW 82 (1970): 380-95, and C. S. Rodd, “Shall Not the Judge of All the Earth Do What Is Just?” ExpTim 83 (1972): 137-39.

[23:6]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Hear us, my lord.”

[23:6]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “prince of God.” The divine name may be used here as a means of expressing the superlative, “mighty prince.” The word for “prince” probably means “tribal chief” here. See M. H. Gottstein, “Nasi’ ‘elohim (Gen 23:6),” VT 3 (1953) 298-99; and D. W. Thomas, “Consideration of Some Unusual Ways of Expressing the Superlative in Hebrew,” VT 3 (1953) 215-16.

[23:6]  ¹⁹ tn The phrase “to prevent you” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[44:17]  ²¹ tn The words “the rest of” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[44:17]  ²² tn Heb “up” (reflecting directions from their point of view – “up” to Canaan; “down” to Egypt).