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 30:32

30:32 Let me walk among ⁵  all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, ⁶  and the spotted or speckled goats. ⁷  These animals will be my wages. ⁸ 

Genesis 33:13

33:13 But Jacob ⁹  said to him, “My lord knows that the children are young, ¹⁰  and that I have to look after the sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. ¹¹  If they are driven too hard for even a single day, all the animals will die.

[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.

[30:32]  ⁵ tn Heb “pass through.”

[30:32]  ⁶ tn Or “every black lamb”; Heb “and every dark sheep among the lambs.”

[30:32]  ⁷ tn Heb “and the spotted and speckled among the goats.”

[30:32]  ⁸ 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.

[33:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:13]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “weak.”

[33:13]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and the sheep and the cattle nursing [are] upon me.”