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 4:9

4:9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” ⁵  And he replied, “I don’t know! Am I my brother’s guardian?” ⁶ 

Genesis 17:10

17:10 This is my requirement that you and your descendants after you must keep: ⁷  Every male among you must be circumcised. ⁸ 

Genesis 31:24

31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, ⁹  “Be careful ¹⁰  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” ¹¹ 

Genesis 41:35

41:35 They should gather all the excess food ¹²  during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority ¹³  they should store up grain so the cities will have food, ¹⁴  and they should preserve it. ¹⁵ 

[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.

[4:9]  ⁵ sn Where is Abel your brother? Again the Lord confronts a guilty sinner with a rhetorical question (see Gen 3:9-13), asking for an explanation of what has happened.

[4:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “The one guarding my brother [am] I?”

[17:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “This is my covenant that you must keep between me and you and your descendants after you.”

[17:10]  ¹⁰ sn For a discussion of male circumcision as the sign of the covenant in this passage see M. V. Fox, “The Sign of the Covenant: Circumcision in the Light of the Priestly ‘ot Etiologies,” RB 81 (1974): 557-96.

[31:24]  ¹³ tn Heb “said to him.”

[31:24]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:24]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “lest you speak with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 29, is uncertain. Since Laban proceeded to speak to Jacob at length, it cannot mean to maintain silence. Nor does it seem to be a prohibition against criticism (see vv. 26-30). Most likely it refers to a formal pronouncement, whether it be a blessing or a curse. Laban was to avoid saying anything to Jacob that would be intended to enhance him or to harm him.

[41:35]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “all the food.”

[41:35]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “under the hand of Pharaoh.”

[41:35]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “[for] food in the cities.” The noun translated “food” is an adverbial accusative in the sentence.

[41:35]  ²⁰ tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same force as the sequence of jussives before it.