Genesis 31:15

31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted ¹  the money paid for us! ² 

Genesis 34:23

34:23 If we do so, ³  won’t their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? So let’s consent to their demand, so they will live among us.”

Genesis 4:7

4:7 Is it not true ⁴  that if you do what is right, you will be fine? ⁵  But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching ⁶  at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” ⁷ 

Genesis 37:13

37:13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers ⁸  are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” ⁹  Joseph replied. ¹⁰ 

Genesis 40:8

40:8 They told him, “We both had dreams, ¹¹  but there is no one to interpret them.” Joseph responded, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell them ¹²  to me.”

Genesis 42:22

42:22 Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Don’t sin against the boy,’ but you wouldn’t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!” ¹³ 

Genesis 44:5

44:5 Doesn’t my master drink from this cup ¹⁴  and use it for divination? ¹⁵  You have done wrong!’” ¹⁶ 

Genesis 44:15

44:15 Joseph said to them, “What did you think you were doing? ¹⁷  Don’t you know that a man like me can find out things like this by divination?” ¹⁸ 

[31:15]  ¹ tn Heb “and he devoured, even devouring.” The infinitive absolute (following the finite verb here) is used for emphasis.

[31:15]  ² tn Heb “our money.” The word “money” is used figuratively here; it means the price paid for Leah and Rachel. A literal translation (“our money”) makes it sound as if Laban wasted money that belonged to Rachel and Leah, rather than the money paid for them.

[34:23]  ³ tn The words “If we do so” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[4:7]  ⁵ tn The introduction of the conditional clause with an interrogative particle prods the answer from Cain, as if he should have known this. It is not a condemnation, but an encouragement to do what is right.

[4:7]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew text is difficult, because only one word occurs, שְׂאֵת (sÿ’et), which appears to be the infinitive construct from the verb “to lift up” (נָאָשׂ, na’as). The sentence reads: “If you do well, uplifting.” On the surface it seems to be the opposite of the fallen face. Everything will be changed if he does well. God will show him favor, he will not be angry, and his face will reflect that. But more may be intended since the second half of the verse forms the contrast: “If you do not do well, sin is crouching….” Not doing well leads to sinful attack; doing well leads to victory and God’s blessing.

[4:7]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew term translated “crouching” (רֹבֵץ, rovets) is an active participle. Sin is portrayed with animal imagery here as a beast crouching and ready to pounce (a figure of speech known as zoomorphism). An Akkadian cognate refers to a type of demon; in this case perhaps one could translate, “Sin is the demon at the door” (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 29, 32-33).

[4:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “and toward you [is] its desire, but you must rule over it.” As in Gen 3:16, the Hebrew noun “desire” refers to an urge to control or dominate. Here the desire is that which sin has for Cain, a desire to control for the sake of evil, but Cain must have mastery over it. The imperfect is understood as having an obligatory sense. Another option is to understand it as expressing potential (“you can have [or “are capable of having”] mastery over it.”). It will be a struggle, but sin can be defeated by righteousness. In addition to this connection to Gen 3, other linguistic and thematic links between chaps. 3 and 4 are discussed by A. J. Hauser, “Linguistic and Thematic Links Between Genesis 4:1-6 and Genesis 2–3,” JETS 23 (1980): 297-306.

[37:13]  ⁷ tn The text uses an interrogative clause: “Are not your brothers,” which means “your brothers are.”

[37:13]  ⁸ sn With these words Joseph is depicted here as an obedient son who is ready to do what his father commands.

[37:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Here I am.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[40:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “a dream we dreamed.”

[40:8]  ¹⁰ tn The word “them” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:22]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and also his blood, look, it is required.” God requires compensation, as it were, from those who shed innocent blood (see Gen 9:6). In other words, God exacts punishment for the crime of murder.

[44:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “Is this not what my master drinks from.” The word “cup” is not in the Hebrew text, but is obviously the referent of “this,” and so has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[44:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and he, divining, divines with it.” The infinitive absolute is emphatic, stressing the importance of the cup to Joseph.

[44:5]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “you have caused to be evil what you have done.”

[44:15]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “What is this deed you have done?” The demonstrative pronoun (“this”) adds emphasis to the question. A literal translation seems to contradict the following statement, in which Joseph affirms that he is able to divine such matters. Thus here the emotive force of the question has been reflected in the translation, “What did you think you were doing?”

[44:15]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “[is] fully able to divine,” meaning that he can find things out by divination. The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis, stressing his ability to do this.