Genesis 32:13

32:13 Jacob ¹  stayed there that night. Then he sent ²  as a gift ³  to his brother Esau

Genesis 28:11

28:11 He reached a certain place ⁴  where he decided to camp because the sun had gone down. ⁵  He took one of the stones ⁶  and placed it near his head. ⁷  Then he fell asleep ⁸  in that place

[32:13]  ¹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:13]  ² tn Heb “and he took from that which was going into his hand,” meaning that he took some of what belonged to him.

[32:13]  ³ sn The Hebrew noun translated gift can in some contexts refer to the tribute paid by a subject to his lord. Such a nuance is possible here, because Jacob refers to Esau as his lord and to himself as Esau’s servant (v. 4).

[28:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “the place.” The article may indicate simply that the place is definite in the mind of the narrator. However, as the story unfolds the place is transformed into a holy place. See A. P. Ross, “Jacob’s Vision: The Founding of Bethel,” BSac 142 (1985): 224-37.

[28:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “and he spent the night there because the sun had gone down.”

[28:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “he took from the stones of the place,” which here means Jacob took one of the stones (see v. 18).

[28:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “and he put [it at] the place of his head.” The text does not actually say the stone was placed under his head to serve as a pillow, although most interpreters and translators assume this. It is possible the stone served some other purpose. Jacob does not seem to have been a committed monotheist yet (see v. 20-21) so he may have believed it contained some spiritual power. Note that later in the story he anticipates the stone becoming the residence of God (see v. 22). Many cultures throughout the world view certain types of stones as magical and/or sacred. See J. G. Fraser, Folklore in the Old Testament, 231-37.

[28:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “lay down.”