Genesis 38:9

38:9 But Onan knew that the child ¹  would not be considered his. ²  So whenever ³  he had sexual relations with ⁴  his brother’s wife, he withdrew prematurely ⁵  so as not to give his brother a descendant.

Genesis 24:53

24:53 Then he ⁶  brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother.

Genesis 24:55

24:55 But Rebekah’s ⁷  brother and her mother replied, “Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go.”

Genesis 28:5

28:5 So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

Genesis 32:11

32:11 Rescue me, ⁸  I pray, from the hand ⁹  of my brother Esau, ¹⁰  for I am afraid he will come ¹¹  and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children. ¹² 

Genesis 42:15

42:15 You will be tested in this way: As surely as Pharaoh lives, ¹³  you will not depart from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

Genesis 42:20

42:20 But you must bring ¹⁴  your youngest brother to me. Then ¹⁵  your words will be verified ¹⁶  and you will not die.” They did as he said. ¹⁷ 

Genesis 43:30

43:30 Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome by affection for his brother ¹⁸  and was at the point of tears. ¹⁹  So he went to his room and wept there.

Genesis 45:4

45:4 Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me,” so they came near. Then he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.

[38:9]  ¹ tn Heb “offspring.”

[38:9]  ² tn Heb “would not be his,” that is, legally speaking. Under the levirate system the child would be legally considered the child of his deceased brother.

[38:9]  ³ tn The construction shows that this was a repeated practice and not merely one action.

[38:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “he went to.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “he spoiled [his semen] to the ground.” Onan withdrew prematurely and ejaculated on the ground to prevent his brother’s widow from becoming pregnant.

[24:53]  ⁶ tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:55]  ¹¹ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Rebekah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:11]  ¹⁶ tn The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.

[32:11]  ¹⁷ tn The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”

[32:11]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”

[32:11]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”

[32:11]  ²⁰ sn Heb “me, [the] mother upon [the] sons.” The first person pronoun “me” probably means here “me and mine,” as the following clause suggests.

[42:15]  ²¹ tn Heb “[By] the life of Pharaoh.”

[42:20]  ²⁶ tn The imperfect here has an injunctive force.

[42:20]  ²⁷ tn After the injunctive imperfect, this imperfect with vav indicates purpose or result.

[42:20]  ²⁸ tn The Niphal form of the verb has the sense of “to be faithful; to be sure; to be reliable.” Joseph will test his brothers to see if their words are true.

[42:20]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and they did so.”

[43:30]  ³¹ tn Heb “for his affection boiled up concerning his brother.” The same expression is used in 1 Kgs 3:26 for the mother’s feelings for her endangered child.

[43:30]  ³² tn Heb “and he sought to weep.”