Genesis 4:1

The Story of Cain and Abel

4:1 Now ¹  the man had marital relations with ²  his wife Eve, and she became pregnant ³  and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created ⁴  a man just as the Lord did!” ⁵ 

Genesis 27:13

27:13 So his mother told him, “Any curse against you will fall on me, ⁶  my son! Just obey me! ⁷  Go and get them for me!”

Genesis 30:27

30:27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, ⁸  for I have learned by divination ⁹  that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.”

Genesis 45:16

45:16 Now it was reported ¹⁰  in the household of Pharaoh, “Joseph’s brothers have arrived.” It pleased ¹¹  Pharaoh and his servants.

Genesis 47:30

47:30 but when I rest ¹²  with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” Joseph ¹³  said, “I will do as you say.”

Genesis 49:29

49:29 Then he instructed them, ¹⁴  “I am about to go ¹⁵  to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.

[4:1]  ¹ tn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new episode in the ongoing narrative.

[4:1]  ² tn Heb “the man knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.

[4:1]  ³ tn Or “she conceived.”

[4:1]  ⁴ tn Here is another sound play (paronomasia) on a name. The sound of the verb קָנִיתִי (qaniti, “I have created”) reflects the sound of the name Cain in Hebrew (קַיִן, qayin) and gives meaning to it. The saying uses the Qal perfect of קָנָה (qanah). There are two homonymic verbs with this spelling, one meaning “obtain, acquire” and the other meaning “create” (see Gen 14:19, 22; Deut 32:6; Ps 139:13; Prov 8:22). The latter fits this context very well. Eve has created a man.

[4:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “with the Lord.” The particle אֶת־ (’et) is not the accusative/object sign, but the preposition “with” as the ancient versions attest. Some take the preposition in the sense of “with the help of” (see BDB 85 s.v. אֵת; cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV), while others prefer “along with” in the sense of “like, equally with, in common with” (see Lev 26:39; Isa 45:9; Jer 23:28). Either works well in this context; the latter is reflected in the present translation. Some understand אֶת־ as the accusative/object sign and translate, “I have acquired a man – the Lord.” They suggest that the woman thought (mistakenly) that she had given birth to the incarnate Lord, the Messiah who would bruise the Serpent’s head. This fanciful suggestion is based on a questionable allegorical interpretation of Gen 3:15 (see the note there on the word “heel”).

[27:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “upon me your curse.”

[27:13]  ⁷ tn Heb “only listen to my voice.”

[30:27]  ¹¹ tn The words “please stay here” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[30:27]  ¹² tn Or perhaps “I have grown rich and the Lord has blessed me” (cf. NEB). See J. Finkelstein, “An Old Babylonian Herding Contract and Genesis 31:38f.,” JAOS 88 (1968): 34, n. 19.

[45:16]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and the sound was heard.”

[45:16]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “was good in the eyes of.”

[47:30]  ²¹ tn Heb “lie down.” Here the expression “lie down” refers to death.

[47:30]  ²² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[49:29]  ²⁶ tn The Hebrew text adds “and he said to them,” which is not included in the translation because it is redundant in English.

[49:29]  ²⁷ tn Heb “I am about to be gathered” The participle is used here to describe what is imminent.