Genesis 4:2

4:2 Then she gave birth ¹  to his brother Abel. ²  Abel took care of the flocks, while Cain cultivated the ground. ³ 

Genesis 4:18

4:18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father ⁴  of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.

Genesis 9:25

9:25 So he said,

“Cursed ⁵  be Canaan! ⁶ 

The lowest of slaves ⁷ 

he will be to his brothers.”

Genesis 10:5

10:5 From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to its language, according to their families, by their nations.

Genesis 11:27

The Record of Terah

11:27 This is the account of Terah.

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot.

Genesis 14:16

14:16 He retrieved all the stolen property. ⁸  He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of ⁹  the people.

Genesis 29:1

The Marriages of Jacob

29:1 So Jacob moved on ¹⁰  and came to the land of the eastern people. ¹¹ 

Genesis 30:18

30:18 Then Leah said, “God has granted me a reward ¹²  because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife.” ¹³  So she named him Issachar. ¹⁴ 

Genesis 34:9

34:9 Intermarry with us. ¹⁵  Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves. ¹⁶ 

Genesis 36:31

36:31 These were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites: ¹⁷ 

Genesis 38:7

38:7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord killed him.

Genesis 38:27

38:27 When it was time for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb.

Genesis 46:20

46:20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, ¹⁸  bore them to him.

[4:2]  ¹ tn Heb “And she again gave birth.”

[4:2]  ² sn The name Abel is not defined here in the text, but the tone is ominous. Abel’s name, the Hebrew word הֶבֶל (hevel), means “breath, vapor, vanity,” foreshadowing Abel’s untimely and premature death.

[4:2]  ³ tn Heb “and Abel was a shepherd of the flock, and Cain was a worker of the ground.” The designations of the two occupations are expressed with active participles, רֹעֵה (ro’eh, “shepherd”) and עֹבֵד (’oved, “worker”). Abel is occupied with sheep, whereas Cain is living under the curse, cultivating the ground.

[4:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “and Irad fathered.”

[9:25]  ⁷ sn For more on the curse, see H. C. Brichto, The Problem of “Curse” in the Hebrew Bible (JBLMS), and J. Scharbert, TDOT 1:405-18.

[9:25]  ⁸ sn Cursed be Canaan. The curse is pronounced on Canaan, not Ham. Noah sees a problem in Ham’s character, and on the basis of that he delivers a prophecy about the future descendants who will live in slavery to such things and then be controlled by others. (For more on the idea of slavery in general, see E. M. Yamauchi, “Slaves of God,” BETS 9 [1966]: 31-49). In a similar way Jacob pronounced oracles about his sons based on their revealed character (see Gen 49).

[9:25]  ⁹ tn Heb “a servant of servants” (עֶבֶד עֲבָדִים, ’eved ’avadim), an example of the superlative genitive. It means Canaan will become the most abject of slaves.

[14:16]  ¹⁰ tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:16]  ¹¹ tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[29:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his feet.” This unusual expression suggests that Jacob had a new lease on life now that God had promised him the blessing he had so desperately tried to gain by his own efforts. The text portrays him as having a new step in his walk.

[29:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the land of the sons of the east.”

[30:18]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “God has given my reward.”

[30:18]  ¹⁷ tn The words “as a wife” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity (cf. v. 9).

[30:18]  ¹⁸ sn The name Issachar (יְשָּׁשכָר, yishakhar) appears to mean “man of reward” or possibly “there is reward.” The name plays on the word used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew noun translated “reward” is derived from the same root as the name Issachar. The irony is that Rachel thought the mandrakes would work for her, and she was willing to trade one night for them. But in that one night Leah became pregnant.

[34:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “form marriage alliances with us.”

[34:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb “Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.” In the translation the words “let…marry” and “as wives” are supplied for clarity.

[36:31]  ²² tn Or perhaps “before any Israelite king ruled over [them].”

[46:20]  ²⁵ sn On is another name for the city of Heliopolis.