Genesis 4:7

4:7 Is it not true ¹  that if you do what is right, you will be fine? ²  But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching ³  at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” ⁴ 

Genesis 13:9

13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself now from me. If you go ⁵  to the left, then I’ll go to the right, but if you go to the right, then I’ll go to the left.”

Genesis 14:23

14:23 that I will take nothing ⁶  belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, ‘It is I ⁷  who made Abram rich.’

Genesis 17:17

17:17 Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed ⁸  as he said to himself, ⁹  “Can ¹⁰  a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? ¹¹  Can Sarah ¹²  bear a child at the age of ninety?” ¹³ 

Genesis 24:8

24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, ¹⁴  you will be free ¹⁵  from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!”

Genesis 24:41

24:41 You will be free from your oath ¹⁶  if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’

Genesis 31:50

31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize ¹⁷  that God is witness to your actions.” ¹⁸ 

Genesis 43:5

43:5 But if you will not send him, we won’t go down there because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”

[4:7]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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.

[13:9]  ⁵ tn The words “you go” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons both times in this verse.

[14:23]  ⁹ tn The oath formula is elliptical, reading simply: “…if I take.” It is as if Abram says, “[May the Lord deal with me] if I take,” meaning, “I will surely not take.” The positive oath would add the negative adverb and be the reverse: “[God will deal with me] if I do not take,” meaning, “I certainly will.”

[14:23]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew text adds the independent pronoun (“I”) to the verb form for emphasis.

[17:17]  ¹³ sn Laughed. The Hebrew verb used here provides the basis for the naming of Isaac: “And he laughed” is וַיִּצְחָק (vayyitskhaq); the name “Isaac” is יִצְחָק (yitskhaq), “he laughs.” Abraham’s (and Sarah’s, see 18:12) laughter signals disbelief, but when the boy is born, the laughter signals surprise and joy.

[17:17]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “And he fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart.”

[17:17]  ¹⁵ tn The imperfect verbal form here carries a potential nuance, as it expresses the disbelief of Abraham.

[17:17]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “to the son of a hundred years.”

[17:17]  ¹⁷ sn It is important to note that even though Abraham staggers at the announcement of the birth of a son, finding it almost too incredible, he nonetheless calls his wife Sarah, the new name given to remind him of the promise of God (v. 15).

[17:17]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the daughter of ninety years.”

[24:8]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “ to go after you.”

[24:8]  ¹⁸ sn You will be free. If the prospective bride was not willing to accompany the servant back to Canaan, the servant would be released from his oath to Abraham.

[24:41]  ²¹ tn Heb “my oath” (twice in this verse). From the Hebrew perspective the oath belonged to the person to whom it was sworn (Abraham), although in contemporary English an oath is typically viewed as belonging to the person who swears it (the servant).

[31:50]  ²⁵ tn Heb “see.”

[31:50]  ²⁶ tn Heb “between me and you.”