Genesis 43:27

43:27 He asked them how they were doing. ¹  Then he said, “Is your aging father well, the one you spoke about? Is he still alive?”

Genesis 32:29

32:29 Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” ²  “Why ³  do you ask my name?” the man replied. ⁴  Then he blessed ⁵  Jacob ⁶  there.

Genesis 38:21

38:21 He asked the men who were there, ⁷  “Where is the cult prostitute ⁸  who was at Enaim by the road?” But they replied, “There has been no cult prostitute here.”

Genesis 40:7

40:7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials, who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?” ⁹ 

[43:27]  ¹ tn Heb “concerning peace.”

[32:29]  ² sn Tell me your name. In primitive thought to know the name of a deity or supernatural being would enable one to use it for magical manipulation or power (A. S. Herbert, Genesis 12-50 [TBC], 108). For a thorough structural analysis of the passage discussing the plays on the names and the request of Jacob, see R. Barthes, “The Struggle with the Angel: Textual Analysis of Genesis 32:23-33,” Structural Analysis and Biblical Exegesis (PTMS), 21-33.

[32:29]  ³ tn The question uses the enclitic pronoun “this” to emphasize the import of the question.

[32:29]  ⁴ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (the man who wrestled with Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:29]  ⁵ tn The verb here means that the Lord endowed Jacob with success; he would be successful in everything he did, including meeting Esau.

[32:29]  ⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[38:21]  ³ tn Heb “the men of her place,” that is, who lived at the place where she had been.

[38:21]  ⁴ sn The Hebrew noun translated “cult prostitute” is derived from a verb meaning “to be set apart; to be distinct.” Thus the term refers to a woman who did not marry, but was dedicated to temple service as a cult prostitute. The masculine form of this noun is used for male cult prostitutes. Judah thought he had gone to an ordinary prostitute (v. 15); but Hirah went looking for a cult prostitute, perhaps because it had been a sheep-shearing festival. For further discussion see E. M. Yamauchi, “Cultic Prostitution,” Orient and Occident (AOAT), 213-23.

[40:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “why are your faces sad today?”