Genesis 6:1

God’s Grief over Humankind’s Wickedness

6:1 When humankind ¹  began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born ²  to them, ³ 

Genesis 10:1

The Table of Nations

10:1 This is the account ⁴  of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons ⁵  were born ⁶  to them after the flood.

Genesis 29:4-6

29:4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” They replied, “We’re from Haran.” 29:5 So he said to them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson ⁷  of Nahor?” “We know him,” ⁸  they said. 29:6 “Is he well?” ⁹  Jacob asked. They replied, “He is well. ¹⁰  Now look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”

Genesis 34:23

34:23 If we do so, ¹¹  won’t their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? So let’s consent to their demand, so they will live among us.”

Genesis 43:27

43:27 He asked them how they were doing. ¹²  Then he said, “Is your aging father well, the one you spoke about? Is he still alive?”

[6:1]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text has the article prefixed to the noun. Here the article indicates the generic use of the word אָדָם (’adam): “humankind.”

[6:1]  ² tn This disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is circumstantial to the initial temporal clause. It could be rendered, “with daughters being born to them.” For another example of such a disjunctive clause following the construction וַיְהִיכִּי (vayÿhiki, “and it came to pass when”), see 2 Sam 7:1.

[6:1]  ³ tn The pronominal suffix is third masculine plural, indicating that the antecedent “humankind” is collective.

[10:1]  ⁴ tn The title אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת (’elle tolÿdot, here translated as “This is the account”) here covers 10:1–11:9, which contains the so-called Table of Nations and the account of how the nations came to be dispersed.

[10:1]  ⁵ sn Sons were born to them. A vertical genealogy such as this encompasses more than the names of sons. The list includes cities, tribes, and even nations. In a loose way, the names in the list have some derivation or connection to the three ancestors.

[10:1]  ⁶ tn It appears that the Table of Nations is a composite of at least two ancient sources: Some sections begin with the phrase “the sons of” (בְּנֵי, bÿne) while other sections use “begot” (יָלָד, yalad). It may very well be that the “sons of” list was an old, “bare bones” list that was retained in the family records, while the “begot” sections were editorial inserts by the writer of Genesis, reflecting his special interests. See A. P. Ross, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Structure,” BSac 137 (1980): 340-53; idem, “The Table of Nations in Genesis 10 – Its Content,” BSac 138 (1981): 22-34.

[29:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “son.”

[29:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “and they said, ‘We know.’” The word “him” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the translation several introductory clauses throughout this section have been placed after the direct discourse they introduce for stylistic reasons as well.

[29:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and he said to them, ‘Is there peace to him?’”

[29:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “peace.”

[34:23]  ¹³ tn The words “If we do so” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[43:27]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “concerning peace.”