Genesis 8:3

8:3 The waters kept receding steadily ¹  from the earth, so that they ²  had gone down ³  by the end of the 150 days.

Genesis 8:7-8

8:7 and sent out a raven; it kept flying ⁴  back and forth until the waters had dried up on the earth.

8:8 Then Noah ⁵  sent out a dove ⁶  to see if the waters had receded ⁷  from the surface of the ground.

Genesis 18:3

18:3 He said, “My lord, ⁸  if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by and leave your servant. ⁹ 

Genesis 23:3

23:3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife ¹⁰  and said to the sons of Heth, ¹¹ 

Genesis 24:64

24:64 Rebekah looked up ¹²  and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel

[8:3]  ¹ tn The construction combines a Qal preterite from שׁוּב (shuv) with its infinitive absolute to indicate continuous action. The infinitive absolute from הָלָךְ (halakh) is included for emphasis: “the waters returned…going and returning.”

[8:3]  ² tn Heb “the waters.” The pronoun (“they”) has been employed in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[8:3]  ³ tn The vav (ו) consecutive with the preterite here describes the consequence of the preceding action.

[8:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “and it went out, going out and returning.” The Hebrew verb יָצָא (yatsa’), translated here “flying,” is modified by two infinitives absolute indicating that the raven went back and forth.

[8:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Noah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:8]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew text adds “from him.” This has not been translated for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English.

[8:8]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew verb קָלָל (qalal) normally means “to be light, to be slight”; it refers here to the waters receding.

[18:3]  ¹⁰ tc The MT has the form אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “Master”) which is reserved for God. This may reflect later scribal activity. The scribes, knowing it was the Lord, may have put the proper pointing with the word instead of the more common אֲדֹנִי (’adoni, “my master”).

[18:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “do not pass by from upon your servant.”

[23:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “And Abraham arose from upon the face of his dead.”

[23:3]  ¹⁴ tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (also in vv. 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.

[24:64]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”