Genesis 8:7

8:7 and sent out a raven; it kept flying ¹  back and forth until the waters had dried up on the earth.

Genesis 13:12

13:12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled among the cities of the Jordan plain ²  and pitched his tents next to Sodom.

Genesis 13:15

13:15 I will give all the land that you see to you and your descendants ³  forever.

Genesis 14:6

14:6 and the Horites in their hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is near the desert. ⁴ 

Genesis 14:15

14:15 Then, during the night, ⁵  Abram ⁶  divided his forces ⁷  against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north ⁸  of Damascus.

Genesis 15:16

15:16 In the fourth generation ⁹  your descendants ¹⁰  will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” ¹¹ 

Genesis 19:37

19:37 The older daughter ¹²  gave birth to a son and named him Moab. ¹³  He is the ancestor of the Moabites of today.

Genesis 24:19

24:19 When she had done so, ¹⁴  she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.”

Genesis 24:33

24:33 When food was served, ¹⁵  he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I want to say.” ¹⁶  “Tell us,” Laban said. ¹⁷ 

Genesis 26:13

26:13 The man became wealthy. ¹⁸  His influence continued to grow ¹⁹  until he became very prominent.

Genesis 26:33

26:33 So he named it Shibah; ²⁰  that is why the name of the city has been Beer Sheba ²¹  to this day.

Genesis 27:44

27:44 Live with him for a little while ²²  until your brother’s rage subsides.

Genesis 32:24

32:24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man ²³  wrestled ²⁴  with him until daybreak. ²⁵ 

Genesis 35:20

35:20 Jacob set up a marker ²⁶  over her grave; it is ²⁷  the Marker of Rachel’s Grave to this day.

Genesis 44:28

44:28 The first disappeared ²⁸  and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” I have not seen him since.

Genesis 49:27

49:27 Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;

in the morning devouring the prey,

and in the evening dividing the plunder.”

[8:7]  ¹ 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.

[13:12]  ² tn Or “the cities of the plain”; Heb “[the cities of] the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

[13:15]  ³ tn Heb “for all the land which you see to you I will give it and to your descendants.”

[14:6]  ⁴ sn The line of attack ran down the eastern side of the Jordan Valley into the desert, and then turned and came up the valley to the cities of the plain.

[14:15]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.

[14:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”

[14:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.

[15:16]  ⁶ sn The term generation is being used here in its widest sense to refer to a full life span. When the chronological factors are considered and the genealogies tabulated, there are four hundred years of bondage. This suggests that in this context a generation is equivalent to one hundred years.

[15:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[15:16]  ⁸ tn Heb “is not yet complete.”

[19:37]  ⁷ tn Heb “the firstborn.”

[19:37]  ⁸ sn The meaning of the name Moab is not certain. The name sounds like the Hebrew phrase “from our father” (מֵאָבִינוּ, me’avinu) which the daughters used twice (vv. 32, 34). This account is probably included in the narrative in order to portray the Moabites, who later became enemies of God’s people, in a negative light.

[24:19]  ⁸ tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:33]  ⁹ tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”

[24:33]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “my words.”

[24:33]  ¹¹ tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”

[26:13]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Isaac’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are included.

[26:13]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and he went, going and becoming great.” The construction stresses that his growth in possessions and power continued steadily.

[26:33]  ¹¹ sn The name Shibah (שִׁבְעָה, shiv’ah) means (or at least sounds like) the word meaning “oath.” The name was a reminder of the oath sworn by Isaac and the Philistines to solidify their treaty.

[26:33]  ¹² sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, bÿ’er shava’) means “well of an oath” or “well of seven.” According to Gen 21:31 Abraham gave Beer Sheba its name when he made a treaty with the Philistines. Because of the parallels between this earlier story and the account in 26:26-33, some scholars see chaps. 21 and 26 as two versions (or doublets) of one original story. However, if one takes the text as it stands, it appears that Isaac made a later treaty agreement with the people of the land that was similar to his father’s. Abraham dug a well at the site and named the place Beer Sheba; Isaac dug another well there and named the well Shibah. Later generations then associated the name Beer Sheba with Isaac, even though Abraham gave the place its name at an earlier time.

[27:44]  ¹² tn Heb “a few days.” Rebekah probably downplays the length of time Jacob will be gone, perhaps to encourage him and assure him that things will settle down soon. She probably expects Esau’s anger to die down quickly. However, Jacob ends up being gone twenty years and he never sees Rebekah again.

[32:24]  ¹³ sn Reflecting Jacob’s perspective at the beginning of the encounter, the narrator calls the opponent simply “a man.” Not until later in the struggle does Jacob realize his true identity.

[32:24]  ¹⁴ sn The verb translated “wrestled” (וַיֵּאָבֵק, vayye’aveq) sounds in Hebrew like the names “Jacob” (יַעֲקֹב, ya’aqov) and “Jabbok” (יַבֹּק, yabboq). In this way the narrator links the setting, the main action, and the main participant together in the mind of the reader or hearer.

[32:24]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “until the rising of the dawn.”

[35:20]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “standing stone.”

[35:20]  ¹⁵ tn Or perhaps “it is known as” (cf. NEB).

[44:28]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “went forth from me.”