Numbers 2:18-19

The Tribes on the West

2:18 “On the west will be the divisions of the camp of Ephraim under their standard. The leader of the people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Amihud. 2:19 Those numbered in his division are 40,500.

Numbers 26:35-37

Ephraim

26:35 These are the Ephraimites by their families: from Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; from Beker, the family of the Bekerites; from Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. 26:36 Now these were the Shuthelahites: from Eran, the family of the Eranites. 26:37 These were the families of the Ephraimites, according to those numbered of them, 32,500. ¹  These were the descendants of Joseph by their families.

Genesis 30:24

30:24 She named him Joseph, ²  saying, “May the Lord give me yet another son.”

Genesis 37:1-36

Joseph’s Dreams

37:1 But Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, ³  in the land of Canaan. ⁴ 

37:2 This is the account of Jacob.

Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, ⁵  was taking care of ⁶  the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster ⁷  working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. ⁸  Joseph brought back a bad report about them ⁹  to their father.

37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons ¹⁰  because he was a son born to him late in life, ¹¹  and he made a special ¹²  tunic for him. 37:4 When Joseph’s ¹³  brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, ¹⁴  they hated Joseph ¹⁵  and were not able to speak to him kindly. ¹⁶ 

37:5 Joseph ¹⁷  had a dream, ¹⁸  and when he told his brothers about it, ¹⁹  they hated him even more. ²⁰  37:6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: ²¹  37:7 There we were, ²²  binding sheaves of grain in the middle of the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright and your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down ²³  to it!” 37:8 Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?” ²⁴  They hated him even more ²⁵  because of his dream and because of what he said. ²⁶ 

37:9 Then he had another dream, ²⁷  and told it to his brothers. “Look,” ²⁸  he said. “I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 37:10 When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, saying, “What is this dream that you had? ²⁹  Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?” ³⁰  37:11 His brothers were jealous ³¹  of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said. ³² 

37:12 When his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 37:13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers ³³  are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” ³⁴  Joseph replied. ³⁵  37:14 So Jacob ³⁶  said to him, “Go now and check on ³⁷  the welfare ³⁸  of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word.” So Jacob ³⁹  sent him from the valley of Hebron.

37:15 When Joseph reached Shechem, ⁴⁰  a man found him wandering ⁴¹  in the field, so the man asked him, “What are you looking for?” 37:16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Please tell ⁴²  me where they are grazing their flocks.” 37:17 The man said, “They left this area, ⁴³  for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

37:18 Now Joseph’s brothers ⁴⁴  saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 37:19 They said to one another, “Here comes this master of dreams! ⁴⁵  37:20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild ⁴⁶  animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!” ⁴⁷ 

37:21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph ⁴⁸  from their hands, ⁴⁹  saying, ⁵⁰  “Let’s not take his life!” ⁵¹  37:22 Reuben continued, ⁵²  “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” ⁵³  (Reuben said this ⁵⁴  so he could rescue Joseph ⁵⁵  from them ⁵⁶  and take him back to his father.)

37:23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him ⁵⁷  of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore. 37:24 Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty; ⁵⁸  there was no water in it.)

37:25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up ⁵⁹  and saw ⁶⁰  a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. ⁶¹  37:26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 37:27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him, ⁶²  for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. ⁶³  37:28 So when the Midianite ⁶⁴  merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled ⁶⁵  him ⁶⁶  out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites ⁶⁷  then took Joseph to Egypt.

37:29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! ⁶⁸  He tore his clothes, 37:30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy isn’t there! And I, where can I go?” 37:31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a young goat, ⁶⁹  and dipped the tunic in the blood. 37:32 Then they brought the special tunic to their father ⁷⁰  and said, “We found this. Determine now whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”

37:33 He recognized it and exclaimed, “It is my son’s tunic! A wild animal has eaten him! ⁷¹  Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 37:34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, ⁷²  and mourned for his son many days. 37:35 All his sons and daughters stood by ⁷³  him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. “No,” he said, “I will go to the grave mourning my son.” ⁷⁴  So Joseph’s ⁷⁵  father wept for him.

37:36 Now ⁷⁶  in Egypt the Midianites ⁷⁷  sold Joseph ⁷⁸  to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. ⁷⁹ 

Genesis 39:1-23

Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

39:1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. ⁸⁰  An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, ⁸¹  purchased him from ⁸²  the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 39:2 The Lord was with Joseph. He was successful ⁸³  and lived ⁸⁴  in the household of his Egyptian master. 39:3 His master observed that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he was doing successful. ⁸⁵  39:4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. ⁸⁶  Potiphar appointed Joseph ⁸⁷  overseer of his household and put him in charge ⁸⁸  of everything he owned. 39:5 From the time ⁸⁹  Potiphar ⁹⁰  appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed ⁹¹  the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord was on everything that he had, both ⁹²  in his house and in his fields. ⁹³  39:6 So Potiphar ⁹⁴  left ⁹⁵  everything he had in Joseph’s care; ⁹⁶  he gave no thought ⁹⁷  to anything except the food he ate. ⁹⁸ 

Now Joseph was well built and good-looking. ⁹⁹  39:7 Soon after these things, his master’s wife took notice of ¹⁰⁰  Joseph and said, “Have sex with me.” ¹⁰¹  39:8 But he refused, saying ¹⁰²  to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not give any thought ¹⁰³  to his household with me here, ¹⁰⁴  and everything that he owns he has put into my care. ¹⁰⁵  39:9 There is no one greater in this household than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I do ¹⁰⁶  such a great evil and sin against God?” 39:10 Even though she continued to speak ¹⁰⁷  to Joseph day after day, he did not respond ¹⁰⁸  to her invitation to have sex with her. ¹⁰⁹ 

39:11 One day ¹¹⁰  he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants ¹¹¹  were there in the house. 39:12 She grabbed him by his outer garment, saying, “Have sex with me!” But he left his outer garment in her hand and ran ¹¹²  outside. ¹¹³  39:13 When she saw that he had left his outer garment in her hand and had run outside, 39:14 she called for her household servants and said to them, “See, my husband brought ¹¹⁴  in a Hebrew man ¹¹⁵  to us to humiliate us. ¹¹⁶  He tried to have sex with me, ¹¹⁷  but I screamed loudly. ¹¹⁸  39:15 When he heard me raise ¹¹⁹  my voice and scream, he left his outer garment beside me and ran outside.”

39:16 So she laid his outer garment beside her until his master came home. 39:17 This is what she said to him: ¹²⁰  “That Hebrew slave ¹²¹  you brought to us tried to humiliate me, ¹²²  39:18 but when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his outer garment and ran outside.”

39:19 When his master heard his wife say, ¹²³  “This is the way ¹²⁴  your slave treated me,” ¹²⁵  he became furious. ¹²⁶  39:20 Joseph’s master took him and threw him into the prison, ¹²⁷  the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in the prison. ¹²⁸ 

39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness. ¹²⁹  He granted him favor in the sight of the prison warden. ¹³⁰  39:22 The warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care. He was in charge of whatever they were doing. ¹³¹  39:23 The warden did not concern himself ¹³²  with anything that was in Joseph’s ¹³³  care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.

Genesis 46:20

46:20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, ¹³⁴  bore them to him.

Genesis 48:1-22

Manasseh and Ephraim

48:1 After these things Joseph was told, ¹³⁵  “Your father is weakening.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 48:2 When Jacob was told, ¹³⁶  “Your son Joseph has just ¹³⁷  come to you,” Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed. 48:3 Jacob said to Joseph, “The sovereign God ¹³⁸  appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 48:4 He said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful ¹³⁹  and will multiply you. ¹⁴⁰  I will make you into a group of nations, and I will give this land to your descendants ¹⁴¹  as an everlasting possession.’ ¹⁴² 

48:5 “Now, as for your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, they will be mine. ¹⁴³  Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine just as Reuben and Simeon are. 48:6 Any children that you father ¹⁴⁴  after them will be yours; they will be listed ¹⁴⁵  under the names of their brothers in their inheritance. ¹⁴⁶  48:7 But as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died – to my sorrow ¹⁴⁷  – in the land of Canaan. It happened along the way, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there on the way to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem). ¹⁴⁸ 

48:8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he asked, “Who are these?” 48:9 Joseph said to his father, “They are the ¹⁴⁹  sons God has given me in this place.” His father ¹⁵⁰  said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.” ¹⁵¹  48:10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing ¹⁵²  because of his age; he was not able to see well. So Joseph ¹⁵³  brought his sons ¹⁵⁴  near to him, and his father ¹⁵⁵  kissed them and embraced them. 48:11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected ¹⁵⁶  to see you ¹⁵⁷  again, but now God has allowed me to see your children ¹⁵⁸  too.”

48:12 So Joseph moved them from Israel’s knees ¹⁵⁹  and bowed down with his face to the ground. 48:13 Joseph positioned them; ¹⁶⁰  he put Ephraim on his right hand across from Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh on his left hand across from Israel’s right hand. Then Joseph brought them closer to his father. ¹⁶¹  48:14 Israel stretched out his right hand and placed it on Ephraim’s head, although he was the younger. ¹⁶²  Crossing his hands, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, for Manasseh was the firstborn.

48:15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,

“May the God before whom my fathers

Abraham and Isaac walked –

the God who has been my shepherd ¹⁶³ 

all my life long to this day,

48:16 the Angel ¹⁶⁴  who has protected me ¹⁶⁵ 

from all harm –

bless these boys.

May my name be named in them, ¹⁶⁶ 

and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.

May they grow into a multitude on the earth.”

48:17 When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him. ¹⁶⁷  So he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 48:18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”

48:19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a nation and he too will become great. In spite of this, his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will become a multitude ¹⁶⁸  of nations.” 48:20 So he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you ¹⁶⁹  will Israel bless, ¹⁷⁰  saying,

‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”

So he put Ephraim before Manasseh. ¹⁷¹ 

48:21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you ¹⁷²  and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. 48:22 As one who is above your ¹⁷³  brothers, I give to you the mountain slope, ¹⁷⁴  which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

Genesis 49:22-26

49:22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, ¹⁷⁵ 

a fruitful bough near a spring

whose branches ¹⁷⁶  climb over the wall.

49:23 The archers will attack him, ¹⁷⁷ 

they will shoot at him and oppose him.

49:24 But his bow will remain steady,

and his hands ¹⁷⁸  will be skillful;

because of the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,

because of ¹⁷⁹  the Shepherd, the Rock ¹⁸⁰  of Israel,

49:25 because of the God of your father,

who will help you, ¹⁸¹ 

because of the sovereign God, ¹⁸² 

who will bless you ¹⁸³ 

with blessings from the sky above,

blessings from the deep that lies below,

and blessings of the breasts and womb. ¹⁸⁴ 

49:26 The blessings of your father are greater

than ¹⁸⁵  the blessings of the eternal mountains ¹⁸⁶ 

or the desirable things of the age-old hills.

They will be on the head of Joseph

and on the brow of the prince of his brothers. ¹⁸⁷ 

Deuteronomy 33:17

33:17 May the firstborn of his bull bring him honor,

and may his horns be those of a wild ox;

with them may he gore all peoples,

all the far reaches of the earth.

They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, ¹⁸⁸ 

and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

[26:37]  ¹ sn This is a significant reduction from the first count of 40,500.

[30:24]  ² sn The name Joseph (יוֹסֵף, yoseph) means “may he add.” The name expresses Rachel’s desire to have an additional son. In Hebrew the name sounds like the verb (אָסַף,’asasf) translated “taken away” in the earlier statement made in v. 23. So the name, while reflecting Rachel’s hope, was also a reminder that God had removed her shame.

[37:1]  ³ tn Heb “the land of the sojournings of his father.”

[37:1]  ⁴ sn The next section begins with the heading This is the account of Jacob in Gen 37:2, so this verse actually forms part of the preceding section as a concluding contrast with Esau and his people. In contrast to all the settled and expanded population of Esau, Jacob was still moving about in the land without a permanent residence and without kings. Even if the Edomite king list was added later (as the reference to kings in Israel suggests), its placement here in contrast to Jacob and his descendants is important. Certainly the text deals with Esau before dealing with Jacob – that is the pattern. But the detail is so great in chap. 36 that the contrast cannot be missed.

[37:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “a son of seventeen years.” The word “son” is in apposition to the name “Joseph.”

[37:2]  ⁶ tn Or “tending”; Heb “shepherding” or “feeding.”

[37:2]  ⁷ tn Or perhaps “a helper.” The significance of this statement is unclear. It may mean “now the lad was with,” or it may suggest Joseph was like a servant to them.

[37:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “and he [was] a young man with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, the wives of his father.”

[37:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “their bad report.” The pronoun is an objective genitive, specifying that the bad or damaging report was about the brothers.

[37:3]  ¹⁰ tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information vital to the story. It explains in part the brothers’ animosity toward Joseph.

[37:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “a son of old age was he to him.” This expression means “a son born to him when he [i.e., Jacob] was old.”

[37:3]  ¹² tn It is not clear what this tunic was like, because the meaning of the Hebrew word that describes it is uncertain. The idea that it was a coat of many colors comes from the Greek translation of the OT. An examination of cognate terms in Semitic suggests it was either a coat or tunic with long sleeves (cf. NEB, NRSV), or a tunic that was richly embroidered (cf. NIV). It set Joseph apart as the favored one.

[37:4]  ¹³ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “of his brothers.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “them.”

[37:4]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:4]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “speak to him for peace.”

[37:5]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:5]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[37:5]  ¹⁹ sn Some interpreters see Joseph as gloating over his brothers, but the text simply says he told his brothers about it (i.e., the dream). The text gives no warrant for interpreting his manner as arrogant or condescending. It seems normal that he would share a dream with the family.

[37:5]  ²⁰ tn The construction uses a hendiadys, “they added to hate,” meaning they hated him even more.

[37:6]  ²¹ tn Heb “hear this dream which I dreamed.”

[37:7]  ²² tn All three clauses in this dream report begin with וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), which lends vividness to the report. This is represented in the translation by the expression “there we were.”

[37:7]  ²³ tn The verb means “to bow down to the ground.” It is used to describe worship and obeisance to masters.

[37:8]  ²⁴ tn Heb “Ruling, will you rule over us, or reigning, will you reign over us?” The statement has a poetic style, with the two questions being in synonymous parallelism. Both verbs in this statement are preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Joseph’s brothers said, “You don’t really think you will rule over us, do you? You don’t really think you will have dominion over us, do you?”

[37:8]  ²⁵ tn This construction is identical to the one in Gen 37:5.

[37:8]  ²⁶ sn The response of Joseph’s brothers is understandable, given what has already been going on in the family. But here there is a hint of uneasiness – they hated him because of his dream and because of his words. The dream bothered them, as well as his telling them. And their words in the rhetorical question are ironic, for this is exactly what would happen. The dream was God’s way of revealing it.

[37:9]  ²⁷ tn Heb “And he dreamed yet another dream.”

[37:9]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Look.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons. Both clauses of the dream report begin with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which lends vividness to the report.

[37:10]  ²⁹ sn The question What is this dream that you had? expresses Jacob’s dismay at what he perceives to be Joseph’s audacity.

[37:10]  ³⁰ tn Heb “Coming, will we come, I and your mother and your brothers, to bow down to you to the ground?” The verb “come” is preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Jacob said, “You don’t really think we will come…to bow down…do you?”

[37:11]  ³¹ sn Joseph’s brothers were already jealous of him, but this made it even worse. Such jealousy easily leads to action, as the next episode in the story shows. Yet dreams were considered a form of revelation, and their jealousy was not only of the favoritism of their father, but of the dreams. This is why Jacob kept the matter in mind.

[37:11]  ³² tn Heb “kept the word.” The referent of the Hebrew term “word” has been specified as “what Joseph said” in the translation for clarity, and the words “in mind” have been supplied for stylistic reasons.

[37:13]  ³³ tn The text uses an interrogative clause: “Are not your brothers,” which means “your brothers are.”

[37:13]  ³⁴ sn With these words Joseph is depicted here as an obedient son who is ready to do what his father commands.

[37:13]  ³⁵ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Here I am.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.

[37:14]  ³⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:14]  ³⁷ tn Heb “see.”

[37:14]  ³⁸ tn Heb “peace.”

[37:14]  ³⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “and he [i.e., Joseph] went to Shechem.” The referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:15]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and a man found him and look, he was wandering in the field.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the action through this unnamed man’s eyes.

[37:16]  ⁴² tn The imperative in this sentence has more of the nuance of a request than a command.

[37:17]  ⁴³ tn Heb “they traveled from this place.”

[37:18]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “and they”; the referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:19]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “Look, this master of dreams is coming.” The brothers’ words have a sarcastic note and indicate that they resent his dreams.

[37:20]  ⁴⁶ tn The Hebrew word can sometimes carry the nuance “evil,” but when used of an animal it refers to a dangerous wild animal.

[37:20]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “what his dreams will be.”

[37:21]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:21]  ⁴⁹ sn From their hands. The instigators of this plot may have been the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (see v. 2).

[37:21]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “and he said.”

[37:21]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “we must not strike him down [with respect to] life.”

[37:22]  ⁵² tn Heb “and Reuben said to them.”

[37:22]  ⁵³ sn The verbs translated shed, throw, and lay sound alike in Hebrew; the repetition of similar sounds draws attention to Reuben’s words.

[37:22]  ⁵⁴ tn The words “Reuben said this” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:22]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:22]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “from their hands” (cf. v. 21). This expression has been translated as “them” here for stylistic reasons.

[37:23]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “Joseph”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:24]  ⁵⁸ tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that helps the reader or hearer to picture what happened.

[37:25]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “lifted up their eyes.”

[37:25]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “and they saw and look.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the event through the eyes of the brothers.

[37:25]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh, going to go down to Egypt.”

[37:27]  ⁶² tn Heb “let not our hand be upon him.”

[37:27]  ⁶³ tn Heb “listened.”

[37:28]  ⁶⁴ sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.

[37:28]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “they drew and they lifted up.” The referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity; otherwise the reader might assume the Midianites had pulled Joseph from the cistern (but cf. NAB).

[37:28]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “Joseph” (both here and in the following clause); the proper name has been replaced both times by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[37:28]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:29]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “and look, Joseph was not in the cistern.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the situation through Reuben’s eyes.

[37:31]  ⁶⁹ sn It was with two young goats that Jacob deceived his father (Gen 27:9); now with a young goat his sons continue the deception that dominates this family.

[37:32]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “and they sent the special tunic and they brought [it] to their father.” The text as it stands is problematic. It sounds as if they sent the tunic on ahead and then came and brought it to their father. Some emend the second verb to a Qal form and read “and they came.” In this case, they sent the tunic on ahead.

[37:33]  ⁷¹ sn A wild animal has eaten him. Jacob draws this conclusion on his own without his sons actually having to lie with their words (see v. 20). Dipping the tunic in the goat’s blood was the only deception needed.

[37:34]  ⁷² tn Heb “and put sackcloth on his loins.”

[37:35]  ⁷³ tn Heb “arose, stood”; which here suggests that they stood by him in his time of grief.

[37:35]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “and he said, ‘Indeed I will go down to my son mourning to Sheol.’” Sheol was viewed as the place where departed spirits went after death.

[37:35]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:36]  ⁷⁶ tn The disjunctive clause formally signals closure for this episode of Joseph’s story, which will be resumed in Gen 39.

[37:36]  ⁷⁷ tc The MT spells the name of the merchants as מְדָנִים (mÿdanim, “Medanites”) rather than מִדְיָנִים (midyanim, “Midianites”) as in v. 28. It is likely that the MT is corrupt at this point, with the letter yod (י) being accidentally omitted. The LXX, Vulgate, Samaritan Pentateuch, and Syriac read “Midianites” here. Some prefer to read “Medanites” both here and in v. 28, but Judg 8:24, which identifies the Midianites and Ishmaelites, favors the reading “Midianites.”

[37:36]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:36]  ⁷⁹ sn The expression captain of the guard might indicate that Potiphar was the chief executioner.

[39:1]  ⁸⁰ tn The disjunctive clause resumes the earlier narrative pertaining to Joseph by recapitulating the event described in 37:36. The perfect verbal form is given a past perfect translation to restore the sequence of the narrative for the reader.

[39:1]  ⁸¹ sn Captain of the guard. See the note on this phrase in Gen 37:36.

[39:1]  ⁸² tn Heb “from the hand of.”

[39:2]  ⁸³ tn Heb “and he was a prosperous man.” This does not mean that Joseph became wealthy, but that he was successful in what he was doing, or making progress in his situation (see 24:21).

[39:2]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “and he was.”

[39:3]  ⁸⁵ tn The Hebrew text adds “in his hand,” a phrase not included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:4]  ⁸⁶ sn The Hebrew verb translated became his personal attendant refers to higher domestic service, usually along the lines of a personal attendant. Here Joseph is made the household steward, a position well-attested in Egyptian literature.

[39:4]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:4]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “put into his hand.”

[39:5]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “and it was from then.”

[39:5]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:5]  ⁹¹ sn The Hebrew word translated blessed carries the idea of enrichment, prosperity, success. It is the way believers describe success at the hand of God. The text illustrates the promise made to Abraham that whoever blesses his descendants will be blessed (Gen 12:1-3).

[39:5]  ⁹² tn Heb “in the house and in the field.” The word “both” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:5]  ⁹³ sn The passage gives us a good picture of Joseph as a young man who was responsible and faithful, both to his master and to his God. This happened within a very short time of his being sold into Egypt. It undermines the view that Joseph was a liar, a tattletale, and an arrogant adolescent.

[39:6]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Potiphar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:6]  ⁹⁵ sn The Hebrew verb translated left indicates he relinquished the care of it to Joseph. This is stronger than what was said earlier. Apparently Potiphar had come to trust Joseph so much that he knew it was in better care with Joseph than with anyone else.

[39:6]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.

[39:6]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “did not know.”

[39:6]  ⁹⁸ sn The expression except the food he ate probably refers to Potiphar’s private affairs and should not be limited literally to what he ate.

[39:6]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “handsome of form and handsome of appearance.” The same Hebrew expressions were used in Gen 29:17 for Rachel.

[39:7]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “she lifted up her eyes toward,” an expression that emphasizes her deliberate and careful scrutiny of him.

[39:7]  ¹⁰¹ tn Heb “lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:8]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “and he said.”

[39:8]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “know.”

[39:8]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The word “here” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:8]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “hand.” This is a metonymy for being under the control or care of Joseph.

[39:9]  ¹⁰⁶ tn The nuance of potential imperfect fits this context.

[39:10]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The verse begins with the temporal indicator, followed by the infinitive construct with the preposition כְּ (kÿ). This clause could therefore be taken as temporal.

[39:10]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “listen to.”

[39:10]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “to lie beside her to be with her.” Here the expression “to lie beside” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:11]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “and it was about this day.”

[39:11]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “the men of the house.”

[39:12]  ¹¹² tn Heb “he fled and he went out.” The construction emphasizes the point that Joseph got out of there quickly.

[39:12]  ¹¹³ sn For discussion of this episode, see A. M. Honeyman, “The Occasion of Joseph’s Temptation,” VT 2 (1952): 85-87.

[39:14]  ¹¹⁴ tn The verb has no expressed subject, and so it could be treated as a passive (“a Hebrew man was brought in”; cf. NIV). But it is clear from the context that her husband brought Joseph into the household, so Potiphar is the apparent referent here. Thus the translation supplies “my husband” as the referent of the unspecified pronominal subject of the verb (cf. NEB, NRSV).

[39:14]  ¹¹⁵ sn A Hebrew man. Potiphar’s wife raises the ethnic issue when talking to her servants about what their boss had done.

[39:14]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “to make fun of us.” The verb translated “to humiliate us” here means to hold something up for ridicule, or to toy with something harmfully. Attempted rape would be such an activity, for it would hold the victim in contempt.

[39:14]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “he came to me to lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[39:14]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “and I cried out with a loud voice.”

[39:15]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “that I raised.”

[39:17]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “and she spoke to him according to these words, saying.”

[39:17]  ¹²¹ sn That Hebrew slave. Now, when speaking to her husband, Potiphar’s wife refers to Joseph as a Hebrew slave, a very demeaning description.

[39:17]  ¹²² tn Heb “came to me to make fun of me.” The statement needs no explanation because of the connotations of “came to me” and “to make fun of me.” See the note on the expression “humiliate us” in v. 14.

[39:19]  ¹²³ tn Heb “and when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying.”

[39:19]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “according to these words.”

[39:19]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “did to me.”

[39:19]  ¹²⁶ tn Heb “his anger burned.”

[39:20]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “the house of roundness,” suggesting that the prison might have been a fortress or citadel.

[39:20]  ¹²⁸ sn The story of Joseph is filled with cycles and repetition: He has two dreams (chap. 37), he interprets two dreams in prison (chap. 40) and the two dreams of Pharaoh (chap. 41), his brothers make two trips to see him (chaps. 42-43), and here, for the second time (see 37:24), he is imprisoned for no good reason, with only his coat being used as evidence. For further discussion see H. Jacobsen, “A Legal Note on Potiphar’s Wife,” HTR 69 (1976): 177.

[39:21]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “and he extended to him loyal love.”

[39:21]  ¹³⁰ tn Or “the chief jailer” (also in the following verses).

[39:22]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “all which they were doing there, he was doing.” This probably means that Joseph was in charge of everything that went on in the prison.

[39:23]  ¹³² tn Heb “was not looking at anything.”

[39:23]  ¹³³ tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[46:20]  ¹³⁴ sn On is another name for the city of Heliopolis.

[48:1]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “and one said.” With no expressed subject in the Hebrew text, the verb can be translated with the passive voice.

[48:2]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “and one told and said.” The verbs have no expressed subject and can be translated with the passive voice.

[48:2]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “Look, your son Joseph.”

[48:3]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.

[48:4]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “Look, I am making you fruitful.” The participle following הִנֵּה (hinneh) has the nuance of a certain and often imminent future.

[48:4]  ¹⁴⁰ tn The perfect verbal form with vav consecutive carries on the certain future idea.

[48:4]  ¹⁴¹ tn The Hebrew text adds “after you,” which has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[48:4]  ¹⁴² tn The Hebrew word אֲחֻזָּה (’akhuzzah), translated “possession,” describes a permanent holding in the land. It is the noun form of the same verb (אָחַז, ’akhaz) that was used for the land given to them in Goshen (Gen 47:27).

[48:5]  ¹⁴³ sn They will be mine. Jacob is here adopting his two grandsons Manasseh and Ephraim as his sons, and so they will have equal share with the other brothers. They will be in the place of Joseph and Levi (who will become a priestly tribe) in the settlement of the land. See I. Mendelsohn, “A Ugaritic Parallel to the Adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh,” IEJ (1959): 180-83.

[48:6]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Or “you fathered.”

[48:6]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “called” or “named.”

[48:6]  ¹⁴⁶ sn Listed under the names of their brothers in their inheritance. This means that any subsequent children of Joseph will be incorporated into the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.

[48:7]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Heb “upon me, against me,” which might mean something like “to my sorrow.”

[48:7]  ¹⁴⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[48:9]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “my.”

[48:9]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:9]  ¹⁵¹ tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) indicates purpose after the imperative.

[48:10]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “heavy.”

[48:10]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:10]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “them”; the referent (Joseph’s sons) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:10]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph’s father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:11]  ¹⁵⁶ tn On the meaning of the Hebrew verb פָּלַל (palal) here, see E. A. Speiser, “The Stem pll in Hebrew,” JBL 82 (1963): 301-6. Speiser argues that this verb means “to estimate” as in Exod 21:22.

[48:11]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “your face.”

[48:11]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “offspring.”

[48:12]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “and Joseph brought them out from with his knees.” The two boys had probably been standing by Israel’s knees when being adopted and blessed. The referent of the pronoun “his” (Israel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:13]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “and Joseph took the two of them.”

[48:13]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “and he brought near to him.” The referents of the pronouns “he” and “him” (Joseph and his father respectively) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[48:14]  ¹⁶² tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-concessive here.

[48:15]  ¹⁶³ tn Heb “shepherded me.” The verb has been translated as an English noun for stylistic reasons.

[48:16]  ¹⁶⁴ sn The Samaritan Pentateuch reads “king” here, but the traditional reading (“angel”) may be maintained. Jacob closely associates God with an angelic protective presence. This does not mean that Jacob viewed his God as a mere angel, but it does suggest that he was aware of an angelic presence sent by God to protect him. Here he so closely associates the two that they become virtually indistinguishable. In this culture messengers typically carried the authority of the one who sent them and could even be addressed as such. Perhaps Jacob thought that the divine blessing would be mediated through this angelic messenger.

[48:16]  ¹⁶⁵ tn The verb גָּאַל (ga’al) has the basic idea of “protect” as a near relative might do. It is used for buying someone out of bondage, marrying a deceased brother’s widow, paying off debts, avenging the family, and the like. The meanings of “deliver, protect, avenge” are most fitting when God is the subject (see A. R. Johnson, “The Primary Meaning of √גאל,” Congress Volume: Copenhagen, 1953 [VTSup], 67-77).

[48:16]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Or “be recalled through them.”

[48:17]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “it was bad in his eyes.”

[48:19]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “fullness.”

[48:20]  ¹⁶⁹ tn The pronoun is singular in the Hebrew text, apparently elevating Ephraim as the more prominent of the two. Note, however, that both are named in the blessing formula that follows.

[48:20]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Or “pronounce a blessing.”

[48:20]  ¹⁷¹ sn On the elevation of Ephraim over Manasseh see E. C. Kingsbury, “He Set Ephraim Before Manasseh,” HUCA 38 (1967): 129-36; H. Mowvley, “The Concept and Content of ‘Blessing’ in the Old Testament,” BT 16 (1965): 74-80; and I. Mendelsohn, “On the Preferential Status of the Eldest Son,” BASOR 156 (1959): 38-40.

[48:21]  ¹⁷² tn The pronouns translated “you,” “you,” and “your” in this verse are plural in the Hebrew text.

[48:22]  ¹⁷³ tn The pronouns translated “your” and “you” in this verse are singular in the Hebrew text.

[48:22]  ¹⁷⁴ tn The Hebrew word שְׁכֶם (shÿkhem) could be translated either as “mountain slope” or “shoulder, portion,” or even taken as the proper name “Shechem.” Jacob was giving Joseph either (1) one portion above his brothers, or (2) the mountain ridge he took from the Amorites, or (3) Shechem. The ambiguity actually allows for all three to be the referent. He could be referring to the land in Shechem he bought in Gen 33:18-19, but he mentions here that it was acquired by warfare, suggesting that the events of 34:25-29 are in view (even though at the time he denounced it, 34:30). Joseph was later buried in Shechem (Josh 24:32).

[49:22]  ¹⁷⁵ tn The Hebrew text appears to mean “[is] a son of fruitfulness.” The second word is an active participle, feminine singular, from the verb פָּרָה (parah, “to be fruitful”). The translation “bough” is employed for בֵּן (ben, elsewhere typically “son”) because Joseph is pictured as a healthy and fruitful vine growing by the wall. But there are difficulties with this interpretation. The word “son” nowhere else refers to a plant and the noun translated “branches” (Heb “daughters”) in the third line is a plural form whereas its verb is singular. In the other oracles of Gen 49 an animal is used for comparison and not a plant, leading some to translate the opening phrase בֵּן פָּרָה (ben parah, “fruitful bough”) as “wild donkey” (JPS, NAB). Various other interpretations involving more radical emendation of the text have also been offered.

[49:22]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “daughters.”

[49:23]  ¹⁷⁷ tn The verb forms in vv. 23-24 are used in a rhetorical manner, describing future events as if they had already taken place.

[49:24]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “the arms of his hands.”

[49:24]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Heb “from there,” but the phrase should be revocalized and read “from [i.e., because of] the name of.”

[49:24]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Or “Stone.”

[49:25]  ¹⁸¹ tn Heb “and he will help you.”

[49:25]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “Shaddai.” See the note on the title “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1. The preposition אֵת (’et) in the Hebrew text should probably be emended to אֵל (’el, “God”).

[49:25]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “and he will bless you.”

[49:25]  ¹⁸⁴ sn Jacob envisions God imparting both agricultural (blessings from the sky above, blessings from the deep that lies below) and human fertility (blessings of the breasts and womb) to Joseph and his family.

[49:26]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “have prevailed over.”

[49:26]  ¹⁸⁶ tn One could interpret the phrase הוֹרַי (horay) to mean “my progenitors” (literally, “the ones who conceived me”), but the masculine form argues against this. It is better to emend the text to הַרֲרֵי (harare, “mountains of”) because it forms a better parallel with the next clause. In this case the final yod (י) on the form is a construct plural marker, not a pronominal suffix.

[49:26]  ¹⁸⁷ tn For further discussion of this passage, see I. Sonne, “Genesis 49:24-26,” JBL 65 (1946): 303-6.

[33:17]  ¹⁸⁸ sn Ephraim and Manasseh were the sons of Joseph who became founders of the two tribes into which Joseph’s descendants were split (Gen 48:19-20). Jacob’s blessing granted favored status to Ephraim; this is probably why Ephraim is viewed here as more numerous than Manasseh.