¹ tn Heb “the people living in Beth Shemesh or the people living in Beth Anath.”

¹ sn Two great lights. The text goes to great length to discuss the creation of these lights, suggesting that the subject was very important to the ancients. Since these “lights” were considered deities in the ancient world, the section serves as a strong polemic (see G. Hasel, “The Polemical Nature of the Genesis Cosmology,” EvQ 46 [1974]: 81-102). The Book of Genesis is affirming they are created entities, not deities. To underscore this the text does not even give them names. If used here, the usual names for the sun and moon [Shemesh and Yarih, respectively] might have carried pagan connotations, so they are simply described as greater and lesser lights. Moreover, they serve in the capacity that God gives them, which would not be the normal function the pagans ascribed to them. They merely divide, govern, and give light in God’s creation.

¹ tn “Beth Shean” is a variant spelling of “Beth Shan.”

¹ tn Or “it included in the valley, Beth Haram.”

³ tn Or “Arameans of Beth Rehob and Arameans of Zobah.”

² tn Heb “Beth Millo which goes down [toward] Silla.”

³ tn The parallel text of 2 Sam 10:6 has “Aram Beth Rehob and Aram Zobah.”

¹ tn The preposition serves as the beth essentiae – the glory is the abundant population, not in it.

¹ sn See the note on the place name Beth Aven in Beth+Shemesh&tab=notes" ver="">4:15.

⁴ sn See the note on the place name Beth Aven in Beth+Shemesh&tab=notes" ver="">4:15.

⁵ sn The place name Beth Ezel means “house of nearness” or “house of proximity” in Hebrew.

⁶ tn Heb “the lamentation of Beth Ezel.” The following words could be the lamentation offered up by Beth Ezel (subjective genitive) or the mourning song sung over it (objective genitive).

² tn The expression בַּעוֹז (ba’oz) employs a beth essentiae, meaning he “is strong,” not “in strength.”

³ sn To sit in the dust was an outward sign of mourning. The name Beth Leaphrah means “house of dust.”

¹ tc The LXX and Syriac read “to Baal Peor,” that is, the god worshiped at that place; see note on the name “Beth Peor” in Deut 3:29.

¹ tn Heb “the men of the house of Azmaveth”; some regard בֵּית (bet, “house of”) as a part of the place name: NAB, NLT “Beth-azmaveth.”

¹ sn Beth Aven means “house of wickedness” in Hebrew; it is a polemic reference to “Bethel,” which means “house of God.” Cf. CEV “at sinful Bethel.”

¹ tn Heb “as the devastation of Shalman.” The genitive noun שַׁלְמַן (shalman, “Shalman”) functions as a subjective genitive: “as Shalman devastated [Beth Arbel].”

⁵ tn Many associate the name “Beth Eden” with Bit Adini, an Aramean state located near the Euphrates River, but it may be a sarcastic epithet meaning “house of pleasure.”

¹ tn Alternately, “Aven” (KJV, NAB, NRSV, NLT) for the city name “Beth Aven.” The term “Beth” (house) does not appear in the Hebrew text here, but is implied (e.g., Hos 4:15). It is supplied in the translation for clarity.