Kejadian 14:1--16:16

The Blessing of Victory for God’s People

14:1 At that time ¹  Amraphel king of Shinar, ²  Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations ³  14:2 went to war ⁴  against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). ⁵  14:3 These last five kings ⁶  joined forces ⁷  in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). ⁸  14:4 For twelve years ⁹  they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year ¹⁰  they rebelled. ¹¹  14:5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were his allies came and defeated ¹²  the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim, 14:6 and the Horites in their hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is near the desert. ¹³  14:7 Then they attacked En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) again, ¹⁴  and they conquered all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.

14:8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and prepared for battle. In the Valley of Siddim they met ¹⁵  14:9 Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, ¹⁶  Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. Four kings fought against ¹⁷  five. 14:10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. ¹⁸  When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, ¹⁹  but some survivors ²⁰  fled to the hills. ²¹  14:11 The four victorious kings ²²  took all the possessions and food of Sodom and Gomorrah and left. 14:12 They also took Abram’s nephew ²³  Lot and his possessions when ²⁴  they left, for Lot ²⁵  was living in Sodom. ²⁶ 

14:13 A fugitive ²⁷  came and told Abram the Hebrew. ²⁸  Now Abram was living by the oaks ²⁹  of Mamre the Amorite, the brother ³⁰  of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty ³¹  with Abram.) ³²  14:14 When Abram heard that his nephew ³³  had been taken captive, he mobilized ³⁴  his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders ³⁵  as far as Dan. ³⁶  14:15 Then, during the night, ³⁷  Abram ³⁸  divided his forces ³⁹  against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north ⁴⁰  of Damascus. 14:16 He retrieved all the stolen property. ⁴¹  He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of ⁴²  the people.

14:17 After Abram ⁴³  returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram ⁴⁴  in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley). ⁴⁵  14:18 Melchizedek king of Salem ⁴⁶  brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.) ⁴⁷  14:19 He blessed Abram, saying,

“Blessed be Abram by ⁴⁸  the Most High God,

Creator ⁴⁹  of heaven and earth. ⁵⁰ 

14:20 Worthy of praise is ⁵¹  the Most High God,

who delivered ⁵²  your enemies into your hand.”

Abram gave Melchizedek ⁵³  a tenth of everything.

14:21 Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and take the possessions for yourself.” 14:22 But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I raise my hand ⁵⁴  to the Lord, the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, and vow ⁵⁵  14:23 that I will take nothing ⁵⁶  belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, ‘It is I ⁵⁷  who made Abram rich.’ 14:24 I will take nothing ⁵⁸  except compensation for what the young men have eaten. ⁵⁹  As for the share of the men who went with me – Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre – let them take their share.”

The Cutting of the Covenant

15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield ⁶⁰  and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” ⁶¹ 

15:2 But Abram said, “O sovereign Lord, ⁶²  what will you give me since ⁶³  I continue to be ⁶⁴  childless, and my heir ⁶⁵  is ⁶⁶  Eliezer of Damascus?” ⁶⁷  15:3 Abram added, ⁶⁸  “Since ⁶⁹  you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!” ⁷⁰ 

15:4 But look, ⁷¹  the word of the Lord came to him: “This man ⁷²  will not be your heir, ⁷³  but instead ⁷⁴  a son ⁷⁵  who comes from your own body will be ⁷⁶  your heir.” ⁷⁷  15:5 The Lord ⁷⁸  took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”

15:6 Abram believed ⁷⁹  the Lord, and the Lord ⁸⁰  considered his response of faith ⁸¹  as proof of genuine loyalty. ⁸² 

15:7 The Lord said ⁸³  to him, “I am the Lord ⁸⁴  who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans ⁸⁵  to give you this land to possess.” 15:8 But ⁸⁶  Abram ⁸⁷  said, “O sovereign Lord, ⁸⁸  by what ⁸⁹  can I know that I am to possess it?”

15:9 The Lord ⁹⁰  said to him, “Take for me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” 15:10 So Abram ⁹¹  took all these for him and then cut them in two ⁹²  and placed each half opposite the other, ⁹³  but he did not cut the birds in half. 15:11 When birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

15:12 When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep, ⁹⁴  and great terror overwhelmed him. ⁹⁵  15:13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain ⁹⁶  that your descendants will be strangers ⁹⁷  in a foreign country. ⁹⁸  They will be enslaved and oppressed ⁹⁹  for four hundred years. 15:14 But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. ¹⁰⁰  Afterward they will come out with many possessions. 15:15 But as for you, ¹⁰¹  you will go to your ancestors ¹⁰²  in peace and be buried at a good old age. ¹⁰³  15:16 In the fourth generation ¹⁰⁴  your descendants ¹⁰⁵  will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.” ¹⁰⁶ 

15:17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch ¹⁰⁷  passed between the animal parts. ¹⁰⁸  15:18 That day the Lord made a covenant ¹⁰⁹  with Abram: “To your descendants I give ¹¹⁰  this land, from the river of Egypt ¹¹¹  to the great river, the Euphrates River – 15:19 the land ¹¹²  of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 15:20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 15:21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” ¹¹³ 

The Birth of Ishmael

16:1 Now Sarai, ¹¹⁴  Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, ¹¹⁵  but she had an Egyptian servant ¹¹⁶  named Hagar. ¹¹⁷  16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Since ¹¹⁸  the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with ¹¹⁹  my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” ¹²⁰  Abram did what ¹²¹  Sarai told him.

16:3 So after Abram had lived ¹²²  in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram’s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant, ¹²³  to her husband to be his wife. ¹²⁴  16:4 He had sexual relations with ¹²⁵  Hagar, and she became pregnant. ¹²⁶  Once Hagar realized she was pregnant, she despised Sarai. ¹²⁷  16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! ¹²⁸  I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, ¹²⁹  but when she realized ¹³⁰  that she was pregnant, she despised me. ¹³¹  May the Lord judge between you and me!” ¹³² 

16:6 Abram said to Sarai, “Since your ¹³³  servant is under your authority, ¹³⁴  do to her whatever you think best.” ¹³⁵  Then Sarai treated Hagar ¹³⁶  harshly, ¹³⁷  so she ran away from Sarai. ¹³⁸ 

16:7 The Lord’s angel ¹³⁹  found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert – the spring that is along the road to Shur. ¹⁴⁰  16:8 He said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She replied, “I’m running away from ¹⁴¹  my mistress, Sarai.”

16:9 Then the Lord’s angel said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit ¹⁴²  to her authority. 16:10 I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the Lord’s angel added, ¹⁴³  “so that they will be too numerous to count.” ¹⁴⁴  16:11 Then the Lord’s angel said to her,

“You are now ¹⁴⁵  pregnant

and are about to give birth ¹⁴⁶  to a son.

You are to name him Ishmael, ¹⁴⁷ 

for the Lord has heard your painful groans. ¹⁴⁸ 

16:12 He will be a wild donkey ¹⁴⁹  of a man.

He will be hostile to everyone, ¹⁵⁰ 

and everyone will be hostile to him. ¹⁵¹ 

He will live away from ¹⁵²  his brothers.”

16:13 So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” ¹⁵³  for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” ¹⁵⁴  16:14 That is why the well was called ¹⁵⁵  Beer Lahai Roi. ¹⁵⁶  (It is located ¹⁵⁷  between Kadesh and Bered.)

16:15 So Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, whom Abram named Ishmael. ¹⁵⁸  16:16 (Now ¹⁵⁹  Abram was 86 years old ¹⁶⁰  when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.) ¹⁶¹ 

Kejadian 26:24

26:24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”

Kejadian 46:3

46:3 He said, “I am God, ¹⁶²  the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.

Keluaran 14:13

14:13 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! ¹⁶³  Stand firm ¹⁶⁴  and see ¹⁶⁵  the salvation ¹⁶⁶  of the Lord that he will provide ¹⁶⁷  for you today; for the Egyptians that you see today you will never, ever see again. ¹⁶⁸ 

Ulangan 31:6

31:6 Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He will not fail you or abandon you!”

Ulangan 31:1

Succession of Moses by Joshua

31:1 Then Moses went ¹⁶⁹  and spoke these words ¹⁷⁰  to all Israel.

Ulangan 28:20

Curses by Disease and Drought

28:20 “The Lord will send on you a curse, confusing you and opposing you ¹⁷¹  in everything you undertake ¹⁷²  until you are destroyed and quickly perish because of the evil of your deeds, in that you have forsaken me. ¹⁷³ 

Mazmur 27:1

Psalm 27 ¹⁷⁴ 

By David.

27:1 The Lord delivers and vindicates me! ¹⁷⁵ 

I fear no one! ¹⁷⁶ 

The Lord protects my life!

I am afraid of no one! ¹⁷⁷ 

Yesaya 35:4

35:4 Tell those who panic, ¹⁷⁸ 

“Be strong! Do not fear!

Look, your God comes to avenge!

With divine retribution he comes to deliver you.” ¹⁷⁹ 

Yesaya 41:10

41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you!

Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! ¹⁸⁰ 

I strengthen you –

yes, I help you –

yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand! ¹⁸¹ 

Yesaya 41:14

41:14 Don’t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob, ¹⁸² 

men of ¹⁸³  Israel.

I am helping you,” says the Lord,

your protector, ¹⁸⁴  the Holy One of Israel. ¹⁸⁵ 

Yesaya 43:1

The Lord Will Rescue His People

43:1 Now, this is what the Lord says,

the one who created you, O Jacob,

and formed you, O Israel:

“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect ¹⁸⁶  you.

I call you by name, you are mine.

Yesaya 43:5

43:5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.

From the east I will bring your descendants;

from the west I will gather you.

Yesaya 44:2

44:2 This is what the Lord, the one who made you, says –

the one who formed you in the womb and helps you:

“Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob,

Jeshurun, ¹⁸⁷  whom I have chosen!

Yesaya 44:8

44:8 Don’t panic! Don’t be afraid! ¹⁸⁸ 

Did I not tell you beforehand and decree it?

You are my witnesses! Is there any God but me?

There is no other sheltering rock; ¹⁸⁹  I know of none.

Yesaya 51:12

51:12 “I, I am the one who consoles you. ¹⁹⁰ 

Why are you afraid of mortal men,

of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass? ¹⁹¹ 

Daniel 10:12

10:12 Then he said to me, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel, for from the very first day you applied your mind ¹⁹²  to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come in response to your words.

Matius 8:26

8:26 But ¹⁹³  he said to them, “Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked ¹⁹⁴  the winds and the sea, ¹⁹⁵  and it was dead calm.

Matius 10:28-31

10:28 Do ¹⁹⁶  not be afraid of those who kill the body ¹⁹⁷  but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ¹⁹⁸  10:29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? ¹⁹⁹  Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ²⁰⁰  10:30 Even all the hairs on your head are numbered. 10:31 So do not be afraid; ²⁰¹  you are more valuable than many sparrows.

Matius 28:5

28:5 But the angel said ²⁰²  to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know ²⁰³  that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ²⁰⁴ 

Lukas 1:13

1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, ²⁰⁵  and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you ²⁰⁶  will name him John. ²⁰⁷ 

Lukas 1:30

1:30 So ²⁰⁸  the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, ²⁰⁹  Mary, for you have found favor ²¹⁰  with God!

Lukas 12:32

12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased ²¹¹  to give you the kingdom.

Wahyu 1:17

1:17 When ²¹²  I saw him I fell down at his feet as though I were dead, but ²¹³  he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last,

[14:1]  ¹ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayÿhi) followed by “in the days of.”

[14:1]  ² sn Shinar (also in v. 9) is the region of Babylonia.

[14:1]  ³ tn Or “king of Goyim.” The Hebrew term גּוֹיִם (goyim) means “nations,” but a number of modern translations merely transliterate the Hebrew (cf. NEB “Goyim”; NIV, NRSV “Goiim”).

[14:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “made war.”

[14:2]  sn Went to war. The conflict here reflects international warfare in the Early and Middle Bronze periods. The countries operated with overlords and vassals. Kings ruled over city states, or sometimes a number of city states (i.e., nations). Due to their treaties, when one went to war, those confederate with him joined him in battle. It appears here that it is Kedorlaomer’s war, because the western city states have rebelled against him (meaning they did not send products as tribute to keep him from invading them).

[14:2]  ⁵ sn On the geographical background of vv. 1-2 see J. P. Harland, “Sodom and Gomorrah,” The Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 1:41-75; and D. N. Freedman, “The Real Story of the Ebla Tablets, Ebla and the Cities of the Plain,” BA 41 (1978): 143-64.

[14:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “all these,” referring only to the last five kings named. The referent has been specified as “these last five kings” in the translation for clarity.

[14:3]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew verb used here means “to join together; to unite; to be allied.” It stresses close associations, especially of friendships, marriages, or treaties.

[14:3]  ⁸ sn The Salt Sea is the older name for the Dead Sea.

[14:4]  ⁹ tn The sentence simply begins with “twelve years”; it serves as an adverbial accusative giving the duration of their bondage.

[14:4]  ¹⁰ tn This is another adverbial accusative of time.

[14:4]  ¹¹ sn The story serves as a foreshadowing of the plight of the kingdom of Israel later. Eastern powers came and forced the western kingdoms into submission. Each year, then, they would send tribute east – to keep them away. Here, in the thirteenth year, they refused to send the tribute (just as later Hezekiah rebelled against Assyria). And so in the fourteenth year the eastern powers came to put them down again. This account from Abram’s life taught future generations that God can give victory over such threats – that people did not have to live in servitude to tyrants from the east.

[14:5]  ¹² tn The Hebrew verb נָכָה (nakhah) means “to attack, to strike, to smite.” In this context it appears that the strike was successful, and so a translation of “defeated” is preferable.

[14:6]  ¹³ 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.

[14:7]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “they returned and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh).” The two verbs together form a verbal hendiadys, the first serving as the adverb: “they returned and came” means “they came again.” Most English translations do not treat this as a hendiadys, but translate “they turned back” or something similar. Since in the context, however, “came again to” does not simply refer to travel but an assault against the place, the present translation expresses this as “attacked…again.”

[14:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “against.”

[14:9]  ¹⁶ tn Or “Goyim.” See the note on the word “nations” in 14:1.

[14:9]  ¹⁷ tn The Hebrew text has simply “against.” The word “fought” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:10]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “Now the Valley of Siddim [was] pits, pits of tar.” This parenthetical disjunctive clause emphasizes the abundance of tar pits in the area through repetition of the noun “pits.”

[14:10]  sn The word for “tar” (or “bitumen”) occurs earlier in the story of the building of the tower in Babylon (see Gen 11:3).

[14:10]  ¹⁹ tn Or “they were defeated there.” After a verb of motion the Hebrew particle שָׁם (sham) with the directional heh (שָׁמָּה, shammah) can mean “into it, therein” (BDB 1027 s.v. שָׁם).

[14:10]  ²⁰ tn Heb “the rest.”

[14:10]  ²¹ sn The reference to the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah must mean the kings along with their armies. Most of them were defeated in the valley, but some of them escaped to the hills.

[14:11]  ²² tn Heb “they”; the referent (the four victorious kings, see v. 9) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  ²³ tn Heb “Lot the son of his brother.”

[14:12]  ²⁴ tn Heb “and.”

[14:12]  ²⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  ²⁶ tn This disjunctive clause is circumstantial/causal, explaining that Lot was captured because he was living in Sodom at the time.

[14:13]  ²⁷ tn Heb “the fugitive.” The article carries a generic force or indicates that this fugitive is definite in the mind of the speaker.

[14:13]  ²⁸ sn E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103) suggests that part of this chapter came from an outside source since it refers to Abram the Hebrew. That is not impossible, given that the narrator likely utilized traditions and genealogies that had been collected and transmitted over the years. The meaning of the word “Hebrew” has proved elusive. It may be related to the verb “to cross over,” perhaps meaning “immigrant.” Or it might be derived from the name of Abram’s ancestor Eber (see Gen 11:14-16).

[14:13]  ²⁹ tn Or “terebinths.”

[14:13]  ³⁰ tn Or “a brother”; or “a relative”; or perhaps “an ally.”

[14:13]  ³¹ tn Heb “possessors of a treaty with.” Since it is likely that the qualifying statement refers to all three (Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner) the words “all these” have been supplied in the translation to make this clear.

[14:13]  ³² tn This parenthetical disjunctive clause explains how Abram came to be living in their territory, but it also explains why they must go to war with Abram.

[14:14]  ³³ tn Heb “his brother,” by extension, “relative.” Here and in v. 16 the more specific term “nephew” has been used in the translation for clarity. Lot was the son of Haran, Abram’s brother (Gen 11:27).

[14:14]  ³⁴ tn The verb וַיָּרֶק (vayyareq) is a rare form, probably related to the word רֵיק (req, “to be empty”). If so, it would be a very figurative use: “he emptied out” (or perhaps “unsheathed”) his men. The LXX has “mustered” (cf. NEB). E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103-4) suggests reading with the Samaritan Pentateuch a verb diq, cognate with Akkadian deku, “to mobilize” troops. If this view is accepted, one must assume that a confusion of the Hebrew letters ד (dalet) and ר (resh) led to the error in the traditional Hebrew text. These two letters are easily confused in all phases of ancient Hebrew script development. The present translation is based on this view.

[14:14]  ³⁵ tn The words “the invaders” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:14]  ³⁶ sn The use of the name Dan reflects a later perspective. The Danites did not migrate to this northern territory until centuries later (see Judg 18:29). Furthermore Dan was not even born until much later. By inserting this name a scribe has clarified the location of the region.

[14:15]  ³⁷ tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.

[14:15]  ³⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:15]  ³⁹ tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”

[14:15]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.

[14:16]  ⁴¹ tn The word “stolen” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:16]  ⁴² tn The phrase “the rest of “ has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:17]  ⁴³ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:17]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:17]  ⁴⁵ sn The King’s Valley is possibly a reference to what came to be known later as the Kidron Valley.

[14:18]  ⁴⁶ sn Salem is traditionally identified as the Jebusite stronghold of old Jerusalem. Accordingly, there has been much speculation about its king. Though some have identified him with the preincarnate Christ or with Noah’s son Shem, it is far more likely that Melchizedek was a Canaanite royal priest whom God used to renew the promise of the blessing to Abram, perhaps because Abram considered Melchizedek his spiritual superior. But Melchizedek remains an enigma. In a book filled with genealogical records he appears on the scene without a genealogy and then disappears from the narrative. In Psalm 110 the Lord declares that the Davidic king is a royal priest after the pattern of Melchizedek.

[14:18]  ⁴⁷ tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause significantly identifies Melchizedek as a priest as well as a king.

[14:18]  sn It is his royal priestly status that makes Melchizedek a type of Christ: He was identified with Jerusalem, superior to the ancestor of Israel, and both a king and a priest. Unlike the normal Canaanites, this man served “God Most High” (אֵל עֶלְיוֹן, ’el ’elyon) – one sovereign God, who was the creator of all the universe. Abram had in him a spiritual brother.

[14:19]  ⁴⁸ tn The preposition לְ (lamed) introduces the agent after the passive participle.

[14:19]  ⁴⁹ tn Some translate “possessor of heaven and earth” (cf. NASB). But cognate evidence from Ugaritic indicates that there were two homonymic roots ָקנָה (qanah), one meaning “to create” (as in Gen 4:1) and the other “to obtain, to acquire, to possess.” While “possessor” would fit here, “creator” is the more likely due to the collocation with “heaven and earth.”

[14:19]  ⁵⁰ tn The terms translated “heaven” and “earth” are both objective genitives after the participle in construct.

[14:20]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “blessed be.” For God to be “blessed” means that is praised. His reputation is enriched in the world as his name is praised.

[14:20]  ⁵² sn Who delivered. The Hebrew verb מִגֵּן (miggen, “delivered”) foreshadows the statement by God to Abram in Gen 15:1, “I am your shield” (מָגֵן, magen). Melchizedek provided a theological interpretation of Abram’s military victory.

[14:20]  ⁵³ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:22]  ⁵⁴ tn Abram takes an oath, raising his hand as a solemn gesture. The translation understands the perfect tense as having an instantaneous nuance: “Here and now I raise my hand.”

[14:22]  ⁵⁵ tn The words “and vow” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[14:23]  ⁵⁶ tn The oath formula is elliptical, reading simply: “…if I take.” It is as if Abram says, “[May the Lord deal with me] if I take,” meaning, “I will surely not take.” The positive oath would add the negative adverb and be the reverse: “[God will deal with me] if I do not take,” meaning, “I certainly will.”

[14:23]  ⁵⁷ tn The Hebrew text adds the independent pronoun (“I”) to the verb form for emphasis.

[14:24]  ⁵⁸ tn The words “I will take nothing” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:24]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “except only what the young men have eaten.”

[15:1]  ⁶⁰ sn The noun “shield” recalls the words of Melchizedek in 14:20. If God is the shield, then God will deliver. Abram need not fear reprisals from those he has fought.

[15:1]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “your reward [in] great abundance.” When the phrase הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ (harbeh mÿod) follows a noun it invariably modifies the noun and carries the nuance “very great” or “in great abundance.” (See its use in Gen 41:49; Deut 3:5; Josh 22:8; 2 Sam 8:8; 12:2; 1 Kgs 4:29; 10:10-11; 2 Chr 14:13; 32:27; Jer 40:12.) Here the noun “reward” is in apposition to “shield” and refers by metonymy to God as the source of the reward. Some translate here “your reward will be very great” (cf. NASB, NRSV), taking the statement as an independent clause and understanding the Hiphil infinitive absolute as a substitute for a finite verb. However, the construction הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ is never used this way elsewhere, where it either modifies a noun (see the texts listed above) or serves as an adverb in relation to a finite verb (see Josh 13:1; 1 Sam 26:21; 2 Sam 12:30; 2 Kgs 21:16; 1 Chr 20:2; Neh 2:2).

[15:1]  sn Abram has just rejected all the spoils of war, and the Lord promises to reward him in great abundance. In walking by faith and living with integrity he cannot lose.

[15:2]  ⁶² tn The Hebrew text has אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה (’adonay yehvih, “Master, Lord”). Since the tetragrammaton (YHWH) usually is pointed with the vowels for the Hebrew word אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “master”) to avoid pronouncing the divine name, that would lead in this place to a repetition of אֲדֹנָי. So the tetragrammaton is here pointed with the vowels for the word אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “God”) instead. That would produce the reading of the Hebrew as “Master, God” in the Jewish textual tradition. But the presence of “Master” before the holy name is rather compelling evidence that the original would have been “Master, Lord,” which is rendered here “sovereign Lord.”

[15:2]  ⁶³ tn The vav (ו) disjunctive at the beginning of the clause is circumstantial, expressing the cause or reason.

[15:2]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “I am going.”

[15:2]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “the son of the acquisition of my house.”

[15:2]  sn For the custom of designating a member of the household as heir, see C. H. Gordon, “Biblical Customs and the Nuzu Tablets,” Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 2:21-33.

[15:2]  ⁶⁶ tn The pronoun is anaphoric here, equivalent to the verb “to be” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 23, §115).

[15:2]  ⁶⁷ sn The sentence in the Hebrew text employs a very effective wordplay on the name Damascus: “The son of the acquisition (בֶּן־מֶשֶׁק, ben-mesheq) of my house is Eliezer of Damascus (דַּמֶּשֶׁק, dammesheq).” The words are not the same; they have different sibilants. But the sound play gives the impression that “in the nomen is the omen.” Eliezer the Damascene will be Abram’s heir if Abram dies childless because “Damascus” seems to mean that. See M. F. Unger, “Some Comments on the Text of Genesis 15:2-3,” JBL 72 (1953): 49-50; H. L. Ginsberg, “Abram’s ‘Damascene’ Steward,” BASOR 200 (1970): 31-32.

[15:3]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “And Abram said.”

[15:3]  ⁶⁹ tn The construction uses הֵן (hen) to introduce the foundational clause (“since…”), and וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh) to introduce the main clause (“then look…”).

[15:3]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “is inheriting me.”

[15:4]  ⁷¹ tn The disjunctive draws attention to God’s response and the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, translated “look”) mirrors Abram’s statement in v. 3 and highlights the fact that God responded to Abram.

[15:4]  ⁷² tn The subject of the verb is the demonstrative pronoun, which can be translated “this one” or “this man.” That the Lord does not mention him by name is significant; often in ancient times the use of the name would bring legitimacy to inheritance and adoption cases.

[15:4]  ⁷³ tn Heb “inherit you.”

[15:4]  ⁷⁴ tn The Hebrew כִּי־אִם (ki-’im) forms a very strong adversative.

[15:4]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “he who”; the implied referent (Abram’s unborn son who will be his heir) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:4]  ⁷⁶ tn The pronoun could also be an emphatic subject: “whoever comes out of your body, he will inherit you.”

[15:4]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “will inherit you.”

[15:5]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  ⁷⁹ tn The nonconsecutive vav (ו) is on a perfect verbal form. If the composer of the narrative had wanted to show simple sequence, he would have used the vav consecutive with the preterite. The perfect with vav conjunctive (where one expects the preterite with vav consecutive) in narrative contexts can have a variety of discourse functions, but here it probably serves to highlight Abram’s response to God’s promise. For a detailed discussion of the vav + perfect construction in Hebrew narrative, see R. Longacre, “Weqatal Forms in Biblical Hebrew Prose: A Discourse-modular Approach,” Biblical Hebrew and Discourse Linguistics, 50-98. The Hebrew verb אָמַן (’aman) means “to confirm, to support” in the Qal verbal stem. Its derivative nouns refer to something or someone that/who provides support, such as a “pillar,” “nurse,” or “guardian, trustee.” In the Niphal stem it comes to mean “to be faithful, to be reliable, to be dependable,” or “to be firm, to be sure.” In the Hiphil, the form used here, it takes on a declarative sense: “to consider something reliable [or “dependable”].” Abram regarded the God who made this promise as reliable and fully capable of making it a reality.

[15:6]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:6]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “and he reckoned it to him.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix refers back to Abram’s act of faith, mentioned in the preceding clause. On third feminine singular pronouns referring back to verbal ideas see GKC 440-41 §135.p. Some propose taking the suffix as proleptic, anticipating the following feminine noun (“righteousness”). In this case one might translate: “and he reckoned it to him – [namely] righteousness.” See O. P. Robertson, “Genesis 15:6: A New Covenant Exposition of an Old Covenant Text,” WTJ 42 (1980): 259-89.

[15:6]  ⁸² tn Or “righteousness”; or “evidence of steadfast commitment.” The noun is an adverbial accusative. The verb translated “considered” (Heb “reckoned”) also appears with צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) in Ps 106:31. Alluding to the events recorded in Numbers 25, the psalmist notes that Phinehas’ actions were “credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.” Reference is made to the unconditional, eternal covenant with which God rewarded Phinehas’ loyalty (Num 25:12-13). So צְדָקָה seems to carry by metonymy the meaning “loyal, rewardable behavior” here, a nuance that fits nicely in Genesis 15, where God responds to Abram’s faith by formally ratifying his promise to give Abram and his descendants the land. (See R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 40.) In Phoenician and Old Aramaic inscriptions cognate nouns glossed as “correct, justifiable conduct” sometimes carry this same semantic nuance (DNWSI 2:962).

[15:6]  sn This episode is basic to the NT teaching of Paul on justification (Romans 4). Paul weaves this passage and Psalm 32 together, for both use this word. Paul explains that for the one who believes in the Lord, like Abram, God credits him with righteousness but does not credit his sins against him because he is forgiven. Justification does not mean that the believer is righteous; it means that God credits him with righteousness, so that in the records of heaven (as it were) he is declared righteous. See M. G. Kline, “Abram’s Amen,” WTJ 31 (1968): 1-11.

[15:7]  ⁸³ tn Heb “And he said.”

[15:7]  ⁸⁴ sn I am the Lord. The Lord initiates the covenant-making ceremony with a declaration of who he is and what he has done for Abram. The same form appears at the beginning of the covenant made at Sinai (see Exod 20:1).

[15:7]  ⁸⁵ sn The phrase of the Chaldeans is a later editorial clarification for the readers, designating the location of Ur. From all evidence there would have been no Chaldeans in existence at this early date; they are known in the time of the neo-Babylonian empire in the first millennium b.c.

[15:8]  ⁸⁶ tn Here the vav carries adversative force and is translated “but.”

[15:8]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:8]  ⁸⁸ tn See note on the phrase “sovereign Lord” in 15:2.

[15:8]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “how.”

[15:9]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “He”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:10]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:10]  ⁹² tn Heb “in the middle.”

[15:10]  ⁹³ tn Heb “to meet its neighbor.”

[15:10]  sn For discussion of this ritual see G. F. Hasel, “The Meaning of the Animal Rite in Genesis 15,” JSOT 19 (1981): 61-78.

[15:12]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “a deep sleep fell on Abram.”

[15:12]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “and look, terror, a great darkness was falling on him.”

[15:13]  ⁹⁶ tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, with the Qal infinitive absolute followed by the imperfect from יָדַע (yada’, “know”). The imperfect here has an obligatory or imperatival force.

[15:13]  ⁹⁷ tn The Hebrew word גֵּר (ger, “sojourner, stranger”) is related to the verb גּוּר (gur, “to sojourn, to stay for awhile”). Abram’s descendants will stay in a land as resident aliens without rights of citizenship.

[15:13]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “in a land not theirs.”

[15:13]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “and they will serve them and they will oppress them.” The verb עִנּוּ, (’innu, a Piel form from עָנָה, ’anah, “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly”), is used in Exod 1:11 to describe the oppression of the Israelites in Egypt.

[15:14]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The participle דָּן (dan, from דִּין, din) is used here for the future: “I am judging” = “I will surely judge.” The judgment in this case will be condemnation and punishment. The translation “execute judgment on” implies that the judgment will certainly be carried out.

[15:15]  ¹⁰¹ tn The vav with the pronoun before the verb calls special attention to the subject in contrast to the preceding subject.

[15:15]  ¹⁰² sn You will go to your ancestors. This is a euphemistic expression for death.

[15:15]  ¹⁰³ tn Heb “in a good old age.”

[15:16]  ¹⁰⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[15:16]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “is not yet complete.”

[15:16]  sn The sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit. The justice of God is apparent. He will wait until the Amorites are fully deserving of judgment before he annihilates them and gives the land to Israel.

[15:17]  ¹⁰⁷ sn A smoking pot with a flaming torch. These same implements were used in Mesopotamian rituals designed to ward off evil (see E. A. Speiser, Genesis [AB], 113-14).

[15:17]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “these pieces.”

[15:18]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “cut a covenant.”

[15:18]  ¹¹⁰ tn The perfect verbal form is understood as instantaneous (“I here and now give”). Another option is to understand it as rhetorical, indicating certitude (“I have given” meaning it is as good as done, i.e., “I will surely give”).

[15:18]  sn To your descendants I give this land. The Lord here unconditionally promises that Abram’s descendants will possess the land, but he does not yet ratify his earlier promises to give Abram a multitude of descendants and eternal possession of the land. The fulfillment of those aspects of the promise remain conditional (see Gen 17:1-8) and are ratified after Abraham offers up his son Isaac (see Gen 22:1-19). For a fuller discussion see R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 35-54.

[15:18]  ¹¹¹ sn The river of Egypt is a wadi (a seasonal stream) on the northeastern border of Egypt, not to the River Nile.

[15:19]  ¹¹² tn The words “the land” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[15:21]  ¹¹³ tn Each of the names in the list has the Hebrew definite article, which is used here generically for the class of people identified.

[16:1]  ¹¹⁴ tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of a new episode in the story.

[16:1]  ¹¹⁵ sn On the cultural background of the story of Sarai’s childlessness see J. Van Seters, “The Problem of Childlessness in Near Eastern Law and the Patriarchs of Israel,” JBL 87 (1968): 401-8.

[16:1]  ¹¹⁶ tn The Hebrew term שִׁפְחָה (shifkhah, translated “servant” here and in vv. 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8) refers to a menial female servant.

[16:1]  ¹¹⁷ sn The passage records the birth of Ishmael to Abram through an Egyptian woman. The story illustrates the limits of Abram’s faith as he tries to obtain a son through social custom. The barrenness of Sarai poses a challenge to Abram’s faith, just as the famine did in chap. 12. As in chap. 12, an Egyptian figures prominently. (Perhaps Hagar was obtained as a slave during Abram’s stay in Egypt.)

[16:2]  ¹¹⁸ tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) introduces the foundational clause for the imperative to follow.

[16:2]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “enter to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual relations (also in v. 4).

[16:2]  sn The Hebrew expression translated have sexual relations with does not convey the intimacy of other expressions, such as “so and so knew his wife.” Sarai simply sees this as the social custom of having a child through a surrogate. For further discussion see C. F. Fensham, “The Son of a Handmaid in Northwest Semitic,” VT 19 (1969): 312-21.

[16:2]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “perhaps I will be built from her.” Sarai hopes to have a family established through this surrogate mother.

[16:2]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “listened to the voice of,” which is an idiom meaning “obeyed.”

[16:2]  sn Abram did what Sarai told him. This expression was first used in Gen 3:17 of Adam’s obeying his wife. In both cases the text highlights weak faith and how it jeopardized the plan of God.

[16:3]  ¹²² tn Heb “at the end of ten years, to live, Abram.” The prepositional phrase introduces the temporal clause, the infinitive construct serves as the verb, and the name “Abram” is the subject.

[16:3]  ¹²³ tn Heb “the Egyptian, her female servant.”

[16:3]  ¹²⁴ sn To be his wife. Hagar became a slave wife, not on equal standing with Sarai. However, if Hagar produced the heir, she would be the primary wife in the eyes of society. When this eventually happened, Hagar become insolent, prompting Sarai’s anger.

[16:4]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “entered to.” See the note on the same expression in v. 2.

[16:4]  ¹²⁶ tn Or “she conceived” (also in v. 5)

[16:4]  ¹²⁷ tn Heb “and she saw that she was pregnant and her mistress was despised in her eyes.” The Hebrew verb קָלַל (qalal) means “to despise, to treat lightly, to treat with contempt.” In Hagar’s opinion Sarai had been demoted.

[16:5]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “my wrong is because of you.”

[16:5]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “I placed my female servant in your bosom.”

[16:5]  ¹³⁰ tn Heb “saw.”

[16:5]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “I was despised in her eyes.” The passive verb has been translated as active for stylistic reasons. Sarai was made to feel supplanted and worthless by Hagar the servant girl.

[16:5]  ¹³² tn Heb “me and you.”

[16:5]  sn May the Lord judge between you and me. Sarai blamed Abram for Hagar’s attitude, not the pregnancy. Here she expects to be vindicated by the Lord who will prove Abram responsible. A colloquial rendering might be, “God will get you for this.” It may mean that she thought Abram had encouraged the servant girl in her elevated status.

[16:6]  ¹³³ tn The clause is introduced with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), introducing a foundational clause for the coming imperative: “since…do.”

[16:6]  ¹³⁴ tn Heb “in your hand.”

[16:6]  ¹³⁵ tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”

[16:6]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “her”; the referent (Hagar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:6]  ¹³⁷ tn In the Piel stem the verb עָנָה (’anah) means “to afflict, to oppress, to treat harshly, to mistreat.”

[16:6]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “and she fled from her presence.” The referent of “her” (Sarai) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:7]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “the messenger of the Lord.” Some identify the angel of the Lord as the preincarnate Christ because in some texts the angel is identified with the Lord himself. However, it is more likely that the angel merely represents the Lord; he can speak for the Lord because he is sent with the Lord’s full authority. In some cases the angel is clearly distinct from the Lord (see Judg 6:11-23). It is not certain if the same angel is always in view. Though the proper name following the noun “angel” makes the construction definite, this may simply indicate that a definite angel sent from the Lord is referred to in any given context. It need not be the same angel on every occasion. Note the analogous expression “the servant of the Lord,” which refers to various individuals in the OT (see BDB 714 s.v. עֶבֶד).

[16:7]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “And the angel of the Lord found her near the spring of water in the desert, near the spring on the way to Shur.”

[16:8]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “from the presence of.”

[16:9]  ¹⁴² tn The imperative וְהִתְעַנִּי (vÿhit’anni) is the Hitpael of עָנָה (’anah, here translated “submit”), the same word used for Sarai’s harsh treatment of her. Hagar is instructed not only to submit to Sarai’s authority, but to whatever mistreatment that involves. God calls for Hagar to humble herself.

[16:10]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “The Lord’s angel said, ‘I will greatly multiply your descendants….” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:10]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Heb “cannot be numbered because of abundance.”

[16:11]  ¹⁴⁵ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) focuses on her immediate situation: “Here you are pregnant.”

[16:11]  ¹⁴⁶ tn The active participle refers here to something that is about to happen.

[16:11]  ¹⁴⁷ sn The name Ishmael consists of the imperfect or jussive form of the Hebrew verb with the theophoric element added as the subject. It means “God hears” or “may God hear.”

[16:11]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Heb “affliction,” which must refer here to Hagar’s painful groans of anguish.

[16:11]  sn This clause gives the explanation of the name Ishmael, using a wordplay. Ishmael’s name will be a reminder that “God hears” Hagar’s painful cries.

[16:12]  ¹⁴⁹ sn A wild donkey of a man. The prophecy is not an insult. The wild donkey lived a solitary existence in the desert away from society. Ishmael would be free-roaming, strong, and like a bedouin; he would enjoy the freedom his mother sought.

[16:12]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Heb “His hand will be against everyone.” The “hand” by metonymy represents strength. His free-roaming life style would put him in conflict with those who follow social conventions. There would not be open warfare, only friction because of his antagonism to their way of life.

[16:12]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “And the hand of everyone will be against him.”

[16:12]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “opposite, across from.” Ishmael would live on the edge of society (cf. NASB “to the east of”). Some take this as an idiom meaning “be at odds with” (cf. NRSV, NLT) or “live in hostility toward” (cf. NIV).

[16:13]  ¹⁵³ tn Heb “God of my seeing.” The pronominal suffix may be understood either as objective (“who sees me,” as in the translation) or subjective (“whom I see”).

[16:13]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Heb “after one who sees me.”

[16:13]  sn For a discussion of Hagar’s exclamation, see T. Booij, “Hagar’s Words in Genesis 16:13b,” VT 30 (1980): 1-7.

[16:14]  ¹⁵⁵ tn The verb does not have an expressed subject and so is rendered as passive in the translation.

[16:14]  ¹⁵⁶ sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, bÿ’er lakhay ro’i) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” The text suggests that God takes up the cause of those who are oppressed.

[16:14]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “look.” The words “it is located” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:15]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Heb “and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.”

[16:15]  sn Whom Abram named Ishmael. Hagar must have informed Abram of what the angel had told her. See the note on the name “Ishmael” in 16:11.

[16:16]  ¹⁵⁹ tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is parenthetical to the narrative.

[16:16]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Heb “the son of eighty-six years.”

[16:16]  ¹⁶¹ tn The Hebrew text adds, “for Abram.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons; it is somewhat redundant given the three occurrences of Abram’s name in this and the previous verse.

[46:3]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “the God.”

[14:13]  ¹⁶³ tn The use of אַל (’al) with the jussive has the force of “stop fearing.” It is a more immediate negative command than לֹא (lo’) with the imperfect (as in the Decalogue).

[14:13]  ¹⁶⁴ tn The force of this verb in the Hitpael is “to station oneself” or “stand firm” without fleeing.

[14:13]  ¹⁶⁵ tn The form is an imperative with a vav (ו). It could also be rendered “stand firm and you will see” meaning the result, or “stand firm that you may see” meaning the purpose.

[14:13]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Or “victory” (NAB) or “deliverance” (NIV, NRSV).

[14:13]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “do,” i.e., perform or accomplish.

[14:13]  ¹⁶⁸ tn The construction uses a verbal hendiadys consisting of a Hiphil imperfect (“you will not add”) and a Qal infinitive construct with a suffix (“to see them”) – “you will no longer see them.” Then the clause adds “again, for ever.”

[14:13]  sn U. Cassuto (Exodus, 164) notes that the antithetical parallelism between seeing salvation and seeing the Egyptians, as well as the threefold repetition of the word “see” cannot be accidental; so too the alliteration of the last three words beginning with ayin (ע).

[31:1]  ¹⁶⁹ tc For the MT reading וַיֵּלֶךְ (vayyelekh, “he went”), the LXX and Qumran have וַיְכַל (vaykhal, “he finished”): “So Moses finished speaking,” etc. The difficult reading of the MT favors its authenticity.

[31:1]  ¹⁷⁰ tn In the MT this refers to the words that follow (cf. NIV, NCV).

[28:20]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “the curse, the confusion, and the rebuke” (NASB and NIV similar); NRSV “disaster, panic, and frustration.”

[28:20]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “in all the stretching out of your hand.”

[28:20]  ¹⁷³ tc For the MT first person common singular suffix (“me”), the LXX reads either “Lord” (Lucian) or third person masculine singular suffix (“him”; various codices). The MT’s more difficult reading probably represents the original text.

[28:20]  tn Heb “the evil of your doings wherein you have forsaken me”; CEV “all because you rejected the Lord.”

[27:1]  ¹⁷⁴ sn Psalm 27. The author is confident of the Lord’s protection and asks the Lord to vindicate him.

[27:1]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “the Lord [is] my light and my deliverance.” “Light” is often used as a metaphor for deliverance and the life/blessings it brings. See Pss 37:6; 97:11; 112:4; Isa 49:6; 51:4; Mic 7:8. Another option is that “light” refers here to divine guidance (see Ps 43:3).

[27:1]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Heb “Whom shall I fear?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”

[27:1]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Heb “Of whom shall I be afraid?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”

[35:4]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Heb “Say to the hasty of heart,” i.e., those whose hearts beat quickly from fear.

[35:4]  ¹⁷⁹ tn The jussive form וְיֹשַׁעֲכֶם (vÿyosha’akhem), which is subordinated to the preceding imperfect with vav conjunctive, indicates purpose.

[41:10]  ¹⁸⁰ tn According to BDB (1043 s.v. שָׁעָה), the verb תִּשְׁתָּע (tishta’) in the second line of the poetic couplet is a Hitpael form from the root שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “gaze,” with metathesis of the stem prefix and the first root letter). Taking the Hitpael as iterative, one may then translate “do not anxiously look about.” However, the alleged Hitpael form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah) only occurs here and in verse 23. HALOT 1671 s.v. שׁתע proposes that the verb is instead a Qal form from the root שׁתע (“fear”) which is attested in cognate Semitic languages, including Ugaritic (discovered after the publishing of BDB), suggests the existence of this root. The poetic structure of v. 10 also supports the proposal, for the form in question is in synonymous parallelism to יָרֵא (yare’, “fear”).

[41:10]  ¹⁸¹ tn The “right hand” is a symbol of the Lord’s power to deliver (Exod 15:6, 12) and protect (Ps 63:9 HT [63:8 ET]). Here צֶדֶק (tsedeq) has its well-attested nuance of “vindicated righteousness,” i.e., “victory, deliverance” (see 45:8; 51:5, and BDB 841-42 s.v.).

[41:14]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.

[41:14]  ¹⁸³ tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.” Cf. NAB “O maggot Israel”; NRSV “you insect Israel.”

[41:14]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גָּאַל (ga’al, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.

[41:14]  ¹⁸⁵ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[43:1]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.”

[44:2]  ¹⁸⁷ sn Jeshurun is a poetic name for Israel; it occurs here and in Deut 32:15; 33:5, 26.

[44:8]  ¹⁸⁸ tn BDB 923 s.v. רָהָה derives this verb from an otherwise unattested root, while HALOT 403 s.v. יָרָה defines it as “be stupefied” on the basis of an Arabic cognate. The form is likely a corruption of תיראו, the reading attested in the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a.

[44:8]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “rock” or “rocky cliff,” a title that depicts God as a protective refuge in his role as sovereign king; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”

[51:12]  ¹⁹⁰ tc The plural suffix should probably be emended to the second masculine singular (which is used in v. 13). The final mem (ם) is probably dittographic; note the mem at the beginning of the next word.

[51:12]  ¹⁹¹ tn Heb “Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, and of the son of man who [as] grass is given up?” The feminine singular forms should probably be emended to the masculine singular (see v. 13). They have probably been influenced by the construction אַתְּ־הִיא (’at-hi’) in vv. 9-10.

[10:12]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “gave your heart.”

[8:26]  ¹⁹³ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[8:26]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).

[8:26]  ¹⁹⁵ sn Who has authority over the seas and winds is discussed in the OT: Ps 104:3; 135:7; 107:23-30. When Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea he was making a statement about who he was.

[10:28]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[10:28]  ¹⁹⁷ sn Judaism had a similar exhortation in 4 Macc 13:14-15.

[10:28]  ¹⁹⁸ sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.

[10:29]  ¹⁹⁹ sn The penny refers to an assarion, a small Roman copper coin. One of them was worth one-sixteenth of a denarius or less than a half hour’s average wage. Sparrows were the cheapest items sold in the market. God knows about even the most financially insignificant things; see Isa 49:15.

[10:29]  ²⁰⁰ tn Or “to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father.”

[10:31]  ²⁰¹ sn Do not be afraid. One should respect and show reverence to God, but need not fear his tender care.

[28:5]  ²⁰² tn Grk “But answering, the angel said.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.

[28:5]  ²⁰³ tn Grk “for I know.”

[28:5]  ²⁰⁴ sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.

[1:13]  ²⁰⁵ tn The passive means that the prayer was heard by God.

[1:13]  sn Your prayer has been heard. Zechariah’s prayer while offering the sacrifice would have been for the nation, but the answer to the prayer also gave them a long hoped-for child, a hope they had abandoned because of their old age.

[1:13]  ²⁰⁶ tn Grk “a son, and you”; καί (kai) has not been translated. Instead a semicolon is used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:13]  ²⁰⁷ tn Grk “you will call his name John.” The future tense here functions like a command (see ExSyn 569-70). This same construction occurs in v. 31.

[1:13]  sn “Do not be afraid…you must call his name John.” This is a standard birth announcement (see Gen 16:11; Isa 7:14; Matt 1:21; Luke 1:31).

[1:30]  ²⁰⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Gabriel’s statement is a response to Mary’s perplexity over the greeting.

[1:30]  ²⁰⁹ sn Do not be afraid. See 1:13 for a similar statement to Zechariah.

[1:30]  ²¹⁰ tn Or “grace.”

[1:30]  sn The expression found favor is a Semitism, common in the OT (Gen 6:8; 18:3; 43:14; 2 Sam 15:25). God has chosen to act on this person’s behalf.

[12:32]  ²¹¹ tn Or perhaps, “your Father chooses.”

[1:17]  ²¹² tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[1:17]  ²¹³ tn Here the Greek conjunction καί (kai) has been translated as a contrastive (“but”) due to the contrast between the two clauses.