Kejadian 16:1

The Birth of Ishmael

16:1 Now Sarai, ¹  Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, ²  but she had an Egyptian servant ³  named Hagar. ⁴ 

Kejadian 31:23

31:23 So he took his relatives ⁵  with him and pursued Jacob ⁶  for seven days. ⁷  He caught up with ⁸  him in the hill country of Gilead.

Kejadian 37:5

37:5 Joseph ⁹  had a dream, ¹⁰  and when he told his brothers about it, ¹¹  they hated him even more. ¹² 

Kejadian 44:14

44:14 So Judah and his brothers ¹³  came back to Joseph’s house. He was still there, ¹⁴  and they threw themselves to the ground before him.

Kejadian 49:13

49:13 Zebulun will live ¹⁵  by the haven of the sea

and become a haven for ships;

his border will extend to Sidon. ¹⁶ 

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

[16:1]  ² 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]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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.)

[31:23]  ⁵ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[31:23]  ⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:23]  ⁷ tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”

[31:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “drew close to.”

[37:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[37:5]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn The construction uses a hendiadys, “they added to hate,” meaning they hated him even more.

[44:14]  ¹³ sn Judah and his brothers. The narrative is already beginning to bring Judah to the forefront.

[44:14]  ¹⁴ tn The disjunctive clause here provides supplemental information.

[49:13]  ¹⁵ tn The verb שָׁכַן (shakhan) means “to settle,” but not necessarily as a permanent dwelling place. The tribal settlements by the sea would have been temporary and not the tribe’s territory.

[49:13]  ¹⁶ map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.