Kejadian 18:6-8

18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Take ¹  three measures ²  of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.” ³  18:7 Then Abraham ran to the herd and chose a fine, tender calf, and gave it to a servant, ⁴  who quickly prepared it. ⁵  18:8 Abraham ⁶  then took some curds and milk, along with the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food ⁷  before them. They ate while ⁸  he was standing near them under a tree.

Kejadian 24:13-14

24:13 Here I am, standing by the spring, ⁹  and the daughters of the people ¹⁰  who live in the town are coming out to draw water. 24:14 I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ ¹¹  In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” ¹² 

Kejadian 24:18-20

24:18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and quickly lowering ¹³  her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. 24:19 When she had done so, ¹⁴  she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want.” 24:20 She quickly emptied ¹⁵  her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels.

Kejadian 29:9-10

29:9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was tending them. ¹⁶  29:10 When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, ¹⁷  and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he ¹⁸  went over ¹⁹  and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. ²⁰ 

[18:6]  ¹ tn The word “take” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the sentence lacks a verb other than the imperative “hurry.” The elliptical structure of the language reflects Abraham’s haste to get things ready quickly.

[18:6]  ² sn Three measures (Heb “three seahs”) was equivalent to about twenty quarts (twenty-two liters) of flour, which would make a lot of bread. The animal prepared for the meal was far more than the three visitors needed. This was a banquet for royalty. Either it had been a lonely time for Abraham and the presence of visitors made him very happy, or he sensed this was a momentous visit.

[18:6]  ³ sn The bread was the simple, round bread made by bedouins that is normally prepared quickly for visitors.

[18:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “the young man.”

[18:7]  ⁵ tn The construction uses the Piel preterite, “he hurried,” followed by the infinitive construct; the two probably form a verbal hendiadys: “he quickly prepared.”

[18:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:8]  ⁷ tn The words “the food” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

[18:8]  ⁸ tn The disjunctive clause is a temporal circumstantial clause subordinate to the main verb.

[24:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:13]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the men.”

[24:14]  ¹¹ sn I will also give your camels water. It would be an enormous test for a young woman to water ten camels. The idea is that such a woman would not only be industrious but hospitable and generous.

[24:14]  ¹² tn Heb “And let the young woman to whom I say, ‘Lower your jar that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I will also give your camels water,’ – her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac, and by it I will know that you have acted in faithfulness with my master.”

[24:18]  ¹³ tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”

[24:19]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[24:20]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”

[29:9]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “was a shepherdess.”

[29:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother” (twice in this verse).

[29:10]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “Jacob.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[29:10]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “drew near, approached.”

[29:10]  ²⁰ tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother.” The text says nothing initially about the beauty of Rachel. But the reader is struck by the repetition of “Laban the brother of his mother.” G. J. Wenham is no doubt correct when he observes that Jacob’s primary motive at this stage is to ingratiate himself with Laban (Genesis [WBC], 2:231).