Kejadian 1:14

1:14 God said, “Let there be lights ¹  in the expanse ²  of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs ³  to indicate seasons and days and years,

Kejadian 1:24

1:24 God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” ⁴  It was so.

Kejadian 2:16

2:16 Then the Lord God commanded ⁵  the man, “You may freely eat ⁶  fruit ⁷  from every tree of the orchard,

Kejadian 5:3

5:3 When ⁸  Adam had lived 130 years he fathered a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and he named him Seth.

Kejadian 6:3

6:3 So the Lord said, “My spirit will not remain in ⁹  humankind indefinitely, ¹⁰  since ¹¹  they ¹²  are mortal. ¹³  They ¹⁴  will remain for 120 more years.” ¹⁵ 

Kejadian 7:1

7:1 The Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, for I consider you godly among this generation. ¹⁶ 

Kejadian 10:32

10:32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations, and from these the nations spread ¹⁷  over the earth after the flood.

Kejadian 11:4

11:4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens ¹⁸  so that ¹⁹  we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise ²⁰  we will be scattered ²¹  across the face of the entire earth.”

Kejadian 12:16

12:16 and he did treat Abram well ²²  on account of her. Abram received ²³  sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

Kejadian 13:3

13:3 And he journeyed from place to place ²⁴  from the Negev as far as Bethel. ²⁵  He returned ²⁶  to the place where he had pitched his tent ²⁷  at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai.

Kejadian 13:7

13:7 So there were quarrels ²⁸  between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. ²⁹  (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.) ³⁰ 

Kejadian 13:14

13:14 After Lot had departed, the Lord said to Abram, ³¹  “Look ³²  from the place where you stand to the north, south, east, and west.

Kejadian 17:1

The Sign of the Covenant

17:1 When Abram was 99 years old, ³³  the Lord appeared to him and said, ³⁴  “I am the sovereign God. ³⁵  Walk ³⁶  before me ³⁷  and be blameless. ³⁸ 

Kejadian 18:2

18:2 Abraham ³⁹  looked up ⁴⁰  and saw ⁴¹  three men standing across ⁴²  from him. When he saw them ⁴³  he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low ⁴⁴  to the ground. ⁴⁵ 

Kejadian 18:6

18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Take ⁴⁶  three measures ⁴⁷  of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.” ⁴⁸ 

Kejadian 18:24

18:24 What if there are fifty godly people in the city? Will you really wipe it out and not spare ⁴⁹  the place for the sake of the fifty godly people who are in it?

Kejadian 18:31

18:31 Abraham ⁵⁰  said, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”

Kejadian 20:1

Abraham and Abimelech

20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev ⁵¹  region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident ⁵²  in Gerar,

Kejadian 20:11

20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ⁵³  ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of ⁵⁴  my wife.’

Kejadian 22:17

22:17 I will indeed bless you, ⁵⁵  and I will greatly multiply ⁵⁶  your descendants ⁵⁷  so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession ⁵⁸  of the strongholds ⁵⁹  of their enemies.

Kejadian 23:11

23:11 “No, my lord! Hear me out. I sell ⁶⁰  you both the field and the cave that is in it. ⁶¹  In the presence of my people ⁶²  I sell it to you. Bury your dead.”

Kejadian 24:8

24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, ⁶³  you will be free ⁶⁴  from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!”

Kejadian 24:10

24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. ⁶⁵  He journeyed ⁶⁶  to the region of Aram Naharaim ⁶⁷  and the city of Nahor.

Kejadian 24:12

24:12 He prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, guide me today. ⁶⁸  Be faithful ⁶⁹  to my master Abraham.

Kejadian 24:32

24:32 So Abraham’s servant ⁷⁰  went to the house and unloaded ⁷¹  the camels. Straw and feed were given ⁷²  to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. ⁷³ 

Kejadian 27:39

27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,

“Indeed, ⁷⁴  your home will be

away from the richness ⁷⁵  of the earth,

and away from the dew of the sky above.

Kejadian 31:35

31:35 Rachel ⁷⁶  said to her father, “Don’t be angry, ⁷⁷  my lord. I cannot stand up ⁷⁸  in your presence because I am having my period.” ⁷⁹  So he searched thoroughly, ⁸⁰  but did not find the idols.

Kejadian 31:50

31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize ⁸¹  that God is witness to your actions.” ⁸² 

Kejadian 32:5

32:5 I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent ⁸³  this message ⁸⁴  to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”

Kejadian 32:7

32:7 Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels.

Kejadian 34:9

34:9 Intermarry with us. ⁸⁵  Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves. ⁸⁶ 

Kejadian 34:14

34:14 They said to them, “We cannot give ⁸⁷  our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace ⁸⁸  to us.

Kejadian 36:18

36:18 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah. These were the chiefs descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.

Kejadian 37:21

37:21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph ⁸⁹  from their hands, ⁹⁰  saying, ⁹¹  “Let’s not take his life!” ⁹² 

Kejadian 41:3

41:3 Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, ⁹³  and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. ⁹⁴ 

Kejadian 41:36

41:36 This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.” ⁹⁵ 

Kejadian 41:41

41:41 “See here,” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I place ⁹⁶  you in authority over all the land of Egypt.” ⁹⁷ 

Kejadian 42:15

42:15 You will be tested in this way: As surely as Pharaoh lives, ⁹⁸  you will not depart from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

Kejadian 42:18

42:18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do as I say ⁹⁹  and you will live, ¹⁰⁰  for I fear God. ¹⁰¹ 

Kejadian 42:20

42:20 But you must bring ¹⁰²  your youngest brother to me. Then ¹⁰³  your words will be verified ¹⁰⁴  and you will not die.” They did as he said. ¹⁰⁵ 

Kejadian 44:34

44:34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see ¹⁰⁶  my father’s pain.” ¹⁰⁷ 

Kejadian 45:9

45:9 Now go up to my father quickly ¹⁰⁸  and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not delay!

Kejadian 45:11

45:11 I will provide you with food ¹⁰⁹  there because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise you would become poor – you, your household, and everyone who belongs to you.”’

Kejadian 46:5-6

46:5 Then Jacob started out ¹¹⁰  from Beer Sheba, and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little children, and their wives in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent along to transport him. 46:6 Jacob and all his descendants took their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and they went to Egypt. ¹¹¹ 

Kejadian 46:15

46:15 These were the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, along with Dinah his daughter. His sons and daughters numbered thirty-three in all. ¹¹² 

Kejadian 47:11

47:11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers. He gave them territory ¹¹³  in the land of Egypt, in the best region of the land, the land of Rameses, ¹¹⁴  just as Pharaoh had commanded.

Kejadian 49:4

49:4 You are destructive ¹¹⁵  like water and will not excel, ¹¹⁶ 

for you got on your father’s bed, ¹¹⁷ 

then you defiled it – he got on my couch! ¹¹⁸ 

Kejadian 50:20

50:20 As for you, you meant to harm me, ¹¹⁹  but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day. ¹²⁰ 

[1:14]  ¹ sn Let there be lights. Light itself was created before the light-bearers. The order would not seem strange to the ancient Hebrew mind that did not automatically link daylight with the sun (note that dawn and dusk appear to have light without the sun).

[1:14]  ² tn The language describing the cosmos, which reflects a prescientific view of the world, must be interpreted as phenomenal, describing what appears to be the case. The sun and the moon are not in the sky (below the clouds), but from the viewpoint of a person standing on the earth, they appear that way. Even today we use similar phenomenological expressions, such as “the sun is rising” or “the stars in the sky.”

[1:14]  ³ tn The text has “for signs and for seasons and for days and years.” It seems likely from the meanings of the words involved that “signs” is the main idea, followed by two categories, “seasons” and “days and years.” This is the simplest explanation, and one that matches vv. 11-13. It could even be rendered “signs for the fixed seasons, that is [explicative vav (ו)] days and years.”

[1:14]  sn Let them be for signs. The point is that the sun and the moon were important to fix the days for the seasonal celebrations for the worshiping community.

[1:24]  ⁴ tn There are three groups of land animals here: the cattle or livestock (mostly domesticated), things that creep or move close to the ground (such as reptiles or rodents), and the wild animals (all animals of the field). The three terms are general classifications without specific details.

[2:16]  ⁵ sn This is the first time in the Bible that the verb tsavah (צָוָה, “to command”) appears. Whatever the man had to do in the garden, the main focus of the narrative is on keeping God’s commandments. God created humans with the capacity to obey him and then tested them with commands.

[2:16]  ⁶ tn The imperfect verb form probably carries the nuance of permission (“you may eat”) since the man is not being commanded to eat from every tree. The accompanying infinitive absolute adds emphasis: “you may freely eat,” or “you may eat to your heart’s content.”

[2:16]  ⁷ tn The word “fruit” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied as the direct object of the verb “eat.” Presumably the only part of the tree the man would eat would be its fruit (cf. 3:2).

[5:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “and Adam lived 130 years.” In the translation the verb is subordinated to the following verb, “and he fathered,” and rendered as a temporal clause.

[6:3]  ⁹ tn The verb form יָדוֹן (yadon) only occurs here. Some derive it from the verbal root דִּין (din, “to judge”) and translate “strive” or “contend with” (so NIV), but in this case one expects the form to be יָדִין (yadin). The Old Greek has “remain with,” a rendering which may find support from an Arabic cognate (see C. Westermann, Genesis, 1:375). If one interprets the verb in this way, then it is possible to understand רוּחַ (ruakh) as a reference to the divine life-giving spirit or breath, rather than the Lord’s personal Spirit. E. A. Speiser argues that the term is cognate with an Akkadian word meaning “protect” or “shield.” In this case, the Lord’s Spirit will not always protect humankind, for the race will suddenly be destroyed (E. A. Speiser, “YDWN, Gen. 6:3,” JBL 75 [1956]: 126-29).

[6:3]  ¹⁰ tn Or “forever.”

[6:3]  ¹¹ tn The form בְּשַׁגַּם (bÿshagam) appears to be a compound of the preposition בְּ (beth, “in”), the relative שֶׁ (she, “who” or “which”), and the particle גַּם (gam, “also, even”). It apparently means “because even” (see BDB 980 s.v. שֶׁ).

[6:3]  ¹² tn Heb “he”; the plural pronoun has been used in the translation since “man” earlier in the verse has been understood as a collective (“humankind”).

[6:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “flesh.”

[6:3]  ¹⁴ tn See the note on “they” earlier in this verse.

[6:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “his days will be 120 years.” Some interpret this to mean that the age expectancy of people from this point on would be 120, but neither the subsequent narrative nor reality favors this. It is more likely that this refers to the time remaining between this announcement of judgment and the coming of the flood.

[7:1]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “for you I see [as] godly before me in this generation.” The direct object (“you”) is placed first in the clause to give it prominence. The verb “to see” here signifies God’s evaluative discernment.

[10:32]  ¹⁷ tn Or “separated.”

[11:4]  ¹⁸ tn A translation of “heavens” for שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) fits this context because the Babylonian ziggurats had temples at the top, suggesting they reached to the heavens, the dwelling place of the gods.

[11:4]  ¹⁹ tn The form וְנַעֲשֶׂה (vÿna’aseh, from the verb עשׂה, “do, make”) could be either the imperfect or the cohortative with a vav (ו) conjunction (“and let us make…”). Coming after the previous cohortative, this form expresses purpose.

[11:4]  ²⁰ tn The Hebrew particle פֶּן (pen) expresses a negative purpose; it means “that we be not scattered.”

[11:4]  ²¹ sn The Hebrew verb פָּוָץ (pavats, translated “scatter”) is a key term in this passage. The focal point of the account is the dispersion (“scattering”) of the nations rather than the Tower of Babel. But the passage also forms a polemic against Babylon, the pride of the east and a cosmopolitan center with a huge ziggurat. To the Hebrews it was a monument to the judgment of God on pride.

[12:16]  ²² sn He did treat Abram well. The construction of the parenthetical disjunctive clause, beginning with the conjunction on the prepositional phrase, draws attention to the irony of the story. Abram wanted Sarai to lie “so that it would go well” with him. Though he lost Sarai to Pharaoh, it did go well for him – he received a lavish bride price. See also G. W. Coats, “Despoiling the Egyptians,” VT 18 (1968): 450-57.

[12:16]  ²³ tn Heb “and there was to him.”

[13:3]  ²⁴ tn Heb “on his journeys”; the verb and noun combination means to pick up the tents and move from camp to camp.

[13:3]  ²⁵ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[13:3]  ²⁶ tn The words “he returned” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:3]  ²⁷ tn Heb “where his tent had been.”

[13:7]  ²⁸ tn The Hebrew term רִיב (riv) means “strife, conflict, quarreling.” In later texts it has the meaning of “legal controversy, dispute.” See B. Gemser, “The rîb – or Controversy – Pattern in Hebrew Mentality,” Wisdom in Israel and in the Ancient Near East [VTSup], 120-37.

[13:7]  ²⁹ sn Since the quarreling was between the herdsmen, the dispute was no doubt over water and vegetation for the animals.

[13:7]  ³⁰ tn This parenthetical clause, introduced with the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), again provides critical information. It tells in part why the land cannot sustain these two bedouins, and it also hints of the danger of weakening the family by inner strife.

[13:14]  ³¹ tn Heb “and the Lord said to Abram after Lot separated himself from with him.” The disjunctive clause at the beginning of the verse signals a new scene.

[13:14]  ³² tn Heb “lift up your eyes and see.”

[13:14]  sn Look. Earlier Lot “looked up” (v. 10), but here Abram is told by God to do so. The repetition of the expression (Heb “lift up the eyes”) here underscores how the Lord will have the last word and actually do for Abram what Abram did for Lot – give him the land. It seems to be one of the ways that God rewards faith.

[17:1]  ³³ tn Heb “the son of ninety-nine years.”

[17:1]  ³⁴ tn Heb “appeared to Abram and said to him.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) and the final phrase “to him” has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.

[17:1]  ³⁵ tn The name אֵל שַׁדַּי (’el shadday, “El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72. Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world who grants, blesses, and judges. In the Book of Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name are uncertain (see discussion below) its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. In Gen 17:1-8 he appeared to Abram, introduced himself as El Shaddai, and announced his intention to make the patriarch fruitful. In the role of El Shaddai God repeated these words (now elevated to the status of a decree) to Jacob (35:11). Earlier Isaac had pronounced a blessing on Jacob in which he asked El Shaddai to make Jacob fruitful (28:3). Jacob later prayed that his sons would be treated with mercy when they returned to Egypt with Benjamin (43:14). The fertility theme is not as apparent here, though one must remember that Jacob viewed Benjamin as the sole remaining son of the favored and once-barren Rachel (see 29:31; 30:22-24; 35:16-18). It is quite natural that he would appeal to El Shaddai to preserve Benjamin’s life, for it was El Shaddai’s miraculous power which made it possible for Rachel to give him sons in the first place. In 48:3 Jacob, prior to blessing Joseph’s sons, told him how El Shaddai appeared to him at Bethel (see Gen 28) and promised to make him fruitful. When blessing Joseph on his deathbed Jacob referred to Shaddai (we should probably read “El Shaddai,” along with a few Hebrew mss, the Samaritan Pentateuch, the LXX, and Syriac) as the one who provides abundant blessings, including “blessings of the breast and womb” (49:25). (The direct association of the name with “breasts” suggests the name might mean “the one of the breast” [i.e., the one who gives fertility], but the juxtaposition is probably better explained as wordplay. Note the wordplay involving the name and the root שָׁדַד, shadad, “destroy”] in Isa 13:6 and in Joel 1:15.) Outside Genesis the name Shaddai (minus the element “El” [“God”]) is normally used when God is viewed as the sovereign king who blesses/protects or curses/brings judgment. The name appears in the introduction to two of Balaam’s oracles (Num 24:4, 16) of blessing upon Israel. Naomi employs the name when accusing the Lord of treating her bitterly by taking the lives of her husband and sons (Ruth 1:20-21). In Ps 68:14; Isa 13:6; and Joel 1:15 Shaddai judges his enemies through warfare, while Ps 91:1 depicts him as the protector of his people. (In Ezek 1:24 and 10:5 the sound of the cherubs’ wings is compared to Shaddai’s powerful voice. The reference may be to the mighty divine warrior’s battle cry which accompanies his angry judgment.) Finally, the name occurs 31 times in the Book of Job. Job and his “friends” assume that Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world (11:7; 37:23a) who is the source of life (33:4b) and is responsible for maintaining justice (8:3; 34:10-12; 37:23b). He provides abundant blessings, including children (22:17-18; 29:4-6), but he can also discipline, punish, and destroy (5:17; 6:4; 21:20; 23:16). It is not surprising to see the name so often in this book, where the theme of God’s justice is primary and even called into question (24:1; 27:2). The most likely proposal is that the name means “God, the one of the mountain” (an Akkadian cognate means “mountain,” to which the Hebrew שַׁד, shad, “breast”] is probably related). For a discussion of proposed derivations see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 70-71. The name may originally have depicted God as the sovereign judge who, in Canaanite style, ruled from a sacred mountain. Isa 14:13 and Ezek 28:14, 16 associate such a mountain with God, while Ps 48:2 refers to Zion as “Zaphon,” the Canaanite Olympus from which the high god El ruled. (In Isa 14 the Canaanite god El may be in view. Note that Isaiah pictures pagan kings as taunting the king of Babylon, suggesting that pagan mythology may provide the background for the language and imagery.)

[17:1]  ³⁶ tn Or “Live out your life.” The Hebrew verb translated “walk” is the Hitpael; it means “to walk back and forth; to walk about; to live out one’s life.”

[17:1]  ³⁷ tn Or “in my presence.”

[17:1]  ³⁸ tn There are two imperatives here: “walk…and be blameless [or “perfect”].” The second imperative may be purely sequential (see the translation) or consequential: “walk before me and then you will be blameless.” How one interprets the sequence depends on the meaning of “walk before”: (1) If it simply refers in a neutral way to serving the Lord, then the second imperative is likely sequential. (2) But if it has a positive moral connotation (“serve me faithfully”), then the second imperative probably indicates purpose (or result). For other uses of the idiom see 1 Sam 2:30, 35 and 12:2 (where it occurs twice).

[18:2]  ³⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:2]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

[18:2]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to what he saw. The drawn-out description focuses the reader’s attention on Abraham’s deliberate, fixed gaze and indicates that what he is seeing is significant.

[18:2]  ⁴² tn The Hebrew preposition עַל (’al) indicates the three men were nearby, but not close by, for Abraham had to run to meet them.

[18:2]  ⁴³ tn The pronoun “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

[18:2]  ⁴⁴ tn The form וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ (vayyishtakhu, “and bowed low”) is from the verb הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה (hishtakhavah, “to worship, bow low to the ground”). It is probably from a root חָוָה (khavah), though some derive it from שָׁחָה (shakhah).

[18:2]  ⁴⁵ sn The reader knows this is a theophany. The three visitors are probably the Lord and two angels (see Gen 19:1). It is not certain how soon Abraham recognized the true identity of the visitors. His actions suggest he suspected this was something out of the ordinary, though it is possible that his lavish treatment of the visitors was done quite unwittingly. Bowing down to the ground would be reserved for obeisance of kings or worship of the Lord. Whether he was aware of it or not, Abraham’s action was most appropriate.

[18:6]  ⁴⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷ 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]  ⁴⁸ sn The bread was the simple, round bread made by bedouins that is normally prepared quickly for visitors.

[18:24]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “lift up,” perhaps in the sense of “bear with” (cf. NRSV “forgive”).

[18:31]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:1]  ⁵¹ tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”

[20:1]  sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.

[20:1]  ⁵² tn Heb “and he sojourned.”

[20:11]  ⁵³ tn Heb “Because I said.”

[20:11]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “over the matter of.”

[22:17]  ⁵⁵ tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.

[22:17]  ⁵⁶ tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).

[22:17]  sn I will greatly multiply. The Lord here ratifies his earlier promise to give Abram a multitude of descendants. For further discussion see R. B. Chisholm, “Evidence from Genesis,” A Case for Premillennialism, 35-54.

[22:17]  ⁵⁷ tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zera’) occurring here and in v. 18 may mean “seed” (for planting), “offspring” (occasionally of animals, but usually of people), or “descendants” depending on the context.

[22:17]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “inherit.”

[22:17]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. To break through the gate complex would be to conquer the city, for the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”).

[23:11]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “give.” The perfect tense has here a present nuance; this is a formal, legally binding declaration. Abraham asked only for a burial site/cave within the field; Ephron agrees to sell him the entire field.

[23:11]  ⁶¹ tn The Hebrew text adds “to you I give [i.e., sell] it.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[23:11]  ⁶² tn Heb “in the presence of the sons of my people.”

[24:8]  ⁶³ tn Heb “ to go after you.”

[24:8]  ⁶⁴ sn You will be free. If the prospective bride was not willing to accompany the servant back to Canaan, the servant would be released from his oath to Abraham.

[24:10]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “and every good thing of his master was in his hand.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, explaining that he took all kinds of gifts to be used at his discretion.

[24:10]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “and he arose and went.”

[24:10]  ⁶⁷ tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:10]  sn Aram Naharaim means in Hebrew “Aram of the Two Rivers,” a region in northern Mesopotamia.

[24:12]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “make it happen before me today.” Although a number of English translations understand this as a request for success in the task (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV) it is more likely that the servant is requesting an omen or sign from God (v. 14).

[24:12]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”

[24:32]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:32]  ⁷¹ tn Some translations (e.g., NEB, NASB, NRSV) understand Laban to be the subject of this and the following verbs or take the subject of this and the following verbs as indefinite (referring to an unnamed servant; e.g., NAB, NIV).

[24:32]  ⁷² tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.

[24:32]  ⁷³ tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”

[27:39]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “look.”

[27:39]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “from the fatness.”

[31:35]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:35]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “let it not be hot in the eyes of my lord.” This idiom refers to anger, in this case as a result of Rachel’s failure to stand in the presence of her father as a sign of respect.

[31:35]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”

[31:35]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.

[31:35]  ⁸⁰ tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.

[31:50]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “see.”

[31:50]  ⁸² tn Heb “between me and you.”

[32:5]  ⁸³ tn Or “I am sending.” The form is a preterite with the vav consecutive; it could be rendered as an English present tense – as the Hebrew perfect/preterite allows – much like an epistolary aorist in Greek. The form assumes the temporal perspective of the one who reads the message.

[32:5]  ⁸⁴ tn The words “this message” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[34:9]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “form marriage alliances with us.”

[34:9]  sn Intermarry with us. This includes the idea of becoming allied by marriage. The incident foreshadows the temptations Israel would eventually face when they entered the promised land (see Deut 7:3; Josh 23:12).

[34:9]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.” In the translation the words “let…marry” and “as wives” are supplied for clarity.

[34:14]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “we are not able to do this thing, to give.” The second infinitive is in apposition to the first, explaining what they are not able to do.

[34:14]  ⁸⁸ tn The Hebrew word translated “disgrace” usually means “ridicule; taunt; reproach.” It can also refer to the reason the condition of shame or disgrace causes ridicule or a reproach.

[37:21]  ⁸⁹ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[37:21]  ⁹⁰ sn From their hands. The instigators of this plot may have been the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (see v. 2).

[37:21]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “and he said.”

[37:21]  ⁹² tn Heb “we must not strike him down [with respect to] life.”

[41:3]  ⁹³ tn Heb “And look, seven other cows were coming up after them from the Nile, bad of appearance and thin of flesh.”

[41:3]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “the Nile.” This has been replaced by “the river” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:36]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “and the land will not be cut off in the famine.”

[41:41]  ⁹⁶ tn The translation assumes that the perfect verbal form is descriptive of a present action. Another option is to understand it as rhetorical, in which case Pharaoh describes a still future action as if it had already occurred in order to emphasize its certainty. In this case one could translate “I have placed” or “I will place.” The verb נָתַן (natan) is translated here as “to place in authority [over].”

[41:41]  ⁹⁷ sn Joseph became the grand vizier of the land of Egypt. See W. A. Ward, “The Egyptian Office of Joseph,” JSS 5 (1960): 144-50; and R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 129-31.

[42:15]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “[By] the life of Pharaoh.”

[42:15]  sn As surely as Pharaoh lives. Joseph uses an oath formula to let the brothers know the certainty of what he said. There is some discussion in the commentaries on swearing by the life of Pharaoh, but since the formulation here reflects the Hebrew practice, it would be hard to connect the ideas exactly to Egyptian practices. Joseph did this to make the point in a way that his Hebrew brothers would understand. See M. R. Lehmann, “Biblical Oaths,” ZAW 81 (1969): 74-92.

[42:18]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “Do this.”

[42:18]  ¹⁰⁰ tn After the preceding imperative, the imperative with vav (ו) can, as here, indicate logical sequence.

[42:18]  ¹⁰¹ sn For I fear God. Joseph brings God into the picture to awaken his brothers’ consciences. The godly person cares about the welfare of people, whether they live or die. So he will send grain back, but keep one of them in Egypt. This action contrasts with their crime of selling their brother into slavery.

[42:20]  ¹⁰² tn The imperfect here has an injunctive force.

[42:20]  ¹⁰³ tn After the injunctive imperfect, this imperfect with vav indicates purpose or result.

[42:20]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The Niphal form of the verb has the sense of “to be faithful; to be sure; to be reliable.” Joseph will test his brothers to see if their words are true.

[42:20]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “and they did so.”

[44:34]  ¹⁰⁶ tn The Hebrew text has “lest I see,” which expresses a negative purpose – “I cannot go up lest I see.”

[44:34]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “the calamity which would find my father.”

[45:9]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “hurry and go up.”

[45:11]  ¹⁰⁹ tn The verb כּוּל (kul) in the Pilpel stem means “to nourish, to support, to sustain.” As in 1 Kgs 20:27, it here means “to supply with food.”

[46:5]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “arose.”

[46:6]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “and they took their livestock and their possessions which they had acquired in the land of Canaan and they went to Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[46:15]  ¹¹² tn Heb “all the lives of his sons and his daughters, thirty-three.”

[47:11]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “a possession,” or “a holding.” Joseph gave them a plot of land with rights of ownership in the land of Goshen.

[47:11]  ¹¹⁴ sn The land of Rameses is another designation for the region of Goshen. It is named Rameses because of a city in that region (Exod 1:11; 12:37). The use of this name may represent a modernization of the text for the understanding of the intended readers, substituting a later name for an earlier one. Alternatively, there may have been an earlier Rameses for which the region was named.

[49:4]  ¹¹⁵ tn The Hebrew noun פַּחַז (pakhaz) only occurs here in the OT. A related verb occurs twice in the prophets (Jer 23:32; Zeph 3:4) for false prophets inventing their messages, and once in Judges for unscrupulous men bribed to murder (Judg 9:4). It would describe Reuben as being “frothy, boiling, turbulent” as water. The LXX has “run riot,” the Vulgate has “poured out,” and Tg. Onq. has “you followed your own direction.” It is a reference to Reuben’s misconduct in Gen 35, but the simile and the rare word invite some speculation. H. Pehlke suggests “destructive like water,” for Reuben acted with pride and presumption; see his “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Genesis 49:1-28” (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1985).

[49:4]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “Do not excel!” The Hiphil of the verb יָתַר (yatar) has this meaning only here. The negated jussive is rhetorical here. Rather than being a command, it anticipates what will transpire. The prophecy says that because of the character of the ancestor, the tribe of Reuben would not have the character to lead (see 1 Chr 5:1).

[49:4]  ¹¹⁷ sn This is a euphemism for having sexual intercourse with Jacob’s wives (see Gen 35:22).

[49:4]  ¹¹⁸ tn The last verb is third masculine singular, as if for the first time Jacob told the brothers, or let them know that he knew. For a discussion of this passage see S. Gevirtz, “The Reprimand of Reuben,” JNES 30 (1971): 87-98.

[50:20]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “you devised against me evil.”

[50:20]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “God devised it for good in order to do, like this day, to preserve alive a great nation.”