Kejadian 1:7

1:7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. ¹  It was so. ² 

Kejadian 2:21

2:21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, ³  and while he was asleep, ⁴  he took part of the man’s side ⁵  and closed up the place with flesh. ⁶ 

Kejadian 2:24

2:24 That is why ⁷  a man leaves ⁸  his father and mother and unites with ⁹  his wife, and they become a new family. ¹⁰ 

Kejadian 4:14

4:14 Look! You are driving me off the land ¹¹  today, and I must hide from your presence. ¹²  I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me.”

Kejadian 6:12

6:12 God saw the earth, and indeed ¹³  it was ruined, ¹⁴  for all living creatures ¹⁵  on the earth were sinful. ¹⁶ 

Kejadian 7:3

7:3 and also seven ¹⁷  of every kind of bird in the sky, male and female, ¹⁸  to preserve their offspring ¹⁹  on the face of the earth.

Kejadian 7:8

7:8 Pairs ²⁰  of clean animals, of unclean animals, of birds, and of everything that creeps along the ground,

Kejadian 7:19

7:19 The waters completely inundated ²¹  the earth so that even ²²  all the high mountains under the entire sky were covered.

Kejadian 8:11

8:11 When ²³  the dove returned to him in the evening, there was ²⁴  a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak! Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth.

Kejadian 8:19

8:19 Every living creature, every creeping thing, every bird, and everything that moves on the earth went out of the ark in their groups.

Kejadian 9:16-17

9:16 When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will notice it and remember ²⁵  the perpetual covenant between God and all living creatures of all kinds that are on the earth.”

9:17 So God said to Noah, “This is the guarantee of the covenant that I am confirming between me and all living things ²⁶  that are on the earth.”

Kejadian 10:9

10:9 He was a mighty hunter ²⁷  before the Lord. ²⁸  (That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.”)

Kejadian 11:4

11:4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens ²⁹  so that ³⁰  we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise ³¹  we will be scattered ³²  across the face of the entire earth.”

Kejadian 12:17

12:17 But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases ³³  because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

Kejadian 13:9

13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself now from me. If you go ³⁴  to the left, then I’ll go to the right, but if you go to the right, then I’ll go to the left.”

Kejadian 13:11

13:11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled ³⁵  toward the east.

So the relatives separated from each other. ³⁶ 

Kejadian 16:12

16:12 He will be a wild donkey ³⁷  of a man.

He will be hostile to everyone, ³⁸ 

and everyone will be hostile to him. ³⁹ 

He will live away from ⁴⁰  his brothers.”

Kejadian 17:17

17:17 Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed ⁴¹  as he said to himself, ⁴²  “Can ⁴³  a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? ⁴⁴  Can Sarah ⁴⁵  bear a child at the age of ninety?” ⁴⁶ 

Kejadian 18:2

18:2 Abraham ⁴⁷  looked up ⁴⁸  and saw ⁴⁹  three men standing across ⁵⁰  from him. When he saw them ⁵¹  he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low ⁵²  to the ground. ⁵³ 

Kejadian 18:8

18:8 Abraham ⁵⁴  then took some curds and milk, along with the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food ⁵⁵  before them. They ate while ⁵⁶  he was standing near them under a tree.

Kejadian 19:4

19:4 Before they could lie down to sleep, ⁵⁷  all the men – both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom – surrounded the house. ⁵⁸ 

Kejadian 19:16

19:16 When Lot ⁵⁹  hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. ⁶⁰  They led them away and placed them ⁶¹  outside the city.

Kejadian 19:22

19:22 Run there quickly, ⁶²  for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.) ⁶³ 

Kejadian 19:31

19:31 Later the older daughter said ⁶⁴  to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby ⁶⁵  to have sexual relations with us, ⁶⁶  according to the way of all the world.

Kejadian 20:3

20:3 But God appeared ⁶⁷  to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead ⁶⁸  because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” ⁶⁹ 

Kejadian 20:11

20:11 Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ⁷⁰  ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of ⁷¹  my wife.’

Kejadian 20:18

20:18 For the Lord ⁷²  had caused infertility to strike every woman ⁷³  in the household of Abimelech because he took ⁷⁴  Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

Kejadian 22:6

22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. Then he took the fire and the knife in his hand, ⁷⁵  and the two of them walked on together.

Kejadian 23:19

23:19 After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

Kejadian 24:9

24:9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. ⁷⁶ 

Kejadian 24:22

24:22 After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka ⁷⁷  and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels ⁷⁸  and gave them to her. ⁷⁹ 

Kejadian 24:42-43

24:42 When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, ⁸⁰  may events unfold as follows: ⁸¹  24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. ⁸²  When ⁸³  the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.”

Kejadian 24:46

24:46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels water.

Kejadian 24:61

24:61 Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with ⁸⁴  the man. So Abraham’s servant ⁸⁵  took Rebekah and left.

Kejadian 25:6

25:6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines ⁸⁶  and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac. ⁸⁷ 

Kejadian 25:9

25:9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah ⁸⁸  near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hethite.

Kejadian 25:30

25:30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed ⁸⁹  me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called ⁹⁰  Edom.) ⁹¹ 

Kejadian 26:10

26:10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us? ⁹²  One of the men ⁹³  might easily have had sexual relations with ⁹⁴  your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!”

Kejadian 26:32

26:32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We’ve found water,” they reported. ⁹⁵ 

Kejadian 27:39

27:39 So his father Isaac said to him,

“Indeed, ⁹⁶  your home will be

away from the richness ⁹⁷  of the earth,

and away from the dew of the sky above.

Kejadian 28:9

28:9 So Esau went to Ishmael and married ⁹⁸  Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, along with the wives he already had.

Kejadian 28:18

28:18 Early ⁹⁹  in the morning Jacob ¹⁰⁰  took the stone he had placed near his head ¹⁰¹  and set it up as a sacred stone. ¹⁰²  Then he poured oil on top of it.

Kejadian 29:8

29:8 “We can’t,” they said, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled off the mouth of the well. Then we water ¹⁰³  the sheep.”

Kejadian 29:35

29:35 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” That is why she named him Judah. ¹⁰⁴  Then she stopped having children.

Kejadian 30:3

30:3 She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with ¹⁰⁵  her so that she can bear ¹⁰⁶  children ¹⁰⁷  for me ¹⁰⁸  and I can have a family through her.” ¹⁰⁹ 

Kejadian 30:6

30:6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer ¹¹⁰  and given me a son.” That is why ¹¹¹  she named him Dan. ¹¹² 

Kejadian 30:37

30:37 But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible.

Kejadian 31:10

31:10 “Once ¹¹³  during breeding season I saw ¹¹⁴  in a dream that the male goats mating with ¹¹⁵  the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted.

Kejadian 31:20

31:20 Jacob also deceived ¹¹⁶  Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. ¹¹⁷ 

Kejadian 31:34

31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle ¹¹⁸  and sat on them.) ¹¹⁹  Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. ¹²⁰ 

Kejadian 31:46

31:46 Then he ¹²¹  said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they brought stones and put them in a pile. ¹²²  They ate there by the pile of stones.

Kejadian 31:48

31:48 Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement ¹²³  today.” That is why it was called Galeed.

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 ¹²⁴  that God is witness to your actions.” ¹²⁵ 

Kejadian 32:11

32:11 Rescue me, ¹²⁶  I pray, from the hand ¹²⁷  of my brother Esau, ¹²⁸  for I am afraid he will come ¹²⁹  and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children. ¹³⁰ 

Kejadian 33:13

33:13 But Jacob ¹³¹  said to him, “My lord knows that the children are young, ¹³²  and that I have to look after the sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. ¹³³  If they are driven too hard for even a single day, all the animals will die.

Kejadian 33:17

33:17 But ¹³⁴  Jacob traveled to Succoth ¹³⁵  where he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was called ¹³⁶  Succoth. ¹³⁷ 

Kejadian 34:12

34:12 You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive, ¹³⁸  and I’ll give ¹³⁹  whatever you ask ¹⁴⁰  of me. Just give me the young woman as my wife!”

Kejadian 35:5

35:5 and they started on their journey. ¹⁴¹  The surrounding cities were afraid of God, ¹⁴²  and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

Kejadian 37:23

37:23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him ¹⁴³  of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore.

Kejadian 38:12

38:12 After some time ¹⁴⁴  Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah was consoled, he left for Timnah to visit his sheepshearers, along with ¹⁴⁵  his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

Kejadian 38:21

38:21 He asked the men who were there, ¹⁴⁶  “Where is the cult prostitute ¹⁴⁷  who was at Enaim by the road?” But they replied, “There has been no cult prostitute here.”

Kejadian 38:26

38:26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright ¹⁴⁸  than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He did not have sexual relations with her ¹⁴⁹  again.

Kejadian 38:28-29

38:28 While she was giving birth, one child ¹⁵⁰  put out his hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 38:29 But then he drew back his hand, and his brother came out before him. ¹⁵¹  She said, “How you have broken out of the womb!” ¹⁵²  So he was named Perez. ¹⁵³ 

Kejadian 39:4

39:4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. ¹⁵⁴  Potiphar appointed Joseph ¹⁵⁵  overseer of his household and put him in charge ¹⁵⁶  of everything he owned.

Kejadian 40:11

40:11 Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, so I took the grapes, squeezed them into his ¹⁵⁷  cup, and put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” ¹⁵⁸ 

Kejadian 40:16-17

40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation of the first dream was favorable, ¹⁵⁹  he said to Joseph, “I also appeared in my dream and there were three baskets of white bread ¹⁶⁰  on my head. 40:17 In the top basket there were baked goods of every kind for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them from the basket that was on my head.”

Kejadian 41:3

41:3 Then seven bad-looking, thin cows were coming up after them from the Nile, ¹⁶¹  and they stood beside the other cows at the edge of the river. ¹⁶² 

Kejadian 41:10

41:10 Pharaoh was enraged with his servants, and he put me in prison in the house of the captain of the guards – me and the chief baker.

Kejadian 41:15

41:15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, ¹⁶³  and there is no one who can interpret ¹⁶⁴  it. But I have heard about you, that ¹⁶⁵  you can interpret dreams.” ¹⁶⁶ 

Kejadian 41:32

41:32 The dream was repeated to Pharaoh ¹⁶⁷  because the matter has been decreed ¹⁶⁸  by God, and God will make it happen soon. ¹⁶⁹ 

Kejadian 41:34

41:34 Pharaoh should do ¹⁷⁰  this – he should appoint ¹⁷¹  officials ¹⁷²  throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt ¹⁷³  during the seven years of abundance.

Kejadian 41:43

41:43 Pharaoh ¹⁷⁴  had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, ¹⁷⁵  and they cried out before him, “Kneel down!” ¹⁷⁶  So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.

Kejadian 41:56

41:56 While the famine was over all the earth, ¹⁷⁷  Joseph opened the storehouses ¹⁷⁸  and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt.

Kejadian 42:6

42:6 Now Joseph was the ruler of the country, the one who sold grain to all the people of the country. ¹⁷⁹  Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down ¹⁸⁰  before him with ¹⁸¹  their faces to the ground.

Kejadian 42:24

42:24 He turned away from them and wept. When he turned around and spoke to them again, ¹⁸²  he had Simeon taken ¹⁸³  from them and tied up ¹⁸⁴  before their eyes.

Kejadian 42:36

42:36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You are making me childless! Joseph is gone. ¹⁸⁵  Simeon is gone. ¹⁸⁶  And now you want to take ¹⁸⁷  Benjamin! Everything is against me.”

Kejadian 45:21

45:21 So the sons of Israel did as he said. ¹⁸⁸  Joseph gave them wagons as Pharaoh had instructed, ¹⁸⁹  and he gave them provisions for the journey.

Kejadian 46:4

46:4 I will go down with you to Egypt and I myself will certainly bring you back from there. ¹⁹⁰  Joseph will close your eyes.” ¹⁹¹ 

Kejadian 48:2

48:2 When Jacob was told, ¹⁹²  “Your son Joseph has just ¹⁹³  come to you,” Israel regained strength and sat up on his bed.

Kejadian 48:18

48:18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”

Kejadian 48:22

48:22 As one who is above your ¹⁹⁴  brothers, I give to you the mountain slope, ¹⁹⁵  which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

Kejadian 49:25-26

49:25 because of the God of your father,

who will help you, ¹⁹⁶ 

because of the sovereign God, ¹⁹⁷ 

who will bless you ¹⁹⁸ 

with blessings from the sky above,

blessings from the deep that lies below,

and blessings of the breasts and womb. ¹⁹⁹ 

49:26 The blessings of your father are greater

than ²⁰⁰  the blessings of the eternal mountains ²⁰¹ 

or the desirable things of the age-old hills.

They will be on the head of Joseph

and on the brow of the prince of his brothers. ²⁰² 

Kejadian 50:20-21

50:20 As for you, you meant to harm me, ²⁰³  but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day. ²⁰⁴  50:21 So now, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your little children.” Then he consoled them and spoke kindly ²⁰⁵  to them.

Kejadian 50:23

50:23 Joseph saw the descendants of Ephraim to the third generation. ²⁰⁶  He also saw the children of Makir the son of Manasseh; they were given special inheritance rights by Joseph. ²⁰⁷ 

[1:7]  ¹ tn Heb “the expanse.”

[1:7]  ² tn This statement indicates that it happened the way God designed it, underscoring the connection between word and event.

[2:21]  ³ tn Heb “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on the man.”

[2:21]  ⁴ tn Heb “and he slept.” In the sequence the verb may be subordinated to the following verb to indicate a temporal clause (“while…”).

[2:21]  ⁵ tn Traditionally translated “rib,” the Hebrew word actually means “side.” The Hebrew text reads, “and he took one from his sides,” which could be rendered “part of his sides.” That idea may fit better the explanation by the man that the woman is his flesh and bone.

[2:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “closed up the flesh under it.”

[2:24]  ⁷ tn This statement, introduced by the Hebrew phrase עַל־כֵּן (’al-ken, “therefore” or “that is why”), is an editorial comment, not an extension of the quotation. The statement is describing what typically happens, not what will or should happen. It is saying, “This is why we do things the way we do.” It links a contemporary (with the narrator) practice with the historical event being narrated. The historical event narrated in v. 23 provides the basis for the contemporary practice described in v. 24. That is why the imperfect verb forms are translated with the present tense rather than future.

[2:24]  ⁸ tn The imperfect verb form has a habitual or characteristic nuance. For other examples of עַל־כֵּן (’al-ken, “therefore, that is why”) with the imperfect in a narrative framework, see Gen 10:9; 32:32 (the phrase “to this day” indicates characteristic behavior is in view); Num 21:14, 27; 1 Sam 5:5 (note “to this day”); 19:24 (perhaps the imperfect is customary here, “were saying”); 2 Sam 5:8. The verb translated “leave” (עָזָב, ’azab) normally means “to abandon, to forsake, to leave behind, to discard,” when used with human subject and object (see Josh 22:3; 1 Sam 30:13; Ps 27:10; Prov 2:17; Isa 54:6; 60:15; 62:4; Jer 49:11). Within the context of the ancient Israelite extended family structure, this cannot refer to emotional or geographical separation. The narrator is using hyperbole to emphasize the change in perspective that typically overtakes a young man when his thoughts turn to love and marriage.

[2:24]  ⁹ tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same habitual or characteristic nuance as the preceding imperfect. The verb is traditionally translated “cleaves [to]”; it has the basic idea of “stick with/to” (e.g., it is used of Ruth resolutely staying with her mother-in-law in Ruth 1:14). In this passage it describes the inseparable relationship between the man and the woman in marriage as God intended it.

[2:24]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and they become one flesh.” The perfect with vav consecutive carries the same habitual or characteristic nuance as the preceding verbs in the verse. The retention of the word “flesh” (בָּשָׂר, basar) in the translation often leads to improper or incomplete interpretations. The Hebrew word refers to more than just a sexual union. When they unite in marriage, the man and woman bring into being a new family unit (הָיָה + לְ, hayah + lamed preposition means “become”). The phrase “one flesh” occurs only here and must be interpreted in light of v. 23. There the man declares that the woman is bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. To be one’s “bone and flesh” is to be related by blood to someone. For example, the phrase describes the relationship between Laban and Jacob (Gen 29:14); Abimelech and the Shechemites (Judg 9:2; his mother was a Shechemite); David and the Israelites (2 Sam 5:1); David and the elders of Judah (2 Sam 19:12); and David and his nephew Amasa (2 Sam 19:13, see 2 Sam 17:2; 1 Chr 2:16-17). The expression “one flesh” seems to indicate that they become, as it were, “kin,” at least legally (a new family unit is created) or metaphorically. In this first marriage in human history, the woman was literally formed from the man’s bone and flesh. Even though later marriages do not involve such a divine surgical operation, the first marriage sets the pattern for how later marriages are understood and explains why marriage supersedes the parent-child relationship.

[4:14]  ¹¹ tn Heb “from upon the surface of the ground.”

[4:14]  ¹² sn I must hide from your presence. The motif of hiding from the Lord as a result of sin also appears in Gen 3:8-10.

[6:12]  ¹³ tn Or “God saw how corrupt the earth was.”

[6:12]  ¹⁴ tn The repetition in the text (see v. 11) emphasizes the point.

[6:12]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “flesh.” Since moral corruption is in view here, most modern western interpreters understand the referent to be humankind. However, the phrase “all flesh” is used consistently of humankind and the animals in Gen 6-9 (6:17, 19; 7:15-16, 21; 8:17; 9:11, 15-17), suggesting that the author intends to picture all living creatures, humankind and animals, as guilty of moral failure. This would explain why the animals, not just humankind, are victims of the ensuing divine judgment. The OT sometimes views animals as morally culpable (Gen 9:5; Exod 21:28-29; Jonah 3:7-8). The OT also teaches that a person’s sin can contaminate others (people and animals) in the sinful person’s sphere (see the story of Achan, especially Josh 7:10). So the animals could be viewed here as morally contaminated because of their association with sinful humankind.

[6:12]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “had corrupted its way.” The third masculine singular pronominal suffix on “way” refers to the collective “all flesh.” The construction “corrupt one’s way” occurs only here (though Ezek 16:47 uses the Hiphil in an intransitive sense with the preposition בְּ [bet, “in”] followed by “ways”). The Hiphil of שָׁחָת (shakhat) means “to ruin, to destroy, to corrupt,” often as here in a moral/ethical sense. The Hebrew term דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) here refers to behavior or moral character, a sense that it frequently carries (see BDB 203 s.v. דֶּרֶךְ 6.a).

[7:3]  ¹⁷ tn Or “seven pairs” (cf. NRSV).

[7:3]  ¹⁸ tn Here (and in v. 9) the Hebrew text uses the normal generic terms for “male and female” (זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, zakhar unÿqevah).

[7:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “to keep alive offspring.”

[7:8]  ²⁰ tn Heb “two two” meaning “in twos.”

[7:19]  ²¹ tn Heb “and the waters were great exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition emphasizes the depth of the waters.

[7:19]  ²² tn Heb “and.”

[8:11]  ²³ tn The clause introduced by vav (ו) consecutive is translated as a temporal clause subordinated to the following clause.

[8:11]  ²⁴ tn The deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to the olive leaf. It invites readers to enter into the story, as it were, and look at the olive leaf with their own eyes.

[9:16]  ²⁵ tn The translation assumes that the infinitive לִזְכֹּר (lizkor, “to remember”) here expresses the result of seeing the rainbow. Another option is to understand it as indicating purpose, in which case it could be translated, “I will look at it so that I may remember.”

[9:17]  ²⁶ tn Heb “all flesh.”

[10:9]  ²⁷ tn The Hebrew word for “hunt” is צַיִד (tsayid), which is used on occasion for hunting men (1 Sam 24:12; Jer 16:16; Lam 3:15).

[10:9]  ²⁸ tn Another option is to take the divine name here, לִפְנֵי יִהוָה (lifne yÿhvah, “before the Lord [YHWH]”), as a means of expressing the superlative degree. In this case one may translate “Nimrod was the greatest hunter in the world.”

[11:4]  ²⁹ 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]  ³⁰ 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]  ³¹ tn The Hebrew particle פֶּן (pen) expresses a negative purpose; it means “that we be not scattered.”

[11:4]  ³² 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.

[12:17]  ³³ tn The cognate accusative adds emphasis to the verbal sentence: “he plagued with great plagues,” meaning the Lord inflicted numerous plagues, probably diseases (see Exod 15:26). The adjective “great” emphasizes that the plagues were severe and overwhelming.

[13:9]  ³⁴ tn The words “you go” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons both times in this verse.

[13:11]  ³⁵ tn Heb “Lot traveled.” The proper name has not been repeated in the translation at this point for stylistic reasons.

[13:11]  ³⁶ tn Heb “a man from upon his brother.”

[13:11]  sn Separated from each other. For a discussion of the significance of this event, see L. R. Helyer, “The Separation of Abram and Lot: Its Significance in the Patriarchal Narratives,” JSOT 26 (1983): 77-88.

[16:12]  ³⁷ 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]  ³⁸ 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]  ³⁹ tn Heb “And the hand of everyone will be against him.”

[16:12]  ⁴⁰ 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).

[17:17]  ⁴¹ sn Laughed. The Hebrew verb used here provides the basis for the naming of Isaac: “And he laughed” is וַיִּצְחָק (vayyitskhaq); the name “Isaac” is יִצְחָק (yitskhaq), “he laughs.” Abraham’s (and Sarah’s, see 18:12) laughter signals disbelief, but when the boy is born, the laughter signals surprise and joy.

[17:17]  ⁴² tn Heb “And he fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart.”

[17:17]  ⁴³ tn The imperfect verbal form here carries a potential nuance, as it expresses the disbelief of Abraham.

[17:17]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “to the son of a hundred years.”

[17:17]  ⁴⁵ sn It is important to note that even though Abraham staggers at the announcement of the birth of a son, finding it almost too incredible, he nonetheless calls his wife Sarah, the new name given to remind him of the promise of God (v. 15).

[17:17]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “the daughter of ninety years.”

[18:2]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:2]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

[18:2]  ⁴⁹ 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]  ⁵⁰ 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]  ⁵¹ tn The pronoun “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

[18:2]  ⁵² 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]  ⁵³ 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.

[18:8]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:8]  ⁵⁵ 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]  ⁵⁶ tn The disjunctive clause is a temporal circumstantial clause subordinate to the main verb.

[19:4]  ⁵⁷ tn The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) means “to lie down, to recline,” that is, “to go to bed.” Here what appears to be an imperfect is a preterite after the adverb טֶרֶם (terem). The nuance of potential (perfect) fits well.

[19:4]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “and the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from the young to the old, all the people from the end [of the city].” The repetition of the phrase “men of” stresses all kinds of men.

[19:16]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:16]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “in the compassion of the Lord to them.”

[19:16]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “brought him out and placed him.” The third masculine singular suffixes refer specifically to Lot, though his wife and daughters accompanied him (see v. 17). For stylistic reasons these have been translated as plural pronouns (“them”).

[19:22]  ⁶² tn Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.

[19:22]  ⁶³ tn Heb “Therefore the name of the city is called Zoar.” The name of the place, צוֹעַר (tso’ar) apparently means “Little Place,” in light of the wordplay with the term “little” (מִצְעָר, mits’ar) used twice by Lot to describe the town (v. 20).

[19:31]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “and the firstborn said.”

[19:31]  ⁶⁵ tn Or perhaps “on earth,” in which case the statement would be hyperbolic; presumably there had been some men living in the town of Zoar to which Lot and his daughters had initially fled.

[19:31]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “to enter upon us.” This is a euphemism for sexual relations.

[20:3]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “came.”

[20:3]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “Look, you [are] dead.” The Hebrew construction uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with a second person pronominal particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with by the participle. It is a highly rhetorical expression.

[20:3]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.

[20:11]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “Because I said.”

[20:11]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “over the matter of.”

[20:18]  ⁷² tn In the Hebrew text the clause begins with “because.”

[20:18]  ⁷³ tn Heb had completely closed up every womb.” In the Hebrew text infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.

[20:18]  sn The Lord had closed up every womb. This fact indicates that Sarah was in Abimelech’s household for weeks or months before the dream revelation was given (20:6-7). No one in his household could have children after Sarah arrived on the scene.

[20:18]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “because of.” The words “he took” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[22:6]  ⁷⁵ sn He took the fire and the knife in his hand. These details anticipate the sacrifice that lies ahead.

[24:9]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”

[24:22]  ⁷⁷ sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).

[24:22]  ⁷⁸ sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).

[24:22]  ⁷⁹ tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:42]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”

[24:42]  ⁸¹ tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.

[24:43]  ⁸² tn Heb “the spring of water.”

[24:43]  ⁸³ tn Heb “and it will be.”

[24:61]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”

[24:61]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[25:6]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “the sons of the concubines who [belonged] to Abraham.”

[25:6]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “And he sent them away from upon Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the land of the east.”

[25:9]  ⁸⁸ sn The cave of Machpelah was the place Abraham had purchased as a burial place for his wife Sarah (Gen 23:17-18).

[25:30]  ⁸⁹ tn The rare term לָעַט (la’at), translated “feed,” is used in later Hebrew for feeding animals (see Jastrow, 714). If this nuance was attached to the word in the biblical period, then it may depict Esau in a negative light, comparing him to a hungry animal. Famished Esau comes in from the hunt, only to enter the trap. He can only point at the red stew and ask Jacob to feed him.

[25:30]  ⁹⁰ tn The verb has no expressed subject and so is given a passive translation.

[25:30]  ⁹¹ sn Esau’s descendants would eventually be called Edom. Edom was the place where they lived, so-named probably because of the reddish nature of the hills. The writer can use the word “red” to describe the stew that Esau gasped for to convey the nature of Esau and his descendants. They were a lusty, passionate, and profane people who lived for the moment. Again, the wordplay is meant to capture the “omen in the nomen.”

[26:10]  ⁹² tn Heb “What is this you have done to us?” The Hebrew demonstrative pronoun “this” adds emphasis: “What in the world have you done to us?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[26:10]  ⁹³ tn Heb “people.”

[26:10]  ⁹⁴ tn The Hebrew verb means “to lie down.” Here the expression “lie with” or “sleep with” is euphemistic for “have sexual relations with.”

[26:32]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “and they said to him, ‘We have found water.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[27:39]  ⁹⁶ tn Heb “look.”

[27:39]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “from the fatness.”

[28:9]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “took for a wife.”

[28:18]  ⁹⁹ tn Heb “and he got up early…and he took.”

[28:18]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:18]  ¹⁰¹ tn See the note on this phrase in v. 11.

[28:18]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “standing stone.”

[28:18]  sn Sacred stone. Such a stone could be used as a boundary marker, a burial stone, or as a shrine. Here the stone is intended to be a reminder of the stairway that was “erected” and on which the Lord “stood.” (In Hebrew the word translated “sacred stone” is derived from the verb translated “erected” in v. 12 and “stood” in v. 13. Since the top of the stairway reached the heavens where the Lord stood, Jacob poured oil on the top of the stone. See C. F. Graesser, “Standing Stones in Ancient Palestine,” BA 35 (1972): 34-63; and E. Stockton, “Sacred Pillars in the Bible,” ABR 20 (1972): 16-32.

[29:8]  ¹⁰³ tn The perfect verbal forms with the vav (ו) consecutive carry on the sequence begun by the initial imperfect form.

[29:35]  ¹⁰⁴ sn The name Judah (יְהוּדָה, yÿhudah) means “he will be praised” and reflects the sentiment Leah expresses in the statement recorded earlier in the verse. For further discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names ‘Israel’ and ‘Judah’ with an Excursus on the Etymology of Todah and Torah,” JBL 46 (1927): 151-85; and A. R. Millard, “The Meaning of the Name Judah,” ZAW 86 (1974): 216-18.

[30:3]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Heb “go in to.” The expression “go in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.

[30:3]  ¹⁰⁶ tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates the immediate purpose of the proposed activity.

[30:3]  ¹⁰⁷ tn The word “children” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:3]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Heb “upon my knees.” This is an idiomatic way of saying that Bilhah will be simply a surrogate mother. Rachel will adopt the child as her own.

[30:3]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “and I will be built up, even I, from her.” The prefixed verbal form with the conjunction is subordinated to the preceding prefixed verbal form and gives the ultimate purpose for the proposed action. The idiom of “built up” here refers to having a family (see Gen 16:2, as well as Ruth 4:11 and BDB 125 s.v. בָנָה).

[30:6]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “and also he has heard my voice.” The expression means that God responded positively to Rachel’s cry and granted her request.

[30:6]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “therefore.”

[30:6]  ¹¹² sn The name Dan means “he vindicated” or “he judged.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. The verb translated “vindicated” is from דִּין (din, “to judge, to vindicate”), the same verbal root from which the name is derived. Rachel sensed that God was righting the wrong.

[31:10]  ¹¹³ tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator, “and it happened at the time of.”

[31:10]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “in the time of the breeding of the flock I lifted up my eyes and I saw.”

[31:10]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.

[31:20]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “stole the heart of,” an expression which apparently means “to deceive.” The repetition of the verb “to steal” shows that Jacob and Rachel are kindred spirits. Any thought that Laban would have resigned himself to their departure was now out of the question.

[31:20]  ¹¹⁷ tn Heb “fleeing,” which reflects Jacob’s viewpoint.

[31:34]  ¹¹⁸ tn The “camel’s saddle” was probably some sort of basket-saddle, a cushioned saddle with a basket bound on. Cf. NAB “inside a camel cushion.”

[31:34]  ¹¹⁹ tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides another parenthetical statement necessary to the storyline.

[31:34]  ¹²⁰ tn The word “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.

[31:46]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “Jacob”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:46]  ¹²² sn The Hebrew word for “pile” is גַּל (gal), which sounds like the name “Galeed” (גַּלְעֵד, gal’ed). See v. 48.

[31:48]  ¹²³ tn Heb “a witness between me and you.”

[31:50]  ¹²⁴ tn Heb “see.”

[31:50]  ¹²⁵ tn Heb “between me and you.”

[32:11]  ¹²⁶ tn The imperative has the force of a prayer here, not a command.

[32:11]  ¹²⁷ tn The “hand” here is a metonymy for “power.”

[32:11]  ¹²⁸ tn Heb “from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau.”

[32:11]  ¹²⁹ tn Heb “for I am afraid of him, lest he come.”

[32:11]  ¹³⁰ sn Heb “me, [the] mother upon [the] sons.” The first person pronoun “me” probably means here “me and mine,” as the following clause suggests.

[33:13]  ¹³¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:13]  ¹³² tn Heb “weak.”

[33:13]  ¹³³ tn Heb “and the sheep and the cattle nursing [are] upon me.”

[33:17]  ¹³⁴ tn The disjunctive clause contrasts Jacob’s action with Esau’s.

[33:17]  ¹³⁵ sn But Jacob traveled to Succoth. There are several reasons why Jacob chose not to go to Mt. Seir after Esau. First, as he said, his herds and children probably could not keep up with the warriors. Second, he probably did not fully trust his brother. The current friendliness could change, and he could lose everything. And third, God did tell him to return to his land, not Seir. But Jacob is still not able to deal truthfully, probably because of fear of Esau.

[33:17]  ¹³⁶ tn Heb “why he called.” One could understand “Jacob” as the subject of the verb, but it is more likely that the subject is indefinite, in which case the verb is better translated as passive.

[33:17]  ¹³⁷ sn The name Succoth means “shelters,” an appropriate name in light of the shelters Jacob built there for his livestock.

[34:12]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “Make very great upon me the bride price and gift.” The imperatives are used in a rhetorical manner. Shechem’s point is that he will pay the price, no matter how expensive it might be.

[34:12]  ¹³⁹ tn The cohortative expresses Shechem’s resolve to have Dinah as his wife.

[34:12]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Heb “say.”

[35:5]  ¹⁴¹ tn Heb “and they journeyed.”

[35:5]  ¹⁴² tn Heb “and the fear of God was upon the cities which were round about them.” The expression “fear of God” apparently refers (1) to a fear of God (objective genitive; God is the object of their fear). (2) But it could mean “fear from God,” that is, fear which God placed in them (cf. NRSV “a terror from God”). Another option (3) is that the divine name is used as a superlative here, referring to “tremendous fear” (cf. NEB “were panic-stricken”; NASB “a great terror”).

[37:23]  ¹⁴³ tn Heb “Joseph”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:12]  ¹⁴⁴ sn After some time. There is not enough information in the narrative to know how long this was. The text says “the days increased.” It was long enough for Shelah to mature and for Tamar to realize she would not have him.

[38:12]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Heb “and he went up to the shearers of his sheep, he and.”

[38:21]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Heb “the men of her place,” that is, who lived at the place where she had been.

[38:21]  ¹⁴⁷ sn The Hebrew noun translated “cult prostitute” is derived from a verb meaning “to be set apart; to be distinct.” Thus the term refers to a woman who did not marry, but was dedicated to temple service as a cult prostitute. The masculine form of this noun is used for male cult prostitutes. Judah thought he had gone to an ordinary prostitute (v. 15); but Hirah went looking for a cult prostitute, perhaps because it had been a sheep-shearing festival. For further discussion see E. M. Yamauchi, “Cultic Prostitution,” Orient and Occident (AOAT), 213-23.

[38:26]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Traditionally “more righteous”; cf. NCV, NRSV, NLT “more in the right.”

[38:26]  sn She is more upright than I. Judah had been irresponsible and unfaithful to his duty to see that the family line continued through the levirate marriage of his son Shelah. Tamar fought for her right to be the mother of Judah’s line. When she was not given Shelah and Judah’s wife died, she took action on her own to ensure that the line did not die out. Though deceptive, it was a desperate and courageous act. For Tamar it was within her rights; she did nothing that the law did not entitle her to do. But for Judah it was wrong because he thought he was going to a prostitute. See also Susan Niditch, “The Wronged Woman Righted: An Analysis of Genesis 38,” HTR 72 (1979): 143-48.

[38:26]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Heb “and he did not add again to know her.” Here “know” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:28]  ¹⁵⁰ tn The word “child” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:29]  ¹⁵¹ tn Heb “Look, his brother came out.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through the midwife’s eyes. The words “before him” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[38:29]  ¹⁵² tn Heb “How you have made a breach for yourself!” The Hebrew verb translated “make a breach” frequently occurs, as here, with a cognate accusative. The event provided the meaningful name Perez, “he who breaks through.”

[38:29]  ¹⁵³ sn The name Perez means “he who breaks through,” referring to Perez reaching out his hand at birth before his brother was born. The naming signified the completion of Tamar’s struggle and also depicted the destiny of the tribe of Perez who later became dominant (Gen 46:12 and Num 26:20). Judah and his brothers had sold Joseph into slavery, thinking they could thwart God’s plan that the elder brothers should serve the younger. God demonstrated that principle through these births in Judah’s own family, affirming that the elder will serve the younger, and that Joseph’s leadership could not so easily be set aside. See J. Goldin, “The Youngest Son; or, Where Does Genesis 38 Belong?” JBL 96 (1977): 27-44.

[39:4]  ¹⁵⁴ sn The Hebrew verb translated became his personal attendant refers to higher domestic service, usually along the lines of a personal attendant. Here Joseph is made the household steward, a position well-attested in Egyptian literature.

[39:4]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[39:4]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Heb “put into his hand.”

[40:11]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Heb “the cup of Pharaoh.” The pronoun “his” has been used here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[40:11]  ¹⁵⁸ sn The cupbearer’s dream is dominated by sets of three: three branches, three stages of growth, and three actions of the cupbearer.

[40:16]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Heb “that [the] interpretation [was] good.” The words “the first dream” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[40:16]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Or “three wicker baskets.” The meaning of the Hebrew noun חֹרִי (khori, “white bread, cake”) is uncertain; some have suggested the meaning “wicker” instead. Comparison with texts from Ebla suggests the meaning “pastries made with white flour” (M. Dahood, “Eblaite h¬a-rí and Genesis 40,16 h£o„rî,” BN 13 [1980]: 14-16).

[41:3]  ¹⁶¹ tn Heb “And look, seven other cows were coming up after them from the Nile, bad of appearance and thin of flesh.”

[41:3]  ¹⁶² tn Heb “the Nile.” This has been replaced by “the river” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[41:15]  ¹⁶³ tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”

[41:15]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Heb “there is no one interpreting.”

[41:15]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Heb “saying.”

[41:15]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Heb “you hear a dream to interpret it,” which may mean, “you only have to hear a dream to be able to interpret it.”

[41:32]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Heb “and concerning the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh two times.” The Niphal infinitive here is the object of the preposition; it is followed by the subjective genitive “of the dream.”

[41:32]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Heb “established.”

[41:32]  ¹⁶⁹ tn The clause combines a participle and an infinitive construct: God “is hurrying…to do it,” meaning he is going to do it soon.

[41:34]  ¹⁷⁰ tn The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. The Samaritan Pentateuch has a jussive form here, “and let [Pharaoh] do.”

[41:34]  ¹⁷¹ tn Heb “and let him appoint.” The jussive form expresses Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh.

[41:34]  ¹⁷² tn Heb “appointees.” The noun is a cognate accusative of the preceding verb. Since “appoint appointees” would be redundant in English, the term “officials” was used in the translation instead.

[41:34]  ¹⁷³ tn Heb “and he shall collect a fifth of the land of Egypt.” The language is figurative (metonymy); it means what the land produces, i.e., the harvest.

[41:43]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Pharaoh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[41:43]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Heb “and he caused him to ride in the second chariot which was his.”

[41:43]  ¹⁷⁶ tn The verb form appears to be a causative imperative from a verbal root meaning “to kneel.” It is a homonym of the word “bless” (identical in root letters but not related etymologically).

[41:56]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Or “over the entire land”; Heb “over all the face of the earth.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal to the next clause.

[41:56]  ¹⁷⁸ tc The MT reads “he opened all that was in [or “among”] them.” The translation follows the reading of the LXX and Syriac versions.

[42:6]  ¹⁷⁹ tn The disjunctive clause either introduces a new episode in the unfolding drama or provides the reader with supplemental information necessary to understanding the story.

[42:6]  ¹⁸⁰ sn Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him. Here is the beginning of the fulfillment of Joseph’s dreams (see Gen 37). But it is not the complete fulfillment, since all his brothers and his parents must come. The point of the dream, of course, was not simply to get the family to bow to Joseph, but that Joseph would be placed in a position of rule and authority to save the family and the world (41:57).

[42:6]  ¹⁸¹ tn The word “faces” is an adverbial accusative, so the preposition has been supplied in the translation.

[42:24]  ¹⁸² tn Heb “and he turned to them and spoke to them.”

[42:24]  ¹⁸³ tn Heb “took Simeon.” This was probably done at Joseph’s command, however; the grand vizier of Egypt would not have personally seized a prisoner.

[42:24]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Heb “and he bound him.” See the note on the preceding verb “taken.”

[42:36]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Heb “is not.”

[42:36]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Heb “is not.”

[42:36]  ¹⁸⁷ tn The nuance of the imperfect verbal form is desiderative here.

[45:21]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Heb “and the sons of Israel did so.”

[45:21]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Heb “according to the mouth of Pharaoh.”

[46:4]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Heb “and I, I will bring you up, also bringing up.” The independent personal pronoun before the first person imperfect verbal form draws attention to the speaker/subject, while the infinitive absolute after the imperfect strongly emphasizes the statement: “I myself will certainly bring you up.”

[46:4]  ¹⁹¹ tn Heb “and Joseph will put his hand upon your eyes.” This is a promise of peaceful death in Egypt with Joseph present to close his eyes.

[48:2]  ¹⁹² tn Heb “and one told and said.” The verbs have no expressed subject and can be translated with the passive voice.

[48:2]  ¹⁹³ tn Heb “Look, your son Joseph.”

[48:22]  ¹⁹⁴ tn The pronouns translated “your” and “you” in this verse are singular in the Hebrew text.

[48:22]  ¹⁹⁵ tn The Hebrew word שְׁכֶם (shÿkhem) could be translated either as “mountain slope” or “shoulder, portion,” or even taken as the proper name “Shechem.” Jacob was giving Joseph either (1) one portion above his brothers, or (2) the mountain ridge he took from the Amorites, or (3) Shechem. The ambiguity actually allows for all three to be the referent. He could be referring to the land in Shechem he bought in Gen 33:18-19, but he mentions here that it was acquired by warfare, suggesting that the events of 34:25-29 are in view (even though at the time he denounced it, 34:30). Joseph was later buried in Shechem (Josh 24:32).

[49:25]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Heb “and he will help you.”

[49:25]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Heb “Shaddai.” See the note on the title “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1. The preposition אֵת (’et) in the Hebrew text should probably be emended to אֵל (’el, “God”).

[49:25]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Heb “and he will bless you.”

[49:25]  ¹⁹⁹ sn Jacob envisions God imparting both agricultural (blessings from the sky above, blessings from the deep that lies below) and human fertility (blessings of the breasts and womb) to Joseph and his family.

[49:26]  ²⁰⁰ tn Heb “have prevailed over.”

[49:26]  ²⁰¹ tn One could interpret the phrase הוֹרַי (horay) to mean “my progenitors” (literally, “the ones who conceived me”), but the masculine form argues against this. It is better to emend the text to הַרֲרֵי (harare, “mountains of”) because it forms a better parallel with the next clause. In this case the final yod (י) on the form is a construct plural marker, not a pronominal suffix.

[49:26]  ²⁰² tn For further discussion of this passage, see I. Sonne, “Genesis 49:24-26,” JBL 65 (1946): 303-6.

[50:20]  ²⁰³ tn Heb “you devised against me evil.”

[50:20]  ²⁰⁴ tn Heb “God devised it for good in order to do, like this day, to preserve alive a great nation.”

[50:21]  ²⁰⁵ tn Heb “spoke to their heart.”

[50:23]  ²⁰⁶ tn Heb “saw Ephraim, the children of the third.”

[50:23]  ²⁰⁷ tn Heb “they were born on the knees of Joseph.” This expression implies their adoption by Joseph, which meant that they received an inheritance from him.