Genesis 22-24

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Genesis 22:1 sn The Hebrew verb used here means “to test; to try; to prove.” In this passage God tests Abraham to see if he would be obedient. See T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 44-48. See also J. L. Crenshaw, A Whirlpool of Torment (OBT), 9-30; and J. I. Lawlor, “The Test of Abraham,” GTJ 1 (1980): 19-35.
2. Genesis 22:1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3. Genesis 22:2 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4. Genesis 22:2 sn Take your son…Isaac. The instructions are very clear, but the details are deliberate. With every additional description the commandment becomes more challenging.
5. Genesis 22:2 sn There has been much debate over the location of Moriah; 2 Chr 3:1 suggests it may be the site where the temple was later built in Jerusalem.
6. Genesis 22:2 sn A whole burnt offering signified the complete surrender of the worshiper and complete acceptance by God. The demand for a human sacrifice was certainly radical and may have seemed to Abraham out of character for God. Abraham would have to obey without fully understanding what God was about.
7. Genesis 22:2 tn Heb “which I will say to.”
8. Genesis 22:3 tn Heb “Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey.”
9. Genesis 22:3 tn Heb “he arose and he went.”
10. Genesis 22:4 tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.”
11. Genesis 22:5 tn Heb “And Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
12. Genesis 22:5 tn The Hebrew verb is masculine plural, referring to the two young servants who accompanied Abraham and Isaac on the journey.
13. Genesis 22:5 tn The disjunctive clause (with the compound subject preceding the verb) may be circumstantial and temporal.
14. Genesis 22:5 tn This Hebrew word literally means “to bow oneself close to the ground.” It often means “to worship.”
15. Genesis 22:5 sn It is impossible to know what Abraham was thinking when he said, “we will…return to you.” When he went he knew (1) that he was to sacrifice Isaac, and (2) that God intended to fulfill his earlier promises through Isaac. How he reconciled those facts is not clear in the text. Heb 11:17-19 suggests that Abraham believed God could restore Isaac to him through resurrection.
16. Genesis 22:6 sn He took the fire and the knife in his hand. These details anticipate the sacrifice that lies ahead.
17. Genesis 22:7 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said.” This is redundant and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
18. Genesis 22:7 tn Heb “Here I am” (cf. Gen 22:1).
19. Genesis 22:7 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Here is the fire and the wood.’” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here and in the following verse the order of the introductory clauses and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
20. Genesis 22:8 tn Heb “will see for himself.” The construction means “to look out for; to see to it; to provide.”sn God will provide is the central theme of the passage and the turning point in the story. Note Paul’s allusion to the story in Rom 8:32 (“how shall he not freely give us all things?”) as well as H. J. Schoeps, “The Sacrifice of Isaac in Paul’s Theology,” JBL 65 (1946): 385-92.
21. Genesis 22:9 sn Abraham built an altar there. The theme of Abraham’s altar building culminates here. He has been a faithful worshiper. Will he continue to worship when called upon to make such a radical sacrifice?
22. Genesis 22:9 sn Then he tied up. This text has given rise to an important theme in Judaism known as the Aqedah, from the Hebrew word for “binding.” When sacrifices were made in the sanctuary, God remembered the binding of Isaac, for which a substitute was offered. See D. Polish, “The Binding of Isaac,” Jud 6 (1957): 17-21.
23. Genesis 22:10 tn Heb “in order to slaughter.”
24. Genesis 22:11 sn Heb “the messenger of the Lord” (also in v. 15). Some identify the angel of the Lord as the preincarnate Christ because in some texts the angel is identified with the Lord himself. However, see the note on the phrase “the angel of the Lord” in Gen 16:7.
25. Genesis 22:12 tn Heb “Do not extend your hand toward the boy.”
26. Genesis 22:12 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Do not extend…’”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the context for clarity. The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
27. Genesis 22:12 sn For now I know. The test was designed to see if Abraham would be obedient (see v. 1).
28. Genesis 22:12 sn In this context fear refers by metonymy to obedience that grows from faith.
29. Genesis 22:13 tn Heb “lifted his eyes.”
30. Genesis 22:13 tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) draws attention to what Abraham saw and invites the audience to view the scene through his eyes.
31. Genesis 22:13 tc The translation follows the reading of the MT; a number of Hebrew mss, the LXX, Syriac, and Smr read “one” (אֶחָד, ʾekhad) instead of “behind him” (אַחַר, ʾakhar).
32. Genesis 22:13 tn Heb “Abraham”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
33. Genesis 22:14 tn Heb “the Lord sees” (יְהוָה יִרְאֶה, y^ehvah yirʾeh, traditionally transliterated “Jehovah Jireh”; see the note on the word “provide” in v. 8). By so naming the place Abraham preserved in the memory of God’s people the amazing event that took place there.
34. Genesis 22:14 sn On the expression to this day see B. Childs, “A Study of the Formula ‘Until this Day’,” JBL 82 (1963): 279-92.
35. Genesis 22:14 sn The saying connected with these events has some ambiguity, which was probably intended. The Niphal verb could be translated (1) “in the mountain of the Lord it will be seen/provided” or (2) “in the mountain the Lord will appear.” If the temple later stood here (see the note on “Moriah” in Gen 22:2), the latter interpretation might find support, for the people went to the temple to appear before the Lord, who “appeared” to them by providing for them his power and blessings. See S. R. Driver, Genesis, 219.
36. Genesis 22:16 tn Heb “By myself I swear.”
37. Genesis 22:16 tn Heb “the oracle of the Lord.” The phrase refers to a formal oracle or decree from the Lord.
38. Genesis 22:17 tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form (either an imperfect or cohortative) emphasizes the certainty of the blessing.
39. Genesis 22:17 tn Here too the infinitive absolute is used for emphasis before the following finite verb (either an imperfect or cohortative).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.
40. Genesis 22:17 tn The Hebrew term זֶרַע (zeraʿ) 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.
41. Genesis 22:17 tn Or “inherit.”
42. Genesis 22:17 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”).
43. Genesis 22:18 tn In the Hebrew text this causal clause comes at the end of the sentence. The translation alters the word order for stylistic reasons.sn Because you have obeyed me. Abraham’s obedience brought God’s ratification of the earlier conditional promise (see Gen 12:2).
44. Genesis 22:18 tn The denominative verb בָּרַךְ (barakh) is active in the Piel and passive in the Pual. Here it is in the Hitpael which is typically middle or reflexive. Traditionally it is rendered as passive (“will be blessed”) here. Some reference grammars consider the Hitpael to be passive on rare occasions but their examples can be disputed. The LXX translates with a passive spelling, but this does not mean the Hebrew is passive. For example, the LXX uses a passive spelling for the Hitpael in Gen 3:8 where the Hebrew says “they hid themselves from the Lord.” The English understanding of the Greek’s passive spelling does not mean that the Hebrew is passive, i.e., “they were hidden;” it merely reflects translation issues going from Hebrew to Greek (or from Semitic to Indo-European) and may reveal the broader range of meanings that the Greek spelling can convey. The Hitpael is better understood here as middle or reflexive/reciprocal, as in its other instances (Gen 26:4; Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2). One option would be to treat it like the middle voice Niphal cases in Gen 12:3; 18:18 and 28:14, “they may find blessing through your descendants.” This extends to the nation the Lord’s promise to Abraham to bless those who bless him. But one may expect the continued use of the Niphal for that and a distinct middle voice meaning of the Hitpael here. The Hitpael can mean to pronounce blessings on each other, as in Isa 65:16 where the expression of blessing each other through (or in the name of) the true God is parallel to taking oaths in the Lord’s name (as opposed to holding oneself accountable to other gods). For other examples of blessing formulae using an individual as an example of blessing, see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. To pronounce blessings referring to the divinely blessed Israel who possesses its enemies’ gates (v. 17) also acknowledges Israel’s God. So the surface statement “they will bless themselves” (an option acknowledged in the note in the NASB) in the name of, or in light of, Abraham’s blessed descendants implies more than the speech act itself. It implies at least acknowledgment of Israel’s God and allows room for being allegiant to or joining with Israel’s God. This thought is consistent with being made great and successful internationally in v. 17 and is not opposed to the iterations with the Niphal of being able to receive blessing by blessing Israel.
45. Genesis 22:19 tn Heb “and they arose and went together.”
46. Genesis 22:19 tn Heb “and Abraham stayed in Beer Sheba.” This has been translated as a relative clause for stylistic reasons.
47. Genesis 22:20 tn In the Hebrew text the sentence begins with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to the statement.
48. Genesis 22:21 sn This parenthetical note about Kemuel’s descendant is probably a later insertion by the author/compiler of Genesis and not part of the original announcement.
49. Genesis 22:23 tn The disjunctive clause gives information that is important but parenthetical to the narrative. Rebekah would become the wife of Isaac (Gen 24:15).
50. Genesis 23:1 tn Heb “And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, the years of the life of Sarah.”
51. Genesis 23:2 tn Heb “Sarah.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“she”) for stylistic reasons.
52. Genesis 23:2 sn Mourn…weep. The description here is of standard mourning rites (see K. A. Kitchen, NBD³ 149-50). They would have been carried out in the presence of the corpse, probably in Sarah’s tent. So Abraham came in to mourn; then he rose up to go and bury his dead (v. 3).
53. Genesis 23:3 tn Heb “And Abraham arose from upon the face of his dead.”
54. Genesis 23:3 tn Heb “sons of Heth,” the gentilic of which is הִתִּי (hitti) “Hittites.” Some translations use “Hittites” here (also in vv. 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20). But these people were not the classical Hittites of Anatolia (in Asia Minor, modern Turkey). These sons of Heth are apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15). See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World 152-53. But cf. also V. Hamilton, Genesis 18-50 (NICOT), 126-128.
55. Genesis 23:4 tn Heb “a resident foreigner (גֵּר; ger) and an immigrant (תּוֹשָׁב; toshav).” The term גֵּר (ger) refers to a foreign resident, but with different social implications in different settings. The Patriarchs were foreign, temporary residents in parts of Canaan, who abided by the claims of local authorities (see Gen 20, 23, 26). The noun toshav (תּוֹשָׁב) is less common. Under Mosaic Law it refers to someone of lesser standing than a resident foreigner (גֵּר; ger) since the ger had given full covenantal allegiance to the Lord. While not referring to a citizen, the precise nuance of toshav as an immigrant, resident, or (temporary) settler, is not clear. But in this case it may be a case of hendiadys, where the two terms together mean “an alien resident.”
56. Genesis 23:4 tn Heb “give,” which is used here as an idiom for “sell” (see v. 9). The idiom reflects the polite bartering that was done in the culture at the time.
57. Genesis 23:4 tn Or “possession.”
58. Genesis 23:4 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose.
59. Genesis 23:4 tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
60. Genesis 23:5 tn Heb “answered Abraham saying to him.”
61. Genesis 23:6 tn Heb “Hear us, my lord.”
62. Genesis 23:6 tn Heb “prince of God.” The divine name may be used here as a means of expressing the superlative, “mighty prince.” The word for “prince” probably means “tribal chief” here. See M. H. Gottstein, “Nasiʾ ʾelohim (Gen 23:6),” VT 3 (1953) 298-99; and D. W. Thomas, “Consideration of Some Unusual Ways of Expressing the Superlative in Hebrew,” VT 3 (1953) 215-16.
63. Genesis 23:6 tn The phrase “to prevent you” has been added in the translation for stylistic reasons.
64. Genesis 23:7 tn Heb “to the people of the land” (also in v. 12).
65. Genesis 23:8 tn Heb “If it is with your purpose.” The Hebrew noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) here has the nuance “purpose” or perhaps “desire” (see BDB 661 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ).
66. Genesis 23:8 tn Heb “bury my dead out of my sight.” The last phrase “out of my sight” has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
67. Genesis 23:8 tn Or “hear me.”
68. Genesis 23:8 tn Heb “intercede for me with.”
69. Genesis 23:9 tn Heb “give.” This is used here (also a second time later in this verse) as an idiom for “sell”; see the note on the word “grant” in v. 4.
70. Genesis 23:9 tn Heb “in your presence.”
71. Genesis 23:9 tn Heb “full silver.”
72. Genesis 23:10 tn The Hebrew term is “Hittite,” but see the note on the name “Heth” in v. 3.
73. Genesis 23:10 tn Heb “ears.” By metonymy the “ears” stand for the presence or proximity (i.e., within earshot) of the persons named.
74. Genesis 23:10 sn On the expression all who entered the gate see E. A. Speiser, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate,” BASOR 144 (1956): 20-23; and G. Evans, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate: A Discussion of Professor Speiser’s Paper,” BASOR 150 (1958): 28-33.
75. Genesis 23:11 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.
76. Genesis 23:11 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.
77. Genesis 23:11 tn Heb “in the presence of the sons of my people.”
78. Genesis 23:13 tn Heb “give.”
79. Genesis 23:13 tn Heb “silver.”
80. Genesis 23:13 tn After the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction expresses purpose or result.
81. Genesis 23:15 tn The word “worth” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
82. Genesis 23:15 sn 400 pieces of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 4.6 kilograms, or 160 ounces (about 10 pounds).
83. Genesis 23:16 tn Heb “listened to Ephron.”
84. Genesis 23:16 tn Heb “and Abraham weighed out.”
85. Genesis 23:16 tn Heb “to Ephron.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
86. Genesis 23:16 tn Heb “silver.”
87. Genesis 23:16 tn Heb “that he had spoken.” The referent (Ephron) has been specified here in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
88. Genesis 23:16 tn Heb “passing for the merchant.” The final clause affirms that the measurement of silver was according to the standards used by the merchants of the time.
89. Genesis 23:17 tn Heb “And it was conveyed.” The recipient, Abraham (mentioned in the Hebrew text at the beginning of v. 18) has been placed here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
90. Genesis 23:18 tn Heb “his city”; the referent (Ephron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.sn See G. M. Tucker, “The Legal Background of Genesis 23, ” JBL 85 (1966):77-84; and M. R. Lehmann, “Abraham’s Purchase of Machpelah and Hittite Law,” BASOR 129 (1953): 15-18.
91. Genesis 23:20 tn Heb “possession of a grave.”
92. Genesis 24:1 tn Heb “days.”
93. Genesis 24:1 tn Heb “Abraham.” The proper name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun (“he”) for stylistic reasons.
94. Genesis 24:2 tn The Hebrew term זָקֵן (zaqen) may refer to the servant who is oldest in age or senior in authority (or both).
95. Genesis 24:2 sn Put your hand under my thigh. The taking of this oath had to do with the sanctity of the family and the continuation of the family line. See D. R. Freedman, “Put Your Hand Under My Thigh—the Patriarchal Oath,” BAR 2 (1976): 2-4, 42.
96. Genesis 24:3 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose.
97. Genesis 24:3 tn Heb “because you must not take.”
98. Genesis 24:4 tn Heb “for to my country and my relatives you must go.”
99. Genesis 24:4 tn Heb “and take.”
100. Genesis 24:5 tn Heb “to go after me.”
101. Genesis 24:5 tn In the Hebrew text the construction is emphatic; the infinitive absolute precedes the imperfect. However, it is difficult to reflect this emphasis in an English translation.
102. Genesis 24:6 tn Heb “guard yourself.”
103. Genesis 24:6 tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.
104. Genesis 24:7 tn Or “the land of my birth.”
105. Genesis 24:7 tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”
106. Genesis 24:7 tn Or “his messenger.”
107. Genesis 24:7 tn Heb “before you and you will take.”
108. Genesis 24:8 tn Heb “ to go after you.”
109. Genesis 24:8 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.
110. Genesis 24:9 tn Heb “and he swore to him concerning this matter.”
111. Genesis 24:10 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.
112. Genesis 24:10 tn Heb “and he arose and went.”
113. Genesis 24:10 tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.sn Aram Naharaim means in Hebrew “Aram of the Two Rivers,” a region in northern Mesopotamia.
114. Genesis 24:11 tn Heb “well of water.”
115. Genesis 24:11 tn Heb “at the time of evening.”
116. Genesis 24:12 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).
117. Genesis 24:12 tn Heb “act in loyal love with” or “show kindness to.”
118. Genesis 24:13 tn Heb “the spring of water.”
119. Genesis 24:13 tn Heb “the men.”
120. Genesis 24:14 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.
121. Genesis 24:14 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.”
122. Genesis 24:15 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out!” Using the participle introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator dramatically transports the audience back into the event and invites them to see Rebekah through the servant’s eyes.
123. Genesis 24:15 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out—[she] who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham—and her jug [was] on her shoulder.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
124. Genesis 24:16 tn Heb “And the young woman was very good of appearance, a virgin, and a man had not known her.” The first two terms נַעֲרָה (naʿarah) and בְּתוּלָה (betulah) can refer to young girls, either unmarried or married; see Judges 9:3 and Joel 1:8, respectively, for examples of a married נַעֲרָה (naʿarah) and בְּתוּלָה (betulah). While the term בְּתוּלָה (betulah) does not have to mean “virgin” it can refer to a girl who is a virgin. Further, in legal literature it is used as a technical term for “virgin” (Exod 22:16-17; Deut 22:19, 23, 28). Akkadian behaves similarly in that the cognate term batultu, meaning an adolescent girl but not necessarily a “virgin,” is used to mean “virgin” in Neo-Assyrian laws and Neo-Babylonian marriage contracts (CAD B 173-174). This passage is not legal literature, so the meaning “virgin” is clarified by an additional clause. The expression “to know” is a euphemism for sexual relations, and the English euphemism “be intimate with” is close in meaning to the Hebrew. The Semitic languages may have lacked a term that specifically meant “virgin” and so promoted other terms to indicate a virgin, whether by the context of the type of literature (e.g. legal literature) or by the addition of explanatory clauses.
125. Genesis 24:17 tn Heb “and the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
126. Genesis 24:18 tn Heb “and she hurried and lowered.”
127. Genesis 24:19 tn Heb “when she had finished giving him a drink.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
128. Genesis 24:20 tn Heb “and she hurried and emptied.”
129. Genesis 24:21 tn Heb “to know.”
130. Genesis 24:21 tn The Hebrew term צָלָה (tsalah), meaning “to make successful” in the Hiphil verbal stem, is a key term in the story (see vv. 40, 42, 56).
131. Genesis 24:22 sn A beka weighed about 5-6 grams (0.2 ounce).
132. Genesis 24:22 sn A shekel weighed about 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce) although weights varied locally, so these bracelets weighed about 4 ounces (115 grams).
133. Genesis 24:22 tn The words “and gave them to her” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied (cf. Gen 24:30).
134. Genesis 24:23 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
135. Genesis 24:24 tn Heb “whom she bore to Nahor.” The referent (Milcah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
136. Genesis 24:25 tn Heb “and she said, ‘We have plenty of both straw and feed.’” The order of the introductory clause has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
137. Genesis 24:25 tn Heb The words “for you” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
138. Genesis 24:27 tn Heb “his faithfulness and his commitment.”
139. Genesis 24:27 tn Heb “As for me—in the way the Lord led me.”
140. Genesis 24:27 tn Here “house” is an adverbial accusative of termination.
141. Genesis 24:27 tn Heb “brothers.”
142. Genesis 24:28 tn Heb “according to.”
143. Genesis 24:29 tn The parenthetical disjunctive clause introduces the audience to Laban, who will eventually play an important role in the unfolding story.
144. Genesis 24:30 tn Heb “And it was when he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister.” The word order is altered in the translation for the sake of clarity.
145. Genesis 24:30 tn Heb “and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying.”
146. Genesis 24:30 tn Heb “and look, he was standing.” The disjunctive clause with the participle following the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) invites the audience to view the scene through Laban’s eyes.
147. Genesis 24:31 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.
148. Genesis 24:31 sn Laban’s obsession with wealth is apparent; to him it represents how one is blessed by the Lord. Already the author is laying the foundation for subsequent events in the narrative, where Laban’s greed becomes his dominant characteristic.
149. Genesis 24:31 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.
150. Genesis 24:32 tn Heb “the man”; the referent (Abraham’s servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
151. Genesis 24:32 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).
152. Genesis 24:32 tn Heb “and [one] gave.” The verb without an expressed subject may be translated as passive.
153. Genesis 24:32 tn Heb “and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.”
154. Genesis 24:33 tn Heb “and food was placed before him.”
155. Genesis 24:33 tn Heb “my words.”
156. Genesis 24:33 tc Some ancient textual witnesses have a plural verb, “and they said.”tn Heb “and he said, ‘Speak.’” The referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
157. Genesis 24:35 tn Heb “become great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Abraham’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are not excluded.
158. Genesis 24:35 tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
159. Genesis 24:36 tn Heb “to my master.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
160. Genesis 24:36 tn Heb “after her old age.”
161. Genesis 24:36 tn Heb “and he.” The referent (the servant’s master, Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
162. Genesis 24:38 tn Heb “but to the house of my father you must go and to my family and you must take a wife for my son.”
163. Genesis 24:39 tn The imperfect is used here in a modal sense to indicate desire.
164. Genesis 24:39 tn Heb “after me.”
165. Genesis 24:40 tn The verb is the Hitpael of הָלַךְ (halakh), meaning “live one’s life” (see Gen 17:1). The statement may simply refer to serving the Lord or it may have a more positive moral connotation (“serve faithfully”).
166. Genesis 24:41 tn Heb “my oath” (twice in this verse). From the Hebrew perspective the oath belonged to the person to whom it was sworn (Abraham), although in contemporary English an oath is typically viewed as belonging to the person who swears it (the servant).
167. Genesis 24:42 tn Heb “if you are making successful my way on which I am going.”
168. Genesis 24:42 tn The words “may events unfold as follows” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
169. Genesis 24:43 tn Heb “the spring of water.”
170. Genesis 24:43 tn Heb “and it will be.”
171. Genesis 24:45 tn Heb “As for me, before I finished speaking to my heart.” The adverb טֶרֶם (terem) indicates the verb is a preterite; the infinitive that follows is the direct object.
172. Genesis 24:45 tn Heb “Look, Rebekah was coming out.” As in 24:15, the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) is used here for dramatic effect.
173. Genesis 24:47 tn Heb “whom Milcah bore to him.” The referent (Nahor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
174. Genesis 24:48 tn Heb “daughter.” Rebekah was actually the granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. One can either translate the Hebrew term בַּת (bat) as “daughter,” in which case the term אָח (ʾakh) must be translated more generally as “relative” rather than “brother” (cf. NASB, NRSV) or one can translate בַּת as “granddaughter,” in which case אָח may be translated “brother” (cf. NIV).
175. Genesis 24:49 tn Heb “and I will turn to the right or to the left.” The expression apparently means that Abraham’s servant will know where he should go if there is no further business here.
176. Genesis 24:50 tn Heb “From the Lord the matter has gone out.”
177. Genesis 24:50 tn Heb “We are not able to speak to you bad or good.” This means that Laban and Bethuel could not say one way or the other what they wanted, for they viewed it as God’s will.
178. Genesis 24:51 tn Following the imperatives, the jussive with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
179. Genesis 24:51 tn Heb “as the Lord has spoken.”
180. Genesis 24:53 tn Heb “the servant”; the noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
181. Genesis 24:54 tn Heb “And they ate and drank, he and the men who [were] with him and they spent the night.”
182. Genesis 24:54 tn Heb “Send me away to my master.”
183. Genesis 24:55 tn Heb “her”; the referent (Rebekah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
184. Genesis 24:56 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, indicating a reason for the preceding request.
185. Genesis 24:56 tn After the preceding imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
186. Genesis 24:57 tn Heb “and we will ask her mouth.”
187. Genesis 24:58 tn The imperfect verbal form here has a modal nuance, expressing desire.
188. Genesis 24:60 tn Heb “and said to her.”
189. Genesis 24:60 tn Heb “become thousands of ten thousands.”sn May you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands. The blessing expresses their prayer that she produce children and start a family line that will greatly increase (cf. Gen 17:16).
190. Genesis 24:60 tn Heb “gate,” which here stands for a walled city. In an ancient Near Eastern city the gate complex was the main area of defense (hence the translation “stronghold”). A similar phrase occurs in Gen 22:17.
191. Genesis 24:61 tn Heb “And she arose, Rebekah and her female servants, and they rode upon camels and went after.”
192. Genesis 24:61 tn Heb “the servant”; the word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
193. Genesis 24:62 tn The disjunctive clause switches the audience’s attention to Isaac and signals a new episode in the story.
194. Genesis 24:62 tn Heb “from the way of.”
195. Genesis 24:62 sn The Hebrew name Beer Lahai Roi (בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי, b^eʾer lakhay roʾi) means “The well of the Living One who sees me.” See Gen 16:14.
196. Genesis 24:62 tn This disjunctive clause is explanatory.
197. Genesis 24:62 tn Or “the South [country].”sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.
198. Genesis 24:63 tn Heb “Isaac”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
199. Genesis 24:63 tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain (cf. NASB, NIV “to meditate”; NRSV “to walk”).
200. Genesis 24:63 tn Heb “at the turning of the evening.”
201. Genesis 24:63 tn Heb “And he lifted up his eyes.” This idiom emphasizes the careful look Isaac had at the approaching caravan.
202. Genesis 24:63 tn Heb “and look.” The clause introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) invites the audience to view the scene through Isaac’s eyes.
203. Genesis 24:64 tn Heb “lifted up her eyes.”
204. Genesis 24:65 tn Heb “and she said to.”
205. Genesis 24:65 tn Heb “the servant.” The word “Abraham’s” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
206. Genesis 24:65 tn Heb “and the servant said.” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
207. Genesis 24:67 tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.
208. Genesis 24:67 tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
209. Genesis 24:67 tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”
210. Genesis 24:67 tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.