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Matthew 9:1-17
New English Translation

Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic

9 After getting into a boat[a] he crossed to the other side and came to his own town.[b] 2 Just then[c] some people[d] brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.[e] When Jesus saw their[f] faith, he said to the paralytic, “Have courage, son! Your sins are forgiven.”[g] 3 Then[h] some of the experts in the law[i] said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!”[j] 4 When Jesus perceived their thoughts he said, “Why do you respond with evil in your hearts? 5 Which is easier,[k] to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? 6 But so that you may know[l] that the Son of Man[m] has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then he said to the paralytic[n]—“Stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.”[o] 7 So[p] he stood up and went home.[q] 8 When[r] the crowd saw this, they were afraid[s] and honored God who had given such authority to men.[t]

The Call of Matthew; Eating with Sinners

9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth.[u] “Follow me,” he said to him. So[v] he got up and followed him. 10 As[w] Jesus[x] was having a meal[y] in Matthew’s[z] house, many tax collectors[aa] and sinners came and ate with Jesus and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees[ab] saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”[ac] 12 When[ad] Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do.[ae] 13 Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’[af] For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The Superiority of the New

14 Then John’s[ag] disciples came to Jesus[ah] and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees[ai] fast often,[aj] but your disciples don’t fast?” 15 Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests[ak] cannot mourn while the bridegroom[al] is with them, can they? But the days[am] are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them,[an] and then they will fast. 16 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch will pull away from the garment and the tear will be worse.[ao] 17 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins;[ap] otherwise the skins burst and the wine is spilled out and the skins are destroyed. Instead they put new wine into new wineskins[aq] and both are preserved.”

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Notas al pie

  1. Matthew 9:1 sn See the note at Matt 4:21 for a description of the first-century fishing boat discovered in 1986 near Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
  2. Matthew 9:1 sn His own town refers to Capernaum. Capernaum was a town located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It existed since Hasmonean times and was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region. The population in the first century is estimated to be around 1,500. Capernaum became the hub of operations for Jesus’ Galilean ministry (Matt 4:13; Mark 2:1). For more information, see the note at Matt 8:5.
  3. Matthew 9:2 tn Grk “And behold, they were bringing.” Here καὶ ἰδού (kai idou) has been translated as “just then” to indicate the somewhat sudden appearance of the people carrying the paralytic. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1), especially in conjunction with the suddenness of the stretcher-bearers’ appearance.
  4. Matthew 9:2 tn Grk “they”; the referent (some unnamed people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  5. Matthew 9:2 tn Traditionally, “on a bed,” but this could be confusing to the modern reader who might envision a large piece of furniture. In various contexts, κλίνη (klinē) may be translated “bed, couch, cot, stretcher, or bier” (in the case of a corpse). See L&N 6.106.
  6. Matthew 9:2 sn The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.
  7. Matthew 9:2 sn The passive voice here is a divine passive (ExSyn 437). It is clear that God does the forgiving.
  8. Matthew 9:3 tn Grk “And behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1). Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events in the narrative.
  9. Matthew 9:3 tn Or “some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
  10. Matthew 9:3 sn Blaspheming in the NT has a somewhat broader meaning than mere utterances. It could mean to say something that dishonored God, but it could also involve claims to divine prerogatives (in this case, to forgive sins on God’s behalf). Such claims were viewed as usurping God’s majesty or honor. The remark here raised directly the issue of the nature of Jesus’ ministry, and even more importantly, the identity of Jesus himself as God’s representative.
  11. Matthew 9:5 sn Which is easier is a reflective kind of question. On the one hand to declare that sins are forgiven is easier, since the forgiveness is unseen, unlike telling a paralyzed person to walk. On the other hand, to declare sins forgiven is harder, because for it to be true one must possess the authority to forgive the sin. Jesus is implicitly claiming that authority here.
  12. Matthew 9:6 sn Now Jesus put the two actions together. The walking of the man would be proof (so that you may know) that his sins were forgiven and that God had worked through Jesus (i.e., the Son of Man).
  13. Matthew 9:6 sn The term Son of Man, which is a title in Greek, comes from a pictorial description in Dan 7:13 of one “like a son of man” (i.e., a human being). It is Jesus’ favorite way to refer to himself. Jesus did not reveal the background of the term here, which mixes human and divine imagery as the man in Daniel rides a cloud, something only God does. He just used it. It also could be an idiom in Aramaic meaning either “some person” or “me.” So there is a little ambiguity in its use here, since its origin is not clear at this point. However, the action makes it clear that Jesus used it to refer to himself here.
  14. Matthew 9:6 sn Jesus did not finish his sentence with words but with action, that is, healing the paralytic with an accompanying pronouncement to him directly.
  15. Matthew 9:6 tn Grk “to your house.”
  16. Matthew 9:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied sequence of events in the narrative.
  17. Matthew 9:7 tn Grk “to his house.”
  18. Matthew 9:8 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  19. Matthew 9:8 tc Most witnesses (C L N Γ Θ 0233 ƒ13 565 579 700 M) have ἐθαύμασαν (ethaumasan; “marveled, were amazed”) instead of ἐφοβήθησαν (ephobēthēsan) here, effectively turning the fearful reaction into one of veneration. But the harder reading is well supported by א B D W 0281 ƒ1 33 892 1424 lat co and thus is surely authentic.
  20. Matthew 9:8 tn Grk “people.” The plural of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) usually indicates people in general, but the singular is used in the expression “Son of Man.” There is thus an ironic allusion to Jesus’ statement in v. 6: His self-designation as “Son of Man” is meant to be unique, but the crowd regards it simply as meaning “human, person.” To maintain this connection for the English reader the plural ἀνθρώποις (anthrōpois) has been translated here as “men” rather than as the more generic “people.”
  21. Matthew 9:9 tn While “tax office” is sometimes given as a translation for τελώνιον (telōnion, so L&N 57.183), this could give the modern reader a false impression of an indoor office with all its associated furnishings.sn The tax booth was a booth located at a port or on the edge of a city or town to collect taxes for trade. These taxes were a form of customs duty or toll applied to the movement of goods and produce brought into an area for sale. As such these tolls were a sort of “sales tax” paid by the seller but obviously passed on to the purchaser in the form of increased prices (L&N 57.183). The system as a whole is sometimes referred to as “tax farming” because a contract to collect these taxes for an entire district would be sold to the highest bidder, who would pay up front, hire employees to do the work of collection, and then recoup the investment and overhead by charging commissions on top of the taxes. Although rates and commissions were regulated by law, there was plenty of room for abuse in the system through the subjective valuation of goods by the tax collectors, and even through outright bribery. Tax overseers and their employees were obviously not well liked. There was a tax booth in Capernaum, which was on the trade route from Damascus to Galilee and the Mediterranean. It was here that Jesus met Matthew (also named Levi [see Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27]) who, although indirectly employed by the Romans, was probably more directly responsible to Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee appointed by Rome. It was Matthew’s job to collect customs duties for Rome and he was thus despised by his fellow Jews, many of whom would have regarded him as a traitor.
  22. Matthew 9:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied sequence of events in the narrative.
  23. Matthew 9:10 tn Grk “And it happened that while.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  24. Matthew 9:10 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  25. Matthew 9:10 tn Grk “was reclining at table.”sn As Jesus was having a meal. First century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.
  26. Matthew 9:10 tn Grk “in the house.” The Greek article is used here in a context that implies possession, and the referent of the implied possessive pronoun (Matthew) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  27. Matthew 9:10 sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.
  28. Matthew 9:11 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
  29. Matthew 9:11 sn The issue here is inappropriate associations (on the status of tax collectors see the note at 5:46; the phrase often occurs in the NT in collocation with sinners). Jews were very careful about personal associations and contact as a matter of ritual cleanliness. Their question borders on an accusation that Jesus is ritually unclean because of who he associates with.
  30. Matthew 9:12 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  31. Matthew 9:12 sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. People who are healthy (or who think mistakenly that they are) will not seek treatment.
  32. Matthew 9:13 sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 12:7). The statement both in the Hebrew text of Hosea and the Greek text of Matthew creates an apparent antithesis between mercy and sacrifice. Even among the church fathers, some understood this to be an absolute rejection of sacrifice by Jesus, and to signal the end of the sacrificial cult with the arrival of the new covenant. This interpretation is unlikely, however, both for Hosea and for Matthew. The LXX renders the Hebrew text of Hos 6:6 as comparative: “I want mercy more than sacrifice,” and this is probably closer to Hosea’s meaning (see the note at Hos 6:6). Such an understanding is also consistent with Jesus’ teaching elsewhere in Matthew (e.g. 5:18-24; 23:23-28). Obedience to the law is important, but even more important is to show mercy to those who are in dire need, as demonstrated by Jesus himself in his ministry of healing (alluded to in Matt 9:12 with the imagery of the physician, and in Matt 9:1-8 by the healing of the paralytic).
  33. Matthew 9:14 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
  34. Matthew 9:14 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  35. Matthew 9:14 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
  36. Matthew 9:14 sn John’s disciples and the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week (cf. Luke 18:12) on Monday and Thursday (Didache 8:1).
  37. Matthew 9:15 tn Grk “sons of the wedding hall,” an idiom referring to wedding guests, or more specifically friends of the bridegroom present at the wedding celebration (L&N 11.7).
  38. Matthew 9:15 sn The expression while the bridegroom is with them is an allusion to messianic times (John 3:29; Isa 54:5-6; 62:4-5).
  39. Matthew 9:15 tn Grk “days.”
  40. Matthew 9:15 sn The statement the bridegroom will be taken from them is a veiled allusion by Jesus to his death, which he did not make explicit until the incident at Caesarea Philippi in 16:13ff. For Matthew it is unlikely this statement is meant to refer to fasting in the early church following Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation, since Matthew presents the post-resurrection period as a time of Jesus’ presence rather than his absence (18:20; 28:20). Nevertheless, this passage is frequently cited as a justification of the fasting practices of the early church (such a practice may be reflected in Didache 8:1).
  41. Matthew 9:16 sn The point of the saying is the incompatibility of the old and the new, with Jesus and his disciples representing what is new. In the context this explains why Jesus and his disciples do not fast like the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist (v. 14).
  42. Matthew 9:17 sn Wineskins were bags made of skin or leather, used for storing wine in NT times. As the new wine fermented and expanded, it would stretch the new wineskins. Putting new (unfermented) wine in old wineskins, which had already been stretched, would result in the bursting of the wineskins.
  43. Matthew 9:17 sn The meaning of the saying new wine into new wineskins is that the presence and teaching of Jesus was something new and signaled the passing of the old. It could not be confined within the old religion of Judaism, but involved the inauguration and consummation of the kingdom of God.
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Genesis 25-26
New English Translation

The Death of Abraham

25 Abraham had taken[a] another[b] wife, named Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan.[c] The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants[d] of Keturah.

5 Everything he owned Abraham left to his son Isaac. 6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines[e] and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac.[f]

7 Abraham lived a total of[g] 175 years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a full life.[h] He joined his ancestors.[i] 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah[j] near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hittite.[k] 10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth.[l] There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed[m] his son Isaac. Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi.[n]

The Sons of Ishmael

12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael,[o] whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.

13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons, by their names according to their records:[p] Nebaioth (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their settlements and their camps—twelve princes[q] according to their clans.

17 Ishmael lived a total of[r] 137 years. He breathed his last and died; then he joined his ancestors.[s] 18 His descendants[t] settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs next to[u] Egypt all the way[v] to Asshur.[w] They settled[x] away from all their relatives.[y]

Jacob and Esau

19 This is the account of Isaac,[z] the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac. 20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah,[aa] the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean.[ab]

21 Isaac prayed[ac] to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 But the children struggled[ad] inside her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?”[ae] So she asked the Lord,[af] 23 and the Lord said to her,

“Two nations[ag] are in your womb,
and two peoples will be separated from within you.
One people will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”

24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth,[ah] there were[ai] twins in her womb. 25 The first came out reddish[aj] all over,[ak] like a hairy[al] garment, so they named him Esau.[am] 26 When his brother came out with[an] his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob.[ao] Isaac was sixty years old[ap] when they were born.

27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled[aq] hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents.[ar] 28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game,[as] but Rebekah loved[at] Jacob.

29 Now Jacob cooked some stew,[au] and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished. 30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed[av] me some of the red stuff—yes, this red stuff—because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called[aw] Edom.)[ax]

31 But Jacob replied, “First[ay] sell me your birthright.” 32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?”[az] 33 But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.”[ba] So Esau[bb] swore an oath to him and sold his birthright[bc] to Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out.[bd] So Esau despised his birthright.[be]

Isaac and Abimelech

26 There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred[bf] in the days of Abraham.[bg] Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar. 2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt;[bh] settle down in the land that I will point out to you.[bi] 3 Stay[bj] in this land. Then I will be with you and will bless you,[bk] for I will give all these lands to you and to your descendants,[bl] and I will fulfill[bm] the solemn promise I made[bn] to your father Abraham. 4 I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them[bo] all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants.[bp] 5 All this will come to pass[bq] because Abraham obeyed me[br] and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”[bs] 6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.

7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he replied, “She is my sister.”[bt] He was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” for he thought to himself,[bu] “The men of this place will kill me to get[bv] Rebekah because she is very beautiful.”

8 After Isaac[bw] had been there a long time,[bx] Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed[by] Isaac caressing[bz] his wife Rebekah. 9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really[ca] your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.”[cb]

10 Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us?[cc] One of the men[cd] nearly took your wife to bed,[ce] and you would have brought guilt on us!” 11 So Abimelech commanded all the people, “Whoever touches[cf] this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”[cg]

12 When Isaac planted in that land, he reaped in the same year a hundred times what he had sown,[ch] because the Lord blessed him.[ci] 13 The man became wealthy.[cj] His influence continued to grow[ck] until he became very prominent. 14 He had[cl] so many sheep[cm] and cattle[cn] and such a great household of servants that the Philistines became jealous of[co] him. 15 So the Philistines took dirt and filled up[cp] all the wells that his father’s servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham.

16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere,[cq] for you have become much more powerful[cr] than we are.” 17 So Isaac left there and settled in the Gerar Valley.[cs] 18 Isaac reopened[ct] the wells that had been dug[cu] back in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up[cv] after Abraham died. Isaac[cw] gave these wells[cx] the same names his father had given them.[cy]

19 When Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well with fresh flowing[cz] water there, 20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled[da] with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water belongs to us!” So Isaac[db] named the well Esek[dc] because they argued with him about it.[dd] 21 His servants[de] dug another well, but they quarreled over it too, so Isaac named it[df] Sitnah.[dg] 22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well. They did not quarrel over it, so Isaac[dh] named it[di] Rehoboth,[dj] saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we will prosper in the land.”

23 From there Isaac[dk] went up to Beer Sheba. 24 The Lord appeared to him that night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” 25 Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped[dl] the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well.[dm]

26 Now Abimelech had come[dn] to him from Gerar along with[do] Ahuzzah his friend[dp] and Phicol the commander of his army. 27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me? You hate me[dq] and sent me away from you.” 28 They replied, “We could plainly see[dr] that the Lord is with you. So we decided there should be[ds] a pact between us[dt]—between us[du] and you. Allow us to make[dv] a treaty with you 29 so that[dw] you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmed[dx] you, but have always treated you well[dy] before sending you away[dz] in peace. Now you are blessed by the Lord.”[ea]

30 So Isaac[eb] held a feast for them and they celebrated.[ec] 31 Early in the morning the men made a treaty with each other.[ed] Isaac sent them off; they separated on good terms.[ee]

32 That day Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well they had dug. “We’ve found water,” they reported.[ef] 33 So he named it Shibah;[eg] that is why the name of the city has been Beer Sheba[eh] to this day.

34 When[ei] Esau was forty years old,[ej] he married[ek] Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, as well as Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 They caused Isaac and Rebekah great anxiety.[el]

Notas al pie

  1. Genesis 25:1 tn Or “took.”sn Abraham had taken another wife. These events are not necessarily in chronological order following the events of the preceding chapter. They are listed here to summarize Abraham’s other descendants before the narrative of his death.
  2. Genesis 25:1 tn Heb “And Abraham added and took.”
  3. Genesis 25:3 sn The names Sheba and Dedan appear in Gen 10:7 as descendants of Ham through Cush and Raamah. Since these two names are usually interpreted to be place names, one plausible suggestion is that some of Abraham’s descendants lived in those regions and took names linked with it.
  4. Genesis 25:4 tn Or “sons.”
  5. Genesis 25:6 tn Heb “the sons of the concubines who [belonged] to Abraham.”
  6. Genesis 25:6 tn Heb “And he sent them away from upon Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the land of the east.”
  7. Genesis 25:7 tn Heb “and these are the days of the years of the lifetime of Abraham that he lived.” The normal genealogical formula is expanded here due to the importance of the life of Abraham.
  8. Genesis 25:8 tn Heb “old and full.”
  9. Genesis 25:8 tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.
  10. Genesis 25:9 sn The cave of Machpelah was the place Abraham had purchased as a burial place for his wife Sarah (Gen 23:17-18).
  11. Genesis 25:9 tn The Hebrew term “Hittite” derives from the name Heth; see the note at Gen 23:3.
  12. Genesis 25:10 tn See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.
  13. Genesis 25:11 sn God blessed Isaac. The Hebrew verb “bless” in this passage must include all the gifts that God granted to Isaac. But fertility was not one of them, at least not for 20 years, because Rebekah was barren as well (see v. 21).
  14. Genesis 25:11 sn Beer Lahai Roi. See the note on this place name in Gen 24:62.
  15. Genesis 25:12 sn This is the account of Ishmael. The Book of Genesis tends to tidy up the family records at every turning point. Here, before proceeding with the story of Isaac’s family, the narrative traces Ishmael’s family line. Later, before discussing Jacob’s family, the narrative traces Esau’s family line (see Gen 36).
  16. Genesis 25:13 tn The meaning of this line is not easily understood. The sons of Ishmael are listed here “by their names” and “according to their descendants.”
  17. Genesis 25:16 tn Or “tribal chieftains.”
  18. Genesis 25:17 tn Heb “And these are the days of the years of Ishmael.”
  19. Genesis 25:17 tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.
  20. Genesis 25:18 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Ishmael’s descendants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  21. Genesis 25:18 tn Heb “which is by the face of,” or near the border. The territory ran along the border of Egypt.
  22. Genesis 25:18 tn Heb “as you go.”
  23. Genesis 25:18 sn The name Asshur refers here to a tribal area in the Sinai.
  24. Genesis 25:18 tn Heb “he fell.”
  25. Genesis 25:18 tn Heb “upon the face of all his brothers.” This last expression, obviously alluding to the earlier oracle about Ishmael (Gen 16:12), could mean that the descendants of Ishmael lived in hostility to others or that they lived in a territory that was opposite the lands of their relatives. While there is some ambiguity about the meaning, the line probably does give a hint of the Ishmaelite-Israelite conflicts to come.
  26. Genesis 25:19 sn This is the account of Isaac. What follows for several chapters is not the account of Isaac, except briefly, but the account of Jacob and Esau. The next chapters tell what became of Isaac and his family.
  27. Genesis 25:20 tn Heb “And Isaac was the son of forty years when he took Rebekah.”
  28. Genesis 25:20 sn Some valuable information is provided here. We learn here that Isaac married thirty-five years before Abraham died, that Rebekah was barren for 20 years, and that Abraham would have lived to see Jacob and Esau begin to grow up. The death of Abraham was recorded in the first part of the chapter as a “tidying up” of one generation before beginning the account of the next.
  29. Genesis 25:21 tn The Hebrew verb עָתַר (ʿatar), translated “prayed” here, appears in the story of God’s judgment on Egypt in which Moses asked the Lord to remove the plagues. The cognate word in Arabic means “to slaughter for sacrifice,” and the word is used in Zeph 3:10 to describe worshipers who bring offerings. Perhaps some ritual accompanied Isaac’s prayer here.
  30. Genesis 25:22 tn The Hebrew word used here suggests a violent struggle that was out of the ordinary.
  31. Genesis 25:22 tn Heb “If [it is] so, why [am] I this [way]?” Rebekah wanted to know what was happening to her, but the question itself reflects a growing despair over the struggle of the unborn children.
  32. Genesis 25:22 sn Asked the Lord. In other passages (e.g., 1 Sam 9:9) this expression refers to inquiring of a prophet, but no details are provided here.
  33. Genesis 25:23 sn By metonymy the two children in her womb are described as two nations of which the two children, Jacob and Esau, would become the fathers. The language suggests there would be a struggle between these nations, with one being stronger than the other. The oracle reveals that all of Jacob’s scheming was unnecessary in the final analysis. He would have become the dominant nation without using deception to steal his brother’s blessing.
  34. Genesis 25:24 tn Heb “And her days were filled to give birth.”
  35. Genesis 25:24 tn Heb “look!” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene as if they were actually present at the birth.
  36. Genesis 25:25 sn Reddish. The Hebrew word translated “reddish” is אַדְמוֹנִי (ʾadmoni), which forms a wordplay on the Edomites, Esau’s descendants. The writer sees in Esau’s appearance at birth a sign of what was to come. After all, the reader has already been made aware of the “nations” that were being born.
  37. Genesis 25:25 tn Heb “all of him.”
  38. Genesis 25:25 sn Hairy. Here is another wordplay involving the descendants of Esau. The Hebrew word translated “hairy” is שֵׂעָר (seʿar); the Edomites will later live in Mount Seir, perhaps named for its wooded nature.
  39. Genesis 25:25 tn Heb “And they called his name Esau.” The name “Esau” (עֵשָׂו, ʿesav) is not etymologically related to שֵׂעָר (seʿar), but it draws on some of the sounds.
  40. Genesis 25:26 tn The disjunctive clause describes an important circumstance accompanying the birth. Whereas Esau was passive at birth, Jacob was active.
  41. Genesis 25:26 tn Heb “And he called his name Jacob.” Some ancient witnesses read “they called his name Jacob” (see v. 25). In either case the subject is indefinite.sn The name Jacob is a play on the Hebrew word for “heel” (עָקֵב, ʿaqev). The name (since it is a verb) probably means something like “may he protect,” that is, as a rearguard, dogging the heels. It did not have a negative connotation until Esau redefined it. This name was probably chosen because of the immediate association with the incident of grabbing the heel. After receiving such an oracle, the parents would have preserved in memory almost every detail of the unusual births.
  42. Genesis 25:26 tn Heb “the son of sixty years.”
  43. Genesis 25:27 tn Heb “knowing.”
  44. Genesis 25:27 tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Jacob with Esau and draws attention to the striking contrasts. In contrast to Esau, a man of the field, Jacob was civilized, as the phrase “living in tents” signifies. Whereas Esau was a skillful hunter, Jacob was calm and even-tempered (תָּם, tam), which normally has the idea of “blameless.”
  45. Genesis 25:28 tn Heb “the taste of game was in his mouth.” The word for “game,” “venison” is here the same Hebrew word as “hunter” in the last verse. Here it is a metonymy, referring to that which the hunter kills.
  46. Genesis 25:28 tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Rebekah with Jacob and draws attention to the contrast. The verb here is a participle, drawing attention to Rebekah’s continuing, enduring love for her son.
  47. Genesis 25:29 sn Jacob cooked some stew. There are some significant words and wordplays in this story that help clarify the points of the story. The verb “cook” is זִיד (zid), which sounds like the word for “hunter” (צַיִד, tsayid). This is deliberate, for the hunter becomes the hunted in this story. The word זִיד means “to cook, to boil,” but by the sound play with צַיִד it comes to mean “set a trap by cooking.” The usage of the word shows that it can also have the connotation of acting presumptuously (as in boiling over). This too may be a comment on the scene. For further discussion of the rhetorical devices in the Jacob narratives, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).
  48. Genesis 25:30 tn The rare term לָעַט (laʿat), 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.
  49. Genesis 25:30 tn The verb has no expressed subject and so is given a passive translation.
  50. Genesis 25:30 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.”
  51. Genesis 25:31 tn Heb “today.”
  52. Genesis 25:32 tn Heb “And what is this to me, a birthright?”
  53. Genesis 25:33 tn Heb “Swear to me today.”
  54. Genesis 25:33 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  55. Genesis 25:33 sn And sold his birthright. There is evidence from Hurrian culture that rights of inheritance were occasionally sold or transferred. Here Esau is portrayed as a profane person who would at the moment rather have a meal than the right to inherit. He will soon forget this trade and seek his father’s blessing in spite of it.
  56. Genesis 25:34 sn The style here is typical of Hebrew narrative; after the tension is resolved with the dialogue, the working out of it is recorded in a rapid sequence of verbs (“gave”; “ate”; “drank”; “got up”; “went out”). See also Gen 3:1-7 for another example.
  57. Genesis 25:34 sn So Esau despised his birthright. This clause, which concludes the episode, is a summary statement which reveals the underlying significance of Esau’s actions. “To despise” means to treat something as worthless or with contempt. Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered it to be unimportant.
  58. Genesis 26:1 tn Heb “in addition to the first famine which was.”
  59. Genesis 26:1 sn This account is parallel to two similar stories about Abraham (see Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-18). Many scholars do not believe there were three similar incidents, only one that got borrowed and duplicated. Many regard the account about Isaac as the original, which then was attached to the more important person, Abraham, with supernatural elements being added. For a critique of such an approach, see R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative, 47-62. It is more likely that the story illustrates the proverb “like father, like son” (see T. W. Mann, The Book of the Torah, 53). In typical human fashion the son follows his father’s example of lying to avoid problems. The appearance of similar events reported in a similar way underscores the fact that the blessing has now passed to Isaac, even if he fails as his father did.
  60. Genesis 26:2 sn Do not go down to Egypt. The words echo Gen 12:10, which reports that “Abram went down to Egypt,” but state the opposite.
  61. Genesis 26:2 tn Heb “say to you.”
  62. Genesis 26:3 tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur) means “to live temporarily without ownership of land.” Abraham’s family will not actually possess the land of Canaan until the Israelite conquest hundreds of years later.
  63. Genesis 26:3 tn After the imperative “stay” the two prefixed verb forms with prefixed conjunction here indicate consequence.sn I will be with you and I will bless you. The promise of divine presence is a promise to intervene to protect and to bless.
  64. Genesis 26:3 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.sn To you and to your descendants. The Abrahamic blessing will pass to Isaac. Everything included in that blessing will now belong to the son, and in turn will be passed on to his sons. But there is a contingency involved: If they are to enjoy the full blessings, they will have to obey the word of the Lord. And so obedience is enjoined here with the example of how well Abraham obeyed.
  65. Genesis 26:3 tn The Hiphil stem of the verb קוּם (qum) here means “to fulfill, to bring to realization.” For other examples of this use of this verb form, see Lev 26:9; Num 23:19; Deut 8:18; 9:5; 1 Sam 1:23; 1 Kgs 6:12; Jer 11:5.
  66. Genesis 26:3 tn Heb “the oath which I swore.”sn The solemn promise I made. See Gen 15:18-20; 22:16-18.
  67. Genesis 26:4 tn Heb “your descendants.”
  68. Genesis 26:4 tn The Hitpael is understood here as reflexive/reciprocal, “will bless [i.e., pronounce blessings on] themselves/one another.” It could possibly it could mean “they may find/receive blessing;” see the note at Gen 22:18. Elsewhere the Hitpael of the verb “to bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11. For the meaning of the Niphal in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant see notes at Gen 12:3; 18:18; 28:14. NASB presents the traditional passive rendering “will be blessed” with a note that it may mean “bless themselves.”
  69. Genesis 26:5 tn The words “All this will come to pass” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons.
  70. Genesis 26:5 tn Heb “listened to my voice.”
  71. Genesis 26:5 sn My charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. The language of this verse is clearly interpretive, for Abraham did not have all these laws. The terms are legal designations for sections of the Mosaic law and presuppose the existence of the law. Some Rabbinic views actually conclude that Abraham had fulfilled the whole law before it was given (see m. Qiddushin 4:14). Some scholars argue that this story could only have been written after the law was given (C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:424-25). But the simplest explanation is that the narrator (traditionally taken to be Moses the Lawgiver) elaborated on the simple report of Abraham’s obedience by using terms with which the Israelites were familiar. In this way he depicts Abraham as the model of obedience to God’s commands, whose example Israel should follow.
  72. Genesis 26:7 sn Rebekah, unlike Sarah, was not actually her husband’s sister.
  73. Genesis 26:7 tn Heb “lest.” The words “for he thought to himself” are supplied because the next clause is written with a first person pronoun, showing that Isaac was saying or thinking this.
  74. Genesis 26:7 tn Heb “kill me on account of.”
  75. Genesis 26:8 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  76. Genesis 26:8 tn Heb “and it happened when the days were long to him there.”
  77. Genesis 26:8 tn Heb “window and saw, and look, Isaac.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene through Abimelech’s eyes.
  78. Genesis 26:8 tn Or “fondling.”sn The Hebrew word מְצַחֵק (metsakheq), from the root צָחַק (tsakhaq, “laugh”), forms a sound play with the name “Isaac” right before it. Here it depicts an action, probably caressing or fondling, that indicated immediately that Rebekah was Isaac’s wife, not his sister. Isaac’s deception made a mockery of God’s covenantal promise. Ignoring God’s promise to protect and bless him, Isaac lied to protect himself and acted in bad faith to the men of Gerar.
  79. Genesis 26:9 tn Heb “Surely, look!” See N. H. Snaith, “The meaning of the Hebrew אַךְ,” VT 14 (1964): 221-25.
  80. Genesis 26:9 tn Heb “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” Since the verb “said” probably means “said to myself” (i.e., “thought”) here, the direct discourse in the Hebrew statement has been converted to indirect discourse in the translation. In addition the simple prepositional phrase “on account of her” has been clarified in the translation as “to get her” (cf. v. 7).
  81. Genesis 26:10 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).
  82. Genesis 26:10 tn Heb “people.”tc The LXX reads τις τοῦ γένους μου (tis tou genous mou) “one of my kin.”
  83. Genesis 26:10 tn Heb “almost lied down with.” The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) “to lie down” can imply going to bed to sleep or be a euphemism for sexual relations. Here the verb is modified by the prepositional phrase with כ (kaf; “like, as”) and מְעַט (meʿat; “little, brief”). When כִּמְעַט (kimʿat) modifies a perfect verb it means that someone almost did something (Ps 73:2; 119:87; Prov 5:14); with an imperfect verb it means to do something soon. This verse uses a perfect verb. Most translations employ a modal translation: “one of the people might easily (or “might soon”) have laid with your wife.” But the perfect verb is not typically modal, unless marked by other factors. The vav plus perfect consecutive (or veqatal) may be modal; or the perfect may be modal if signaled by another word such as אִם (ʾim; “if”) or לוּ or לוּלֵא (lu or luleʾ; “would that,” “unless”). If כִּמְעַט (kimʿat), which is not commonly used, can mark the perfect verb as modal, then “one of the people might have gone to bed with her” would be an appropriate translation. The options “it might have happened” and “it nearly happened” are fairly close in meaning.
  84. Genesis 26:11 tn Heb “strikes.” Here the verb has the nuance “to harm in any way.” It would include assaulting the woman or killing the man.
  85. Genesis 26:11 tn The use of the infinitive absolute before the imperfect makes the construction emphatic.
  86. Genesis 26:12 tn Heb “a hundredfold.”
  87. Genesis 26:12 tn This final clause explains why Isaac had such a bountiful harvest.
  88. Genesis 26:13 tn Heb “great.” In this context the statement refers primarily to Isaac’s material wealth, although reputation and influence are included.
  89. Genesis 26:13 tn Heb “and he went, going and becoming great.” The construction stresses that his growth in possessions and power continued steadily.
  90. Genesis 26:14 tn Heb “and there was to him.”
  91. Genesis 26:14 tn Heb “possessions of sheep.”
  92. Genesis 26:14 tn Heb “possessions of cattle.”
  93. Genesis 26:14 tn The Hebrew verb translated “became jealous of” refers here to intense jealousy or envy that leads to hostile action (see v. 15).
  94. Genesis 26:15 tn Heb “and the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with dirt.”
  95. Genesis 26:16 tn Heb “Go away from us.”
  96. Genesis 26:16 sn You have become much more powerful. This explanation for the expulsion of Isaac from Philistine territory foreshadows the words used later by the Egyptians to justify their oppression of Israel (see Exod 1:9).
  97. Genesis 26:17 tn Heb “and he camped in the Valley of Gerar and he lived there.”sn This valley was actually a wadi (a dry river bed where the water would flow in the rainy season, but this would have been rare in the Negev). The water table under it would have been higher than in the desert because of water soaking in during the torrents, making it easier to find water when digging wells. However, this does not minimize the blessing of the Lord, for the men of the region knew this too, but did not have the same results.
  98. Genesis 26:18 tn Heb “he returned and dug,” meaning “he dug again” or “he reopened.”
  99. Genesis 26:18 tn Heb “that they dug.” Since the subject is indefinite, the verb is translated as passive.
  100. Genesis 26:18 tn Heb “and the Philistines had stopped them up.” This clause explains why Isaac had to reopen them.
  101. Genesis 26:18 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  102. Genesis 26:18 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the wells) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  103. Genesis 26:18 tn Heb “called names to them according to the names that his father called them.”
  104. Genesis 26:19 tn Heb “living.” This expression refers to a well supplied by subterranean streams (see Song 4:15).
  105. Genesis 26:20 tn The Hebrew verb translated “quarreled” describes a conflict that often has legal ramifications.
  106. Genesis 26:20 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  107. Genesis 26:20 sn The name Esek means “argument” in Hebrew. The following causal clause explains that Isaac gave the well this name as a reminder of the conflict its discovery had created. In the Hebrew text there is a wordplay, for the name is derived from the verb translated “argued.”
  108. Genesis 26:20 tn The words “about it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  109. Genesis 26:21 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Isaac’s servants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  110. Genesis 26:21 tn Heb “and he called its name.” The referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  111. Genesis 26:21 sn The name Sitnah (שִׂטְנָה, sitnah) is derived from a Hebrew verbal root meaning “to oppose; to be an adversary” (cf. Job 1:6). The name was a reminder that the digging of this well caused “opposition” from the Philistines.
  112. Genesis 26:22 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  113. Genesis 26:22 tn Heb “and he called its name.”
  114. Genesis 26:22 sn The name Rehoboth (רְהֹבוֹת, rehovot) is derived from a verbal root meaning “to make room.” The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. The story shows Isaac’s patience with the opposition; it also shows how God’s blessing outdistanced the men of Gerar. They could not stop it or seize it any longer.
  115. Genesis 26:23 tn Heb “and he went up from there”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  116. Genesis 26:25 tn Heb “called in the name of.” The expression refers to worshiping the Lord through prayer and sacrifice (see Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; 21:33). See G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:116.
  117. Genesis 26:25 tn Heb “and they dug there, the servants of Isaac, a well.”
  118. Genesis 26:26 tn The disjunctive clause supplies pertinent supplemental information. The past perfect is used because the following narrative records the treaty at Beer Sheba. Prior to this we are told that Isaac settled in Beer Sheba; presumably this treaty would have allowed him to do that. However, it may be that he settled there and then made the treaty by which he renamed the place Beer Sheba. In this case one may translate “Now Abimelech came to him.”
  119. Genesis 26:26 tn Heb “and.”
  120. Genesis 26:26 tn Many modern translations render the Hebrew term מֵרֵעַ (mereaʾ) as “councillor” or “adviser,” but the term may not designate an official position but simply a close personal friend.
  121. Genesis 26:27 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, expressing the reason for his question.
  122. Genesis 26:28 tn The infinitive absolute before the verb emphasizes the clarity of their perception.
  123. Genesis 26:28 tn Heb “And we said, ‘Let there be.’” The direct discourse in the Hebrew text has been rendered as indirect discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  124. Genesis 26:28 tn The pronoun “us” here is inclusive—it refers to the Philistine contingent on the one hand and Isaac on the other.
  125. Genesis 26:28 tn The pronoun “us” here is exclusive—it refers to just the Philistine contingent (the following “you” refers to Isaac).
  126. Genesis 26:28 tn The translation assumes that the cohortative expresses their request. Another option is to understand the cohortative as indicating resolve: “We want to make.’”
  127. Genesis 26:29 tn The oath formula is used: “if you do us harm” means “so that you will not do.”
  128. Genesis 26:29 tn Heb “touched.”
  129. Genesis 26:29 tn Heb “and just as we have done only good with you.”
  130. Genesis 26:29 tn Heb “and we sent you away.”
  131. Genesis 26:29 tn The Philistine leaders are making an observation, not pronouncing a blessing, so the translation reads “you are blessed” rather than “may you be blessed” (cf. NAB).
  132. Genesis 26:30 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Isaac) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  133. Genesis 26:30 tn Heb “and they ate and drank.”
  134. Genesis 26:31 tn Heb “and they got up early and they swore an oath, a man to his brother.”
  135. Genesis 26:31 tn Heb “and they went from him in peace.”
  136. Genesis 26:32 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.
  137. Genesis 26:33 sn The name Shibah (שִׁבְעָה, shivʿah) means (or at least sounds like) the word meaning “oath.” The name was a reminder of the oath sworn by Isaac and the Philistines to solidify their treaty.
  138. Genesis 26:33 sn The name Beer Sheba (בְּאֵר שָׁבַע, beʾer shavaʿ) means “well of an oath” or “well of seven.” According to Gen 21:31 Abraham gave Beer Sheba its name when he made a treaty with the Philistines. Because of the parallels between this earlier story and the account in 26:26-33, some scholars see chaps. 21 and 26 as two versions (or doublets) of one original story. However, if one takes the text as it stands, it appears that Isaac made a later treaty agreement with the people of the land that was similar to his father’s. Abraham dug a well at the site and named the place Beer Sheba; Isaac dug another well there and named the well Shibah. Later generations then associated the name Beer Sheba with Isaac, even though Abraham gave the place its name at an earlier time.
  139. Genesis 26:34 tn The sentence begins with the temporal indicator (“and it happened”), making this clause subordinate to the next.
  140. Genesis 26:34 tn Heb “the son of forty years.”
  141. Genesis 26:34 tn Heb “took as a wife.”
  142. Genesis 26:35 tn Heb “And they were [a source of ] bitterness in spirit to Isaac and to Rebekah.”
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