Beginning
The Return to Bethel
35 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once[a] to Bethel and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”[b] 2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you.[c] Purify yourselves and change your clothes.[d] 3 Let us go up at once[e] to Bethel. Then I will make[f] an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress[g] and has been with me wherever I went.”[h]
4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession[i] and the rings that were in their ears.[j] Jacob buried them[k] under the oak[l] near Shechem 5 and they started on their journey.[m] The surrounding cities were afraid of God,[n] and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
6 Jacob and all those who were with him arrived at Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.[o] 7 He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel[p] because there God had revealed himself[q] to him when he was fleeing from his brother. 8 (Deborah,[r] Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel; thus it was named[s] Oak of Weeping.)[t]
9 God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan Aram and blessed him. 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but your name will no longer be called Jacob; Israel will be your name.” So God named him Israel.[u] 11 Then God said to him, “I am the Sovereign God.[v] Be fruitful and multiply! A nation—even a company of nations—will descend from you; kings will be among your descendants![w] 12 The land I gave[x] to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you. To your descendants[y] I will also give this land.” 13 Then God went up from the place[z] where he spoke with him. 14 So Jacob set up a sacred stone pillar in the place where God spoke with him.[aa] He poured out a drink offering on it, and then he poured oil on it.[ab] 15 Jacob named the place[ac] where God spoke with him Bethel.[ad]
16 They traveled on from Bethel, and when Ephrath was still some distance away,[ae] Rachel went into labor[af]—and her labor was hard. 17 When her labor was at its hardest,[ag] the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you are having another son.”[ah] 18 With her dying breath,[ai] she named him Ben Oni.[aj] But his father called him Benjamin instead.[ak] 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).[al] 20 Jacob set up a marker[am] over her grave; it is[an] the Marker of Rachel’s Grave to this day.
21 Then Israel traveled on and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.[ao] 22 While Israel was living in that land, Reuben went to bed with[ap] Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard about it.
Jacob had twelve sons:
23 The sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, as well as Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.
26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher.
These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
27 So Jacob came back to his father Isaac in Mamre,[aq] to Kiriath Arba[ar] (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.[as] 28 Isaac lived to be 180 years old.[at] 29 Then Isaac breathed his last and joined his ancestors.[au] He died an old man who had lived a full life.[av] His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
The Descendants of Esau
36 What follows is the account of Esau (also known as Edom).[aw]
2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites:[ax] Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter[ay] of Zibeon the Hivite, 3 in addition to Basemath the daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.
4 Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, 5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
6 Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, all the people in his household, his livestock, his animals, and all his possessions that he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and he went to a land some distance away from[az] Jacob his brother 7 because they had too many possessions to be able to stay together, and the land where they had settled[ba] was not able to support them because of their livestock. 8 So Esau (also known as Edom) lived in the hill country of Seir.[bb]
9 This is the account of Esau, the father[bc] of the Edomites, in the hill country of Seir.
10 These were the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz, the son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau’s wife Basemath.
11 These were the sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.
12 Timna, a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the sons[bd] of Esau’s wife Adah.
13 These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons[be] of Esau’s wife Basemath.
14 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter[bf] of Zibeon: She bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah to Esau.
15 These were the chiefs[bg] among the descendants[bh] of Esau, the sons of Eliphaz, Esau’s firstborn: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 16 chief Korah,[bi] chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons[bj] of Adah.
17 These were the sons of Esau’s son Reuel: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah. These were the chiefs descended from Reuel in the land of Edom; these were the sons[bk] of Esau’s wife Basemath.
18 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah. These were the chiefs descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.
19 These were the sons of Esau (also known as Edom), and these were their chiefs.
20 These were the sons of Seir the Horite,[bl] who were living in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, the descendants[bm] of Seir in the land of Edom.
22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam;[bn] Lotan’s sister was Timna.
23 These were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho,[bo] and Onam.
24 These were the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah (who discovered the hot springs[bp] in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon).
25 These were the children[bq] of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.
26 These were the sons of Dishon:[br] Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran.
27 These were the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.
28 These were the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
29 These were the chiefs of the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, 30 chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, according to their chief lists in the land of Seir.
31 These were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites:[bs]
32 Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom; the name of his city was Dinhabah.
33 When Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his place.
34 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.
35 When Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated the Midianites in the land of Moab, reigned in his place; the name of his city was Avith.
36 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place.
37 When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the River[bt] reigned in his place.
38 When Shaul died, Baal Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.
39 When Baal Hanan the son of Achbor died, Hadad[bu] reigned in his place; the name of his city was Pau.[bv] His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.
40 These were the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families, according to their places, by their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth, 41 chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 42 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 43 chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements[bw] in the land they possessed. This was Esau, the father of the Edomites.
Joseph’s Dreams
37 But Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed,[bx] in the land of Canaan.[by]
2 This is the account of Jacob.
Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son,[bz] was taking care of[ca] the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster[cb] working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives.[cc] Joseph brought back a bad report about them[cd] to their father.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons[ce] because he was a son born to him late in life,[cf] and he made a special[cg] tunic for him. 4 When Joseph’s[ch] brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them,[ci] they hated Joseph[cj] and were not able to speak to him kindly.[ck]
5 Joseph[cl] had a dream,[cm] and when he told his brothers about it[cn] they hated him even more.[co] 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had:[cp] 7 There we were,[cq] binding sheaves of grain in the middle of the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright and your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down[cr] to it!” 8 Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?”[cs] They hated him even more[ct] because of his dream and because of what he said.[cu]
9 Then he had another dream,[cv] and told it to his brothers. “Look,”[cw] he said. “I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, saying, “What is this dream that you had?[cx] Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?”[cy] 11 His brothers were jealous[cz] of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said.[da]
12 When his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers[db] are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,”[dc] Joseph replied.[dd] 14 So Jacob[de] said to him, “Go now and check on[df] the welfare[dg] of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word.” So Jacob[dh] sent him from the valley of Hebron.
15 When Joseph reached Shechem,[di] a man found him wandering[dj] in the field, so the man asked him, “What are you looking for?” 16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Please tell[dk] me where they are grazing their flocks.” 17 The man said, “They left this area,[dl] for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
18 Now Joseph’s brothers[dm] saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this master of dreams![dn] 20 Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild[do] animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!”[dp]
21 When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph[dq] from their hands,[dr] saying,[ds] “Let’s not take his life!”[dt] 22 Reuben continued,[du] “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.”[dv] (Reuben said this[dw] so he could rescue Joseph[dx] from them[dy] and take him back to his father.)
23 When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him[dz] of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore. 24 Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty;[ea] there was no water in it.)
25 When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up[eb] and saw[ec] a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt.[ed] 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him,[ee] for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed.[ef] 28 So when the Midianite[eg] merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled[eh] him[ei] out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites[ej] then took Joseph to Egypt.
29 Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it![ek] He tore his clothes, 30 returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy isn’t there! And I, where can I go?” 31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a young goat,[el] and dipped the tunic in the blood. 32 Then they brought the special tunic to their father[em] and said, “We found this. Determine now whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”
33 He recognized it and exclaimed, “It is my son’s tunic! A wild animal has eaten him![en] Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth,[eo] and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and daughters stood by[ep] him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. “No,” he said, “I will go to the grave mourning my son.”[eq] So Joseph’s[er] father wept for him.
36 Now[es] in Egypt the Midianites[et] sold Joseph[eu] to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.[ev]
Footnotes
- Genesis 35:1 tn Heb “arise, go up.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.
- Genesis 35:1 sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).
- Genesis 35:2 tn Heb “which are in your midst.”
- Genesis 35:2 sn The actions of removing false gods, becoming ritually clean, and changing garments would become necessary steps in Israel when approaching the Lord in worship.
- Genesis 35:3 tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.
- Genesis 35:3 tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.
- Genesis 35:3 tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.
- Genesis 35:3 tn Heb “in the way in which I went.” Jacob alludes here to God’s promise to be with him (see Gen 28:20).
- Genesis 35:4 tn Heb “in their hand.”
- Genesis 35:4 tn Or “the rings that were in the ears of the idols.” The third person plural suffix on the word בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם (beʾoznehem, “in their ears”) could refer to the members of Jacob’s household or the “gods” which they possessed. Most exegetes understand it to refer to the people, but Victor Hurowitz, “Who Lost an Earring? Genesis 35:4 Reconsidered,” CBQ 62 (2000): 28-32, argues that the earrings were in the ears of the idols.sn On the basis of a comparison with Gen 34 and Num 31, G. J. Wenham (Genesis [WBC], 2:324) argues that the foreign gods and the rings could have been part of the plunder that came from the destruction of Shechem. Whereas if the rings were in the ears of the idols, then getting rid of the idols while not keeping the rings (even for monetary value) emphasizes the extent of putting away the foreign gods and purifying themselves. N. Fox has suggested that ear rings in the idols related to the gods hearing prayers while ear rings in the people symbolized obedience (John Walton, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary I, 119). If so, giving the earrings further symbolized the breaking of relationship with these false gods.
- Genesis 35:4 sn Jacob buried them. On the burial of the gods, see E. Nielson, “The Burial of the Foreign Gods,” ST 8 (1954/55): 102-22.
- Genesis 35:4 tn Or “terebinth.”
- Genesis 35:5 tn Heb “and they journeyed.”
- Genesis 35:5 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”).
- Genesis 35:6 tn Heb “and Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan—it is Bethel—he and all the people who were with him.”
- Genesis 35:7 sn The name El Bethel means “God of Bethel.”
- Genesis 35:7 tn Heb “revealed themselves.” The verb נִגְלוּ (niglu), translated “revealed himself,” is plural, even though one expects the singular form with the plural of majesty. Perhaps אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim) is here a numerical plural, referring both to God and the angelic beings that appeared to Jacob. See the note on the word “know” in Gen 3:5.
- Genesis 35:8 sn Deborah. This woman had been Rebekah’s nurse, but later attached herself to Jacob. She must have been about 180 years old when she died.
- Genesis 35:8 tn “and he called its name.” There is no expressed subject, so the verb can be translated as passive.
- Genesis 35:8 tn Or “Allon Bacuth,” if one transliterates the Hebrew name (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). An oak tree was revered in the ancient world and often designated as a shrine or landmark. This one was named for the weeping (mourning) occasioned by the death of Deborah.
- Genesis 35:10 tn Heb “and he called his name Israel.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.sn The name Israel means “God fights” (although some interpret the meaning as “he fights [with] God”). See Gen 32:28.
- Genesis 35:11 tn The name אֵל שַׁדַּי (ʾel shadday, “El Shaddai”) has often been translated “God Almighty,” primarily because Jerome translated it omnipotens (“all powerful”) in the Latin Vulgate. There has been much debate over the meaning of the name. For discussion see W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-210; R. Gordis, “The Biblical Root sdy-sd,” JTS 41 (1940): 34-43; and especially T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72. Shaddai/El Shaddai is the sovereign king of the world who grants, blesses, and judges. In the Book of Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness. The patriarchs knew God primarily as El Shaddai (Exod 6:3). While the origin and meaning of this name are uncertain its significance is clear. The name is used in contexts where God appears as the source of fertility and life. For a fuller discussion see the note on “Sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.
- Genesis 35:11 tn Heb “A nation and a company of nations will be from you and kings from your loins will come out.”sn A nation…will descend from you. The promise is rooted in the Abrahamic promise (see Gen 17). God confirms what Isaac told Jacob (see Gen 28:3-4). Here, though, for the first time Jacob is promised kings as descendants.
- Genesis 35:12 tn The Hebrew verb translated “gave” refers to the Abrahamic promise of the land. However, the actual possession of that land lay in the future. The decree of the Lord made it certain, but it has the sense “promised to give.”
- Genesis 35:12 tn Heb “and to your offspring after you.”
- Genesis 35:13 tn Heb “went up from upon him in the place.”
- Genesis 35:14 tn Heb “and Jacob set up a sacred pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a sacred pillar of stone” (see the notes on the term “sacred stone” in Gen 28:18). This passage stands parallel to Gen 28:18-19, where Jacob set up a sacred stone, poured oil on it, and called the place Bethel. Some commentators see these as two traditions referring to the same event, but it is more likely that Jacob reconsecrated the place in fulfillment of the vow he had made here earlier. In support of this is the fact that the present narrative alludes to and is built on the previous one.
- Genesis 35:14 tn The verb נָסַךְ (nasakh) means “to pour out, to make libations,” and the noun נֶסֶךְ (nesekh) is a “drink-offering,” usually of wine or of blood. The verb יָצַק (yatsaq) means “to pour out,” often of anointing oil, but of other elements as well.
- Genesis 35:15 sn Called the name of the place. In view of the previous naming of Bethel in Gen 28:19, here Jacob was confirming or affirming the name through an official ritual marking the fulfillment of the vow. This place now did become Bethel, the house of God.
- Genesis 35:15 tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew.
- Genesis 35:16 tn Heb “and there was still a stretch of the land to go to Ephrath.”
- Genesis 35:16 tn Normally the verb would be translated “she gave birth,” but because that obviously had not happened yet, it is better to translate the verb as ingressive, “began to give birth” (cf. NIV) or “went into labor.”
- Genesis 35:17 tn The construction uses a Hiphil infinitive, which E. A. Speiser classifies as an elative Hiphil. The contrast is with the previous Piel: there “she had hard labor,” and here, “her labor was at its hardest.” Failure to see this, Speiser notes, has led to redundant translations and misunderstandings (Genesis [AB], 273).
- Genesis 35:17 sn Another son. The episode recalls and fulfills the prayer of Rachel at the birth of Joseph (Gen 30:24): “may he add” another son.
- Genesis 35:18 tn Heb “in the going out of her life, for she was dying.” Rachel named the child with her dying breath.
- Genesis 35:18 sn The name Ben Oni means “son of my suffering.” It is ironic that Rachel’s words to Jacob in Gen 30:1, “Give me children or I’ll die,” take a different turn here, for it was having the child that brought about her death.
- Genesis 35:18 tn The disjunctive clause is contrastive.sn His father called him Benjamin. There was a preference for giving children good or positive names in the ancient world, and “son of my suffering” would not do (see the incident in 1 Chr 4:9-10), because it would be a reminder of the death of Rachel (in this connection, see also D. Daube, “The Night of Death,” HTR 61 [1968]: 629-32). So Jacob named him Benjamin, which means “son of the [or “my”] right hand.” The name Benjamin appears in the Mari texts. There have been attempts to connect this name to the resident tribe listed at Mari, “sons of the south” (since the term “right hand” can also mean “south” in Hebrew), but this assumes a different reading of the story. See J. Muilenburg, “The Birth of Benjamin,” JBL 75 (1956): 194-201.
- Genesis 35:19 sn This explanatory note links the earlier name Ephrath with the later name Bethlehem.
- Genesis 35:20 tn Heb “standing stone.”
- Genesis 35:20 tn Or perhaps “it is known as” (cf. NEB).
- Genesis 35:21 sn The location of Migdal Eder is not given. It appears to be somewhere between Bethlehem and Hebron. Various traditions have identified it as at the shepherds’ fields near Bethlehem (the Hebrew name Migdal Eder means “tower of the flock”; see Mic 4:8) or located it near Solomon’s pools.
- Genesis 35:22 tn Heb “lay down with.” The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) “to lie down” can imply going to bed to sleep or be a euphemism for sexual relations.sn Reuben’s act of having sexual relations with Bilhah probably had other purposes than merely satisfying his sexual desire. By having sex with Bilhah, Reuben (Leah’s oldest son) would have prevented Bilhah from succeeding Rachel as the favorite wife, and by sleeping with his father’s concubine he would also be attempting to take over leadership of the clan—something Absalom foolishly attempted later on in Israel’s history (2 Sam 16:21-22).
- Genesis 35:27 tn This is an adverbial accusative of location.
- Genesis 35:27 tn The name “Kiriath Arba” is in apposition to the preceding name, “Mamre.”
- Genesis 35:27 tn The Hebrew verb גּוּר (gur), traditionally rendered “to sojourn,” refers to temporary settlement without ownership rights.
- Genesis 35:28 tn Heb “And the days of Isaac were 180 years.”
- Genesis 35:29 tn Heb “and Isaac expired and died and he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.
- Genesis 35:29 tn Heb “old and full of years.”
- Genesis 36:1 sn Chapter 36 records what became of Esau. It will list both his actual descendants as well as the people he subsumed under his tribal leadership, people who were aboriginal Edomites. The chapter is long and complicated (see further J. R. Bartlett, “The Edomite King-List of Genesis 36:31-39 and 1 Chronicles 1:43-50, ” JTS 16 [1965]: 301-14; and W. J. Horowitz, “Were There Twelve Horite Tribes?” CBQ 35 [1973]: 69-71). In the format of the Book of Genesis, the line of Esau is “tidied up” before the account of Jacob is traced (37:2). As such the arrangement makes a strong contrast with Jacob. As F. Delitzsch says, “secular greatness in general grows up far more rapidly than spiritual greatness” (New Commentary on Genesis, 2:238). In other words, the progress of the world far out distances the progress of the righteous who are waiting for the promise.
- Genesis 36:2 tn Heb “from the daughters of Canaan.”
- Genesis 36:2 tn Heb “daughter,” but see Gen 36:24-25.
- Genesis 36:6 tn Heb “from before.”
- Genesis 36:7 tn Heb “land of their settlements.”
- Genesis 36:8 tn Traditionally “Mount Seir,” but in this case the expression בְּהַר שֵׂעִיר (behar seʿir) refers to the hill country or highlands of Seir.
- Genesis 36:9 sn The term father in genealogical records needs to be carefully defined. It can refer to a literal father, a grandfather, a political overlord, or a founder.
- Genesis 36:12 tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).
- Genesis 36:13 tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).
- Genesis 36:14 tn Heb “daughter,” but see Gen 36:24-25.
- Genesis 36:15 tn Or “clan leaders” (so also throughout this chapter).
- Genesis 36:15 tn Or “sons.”
- Genesis 36:16 tc Smr omits the name “Korah” (see v. 11 and 1 Chr 1:36).
- Genesis 36:16 tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).
- Genesis 36:17 tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).
- Genesis 36:20 sn The same pattern of sons, grandsons, and chiefs is now listed for Seir the Horite. “Seir” is both the name of the place and the name of the ancestor of these tribes. The name “Horite” is probably not to be identified with “Hurrian.” The clan of Esau settled in this area, intermarried with these Horites and eventually dispossessed them, so that they all became known as Edomites (Deut 2:12 telescopes the whole development).
- Genesis 36:21 tn Or “sons.”
- Genesis 36:22 tn Heb “Hemam”; this is probably a variant spelling of “Homam” (1 Chr 1:39); cf. NRSV, NLT “Heman.”
- Genesis 36:23 tn This name is given as “Shephi” in 1 Chr 1:40.
- Genesis 36:24 tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain; Syriac reads “water” and Vulgate reads “hot water.”
- Genesis 36:25 tn Heb “sons,” but since a daughter is included in the list, the word must be translated “children.”
- Genesis 36:26 tn Heb “Dishan,” but this must be either a scribal error or variant spelling, since “Dishan” is mentioned in v. 28 (see also v. 21).
- Genesis 36:31 tn Or perhaps “before any Israelite king ruled over [them].”
- Genesis 36:37 tn Typically the Hebrew expression “the River” refers to the Euphrates River, but it is not certain whether that is the case here. Among the modern English versions which take this as a reference to the Euphrates are NASB, NCV, NRSV, CEV, NLT. Cf. NAB, TEV “Rehoboth-on-the-River.”
- Genesis 36:39 tc Most mss of the MT read “Hadar” here; “Hadad” is the reading found in some Hebrew mss, Smr, and Syriac (cf. also 1 Chr 1:50).
- Genesis 36:39 tn The name of the city is given as “Pai” in 1 Chr 1:50.
- Genesis 36:43 tn Or perhaps “territories”; Heb “dwelling places.”
- Genesis 37:1 tn Heb “the land of the sojournings of his father.”
- Genesis 37:1 sn The next section begins with the heading This is the account of Jacob in Gen 37:2, so this verse actually forms part of the preceding section as a concluding contrast with Esau and his people. In contrast to all the settled and expanded population of Esau, Jacob was still moving about in the land without a permanent residence and without kings. Even if the Edomite king list was added later (as the reference to kings in Israel suggests), its placement here in contrast to Jacob and his descendants is important. Certainly the text deals with Esau before dealing with Jacob—that is the pattern. But the detail is so great in chap. 36 that the contrast cannot be missed.
- Genesis 37:2 tn Heb “a son of seventeen years.” The word “son” is in apposition to the name “Joseph.”
- Genesis 37:2 tn Or “tending”; Heb “shepherding” or “feeding.”
- Genesis 37:2 tn Or perhaps “a helper.” The significance of this statement is unclear. It may mean “now the lad was with,” or it may suggest Joseph was like a servant to them.
- Genesis 37:2 tn Heb “and he [was] a young man with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, the wives of his father.”
- Genesis 37:2 tn Heb “their bad report.” The pronoun is an objective genitive, specifying that the bad or damaging report was about the brothers.sn Some interpreters portray Joseph as a tattletale for bringing back a bad report about them [i.e., his brothers], but the entire Joseph story has some of the characteristics of wisdom literature. Joseph is presented in a good light—not because he was perfect, but because the narrative is showing how wisdom rules. In light of that, this section portrays Joseph as faithful to his father in little things, even though unpopular—and so he will eventually be given authority over greater things.
- Genesis 37:3 tn The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information vital to the story. It explains in part the brothers’ animosity toward Joseph.sn The statement Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons brings forward a motif that played an important role in the family of Isaac—parental favoritism. Jacob surely knew what that had done to him and his brother Esau, and to his own family. But now he showers affection on Rachel’s son Joseph.
- Genesis 37:3 tn Heb “a son of old age was he to him.” This expression means “a son born to him when he [i.e., Jacob] was old.”
- Genesis 37:3 tn It is not clear what this tunic was like, because the meaning of the Hebrew word that describes it is uncertain. The idea that it was a coat of many colors comes from the Greek translation of the OT. An examination of cognate terms in Semitic suggests it was either a coat or tunic with long sleeves (cf. NEB, NRSV), or a tunic that was richly embroidered (cf. NIV). It set Joseph apart as the favored one.
- Genesis 37:4 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 37:4 tn Heb “of his brothers.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “them.”
- Genesis 37:4 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 37:4 tn Heb “speak to him for peace.”
- Genesis 37:5 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 37:5 tn Heb “dreamed a dream.”
- Genesis 37:5 sn Some interpreters see Joseph as gloating over his brothers, but the text simply says he told his brothers about it (i.e., the dream). The text gives no warrant for interpreting his manner as arrogant or condescending. It seems normal that he would share a dream with the family.
- Genesis 37:5 tn The construction uses a hendiadys, “they added to hate,” meaning they hated him even more.
- Genesis 37:6 tn Heb “hear this dream which I dreamed.”
- Genesis 37:7 tn All three clauses in this dream report begin with וְהִנֵּה (vehinneh, “and look”), which lends vividness to the report. This is represented in the translation by the expression “there we were.”
- Genesis 37:7 tn The verb means “to bow down to the ground.” It is used to describe worship and obeisance to masters.
- Genesis 37:8 tn Heb “Ruling, will you rule over us, or reigning, will you reign over us?” The statement has a poetic style, with the two questions being in synonymous parallelism. Both verbs in this statement are preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Joseph’s brothers said, “You don’t really think you will rule over us, do you? You don’t really think you will have dominion over us, do you?”
- Genesis 37:8 tn This construction is identical to the one in Gen 37:5.
- Genesis 37:8 sn The response of Joseph’s brothers is understandable, given what has already been going on in the family. But here there is a hint of uneasiness—they hated him because of his dream and because of his words. The dream bothered them, as well as his telling them. And their words in the rhetorical question are ironic, for this is exactly what would happen. The dream was God’s way of revealing it.
- Genesis 37:9 tn Heb “And he dreamed yet another dream.”
- Genesis 37:9 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Look.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons. Both clauses of the dream report begin with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which lends vividness to the report.
- Genesis 37:10 sn The question What is this dream that you had? expresses Jacob’s dismay at what he perceives to be Joseph’s audacity.
- Genesis 37:10 tn Heb “Coming, will we come, I and your mother and your brothers, to bow down to you to the ground?” The verb “come” is preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Jacob said, “You don’t really think we will come…to bow down…do you?”
- Genesis 37:11 sn Joseph’s brothers were already jealous of him, but this made it even worse. Such jealousy easily leads to action, as the next episode in the story shows. Yet dreams were considered a form of revelation, and their jealousy was not only of the favoritism of their father, but of the dreams. This is why Jacob kept the matter in mind.
- Genesis 37:11 tn Heb “kept the word.” The referent of the Hebrew term “word” has been specified as “what Joseph said” in the translation for clarity, and the words “in mind” have been supplied for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 37:13 tn The text uses an interrogative clause: “Are not your brothers,” which means “your brothers are.”
- Genesis 37:13 sn With these words Joseph is depicted here as an obedient son who is ready to do what his father commands.
- Genesis 37:13 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Here I am.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 37:14 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 37:14 tn Heb “see.”
- Genesis 37:14 tn Heb “peace.”
- Genesis 37:14 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 37:15 tn Heb “and he [i.e., Joseph] went to Shechem.” The referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity. In Hebrew, these are the last two words of verse 14, but they have been carried over to verse 15 in the NET for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 37:15 tn Heb “and a man found him and look, he was wandering in the field.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vehinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the action through this unnamed man’s eyes.
- Genesis 37:16 tn The imperative in this sentence has more of the nuance of a request than a command.
- Genesis 37:17 tn Heb “they traveled from this place.”
- Genesis 37:18 tn Heb “and they”; the referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 37:19 tn Heb “Look, this master of dreams is coming.” The brothers’ words have a sarcastic note and indicate that they resent his dreams.
- Genesis 37:20 tn The Hebrew word can sometimes carry the nuance “evil,” but when used of an animal it refers to a dangerous wild animal.
- Genesis 37:20 tn Heb “what his dreams will be.”
- Genesis 37:21 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 37:21 sn From their hands. The instigators of this plot may have been the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (see v. 2).
- Genesis 37:21 tn Heb “and he said.”
- Genesis 37:21 tn Heb “we must not strike him down [with respect to] life.”
- Genesis 37:22 tn Heb “and Reuben said to them.”
- Genesis 37:22 sn The verbs translated shed, throw, and lay sound alike in Hebrew; the repetition of similar sounds draws attention to Reuben’s words.
- Genesis 37:22 tn The words “Reuben said this” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 37:22 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 37:22 tn Heb “from their hands” (cf. v. 21). This expression has been translated as “them” here for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 37:23 tn Heb “Joseph”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 37:24 tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that helps the reader or hearer to picture what happened.
- Genesis 37:25 tn Heb “lifted up their eyes.”
- Genesis 37:25 tn Heb “and they saw and look.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vehinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the event through the eyes of the brothers.
- Genesis 37:25 tn Heb “and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh, going to go down to Egypt.”
- Genesis 37:27 tn Heb “let not our hand be upon him.”
- Genesis 37:27 tn Heb “listened.”
- Genesis 37:28 sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.
- Genesis 37:28 tn Heb “they drew and they lifted up.” The referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity; otherwise the reader might assume the Midianites had pulled Joseph from the cistern (but cf. NAB).
- Genesis 37:28 tn Heb “Joseph” (both here and in the following clause); the proper name has been replaced both times by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 37:28 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 37:29 tn Heb “and look, Joseph was not in the cistern.” By the use of וְהִנֵּה (vehinneh, “and look”), the narrator invites the reader to see the situation through Reuben’s eyes.
- Genesis 37:31 sn It was with two young goats that Jacob deceived his father (Gen 27:9); now with a young goat his sons continue the deception that dominates this family.
- Genesis 37:32 tn Heb “and they sent the special tunic and they brought [it] to their father.” The text as it stands is problematic. It sounds as if they sent the tunic on ahead and then came and brought it to their father. Some emend the second verb to a Qal form and read “and they came.” In this case, they sent the tunic on ahead.
- Genesis 37:33 sn A wild animal has eaten him. Jacob draws this conclusion on his own without his sons actually having to lie with their words (see v. 20). Dipping the tunic in the goat’s blood was the only deception needed.
- Genesis 37:34 tn Heb “and put sackcloth on his loins.”
- Genesis 37:35 tn Heb “arose, stood”; which here suggests that they stood by him in his time of grief.
- Genesis 37:35 tn Heb “and he said, ‘Indeed I will go down to my son mourning to Sheol.’” Sheol was viewed as the place where departed spirits went after death.
- Genesis 37:35 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 37:36 tn The disjunctive clause formally signals closure for this episode of Joseph’s story, which will be resumed in Gen 39.
- Genesis 37:36 tc The MT spells the name of the merchants as מְדָנִים (medanim, “Medanites”) rather than מִדְיָנִים (midyanim, “Midianites”) as in v. 28. It is likely that the letter י (yod) was accidentally omitted in the MT. The LXX, Vulgate, Smr, and Syriac read “Midianites” here. Some prefer to read “Medanites” both here and in v. 28, but Judg 8:24, which identifies the Midianites and Ishmaelites, favors the reading “Midianites.”
- Genesis 37:36 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 37:36 sn The expression captain of the guard might indicate that Potiphar was the chief executioner. The noun "guard" derives from a verb meaning to slaughter.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.