front:intro d9wn 0 # Introduction to Genesis\n\n## Part 1: General Introduction:\n\nIn the book of Genesis, God communicates to all people the early history of the universe. He begins with how he created everything from nothing, including the earth and all the heavenly bodies (sun, moon, stars), all the plants and animals, and especially how he created human beings in his image to be in a relationship with him. This book also explains how sin and death came into the world and what God’s plan is to save people from that. In fact, all the important teachings in the Bible begin in Genesis. That makes this book **foundational** and important for everyone so that they can know and understand the truth about God and his plan for their lives.\n\nBeginning with verse 1, the book of Genesis is a **narrative** that tells the history of events that actually happened. This is confirmed by the fact that the conjunctions and the forms of the verbs that are used in the Hebrew text reflect the Hebrew narrative style, which is used to narrate historical accounts. In the same way, those who translate the book of Genesis should also use grammatical structures in their languages that are used for true, historical narratives. God uses narrative, which is one of the most interesting styles of communication, to not only tell people about the events in the early history of the world, but also to teach them about himself and about the way he interacts with people as their loving Creator.\n\nGenesis provides the **vital context** for the rest of God’s Word, especially the gospel message about Jesus, and so it helps people to understand their need for him to be their Savior. In fact, without Genesis, it would not be clear why everyone needs to trust in Jesus as the only one who can save them from sin and its consequences, so that they can associate with God and be part of his eternal family.\n\nIn light of all that, Genesis should be one of the first books of the Bible that is translated into every language that needs a translation. May God guide and bless you and your translation team as you undertake this important task together by his power.\n\n### Author and Date of Writing:\n\nMoses was the human author of the first five books of the Bible, including the book of Genesis (Exodus 24:3-4; Deuteronomy 31:9, 24; John 1:45). The Holy Spirit is the one who inspired what Moses wrote in those books (2 Peter 1:21), so ultimately God is the author, and these books are part of his Message to mankind. Those five books are sometimes referred to as the Torah (a Hebrew word that means “teaching,” “instruction,” or “law”) or the Pentateuch (a Greek word that means “five books”). In the New Testament this set of books is also referred to as “the Law” (John 1:45) or “the Law of Moses” (Acts 28:23), and Jesus himself affirmed that Moses wrote them (John 5:46-47; 7:23).\n\nMoses was born in the country of Egypt around 1526 B.C. (Exodus 2:1-10). According to the genealogies in Genesis, his birth was about 1,000 years after the Flood (which was about 1,650 years after creation). Moses may have written much of the Pentateuch during the forty years that he led the people of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness (around 1446 B.C.—1406 B.C.).\n\nThe very first verse in Genesis assumes that God (the author guiding the human author) has always existed and that he has no beginning and no end (also see Genesis 21:33; Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:2). He uses his personal name “Yahweh” for the first time in Genesis 2:4. The name “Yahweh” means “he is” and indicates that God is eternal. His name also means that he is unchanging and that he is always present.\n\n### Book Outline:\n\nIn all, Genesis covers a span of about 2200 years of history. After the world’s early history, the rest of Genesis tells about the ancestors of God’s people, with special focus on Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph (and their families). Genealogies are an important part of what ties the book together from beginning to end.\n\nThe following outline
1:intro zb6f 0 # Genesis 1 General Notes\n\n## Structure and formatting\n\nThis chapter presents the first account of God creating the world. There is a pattern to this account: “God said … God saw that it was good … This was evening and morning, the first day.” Translators should preserve this pattern in their versions.\n\n## Special concepts in this chapter\n\n### The universe\n\nThis account of creation is told within the framework of ancient Hebrew ideas about the universe: the earth was resting with water around it and below it. Over the earth was something like a vast dome, called “an expanse between the waters” (1:6), on top of which was more water. Translators should try to keep these original images in their work, even though readers in their project language might have a completely different idea of what the universe is like.\n\n### Evening and morning\n\nGenesis 1 presents the ancient Hebrew idea of a day: it begins with sunset, lasts through the night and continues through the daylight hours until the next sunset. This pattern should be preserved in translation, even if readers in the project language define “day” differently.\n\n## Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter\n\n### “In the beginning”\n\nSome languages and cultures speak of the world as if it has always existed, as if it had no beginning. But “very long ago” is different from “in the beginning,” and you need to be sure that your translation communicates correctly.\n\n### “God said, ‘Let there be’”\n\nThis expression occurs often in this chapter. It can be difficult to translate, because God is not shown as talking to a particular person. If God is talking to a thing, it is something not yet in existence. Translators should find the most natural way in the project language to signal the idea that God spoke things into existence; he created the world and the things in it by simply commanding that they should exist.
1:1 uiu4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית 1 “At the beginning {of time/everything}” or “{Everything} began when”. Many Bible scholars think that verse 1 records God’s first act in creating the universe. This is also the traditional, historically held view and fits with the narrative structure of the Hebrew text. It also fits with the wider context of Scriptures which states that God created everything out of nothing at the very beginning of the world (Psalm 33:6, 9; Hebrews 11:3). Also, some languages must use a verb (“began”) in verse 1 rather than a noun (“beginning”). Do what is best in your language.
1:1 b730 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms אֱלֹהִ֑ים 1 Translate the title “God” in a way that refers to the Supreme Being who created everything, who has complete power, who knows everything and is present everywhere. He is the only true God and has always existed.
1:1 hmtj rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms בָּרָ֣א 1 “made”. In the Hebrew Bible, the verb “create” refers to an activity that only God does, and it often implies (as it does here) that he made something out of nothing. Also, the forms of the verbs in the Hebrew text (and the conjunctions) show that chapter 1 is a narrative that tells about true history and events in the order that things actually happened. Make sure that your translation does the same thing.
1:1 bcu7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם 1 “the sky”. This phrase refers here to the region where all the stars and planets would later exist. Keep that in mind as you translate this term.
1:1 wgq2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ 1 This phrase refers to the planet earth.
1:2 qfra וְהָאָ֗רֶץ 1 “Now {at first after that,} the earth” or “{At first after that,} the earth”. The author pauses here to describe what the earth was like after God first created it (verse 1). Some languages use a conjunction like “Now” to introduce that information; other languages do not use a conjunction here. Do what is natural in your language. Also, be consistent here with how you translated “the earth” in verse 1.
1:2 btmf הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֨הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ 1 It is not clear what the earth looked like at that time, but it did not have its present shape and order. Also, the Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “was formless/shapeless and empty/desolate,” or “did not have {its present} form, and there was nothing {living} on it {yet},” (2) “completely empty/desolate,” which is a hendiadys. However, it is best to keep both terms separate in your translation (as in the first interpretation).
1:2 f7a1 וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם 1 “It was {totally/completely} dark, there was deep {water} {everywhere},” or “There was deep {water} {everywhere} {that was covered/surrounded} in/by {complete/total} darkness,” For some languages it is more natural to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
1:2 rp8q וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “and God’s Spirit was hovering/moving” (2) “and a wind from God was blowing” (3) “and a powerful wind was blowing”. The first interpretation is most likely, since the Hebrew verb “hovering” does not describe what wind does.
1:2 yq4r עַל פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם 1 “over the surface of the water.” or “above the waters/water.” Throughout this chapter, the word “waters” is in the plural in the Hebrew text. For some languages it is more natural to use the singular “water”. Do what is best in your language in each context.
1:3 kxuq rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “Then God commanded,” What God says in verse 3 is a command. Consider whether or not it is best in your language to make that explicit in this quote margin.
1:3 o0zd יְהִ֣י א֑וֹר 1 “Let light exist.” or “I command there to be light.” or “I command light to start shining!” This is a command, not permission or a suggestion. It is a direct quote of what God actually said, and it is usually put between quotation marks in a translation. If you use an exclamation mark with this command in your translation, make sure it does not mean or imply that God was angry. Also, the way you translate “light” should refer to what shines from a source of light; it does not refer here to the source itself.
1:3 nj3u וַֽיְהִי אֽוֹר 1 “And/So {immediately} there was light.” or “And {so/immediately} light started shining.” Light began to shine immediately as a result of God’s command.
1:4 ceam rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים 1 “And he saw/observed” or “God/He saw/observed”. Notice that Hebrew frequently uses a conjunction such as “And” or “Then” at the beginning of a sentence. Some languages do not use conjunctions as frequently as Hebrew uses conjunctions. Do what is accurate and natural in your language in each context.
1:4 bnvs rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms אֶת הָא֖וֹר כִּי ט֑וֹב 1 “that the light {was} good/excellent.” In the Bible, “good” is an important theme. Throughout chapter 1, it especially means that what God created was high quality, complete, and had no defects; in other words, it had all the characteristics and functions that God intended it to have. It also includes the idea that what God created was untainted by sin and reflected his good character (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20). The focus here is not on how pleased or satisfied God was.
1:4 wtmd rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיַּבְדֵּ֣ל אֱלֹהִ֔ים 1 In order to produce an accurate and natural translation, it is important in each context to make sure that nouns (such as “God”) and pronouns (such as “he”) are used properly in your language. In the Hebrew text, “God” is repeated frequently in chapter 1 to emphasize him and show that he is in focus. For some languages it is more natural to say “God” only once at the beginning of each paragraph or section, and then use pronouns to refer to him the rest of the time (or most of the time). Throughout chapter 1, do what is best in your language each time that God is referred to.
1:4 q3jo וַיַּבְדֵּ֣ל אֱלֹהִ֔ים בֵּ֥ין הָא֖וֹר וּבֵ֥ין הַחֹֽשֶׁךְ 1 “Then God/he separated/divided the light from the darkness {so that each had its own time}.” or “Then God/he caused the light to have its own time and the darkness to have its own time.” or “Then God/he separated the light from the darkness {so that it would be light for a number of hours, and then dark for a number of hours}.”
1:5 c9yz rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים 1 “Then God/he called/named” or “God/He called/named”. Some languages omit the connecting word “And” or “Then” here. Consider what is the best way in your language to connect this sentence with the previous one.
1:5 cc8r לָאוֹר֙ י֔וֹם 1 “the light Daytime.” Notice that in this context the word “Day” refers only to the time when the sun is shining, not to the 24-hour time period that makes up a complete day. Make sure that this is clear in your translation. Throughout chapter 1, some translations use quote marks around the names that God gives the different things he created. Do what is best in your language.
1:5 if7a וְלַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ קָ֣רָא לָ֑יְלָה 1 “and the darkness he called/named Nighttime.” or “and he called/named the darkness Nighttime.” In the Hebrew text, “the darkness” is first in this clause to emphasize the contrast between the light and the darkness. Consider what is the best way to translate this clause in your language.
1:5 xxe6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-sequential וַֽיְהִי עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי בֹ֖קֶר 1 “Then evening came and {then/later} morning came,” The evening and the morning are the parts of a 24-hour day that separate the hours of daytime (light) from the hours of nighttime (darkness): Evening came at the end of each daytime after God finished his work of creating. Then after about 12 hours of nighttime, morning came, which began the next 12 hours of daytime when God did more work. Make sure your translation does not sound like morning came immediately after evening. Some languages have a one-word conjunction that means “and then” or “and later” and would fit well here.
1:5 xmx5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal י֥וֹם אֶחָֽד 1 “{and that was} day one.” or “{and that was} {the end of} the first day.” Here “day” refers to a full 24-hour day. Also, the Hebrew text uses a cardinal number (“one”) here, but then uses ordinal numbers (“second”, “third”, and so on) for the rest of the days of the creation week. Some languages need to use an ordinal number (“first”) here too. Other languages use cardinal numbers throughout (“day one”, “day two”, and so on). Do what is best in your language.
1:6 nesq rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים 1 “Then God commanded,” See how you translated this phrase in verse 3.
1:6 gqae יְהִ֥י רָקִ֖יעַ 1 “Let there be a large/vast space” or “I command there to be a {large/vast} expanse/space” or “I command a large/vast space to form/exist”. The Hebrew word for “expanse” here describes a large space that is “spread out.” It was not solid, but rather it was open and empty and could be seen through and flown through (verse 20). It was probably also curved, following the spherical shape of the earth. See how you translated “Let there be” in verse 3.
1:6 mscz בְּת֣וֹךְ הַמָּ֑יִם 1 “in the middle of the water,” See how you translated “waters” in verse 2.
1:6 c6kn מַ֖יִם לָמָֽיִם 1 “and let it separate/divide the water {above it} from the water {below it}.” or “so that it separates/divides the waters/water into two separate/different places.”
1:7 i8t2 וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֱלֹהִים֮ 1 “In that way God/he made/created” or “That is how God/he made/created”. Verse 7 explains what God’s command in verse 6 caused to happen, and it repeats some of the same words and phrases. Make sure that your translation of these verses does not sound like God created the expanse twice.
1:7 dgya אֶת הָרָקִיעַ֒ 1 “a large/vast space”
1:7 c752 וַיַּבְדֵּ֗ל 1 “and divided” or “and used it to separate/divide”
1:7 pidk rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns בֵּ֤ין הַמַּ֨יִם֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ מִתַּ֣חַת לָרָקִ֔יעַ וּבֵ֣ין הַמַּ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֖ר מֵעַ֣ל לָרָקִ֑יעַ 1 “the water that {was} below the expanse/space from the water that {was} above it.” or “the water that {was} under/below it from the water that {was} above it.” For some languages it is more natural to use a pronoun (“it”) here to refer to the expanse, since it was just mentioned earlier in the verse. Each language has its own system of when to use nouns or pronouns to refer to people, places, and things. In each context, do what is clear and natural in your language.
1:7 xfx7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַֽיְהִי כֵֽן 1 “That is the way it happened.” or “Everything was/happened {exactly} as he commanded {it to be/happen}.”
1:8 igd0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וַיִּקְרָ֧א אֱלֹהִ֛ים 1 “and God/he called/named” or “God/He called/named”. Consider whether it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here (with or without a conjunction), or to continue the sentence that began at the end of verse 7. Also see how you translated this phrase in verse 5.
1:8 n336 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms שָׁמָ֑יִם 1 “Sky.” This word probably refers here to the atmosphere above the earth’s surface where clouds are and where birds fly, as well as the space where the sun, moon, and stars are now. See how you translated this term in verse 1.
1:8 su1z וַֽיְהִי עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי בֹ֖קֶר 1 “Then evening came and {then/later} morning came,” See how you translated this sentence in verse 5, and see the note about that there.
1:8 adzz rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal י֥וֹם שֵׁנִֽי 1 “{and that was} {the end of} the second day.” or “{and} the second day ended.” or “{and that was} {the end of} day two.” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to use an ordinal number (“second”) here or a cardinal number (“two”).
1:9 yc3d rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים 1 “Then God commanded,” See how you translated this phrase in verses 3 and 6.
1:9 yetc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive יִקָּו֨וּ הַמַּ֜יִם מִתַּ֤חַת הַשָּׁמַ֨יִם֙ 1 “Let the water {that is} under the heavens/sky gather/come together” or “I command the water {that is} below the heavens/sky to gather/come together”. Consider whether it is better here in your language to use a passive form of the verb (“be gathered”) or an active form (“gather” or “come”).
1:9 as42 אֶל מָק֣וֹם אֶחָ֔ד 1 “in one place/area” or “into one area”
1:9 g8i2 וְתֵרָאֶ֖ה הַיַּבָּשָׁ֑ה 1 “so that there is dry ground/land.” or “so that dry ground/land can be seen.” or “so that land is uncovered and dries off.” The water had been covering the land, so when the water receded from it, the land became exposed and dried off. Make sure that the way you translate “dry ground” does not sound like the land was dry while it was under the water.
1:9 gign וַֽיְהִי כֵֽן 1 “And that is {exactly} what happened.” or “And it was/happened {exactly} as God commanded {it to be/happen}.” See how you translated this sentence in verse 7. It may be necessary to translate it in different ways, depending on the context.
1:10 khag לַיַּבָּשָׁה֙ 1 “the dry land” or “the ground/land that had dried off”
1:10 teai אֶ֔רֶץ 1 “Ground,” This is the same Hebrew word that is translated as “earth” in verse 1, but here it refers to the dry land or ground (in contrast to the water), and not to the entire planet.
1:10 c5av rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וּלְמִקְוֵ֥ה הַמַּ֖יִם קָרָ֣א 1 “and the waters/water that he had gathered together he called/named” or “and he called/named the gathered waters” or “and he called/named the waters/water that had gathered/come together”. See how you translated a sentence in verse 5 that is similar in structure to this sentence.
1:10 sb47 יַמִּ֑ים 1 “Oceans.” or “Sea/Ocean.” At that time there was probably just one very large body of water and one very large land mass on the earth (as verse 9 indicates). So a singular noun that refers to the largest body of water, such as “Ocean” or “Sea”, could be used here in your translation.
1:10 gnuy rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “And he saw/observed” or “God/He saw/observed”. Decide whether it is more natural in your language to use a noun (“God”) or a pronoun (“he”) in this context. See how you translated this phrase in verse 4.
1:10 hk8y כִּי טֽוֹב 1 “that {what he had made was} good/excellent.” or “that {the land and the seas/ocean were} good/excellent.” Some languages cannot use a pronoun (“it”) here, but have to specify what was good. Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated the word “good” in verse 4, and see the note about that there.
1:11 lnyu תַּֽדְשֵׁ֤א הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ דֶּ֔שֶׁא 1 “I command the land/ground to grow/produce {green} plants,” or “The land/ground must now be covered with {green} plants,” The Hebrew word for “vegetation” refers generally here to any kind of green plant and includes the plants and trees that are mentioned next in this verse. Also, see how you translated “Land” in verse 10.
1:11 sdob עֵ֚שֶׂב מַזְרִ֣יעַ זֶ֔רַע 1 “{including} {every kind/type of} plant that produces/has seeds” or “{including} {all kinds/types of} plants that produce/have seeds”. This phrase refers to many different kinds of plants, not just one plant or one seed. Make sure that is clear in your translation. Also, these kinds of plants have soft stems and include vegetable plants, herbs and other plants that produce edible seeds, such as rice, corn, and wheat.
1:11 cv1n עֵ֣ץ פְּרִ֞י עֹ֤שֶׂה פְּרִי֙ לְמִינ֔וֹ 1 “{and} fruit trees that bear/produce fruit, {each} according to its {own} kind/type,” or “{and} {every kind/type of} fruit tree that bears/produces/has its own kind/type of fruit” or “{and} {all kinds/types of} fruit trees that bear/produce/have their own kind/type of fruit”. The phrase “according to its kind” emphasizes that each different kind of tree produces its own kind of fruit and seeds, which grow and become only that kind of tree. For example, apple trees always produce apples with apple seeds, never peaches or cherries, or any other kind of fruit or seeds.
1:11 o8kh אֲשֶׁ֥ר זַרְעוֹ ב֖וֹ 1 “that {has} seeds inside,” or “with seeds inside,” or “with its {own kind/type of} seeds inside it,”
1:11 k8cn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure עַל הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “throughout the earth.” or “all over the earth.” For some languages it is clearer and more natural to put this phrase earlier in this verse and say, “Let the land sprout vegetation on/throughout the earth...” Do what is best in your language.
1:11 virt וַֽיְהִי כֵֽן 1 “And that is {exactly} what happened:” or “And it/everything happened {exactly} as God commanded {it to happen}:” Either a period or a colon can be used here, but a colon more clearly shows that verse 12 gives the details of what happened. This is different from verse 7, where the details of what happened come before “And it was so”, and from verse 9, where no additional details are given.
1:12 jikr וַתּוֹצֵ֨א הָאָ֜רֶץ דֶּ֠שֶׁא 1 “The land sprouted/produced vegetation/plants,” or “The land started growing/producing {green} plants,” Verse 12 explains what God’s command in verse 11 caused to happen, and it repeats some of the same words and phrases. Make sure that your translation of these verses does not sound like God created the plants twice.
1:12 rh5y עֵ֣שֶׂב מַזְרִ֤יעַ זֶ֨רַע֙ לְמִינֵ֔הוּ 1 “{including} plants that produce/have seeds, {each} according to its {own} kind/type,” or “{including} {every kind/type of} plant that produces/has seeds that grow into the same kind/type of plant,” or “{including} {all kinds/types of} plants that produce/have their own kind/type of seeds,”
1:12 cy8d וְעֵ֧ץ עֹֽשֶׂה פְּרִ֛י אֲשֶׁ֥ר זַרְעוֹ ב֖וֹ לְמִינֵ֑הוּ 1 “and trees that bear/produce fruit with seeds inside, {each} according to its {own} kind.” or “and {every kind/type of} tree that produces/has fruit with seeds that grow into the same kind/type of tree.” or “and {all kinds/types of} trees that {produce/have} their own kind/type of seed-bearing fruit.”
1:12 o8er rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “And he saw/observed” or “God/He saw/observed”. Consider whether or not it is more natural in your language to begin this sentence with a conjunction.
1:12 k58u rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit כִּי טֽוֹב 1 “that {what he had made/created was} good/excellent.” or “that {all the plants and trees were} good/excellent.” See how you translated this clause in verse 10. Some languages have to specify what was good. Do what is best in your language.
1:13 b3dy וַֽיְהִי עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי בֹ֖קֶר 1 “Then evening came and {then/later} morning came,” See how you translated this sentence in verses 5 and 8.
1:13 xcdg rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal י֥וֹם שְׁלִישִֽׁי 1 “{and that was} {the end of} the third day.” or “{and} the third day {ended}.” or “{and that was} {the end of} day three.”
1:14 h9x6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים 1 “Then God commanded,”
1:14 f6qj יְהִ֤י מְאֹרֹת֙ 1 “Let lights/lamps appear/exist” or “I command there to be sources of light” or “Let there be things/objects that give/shine light”. These lights refer to the sun, moon and stars that give off light. But it is important to keep this general in your translation (like the Hebrew text does) and not specify the names of these lights.
1:14 snjr בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם 1 “in the expanse/space of/called the heavens/sky” or “in the open space of the heavens/sky” or “in the heavens/sky”. The expanse is the same thing as the heavens (verse 8), so some translations leave “the expanse of” implied here. Do what is best in your language.
1:14 as7i לְהַבְדִּ֕יל 1 “to divide/distinguish” or “that separate/divide”
1:14 ik3v בֵּ֥ין הַיּ֖וֹם וּבֵ֣ין הַלָּ֑יְלָה 1 “the day{time} from the night{time}.” See how you translated “Day{time}” and “Night{time}” in verse 5.
1:14 iva1 וְהָי֤וּ לְאֹתֹת֙ 1 “Let those lights/lamps also be” or “They must/will also serve/function as” or “I also command those lights/lamps to serve/function as”
1:14 kwpn וְהָי֤וּ לְאֹתֹת֙ 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “signs/markers {of special/important events}, and {they must/will} mark” or “They must/will also mark/indicate when important things happen, and {they must/will} mark/show” (2) “signs/markers that mark/indicate/show”. The word “signs” means that the lights can mark certain times of the year. Following the first interpretation, the lights are to also mark special events (such as the star that signaled Jesus’ birth and the darkened sun at Jesus’ death).
1:14 zf63 וּלְמ֣וֹעֲדִ֔ים וּלְיָמִ֖ים וְשָׁנִֽים 1 “seasons, days and years.” or “when seasons, days and years begin {and end}.” The sun and moon show the passing of time. For example, the 30-day month is determined by the phases of the moon, and the 365-day year is determined by the time it takes for the earth to travel around the sun. Seasons are regular times of the year, such as seed-planting and harvesting times, and the seasons of spring, summer, fall and winter (Genesis 8:22), as well as the special festivals which God appointed for his people to meet with him. You could put some of that information in a footnote.
1:15 qfvm וְהָי֤וּ לִמְאוֹרֹת֙ 1 “And they must/will be sources of light” or “They must/will serve/function as lights” or “Their purpose is to serve/function as sources of light”
1:15 szsy בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם 1 “in the expanse/space called the heavens/sky” or “in the open space of the heavens/sky” or “in the heavens/sky”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 14.
1:15 jf98 לְהָאִ֖יר עַל הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “to/that shine {light} on the earth.” or “so that they provide/give light to/for the earth.” See how you translated “the earth” in verses 1-2.
1:15 c4rf וַֽיְהִי כֵֽן 1 “And that is {exactly} what happened.” or “And it was/happened {exactly} as he commanded {it to be/happen}.”
1:16 slgo וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֱלֹהִ֔ים 1 “In that way God/he made/created” or “That is how God/he made/created”. Verses 16-18 explain what God’s commands in verses 14-15 caused to happen. Make sure your translation of these verses does not sound like he created the lights twice. See how you translated “So God made” in verse 7.
1:16 axyb אֶת שְׁנֵ֥י הַמְּאֹרֹ֖ת הַגְּדֹלִ֑ים 1 “the two bright/big lights,” This phrase refers to the sun and the moon, which are the two brightest objects in the earth’s sky. However, the author intentionally does not use their names, so you should not include their names in your translation either.
1:16 udou אֶת הַמָּא֤וֹר הַגָּדֹל֙ 1 “the stronger/brighter light”. The focus is on the relative brightness or strength of the lights, not on their size.
1:16 vq3u rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-personification לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת הַיּ֔וֹם 1 “to dominate/govern the day,” or “to shine during the day,” The word “rule” is a figure of speech that means each light has the greatest effect during a particular time period because it is the brightest light that is shining then. For some languages, nonliving objects like the sun and the moon cannot “rule” because only people can do that. Do what is accurate and natural in your language.
1:16 slw4 וְאֶת הַמָּא֤וֹר הַקָּטֹן֙ 1 “and the weaker/dimmer light”
1:16 kas2 לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת הַלַּ֔יְלָה 1 “to dominate/govern the night,” or “to shine during the night,” Be consistent here with how you translated “rule” previously in this verse.
1:16 vlll rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis וְאֵ֖ת הַכּוֹכָבִֽים 1 “and {he also made/created} the stars.” or “{That is} also {when he made/created} the stars.” The verb “made” that is used earlier in the verse is implied here. Translate this in a way that is clear and natural in your language.
1:17 wi1g rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “God/He placed/put them” or “God/He placed/put the lights”. Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to God and the lights at this point in the paragraph.
1:17 zkp6 בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם 1 “in the expanse/space called the heavens/sky” or “in the open space of the heavens/sky” or “in the heavens/sky”. See how you translated this phrase in verses 14 and 15.
1:17 e0pl לְהָאִ֖יר עַל הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “to shine light on the earth,” or “to provide/give light to/for the earth,” See how you translated this phrase in verse 15.
1:18 iq2u rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-personification וְלִמְשֹׁל֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם וּבַלַּ֔יְלָה 1 “and to govern/dominate the day{time} and/or the night{time},” or “and to shine during the day{time} and/or during the night{time},” Make sure that your translation of the word “day” refers here to the daytime hours, not an entire 24-hour day. Also see how you translated “rule” in 1:16.
1:18 x9y4 וּֽלֲהַבְדִּ֔יל בֵּ֥ין הָא֖וֹר וּבֵ֣ין הַחֹ֑שֶׁךְ 1 “and to divide/distinguish the light from the darkness.” or “and to separate/distinguish the time of light from the time of darkness.” Consider again how you translated “separate” in verses 4, 6-7, 14 and 18.
1:18 ji6r וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “And he saw/observed” or “God/He saw/observed”
1:18 h52g rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit כִּי טֽוֹב 1 “that {what he had made/created was} good/excellent.” or “that {the lights in the heavens/sky were} good/excellent.” Some languages need to specify what was good. Do what is best in your language.
1:19 zl7w rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal י֥וֹם רְבִיעִֽי 1 “{and that was} {the end of} the fourth day.” or “and the fourth day ended.” or “{and that was} {the end of} day four.”
1:20 qr92 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים 1 “Then God commanded,”
1:20 rlrq יִשְׁרְצ֣וּ הַמַּ֔יִם שֶׁ֖רֶץ נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֑ה 1 “I command the water to be full of large numbers/groups of living creatures,” or “I command there to be large numbers/groups of {water} animals that live everywhere in the water,”
1:20 szof וְעוֹף֙ יְעוֹפֵ֣ף 1 “and let there be birds that fly” or “I also command there to be birds that fly” or “Also let there be winged creatures that fly”. The Hebrew word for “birds” can also be more general and refer to “winged/flying creatures,” which includes birds, bats, flying insects and even flying reptiles that are now extinct. Consider whether it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
1:20 obps עַל הָאָ֔רֶץ עַל פְּנֵ֖י רְקִ֥יעַ הַשָּׁמָֽיִם 1 “above the earth, through the sky/air.” or “across/in/through the sky above the earth.”
1:21 hu94 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּבְרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֔ים 1 “That is how God/he created/made” or “In that way God/he created/made”. See how you translated “created” in verse 1.
1:21 ywwv אֶת הַתַּנִּינִ֖ם הַגְּדֹלִ֑ים 1 “the huge/gigantic sea/ocean animals”. These include whales, sharks, giant squid, crocodiles, and leviathans (Psalm 74:13-14, Isaiah 27:1), which were probably swimming reptiles that are now extinct.
1:21 uwve וְאֵ֣ת כָּל נֶ֣פֶשׁ הַֽחַיָּ֣ה הָֽרֹמֶ֡שֶׂת 1 “and every {kind/type of fish and every other} creature/animal that moves/lives” or “and all the {fish and other} {kinds/types of} creatures/animals that move/live”
1:21 cfhy אֲשֶׁר֩ שָׁרְצ֨וּ הַמַּ֜יִם 1 “throughout the water/ocean in large numbers/groups,” or “in the water and fills it,” or “all over the place in the water/ocean,”
1:21 yks1 לְמִֽינֵהֶ֗ם 1 “{each} according to its {own} kind/type,” or “{each} that produces/has its own kind/type {of offspring/young},” This phrase emphasizes that each different kind of creature has its own distinct kind of offspring/young. For example, whales always give birth to whales, and never give birth to cats or cows, or any other kind of creature.
1:21 w4mh וְאֵ֣ת 2 “and {how he created/made}” or “{That is} also {how he created/made}”. For some languages it is more natural to begin a new sentence here, so that the previous sentence is not too long. Do what is best in your language.
1:21 ug9b כָּל ע֤וֹף כָּנָף֙ 1 “every {kind/type of} bird” or “all {the different kinds/types of} birds” or “every {kind/type of} winged creature”. See how you translated “birds” in verse 20.
1:21 wumv לְמִינֵ֔הוּ 1 “{each} according to its {own} kind/type.” or “{each} that produces/has its own kind/type {of young}.” See how you translated this phrase earlier in this verse.
1:21 c8r3 וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “And He saw/observed” or “God/He saw/observed”
1:21 fhzc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit כִּי טֽוֹב 1 “that {what he had created/made was} good/excellent.” or “that {the water animals and the birds were} good/excellent.” Some languages need to specify what was good. Do what is best in your language.
1:22 tv0s rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ אֹתָ֛ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “Then God caused them {all} to prosper/flourish” or “Then God blessed the water creatures/animals and the birds”. For some languages it is necessary to specify who “them” refers to. Do what is best in your language.
1:22 yiar rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “by saying {to them},” or “and said {first to the water animals},” God blesses the water animals first. If that is not clear, you could make that explicit here in the quote margin or at the beginning of what God says.
1:22 v2ge rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person פְּר֣וּ 1 “Reproduce” or “You water animals must/will produce/have many babies/young”. God speaks directly to the water animals using the second person (“you”), then later in the verse speaks about the birds in the third person (“the birds”). For some languages it is necessary to use either second person for both or third person for both, to prevent confusion. Do what is natural and clear in your language.
1:22 ee4u rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-goal וּרְב֗וּ 1 “so that you {and your offspring/descendants} {will} multiply/increase {greatly} {in number}” or “so that you {and your offspring/descendants} {will} become {very} numerous/many”
1:22 s7t9 וּמִלְא֤וּ 1 “and live all over the place in” or “and live throughout”
1:22 pfl8 אֶת הַמַּ֨יִם֙ בַּיַּמִּ֔ים 1 “the water in/of the sea/ocean” or “the ocean/water”. For some languages, “water in the seas” is too repetitive, so it is more natural here to just say “seas/sea” or “ocean” or “water”. Do what is best in your language.
1:22 wysn וְהָע֖וֹף יִ֥רֶב 1 “And the birds must/will {also} increase {greatly} in number” or “{You} birds must/will {also} become {very} numerous/many”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, see how you translated “multiply” earlier in this verse.
1:23 jti5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal י֥וֹם חֲמִישִֽׁי 1 “{and that was} {the end of} the fifth day.” or “and the fifth day ended.” or “{and that was} {the end of} day five.”
1:24 ymte תּוֹצֵ֨א הָאָ֜רֶץ 1 “I command the land/ground to produce/yield” or “The land/ground must now produce/yield”. See how you translated a similar command to the land in verse 11.
1:24 wf0h נֶ֤פֶשׁ חַיָּה֙ 1 “{every kind/type of} living creature/animal” or “{all kinds/types of} creatures/animals,” This is a general term that refers to all the different kinds of creatures/animals that breathe, including the three large categories of animals mentioned below in this verse.
1:24 se25 לְמִינָ֔הּ 1 “{each} that bears/has its own kind/type of offspring/young,” or “{each} bearing/having its own kind/type of offspring/young,” This phrase means that every kind of animal that God created always produces young that are the same kind of animal as their parents. See how you translated this phrase in verse 21, and see the note about that there.
1:24 lpze בְּהֵמָ֥ה 1 “{including} domestic/farm/tame animals,” This term probably includes animals such as horses, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats that people raise for food or use for farming or other work. This is in contrast to animals that normally live in the wild.
1:24 jqx2 וָרֶ֛מֶשׂ 1 “{every} {kind/type of} creature/animal that crawls” or “{all kinds/types of} creatures/animals that crawl”
1:24 f3l5 וְחַֽיְתוֹ אֶ֖רֶץ 1 “and {every} {other} {kind/type of} {wild/untamed} creature/animal {that lives} on the earth/land,” or “and {all} the {other} {kinds/types of} {wild/untamed} animals {that live} on the earth/land,” This phrase refers in general to animals that are normally not raised by people but live in the wild.
1:24 w60r לְמִינָ֑הּ 1 “{each} that bears/has its own kind/type of offspring/young.” or “{each} having its own kind/type of offspring/young.” See how you translated this phrase earlier in this verse.
1:24 voaz וַֽיְהִי כֵֽן 1 “And that is {exactly} what happened.” or “It/Everything happened {exactly} as he commanded {it to happen}.”
1:25 lj0c וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֱלֹהִים֩ 1 “That is how God made/created” or “In that way God made/created”
1:25 jdcq אֶת חַיַּ֨ת הָאָ֜רֶץ 1 “{every kind/type of} wild/untamed creature/animal,” or “{all the different kinds/types of} wild/untamed creatures/animals,” See how you translated “{every} creature of the earth” in verse 24.
1:25 zrau לְמִינָ֗הּ 1 “{each} that bears/has its own kind/type of offspring/young,” or “{each} having its own kind/type of offspring/young,”
1:25 bffi וְאֶת הַבְּהֵמָה֙ 1 “and {every kind/type of} domestic/farm/tame animal,” or “and {all} the domestic/farm/tame animals,” See how you translated “livestock” in verse 24.
1:25 h946 לְמִינָ֗הּ 2 “{each} that bears/has its {own} kind/type of offspring/young,” or “{each} having its {own} kind/type of offspring/young,”
1:25 j9e3 וְאֵ֛ת כָּל רֶ֥מֶשׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֖ה 1 “and every {kind/type of} creature/animal that crawls on/along the ground,” or “and all {different kinds/types of} creatures/animals that crawl on/along the ground,” See how you translated “crawling creature” in verse 24.
1:25 ifc3 לְמִינָ֗הּ 1 “{each} that bears/has its own kind/type of offspring/young.” or “{each} having its {own} kind/type of offspring/young,” Consider again how you translated this phrase in verses 11, 12, 21, 24 and 25. It may be necessary to translate this phrase in different ways, depending on the context.
1:25 ts6r וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “And he saw/observed” or “God/He saw/observed”
1:25 epq1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit כִּי טֽוֹב 1 “that {what he had made/created was} good/excellent.” or “that {all the creatures/animals that he had made/created were} good/excellent.” Some languages need to specify what was good. Consider again how you translated “And God saw that...good” in verses 10, 12, 18, 21, 25.
1:26 bpc0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים 1 “Then God said {to himself},” Here God is not commanding anything to happen, but is getting ready to personally create mankind himself (the details are given in Gen 2:7, 21-22). Some languages have to specify who is being spoken to. Do what is best in your language.
1:26 blpi נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה 1 “{Now} we should/will make/create”. Most Bible scholars think that the plural pronouns (“us”, “our”) in this verse refer to God and reflect the fact that he is three Persons in one God. So it is best to keep these pronouns plural in your translation. Also, many translations capitalize the first letter of all pronouns that refer to God in order to show him honor and respect. Your translation team needs to decide whether or not you will do that, too. Be consistent with your decision as you translate the Bible.
1:26 bahl אָדָ֛ם 1 “mankind/humankind” or “human beings”. The Hebrew word for “man” is used here (and in verse 27) as a collective noun that refers to human beings in general, including male and female.
1:26 ulnl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ כִּדְמוּתֵ֑נוּ 1 “to be like us and act like us,” or “to be like us, so that they are similar to us in many ways,” These two phrases have similar meanings and emphasize that God made mankind to be like himself in many ways.
1:26 bgn6 בִדְגַ֨ת הַיָּ֜ם 1 “the fish of/in the sea/ocean,”
1:26 fiz0 וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם 1 “the birds {that fly} in the sky/air,” Some translations leave out the phrase “of the sky” because it is strongly implied and may not sound natural in their languages. However, if it is natural in your language, it is best to include this phrase, because the author repeatedly contrasts three large categories of animals in this section: creatures that live on the ground, creatures that swim in the water, and creatures that fly in the sky.
1:26 qqil וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙ 1 “the domestic/farm/tame animals,” Consider again how you translated “livestock” in verses 24-26.
1:26 vthy וּבְכָל הָאָ֔רֶץ 1 “and the entire earth,” This refers to the planet earth and everything on it, including water, soil, metals, minerals, and other resources, as well as all the plants and animals.
1:26 x3kc וּבְכָל הָרֶ֖מֶשׂ הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “including every creature/animal that moves/lives on the earth.” or “and/including all the creatures/animals that move/live on the earth.” For some languages it is not natural to repeat “and” or “over” with each item in this list. Consider what is the best way to translate a list like this in your language.
1:27 zl1a rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים 1 “So God created/made”. In this verse God does what he said he was going to do (verse 26). Make sure your translation does not sound like God created mankind twice. Also see how you translated “created” in verses 1 and 21.
1:27 f5z8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms אֶת הָֽאָדָם֙ 1 “mankind/humankind” or “human beings”. Be consistent here with how you translated this term in verse 26.
1:27 yyg0 בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ 1 “in his own image.” or “to be like himself.” or “to be similar to himself {in many ways}.” God made mankind to be like himself in some ways (not all ways) and to represent him in the world and show people what he is like. For example, God gave human beings an eternal spirit and the ability to have a relationship with him. He also gave us emotions, an understanding of right and wrong, and the ability to reason and make choices, to create new things and to have authority over the rest of creation. You could include some of that information in a footnote.
1:27 f9uj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ 1 “{Yes/Indeed,} he created/made them in his image” or “{Indeed} God/he created/made them to be like himself” or “{Yes,} God/he created/made them to be similar to himself {in many ways}”. The pronoun “him” refers to the collective noun “man”, which in this case refers to human beings in general, not just one person. Also, this clause is the second half of a chiasm (an inverted parallelism) that repeats the first part of verse 27 in reverse order, to emphasize that it was in God’s image that human beings were created. Do what is best in your language.
1:27 n054 זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם 1 “He {also} created/made them {to be} male or female.” The phrase “male and female” comes first in the Hebrew text in order to emphasize it. Do what is accurate and natural in your language. Also make sure your translation of this verse does not sound like God is both male and female.
1:28 n52a וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹתָם֮ אֱלֹהִים֒ 1 “Then God showed his favor to them” or “Then God caused them to prosper/flourish”. See how you translated “blessed” in verse 22.
1:28 mnzd rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים 1 “and said,” or “by saying to them,” or “by saying,” or “He said,” Make sure it is clear in your translation of this quote margin that what God says next is the way that he blessed mankind, not something he said separately from that.
1:28 lyey פְּר֥וּ 1 “Bear/Have many children” or “You will bear/have many children”. See how you translated “Be fruitful and multiply” in verse 22. It may be necessary to translate the phrase in different ways, depending on the context.
1:28 xie5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-goal וּרְב֛וּ 1 “so that you {and your descendants} {will} multiply/increase {greatly} {in number}” or “so that you {and your descendants} {will} become {very} numerous/many”
1:28 lpep וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת הָאָ֖רֶץ 1 “and live all over the earth” or “and inhabit the whole earth” or “Fill the earth”. For some languages, it is more natural to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
1:28 g9jo וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ 1 “and take control/care of it.” or “and bring it under your control.”
1:28 c3f8 וּרְד֞וּ 1 “You must rule over” or “You are in charge of” or “I am giving you authority to rule/oversee/manage”. See how you translated “rule” in verse 26.
1:28 prup בִּדְגַ֤ת הַיָּם֙ וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם 1 “the fish in the ocean, the birds {that fly} in the sky/air,” See how you translated these phrases in verse 26.
1:28 ytrg וּבְכָל חַיָּ֖ה הָֽרֹמֶ֥שֶׂת עַל הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “and every creature/animal that moves/lives on the earth/land.” or “and all the creatures/animals that move/live on the earth/land.” This phrase refers generally here to every kind of creature that lives on land.
1:29 sqcf rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים 1 “Then God/he {also} said {to them},” or “Then God/he continued/added,” God is still speaking to the human beings, so it may be necessary to add “also” to this quote margin. Some languages need to specify who is being spoken to. Other languages may leave this quote margin implied, since the same subject (God) is talking to the same people. However, the repeated quote margin in the Hebrew text could show that God paused before continuing or that he is changing the topic, or to emphasize what he says next. So if it is natural to keep the quote margin here in your language, that is best.
1:29 a4r5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms הִנֵּה֩ 1 “Look,” or “Listen {to this},” or “I want you to know that”. This word means that what God says next is important and should be given special attention. Consider what is the best way to translate this term in your language.
1:29 uvuf נָתַ֨תִּי לָכֶ֜ם 1 “I am {now} giving to you {as/for food}” or “I have provided {as food} for you” or “I am {now} providing {as food} for you”
1:29 oakn אֶת כָּל עֵ֣שֶׂב זֹרֵ֣עַ זֶ֗רַע אֲשֶׁר֙ 1 “every {kind/type of} seed-bearing plant that grows” or “every {kind/type of} plant with seeds that grows” or “all the {different kinds/types of} plants that yield/produce seeds and grow”. See how you translated a similar phrase in verses 11 and 12.
1:29 nn9g וְאֶת־כָּל־הָעֵ֛ץ אֲשֶׁר 1 “as well as every {kind/type of} tree that {bears/produces}” or “and all the {different kinds/types of} trees that {bear/produce}”
1:29 zjwv בּ֥וֹ פְרִי עֵ֖ץ זֹרֵ֣עַ זָ֑רַע 1 “fruit with seedoakns inside it.” or “seed-bearing fruit.” See how you translated a similar phrase in verses 11 and 12.
1:29 ird8 לָכֶ֥ם יִֽהְיֶ֖ה לְאָכְלָֽה 1 “{All of} them are yours to eat from.” or “You may eat from {any/all of} those plants.”
1:30 h154 וּֽלְכָל חַיַּ֣ת הָ֠אָרֶץ 1 “In the same way, to every {kind/type of} {wild/untamed} creature/animal {that lives} on the earth/land,” or “Similarly/Likewise, to all the {wild/untamed} creatures/animals {that live} on the earth/land,” or “In the same way, to all the wild animals,” See how you translated similar phrases in verses 24 and 25.
1:30 cxyb וּלְכָל ע֨וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם 1 “and every {kind/type of} bird {that flies} in the sky,” or “and all the birds {that fly} in the sky,”
1:30 n7vq וּלְכֹ֣ל רוֹמֵ֣שׂ עַל הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ֙ נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֔ה 1 “and every {other} {kind/type of} {creature/animal} that moves/lives on the earth/land and has the breath of life,” or “and all the {other} creatures/animals that move/live on the earth/land and breathe {air} to live,” See how you translated “that moves on the earth” in verse 28.
1:30 hifc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֶת כָּל יֶ֥רֶק עֵ֖שֶׂב לְאָכְלָ֑ה 1 “{I give} every {kind/type of} green plant for/as food.” or “{I have given/provided} all the green plants for/as food.” For some languages it is clearer or more natural to put this phrase near the beginning of this verse and say, “In the same way, {I give} every {type of} green plant for food to all the {wild} animals {that live} on the earth, and all the birds {that fly} in the sky, and all the {other} animals {that live} on the land and breathe {air}.” Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated “plant” in verses 11, 12, 29.
1:30 ivkg וַֽיְהִי כֵֽן 1 “And that is how it was.” or “And it/everything was {exactly} as he/God said {it should/would be}.” Consider again how you translated this sentence in verses 7, 9, 11, 15, 24 and 30. It may be necessary to translate it in different ways, depending on the context. For example, here in verse 30 this phrase follows a statement God made, which is different from the other contexts where it follows a command.
1:31 hhg6 וַיַּ֤רְא אֱלֹהִים֙ 1 “Then God observed/considered” or “Then God looked at”. See how you translated “God saw...” in verse 4.
1:31 c85e אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה 1 “everything that he had made/created,” This phrase refers to everything that God made during the entire week of Creation, not just on the sixth day. Consider again how you translated “made” (or “make”) in verses 7, 16, 25, 26 and 31. Compare that to how you translated a word that has a similar meaning (“created”) in verses 1, 21 and 27.
1:31 w4pz וְהִנֵּה 1 “and indeed” or “and he saw/observed that”. This word calls attention to what God is looking at and helps emphasize that what he saw was very good.
1:31 uixn ט֖וֹב מְאֹ֑ד 1 “{it was} {all} very good/excellent.” Consider again how you translated “good/excellent” in verses 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, and 31.
1:31 pjit וַֽיְהִי עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי בֹ֖קֶר 1 “Then evening came and {then/later} morning came,” Consider again how you translated these phrases in verses 5, 8, 13, 19, 23 and 31, and see the note about that at verse 5.
1:31 vsiy rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal י֥וֹם הַשִּׁשִּֽׁי 1 “{and that was} {the end of} the sixth day.” or “and the sixth day ended.” or “{and that was} {the end of} day six.”
2:intro nfp7 0 # Genesis 2 General Notes\n## Structure and formatting\n\nGen. 2:1-3 ends the first creation account, begun in the previous chapter. The second creation account, beginning in 2:4, is very different, using a more natural, story-telling style instead of following a set formula using repeated phrases. Translators should try to imitate this difference in their versions.\n\n## Special concepts in this chapter\n\n### The second creation account in Gen. 2:4-25\n\nGen. 2:4-25 presents an account of creation from a different viewpoint than the one given in Gen. 1:1-2:3. This second account should be regarded as filling out the first account, not as conflicting with it.\n\n### Yahweh, the name of God\n\n“Yahweh,” the personal name of God in the Old Testament, appears for the first time in this chapter. Translators must decide how to represent it in their versions. For 2,000 years, it has been traditional for many Christians to represent it with the term “the Lord.” Indeed, it is demanded by Roman Catholics for their Bible versions to continue doing this. Of course, the disadvantage of using “the Lord” is that this is a title for God, not a personal name. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/yahweh]])\n\nTranslators who are not producing versions for Roman Catholics can consider transliterating the name “Yahweh,” approximating the name as best as their project languages allow.\n\nOr translators can consider using expressions for the supreme god that might exist in their project languages, such as, “The Great One,” “The Ruler of All,” “The One who Never Sleeps,” etc. Of course, these are descriptive titles, not personal names, so they suffer from the same disadvantages that “the Lord” has.\n\nTranslators can also consider pairing a transliteration of “Yahweh” with a meaningful title for the supreme god in the project language. Whatever solution is found should be followed consistently when the name “Yahweh” occurs in the Scriptures.\n\n### The Garden of Eden\n\nThis was not a vegetable garden or cultivated field. Instead, it was probably a large area of land with fruit trees and other plants bearing leaves, etc., that were good to eat. A river flowed out from the Garden of Eden, giving the impression that the Garden was a holy place; in the ancient Near East, temples had gardens and waterways. In Rev. 22:1-2, the throne of God in the New Jerusalem is pictured with a river flowing out from it. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/holy]])
2:1 alnx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַיְכֻלּ֛וּ הַשָּׁמַ֥יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ 1 “So {it was that} the heavens and the earth were completed/finished {by God},” or “That is how {God} finished {creating/making} the heavens and the earth,” Verse one is a summary statement that looks back at what God did in chapter 1. Make sure that is clear in your language. Also consider whether it is better in your language to use an active or passive clause here, and see how you translated “heavens and earth” in Gen 1:1.
2:1 eaz5 וְכָל צְבָאָֽם 1 “including all the many things that are in them.” or “along with everything in them.” This phrase refers to everything in the heavens and on the earth that God had created, as described in chapter 1.
2:2 lmmc rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י 1 “By the seventh day” or “By day seven”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that God had completed his work by the seventh day and did not work on that day. Also consider again how you translated ordinal numbers in Gen 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31; 2:2.
2:2 zkij rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיְכַ֤ל אֱלֹהִים֙ 1 “God/he had completed/finished” or “God/he was finished with”. Decide whether it is better in your language to refer to God with a title (“God”) or a pronoun (“he”) in this context.
2:2 qp74 מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה 1 “his/the work he had been doing,”
2:2 lqw7 וַיִּשְׁבֹּת֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מִכָּל 1 “so he rested/ceased on that day from all” or “so on the seventh day he no longer did”. God “rested” in the sense that he stopped his work and did not work on that day. It does not mean he was tired or had lost his strength. Rest is an important theme in the Bible, so you should try to be consistent in how you translate this term here and in other passages such as Exodus 23:12, 31:17 and Hebrews 4:4, 10. Part of this theme includes the Hebrew word for “Sabbath” which has the same root word as the verb for “rest” and is often translated “resting day”.
2:2 mtu9 מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה 1 “the work that he had been doing.” or “that work.”
2:3 aq2s rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וַיְבָ֤רֶךְ אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת י֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י 1 “Then God/he established/designated the seventh day {as a day} to bless {people}” or “God/He honored the seventh day”. For some languages it is more natural to begin verse 3 without a conjunction. Other languages use a conjunction here like Hebrew does. Do what is natural in your language.
2:3 frsr rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וַיְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֹת֑וֹ 1 “and made it a holy/sacred day,” or “and set it apart as a day especially devoted/dedicated to him,” or “by setting it apart as a special day/time {for people/them} {to rest and worship him},”
2:3 zlsb כִּ֣י ב֤וֹ 1 “because on/during that day” or “{He did that} because on/during that day”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
2:3 kcwq שָׁבַת֙ מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּ֔וֹ 1 “he ceased from all his/the work” or “he did not do any more work” or “he no longer did the work”. See how you translated a similar clause in verse 2.
2:3 oxs3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns אֲשֶׁר בָּרָ֥א אֱלֹהִ֖ים לַעֲשֽׂוֹת 1 “of creating that he had been doing.” or “that he had been doing, creating {everything}.”
2:4 m6ic אֵ֣לֶּה 1 “These {are more details about}” or “This {is more about}” or “What follows {gives/tells more details about}”. This phrase refers forward to Gen 2:5-24 and begins a new section. Chapter one of Genesis gives an overview of what God did each day of creation week, including that he created human beings on day six. Chapter two gives more details about how God created Adam and Eve, who were his most important creations. Each chapter emphasizes different parts of the same history; they are not two different histories. Make sure that is clear in your translation.
2:4 ptfh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive תוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם 1 “the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created {by God},” or “what happened when {God} created the heavens and the earth.” or “the history of what {God} did when he created the heavens and the earth:” The Hebrew text uses a passive construction here to emphasize the heavens and the earth. Decide the best way to do that in your language.
2:4 i0br בְּי֗וֹם 1 “during the days/time {when}” or “During the days/time {when}”. Consider whether or not it is clearer or more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here that continues into verse 5.
2:4 igt9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “Yahweh {who is} God” or “God {whose name is} Yahweh”. This phrase is a combination of God’s personal name “Yahweh” with his title “God”. Both are used together when he is especially in focus. This pattern of using a personal name and a title together is also used for people in the Old Testament when they are being emphasized, for example, “Ahab king of Israel” and “Ruth the Moabite”. Many translations have “LORD God” in place of “Yahweh God” throughout the Old Testament. This follows the Jewish custom of substituting the Hebrew title “Adonai” (which means “my Lord”) for “Yahweh” (which means “he is”) when they read the Scriptures aloud. More recently, translation teams are putting “Yahweh” back in the Bible text (especially in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament), and they include a footnote to explain the term. (Some translation teams consider using “Jehovah” instead of “Yahweh”. However that is not a name from the Bible, but is formed by taking the consonants from “Yahweh” and combining them with the vowels from “Adonai”.)
2:4 h1ao rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-chiasm עֲשׂ֛וֹת & אֶ֥רֶץ וְשָׁמָֽיִם 1 “made/created the earth and the heavens”. This clause forms a chiasm with “the heavens and the earth...created” in the first part of this verse. Try to keep the same phrase order in your translation. See how you translated “the heavens” and “the earth” in Gen 1:1 and 2:1.
2:5 yi7q rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וְכֹ֣ל ׀ שִׂ֣יחַ הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה טֶ֚רֶם יִֽהְיֶ֣ה בָאָ֔רֶץ 1 “And/Now {for a while,} there were not yet any shrubs/bushes in the fields} on the earth,” or “{For a while,} no wild shrubs/bushes had started growing on the earth yet,” Consider whether or not it is better in your translation to begin a new sentence here. Verses 5-6 give background information about what things were like before God created mankind (verse 7). Some languages use a conjunction like “Now” to introduce background information, while other languages do not use a conjunction here. Do what is best in your language.
2:5 gyov וְכָל עֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה טֶ֣רֶם יִצְמָ֑ח 1 “nor had any {other} plants started growing yet,” or “and there were not any {other} plants that had sprouted yet,” See how you translated “plants” in Gen 1:11-12, 29-30.
2:5 iiqn rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns כִּי֩ & יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ 1 “because Yahweh/he” or “{That was} because God”. The Hebrew text repeats “Yahweh God” frequently in chapter 2 (starting in verse 4) to emphasize God. For some languages, it is not natural to repeat “Yahweh God” so often in the same paragraph, and it could even give the wrong meaning that there was more than one Yahweh God. For languages like that, it may be best to use “Yahweh God” only once at the beginning of a section or paragraph, then use “Yahweh”, “God”, or “he” in the rest of the section, depending on the context. Consider what is the most accurate and natural way to refer to Yahweh God at each point in your translation.
2:5 dsr2 לֹ֨א הִמְטִ֜יר & עַל הָאָ֔רֶץ 1 “had not {yet} caused it to rain on the earth,” or “had not {yet} sent/caused rain to water the earth,” See how you translated “earth” in Gen 1:1 and 2:1.
2:5 jour וְאָדָ֣ם אַ֔יִן 1 “and there were no human beings {yet}” or “and mankind/humans did not exist {yet}”
2:5 mdd4 לַֽעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת הָֽאֲדָמָֽה 1 “to cultivate/farm the land/soil.” Working the ground includes tasks such as clearing the ground, preparing the soil, planting seeds, and watering the plants. See how you translated “ground” in Gen 1:25. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
2:6 vsou rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וְאֵ֖ד 1 “But {during/at that time} mist/water/groundwater” or “{During/At that time} mist/springs”. The Hebrew word for “mist” refers to water in some form, such as water vapor, springs, or streams of water. Also, some translations begin verse 6 without “But”. Do what is best in your language.
2:7 fjjv וַיִּיצֶר֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים 1 “Then Yahweh {who is} God shaped/crafted”. The word “formed” describes what an expert craftsmen would do, and implies artistic skills and design. See how you translated “Yahweh God” in Gen 2:4-5.
2:7 dbat אֶת הָֽאָדָ֗ם 1 “a man” or “the {first} man”. The definite article “the” is used here because this refers to a specific man, the first male human. For many languages it is more natural to use an indefinite article (“a”) to introduce him here, or to not use an article at all. Do what is best in your language.
2:7 pmfi עָפָר֙ 1 “{out of} dirt/mud/clay”. The word used here in the Hebrew text is usually translated “dust” (as in Gen 13:16, 28:14), but it can also be translated “dirt” (as in Gen 26:15) or “mortar/mud/clay” (as in Leviticus 14:42). The dirt would have been damp enough to be formed or shaped.
2:7 g3a2 מִן הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה 1 “from the earth,” For some languages it may be better to change the order of the phrases in the first half of this verse and say, “Then Yahweh {who is} God {took} {some} dirt/clay from the ground/earth {and} formed/shaped a man {out of it},” Do what is best in your language. Also, see how you translated “ground” in Gen 1:25 and 2:5-6. You may need to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
2:7 xkca וַיִּפַּ֥ח 1 “and he/Yahweh blew/exhaled” or “Then he/Yahweh blew/exhaled”. For some languages, it is more natural to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
2:7 qzjs rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns בְּאַפָּ֖יו נִשְׁמַ֣ת חַיִּ֑ים 1 “into the man’s nostrils/nose the/his breath that would make him live,” or “his breath into the man’s nostrils/nose to make him live,” This refers to God’s breath. As you translate the pronouns “he” and “his” in this verse, make sure it is clear in your language who is being referred to.
2:7 vf52 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַֽיְהִ֥י הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּֽה 1 “so that he became a living person.” or “and then the man became alive” or “and he came to life.” or “so that he started to live.” Consider what is the most natural way in your language to refer to the man throughout verse 7.
2:8 z5wl rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background וַיִּטַּ֞ע יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “Now Yahweh God had {previously/already} planted” or “{Before that,} Yahweh God had planted”. This interpretation fits the context of chapter one, which says that God had made all the trees and plants on day three (Gen 1:11-12), three days before he created man (Gen 1:26-27; 2:7). Following this view, verses 8-14 give background information for what happens in verses 15-24. (2) “Then Yahweh God planted”. According to this interpretation, God made the Garden of Eden on day six after he created man.
2:8 npa8 גַּן 1 “a {large} garden” or “a {large} farm/park”. The man lived in this garden and there were animals and many trees and other plants in it too, so it was fairly large. Make sure your translation of this term does not refer to something that is too small.
2:8 msch בְעֵ֖דֶן מִקֶּ֑דֶם 1 “in {the land/region of/called} Eden, {which was} in/to the east,” or “in the eastern part of {the land/region of/called} Eden,” In this context, “in the east” can refer to (1) the eastern part of the region of Eden (2) a region east of where Moses lived when he wrote this. It is best, if possible, to keep your translation of this phrase general here (like the Hebrew text).
2:8 zpxl וַיָּ֣שֶׂם שָׁ֔ם אֶת הָֽאָדָ֖ם 1 “and that is where he put the man” or “and in that garden he put the man” or “That is where he put the man”. Consider whether it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
2:8 uvlv אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָצָֽר 1 “whom he had shaped/crafted.” or “whom he had created/made.” See how you translated “formed” in verse 7.
2:9 wihv rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיַּצְמַ֞ח יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה כָּל־עֵ֛ץ נֶחְמָ֥ד 1 “{There} Yahweh/he had made/caused to grow from the ground every {kind/type of} tree that is pleasant/beautiful/delightful” or “Yahweh/He had made/caused all {kinds/types of} trees to grow from the ground that are pleasant/beautiful”. See how you translated “Yahweh God” in verse 5, and how you translated “every tree” in Gen 1:29.
2:9 urhf וְעֵ֤ץ הַֽחַיִּים֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַגָּ֔ן 1 “including the tree whose fruit gives people {eternal} life, {which was} in the middle of the garden,” or “In the middle of the garden was the tree whose fruit makes people live {forever},” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
2:9 vdwn rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וְעֵ֕ץ הַדַּ֖עַת ט֥וֹב וָרָֽע 1 “as well as the tree whose fruit enables people to know/discern {what is} good/right and {what is} evil/wrong.” The word “good” refers here to all that is morally right and pleasing to God, and “evil” refers to what is morally wrong and against his will. Keep that in mind as you translate these terms.
2:10 af8y rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וְנָהָרּ֙ יֹצֵ֣א 1 “Now a river was flowing” or “A river was flowing” or “There was a river flowing”. Verse 10 gives more background information that began in verse 8. Many translations omit the conjunction “And” or “Now” here. Do what is best in your language.
2:10 pp02 מֵעֵ֔דֶן 1 “from/through {the land/region of} Eden”. The garden was inside the land of Eden, so as the river flowed through Eden, it watered the garden.
2:10 rcms לְהַשְׁק֖וֹת 1 “to irrigate” or “to provide water for” or “that watered/irrigated” or “that provided water for”. See how you translated “watered” in verse 6.
2:10 wxka אֶת הַגָּ֑ן 1 “the farm/park,” See how you translated this phrase in verse 8.
2:10 gpkv וּמִשָּׁם֙ 1 “and from the garden” or “From there/Eden”. For some languages it is better to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
2:10 h8ke יִפָּרֵ֔ד וְהָיָ֖ה לְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה רָאשִֽׁים 1 Verse 10 is ambiguous in the Hebrew text. It could mean (1) “the/that river divided into four {smaller} waters/rivers.” This interpretation means that the river in Eden was the source river that watered the garden and then divided downstream into the four smaller rivers. (2) “there were four {smaller} source rivers that joined together and formed the larger river.” This interpretation means that the four rivers were source headwaters that flowed downstream and joined to form the larger river in Eden. If possible, leave your translation ambiguous here (like the Hebrew text does), so that either interpretation is possible.
2:11 ty1t שֵׁ֥ם הָֽאֶחָ֖ד 1 “The name of the first {river} {is/was}” or “The first {river} is/was named/called” or “The first {river} is/was”. Most translations use past tense in verse 10, but then use present tense throughout verses 11-14. It may be best to use past tense throughout verses 10-14, especially since the rivers and places that are named in these verses no longer existed when Genesis was written, because the Flood completely changed the entire surface of the earth; after the Flood, the names of some of those rivers and places were given to new rivers and places.
2:11 fhgs rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names פִּישׁ֑וֹן 1 “the Pishon {River}.” Consider whether or not it is natural in your language to use the article (“the”) with the name of a river.
2:11 k73q ה֣וּא הַסֹּבֵ֗ב 1 “It meanders/meandered through” or “which flows/flowed around through”. The word “winds” or “meanders” means that the river changed direction from time to time. Consider whether it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here, or to continue the previous sentence.
2:11 kdfc rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֵ֚ת כָּל אֶ֣רֶץ הַֽחֲוִילָ֔ה 1 “the entire/whole region of/called Havilah,” Be consistent in how you translate “land of” throughout this section.
2:11 lg1b אֲשֶׁר שָׁ֖ם הַזָּהָֽב 1 “{a place} where {there is/was} {much} gold.” or “which has/had {a lot of} gold.”
2:12 v48n וּֽזֲהַ֛ב הָאָ֥רֶץ הַהִ֖וא 1 “In fact, the gold from that land/region” or “Indeed, the gold {that is found} in that land/region”. This sentence emphasizes the previous statement about the gold, and gives more information about it.
2:12 ks18 ט֑וֹב 1 “{is/was} {very} pure.” or “{is/was} {very} high quality.”
2:12 qhx1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown הַבְּדֹ֖לַח 1 “{A kind/type of fragrant/sweet-smelling resin called} bdellium” or “A {kind/type of} fragrant/sweet-smelling resin/perfume”. The meaning of this Hebrew word is not certain. In many translations it is transliterated, that is, spelled the way the Hebrew word is pronounced. It may refer to (1) a fragrant/sweet-smelling tree resin that was used to make perfume; (2) a type of stone or crystal, or possibly pearl.
2:12 ul5j rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown וְאֶ֥בֶן הַשֹּֽׁהַם 1 “and {valuable} onyx gemstones” or “and {valuable} stones/gemstones called onyx” or “and {valuable} gemstones”. It is not certain what kind of stone this was, but most Bible scholars think it was onyx, which is a kind of quartz that is often black, but also occurs in many other colors, and can have stripes or bands of white (or other colors) running through it.
2:12 cp1z שָׁ֥ם 1 “{are/were} {also} {found} there.” or “{are/were} {also} in that land/region.” Make sure the verb tense you choose here fits with the way you translated verse 11.
2:13 fnx5 וְשֵֽׁם הַנָּהָ֥ר הַשֵּׁנִ֖י 1 “The name of the second river {is/was}” or “The second river is/was named/called” or “The second river is/was”. See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 11.
2:13 spk8 ה֣וּא הַסּוֹבֵ֔ב 1 “It meanders/meandered through” or “which flows/flowed around through”. Consider whether it is better here in your language to begin a new sentence or to continue the previous sentence. See how you translated this phrase in verse 11.
2:13 fgb5 אֵ֖ת כָּל אֶ֥רֶץ כּֽוּשׁ 1 “the entire/whole region of/called Cush.” See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 11.
2:14 a2na וְשֵׁ֨ם הַנָּהָ֤ר הַשְּׁלִישִׁי֙ חִדֶּ֔קֶל 1 “The name of the third river {is/was}” or “The third river is/was named/called” or “The third river is/was”
2:14 go4b ה֥וּא הַֽהֹלֵ֖ךְ קִדְמַ֣ת 1 “It flows/flowed {in an area} east of” or “which flows/flowed {in an area} east of” or “which was located east of”. The word “east” refers to where the river was located, not the direction it was flowing.
2:14 h2lk rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אַשּׁ֑וּר 1 “{the land/region of/called} Asshur/Assyria.” This Hebrew name is pronounced “ash-shur” and is spelled “Asshur”, “Ashur”, or “Assyria” in English, depending on the context. This was a region of land, because at that time there were no cities. Most translations have “Assyria” here. Consider again how you translated “the land of” in verses 11 and 13.
2:14 wu7c וְהַנָּהָ֥ר הָֽרְבִיעִ֖י 1 “{The name of} the fourth river {is/was}” or “The fourth river {is/was named/called}” or “and the fourth river {is/was}”. See how you translated a similar phrase in verses 11, 13-14. Also consider again whether it is best in your language to use present tense or past tense in verses 10-14.
2:15 qijo rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background וַיִּקַּ֛ח יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּנִּחֵ֣הוּ 1 “Now Yahweh God had {already} put the man” or “After Yahweh God put the man”. In verse 8 it says that God had already put the man in the garden, so the way you translate verse 15 should not sound like he did it again. This information is repeated here to continue the story from verse 8.
2:15 rosi rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names בְגַן עֵ֔דֶן 1 “in the garden in {the land/region of/called} Eden” or “in Eden Garden”. Notice that “Garden” is capitalized when it is part of a name.
2:16 qqer rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיְצַו֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֔ים עַל־הָֽאָדָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “Then Yahweh/he commanded the man,” or “he commanded him,” The way you begin verse 16 depends on how you began verse 15. Consider what is the best way to refer to “Yahweh God” and “the man” here.
2:16 vzb0 מִכֹּ֥ל עֵֽץ הַגָּ֖ן אָכֹ֥ל תֹּאכֵֽל 1 “You may eat as much {fruit} as you want {to eat} from every/any tree in the garden,” or “You are permitted to eat whatever fruit that you want {to eat} from every/any tree in the garden,”
2:17 vfsb rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-exceptions וּמֵעֵ֗ץ & לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל 1 “except you must/may not eat {any fruit} from the tree” or “except for one: you must/may not eat {the fruit that grows} on the tree” or “except I forbid you to eat {any fruit} from the tree”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that God is not contradicting himself here, but rather he is giving an exception to what he said in verse 16. To make that clear, you could say (starting with the beginning of God’s words in verse 16), “Out of all the trees in the garden, there is only one tree that you must/may not eat from: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat fruit from that tree, on that {same} day you will certainly/definitely die.”
2:17 eja9 הַדַּ֨עַת֙ ט֣וֹב וָרָ֔ע 1 “whose fruit enables people to know/discern {what is} good/right and {what is} evil/wrong,” See how you translated this phrase in verse 9.
2:17 w7aq כִּ֗י בְּי֛וֹם אֲכָלְךָ֥ מִמֶּ֖נּוּ 1 “because on the {same} day you eat {fruit} from that tree” or “If you eat {any fruit} from that tree, on that {same} day” or “because as soon as you eat {fruit} from that tree”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
2:17 z028 מ֥וֹת תָּמֽוּת 1 “you will certainly/definitely die.”
2:18 mxit וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֔ים לֹא ט֛וֹב 1 “Then/Next Yahweh {who is} God declared, {It is} not good”
2:18 ap1y לּ֥וֹ עֵ֖זֶר כְּנֶגְדּֽוֹ 1 “a helper/companion who is {just/exactly} right for him.” or “someone who is suitable/right for him and will help him.” or “a suitable companion to help him.”
2:19 ukcz rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background וַיִּצֶר֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים מִן הָֽאֲדָמָ֗ה 1 “Now {before that,} Yahweh God had formed/shaped from {the dust/dirt on} the ground” or “Now {previously,} Yahweh/he had used {dust/dirt} from the ground to form/shape”. The first sentence of verse 19 is a flashback of what happened before the events in verses 15-18 (which were first recorded in Gen 1:20-21, 24-25). Translate this phrase in a way that makes it clear that this is background information that has already happened. Also see how you translated “formed” in verses 7-8 and “dust from the ground” in verse 7.
2:19 kk7t כָּל חַיַּ֤ת הַשָּׂדֶה֙ 1 “every {kind/type of} creature/animal that lives in the fields/wild” or “all {the different kinds/types of} animals that live in the fields” or “all {the different kinds/types of} wild animals”. Consider how you translated a similar phrase (“every living creature of the earth”) in Gen 1:24, 30.
2:19 y8bl וְאֵת֙ כָּל ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם 1 “and every {kind/type of} bird {that flies} in the sky.” or “and all {the different kinds/types of} birds {that fly} in the sky.” See how you translated this phrase in Gen 1:30.
2:19 qvln rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-go וַיָּבֵא֙ 1 “So/Then he brought/took them {all}”. This sentence continues the storyline. Consider how your language continues a story after giving background information. Also consider whether “brought” or “took” fits best here in your language.
2:19 p3x2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֶל הָ֣אָדָ֔ם 1 “to Adam”. Every translation team needs to decide when to use Adam’s name for the first time in the book of Genesis. The Hebrew word “adam” means “man” and is also Adam’s name; the choice that is not followed here in your translation could be put in a footnote. Some translations first use Adam’s name here in verse 19, when he is naming the animals. Many other translations start using his name at the end of verse 20. Still other translations wait until 3:20 when he names Eve, and a few other translations begin in 3:9, 17, or 21.
2:19 apte לִרְא֖וֹת 1 “to watch/hear” or “to find out”
2:19 rgyf מַה יִּקְרָא ל֑וֹ 1 “what he would name each one,” or “what names he would give/assign to them,” These names were labels for what kind of animals they were, such as “dog” or “horse”, not personal names like “David” or “Mary”.
2:19 by9q וְכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִקְרָא ל֧וֹ הָֽאָדָ֛ם 1 “and whatever Adam called/named” or “Whatever name the man gave/assigned to”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
2:19 k24r נֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּ֖ה 1 “each {kind/type of} living creature,” or “each {kind/type of} animal,”
2:19 waxk ה֥וּא שְׁמֽוֹ 1 “that {became} its name.” or “that {became} the name of/for that kind/type of animal.”
2:20 rs26 וַיִּקְרָ֨א הָֽאָדָ֜ם שֵׁמ֗וֹת לְכָל־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ 1 “The man gave/assigned names to all the {different kinds/types of} livestock” or “Adam named all the {different kinds/types of} domestic/tame animals”. For a note about when to first use Adam’s name, see verse 19. Also, see how you translated “livestock” in Gen 1:24-26.
2:20 e137 וּלְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם 1 “and to {all} the {different kinds/types of} birds {that fly} in the sky”
2:20 e3uy וּלְכֹ֖ל חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה 1 “and to all the {other} {different kinds/types of} creatures/animals that live in the fields/wild,” or “and to all the wild animals,” See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 19.
2:20 gmpu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וּלְאָדָ֕ם לֹֽא מָצָ֥א עֵ֖זֶר כְּנֶגְדּֽוֹ 1 “but he did/could not find a suitable helper for himself {among them}.” or “but none of them was a helper/companion who was {just/exactly} right for him.” or “but none of them was a suitable companion to help him.” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to use an active or passive construction here. Also see how you translated “a suitable helper” in verse 18.
2:21 stgv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיַּפֵּל֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֧ים תַּרְדֵּמָ֛ה עַל הָאָדָ֖ם 1 “So/Then Yahweh God caused the man to fall/go into a deep/sound sleep.” or “So/Then Yahweh God caused the man to sleep {very} deeply/soundly.” Many languages have a similar idiom for “caused a deep sleep to fall on” that works well here. Consider what is best in your language.
2:21 ti50 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּישָׁ֑ן 1 “Then {while} the man was sleeping/asleep,” Consider whether it is best in your language to use a pronoun or a noun here to refer to the man.
2:21 xamp rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּקַּ֗ח 1 “he/God took {out}”. Consider whether to use a pronoun or noun here to refer to God. Make sure it is clear in your translation who is being referred to at each point in this verse.
2:21 l63g אַחַת֙ מִצַּלְעֹתָ֔יו 1 This phrase is ambiguous in the Hebrew text. It could mean (1) “one of the man’s ribs {from his body/side}” or “a rib {from the man’s body/side}” (2) “part of the man’s side {from his body}”
2:21 k98y וַיִּסְגֹּ֥ר בָּשָׂ֖ר תַּחְתֶּֽנָּה 1 “and filled in the place/hole where it had been with flesh {and healed it}.” or “and replaced it with flesh {and healed him}.” In this context, the term “flesh” probably includes muscles and skin.
2:22 wmbd rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּבֶן֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֧ים 1 “Next Yahweh God” or “Next he” or “After that, Yahweh/he”. For many languages it is more natural here to use a pronoun to refer to Yahweh God. Do what is best in your language. After you finish translating a chapter or section, it is a good practice to read that section aloud and listen for what is the best way to refer to God and others at each place in the text.
2:22 m5wn וַיִּבֶן֩ & אֶֽת הַצֵּלָ֛ע אֲשֶׁר לָקַ֥ח מִן הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְאִשָּׁ֑ה 1 “made/constructed a woman from the rib which he had taken out of the man{’s body},” or “used the rib which he taken from the man to make/construct a woman from it,” See how you translated “rib” in verse 21 and see the note about that there.
2:22 w6xw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-go וַיְבִאֶ֖הָ אֶל הָֽאָדָֽם 1 “and he took her to the man.” or “Then he brought/took her to the man.” See how you translated “brought” in verse 19.
2:23 b3g6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֹּאמֶר֮ הָֽאָדָם֒ 1 “Then the man said/exclaimed,” or “{When the man saw her,} he said/exclaimed,” or “{When the man woke up and saw the woman,} he said/exclaimed,” Remember to only make implied information explicit in your translation if it helps people understand the text better, or if it is necessary to prevent wrong meaning or bad grammar in your language.
2:23 pbw7 לְזֹאת֙ יִקָּרֵ֣א אִשָּׁ֔ה 1 “I will call her ‘woman,’ ” There is a play-on-words here because the Hebrew word for woman (“ishsha”) is similar to the Hebrew word for man (“ish”). You could put that information in a footnote.
2:23 dsb8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive כִּ֥י מֵאִ֖ישׁ לֻֽקֳחָה זֹּֽאת 1 “because she was taken {by God} from {the body of} a man.” or “because {it was} from {the body of} a man {that} {God} took her.” Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language.
2:24 k1xp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְדָבַ֣ק בְּאִשְׁתּ֔וֹ 1 “and he must unite/join with his wife,” or “and he must live in close relationship with his wife,” This idiom means that the man is committed to his wife and has a close physical relationship with her, too. Consider what is the best way to translate this in your language.
2:24 fqua rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-youdual וְהָי֖וּ 1 “so that they become”. Some languages have a special dual pronoun for “they” that fits well here.
2:24 lhdy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לְבָשָׂ֥ר אֶחָֽד 1 “completely one/united.” or “united in body {and spirit}.” or “united like one person.” The phrase “one flesh” is an idiom that emphasizes the close physical and spiritual unity between a husband and wife. Other languages may have a similar idiom. Consider how to best communicate this in your language.
2:25 rovf וַיִּֽהְי֤וּ שְׁנֵיהֶם֙ עֲרוּמִּ֔ים הָֽאָדָ֖ם וְאִשְׁתּ֑וֹ 1 “Now {at/during that time} both the man and his wife were naked,” or “{At/During that time} the man and his wife did not wear any clothes,”
2:25 m37h וְלֹ֖א יִתְבֹּשָֽׁשׁוּ 1 “but {yet} they were not ashamed/embarrassed {about it}.” or “but {yet} they did not feel ashamed/embarrassed {about being naked}.” Some languages have an idiom for this clause that fits well here. Do what is best in your language.
3:intro j7i3 0 # Genesis 3 General Notes\n## Structure and formatting\n\nThis chapter continues the second creation account that began in Gen. 2:4. But a new section of this account begins in 3:1. The ULT reads, “Now the serpent was more shrewd than any other beast of the field which Yahweh God had made,” because this is how the Scriptures introduce the serpent into the account. However, many languages prefer different ways to introduce new characters or things into stories, for example, “One of the wild animals made by God was the serpent” or “This is about the serpent, one of the wild animals that God had made.”\n\nScholars typically refer to the events of this chapter as “the fall” or “the fall of man” because sin is introduced into creation. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/sin]])\n\n## Special concepts in this chapter\n\n### Curses\n\nIn this chapter, God curses the man, the woman, and the serpent for their sins. In general, cursing is calling down God’s punishment on someone or something. In this chapter, however, it is God himself who is doing the cursing. Of course, he does not call down punishment on the man, the woman, and the serpent from someone else. Instead, he is promising that he himself will punish them. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/curse]])\n\n### Serpent\nMost scholars believe that the serpent is Satan, even though his name is not used in this chapter. There are other places in Scripture where the serpent is used as an image for Satan. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/satan]] and [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])
3:1 k1xo rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וְהַנָּחָשׁ֙ 1 “Now the snake”. The conjunction “Now” introduces background information about the serpent. See how you translated this conjunction in Gen 2:5, 8, 19.
3:1 c6pe הָיָ֣ה עָר֔וּם מִכֹּל֙ חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה 1 “was more {deceptive and} clever/cunning than any of the {other} creatures/animals that live in the fields/wild” or “was the craftiest of all the animals”. Make sure that your translation of “crafty” means that the snake had evil intent and was clever in a way that was not good. See how you translated “living thing of the field” in Gen 2:19-20.
3:1 xal9 אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֑ים 1 “that Yahweh {who is} God had made/created.” or “that God {whose name is} Yahweh had made/created.” Make sure your translation of this phrase refers to the animals that God had made, not the fields. Also see how you translated “Yahweh God” in chapter 2, beginning in verse 4.
3:1 jqok rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אֶל־הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה 1 “{One day} he asked the woman,” or “{One day} the serpent/snake {came/went to} the woman {and} asked {her},” If you use a pronoun (“he”) here in your translation, make sure it refers to the serpent, not God. Also, since the snake asked a question, some languages have to be more specific and say “asked” in the quote margin. Do what is best in your language.
3:1 za8o rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes אַ֚ף כִּֽי אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֔ים לֹ֣א תֹֽאכְל֔וּ 1 “Did God really/actually command you to not eat” or “Is it true that God commanded you not to eat”. Consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote.
3:1 iqz3 מִכֹּ֖ל עֵ֥ץ הַגָּֽן 1 “{fruit} from any of the trees {that is/are} in the garden?” or “{any fruit} from the trees in the garden?” See how you translated “garden” in Genesis 2, beginning in verse 8.
3:2 gevr rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַתֹּ֥אמֶר הָֽאִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל הַנָּחָ֑שׁ 1 “The woman answered the serpent/snake,” or “The woman responded to him,” or “The woman replied,” Consider what is the best way to translate this quote margin in your language.
3:2 kllk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive נֹאכֵֽל 1 “{No,} we have permission {from God/him} to eat” or “{No,} God/he has given us permission to eat”. The woman is not including the snake when she says “we” here.
3:3 t2wx rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-versebridge וּמִפְּרִ֣י הָעֵץ֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן֒ 1 “except fruit from the tree that is in the middle/center of the garden.” or “except there is one tree that we must/may not eat fruit from, which is in the middle/center of the garden.” For some languages it is necessary to put the exception clause first and say, “{No,} it is only the tree in the middle of the garden that {God said} we must/may not eat any fruit from, but the fruit of/from {all the rest of} the trees in the garden we may eat.” Notice that if you follow this example, you must combine verses 2 and 3 and put the verse numbers “2-3” in front of the combination.
3:3 nz0q rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים לֹ֤א תֹֽאכְלוּ֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ 1 “God/he told/commanded {us}, ‘Do not eat fruit from that tree,” or “God/He told/commanded {us} to not eat {any of} that fruit,” Consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote.
3:3 ztft rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes פֶּן תְּמֻתֽוּן 1 “because if you do {eat it or touch it}, you will die!” or “because if we do {eat it or touch it}, we will die!” Make sure the way you translate this clause fits with whether you translated the first part of the sentence as a direct (“you”) or indirect (“we”) quote.
3:4 j40v rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַנָּחָ֖שׁ אֶל־הָֽאִשָּׁ֑ה 1 “But the snake said/replied to her,” or “But the snake replied,” See how you translated “serpent” in verses 1-2.
3:4 k0j2 לֹֽא מ֖וֹת תְּמֻתֽוּן 1 “{That is not true.} You will not die.” or “It’s not true that you will die.”
3:5 ngb0 כִּ֚י יֹדֵ֣עַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים 1 “Actually, God/he knows” or “The reason God said that is he knows”. The connecting word “For” introduces an explanation here. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language.
3:5 tr2j כִּ֗י בְּיוֹם֙ 1 “that as soon as” or “that when/if”
3:5 p329 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-dual אֲכָלְכֶ֣ם מִמֶּ֔נּוּ 1 “you eat {fruit} from that tree,” or “you eat some/any of that fruit,” The pronouns “you” and “your” are plural in this verse and refer to the man and the woman. Some languages have a special dual pronoun for this. Consider again how you translated “you” and “your” in verses 1-5.
3:5 uld2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְנִפְקְח֖וּ עֵֽינֵיכֶ֑ם 1 “your mind/understanding will be opened/expanded,” or “you will gain/have new understanding,” or “you will understand/know new things,” Consider whether your language has an idiom like “your eyes will be opened” that would fit well here.
3:5 npzf וִהְיִיתֶם֙ כֵּֽאלֹהִ֔ים יֹדְעֵ֖י ט֥וֹב וָרָֽע 1 “and {as a result} you will be like God/him because you will know {what is} good/right and {what is} evil/wrong.” or “so that you will know {what is} good/right and {what is} evil/wrong just like God does.” The Hebrew word “Elohim” is ambiguous in this context. It can mean (1) “God,” as it does everywhere else in the first 30 chapters of Genesis, (2) “gods” or “divine beings” (3) “angels”. See how you translated “good and evil” in Gen 2:9, 17.
3:6 gpz2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy הָעֵ֨ץ 1 “the tree {produced fruit that}” or “{the fruit of} that tree” or “the tree{’s fruit}”. The word “tree” refers here to the fruit that is produced by that tree. Make sure that is clear in your translation.
3:6 b6yp טוֹב֩ & לְמַאֲכָ֜ל 1 “{was/looked} good/delicious to eat”
3:6 aigt וְכִ֧י תַֽאֲוָה ה֣וּא לָעֵינַ֗יִם 1 “and that the tree {itself} was/looked {very} beautiful,”
3:6 tkg3 וְנֶחְמָ֤ד הָעֵץ֙ לְהַשְׂכִּ֔יל 1 “and {she thought/believed} that {the fruit from} the tree would make her wise/wiser.” or “She {also} desired/wanted {to eat} the fruit so that it would make her wise/wiser.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
3:6 jrei וַתִּקַּ֥ח מִפִּרְי֖וֹ וַתֹּאכַ֑ל 1 “So/Then she took/picked some of the fruit {from/off the tree} and ate {it}.”
3:6 zi7t וַתִּתֵּ֧ן גַּם 1 “She also gave {some of the fruit}”
3:6 j06c לְאִישָׁ֛הּ עִמָּ֖הּ 1 “to her husband, {who was} {there} with her,”
3:6 vgh6 וַיֹּאכַֽל 1 “and he ate {it/some} {too}.” or “and he {also} ate {it/some}.”
3:7 on9y rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַתִּפָּקַ֨חְנָה֙ עֵינֵ֣י שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם 1 “Immediately/Suddenly it was as if their eyes/minds were opened/enlightened,” or “Immediately/Suddenly they both gained/had new understanding,” or “Immediately/Suddenly they both understood new things,” An immediate result of their sin was that they realized they were naked, which they had not been aware of before. See how you translated the idiom “eyes...opened” in verse 5.
3:7 pb3y rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-youdual וַֽיִּתְפְּרוּ֙ 1 “So they fastened/joined {together}”. The word for “sewed” implies here that some type of needle and thread were used. For example, they may have used a thin, sharpened stick for the needle, and plant fibers for the thread. If necessary, you could use a more general term such as “fastened/joined together” or “connected”. Also, some languages have dual pronouns that can be used in verses 7-8 for “they” and “themselves”. Do what is best in your language.
3:7 e5t5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown עֲלֵ֣ה תְאֵנָ֔ה 1 “{some} fig {tree} leaves” or “{some} {large} leaves from a fig tree”. Historical facts should not be changed in a translation, including the historical fact that Adam and Eve used fig tree leaves to make aprons. If fig trees are not known in your language area, you could say “{large} leaves from a tree called fig {tree}”.
3:7 h1a6 וַיַּעֲשׂ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם חֲגֹרֹֽת 1 “and used/wore them like/as aprons/skirts/loincloths {to cover their nakedness/bodies}.” or “and wore them around their waists {to cover their nakedness/bodies}.” or “and used them to make clothes for themselves.” These aprons/skirts probably covered them from the waist down to somewhere around the knees.
3:8 ibyk rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֞וּ 1 “Then/Later the man and his wife heard”. For some languages it may be clearer and more natural to put the noun phrase “the man and his wife” here and then use a pronoun (“they”) later in this sentence. Do what is best in your language.
3:8 kd3q אֶת ק֨וֹל יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ 1 “the sound of Yahweh God{’s footsteps} as he walked” or “Yahweh God’s voice as he walked”. This phrase can refer to the sound of God’s footsteps or to the sound of his voice. Either meaning fits the context well and is followed by many translations.
3:8 g02y בַּגָּ֖ן 1 “{around} in the garden” or “through the garden”
3:8 dipk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לְר֣וּחַ הַיּ֑וֹם 1 “{late in the afternoon} in/during the breezy/cool {time} of the day,” or “{late that afternoon/day} when there was a cool breeze blowing,” This idiom refers to the late afternoon or early evening when there is a breeze blowing and it is cooler. For some languages it is more natural to put this time phrase at the beginning of the sentence. Do what is best in your language.
3:8 x1fb rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּתְחַבֵּ֨א הָֽאָדָ֜ם וְאִשְׁתּ֗וֹ 1 “but/so they hid {themselves}” or “but/so they {tried to} hide {themselves}”. If you use “the man and his wife” earlier in this verse in your translation, consider whether or not a pronoun should be used here.
3:8 q6cw rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns מִפְּנֵי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֔ים 1 “from Yahweh God” or “from his presence/sight” or “from him”. Consider what is the best way to refer to Yahweh at this point in the paragraph in your language.
3:8 k6j3 בְּת֖וֹךְ עֵ֥ץ הַגָּֽן 1 “in the midst of the tree{s} in the garden.” or “behind some tree{s} there.” Since the garden is already mentioned earlier in verse 8, for some languages it may be more natural to be general here and say “there”. Do what is best in your language.
3:9 e4nw וַיִּקְרָ֛א יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “Then/But Yahweh God called {out}”. See how you translated this name for God in verses 1 and 8.
3:9 ek33 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations אֶל הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֖וֹ 1 “to the man and asked him,” or “to Adam,” See the note at Gen 2:19 about when to start using Adam’s name. Also consider what is the best way to translate this quote margin in your language.
3:9 a04v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular אַיֶּֽכָּה 1 “{Adam,} where are you?” Notice that the word “you” is singular here because God is only addressing the man.
3:10 e1lo rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “He/Adam answered {him},” or “The man replied,”
3:10 mb7t אֶת קֹלְךָ֥ שָׁמַ֖עְתִּי 1 “I heard the sound of you {walking}” or “I heard your voice” or “I heard the sound of your footsteps/voice {as you walked}”. See how you translated “sound” in verse 8.
3:10 tr9j בַּגָּ֑ן 1 “through the garden,”
3:10 aoxc וָאִירָ֛א כִּֽי עֵירֹ֥ם אָנֹ֖כִי וָאֵחָבֵֽא 1 “but I was naked, so I was/felt afraid and I hid {from you}.” or “but I was naked and afraid {that you would see me}, so I hid.”
3:11 hsb3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “So Yahweh God asked {him},” Make sure your translation of “he” refers to Yahweh here, not the man.
3:11 uf06 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular מִ֚י הִגִּ֣יד לְךָ֔ כִּ֥י עֵירֹ֖ם אָ֑תָּה 1 “What made you realize/know that you were naked?” or “How did you find out that you were naked?” The pronoun “you” is still singular here.
3:11 gi9h rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes אֲשֶׁ֧ר צִוִּיתִ֛יךָ לְבִלְתִּ֥י אֲכָל מִמֶּ֖נּוּ 1 “that I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’?” For some languages it is more natural to use a direct quote here for Yahweh’s words. Do what is best in your language.
3:12 et6h הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַ֣תָּה עִמָּדִ֔י הִ֛וא 1 “The woman whom you put here {to be/live} with me, she {is the one who}” or “It was the woman you gave to me who”. The pronoun “she” is emphatic in the Hebrew text. That, along with the position of “The woman” at the beginning of the sentence, shows that the man is strongly emphasizing his blame on the woman. Consider what is the best way to communicate that emphasis in your language.
3:12 au82 נָֽתְנָה לִּ֥י מִן הָעֵ֖ץ 1 “gave me {some fruit} from that tree,” or “gave me some of the/that fruit,” See how you translated “fruit” in verses 1-6.
3:12 z2ws וָאֹכֵֽל 1 “so I ate {it}.” or “That is why I ate {it/some}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
3:13 lvw3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים לָאִשָּׁ֖ה 1 “So Yahweh God asked the woman,” Consider what is the best way to translate this quote margin in your language.
3:13 vvhk מַה זֹּ֣את עָשִׂ֑ית 1 “What have you done?” or “What did you do?” or “Tell me what you have done.” God already knew the answer to this question, but he is giving the woman a chance to confess and explain what she did. God’s question probably also implies that he is displeased with what has happened.
3:13 rhhc rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה 1 “But the woman said/replied {to him},” or “The woman said/replied,” or “She replied,”
3:13 n1zl הַנָּחָ֥שׁ 1 “The snake” or “It was the serpent/snake that”. This phrase is emphasized in the Hebrew text.
3:13 w0b8 הִשִּׁיאַ֖נִי 1 “tricked me,” or “lied to me,”
3:13 bews וָאֹכֵֽל 1 “so I ate {some of the/that fruit}.” or “That is why I ate {it/some}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
3:14 ux98 וַיֹּאמֶר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֶֽל הַנָּחָשׁ֮ 1 “So Yahweh God said to the snake,”
3:14 ie75 כִּ֣י עָשִׂ֣יתָ זֹּאת֒ 1 “Because/Since you did that,” or “Because/Since you deceived/tricked the woman,”
3:14 dfy7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms אָר֤וּר אַתָּה֙ 1 “you are cursed {by me}” or “I am cursing you” or “I will cause you to suffer” or “I will punish you”. In this context, “cursed” involves God punishing the serpent and its descendants by causing them to suffer by crawling along the ground on their bellies and having a hostile relationship with human beings. Make sure that the way you translate this term does not imply the use of magic.
3:14 qu53 מִכָּל־הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה 1 “more {severely/harshly} than all the domestic/tame animals”. When Adam and Eve sinned and God judged them, the curse and punishment of death and decay also affected everything that was under their authority, including the animals. Here in Gen 3:14, God puts a more severe curse on the serpent (and his descendants) than he put on the rest of the animals. See how you translated “livestock” in Gen 1:24-26; 2:20.
3:14 d3v1 וּמִכֹּ֖ל חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה 1 “and more {severely/harshly} than all the creatures/animals of/in the fields/wild.” or “and more {severely/harshly} than all the wild animals.” See how you translated “every living thing of the field” in verse 1.
3:14 obw6 עַל גְּחֹנְךָ֣ תֵלֵ֔ךְ 1 “{As a result,} you will/must move/crawl {on/along the ground} on your belly/stomach,”
3:14 aocs וְעָפָ֥ר תֹּאכַ֖ל 1 “and you will/must eat dust/dirt {with your food}”. Make sure your translation of this clause does not imply that dust or dirt is all the snake will eat. Rather it could mean that dirt will get into his mouth when he eats his food, or it could be an idiom that refers to the fact that as he slithers along, his mouth will always be close to the dirt on the ground (a position of humility). Also see how you translated “dust” in Gen 2:7.
3:14 g32q כָּל יְמֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ 1 “your entire life.” or “for as long as you live.”
3:15 ivt7 וְאֵיבָ֣ה אָשִׁ֗ית בֵּֽינְךָ֙ וּבֵ֣ין הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה וּבֵ֥ין זַרְעֲךָ֖ וּבֵ֣ין זַרְעָ֑הּ 1 “I will also cause you and the woman to be enemies {with each other}, and your offspring/descendants and her offspring/descendants to also be enemies.” or “ Besides that, I will cause you and your descendants to be enemies with the woman and her descendants.”
3:15 yfon ה֚וּא 1 “{In fact,} her offspring/descendant” or “{In fact,} one of her descendants”. The pronoun “He” is ambiguous here. It could refer to (1) the woman’s descendant (Jesus) who would one day come to earth as the Messiah/Christ. (2) the woman’s descendants who will constantly be enemies of the snake’s descendants. If you follow the first interpretation, this would be the first prophecy in the Bible about the Messiah/Christ (“the Anointed One” or “the Promised Savior King”) who would come to earth and destroy Satan’s power (Hebrews 2:14). You could include that information in a footnote.
3:15 e3wq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure יְשׁוּפְךָ֣ רֹ֔אשׁ וְאַתָּ֖ה תְּשׁוּפֶ֥נּוּ עָקֵֽב 1 “will strike/crush your head, and you will strike/bite/bruise his heel.” This is figurative language that Satan will harm the Messiah, but the Messiah will destroy him. For some languages it is better to switch the order of these clauses and say, “{In fact,} you will strike/bite/bruise the heel of one of her descendants, but he will strike/crush your head.” Do what is best in your language.
3:16 chez rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns אֶֽל הָאִשָּׁ֣ה אָמַ֗ר 1 “{Then} he/God said to the woman,” or “{Then} Yahweh God {turned} to the woman and said {to her},” In the Hebrew text, “to the woman” comes first in this sentence, to emphasize her. Do what is natural in your language. Also consider what is the best way to refer to God here in your language.
3:16 vgi1 הַרְבָּ֤ה אַרְבֶּה֙ עִצְּבוֹנֵ֣ךְ 1 “I will greatly increase how much you suffer” or “I will cause you to have/experience much/severe pain” or “I will cause it to be very painful”
3:16 d5br וְהֵֽרֹנֵ֔ךְ 1 “when you bear children;” or “when you give birth;”
3:16 icn7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism בְּעֶ֖צֶב תֵּֽלְדִ֣י בָנִ֑ים 1 “{yes/indeed,} you will suffer much pain when you give birth.” or “{yes/indeed,} bearing children will be very painful for you.” This clause is the second part of a parallelism, which emphasizes the pain and suffering that women will experience when they bear children. If possible, it is best to keep both parts of the parallelism in your translation.
3:16 jbk6 וְאֶל אִישֵׁךְ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָתֵ֔ךְ 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here, because the conjunctions and the idiom “your desire will be for your husband” are all ambiguous in this context. The text can mean (1) “Yet/But you will {still} desire/long {to be with} your husband, and....”, which is similar to what “desire” means in Song of Songs 7:10. (2) “Besides that, you will desire/want {to control} your husband, but....”, which is similar to what “desire” means in Gen 4:7. The interpretation that is not followed in your translation could be put in a footnote.
3:16 friw וְה֖וּא יִמְשָׁל בָּֽךְ 1 “and he will control/dominate you.” or “and he will lord it over you.” See how you translated “rule over” in Gen 1:18. It may be necessary to translate this term differently here because of the negative context of the curse and the consequences of sin.
3:17 sq0d וּלְאָדָ֣ם אָמַ֗ר 1 “Then/Next he/God said to the man,” or “Then/Next Yahweh God {turned} to Adam and said {to him},” In the Hebrew text, the phrase “to the man” is emphasized. See how you translated a similar case (“to the woman”) in verse 16. For a note about when to start using Adam’s name in your translation see Gen 2:19.
3:17 dyjb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy כִּֽי־שָׁמַעְתָּ֮ לְק֣וֹל אִשְׁתֶּךָ֒ 1 “Since/Because you {disobeyed me and} did what your wife said/suggested” or “Since/Because you did/followed what your wife told you to do”. This phrase means that Adam heard what his wife said to him and then did what she said. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
3:17 x2ur rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes אֲשֶׁ֤ר צִוִּיתִ֨יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל מִמֶּ֑נּוּ 1 “that I commanded/told you, ‘Do not eat {any fruit} from it,’ ” or “that I commanded you to not eat {any fruit} from.” Consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote. Also see how you translated this command in verse 3.
3:17 ggfr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֲרוּרָ֤ה הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ בַּֽעֲבוּרֶ֔ךָ 1 “the ground is cursed {by me} because of what you did.” or “I have cursed the ground because you sinned.” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to break up this long sentence and say, “You did what your wife said and ate {fruit} from the tree that I commanded you not to eat {any fruit} from. Because of what you did, I have cursed the ground.” Also see how you translated “cursed” in verse 14.
3:17 wdns rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result בְּעִצָּבוֹן֙ תֹּֽאכֲלֶ֔נָּה 1 “{As a result,} {only} by painful toil will you eat {any food} from it” or “{As a result,} you will have to work {very} hard and suffer {to grow/get enough food} to eat”
3:17 o4tu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ 1 “every day of your life.” or “for your entire life.” or “for as long as you live.” For some languages it is better to put this phrase before the previous clause and say, “{As a result,} for as long as you live, you will have to work {very} hard and suffer {to grow/get enough food} to eat.” Do what is best in your language.
3:18 gzbg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche וְק֥וֹץ וְדַרְדַּ֖ר תַּצְמִ֣יחַֽ 1 “In fact, the ground will produce/grow thorn {plants} and thistle {plants} {and other weeds}” or “In fact, thornbushes and thistle plants {and other weeds} will grow from the ground”. The thorn and thistle plants represent all types of weeds, which are useless, and possibly harmful, plants.
3:18 z3ub לָ֑ךְ וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ אֶת עֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶֽה 1 The Hebrew text here can mean (1) “{and make it difficult} for you to grow {enough} crops in the/your fields for food.” or “so that you will have to work very hard in your fields to grow/produce {enough} crops/food to eat.” (2) “so that {your crops will not grow well and} you will {have to} eat {wild} plants that grow in the {open} fields {to survive}.” That difference of interpretation is caused because the Hebrew word “fields” can refer to land that people cultivate or to uncultivated land where wild plants grow.
3:19 ewn7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom בְּזֵעַ֤ת אַפֶּ֨יךָ֙ תֹּ֣אכַל לֶ֔חֶם 1 “{Only} by the sweat of your face/brow/forehead will you be able to {grow/produce/have} {enough} food to eat,” or “You will have to {work hard and} sweat a lot in order to {grow/produce/have} {enough} food to eat,” The phrase “by the sweat of your nose/brow” is an idiom that refers to hard physical labor. Consider whether or not your language has a similar idiom. Also, bread was one of the main food staples for that time and culture, so the Hebrew word for “bread” is used here as an idiom that refers to all food, not just bread. Consider whether your language does something similar, using one type of food (such as bread, rice or potatoes) to refer to all food in general. Or you could use a general term like “food”, especially if bread is rare or expensive in your language area.
3:19 n8ba עַ֤ד שֽׁוּבְךָ֙ אֶל הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה 1 “until you {die and} again become dust/dirt,”
3:19 ek0a כִּ֥י מִמֶּ֖נָּה לֻקָּ֑חְתָּ 1 “which you were taken/made from {by me}.” or “which I took/created you from.” or “which I made/created you out of.”
3:19 d4o3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases כִּֽי 1 “Yes/Indeed,” or “That’s right,” This sentence rephrases and emphasizes what God just said.
3:20 wmrp וַיִּקְרָ֧א הָֽאָדָ֛ם שֵׁ֥ם אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ 1 “Then Adam called/named his wife” or “Then the man gave his wife the name”. Some translations use Adam’s name here because he is naming Eve. See what you did in verse 17.
3:20 czch rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names חַוָּ֑ה 1 “Eve, {which means “living/live,”}” If you include the meaning of Eve’s name in your translation or in a footnote, make sure it is similar to the word in the following clause that has the same meaning (“living”), so that it is clear why Eve was given that name. The meaning of names is important in the Hebrew language, and this translation issue occurs frequently in the book of Genesis.
3:20 kvu6 כָּל חָֽי 1 “of all the people who would ever live.” or “of everyone who would ever live.”
3:21 idfq וַיַּעַשׂ֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים & כָּתְנ֥וֹת ע֖וֹר 1 “Then Yahweh God made {some} garments/clothes out of animal skins/hides” or “Then Yahweh God used {some} animal skins/hides to make {some} garments/clothes”
3:22 zmrj rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֗ים 1 “Then he said/thought,” or “Then Yahweh/he said/thought {to himself},” Consider what is the best way to refer to Yahweh God in your language at this point in the paragraph. Also, see how you translated a similar quote margin in Gen 1:26, where “said” has the same meaning.
3:22 tgmz הֵ֤ן 1 “Look/Listen,” This word expresses emotion and calls attention to what God says next. See how you translated this term in Gen 1:29.
3:22 m45e הָֽאָדָם֙ 1 “the man {and his wife}” or “man{kind}” or “human beings”. Throughout verses 22-24 “the man” represents mankind, which included both the man and the woman at this point. Make sure your translation communicates that clearly in those verses and does not just refer to Adam.
3:22 jtzi rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive הָיָה֙ כְּאַחַ֣ד מִמֶּ֔נּוּ 1 “have become like one of us” or “have become like us”. The pronoun “us” is inclusive because God is talking to himself.
3:22 u2uz לָדַ֖עַת ט֣וֹב וָרָ֑ע 1 “so that they know {what is} good and {what is} evil.” See how you translated this phrase in verse 5, and a similar phrase in Gen 2:9.
3:22 z722 וְעַתָּ֣ה פֶּן יִשְׁלַ֣ח יָד֗וֹ וְלָקַח֙ גַּ֚ם 1 “So now, they must not be allowed/permitted {by us} to also take/pick” or “So we must not allow/permit them to also take/pick” or “So now we must do something so that they do/can not also take/pick”. See how you translated “took/picked...fruit” in verse 6.
3:22 jc4x מֵעֵ֣ץ הַֽחַיִּ֔ים וְאָכַ֖ל 1 “{fruit} from the tree of {eternal} life and eat {some of} it,” or “and eat {fruit} from the tree that gives people {eternal} life,” See how you translated “the tree of life” in Gen 2:9.
3:23 x97q וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵ֛הוּ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “Then Yahweh God expelled/banished the man {and his wife}” or “So {then} Yahweh God forced them to leave”. Notice that in verses 22-24, “the man”, “him”, and “he” refer to mankind, that is, the man and the woman. Make sure it is clear in your translation here that both of them were sent out of the garden, not just the man. Consider again how you translated “Yahweh God” in Genesis 2 and 3, and see the note about this at Gen 2:4. Some languages have dual pronouns that are used for “they” and “them” in verses 22-24.
3:23 kl96 מִגַּן עֵ֑דֶן 1 “the garden in {the land/region of/called} Eden” or “Eden Garden”. See how you translated this phrase in Gen 2:15.
3:23 hhh0 לַֽעֲבֹד֙ אֶת הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה 1 “to work/farm/cultivate the ground/land/soil”. See how you translated “work the ground” in Gen 2:5 and “work it” in 2:15.
3:23 d3re אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֻקַּ֖ח מִשָּֽׁם 1 “which they had been taken/created from {by him/God}.” or “which God/he had taken/made them from.” It does not refer to the exact ground that he was made from. See how you translated “taken from” in verse 19.
3:24 j8r9 וַיְגָ֖רֶשׁ אֶת הָֽאָדָ֑ם 1 “Then after he/Yahweh/God drove/forced the man {and his wife} out {of the garden},” or “After he/Yahweh/God expelled/banished them {from the garden},”
3:24 v4dm וַיַּשְׁכֵּן֩ 1 “then he stationed” or “he placed/stationed”
3:24 zcdx מִקֶּ֨דֶם לְגַן עֵ֜דֶן 1 “on/to the east {side} of the garden {at its entrance}” or “{at the entrance} of/to the garden, {which was} on its east side”. It is implied that the entrance to the garden is where the cherubim were placed to keep everyone from ever entering the garden again. Consider again how you translated “garden” in Gen 2:8-10, 15-16; 3:1-3, 8, 10, 23-24.
3:24 n3sj rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown אֶת הַכְּרֻבִ֗ים 1 “{some} {powerful} cherubim {angels}” or “{some} {powerful beings called} cherubim {angels}”. Most translations transliterate or borrow this term from Hebrew throughout the Bible. Cherubim are a special category of very powerful angels. Each one has four faces: a human face, a lion’s face, a bull’s face and an eagle’s face (Ezekiel 1:10; 10:14). Each of them also has multiple wings. You could include some of that information in a footnote.
3:24 gndv וְאֵ֨ת לַ֤הַט הַחֶ֨רֶב֙ 1 “and a blazing/fiery/burning sword” or “and a sword made of flames/fire”. A sword is a weapon that has a very long, sharp (often two-sided) blade that is longer than a knife, machete, or dagger and is attached to a hilt or handle. This sword may have had flames coming from it, or this may have been fire in the shape of a sword.
3:24 i7zi הַמִּתְהַפֶּ֔כֶת 1 “that was turning/swinging around in all directions” or “that was swinging/flashing back and forth”. It seems that the sword was swinging by itself since there is no mention of anyone holding it.
3:24 orao לִשְׁמֹ֕ר אֶת דֶּ֖רֶךְ 1 “to keep everyone away from the way/path {that leads/goes} to” or “so that no one could get/go near”
3:24 ar1o עֵ֥ץ הַֽחַיִּֽים 1 “the tree of {eternal} life.” or “the tree whose fruit gives people {eternal} life.” or “the tree whose fruit makes people live {forever}.” See how you translated this phrase in Gen 2:9 and 3:22.
4:intro a2f7 0 # Genesis 4 General Notes\n## Structure and formatting\n\nMost of the text in this chapter is prose, but 4:23-24 is poetry. If the translator should put these two verses into poetic form, or at least into elegant speech, different from the rest of the chapter.\n\n## Special concepts in this chapter\n\n### Vengeance\n\nThe theme of vengeance is important in this chapter. Ancient Hebrew society allowed for people to seek revenge if a relative was murdered. After Cain murdered his brother Abel, he thought that he would be helpless against this danger because he had been driven away from God’s protection. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/other/avenge]])\n\nThe theme of vengeance continues with the words of Lamech, who had killed someone for injuring him:\n“I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for bruising me. If Cain is avenged seven times as much, truly Lamech will be avenged seventy-seven times as much” (Gen. 4:23b-24).
4:1 k9i4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism יָדַ֖ע אֶת חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ 1 “had {marital} relations with his wife Eve,” or “slept with his wife Eve,” or “was intimate with his wife Eve,” This phrase is a Hebrew idiom that means Adam had marital/sexual relations with Eve. Many languages have a similar idiom. Make sure you translate this in a way that is polite and will not offend or embarrass people, especially when read aloud.
4:1 um2r וַתַּ֨הַר֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד 1 “so that she became pregnant and {later} gave birth to”. Translate this clause in a way that will not embarrass people, especially when read aloud.
4:1 a1ox אֶת קַ֔יִן 1 “{a son they named} Cain, {which means “obtained/acquired.”}” You could include the meaning of Cain’s name in your translation or in a footnote. See what you did for a similar case in Gen 3:20.
4:1 y3qd וַתֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “because she said/exclaimed,” or “{They named him that} because she/Eve had said/exclaimed,” This sentence explains how Cain got his name. Make sure that is clear in your translation. Also consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
4:1 ww1b קָנִ֥יתִי 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “I have obtained/acquired” (2) “I have produced/created”. If you include the meaning of Cain’s name earlier in this verse in your translation or in a footnote, make sure it matches your choice here, so that it is clear why he was given that name.
4:1 gohm אִ֖ישׁ 1 “a male child” or “a boy/son” or “a baby boy”. For some languages it is confusing to refer to a newborn baby as a man. Do what is clear and natural in your language.
4:1 tfqh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֶת יְהוָֽה 1 “with {help from} Yahweh!” or “with Yahweh{’s help}!” For some languages it is more natural to put this phrase earlier in this sentence and say, “With Yahweh’s help I have obtained/acquired a son!” or “Yahweh has enabled/helped me to obtain/get a son!” Do what is best in your language.
4:2 gqfn rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַתֹּ֣סֶף לָלֶ֔דֶת 1 “Then she/Eve also gave birth to” or “After that, she/Eve gave birth to”. The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. Cain and Abel may have been twins, or Abel may have been born sometime later after Eve became pregnant again. If possible, translate verse 2 in a way that allows for either interpretation. Also, consider whether it is better in your language to use a pronoun or a noun to refer to Eve here.
4:2 i71z rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship אֶת אָחִ֖יו 1 “his/Cain’s brother” or “another baby boy, {who was} his/Cain’s brother”. Some languages have a specific term for “younger brother” that can be used here. Do what is best in your language.
4:2 xfso rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וַֽיְהִי הֶ֨בֶל֙ 1 “Now {when the boys had grown up,} Abel” or “{When they grew up,} Abel”. This sentence introduces background information for what happens next. Consider what is the best way to begin this sentence in your language. Also, It is implied here that the boys had grown up to be adults. If necessary, you could make that explicit in your translation.
4:2 aikd רֹ֣עֵה צֹ֔אן 1 “became/was a keeper/herder of flocks/sheep,” or “became/was a shepherd,” or “raised sheep {and goats},” A flock can be a large group of sheep or goats, or a mixture of both.
4:2 vsb1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast וְקַ֕יִן 1 “whereas/but Cain”. Consider what is the best way in your language to contrast Cain and his work with Abel and his work.
4:2 dd6k הָיָ֖ה עֹבֵ֥ד אֲדָמָֽה 1 “became/was a worker/tiller/farmer of the ground/soil.” or “became/was a {crop} farmer.” or “grew {food} crops.” Cain raised crops, not animals. See how you translated a similar phrase (“work the ground”) in Gen 2:5.
4:3 bwql rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַֽיְהִ֖י מִקֵּ֣ץ יָמִ֑ים 1 “Then one day it happened that” or “As time went on/by, one day”. These phrases introduce an important new event. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language.
4:3 zn5b מִפְּרִ֧י הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה 1 “some of the crops {that he had raised/grown} in his fields” or “some of the edible plants {that he had harvested} from his farmland/fields”. The word “fruit” is general here and refers to any edible plant or crop that grows as the result of being cultivated. Make sure that is clear in your translation.
4:3 of0f rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms מִנְחָ֖ה לַֽיהוָֽה 1 “to Yahweh as an offering/gift/sacrifice {to honor/worship him}.” The term “offering” refers to something that is given.
4:4 mq9z וְהֶ֨בֶל הֵבִ֥יא גַם 1 “Abel also brought/offered/gave {an offering/gift/sacrifice} {to Yahweh}, {but what he offered/gave was}” or “But Abel offered/gave {to Yahweh}”. There is a contrast between Abel and Cain and between their offerings.
4:4 r4og מִבְּכֹר֥וֹת צֹאנ֖וֹ 1 “some of the firstborn {animals} from his flock{s}/sheep”. See how you translated “flocks” in verse 2.
4:4 oxhr וּמֵֽחֶלְבֵהֶ֑ן 1 “and/including some of the fat portions of the meat.” or “and/including some of their best parts.” or “and/including the fattest/best parts of the animals/meat.” In that culture, fat was considered one of the best parts of an animal to eat. If that is different from how fat is viewed in your language area, that information could be put in a footnote.
4:4 v9sn וַיִּ֣שַׁע יְהוָ֔ה אֶל 1 “Yahweh was pleased/happy with” or “Yahweh accepted”
4:4 jlf3 הֶ֖בֶל וְאֶל מִנְחָתֽוֹ 1 “Abel and his gift/sacrifice.” or “Abel and what he offered/gave {to him}.”
4:5 zedh וְאֶל קַ֥יִן & לֹ֣א שָׁעָ֑ה 1 “But he/Yahweh was not pleased/happy with Cain” or “However, he/Yahweh did not accept Cain”. See how you translated “looked {favorably} on” in verse 4.
4:5 ai77 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּ֤חַר לְקַ֨יִן֙ מְאֹ֔ד 1 “So Cain was/became/felt extremely angry,” Many languages have a similar idiom that fits well here. Do what is best in your language.
4:5 m590 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ פָּנָֽיו 1 “and his face showed that he was angry/upset.” or “and he frowned/scowled.” or “and his face showed it.”
4:6 eymy rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל קָ֑יִן 1 “Then Yahweh asked Cain/him,” The way you translate this quote margin should fit with the way that you translated the following three rhetorical questions.
4:6 qa15 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion לָ֚מָּה חָ֣רָה לָ֔ךְ וְלָ֖מָּה נָפְל֥וּ פָנֶֽיךָ 1 “Why are you so angry? And why are you frowning/scowling?” or “There is no need/reason for you to be angry and frowning/scowling.” God is using these rhetorical questions to correct Cain. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language. Also see how you translated the idioms “burned with...anger” and “face fell” in verse 5.
4:7 ltx6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲל֤וֹא & שְׂאֵ֔ת 1 “{you know that} you will be accepted {by me}.” or “{you know that} I will be pleased with you {and your offering/gift} {too}.” or “I will accept you {and your offering/gift} {too}.” God uses this rhetorical question here to remind Cain of something that he already knew. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language.
4:7 re3c rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-personification חַטָּ֣את רֹבֵ֑ץ 1 “{then} sin {is like a fierce/dangerous animal that} is crouching/waiting” or “{then} sin will be crouching/waiting {like a fierce/wild animal}”. In verse 7 sin is personified, that is, it is treated as if it were alive, like a lion or some other fierce animal that wants to attack Cain. Some languages can do the same thing. Other languages cannot do that and must say something like: “then you are in great danger of being tempted to sin, but you must resist and not give in.”
4:7 sy1l לַפֶּ֖תַח 1 “outside your door {to attack you},” or “outside the door {of your heart} {to attack/tempt you},”
4:7 t750 וְאֵלֶ֨יךָ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָת֔וֹ 1 “It/Sin desires/wants {to control/destroy} you,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
4:7 r8yc וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּמְשָׁל בּֽוֹ 1 “but you must master/control it {so that you do not sin}.” or “but you must keep/prevent it {from controlling/destroying you}.” or “but you must keep/prevent it {from doing that}.”
4:8 hfxs וַיֹּ֥אמֶר קַ֖יִן 1 “But {after that,} Cain said” or “Later Cain spoke/talked”. After God spoke to Cain, we do not know how long Cain waited before he spoke to Abel; it may have been a few hours or a few days.
4:8 dhvy rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants אֶל הֶ֣בֶל אָחִ֑יו 1 “to/with his brother Abel.” This sentence is what the Hebrew text has. Instead of that text, some ancient manuscripts and translations (including the Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Latin Vulgate, and Syriac) and many modern translations have: “Then Cain said to Abel his brother, “Let’s go out to the field {and work} {together}.” ” or “Then Cain invited/asked his brother Abel to go out to the field with him {to work}.” Some translation teams follow the way this verse is translated in a well-known translation, such as in the national language or in a neighboring language. Decide what to do in your translation. The textual variant that you do not use in your translation could be put in a footnote.
4:8 bkk1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַֽיְהִי֙ בִּהְיוֹתָ֣ם בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה 1 “Then/So {they went out} to the field {to work} {together}, and/but while they were there,” For some languages it is necessary to make explicit that Cain and Abel actually went to the field. Do what is best in your language.
4:8 ms2c rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns הֶ֣בֶל אָחִ֑יו 1 “his {own} brother Abel” or “his {own} brother” or “him”. The Hebrew text keeps repeating the phrase “Abel his brother” to emphasize the seriousness of Cain’s crime. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language. See how you translated “brother” in verse 2.
4:9 e118 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ 1 “Then He/Cain said/replied {to him},” or “He/Cain answered {him},” or “He/Cain responded/retorted,” Cain is answering Yahweh rudely. Consider what is the best way to translate this quote margin in your language, including whether or not to use a conjunction here.
4:9 pi34 לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי 1 “I don’t know {where he is}.” or “How should I know {that}?”
4:9 d7iw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲשֹׁמֵ֥ר אָחִ֖י אָנֹֽכִי 1 “Am I my brother’s guardian/caretaker?” or “Am I in charge of my brother?” or “Is it my job/responsibility to take care of my brother?” or “It’s not my job/responsibility to keep track of my brother!” Cain uses this rhetorical question to support the lie that he just told. His response to God is rude and disrespectful. Consider whether or not a rhetorical question communicates that here in your language.
4:10 n5ej rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֖אמֶר 1 “Then Yahweh asked/exclaimed,” Make sure that your translation of this phrase refers to Yahweh, not Cain.
4:10 flvm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֑יתָ 1 “What you have done is very horrible/terrible!” or “You have done a horrible/terrible thing!” God uses this rhetorical question to condemn what Cain had done. Consider whether or not a rhetorical question works well here in your language.
4:10 qix1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-personification ק֚וֹל דְּמֵ֣י אָחִ֔יךָ צֹעֲקִ֥ים אֵלַ֖י מִן הָֽאֲדָמָֽה 1 “Your brother’s blood is calling out to me from the ground {to avenge him}!” or “Your brother’s blood on the ground is like a voice/person calling out to me {for justice/revenge}!” or “I see your brother’s blood on the ground, and/so I must judge/punish you {for killing/murdering him}!” In the Hebrew text, blood is personified, as if it had a voice or could cry out like a person does. If it is not possible to do that in your language, you could say that his brother’s blood is “like a voice...”, or you could translate this sentence without personification.
4:11 ayem וְעַתָּ֖ה 1 “So/Therefore from now on” or “Because of what you did,”
4:11 nr1b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive אָר֣וּר אָ֑תָּה 1 “you are cursed {by me}” or “I am cursing you”. Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language. Also see how you translated this in Gen 3:14.
4:11 kzep rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit מִן הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ 1 “{so that you will not be able to grow food} from the ground/soil,” or “{so that you are banned/banished} from {working/farming} the ground/soil,”
4:11 af4e rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-personification אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּצְתָ֣ה אֶת פִּ֔יהָ לָקַ֛חַת אֶת דְּמֵ֥י אָחִ֖יךָ 1 “which is covered/soaked with blood from your brother” or “which is where your brother’s blood spilled/poured out”. In the Hebrew text, “the ground” is personified as if it had a mouth to open. If that is not possible in your language, you could follow one of the alternates above.
4:11 rubj מִיָּדֶֽךָ 1 “when/after you killed/murdered him.”
4:12 ikp7 כִּ֤י 1 “Whenever” or “{As a result,} whenever”
4:12 vpbv תַֽעֲבֹד֙ אֶת הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה 1 “you {try to} cultivate/farm the ground/soil,” See how you translated “work the ground” in Gen 2:5 and 3:23; also see similar phrases in 4:2, 11.
4:12 caed לֹֽא תֹסֵ֥ף תֵּת כֹּחָ֖הּ לָ֑ךְ 1 “it will no longer produce/grow good crops for you.” or “it will not produce/grow enough food/harvest for you anymore.”
4:12 azf9 תִּֽהְיֶ֥ה 1 “{From now on,} you will” or “and you will {also}”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
4:12 ptn2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hendiadys נָ֥ע וָנָ֖ד תִּֽהְיֶ֥ה בָאָֽרֶץ 1 “be a fugitive/outcast who wanders around on the earth {without a permanent home}.” or “be a wandering/homeless fugitive/outcast on the earth.” or “{be rejected/shunned by people so that you} have no permanent home and have to move from place to place.” The phrase “a fugitive and a wanderer” forms a hendiadys. Consider what is the best way to translate that phrase in your language.
4:13 k174 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר קַ֖יִן אֶל יְהוָ֑ה 1 “But Cain replied to Yahweh/him,” or “Cain said/replied,”
4:13 au2w rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns גָּד֥וֹל עֲוֺנִ֖י 1 “Your punishment of me will cause me more suffering” or “You are punishing me more {severely/harshly}”
4:13 vjkj מִנְּשֹֽׂא 1 “endure.” or “live/cope with.”
4:14 tmvv הֵן֩ 1 “Look/Listen,” This term emphasizes what Cain says next. See how you translated this term in Gen 1:29 and 3:22. It may be necessary to translate it in different ways, depending on the context.
4:14 evll גֵּרַ֨שְׁתָּ אֹתִ֜י הַיּ֗וֹם 1 “today you are forcing me away” or “you have now banished/prevented me”. See how you translated “drove/expelled” in Gen 3:24.
4:14 xrxp מֵעַל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה 1 “from {farming/working/cultivating} the ground/land/soil,”
4:14 kjbr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וּמִפָּנֶ֖יךָ אֶסָּתֵ֑ר 1 “and I will be separated from you.” or “and I will be far away from you.” or “and you will no longer bless me.” This clause is probably an idiom that means Cain will be cursed and no longer blessed by God.
4:14 jhqn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hendiadys וְהָיִ֜יתִי נָ֤ע וָנָד֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ 1 “I will be a fugitive/outcast who wanders around on the earth {without a permanent home},” or “I will be a wandering/homeless fugitive/outcast on the earth,” See how you translated this phrase in verse 12.
4:14 v3gz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole כָל מֹצְאִ֖י יַֽהַרְגֵֽנִי 1 “anyone who sees/meets me will kill me!” Cain uses hyperbole here to emphasize his strong emotion. If possible, keep this hyperbole in your translation because it helps communicate how fearful Cain was feeling.
4:15 kucp rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֧אמֶר ל֣וֹ יְהוָ֗ה 1 “So/But Yahweh said/replied to him/Cain,” or “Yahweh said/replied to him/Cain,”
4:15 fsei rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants לָכֵן֙ 1 “In that case,” or “So then,” That is what the Hebrew text has. Instead of that text, some ancient translations (such as the Septuagint) and many modern translations have: “Not so/true.” or “That will not happen {because}”. The textual variant that you do not use in your translation could be put in a footnote.
4:15 kb8d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit כָּל הֹרֵ֣ג קַ֔יִן & יֻקָּ֑ם 1 “{I will warn everyone that} if anyone kills Cain/you, I will take vengeance/revenge on him {for you}” or “{I will make it clear to everyone that} I will take vengeance/revenge on anyone who kills you” What God says here implies that he will do something to prevent people from killing Cain; he is not just talking about punishing them if they kill him. If necessary, you could make that explicit in your translation.
4:15 eesx שִׁבְעָתַ֖יִם 1 “{and punish him} seven times more {severely} {than I am punishing you}!”
4:15 y2v3 וַיָּ֨שֶׂם יְהוָ֤ה לְקַ֨יִן֙ א֔וֹת 1 “Then Yahweh/he put a {special/distinguishing} sign/symbol on Cain” or “Then Yahweh/he marked Cain with a {special/distinguishing} mark/symbol”. We do not know exactly how Yahweh marked Cain, so keep your translation of this clause general (like the Hebrew text is).
4:15 cqhr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לְבִלְתִּ֥י הַכּוֹת אֹת֖וֹ כָּל מֹצְאֽוֹ 1 “so that anyone who saw/met him would not kill him.” or “to warn everyone who saw/met him not to kill him.” The phrase “strike him” is used here as an idiom that means “kill him”. Do what is best in your language.
4:16 s73l rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה 1 “from Yahweh” or “from the place where Yahweh had been talking to him”. Yahweh is everywhere, so this probably means that after talking to Yahweh, Cain left that place.
4:16 iydu וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב 1 “and settled” or “and started living”
4:16 ksys rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names בְּאֶֽרֶץ נ֖וֹד 1 “in the land/region of/called Nod, {which means “wandering,”}” or “in Nod Land,” The original readers of the Hebrew text knew that the name “Nod” means “wandering”. Usually translators transliterate (copy or borrow) the name from the Hebrew text, and they might also include the meaning of the name in the text or in a footnote. If you do that here, the meaning should be similar to how you translated “wanderer” in verses 12 and 14.
4:16 glwo קִדְמַת עֵֽדֶן 1 “{which was} east of {the land/region of/called} Eden.” or “{which was} east of Eden {Land}.” Consider again how you translated “{the land/region of} Eden” and “the Garden of Eden” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 2:8, 10, 15; 3:23-24; 4:16.
4:17 tgil rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַיֵּ֤דַע קַ֨יִן֙ אֶת אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ 1 “Then Cain had {marital} relations with his wife,” or “Then Cain slept with his wife,” See how you translated this idiom in Gen 4:1.
4:17 i17s rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אֶת חֲנ֑וֹךְ 1 “{a son named} Enoch.” or “{a son they named} Enoch.” or “{a son whose name was} Enoch.”
4:17 a43z rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַֽיְהִי֙ בֹּ֣נֶה עִ֔יר 1 “And/Now {at/during that time,} Cain was {in the process of} building/constructing a city,” Make sure that your translation of this clause refers to Cain, not Enoch.
4:18 d1x6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וַיִּוָּלֵ֤ד לַֽחֲנוֹךְ֙ 1 “Later on, Enoch fathered/had” or “When Enoch {grew up,} he fathered/had” or “Enoch was the father of”. In this record of Cain’s descendants, It is implied that many years have gone by between each descendant growing up, getting married, and having his own children. Decide the best way to translate this genealogical record in your language.
4:18 yll5 אֶת עִירָ֔ד 1 “{a son named} Irad,” or “{a son whose name was} Irad,”
4:18 zgh0 וְעִירָ֕ד יָלַ֖ד 1 “Then Irad fathered/had” or “When Irad {grew up,} he fathered/had” or “Irad was the father of”. Consider whether or not it is best in your language to begin a new sentence with each new generation that is mentioned in this verse.
4:18 lb2t אֶת מְחֽוּיָאֵ֑ל 1 “{a son named} Mehujael,” or “{a son whose name was} Mehujael,”
4:18 hdkq וּמְחִיּיָאֵ֗ל יָלַד֙ 1 “Then Mehujael fathered/had” or “When Mehujael {grew up,} he fathered/had” or “Mehujael was the father of”
4:18 r4oo אֶת מְת֣וּשָׁאֵ֔ל 1 “{a son named} Methushael,” or “{a son whose name was} Methushael,”
4:18 bw8i וּמְתוּשָׁאֵ֖ל יָלַ֥ד 1 “Then Methushael fathered/had” or “When Methushael {grew up,} he fathered/had” or “Methushael was the father of”
4:18 a3xs אֶת לָֽמֶךְ 1 “{a son named} Lamech.” or “{a son whose name was} Lamech.”
4:19 sx75 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּֽקַּֽח ל֥וֹ לֶ֖מֶךְ שְׁתֵּ֣י נָשִׁ֑ים 1 “Then Lamech {grew up, and} he chose two women to be his wives.” or “When Lamech {grew up,} he married two wives/women.” In this context, the phrase “took for himself” is an idiom that means “married”. Consider whether or not your language has a similar idiom.
4:19 div9 שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ עָדָ֔ה 1 “His first wife’s name was Adah,” or “His first wife was named Adah,”
4:19 nogk וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית צִלָּֽה 1 “and his second wife’s name was Zillah.” or “and his second/other wife was named Zillah.”
4:20 gfmj וַתֵּ֥לֶד עָדָ֖ה 1 “Adah gave birth to” or “Adah had”
4:20 baqx אֶת יָבָ֑ל 1 “{a son named} Jabal.” or “{a son whose name was} Jabal.”
4:20 w051 ה֣וּא הָיָ֔ה 1 “He/who was/became” or “He/who {grew up and} became”. Consider whether or not it is best in your language to begin a new sentence here.
4:20 twss rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אֲבִ֕י יֹשֵׁ֥ב 1 “the ancestor/first of {all} those/people who”. The phrase “father of” is used here as an idiom that means Jabal was the first person to do these things. He invented this way of living, and many people after him followed his example.
4:20 lmj0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown יֹשֵׁ֥ב אֹ֖הֶל 1 “are tent dwellers” or “live in portable shelters”. A tent is a portable living place that has walls made of cloth or animal skins and is held up by poles. Tents are used by people who need to take their home with them as they move from place to place, often to find food and water for themselves and their livestock. If people in your language area are not familiar with tents, you could include some of the above information in a footnote.
4:20 ifog וּמִקְנֶֽה 1 “and raise livestock/animals {for a living}.” The term “livestock” includes all kinds of domestic animals, such as cows, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys. See how you translated “livestock” in Gen 1:24-26; 2:20, 3:14.
4:21 g37o rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship וְשֵׁ֥ם אָחִ֖יו יוּבָ֑ל 1 “His/Jabal’s brother’s name was Jubal.” or “Jabal had a brother named Jubal.” Jubal was probably younger than Jabal. See how you translated “brother” in verse 2.
4:22 nipn rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֶת תּ֣וּבַל קַ֔יִן 1 “Tubal-Cain” or “Tubal-cain” or “Tubalcain”. Be consistent with how you spell this name both times in verse 22.
4:22 t53i rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit לֹטֵ֕שׁ 1 “who/He was {the first person to} forge/make” or “He {was the first blacksmith and} forged/made” or “He {was the ancestor/first of all those/people who} forge/make”. It is probably implied from verses 20-21 that Tubal Cain, like his brothers, was the father/ancestor or first of all those who had his skill.
4:22 dn66 כָּל חֹרֵ֥שׁ נְחֹ֖שֶׁת וּבַרְזֶ֑ל 1 “all {kinds} of tools {and other things} out of bronze/brass and iron.” or “all {kinds} of bronze/brass and iron things/tools.” The word “tools” that is used here in the Hebrew text is general and can include farming tools and weapons and other things that are made out of metal.
4:23 apyu rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לֶ֜מֶךְ 1 “{One time,} Lamech said {proudly}” or “{One day,} Lamech bragged/boasted”. Consider what is the best way in your language to introduce this new event.
4:23 gae9 לְנָשָׁ֗יו עָדָ֤ה וְצִלָּה֙ 1 “to his {two} wives, “Adah and Zillah,” Be consistent with how you spelled these names in verses 19-20, 22-23.
4:23 lbpd rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy שְׁמַ֣עַן קוֹלִ֔י 1 “listen to what I have to say.” or “listen to what I am going to tell you.” The phrase “my voice” refers here to the words being said. Consider what is the best way to translate this figure of speech in your language.
4:23 uqtr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism נְשֵׁ֣י לֶ֔מֶךְ הַאְזֵ֖נָּה אִמְרָתִ֑י 1 “My wives, listen to this:” or “My wives, listen to me carefully.” This clause forms a parallelism with the previous clause and emphasizes what Lamech says next.
4:23 m97i כִּ֣י אִ֤ישׁ הָרַ֨גְתִּי֙ לְפִצְעִ֔י וְיֶ֖לֶד לְחַבֻּרָתִֽי 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean: (1) “I killed a man for wounding me; {he was} a young man who bruised/injured me!” or “I killed a young man for wounding/injuring me! In fact, {I killed} that man {just} because he bruised/injured me!” (2) “I killed a man for wounding me, and also a young man for bruising/injuring me.” or “A man wounded me, so I killed him. A young man injured me, so I killed him too!” In the first interpretation, Lamech refers to one man he killed. In the second interpretation, he refers to two men he killed.
4:24 q45d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive כִּ֥י שִׁבְעָתַ֖יִם יֻקַּם קָ֑יִן וְלֶ֖מֶךְ 1 “Since {God has promised} to avenge Cain seven times, then” or “Cain is avenged {by God} seven times, but” or “God will avenge Cain seven times, but”. Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language.
4:24 g912 וְלֶ֖מֶךְ שִׁבְעִ֥ים וְשִׁבְעָֽה 1 “{I,} Lamech {avenge myself} seventy-seven times!” or “I {avenge myself} 77 times!” Lamech is bragging in verses 23 and 24 about how severely he avenges himself. He is not saying that God will avenge him more than he will avenge Cain. Be consistent with how you spelled the name “Lamech” in verses 18-19, 23-24.
4:25 rw9r rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַיֵּ֨דַע אָדָ֥ם עוֹד֙ אֶת אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ 1 “Then Adam slept with his wife {Eve} again,” or “Again Adam had {marital} relations with his wife {Eve},” See how you translated the idiom “knew” in 4:1, 17.
4:25 tlhj rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן 1 “and she gave birth to a son,” or “so that she {conceived and} bore/had a son,” or “with the result that she {became pregnant and} gave birth to a son,”
4:25 yiax rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit כִּ֣י 1 “{She named him that} because {when he was born,} {she had said/exclaimed},” What follows is a direct quote of what Eve said that gave Seth his name. Make sure that is clear in your language. Also consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
4:25 pmzd שָֽׁת לִ֤י אֱלֹהִים֙ 1 “God has granted/given to me”. If you include the meaning of Seth’s name in your translation or in a footnote, make sure it matches the way you translate “appointed” here, so that it is clear why he was given that name.
4:25 dc3s זֶ֣רַע אַחֵ֔ר 1 “another child”
4:25 k147 תַּ֣חַת הֶ֔בֶל 1 “to replace Abel,” or “to take the place of Abel,”
4:25 d8wl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּ֥י הֲרָג֖וֹ קָֽיִן 1 “whom Cain killed/murdered.” For some language it is necessary to put this phrase first in this clause (so that events are in the order that they happened) and say, “Since Cain killed Abel, God granted me another child to replace him.” Do what is best in your language.
4:26 oqgu וּלְשֵׁ֤ת גַּם & יֻלַּד בֵּ֔ן 1 “{Later on,} Seth also fathered/had a son,” The word order in the Hebrew text here emphasizes Seth. Do what is natural in your language.
4:26 o4hk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom הוּחַ֔ל לִקְרֹ֖א בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהוָֽה 1 “people began to address God by his name Yahweh as they worshiped him.” or “people began to worship/praise Yahweh by name.” or “people first called Yahweh by name in their prayers and worship.” The phrase “call on the name of Yahweh” is an idiom that refers to prayers, worship, and praise in which people addressed God directly by his personal name Yahweh. It also implies that they were trusting in him to help and guide them.
5:intro v62r 0 # Genesis 5 General Notes\n## Structure and formatting\n\nThis chapter provides the first of many lists of descendants in the Bible. This is not a simple list, because the author makes comments about each person. Translators should format this text in the way that is clearest in the project language. Many may choose to introduce each new person in a separate paragraph, as the ULT and UST do.
5:1 nf58 סֵ֔פֶר 1 “the written {family} record/history of/about” or “the {family} record of”
5:1 hbea תּוֹלְדֹ֖ת אָדָ֑ם 1 “of/about Adam and his descendants:” or “of/about Adam’s family-line/genealogy:”
5:1 ztgp בְּי֗וֹם בְּרֹ֤א אֱלֹהִים֙ אָדָ֔ם & עָשָׂ֥ה אֹתֽוֹ 1 “On the day {that/when} God created/made human beings, he made them”. See how you translated “created” in Gen 1:1, 27; 2:4, and “man” in Gen 1:26-27.
5:1 c3vh בִּדְמ֥וּת אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “in his own likeness.” or “to be like himself.” God created mankind to be like himself in certain ways, not to be exactly like him in every way (Gen 1:26-27).
5:2 sfms זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בְּרָאָ֑ם 1 “He {also} created them {to be} male and female,” See how you translated this clause in Gen 1:27.
5:2 xoeq וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹתָ֗ם 1 “He blessed them” or “He said/promised that he would make them prosper/flourish”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also see how you translated “blessed” in Gen 1:22, 28. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
5:2 md6q וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֶת שְׁמָם֙ 1 “and called/named them”. See how you translated the phrase “called...name” in Gen 4:17, 25, 26.
5:2 bpym אָדָ֔ם 1 “human beings”. Be consistent here with how you translated this term in verse 1.
5:2 ocap rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בְּי֖וֹם הִבָּֽרְאָֽם 1 “on the {same} day {that} they were created {by him}.” or “on the {same} day {that} he created them.” Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language. Also, for some languages it is clearer or more natural to put this clause earlier in this verse and say, “and on the {same} day {that} he created them, he blessed them and called/named them human beings.” Do what is best in your language.
5:3 mu3a rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-numbers וַֽיְחִ֣י אָדָ֗ם שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים וּמְאַת֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וַיּ֥וֹלֶד 1 “When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered/had {a son}” or “When Adam was 130 years old, he fathered/had {a son}”. Each translation team needs to decide how they are going to write large numbers in the Bible. Many teams use numerals, for example, “130” here in verse 3, especially if the target language has a complicated counting system. Other teams prefer to use words, for example, “one hundred thirty” here. Be consistent in what you do throughout your translation.
5:3 i5yo rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet בִּדְמוּת֖וֹ כְּצַלְמ֑וֹ 1 “who was {a human being} like himself and looked like him,” or “who was like him in many ways,” These two phrases have similar meanings and emphasize that Seth was similar to Adam in many ways. See how you translated similar phrases in Gen 1:26.
5:3 d878 וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת שְׁמ֖וֹ שֵֽׁת 1 “and he/Adam named him Seth.” or “Adam named his/that son Seth.” For some languages it is more natural to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
5:4 m5uq וַיִּֽהְי֣וּ יְמֵי אָדָ֗ם אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת שֵׁ֔ת 1 “After he/Adam fathered/had Seth, Adam/he lived” or “After Seth’s birth, Adam lived” or “After Seth was born, Adam lived”
5:4 dt93 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure שְׁמֹנֶ֥ה מֵאֹ֖ת שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “{another} 800 years,” or “800 {more} years,” For some languages, it may be more natural to change the clause order of this sentence and say, “Adam lived 800 {more} years after Seth was born,...” Do what is best in your language throughout this chapter.
5:4 w4va וַיּ֥וֹלֶד 1 “and he {also} fathered/had” or “He/Adam {also} fathered/had” or “He/Adam was {also} the father of”. This clause probably refers to all the other children that Adam had, including those who were born before and after Seth was born. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
5:4 znml בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֽוֹת 1 “{other} sons, as well as daughters.”
5:5 exxg rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיִּֽהְי֞וּ כָּל יְמֵ֤י אָדָם֙ אֲשֶׁר חַ֔י תְּשַׁ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “So Adam/he lived a total of 930 years,” or “All together Adam/he lived 930 years,” Make sure that the name “Adam” is spelled consistently in your translation of verses 1, 3-5.
5:6 e8ow rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וַֽיְחִי־שֵׁ֕ת חָמֵ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים וּמְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “When/After Seth had lived 105 years,” or “When/After Seth was 105 years old,” The events in verse 6 happened before Adam died (verse 5). So if you use a conjunction here, make sure your translation does not sound like verse 6 happened after Adam died.
5:6 ac8w rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת אֱנֽוֹשׁ 1 “he fathered/had {a son named} Enosh.” or “he fathered/had {a son he/they named} Enosh.” or “he fathered/had {a son whose name was} Enosh.” You could make it explicit in your translation or in a footnote that Enosh was a son. The same thing is true for the rest of the children who were born in this chapter (who were all sons).
5:7 zq5v rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַֽיְחִי שֵׁ֗ת אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת אֱנ֔וֹשׁ 1 “After he/Seth had Enosh, Seth/he lived” or “After Enosh’s birth, Seth lived” or “After Enosh was born, Seth lived”. In fact, throughout chapter 5, make sure it is clear in your translation whom each pronoun refers to.
5:7 m6hy וַיּ֥וֹלֶד 1 “and he {also} fathered/had” or “He/Seth {also} fathered/had” or “He/Seth was {also} the father of”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated this phrase and the following one in verse 4.
5:7 qh3m בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֽוֹת 1 “{other} sons, as well as daughters.”
5:8 cpt9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ כָּל יְמֵי שֵׁ֔ת שְׁתֵּ֤ים עֶשְׂרֵה֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּתְשַׁ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “So Seth/he lived a total of 912 years,” or “All together Seth/he lived 912 years,” Be consistent with how you spell the name “Seth” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 4:25-26; 5:3-4, 6-8.
5:9 hpxy rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וַֽיְחִ֥י אֱנ֖וֹשׁ תִּשְׁעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “When/After Enosh had lived 90 years,” or “When/After Enosh was 90 years old,” See how you translated the beginning of a similar new paragraph in this genealogy at verse 6.
5:9 ealf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת קֵינָֽן 1 “he fathered/had {a son named} Kenan.” or “he fathered/had {a son whose name was} Kenan.”
5:10 qcro rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַֽיְחִ֣י אֱנ֗וֹשׁ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת קֵינָ֔ן 1 “After he/Enosh had Kenan, Enosh/he lived” or “After Kenan’s birth, Enosh lived” or “After Kenan was born, Enosh lived”. See how you translated a similar sentence in verse 7, and see the notes about that there.
5:11 t6cg rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ כָּל יְמֵ֣י אֱנ֔וֹשׁ חָמֵ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֔ים וּתְשַׁ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “So Enosh/he lived a total of 905 years,” or “All together Enosh/he lived 905 years,” Make sure that the name “Enosh” is spelled consistently in your translation of verses 6-7, 9-11.
5:13 pdi2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיּ֥וֹלֶד 1 “and he {also} fathered/had” or “He/Kenan {also} fathered/had” or “He/Kenan was {also} the father of”. Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to Kenan at this point in the paragraph.
5:14 iukx rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ כָּל יְמֵ֣י קֵינָ֔ן עֶ֣שֶׂר שָׁנִ֔ים וּתְשַׁ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “So Kenan/he lived a total of 910 years,” or “All together Kenan/he lived 910 years,” Make sure that the name “Kenan” is spelled consistently in your translation of verses 9-10, 12-14.
5:16 duud וַיּ֥וֹלֶד 1 “and he {also} fathered/had” or “He/Mahalalel {also} fathered/had” or “He/Mahalalel was {also} the father of”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
5:16 w3p0 בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֽוֹת 1 “{other} sons, as well as daughters.”
5:17 y3k1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיִּהְיוּ֙ כָּל יְמֵ֣י מַהֲלַלְאֵ֔ל חָמֵ֤שׁ וְתִשְׁעִים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּשְׁמֹנֶ֥ה מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “So Mahalalel/he lived a total of 895 years,” or “All together Mahalalel/he lived 895 years,” Make sure that the name “Mahalalel” is spelled consistently in your translation of verses 12-13, 15-17.
5:18 k5fo וַֽיְחִי־יֶ֕רֶד שְׁתַּ֧יִם וְשִׁשִּׁ֛ים שָׁנָ֖ה וּמְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “When/After Jared had lived 162 years,” or “When/After Jared was 162 years old,”
5:19 qvdm rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיּ֥וֹלֶד 1 “and he {also} fathered/had” or “He/Jared {also} fathered/had” or “He/Jared was {also} the father of”. Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to Jared at this point in the paragraph.
5:20 y9dd rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ כָּל יְמֵי יֶ֔רֶד שְׁתַּ֤יִם וְשִׁשִּׁים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּתְשַׁ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “So Jared/he lived a total of 962 years,” or “All together Jared/he lived 962 years,” Make sure that the name “Jared” is spelled consistently in your translation of verses 15-16, 18-20.
5:22 jft2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּתְהַלֵּ֨ךְ חֲנ֜וֹךְ אֶת הָֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים 1 “Enoch walked/lived {closely/faithfully} with God” or “Enoch lived {in a close/faithful relationship} with God”. The phrase “walked with” is used here as an idiom that means “lived in a close relationship with”. Consider whether or not you have a similar idiom in your language.
5:23 q9fs וַיְהִ֖י כָּל יְמֵ֣י חֲנ֑וֹךְ חָמֵ֤שׁ וְשִׁשִּׁים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּשְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה 1 “So Enoch/he lived a total of 365 years.” or “All together Enoch/he lived 365 years.” Make sure that the name “Enoch” is spelled consistently in your translation of verses 18-19, 21-24.
5:24 ovax וַיִּתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ חֲנ֖וֹךְ אֶת הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים 1 “{All his life} Enoch/he walked/lived {in a close/faithful relationship} with God, and {then}” or “Then while he was {still} living {in a close relationship} with God,”
5:24 h09o וְאֵינֶ֕נּוּ 1 “{suddenly} he was not {on earth} {anymore},” or “{suddenly} he was no longer {on earth},” or “he {suddenly} disappeared {from earth},”
5:24 qhcv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּֽי לָקַ֥ח אֹת֖וֹ אֱלֹהִֽים 1 “because God had taken him away {to be with him}.” It may be more natural to put this clause before the previous clause and say, “…God took him away {to be with him}, so he was {suddenly} no longer {on earth}.” Do what is best in your language.
5:25 e0io וַיְחִ֣י מְתוּשֶׁ֔לַח שֶׁ֧בַע וּשְׁמֹנִ֛ים שָׁנָ֖ה וּמְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “When/After Methuselah had lived 187 years,” or “When/After Methuselah was 187 years old,” Consider again how you translated verses in this chapter that are similar in structure to this verse; see verses 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 25, and part of verses 3 and 28, and see the note about this at verse 6.
5:26 jiwj rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיּ֥וֹלֶד 1 “and he {also} fathered/had” or “He/Methuselah {also} fathered/had” or “He was {also} the father of”. Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to Methuselah at this point in the paragraph.
5:27 d46p rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיִּהְיוּ֙ כָּל יְמֵ֣י מְתוּשֶׁ֔לַח תֵּ֤שַׁע וְשִׁשִּׁים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּתְשַׁ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “So Methuselah/he lived a total of 969 years,” or “So all together Methuselah/he lived 969 years,” Make sure that the name “Methuselah” is spelled consistently in your translation of verses 21-22, 25-27.
5:29 fqyr rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names נֹ֖חַ 1 “Noah, {which means “comfort/relief/rest,”}” If you include the meaning of Noah’s name in your translation or in a footnote, make sure it matches what Lamech says about him in the following quote, so it is clear why he was given that name.
5:29 d1z6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “{because} he said,” or “{He/Lamech named him that because} he had said {about him},” What Lamech says next is the reason that he named his son Noah. Make sure that is clear in your translation.
5:29 gzo5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet מִֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֨נוּ֙ וּמֵעִצְּב֣וֹן יָדֵ֔ינוּ 1 “from the {difficult} labor and toil/work we have to do with our hands” or “from the difficult/agonizing labor/work that we have to do/suffer”. These two phrases have similar meanings and emphasize how difficult the work was. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
5:29 omyc מִן הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽרְרָ֖הּ יְהוָֽה 1 “because Yahweh has cursed the ground.” or “as we farm/cultivate the ground that Yahweh has cursed.”
5:30 d607 וַֽיְחִי לֶ֗מֶךְ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת נֹ֔חַ 1 “After he/Lamech fathered Noah, Lamech/he lived” or “After Noah’s birth, Lamech lived” or “After Noah was born, Lamech lived”. Consider again how you translated verses in this chapter that are similar in structure to this verse; see verses 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 26, 30, and part of verses 4 and 22.
5:31 i74z rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַֽיְהִי֙ כָּל יְמֵי לֶ֔מֶךְ שֶׁ֤בַע וְשִׁבְעִים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּשְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “So Lamech/he lived a total of 777 years,” or “All together Lamech/he lived 777 years,” Consider again how you translated verses that are similar to verse 31; see verses 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, 31, and the first half of verses 5 and 23. Also make sure that the name “Lamech” is spelled consistently in your translation of verses 25-26, 28-31, and also in 4:18-19, 23-24 for a different person who has the same name.
5:32 uzva rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וַֽיְהִי נֹ֕חַ בֶּן חֲמֵ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “After Noah was 500 years old,” Noah’s sons were not triplets, but were born in different years after Noah was 500 years old. The way you translate this verse should allow for that meaning.
5:32 yohb וַיּ֣וֹלֶד נֹ֔חַ 1 “he fathered/had”. Consider again how you translated “fathered” in this chapter; see verses 4, 6-7, 9-10, 12-13, 15-16, 18-19, 25-26, 28, 30, 32.
5:32 nl9j rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אֶת שֵׁ֖ם אֶת חָ֥ם וְאֶת יָֽפֶת 1 “{sons named} Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” or “{sons he/they named} Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” or “{sons whose names were} Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”
6:intro ak78 0 # Genesis 6 General Notes\n## Structure and formatting\n\nBeginning in 6:22, the author gives statements summarizing events he tells about again in the text that follows. In the next chapter, the author sometimes gives summary statements that introduce events for the first time. If these statements, and the surrounding events, are not carefully translated, readers can believe that the same events happened twice or three times instead of only one time. Translators should be careful not to give this impression.
6:1 pmgg rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וַֽיְהִי֙ 1 “Now it happened”. The events in Gen 6:1-2 started happening long before the events in 5:32, so the way your translation begins this verse should allow for that meaning and not begin with a sequence word like “Then”, which would have the wrong meaning here. Many translations omit the conjunction here. Do what is best in your language. Also, the phrase “it happened” introduces and emphasizes important background information which the following narrative builds on. It also creates suspense so that readers and listeners wonder what will happen next. Some translations leave this phrase out, but that loses some of the suspense. Do what is best in your language.
6:1 as12 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background כִּֽי 1 “{that} when/as” or “that”
6:2 vn76 וַיִּרְא֤וּ 1 “then/Then {when those daughters/girls grew up,}” or “{When those daughters/girls grew up,}” Verses 1 and 2 are one long sentence in the Hebrew text. For many languages it is necessary to divide it into two or more shorter sentences. For example, depending on how you began verse one, you could begin verse 2 with a new sentence. Do what is best in your language.
6:2 w4mk בְנֵי הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ 1 “{some} angels” or “{some} supernatural beings”. The meaning of Gen 6:2 is not certain and is heavily debated, so it is probably best to translate it fairly literally and possibly include a footnote about what it means. If it is not translated literally, the literal text should be put in a footnote. There are three main views of who “the sons of God” and “the daughters of mankind” refer to (1) nonhuman, god-like beings (supernatural beings), such as demons or angels (as in Job 1:6, 38:7) who took human form and married the daughters of human beings, which may be what is referred to in 1 Peter 3:19–20; 2 Peter 2:4, and Jude 6. (2) male descendants of Seth (the righteous, chosen family line) who married female descendants of Cain (the unrighteous family line). (3) sons of powerful men, such as judges or rulers (as in Exodus 22:8, Psalm 82:1, 6) who married the daughters of common, poor people.
6:2 znk3 וַיִּרְא֤וּ & אֶת בְּנ֣וֹת הָֽאָדָ֔ם כִּ֥י טֹבֹ֖ת הֵ֑נָּה 1 “saw that the daughters of human beings {were} beautiful,” or “saw that those young women {were} beautiful,” or “saw that they {were} {very} beautiful,”
6:2 qnty וַיִּקְח֤וּ לָהֶם֙ נָשִׁ֔ים מִכֹּ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּחָֽרוּ 1 “so they married any {of them} that they wanted to.” or “So they chose any/all {of them} that they wanted and married them.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, see how you translated “took/married” in Gen 4:19.
6:3 fdyv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֗ה 1 “Then/So Yahweh said {to himself},” Only make implied information explicit in your translation if it is necessary to prevent wrong meaning or if your language’s grammar requires it, so that your translation is easier to read and understand.
6:3 n5w7 רוּחִ֤י 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “My Spirit” or “I”, which is a way of God referring to himself (Gen 1:2 is similar). (2) “My spirit”, which could refer to God’s breath that gives life (as in Gen 2:7). If the text is not translated literally, the literal text should be put in a footnote.
6:3 lxhr לֹֽא־יָד֨וֹן & בָֽאָדָם֙ לְעֹלָ֔ם 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “will not contend with human beings forever,” or “will not put up with human beings forever,” (2) “will not remain/live with/in human beings forever,” The interpretation that is not used in your translation could be put in a footnote.
6:3 nsna rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom בְּשַׁגַּ֖ם ה֣וּא בָשָׂ֑ר 1 “because they {are} certainly/very sinful/corrupt.” or “because they {are} only/mere {sinful/corrupt} mortals.” The word “flesh” is used here as an idiom that means human beings are “mortal” (that is, their bodies will die) and that they are “sinful/corrupt”. The two meanings are interrelated since it is because of sin that their bodies die. In this context, the focus is on their corrupt behavior, which is the reason God will send a flood soon.
6:3 u5p6 וְהָי֣וּ יָמָ֔יו מֵאָ֥ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֖ים שָׁנָֽה 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “So they will have 120 years {to repent}.” or “I will give them 120 years {to repent}.” (2) “{From now on,} they/people will have/live {no longer than} 120 years.” The first interpretation seems to best fit the context of God announcing his plan to judge mankind for their sin (verse 7). This would mean that Noah was 480 years old when God said this (about 20 years before he started having sons; Gen 5:32), since the flood came when he was 600 years old (Gen 7:6); you could put some of that information in a footnote. The second interpretation does not fit with the fact that after God said this, many people lived much longer than 120 years, so it does not seem likely that length of life was his meaning here.
6:4 ynoy rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names הַנְּפִלִ֞ים 1 “{People/Giants called} the Nephilim” or “Giants”. Most translations transliterate (borrow or copy) the Hebrew word “Nephilim” here, treating it as a name. The word means “fallen ones” and probably refers to their fallen (sinful) spiritual state. The Nephilim were the descendants of the sons of God and the daughters of mankind. The only other time in the Bible that the Nephilim are mentioned is centuries later in Numbers 13:32-33, where they are identified as evil giants. Based on that, some translations translate “the Nephilim” as “giants” here in Gen 6:4.
6:4 x5nq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵם֒ וְגַ֣ם אַֽחֲרֵי 1 “during that time and also later on,” It may be more natural to put this time phrase first in verse 4 and say, “During that time there were Nephilim/giants living on the earth, when...” Do what is best in your language.
6:4 brcd כֵ֗ן אֲשֶׁ֨ר 1 “{That was/happened} when”. Consider whether or not it is better to begin a new sentence here in your language.
6:4 dopz בְּנֵ֤י הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ 1 “angels” or “supernatural beings”. Be consistent here with how you translated this phrase in verse 2, and see the important note about that there.
6:4 pirs rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism יָבֹ֜אוּ & אֶל 1 “slept with” or “had {marital/sexual} relations with”. Translate this idiom in a way that is polite and will not shame or embarrass people when this verse is read aloud in public. See how you translated a similar idiom (“knew”) in Gen 4:1, 17, 25.
6:4 si43 וְיָלְד֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם 1 “and those women gave birth to children for them.” or “and those women had children.”
6:4 e4oo rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns הֵ֧מָּה 1 “The Nephilim {were}” or “Those/Their children {grew up and} {were/became} {the Nephilim who were}”. Make sure it is clear in your translation who is being referred to here.
6:4 xhsv אַנְשֵׁ֥י הַשֵּֽׁם 1 “{who/and were} famous men.” For some languages it may be more natural to put this phrase earlier in this sentence and say, “They {were} the mighty men of renown who...” or “They {were} the famous mighty men who....” Do what is best in your language.
6:5 utlu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיַּ֣רְא יְהוָ֔ה 1 “Yahweh knew” or “Yahweh was aware”. The verb “saw” is used here as an idiom. Consider whether your language has a similar idiom that would fit well here. Do what is best in your language.
6:5 ommt כִּ֥י רַבָּ֛ה רָעַ֥ת הָאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ 1 “how wicked/evil mankind/people had become on the earth,” or “that the people on the earth had become very wicked/evil,”
6:5 wy3t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְכָל יֵ֨צֶר֙ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ת לִבּ֔וֹ 1 “and that every intention/desire they had in their hearts/minds” or “and that everything they thought about and desired/wanted”. In Hebrew culture the heart is considered the center of thoughts and desires. Consider whether your language has a similar idiom.
6:6 a0zs rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns כִּֽי עָשָׂ֥ה אֶת הָֽאָדָ֖ם 1 “that he had made/created people/them” or “that he had made/created human beings”. See how you translated “mankind” in verses 1, 3, and 5, and consider whether or not it is best to use a pronoun (“them”) here in your language.
6:6 lbxh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּתְעַצֵּ֖ב אֶל לִבּֽוֹ 1 “and his heart was filled with pain/sadness/grief.” or “and he was/felt extremely/very sad/grieved.” Consider whether your language has a similar idiom that would fit well here.
6:7 mt6s וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֗ה 1 “Then/So Yahweh/he said {to himself},” See how you translated this phrase in verse 3. Also make sure that the way you begin verse 7 fits well with the way you begin verse 6.
6:7 wbhw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אֶמְחֶ֨ה 1 “I will wash away” or “I will blot out” or “I will completely wipe/destroy”. Consider whether your language has a similar idiom that would fit well here.
6:7 ymf2 אֶת הָאָדָ֤ם אֲשֶׁר בָּרָ֨אתִי֙ מֵעַל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה 1 “{all} the human beings whom I created, from the surface of the earth,” or “from the earth {all} the people whom I created,” or “all the human beings I made on the earth,”
6:7 l6r9 מֵֽאָדָם֙ עַד בְּהֵמָ֔ה 1 “{In fact,} {I will destroy} {not just/only} {all} the people, but also {all} the animals,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
6:7 ilp6 עַד רֶ֖מֶשׂ 1 “and/including the creatures that crawl/move {on/along the ground}”
6:8 k0ja rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְנֹ֕חַ מָ֥צָא חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָֽה 1 “But Noah pleased God.” or “But/However Yahweh was pleased with Noah.” The idiom “find favor” means to please someone. And the idiom “in the eyes of” refers to someone’s opinion about something or someone. Consider whether your language has similar idioms that work well here or whether it is better to translate this sentence without an idiom.
6:9 u5k8 אֵ֚לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת נֹ֔חַ 1 “This/Here is {more of} the account/record/history of/about Noah and his descendants/family:” or “What follows tells {more} about Noah and his descendants/family:” Some of Noah’s history has already been given in Gen 5:29, 32, and 6:8. What follows tells more about him.
6:9 gw44 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns נֹ֗חַ 1 “He {was}”. Consider whether it is better in your language to use a noun or a pronoun here to refer to Noah.
6:9 w0cg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom תָּמִ֥ים הָיָ֖ה בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “He {alone} was blameless/faultless {in God’s eyes} among his contemporaries.” or “Out of all the people living at that time, Noah/he was the only one {whom God considered} blameless.” (2) “He had a blameless/spotless reputation among his contemporaries.” or “His contemporaries considered him to be a man of integrity.” The phrase “without blemish” is often used in the Bible to describe animals that have no defects. Here it is used as an idiom that means Noah was “blameless/faultless” in an ethical or moral sense, or that he had good integrity, but it does not mean that he was sinless. Consider whether your language has a similar idiom that would work well here. Also the word “generation” refers to people who live during the same time period.
6:9 ky2x rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אֶת הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽתְהַלֶּךְ נֹֽחַ 1 “{and} he walked {closely/faithfully} with God.” or “{and} he lived in a close/faithful relationship with God.” Consider whether or not it is best in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated this idiom in Gen 5:22, 24.
6:10 vdjy וַיּ֥וֹלֶד נֹ֖חַ 1 “Eventually Noah/he fathered/had” or “And {as mentioned before,} Noah/he had”. The fact that Noah fathered/had these three sons was already mentioned in Gen 5:32. Make sure that the way you begin this verse in your translation does not sound like he fathered these sons a second time.
6:11 f221 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַתִּשָּׁחֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ 1 “Now {the people of/on} the earth had become corrupt/wicked”. The phrase “the earth” is often used in the Bible to refer to the people who live on the earth. Consider whether your language can do the same thing, or whether it is necessary to make that implied information explicit.
6:11 cnh5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים 1 “in God’s sight/opinion,” or “according to God’s standards,”
6:11 rpln rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס 1 “and they had filled the earth with {their} violence/lawlessness.” or “and all over the earth they were doing violent/lawless things.” This clause forms a parallelism with the previous clause in order to emphasize how evil the people on the earth had become. The two clauses are different enough from each other that, if possible, it is best to keep both parts of the parallelism in your translation. Also be consistent with how you translated “the earth” earlier in this verse.
6:12 xmkj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy אֶת הָאָ֖רֶץ וְהִנֵּ֣ה נִשְׁחָ֑תָה 1 “that {everyone on} the earth was indeed/very corrupt/wicked,” or “how corrupt/wicked {everyone on} the earth had become,” See how you translated “corrupt” and “the earth” in verse 11.
6:12 hi89 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche כִּֽי & כָּל בָּשָׂ֛ר & עַל הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “because all the people on the earth” or “because everyone {living} on earth”. The phrase “all flesh” refers here to all people and probably implies that people are mortal (verse 3).
6:12 ldf8 הִשְׁחִ֧ית & אֶת דַּרְכּ֖וֹ 1 “were living corrupt/wicked lives.” or “were {continually} doing wicked/evil things.” or “were {continually} acting/behaving in evil ways.”
6:13 wv74 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche קֵ֤ץ כָּל בָּשָׂר֙ בָּ֣א לְפָנַ֔י 1 “I have decided to put an end to all human beings,” or “I am going to destroy all flesh/people,” Be consistent here with how you translated “flesh” in verse 12.
6:13 dx95 כִּֽי מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָ֛רֶץ חָמָ֖ס מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם 1 “because they have filled the earth with {their} violence/lawlessness.” or “because all over the earth they are doing violent/lawless things.” See how you translated “violence” in verse 11.
6:13 uymq וְהִנְנִ֥י 1 “Now listen, I” or “In fact, I” This phrase draws extra attention to what God says next. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language.
6:13 nnog וְהִנְנִ֥י מַשְׁחִיתָ֖ם 1 “am going to destroy them” or “plan to destroy them” or “will destroy”
6:13 dukx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy אֶת הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “as well as {everything else on} the earth.” or “and {everything else on} the earth {too}.” This phrase includes everything on the earth, not just the people.
6:14 altn rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-transliterate תֵּבַ֣ת 1 “a {very} large boat/houseboat”. The term “ark” is general and refers to a chest/box that is closed on all sides, including the top. In this case, the ark was a very large boat that people and many animals lived in for a year. It had no motor, no oars, no sail and no rudder. Since this was a unique, one-of-a-kind boat that may already be well-known as the “ark” in the receptor language area, some translations transliterate (copy or borrow) the word “ark” throughout Genesis. Decide what is best for your translation.
6:14 tpc0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit לְךָ֙ 1 “for you/yourself {and your family}”
6:14 jqp0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown עֲצֵי גֹ֔פֶר 1 “from gopher/cypress wood {which is good for building boats}.” or “out of the best wood {for building boats}.” It is not certain what kind of wood this was, so many translations transliterate (copy or borrow) the Hebrew word “gopher”. Some Bible scholars think it was cypress wood.
6:14 l2wm קִנִּ֖ים תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֶת הַתֵּבָ֑ה 1 “Build/Construct the ark/boat with compartments/stalls {inside},” or “Make/Build rooms inside the ark/boat,”
6:14 kfop וְכָֽפַרְתָּ֥ אֹתָ֛הּ מִבַּ֥יִת וּמִח֖וּץ 1 “and {completely} seal/coat it inside and outside”
6:14 ch1i בַּכֹּֽפֶר 1 “with pitch/tar {to keep water out}.” or “with pitch/tar {to keep the boat from leaking}.” The Hebrew word “covering” is general and does not specify what kind of waterproofing material is being used. However, many translations are more specific than that here and refer to “pitch” or “tar” or some other material made from tree resin or sap that can seal a boat well and keep it from leaking.
6:15 qrn8 וְזֶ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֹתָ֑הּ 1 “Build the ark/boat with these dimensions/measurements:” or “You must make/build the ark/boat like this:”
6:15 e4re rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-bdistance שְׁלֹ֧שׁ מֵא֣וֹת אַמָּ֗ה אֹ֚רֶךְ הַתֵּבָ֔ה חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים אַמָּה֙ רָחְבָּ֔הּ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים אַמָּ֖ה קוֹמָתָֽהּ 1 “It {must be} 140 meters long, 23/twenty-three meters wide, and 14/fourteen meters high.” or “It {must be} 450 feet long, 75/seventy-five feet wide, and 45/forty-five feet high.” A cubit was about half a meter (18 inches) long, which was the distance from a man’s elbow to the tip of his middle finger. You can (1) translate cubits into meters or feet, and put the literal text in a footnote; or (2) keep “cubits” in the main text (so that the numbers 300, 50 and 30 are kept) and put what that equals in meters or feet in a footnote.
6:16 f4nj rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-bdistance צֹ֣הַר תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה לַתֵּבָ֗ה וְאֶל אַמָּה֙ תְּכַלֶ֣נָּה מִלְמַ֔עְלָה 1 “Make/Build a window/skylight for the ark/boat by finishing {the sides/walls of} the ark/boat to within one cubit below the top/roof {of the ark/boat}.” or “Make/Build a half-meter high window/opening between the top of the walls/sides of the ark and its roof {all the way around}, {to let light and air in}.” The meaning of the Hebrew text is not completely certain here, but God was probably telling Noah to make a one-cubit high window or opening at the top of the outside walls of the ark, just below the roof, all the way around the ark, to let light and air into the ark. See the note about “cubit” in verse 15.
6:16 xcyu rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וּפֶ֥תַח הַתֵּבָ֖ה בְּצִדָּ֣הּ תָּשִׂ֑ים 1 “Also put/build a door in the side of the ark/boat.” or “Put/Build a door for the ark/boat in its side.” Some translations begin this sentence without a conjunction (“And” or “Also”). Do what is natural in your language.
6:16 pt7i תַּחְתִּיִּ֛ם שְׁנִיִּ֥ם וּשְׁלִשִׁ֖ים תַּֽעֲשֶֽׂהָ 1 “Make/Build a lower {deck/level}, a middle {deck/level}, and an upper {deck/level} {on the inside}.” or “{and} make/build a lower, second/middle, and third/upper story/floor {on the inside}.” or “{and} make/build three {complete} levels/floors {on the inside}.” Consider whether or not it is best in your language to begin a new sentence here.
6:17 gjxs rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-pronouns וַאֲנִ֗י הִנְנִי֩ 1 “Behold/Listen, I myself” or “Listen {carefully} to me: I”. In the Hebrew text, the pronoun “I” is emphatic, both by its form and by its position at the beginning of the sentence. Consider what is the best way to communicate that emphasis in your language.
6:17 ipl7 מֵבִ֨יא אֶת־הַמַּבּ֥וּל מַ֨יִם֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ 1 “am going to bring/send a flood on/over the {whole/entire} earth” or “am going to flood the {whole/entire} earth {with water}”
6:17 lkym לְשַׁחֵ֣ת 1 “{in order} to destroy” or “which will destroy”. See how you translated “destroy” in verse 13.
6:17 cskc כָּל בָּשָׂ֗ר 1 “all the creatures/beings” or “every creature” or “every living thing”. This phrase is general here and includes people and animals, so you may need to translate the phrase differently here from what you did earlier in verses 12-13 (where the focus seems to be on people).
6:17 wwec אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ֙ ר֣וּחַ חַיִּ֔ים 1 “that breathe/breathes {air}”. See how you translated this phrase in Gen 1:30.
6:17 jqbz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם 1 “from under the sky.” For some languages it may be clearer to put this phrase earlier in this sentence and say, “to destroy every living thing under the heavens/sky that has the breath of life in it.” Do what is best in your language.
6:17 o6ky כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר בָּאָ֖רֶץ 1 “{As a result,} every {living} thing/being that {is/lives} on land”
6:17 f07y rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom יִגְוָֽע 1 “will breathe out {its last breath}!” or “will die/perish!” The verb “expire” (which could also be translated “exhale” or “breathe out”) is used here as an idiom that means “die”. Consider whether your language has a similar or different idiom that would work well here.
6:18 dkie rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast וַהֲקִמֹתִ֥י 1 “But/However I will make/institute” or “But/However I will set up”. The word “establish” means to deliberately and formally put something into effect.
6:18 s3cm rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms אֶת בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ 1 “a covenant between me and you,” or “a {special/peace} agreement between me and you,” This covenant is made up of the unconditional, unbreakable promises that God made to Noah (and all mankind and all other living things) in Genesis 8:2-9:17. The word “testament” is another word for “covenant,” so the way you translate “covenant” here could be similar to the way you translate the titles “Old Testament” and “New Testament.”
6:18 edeh וּבָאתָ֙ אֶל הַתֵּבָ֔ה 1 “so you must enter the ark/boat,” or “so you must get on board the ark/boat,”
6:18 sxiu אַתָּ֕ה וּבָנֶ֛יךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ֥ וּנְשֵֽׁי בָנֶ֖יךָ אִתָּֽךְ 1 “and {take} your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.” or “and {take} with you your wife, your sons, and their wives.”
6:19 g341 וּמִכָּל הָ֠חַי מִֽכָּל בָּשָׂ֞ר שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל תָּבִ֥יא אֶל הַתֵּבָ֖ה 1 “Also, from every {kind of} living creature, {yes,} from every {kind of} animal, you must bring/take two/pairs of each {kind} into the ark/boat” or “You must also bring/take into the ark/boat two/pairs of every {kind of} living creature, including every {kind of} animal,”
6:19 e4sw לְהַחֲיֹ֣ת אִתָּ֑ךְ 1 “{in order} to keep {them} alive with you.” or “so that they stay alive with you.”
6:19 ew4s זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה יִֽהְיֽוּ 1 “They must be male and female {pairs}.” or “Each pair must have/include a/one male and a/one female.” or “Make sure that there are male and female {pairs} {of each kind}.”
6:20 tymx מִכֹּ֛ל רֶ֥מֶשׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֖ה לְמִינֵ֑הוּ 1 “including every kind of creature that moves/lives on the ground/land,” This phrase emphasizes that the birds and animals mentioned in the first half of this verse lived on land.
6:20 aqyo rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל יָבֹ֥אוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ 1 “two/pairs of every kind {of animal} will come to you” or “two/pairs of each kind {of animal} will come to you”. For some languages it is more natural to change the order of clauses in this sentence and say, “Two/Pairs of every kind of bird and every kind of animal, including every kind of creature that moves on the ground, will come to you” Do what is best in your language.
6:20 gcv1 לְהַֽחֲיֽוֹת 1 “to keep {them} alive {on/in the ark/boat}.” or “{into the ark/boat} so that they stay alive.” or “so that you keep them alive {in the ark/boat}.”
6:21 hpvn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular וְאַתָּ֣ה 1 “You” or “You {and your family}”. Although the pronoun “you” is singular in the Hebrew text in verse 21, it could be translated as plural, since God’s instructions apply to Noah and his family, not just Noah. Or you could make his family explicit. Do what is best in your language.
6:21 foah אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵֽאָכֵ֔ל 1 “that is eaten {by people and animals}” or “that people and animals eat” or “that you and {all} the animals/creatures will need”
6:21 klow וְהָיָ֥ה & לְאָכְלָֽה 1 “This/That will be the food supply” or “so that there will be {enough} food”. Consider whether or not it is best in your language to begin a new sentence here.
6:21 b77w rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular לְךָ֛ 1 “for you {and your family}”. Consider again how you translated the pronoun “you” in this verse.
6:21 e3n9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וְלָהֶ֖ם 1 “and for {all} the animals.”
6:22 gvtb וַיַּ֖עַשׂ נֹ֑חַ 1 “So, {that is what} Noah did;” or “Noah did {all of that}”. Some translations begin verse 22 without a conjunction. Do what is best in your language.
6:22 jpgk כְּ֠כֹל אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֥ה אֹת֛וֹ אֱלֹהִ֖ים כֵּ֥ן עָשָֽׂה 1 “he did everything just/exactly as God had commanded/told him {to do}.”
7:intro n23k 0 # Genesis 7 General Notes\n## Structure and formatting\n\nIn this chapter, the author continues his pattern of statements that summarize events already described, and of repeating events that have already happened. Again, careful translation is necessary so that readers do not think that the same events happened more than one time in the story. Special attention in this regard should be given to 7:5,10,13, and 17.\n\n## Special concepts in this chapter\n\n### Clean animals and birds\n\nNoah sacrificed to Yahweh some of the “clean” animals and birds that he had with him (8:20). These were animals and birds that the Hebrew people would later consider to be fit to eat and to sacrifice to God. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/clean]])\n\n### Water underneath and over the earth\n\nThe flood is presented as occurring because of rain pouring out of the sky and because of seawater rising from under the earth. This is because the ancient Hebrews pictured the earth as resting on top of the sea. They also pictured the sky as containing water above the earth that poured down through windows in the sky when God allowed it to rain. Translators should not try to change this picture in order to suit what readers believe about the world. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/heaven]])
7:1 k23r rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ לְנֹ֔חַ 1 “Then {after they had finished building the ark/boat,} Yahweh told/commanded Noah,” or “{When/After the ark/boat was finished,} Yahweh told/commanded Noah,” For some languages it may be necessary to make it explicit that the boat was completed before Yahweh told Noah to enter it. Do what is best in your language.
7:1 hvzy בֹּֽא אַתָּ֥ה וְכָל בֵּיתְךָ֖ אֶל הַתֵּבָ֑ה 1 “Enter/Board the ark/boat, along with your entire family,” or “You and your entire household/family must go/get into the ark/boat,” See how you translated “ark/boat” in Gen 6:14-16.
7:1 el0w כִּֽי & רָאִ֛יתִי 1 “because I have found” or “because I see/know”
7:1 cg2s אֹתְךָ֥ & צַדִּ֥יק 1 “{that} you {alone} {are} upright” or “{that} you {are} {the only one who is} living righteously/rightly” or “...living the right way”. In the Hebrew text, the pronoun “you” is emphasized to show that Noah was the only one who was righteous. See how you translated “righteous” in Gen 6:9.
7:1 ifig לְפָנַ֖י 1 “in my sight/eyes/opinion” or “according to my standards/will”
7:1 jbhc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בַּדּ֥וֹר הַזֶּֽה 1 “among the people living today.” For some languages it may be more natural to put this phrase earlier in this verse and say, “...you {are} {the only one} among the people living today {who is} righteous in my sight.” Do what is best in your language.
7:2 plj4 מִכֹּ֣ל הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה הַטְּהוֹרָ֗ה 1 “From every {kind of} pure animal” or “From every {kind of} animal that is acceptable to sacrifice”. It may be necessary to include a footnote that explains the concept of clean and unclean animals: In the Bible a “clean animal” was an animal that was acceptable to be sacrificed to God or to be eaten, and an “unclean animal” was one that could not be sacrificed or eaten; it does not refer to how clean the animal was physically. Later Moses wrote down the laws about clean and unclean animals in the book of Leviticus.
7:2 f83c rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular תִּֽקַּח לְךָ֛ 1 “bring with you”. The pronoun “you” is singular in the Hebrew text, but could be translated as a plural to include Noah’s family.
7:2 mvwj שִׁבְעָ֥ה שִׁבְעָ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשְׁתּ֑וֹ 1 “seven male and female pairs”. See how you translated “male and female” in Gen 6:19.
7:2 lwul וּמִן הַבְּהֵמָ֡ה אֲ֠שֶׁר לֹ֣א טְהֹרָ֥ה 1 “and from {every kind of} unclean/impure animal” or “and from {every kind of} animal that is not acceptable to sacrifice”
7:2 wv9k rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure שְׁנַ֖יִם אִ֥ישׁ וְאִשְׁתּֽוֹ 1 “{take} a/one male and female pair,” For some languages it may be better to change the order of the phrases in this sentence and say, “Take with you seven male and female pairs of every {kind of} clean/pure animal, and {one} male and female pair of {every kind of} unclean/impure animal,” Do what is best in your language.
7:3 yls2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure שִׁבְעָ֥ה שִׁבְעָ֖ה זָכָ֣ר וּנְקֵבָ֑ה 1 “{take} seven male and female pairs”. See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 2. Also, for some languages it may be better to put this phrase earlier in this sentence and say, “Also {take} seven male and female pairs of {every kind of} bird {that flies} in the sky/air,...” Do what is best in your language.
7:4 yy52 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit כִּי֩ 1 “{You must do that,} because” or “The reason {you must do that} is”. For many languages it is more natural to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
7:4 dftv לְיָמִ֨ים ע֜וֹד שִׁבְעָ֗ה 1 “seven days from now/today”. The phrase, “seven more days” could be translated “another week” here and in verse 11. However, it is probably best to keep the number seven in the text in both places, especially since the number seven often signifies perfection or completion in the Bible, perhaps also here.
7:4 xtx7 אָֽנֹכִי֙ מַמְטִ֣יר 1 “I will make it rain {continuously}” or “I will send rain”
7:4 tldc עַל הָאָ֔רֶץ 1 “{all} over the earth/world”
7:4 oj9l אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים לָ֑יְלָה 1 “{for} forty days and nights,” This refers to forty complete 24-hour days.
7:4 g4jc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וּמָחִ֗יתִי 1 “in order to wipe/blot out” or “That will wash away” or “In that way, I will completely destroy”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated this idiom in Gen 6:7.
7:4 r62g אֶֽת כָּל הַיְקוּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֔יתִי 1 “every living creature that I have made” or “all the living things/creatures that I have made”. See how you translated a similar phrase (“living creature”) in Gen 6:19.
7:4 ne24 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure מֵעַ֖ל פְּנֵ֥י הָֽאֲדָמָֽה 1 “off/from the surface of the earth.” or “off/from the earth/land.” It may be clearer to put this phrase earlier in the sentence and say, “in order to completely destroy from/off the ground/earth every living creature/thing that I have made.” Do what is best in your language. See how you translated this phrase in Gen 6:7.
7:6 r7or rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-numbers וְנֹ֕חַ בֶּן שֵׁ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה וְהַמַּבּ֣וּל 1 “Noah/He was 600 years old”. See how you handled large numbers in Gen 5 and in Gen 6:3, and see the note about this at Gen 5:3. Also see how you translated the idiom “son of...years” in Gen 5:32.
7:6 j0wg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְהַמַּבּ֣וּל הָיָ֔ה מַ֖יִם עַל הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “when the flood covered the earth.” or “when the earth was covered/flooded with deep water.” For some languages it may be more natural to put this clause first in this sentence and say, “When the flood waters came on the earth, Noah was 600 years old.” Do what is best in your language. Also, see how you translated “floodwaters” in Gen 6:17.
7:7 xwa2 וַיָּ֣בֹא נֹ֗חַ וּ֠בָנָיו וְאִשְׁתּ֧וֹ וּנְשֵֽׁי בָנָ֛יו אִתּ֖וֹ אֶל הַתֵּבָ֑ה 1 “{That is when} Noah/he and his wife, and his sons and their wives, went together into the ark/boat”. Noah and his family entered the ark on the same day that the floodwaters started coming (See verses 11-13). See how you translated a similar list of people in Gen 6:18.
7:8 ca9u וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר רֹמֵ֖שׂ עַל הָֽאֲדָמָֽה 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “including every {kind of creature/animal} that moves/lives on land,” or “which includes every {kind of creature/animal} that moves/lives on land,” According to this interpretation, the rest of verse 8 emphasizes that the clean and unclean animals and birds (verses 2-3, 8) were all creatures that lived on land (which are the creatures that the flood affected). (2) “as well as every {kind of} creature/animal that crawls/creeps along the ground”. According to this interpretation, the rest of verse 8 refers to a fourth category of creatures besides the clean animals, unclean animals, and birds.
7:9 nob2 שְׁנַ֨יִם שְׁנַ֜יִם בָּ֧אוּ אֶל נֹ֛חַ אֶל הַתֵּבָ֖ה 1 “came to Noah in pairs {and came/went} into the ark/boat,” or “came in pairs and entered the ark/boat with Noah,”
7:9 nt73 זָכָ֣ר וּנְקֵבָ֑ה 1 “{They were} male and female pairs,” or “Each pair had one male and one female,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
7:9 vu6n כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת נֹֽחַ 1 “which was exactly what God had commanded/told Noah/him {to take/bring along}.”
7:10 e3k7 וַֽיְהִ֖י 1 “So it happened {that}” or “Then”. This phrase focuses attention on an important event (the beginning of the flood), and it builds suspense so that readers and listeners wonder what will happen next. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language.
7:10 v4ou rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit לְשִׁבְעַ֣ת הַיָּמִ֑ים 1 “when the seven days {that God had spoken about} had passed,” or “after seven days,” This phrase refers to the seven days which God talked about in verse 4. It does not mean seven days after Noah and the animals went into the ark (verses 7-9); they went into the ark on the same day that the flood started (verse 13). Translate the beginning of this sentence in a way that makes that clear.
7:11 h4ya rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal בִּשְׁנַ֨ת שֵׁשׁ־מֵא֤וֹת שָׁנָה֙ לְחַיֵּי נֹ֔חַ 1 “When Noah was 600 years old,” Compare how you translated Noah’s age in verse 6.
7:11 e0a6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ֙ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י בְּשִׁבְעָֽה עָשָׂ֥ר י֖וֹם לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ 1 “on the seventeenth day of the second month {of the year},” For some languages it is more natural to switch the phrase order and say which day it is before giving the month. Do what is natural in your language.
7:11 dtni rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure נִבְקְעוּ֙ 1 “split/ripped open,” or “started gushing/pouring out water,” For some languages it may be more natural to put this phrase earlier and say, “water started gushing/pouring out of all the fountains/springs in the deep ocean,” Do what is best in your language.
7:11 d3i9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וַאֲרֻבֹּ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם נִפְתָּֽחוּ 1 “and {all} the windows/floodgates in the heavens/sky were opened {by God},” or “{God also caused} the water in the heavens/sky to start coming/pouring down, as if he had opened {huge} windows/floodgates/faucets {in the heavens/sky},”
7:12 uyzz וַֽיְהִ֥י הַגֶּ֖שֶׁם 1 “so that {torrential/heavy} rain fell/poured {continuously}” or “so that it rained {continuously}”
7:12 gvln עַל הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “{all} over the earth”
7:12 itlr אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים לָֽיְלָה 1 “{for} forty days and nights.” See how you translated this phrase in verse 4.
7:13 enc3 בְּעֶ֨צֶם הַיּ֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ 1 “{So it was/happened that} on the {very} same day {that the flood/rain started},” This is the same day that is mentioned in verse 11, when the flood started. Verses 13-16 repeat what happened, in order to emphasize it. Make sure that a translation does not sound like this is the second (or third) time that Noah and his family and the animals entered the ark.
7:13 m0hx נֹ֔חַ וְשֵׁם וְחָ֥ם וָיֶ֖פֶת בְּנֵי נֹ֑חַ וְאֵ֣שֶׁת נֹ֗חַ וּשְׁלֹ֧שֶׁת נְשֵֽׁי בָנָ֛יו אִתָּ֖ם 1 “Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, along with his wife and his sons’ three wives {all}” or “Noah and his wife and his/their sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their three wives {all}”. See how you translated a similar sentence in verse 7.
7:13 q42f בָּ֣א & אֶל הַתֵּבָֽה 1 “entered/boarded the ark/boat,”
7:14 u7hi הֵ֜מָּה וְכָל 1 “They had/took with them every”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
7:14 qs6f וְכָל הַֽחַיָּ֣ה לְמִינָ֗הּ וְכָל 1 In the Hebrew text this phrase is ambiguous. It can mean (1) “every kind of living thing/creature, including every” (2) “every kind of wild animal, and every”. The animal groups listed in verse 14 show that every kind of animal was to be brought onto the ark. Your language may have a different way of grouping animals. Make sure it is clear in your translation of this verse that all the different kinds of birds and land animals are included.
7:14 nbh7 וְכָל הַבְּהֵמָה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ 1 “every kind of livestock,” or “every kind of domestic/tame animal,”
7:14 cm34 וְכָל הָרֶ֛מֶשׂ הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל הָאָ֖רֶץ לְמִינֵ֑הוּ 1 In the Hebrew text, this phrase is ambiguous. It can mean (1) “and every {other} kind of creature/animal that moves/lives on the earth/land,” which seems to fit this context best. (2) “and every kind of creature/animal that crawls on the ground,”
7:14 hfxm וְכָל הָע֣וֹף לְמִינֵ֔הוּ כֹּ֖ל צִפּ֥וֹר כָּל כָּנָֽף 1 “and every kind of bird {and} everything {else} that has wings.” or “and every kind of bird {and} every {other} {kind of} creature that flies.” This phrase probably refers not only to birds, but also to other creatures that have wings and fly, such as bats and insects.
7:15 an75 וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל נֹ֖חַ אֶל הַתֵּבָ֑ה 1 “They came to Noah {and went/came} into the ark,” or “They entered the ark with Noah,” See how you translated a similar clause in verse 9.
7:15 ob0n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche שְׁנַ֤יִם שְׁנַ֨יִם֙ מִכָּל הַבָּשָׂ֔ר 1 “pairs of every {kind of} creature/animal” or “pairs of every {kind of} living thing/creature”. The word “flesh” refers here to any kind of creature or animal.
7:15 kzj8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֲשֶׁר בּ֖וֹ ר֥וּחַ חַיִּֽים 1 “that breathes {air}.” See how you translated this phrase in Gen 6:17. For some languages it may be better to change the order of the clauses in this verse and say, “Pairs of every {kind of} living thing that breathes {air} came to Noah {and went} into the boat.” Do what is best in your language.
7:16 ihzf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-go וְהַבָּאִ֗ים 1 “The pairs/animals that went/came into {the ark/boat}” or “Those animals”. Consider whether it is better in your language to use “went” or “came” here. Also consider again how you translated “went” in verses 7, 9, 13, and 15.
7:16 wggh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche מִכָּל בָּשָׂר֙ 1 “from/of every {kind of} creature/animal,” or “from/of every {kind of} living thing,” See how you translated “all flesh” in verse 15.
7:16 an9a בָּ֔אוּ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה אֹת֖וֹ אֱלֹהִ֑ים 1 “which was exactly what God had commanded him/Noah {to take/bring along}.” See how you translated “just as God commanded him” in verse 9.
7:16 blj8 וַיִּסְגֹּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה בַּֽעֲדֽוֹ 1 “After that, Yahweh shut them in/inside {the ark/boat}.” or “Then {after they were all inside,} Yahweh shut/closed the door {of the ark/boat} behind him/them.”
7:17 z3pc rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-sequential וַֽיְהִ֧י הַמַּבּ֛וּל 1 “After that the floodwaters/water kept getting deeper and deeper” or “The floodwaters/water kept coming”. Some translations begin this sentence without a conjunction. Do what is natural in your language. Also, notice that verses 17-20 talk about the forty days and nights that the flood kept getting deeper and deeper.
7:17 xy2v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אַרְבָּעִ֥ים י֖וֹם 1 “{for} forty days {and forty nights},” For some languages it may be more natural to put this time phrase first in this sentence and say, “{For} forty days {and forty nights} the flood kept getting deeper and deeper {all} over the earth,” Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated this phrase in verse 12.
7:17 xs45 וַיִּשְׂאוּ֙ אֶת הַתֵּבָ֔ה וַתָּ֖רָם מֵעַ֥ל הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “it lifted up the ark/boat so that it floated {on the water} {high} above the earth/ground.” or “it made the ark/boat lift/rise up off the ground and float.”
7:18 dkud rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וַיִּגְבְּר֥וּ הַמַּ֛יִם 1 “So the floodwaters continued to rise and get much deeper/higher” or “Yes, the floodwaters/water continued...” or “The floodwaters/water continued...” Verse 18 repeats some of verse 17 to emphasize what happened. Consider what is the best way to begin this sentence in your language.
7:19 cjmw וְהַמַּ֗יִם גָּֽבְר֛וּ מְאֹ֥ד מְאֹ֖ד עַל הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “At last, the waters became very deep on/over the earth/world, so that” or “Eventually the water became so high/deep on/over the earth/world that”
7:19 p6av rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַיְכֻסּ֗וּ 1 “were covered {with/by water}.” or “were submerged {in/under water}.” or “were under water.” For some languages it is better to use an active form of the verb here and say, “Eventually the water became so deep on the earth that it {even} covered all the highest mountains under the entire sky.” Do what is best in your language.
7:20 yd7f rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-bdistance חֲמֵ֨שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה אַמָּה֙ מִלְמַ֔עְלָה גָּבְר֖וּ הַמָּ֑יִם 1 “{In fact,} the water rose {at least} seven meters above {the tops of} the {highest} mountains,” or “{In fact,} the {highest} mountain tops were covered with/by {at least} twenty-two feet of water,” See how you translated “cubits” in Gen 6:15-16.
7:20 aidy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַיְכֻסּ֖וּ הֶהָרִֽים 1 “so that they were {completely} covered {with/by water}.” or “...{completely} submerged {in/under water}.” or “...{completely} under water.” See how you translated “were covered” in verse 19.
7:21 j1r4 וַיִּגְוַ֞ע כָּל בָּשָׂ֣ר 1 “Then all the creatures/beings” or “Then every creature” or “Then every living thing”. This phrase refers to everything listed in verse 21, including people. See how you translated this phrase in Gen 6:17.
7:21 jg81 הָרֹמֵ֣שׂ עַל הָאָ֗רֶץ 1 “that moved/lived on the ground” or “that lived on land”
7:21 dnqo rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּגְוַ֞ע 1 “breathed out {its last breath},” or “died/perished,” See how you translated this idiom in Gen 6:17.
7:21 wh52 בָּע֤וֹף וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙ 1 “That included {all} the birds, the livestock,” or “including {all} the birds, the domestic/tame animals,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
7:21 zw53 וּבַ֣חַיָּ֔ה 1 In the Hebrew text this phrase is ambiguous. It can mean (1) “and the {other} living things/creatures” (2) “and the wild animals”
7:21 edpc וּבְכָל הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵ֣ץ עַל הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “including every {kind of} creature/animal that lived in large groups/numbers on the earth,”
7:21 q5y5 וְכֹ֖ל הָאָדָֽם 1 “in addition to all the human beings.” or “as well as all the people.”
7:22 vfi8 כֹּ֡ל אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁמַת ר֨וּחַ חַיִּ֜ים בְּאַפָּ֗יו 1 “Every living creature/thing that breathed air”. See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 15.
7:22 impv מִכֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר בֶּחָֽרָבָ֖ה מֵֽתוּ 1 “and was/lived on dry land died.”
7:23 mudq וַיִּ֜מַח 1 “That is how Yahweh washed away” or “In that way, Yahweh blotted out” or “...completely destroyed”. See how you translated this idiom in verse 4.
7:23 k1dj אֶֽת כָּל הַיְק֣וּם 1 “every living creature” or “all living things/creatures”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 4.
7:23 lthw אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֗ה 1 “that {was/lived} on the surface of the earth,” or “that {were/lived} on the earth/land,” See how you translated “the surface of the ground” in verse 4.
7:23 fnpu עַד בְּהֵמָה֙ עַד רֶ֨מֶשׂ֙ 1 “and {all} the livestock and {all the other} creatures/animals that moved/lived {on the ground/land}” or “and {all} the animals, including smaller creatures/animals that crawl/move {on/along the ground}”
7:23 qtlr וְעַד ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם 1 “and also the birds {that flew} in the sky.” or “and also the birds.” Some languages leave out the phrase “of the sky” because it is not natural. Do what is best in your language.
7:23 ugs2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּמָּח֖וּ מִן הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “{All of} them were {completely} wiped/washed off the earth {by Yahweh/God},” or “He/God completely destroyed them all from the earth,” or “Yes, he/God completely destroyed everything {that lived} on the earth,” See how you translated “wipe...off” in verse 4.
7:23 sm4h וַיִשָּׁ֧אֶר אַךְ נֹ֛חַ 1 “so that only Noah was left/still alive, along with” or “so that the only ones who were left/still alive were Noah and” or “Only Noah survived, along with”. Some translations leave out the first conjunction and begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
7:23 qord וַֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ בַּתֵּבָֽה 1 “and his family and the animals that were with him/them in the ark/boat.” or “along with his family...”
7:24 j5a8 וַיִּגְבְּר֥וּ הַמַּ֖יִם עַל 1 “{Deep} water continued to flood/cover” or “The floodwaters stayed/remained deep/high over”
7:24 p4ot rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-numbers הָאָ֑רֶץ חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּמְאַ֖ת יֽוֹם 1 “the {entire} earth/world {for} 150 days.” See how you handled a large number in verse 6.
8:intro z61w 0 # Genesis 8 General Notes\n## Structure and formatting\n\nSome translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the poetry in 8:22, which is part of what Yahweh was telling Noah.\n\n## Special concepts in this chapter\n\n### Flood waters\nThe waters receded after this great flood. Because there was so much water, and it came from God, it is described in a unique way.\n\n### The mountains of Ararat\nIt is unclear where Ararat was located. Many people believe it is located in the modern country of Turkey.
8:1 vjhe rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ 1 “God kept in mind” or “But God did not forget” or “God never forgot”. The phrase “God remembered” is an idiom in the Bible that often means God was paying special attention to certain people and was about to do something. Make sure that the way you translate this phrase does not imply that God had forgotten about Noah.
8:1 yash rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אֶת נֹ֔חַ 1 “Noah {and his family}”. Noah is the one that the author is focusing on here, but Noah’s family is also included. Consider whether or not you need to make that explicit in your translation.
8:1 zvki וְאֵ֤ת כָּל הַֽחַיָּה֙ וְאֶת 1 In the Hebrew text this phrase is ambiguous. It can mean (1) “and all the creatures/animals, including” (2) “and all the wild animals and”. See how you translated “living thing” in Gen 7:14.
8:1 ujic rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כָּל הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ בַּתֵּבָ֑ה 1 “all the domestic/tame animals that {were} with him/them in the ark/boat,” Some translations combine this phrase with the previous phrase and say, “and all the animals, both wild and tame/domestic, that {were} with him/them in the ark/boat.” Do what is best in your language.
8:1 vu2u rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיַּעֲבֵ֨ר אֱלֹהִ֥ים ר֨וּחַ֙ עַל 1 “and he sent a wind over” or “So God/he caused/sent a wind to blow over”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
8:1 u9g1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיָּשֹׁ֖כּוּ הַמָּֽיִם 1 “so that the floodwaters/water {started to} recede/decrease.” or “so that the water {level} {started to} go down.” Notice that the floodwaters did not go all the way down until verse 14, so the way you translate this clause should allow for that.
8:2 u995 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַיִּסָּֽכְרוּ֙ מַעְיְנֹ֣ת תְּה֔וֹם וַֽאֲרֻבֹּ֖ת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם 1 “{He also caused} the fountains/springs in the deep {ocean} to stop {gushing out water}, and {he caused} the rain/water to stop pouring from the sky,” or “{God/He also} stopped the water from {gushing out of} springs/places at the bottom of the ocean, and the rain from pouring/coming from the heavens/sky,” See how you translated some of the same words and phrases in Gen 7:11.
8:2 q4gv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַיִּכָּלֵ֥א הַגֶּ֖שֶׁם מִן הַשָּׁמָֽיִם 1 “so that rain stopped falling/coming from the sky.” or “so that it stopped raining.” Consider whether it is better in your language to use an active or a passive verb here, and in the previous clause.
8:3 vzel מִקְצֵ֕ה חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּמְאַ֖ת יֽוֹם 1 “so that after the 150 days {had passed},” or “After the 150 days {had passed},” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also make sure it is clear in your translation that the 150 days mentioned here in Gen 8:3 are the same 150 days mentioned in Gen 7:24, not two different periods of time.
8:3 rxcd הַמַּ֔יִם 1 “the water {level}” or “it”. Make sure the way you translate this phrase fits with the way you translated the beginning of the verse.
8:4 w92a rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י בְּשִׁבְעָה עָשָׂ֥ר י֖וֹם לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ 1 “on the seventeenth day of the seventh month {of the year},” See how you translated a similar time phrase in Gen 7:11.
8:4 xogo rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche עַ֖ל הָרֵ֥י 1 “on a mountain” or “on {one of} the mountains”. The ark landed on one mountain in a mountain range.
8:5 ao6h rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure עַ֖ד הַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָֽעֲשִׂירִ֑י בָּֽעֲשִׂירִי֙ בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ 1 “until the tenth month {of the year}. On the first day of that month,” or “until on the first {day} of the tenth month {of the year},” See how you translated a similar time phrase in verse 4.
8:5 gs9e rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit נִרְא֖וּ 1 “could be seen {above the water} {by Noah}.” or “became visible {above the water}.” or “appeared {above the surface of the water}.”
8:6 dbs8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַֽיְהִ֕י מִקֵּ֖ץ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֑וֹם 1 “After forty {more} days {had passed},” The phrase “Then it happened” focuses attention on what happens next, and it builds suspense so that readers and listeners wonder what the outcome will be. Some translations leave this phrase out, but that loses some of the suspense. Do what is best in your language.
8:6 cff8 וַיִּפְתַּ֣ח נֹ֔חַ אֶת חַלּ֥וֹן 1 “Noah opened a window”. It is not clear when Noah made this window. It may refer to the opening around the top of the walls of the ark (Gen 6:16) or a different window that he made sometime later.
8:7 wdl3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknowns אֶת הָֽעֹרֵ֑ב 1 “{a large black bird called} a raven”. A raven is a large, black scavenger bird that eats whatever it finds, including dead animals. If the people in your language area are not familiar with ravens, you could make a comparison to a similar bird that they are familiar with and say, “a large black bird {like a...}” Or you could include a footnote that explains what a raven is.
8:7 ncnh וַיֵּצֵ֤א יָצוֹא֙ וָשׁ֔וֹב 1 “which kept/continued flying back and forth {outside the ark/boat}” or “but it kept flying around {outside the ark/boat}”
8:7 e1go עַד & הַמַּ֖יִם 1 “until the water/floodwaters”
8:7 r082 יְבֹ֥שֶׁת & מֵעַ֥ל הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “had dried up {more} from the ground/land.” This phrase refers to the ground/land (as verse 8 confirms), not the entire planet.
8:8 xr9x rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-simultaneous וַיְשַׁלַּ֥ח 1 “Then/Meanwhile he/Noah {also} sent out” or “Then/Meanwhile he/Noah {also} released”. The events in verse 8 happened while the raven was still flying back and forth (verse 7). Consider what conjunction best communicates that in your language.
8:8 ijuq rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown אֶת הַיּוֹנָ֖ה מֵאִתּ֑וֹ 1 “a dove that was with him” or “a dove from the ark/boat” or “a {small bird called a} dove”. A dove is a small, white or gray bird that makes a cooing sound. If doves are unknown in your language area, you could make a comparison to a similar bird they are familiar with and say, “a small white/gray bird {like a...}” Or you could include a footnote that explains what a dove is.
8:8 c4yx לִרְאוֹת֙ הֲקַ֣לּוּ הַמַּ֔יִם 1 “to find out if/whether the floodwaters/water had receded”
8:9 mgxp rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וְלֹֽא־מָצְאָה֩ הַיּוֹנָ֨ה 1 “But the dove could not find” or “But it was not able to find”. Consider what is the best way to refer to the dove at this point in the paragraph in your language.
8:9 fpmf מָנ֜וֹחַ לְכַף רַגְלָ֗הּ 1 “anywhere to land/perch and rest,” In Hebrew the word “dove” is grammatically a feminine noun (for both male and female doves), so some translations say “her feet...she returned...” here. For languages such as English that do not assign grammatical gender to nouns, it is more accurate to use “its” and “it” here, because it is not known whether this dove was male or female. Do what is best in your language.
8:9 g9b8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּי מַ֖יִם עַל פְּנֵ֣י כָל הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “because water was {still} covering the entire earth/world.” Some languages may have to switch the clause order in this verse and say, “But water was {still} covering the entire earth/world, so the dove did/could not find a resting place for its feet. Then it returned to Noah at the boat, and he/Noah reached...” Do what is best in your language.
8:10 y0bi rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וַיָּ֣חֶל ע֔וֹד 1 “He/Noah waited”. Consider whether it is better in your language to begin this sentence with or without a conjunction.
8:10 swvu שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים 1 “seven more days,”
8:10 nxwx וַיֹּ֛סֶף שַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת הַיּוֹנָ֖ה מִן הַתֵּבָֽה 1 “then he sent the dove out from the ark/boat another time.” or “then he released the dove from the ark/boat again.”
8:11 b9p3 וַתָּבֹ֨א אֵלָ֤יו הַיּוֹנָה֙ לְעֵ֣ת עֶ֔רֶב 1 “That evening the dove returned to him/Noah,” or “When it was evening, the dove returned to him/Noah,”
8:11 wm5e rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown עֲלֵה זַ֖יִת טָרָ֣ף בְּפִ֑יהָ 1 “{it was holding} a newly picked {green} leaf from an olive tree in its mouth/beak.” or “{the dove had} a {green} leaf in its mouth/beak that it had just picked/taken from an olive tree.” An olive tree produces small, oval, green fruit that has a hard pit. Olives are used for food and as a source of cooking oil. If olive trees are unknown in your language area, you could include a footnote about them.
8:11 noj3 קַ֥לּוּ 1 “had receded” or “had gone down {more/further}”. See how you translated “subsided” in verse 8, and how you translated three other Hebrew words with similar meanings In verses 1, 3, and 5.
8:11 oy8e מֵעַ֥ל הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “from the ground/land.” See how you translated this phrase in verse 7.
8:12 rnay rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וְלֹֽא יָסְפָ֥ה שׁוּב אֵלָ֖יו עֽוֹד 1 “but {this time} it did not come back to him again {because it found a dry place to land/live}.” Remember to only make implied information explicit in a translation if it helps readers’ understanding, or if it is necessary to prevent wrong meaning or incorrect grammar.
8:13 o42y בְּאַחַ֨ת וְשֵׁשׁ־מֵא֜וֹת שָׁנָ֗ה 1 “In {his/Noah’s} 601st year,” or “when {Noah was} 601 years old,” See how you translated a similar phrase in Gen 7:11.
8:13 in0r rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal בָּֽרִאשׁוֹן֙ בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ 1 “in the first {month} {of the year}, on the first {day} of the month,” or “on the first {day} of the first month {of the year},”
8:13 w07v חָֽרְב֥וּ הַמַּ֖יִם 1 “the water was drying up” or “the water had {almost} dried up”. Make sure your translation of this phrase fits with the fact that the ground was not yet dry enough to get out of the ark. That did not happen until the end of the second month (verse 14).
8:13 nmrd מֵעַ֣ל הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “from the ground/land.”
8:13 zuj2 וַיָּ֤סַר נֹ֨חַ֙ 1 “So Noah/he took off {part of}” or “made an opening in”
8:13 leq8 אֶת מִכְסֵ֣ה הַתֵּבָ֔ה 1 “the roof that was covering the ark/boat” or “the roof of the ark/boat”
8:13 kuyo וַיַּ֕רְא 1 “and looked {around/out},”
8:13 sg80 וְהִנֵּ֥ה 1 “and indeed,” or “and he saw that”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 11.
8:13 nh2g פְּנֵ֥י הָֽאֲדָמָֽה 1 “the land’s surface” or “the ground/land”
8:14 j99d וּבַחֹ֨דֶשׁ֙ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י בְּשִׁבְעָ֧ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים י֖וֹם לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ 1 “Then by the twenty-seventh day of the second month {of the year},” See how you translated similar time phrases in verses 4, 5, and 13.
8:14 bys7 הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “the land/ground”. Notice that the land/ground was dry here, not the entire earth. Consider again how you translated this phrase in verses 3, 7, 11, 13-14.
8:14 r70v יָבְשָׁ֖ה 1 “had dried off.” In this context “dry” means that the ground was dry enough to walk on and live on without getting stuck in mud. Make sure your translation does not imply that it was so dry that nothing would grow on it (like a desert).
8:15 hn11 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל נֹ֥חַ לֵאמֹֽר 1 “Then/So God said to Noah,” or “Then God commanded Noah,” See how you translated “said to Noah” in Gen 7:1.
8:16 so3f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-go צֵ֖א מִן הַתֵּבָ֑ה 1 “Come out of/from the ark/boat” or “Disembark from the ark/boat”. Consider whether “come” or “go” is more natural here in your language. Also, some languages have a special term for getting off a boat that fits well here. Do what is best in your language.
8:17 u569 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-go הוצא אִתָּ֑ךְ 1 “Bring/Take with you” or “Bring/Take out”. Consider whether “bring” or “take” is more natural here in your language.
8:17 nn5n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche מִכָּל בָּשָׂ֗ר 1 “all the animals,” or “all of them,” See how you translated “flesh” in Gen 7:15-16.
8:17 guxs בָּע֧וֹף וּבַבְּהֵמָ֛ה 1 “including the birds, domestic/tame animals,”
8:17 ii1h וּבְכָל הָרֶ֛מֶשׂ הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ 1 In the Hebrew text this phrase is ambiguous. It can mean (1) “and every {other} creature/animal that moves/lives”, which seems to fit this context best since it is general and includes all the land animals that were not birds or livestock. (2) “and every creature/animal that crawls”, which is more specific and refers to animals like lizards, snakes, mice, and other animals that have bodies that are close to the ground.
8:17 qfw9 עַל הָאָ֖רֶץ 1 “on the ground,” or “on land,”
8:17 ubmo וְשָֽׁרְצ֣וּ בָאָ֔רֶץ 1 “Then they will/can live/spread all over the earth/world”
8:17 vpty rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism וּפָר֥וּ 2 “{yes,} they will have many offspring/young”. The rest of verse 17 forms a parallelism with “abound on the earth” that emphasizes filling the earth again with animals. Make sure your translation does not sound like this refers to separate events.
8:17 kz24 וְרָב֖וּ 1 “and increase {in number}” or “and become {very} numerous/many”. See how you translated “be fruitful” and “multiply” in Gen 1:22, 28.
8:17 oe06 עַל הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “{all} over the earth/world.” or “throughout the earth.”
8:18 m38a rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-go וַיֵּ֖צֵא נֹ֑חַ 1 “Then/So Noah went/came out {of the ark/boat},” or “Then/So Noah disembarked {from the ark/boat},” or “Then/So Noah got off {the ark/boat},”
8:18 fxvc וּבָנָ֛יו וְאִשְׁתּ֥וֹ וּנְשֵֽׁי בָנָ֖יו אִתּֽוֹ 1 “and his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives {went} with him.” or “along/together with his wife and his sons and their wives.” See how you translated this list of Noah’s family members (and similar lists) in Gen 6:18; 7:7, 13; 8:16. Notice that the order of the people in this list varies in the Hebrew text, perhaps depending on who is in focus in each context.
8:19 f790 כָּל הַֽחַיָּ֗ה 1 “Every living creature,” or “All the animals,”
8:19 ohu5 כָּל הָרֶ֨מֶשׂ֙ 1 “{including} every animal/creature that crawls” or “{including} all the animals/creatures that crawl”
8:19 uqhw וְכָל הָע֔וֹף 1 “and all the birds”
8:19 tfez כֹּ֖ל 1 “{yes,} every creature” or “{and} everything {else}”
8:19 la0w רוֹמֵ֣שׂ עַל הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “that moves/lives on the ground,” or “that lives on land,” This phrase refers here to the land, not the entire planet earth. See how you translated this phrase in verse 17.
8:19 s8uv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-go יָצְא֖וּ מִן־הַתֵּבָֽה 1 “{also} went/came out of the ark/boat”. Consider again how you translated “go/come out” and “went/came out” and “bring/take out” in verses 16-19. Notice that your choices are affected by your perspective: whether the viewpoint is from inside the ark or whether the viewpoint is from outside the ark. Do what is natural in your language.
8:20 ap9x rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וַיִּ֥בֶן נֹ֛חַ מִזְבֵּ֖חַ 1 “Then Noah built/made an altar {out of large stones}” or “Then Noah built/made a {sacrifice} table/mound {with large stones}”. An altar was an elevated, often table-shaped structure made out of stones where certain animals and crops were burned as sacrifices to God.
8:20 penu וַיִּקַּ֞ח 1 “Then/Next he selected/chose”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
8:20 ehez מִכֹּ֣ל הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה הַטְּהוֹרָ֗ה וּמִכֹּל֙ הָע֣וֹף הַטָּהֹ֔ר 1 “{some/one} from/of every {kind of} clean/pure animal and {some/one of} every {kind of} clean/pure bird,” or “{some/one} from/of every {kind of} animal and bird that are acceptable to sacrifice”. In the Bible, a “clean” animal or bird is one that is acceptable to be sacrificed to God or eaten; it does not refer to how clean the animal or bird was physically. See how you translated this term in Gen 7:2, 8.
8:20 rdoh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיַּ֥עַל עֹלֹ֖ת בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ 1 “and he {killed them and} offered/sacrificed them as burnt offerings {to Yahweh} on the altar.” or “and he {killed them and} burned {their bodies} on the altar as offerings/gifts {to Yahweh} {to worship/honor/thank him}.” Notice that animals were not burned alive, but were killed first. Consider whether or not you need to make that information explicit in your translation.
8:21 rabn וַיָּ֣רַח יְהוָה֮ אֶת רֵ֣יחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ֒ 1 “Yahweh smelled the pleasant/sweet aroma/smell {of the sacrifices},” or “When Yahweh smelled the aroma {of the sacrifices}, he was pleased,”
8:21 pjky rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־לִבּ֗וֹ 1 “and/so he said/thought to himself,” Consider whether your language has this idiom or a similar idiom that would work well here, or whether it is better to translate this without an idiom.
8:21 wfkp rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms לֹֽא־אֹ֠סִף לְקַלֵּ֨ל ע֤וֹד אֶת־הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ 1 “I will never again curse/devastate the ground/earth”. Make sure that your translation of “curse” does not imply the use of magic.
8:21 oonb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom כִּ֠י יֵ֣צֶר לֵ֧ב הָאָדָ֛ם רַ֖ע 1 “{even} though the intentions/desires of their hearts/minds/thinking {are} evil” or “{even} though everything they desire {is} evil”. See how you translated “inclination” in a similar phrase in Gen 6:5.
8:21 eku1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לְהַכּ֥וֹת 1 “destroy/annihilate/kill”. Consider whether your language has this idiom or a similar idiom that fits well here.
8:22 xw8i rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism וְקֹ֨ר וָחֹ֜ם 1 “cold {weather/season} and hot {weather/season},” These terms form a parallelism with “summer and winter”. If possible, it is best to keep both parts of the parallelism in your translation, since each part has a different emphasis.
8:22 io1a וְקַ֧יִץ וָחֹ֛רֶף 1 “summer and winter,” The seasons of summer and winter may be described differently depending on which part of the world your language area is located in. For example, some translations might use the terms “dry season” and “rainy/wet season”, depending on what best corresponds to summer and winter in that area.
8:22 zj8p rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לֹ֥א יִשְׁבֹּֽתוּ 1 “will never cease/stop.” or “will always continue {to happen/occur} {each year}.” It may be more natural to change the order of this sentence and say, “As long as the earth exists, {each year} there will always be a season/time to plant seeds and a season/time to harvest {crops}, as well as cold {weather} and hot {weather}, winter and summer, and day and night.” Do what is best in your language.
9:intro at1n 0 # Genesis 9 General Notes\n## Structure and formatting\n\nSome translations prefer to set apart extended quotations, prayers or songs. The ULT and many other English translations set the lines of 9:6-7, which is the poetic part of the quotation, farther to the right on the page than the rest of the text. They also set apart 9:25-27, which contains two quotations.\n\nSome translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the poetry in 9:6 and 9:25-27.\n\n## Special concepts in this chapter\n\n### Man’s relationship to animals\nThere is a noticeable shift in man’s relationship with the animals on the earth. Before the flood, there apparently was harmony between man and the animals. After the flood, the animals fear man and man is permitted to eat the animals, something he was not allowed to do previously. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])\n\n### Life in the blood\nThis chapter introduces the concept that there is life in the blood of an animal and in man. In Hebrew thought, blood represents the life present in a living thing. This is an image used throughout Scripture. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/life]] and [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/blood]])\n\n### Covenant with Noah\nGod made a covenant with Noah. This covenant was an unconditional promise God made to never destroy the whole world with a flood. Rainbows are a perpetual sign of this covenant. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/covenant]] and [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/promise]])\n\n### A father’s nakedness\nIn Noah’s culture, it was unacceptable to see a father’s nakedness. It was wrong for Ham to show his brothers their father’s nakedness. Ham’s actions were insulting or disrespectful. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])\n\n## Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter\n\n### “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth”\nThis is a command that God gives. He expects Noah to obey him.
9:1 w3js וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת נֹ֖חַ וְאֶת בָּנָ֑יו 1 “Then God showed favor to Noah and his sons” or “Then God caused Noah and his sons to prosper/flourish”. See how you translated “blessed” in Gen 1:22, 28.
9:1 xsmx rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֧אמֶר לָהֶ֛ם 1 “by saying to them,” or “by saying,” or “He said,” The phrase “blessed … and said” is a Hebrew expression that refers to one event and emphasizes it. It does not refer to two separate events. The words of the blessing are in verses 1-7. See how you translated this phrase in Gen 1:28.
9:1 ptxq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom פְּר֥וּ 1 “Bear/Have many children” or “You will bear/have many children”
9:1 ise7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-goal וּרְב֖וּ 1 “so that you {and your descendants} {will} multiply/increase {greatly} {in number}” or “so that you {and your descendants} {will} become {very} numerous/many”. See how you translated “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” in Gen 1:28.
9:1 wnmi וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “and fill the earth {with people}.” or “and inhabit the whole earth.” or “and live/spread all over the earth/world.”
9:2 izzi rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet וּמוֹרַאֲכֶ֤ם וְחִתְּכֶם֙ יִֽהְיֶ֔ה עַ֚ל כָּל חַיַּ֣ת הָאָ֔רֶץ 1 “Every living thing/creature on the earth will be afraid and terrified of you,” or “All the animals on earth will be very/terribly afraid of you,” The phrase “the fear...and the dread” repeats the same idea in two different ways to emphasize how afraid the creatures were. For some languages it may be better to combine the phrase and say “very afraid/terrified”. Do what is best in your language.
9:2 vgnr וְעַ֖ל כָּל ע֣וֹף 1 “including every bird {that flies/fly} in the sky/air,” or “including all the birds {that flies/fly} in the sky/air,” The birds, moving creatures, and fish are all included in the general category of living creatures. Consider again how you translated “birds of the sky” in the book of Genesis; see Gen 1:26, 28, 30; 2:19-20; 6:7; 7:3, 23; 9:2.
9:2 kksa בְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּרְמֹ֧שׂ 1 “{along} with every creature/animal that moves/lives on land” or “as well as all creatures/animals that move/live on land,”
9:2 vs4q rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom בְּיֶדְכֶ֥ם נִתָּֽנוּ 1 “I have put them {all} under your authority.” or “I have put you in charge of them {all}.” The phrase “into your hand” means God was again giving mankind the responsibility to manage and control all the rest of what God had created. Consider whether your language has a similar idiom that would work well here.
9:3 jhft כָּל רֶ֨מֶשׂ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הוּא חַ֔י 1 “{From now on} every {kind of} living creature/thing that moves” or “{From now on} every creature/animal that is alive and moves”. See how you translated “every moving creature” in Gen 1:26, and see the note about that there. It may be necessary to translate this phrase in different ways in different contexts.
9:3 qntp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לָכֶ֥ם יִהְיֶ֖ה לְאָכְלָ֑ה 1 “is yours {to eat} as food.” or “is available for you {to eat} as food.” For some languages it is more natural to change the order of this sentence and say, “You may {now} have/eat any {kind of} living creature that moves, for food.” or “{I now permit} you to eat every/any {kind of} living creature that moves.” Do what is best in your language.
9:3 h0u4 כְּיֶ֣רֶק עֵ֔שֶׂב 1 “green plants {for food},” or “plants {to eat},” Consider again how you translated “green plants” in Gen 1:30, and how you translated “plants” in Gen 1:11-12, 29; 2:5; 3:18; 9:3.
9:3 lqhk נָתַ֥תִּי לָכֶ֖ם אֶת כֹּֽל 1 “{now} I give/provide you everything {for food}.” or “{so now} I permit you to eat everything.” or “{so now} I permit you to eat both plants and animals.” Make sure that the way you translate this phrase means that God is now permitting people to eat both plants and animals.
9:4 lov7 בָּשָׂ֕ר & לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽלוּ 1 “you must never eat {animal} flesh/meat”
9:4 goma בְּנַפְשׁ֥וֹ דָמ֖וֹ 1 “that still has its life {in it}, {which is in} its blood.” or “with its blood {in it}, which made it live.” or “that still has its lifeblood {in it}.” Since life is in the blood, God did not want people to eat meat that still had its blood in it, rather he wanted them to drain it out first before they cooked it (also see Deuteronomy 12:16, 23). You could put that information in a footnote.
9:5 rp2l וְאַ֨ךְ אֶת דִּמְכֶ֤ם לְנַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם֙ אֶדְרֹ֔שׁ 1 “Also, I will definitely require an accounting/reckoning for your lifeblood.” or “Also, if {one of} you murders anyone, I definitely require that he must die.”
9:5 ok4h rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche מִיַּ֥ד כָּל חַיָּ֖ה 1 “From every/any animal {that kills a person}” or “{In fact,} if any animal {kills a human being},” In this verse, the phrase “the hand of” refers to the animal or the person that is responsible for killing someone.
9:5 hzwk אֶדְרְשֶׁ֑נּוּ 1 “I will demand/require its blood/life,” or “I require it to be killed,” or “I demand/require that it must die,”
9:5 yt01 וּמִיַּ֣ד הָֽאָדָ֗ם 1 “{That is also true} for human beings:” or “and {that is also true} for human beings.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
9:5 e6fe מִיַּד֙ אִ֣ישׁ 1 “If a man/person {kills/murders}” or “If anyone {kills/murders}”
9:5 puht rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche אָחִ֔יו 1 “his/a fellow human being,” or “another person,” This phrase is used here as a general reference to any human being, not just biological brothers.
9:6 n8bs rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom שֹׁפֵךְ֙ דַּ֣ם 1 “{That’s right,} whoever spills the blood of” or “{Yes/Indeed,} if anyone/someone kills/murders” or “Whoever takes the life of”. The first half of verse 6 repeats and summarizes verse 5. The phrase “sheds the blood of” is an idiom that means to deliberately kill someone. Blood is an important concept in this passage and throughout the Bible, so if possible it is best to keep this term in a translation. If that is not possible, you should put the literal text in a footnote.
9:6 xvtg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בָּֽאָדָ֖ם דָּמ֣וֹ יִשָּׁפֵ֑ךְ 1 “people/you must execute him,” or “people/you must put him to death,” or “he must be executed,” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause first in this verse and say, “{That’s right,} you must put to death anyone who murders a human being, because {I,} God, made human beings in my own image.” Do what is best in your language.
9:6 c56p rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person כִּ֚י בְּצֶ֣לֶם אֱלֹהִ֔ים עָשָׂ֖ה אֶת הָאָדָֽם 1 “because {I,} God made/created mankind/people in my {own} image.” or “because I created human beings to be like myself.” Make sure it is clear in your translation that God is referring to himself in this clause. See how you translated a similar clause in Gen 1:27.
9:7 uion וְאַתֶּ֖ם 1 “And/Now {as for} you,” or “As for you,” The pronoun “you” is an emphatic pronoun that is fronted here in the Hebrew text to introduce a new topic. Consider what is the best way in your language to begin a new paragraph like this.
9:8 bm0t rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations אֶל נֹ֔חַ וְאֶל בָּנָ֥יו אִתּ֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר 1 “to Noah and his sons {who were} with him, and said,” or “to Noah and his sons,” or “to them,” God is still speaking to the same people. This phrase emphasizes what he says next to them.
9:9 ycb0 וַאֲנִ֕י הִנְנִ֥י 1 “Now listen {carefully} to me: I” or “Listen {carefully} to me: I” See how you translated “behold” in Gen 1:29, 4:14, 6:13, 17. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
9:9 pujm מֵקִ֛ים 1 “am making/instituting” or “am setting up”. See how you translated “establish my covenant with” in Gen 6:18, and see the note about that there.
9:9 g76x אֶת בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתְּכֶ֑ם וְאֶֽת זַרְעֲכֶ֖ם אַֽחֲרֵיכֶֽם 1 “my/a {special/peace} covenant/agreement with you and your offspring/descendants {who come/live} after you,” or “my/a covenant/agreement between me and you and your offspring/descendants,” Notice that the pronouns “you” and “your” are plural throughout verses 2-15, since God is speaking to Noah and his sons.
9:10 c62u וְאֵ֨ת 1 “along with” or “{It is} also with” or “{The covenant/agreement is} also with”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to break up this long sentence and begin a new sentence here.
9:10 rys5 כָּל נֶ֤פֶשׁ הַֽחַיָּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתְּכֶ֔ם 1 “all the living creatures that {are} with you:”
9:10 o3v5 בָּע֧וֹף בַּבְּהֵמָ֛ה 1 “including the birds, the livestock,”
9:10 tzzr וּֽבְכָל חַיַּ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ 1 “and all the {other} living things/creatures from/on the earth” or “and all the wild animals”
9:10 mxmq מִכֹּל֙ יֹצְאֵ֣י הַתֵּבָ֔ה 1 “{That includes} all {those} that came/went out of the ark”. The words “from...to...” are used to emphasize that all the animals are included in God’s covenant. Consider what is the best way to express that in your language.
9:10 kqlk לְכֹ֖ל חַיַּ֥ת 1 “and all the living things/creatures” or “and all the creatures/animals”
9:10 gq32 הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “{that live} on the earth.” or “{that will ever live} on the earth.”
9:11 lh5t rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וַהֲקִמֹתִ֤י אֶת בְּרִיתִי֙ אִתְּכֶ֔ם 1 “My/The covenant/agreement that I am establishing/making/instituting with you is that”. See how you translated “my covenant” and “establish” in verse 9.
9:11 r2u9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche וְלֹֽא & כָּל בָּשָׂ֛ר ע֖וֹד 1 “never again will all life” or “never again will all living creatures/things”. The phrase “all flesh” refers here to all people and animals.
9:11 l5v0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive יִכָּרֵ֧ת 1 “be killed/destroyed by” or “be wiped out by” or “die from”
9:11 d5ve מִמֵּ֣י הַמַּבּ֑וּל 1 “water from a flood,” or “a flood,” See how you translated a similar phrase in Gen 7:10.
9:11 jown וְלֹֽא יִהְיֶ֥ה ע֛וֹד מַבּ֖וּל 1 “That’s right, never again will {I use/cause} a flood” or “{I promise that} I will never again use/cause a flood”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
9:11 mxo7 לְשַׁחֵ֥ת 1 “that destroys”. See how you translated “destroying” in Gen 6:13.
9:11 euoi rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “{life/everything on} the earth.” or “{all living creatures on} the earth.” This phrase refers here to everything that lives on the earth.
9:12 b7sv rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים 1 “Then God {also} said {to them},” or “Then God added/continued,” or “Then God continued talking/speaking {to Noah and his sons},” God is still talking to the same people, but a quote margin (“Then God said”) is added here to emphasize the new topic (“the sign of the covenant”). For some languages it is more natural to leave this quote margin implied and just have a paragraph break. See what you did for a similar case in verse 8.
9:12 htun זֹ֤את אֽוֹת הַבְּרִית֙ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִ֣י נֹתֵ֗ן 1 “This {is} the sign {which shows} {that I promise to always keep} the covenant/agreement that I am making/establishing” or “This is how I will show/remind {everyone} that I have made/established this covenant/agreement”
9:12 sv10 בֵּינִי֙ וּבֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵ֛ין כָּל נֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתְּכֶ֑ם 1 “with you and with all the living creatures that {are} with you,”
9:12 tm2n לְדֹרֹ֖ת עוֹלָֽם 1 “for all future generations:” or “and with all generations to come:” or “as well as with all the people and creatures/animals that will ever live:”
9:13 op2l אֶת קַשְׁתִּ֕י נָתַ֖תִּי 1 “I have/will put my rainbow” or “I am setting/putting/placing my rainbow”
9:13 cgt6 בֶּֽעָנָ֑ן 1 “among the clouds {in the sky},”
9:13 nocp וְהָֽיְתָה֙ לְא֣וֹת 1 “where it will show/remind {everyone}” or “to show/remind {everyone}” or “and/where it will serve/function as the sign {which shows}”. See how you translated “the sign of the covenant” in verse 12.
9:13 ay4p בְּרִ֔ית בֵּינִ֖י וּבֵ֥ין 1 “that I have made/established my/this covenant/agreement with” or “that I promise/vow/pledge to {always} keep my/this covenant/agreement with”
9:13 n8yc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “{every living thing on} the earth.” or “{every creature that lives on} the earth.” This phrase refers here to mankind and all the animals. See how you translated the same phrase in verse 11.
9:14 vday וְהָיָ֕ה בְּעַֽנְנִ֥י עָנָ֖ן 1 “So it will be/happen {that} whenever I bring/gather clouds {together}” or “So whenever I cause clouds to form/appear” or “Whenever I...”
9:14 kfox rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וְנִרְאֲתָ֥ה הַקֶּ֖שֶׁת בֶּעָנָֽן 1 “and the/a rainbow appears/forms among the clouds,” or “and you see the/a rainbow in/among the clouds,” Consider whether it is better in your language to use a passive or active verb here.
9:15 jg40 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְזָכַרְתִּ֣י אֶת בְּרִיתִ֗י 1 “then I will remember {and keep} my/the covenant/agreement” or “then I will not forget {to keep/fulfill} my/the covenant/treaty”. See how you translated “remember” in Gen 8:1. It may need to be translated differently in different contexts.
9:15 cl8q אֲשֶׁ֤ר בֵּינִי֙ וּבֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם 1 “that {I have established/made} between me and you” or “that I have established/made with you”
9:15 px73 וּבֵ֛ין כָּל נֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּ֖ה בְּכָל בָּשָׂ֑ר 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “and all living creatures of every kind,” or “and all the animals, including all the different kinds,” (2) “and all {other} living creatures, including all people and animals,”
9:15 w7qt וְלֹֽא יִֽהְיֶ֨ה ע֤וֹד הַמַּ֨יִם֙ לְמַבּ֔וּל לְשַׁחֵ֖ת 1 “that never again will there be a flood that destroys” or “{I promise/vow/pledge} that never again will I use/cause a flood to destroy”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that this last clause in verse 15 is what God promised in his covenant. Also, consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
9:15 ha7y כָּל־בָּשָֽׂר 1 “all life.” or “all living creatures.” or “all people and animals.”
9:16 msfb וְהָיְתָ֥ה הַקֶּ֖שֶׁת 1 “So/Yes, whenever the/a rainbow appears/forms” or “{That is how it will be:} Whenever there is a rainbow”. In verse 16, God repeats and emphasizes what he said in verses 12-15.
9:16 flfg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לִזְכֹּר֙ 1 “and keep/fulfill” or “and not forget {to keep/fulfill}”. See how you translated “remember” in verse 15.
9:16 s1px בְּרִ֣ית עוֹלָ֔ם 1 “{my} never-ending/permanent covenant/agreement” or “the/{my} covenant/agreement that lasts forever” or “the/{my} covenant/agreement that never ends”
9:16 qbnx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person בֵּ֣ין אֱלֹהִ֔ים וּבֵין֙ 1 “between me and” or “which I have established/made with”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that God is referring to himself here.
9:16 ed49 כָּל נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֔ה בְּכָל בָּשָׂ֖ר 1 “all living creatures/beings/things of every kind” or “all people and all animals”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 15 and how you translated “every living creature” in verses 10 and 12.
9:17 ol42 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל נֹ֑חַ 1 “Finally, God said to Noah,” or “Then God {concluded/finished} by saying to Noah,”
9:17 wreo rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms אֽוֹת הַבְּרִית֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֲקִמֹ֔תִי 1 “the sign {which shows} {that I promise to always keep} the covenant/agreement that I am establishing/making” or “what I will uses to show/remind {everyone} that I have established/made/instituted this covenant/agreement/treaty”. See how you translated a similar clause in verse 12. In that verse God is explaining the rainbow for the first time, whereas here in verse 17, he is pointing back to what he just said about the rainbow in order to emphasize its importance. Also, consider again how you translated “covenant” in verses 9, 11-13, 15-17.
9:17 foms כָּל בָּשָׂ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “all living creatures/things.” or “all the people and creatures/animals that {are/live} on the earth.” Consider again how you translated “all flesh” when it includes people and animals. See Gen 6:12-13, 17; 7:21; 9:11, 15-17. It may be necessary to translate this phrase in different ways in different contexts.
9:18 jnw4 הַתֵּבָ֔ה 1 “who went out of/from the ark/boat {after the flood}” or “who disembarked from...” or “who got off...” Be consistent here with how you translated “ark/boat” in chapters 6-8, and see the note about this at Gen 6:14.
9:18 dhau וַיִּֽהְי֣וּ & שֵׁ֖ם וְחָ֣ם וָיָ֑פֶת 1 “were Shem, Ham, and Japheth;” Consider what is the best way to list names in your language.
9:18 h3vw וְחָ֕ם ה֖וּא 1 “it was Ham who” or “Ham was the one who”. The pronoun “he” is emphatic here, emphasizing that Ham was the father of Canaan, who is probably mentioned here because he was well known as the ancestor of the Canaanites and the one whom the land/region of Canaan was named after.
9:19 bpuj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה אֵ֖לֶּה בְּנֵי נֹ֑חַ וּמֵאֵ֖לֶּה נָֽפְצָ֥ה כָל הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “It was from Noah’s three sons that the entire earth was populated {again}.” or “It was the descendants of Noah’s three sons who populated the entire earth {again}.”
9:20 uydp וַיָּ֥חֶל נֹ֖חַ אִ֣ישׁ הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה וַיִּטַּ֖ע 1 “Now {later on,} Noah,” or “After a while, Noah,” or “Noah,” Consider what is the best way in your language to introduce or begin a new episode here. The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “{who was} a farmer, began/started {farming} and planted” or “{who was} a farmer, was the first {man/person} to plant” (2) “began {to be} a farmer and planted” or “became a farmer and planted”
9:20 utl1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit כָּֽרֶם 1 “{some} grapevines {and made wine from the grapes}.” or “a field/garden with grapevines. {And he made wine from the grapes.}” It is implied that Noah made wine from the grapes (verse 21). If necessary, you could make that explicit here. Also, if grapes are not known in your language area, you could say “vines/plants with a fruit called grapes”, or you could put in a footnote information about grapes, including how they are squeezed and how the juice is fermented to make wine.
9:21 w1ox וַיֵּ֥שְׁתְּ מִן הַיַּ֖יִן 1 “Then {one day} he drank {too much of} the wine,” or “{One day} he drank a lot of the wine,”
9:21 cj5k rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיִּשְׁכָּ֑ר וַיִּתְגַּ֖ל 1 “so that he became drunk and was {lying} naked” or “so that he became so intoxicated/drunk that he {fell asleep} uncovered/naked”. It is implied from verse 24 that Noah had fallen asleep.
9:22 ideh וַיַּגֵּ֥ד לִשְׁנֵֽי אֶחָ֖יו בַּחֽוּץ 1 “and he went outside and told his two brothers {about it}.” or “and he went out and told his two brothers {that their father was drunk and naked}.”
9:23 tx8k וַיְכַסּ֕וּ אֵ֖ת עֶרְוַ֣ת אֲבִיהֶ֑ם 1 “and covered their father’s naked body {with it}.” or “and used it to cover their naked father.”
9:23 n341 וּפְנֵיהֶם֙ אֲחֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית 1 “{As they did that,} they kept their faces/eyes turned/looking away {from him},” or “{As they did that,} they looked away {from him},”
9:23 wcj9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וְעֶרְוַ֥ת אֲבִיהֶ֖ם לֹ֥א רָאֽוּ 1 “so that they did/would not see his nakedness.” or “so that they did/would not see him naked.” Consider whether it is better here in your language to refer to Noah with a noun phrase or a pronoun.
9:24 e13r וַיֵּ֕דַע 1 “and he found out” or “and he heard {about}”. The text does not say how Noah found out about this, so it is best to not be too specific about that here in your translation.
9:24 k45l אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר עָ֥שָׂה ל֖וֹ בְּנ֥וֹ הַקָּטָֽן 1 “that his youngest son {Ham} had dishonored/disrespected/mocked him,”
9:25 yls5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֖אמֶר 1 “So he exclaimed {about him/Ham},” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
9:25 bhhg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy כְּנָ֑עַן 1 “{Ham’s son} Canaan!” In verses 25-27, Canaan probably represents Ham and all of Ham’s descendants (the Canaanites), who will serve Shem and Japheth and all their descendants. You could put that information in a footnote.
9:25 tt6u יִֽהְיֶ֥ה 1 “Canaan will be” or “{I declare/proclaim that} he/Canaan will be”
9:25 dvbz עֶ֥בֶד עֲבָדִ֖ים 1 “the lowest slave/servant”. The Hebrew word here can mean either “slave” or “servant”. Slaves in the Old Testament were usually treated well and were not much different than servants, sometimes even becoming like members of their owner’s family. But they were of lower status than their masters, so that is part of how Ham’s family is being cursed.
9:25 dnvn לְאֶחָֽיו 1 “for his/Canaan’s relatives.” Verses 26 and 27 show that “his brothers” probably refers here to Shem and Japheth (who were Canaan’s uncles) and their descendants.
9:26 s7yt rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “Then he/Noah {also} said,” or “He/Noah also said,”
9:26 a9c8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms בָּר֥וּךְ יְהֹוָ֖ה 1 “Praise Yahweh,” or “I praise Yahweh,” Although many English translations have “Blessed be” here instead of “Praised be,” the word used in the Hebrew text means “praise” when people are acting towards God (as here), and it means “bless” when God is acting towards people (as in Gen 1:28; 5:2; 9:1).
9:27 qf4e rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy יַ֤פְתְּ אֱלֹהִים֙ לְיֶ֔פֶת 1 “I {also} ask God to enlarge/expand Japheth’s {territory},” or “I {also} pray that God will make Japheth{’s territory} larger,” or “...give Japheth more/much {land},” In this context, “Japheth” refers to the territory or land where he lived.
9:27 m5k2 וְיִשְׁכֹּ֖ן 1 “and enable him {and his family/descendants} to live”
9:27 fs08 בְּאָֽהֳלֵי שֵׁ֑ם 1 “together {in harmony/peace} with Shem {and his family/descendants}.” or “peacefully among Shem {and his family/descendants}.”
9:27 u2hq וִיהִ֥י כְנַ֖עַן 1 “May God {also} cause Canaan to be” or “I {also} ask God to make Canaan” or “Canaan will {also} be”. See how you translated a similar sentence in verse 26.
9:27 vfve עֶ֥בֶד לָֽמוֹ 1 “a servant for him/Japheth.” or “his/Japheth’s slave/servant.” Compare how you translated “slave” or “servant” in verses 25-27.
9:28 j0sh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אַחַ֣ר הַמַּבּ֑וּל 1 “After/From {the time that} the flood {began},” or “After/From {the beginning of} the flood,” Notice that this phrase refers to when the flood began, when Noah was 600 years old (Gen 7:6), not when it ended a year later, when he was 601 years old (8:13), since he was 950 when he died (verse 29), not 951.
9:29 zycm וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ כָּל יְמֵי נֹ֔חַ 1 “so that Noah/he lived a total of 950 years,” or “So all together Noah lived 950 years,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated Gen 5:31, which is similar to 9:29.
10:1 gmzi rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names בְּנֵי נֹ֔חַ שֵׁ֖ם חָ֣ם וָיָ֑פֶת 1 “Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth,” Give special attention to the best way in your language to spell all the names in this chapter.
10:1 pxnr וַיִּוָּלְד֥וּ לָהֶ֛ם בָּנִ֖ים 1 “and their sons {and other descendants} who were born” or “and the sons/descendants they had”. The following record includes the names of Noah’s sons and grandsons, and their descendants (including some of the people groups who came from them).
10:1 vjic אַחַ֥ר הַמַּבּֽוּל 1 “after the flood {was over/gone}.”
10:2 ywoe בְּנֵ֣י יֶ֔פֶת 1 “{The names of} Japheth’s sons {were}” or “These {were} {the names of} Japheth’s sons:” Throughout this chapter, many translations have a colon (:) instead of “{were}”. Do what is best in your language.
10:2 ymm9 גֹּ֣מֶר וּמָג֔וֹג וּמָדַ֖י וְיָוָ֣ן וְתֻבָ֑ל וּמֶ֖שֶׁךְ וְתִירָֽס 1 “Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Jubal, Meshech, and Tiras.” Translate these lists of names in a way that is natural in your language.
10:4 kz0u וּבְנֵ֥י יָוָ֖ן 1 “{The names of} Javan’s sons/descendants {were}” or “These {were} {the names of} Javan’s sons:” Compare how you translated a similar clause in verses 2 and 3.
10:4 lce6 אֱלִישָׁ֣ה וְתַרְשִׁ֑ישׁ 1 “{named} Elishah and Tarshish, {and he was the ancestor of}”. These are the names of Javan’s sons, but the next two names are the names of people groups that descended from him.
10:4 iwl4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names כִּתִּ֖ים וְדֹדָנִֽים 1 “the Kittites and the Dodanites.” or “the Kitt people {group} and the Dodan people {group}.” There are different ways to translate people group names, including: (1) Transliterate the Hebrew plural suffix “-im”. (2) Use a suffix that your language has for names of people groups, such as “-ites” in English. (3) Translate “-im” as “people” or “people/ethnic group”. Try to be consistent in how you translate people group names throughout this chapter and rest of the book of Genesis.
10:5 swml מֵ֠אֵלֶּה 1 “From those/Japheth’s {descendants}”. This phrase probably refers to Japheth’s descendants (verses 2-4), especially since the descendants of his brothers Ham (verse 20) and Shem (verse 31) are summarized in a similar way.
10:5 ccp2 נִפְרְד֞וּ אִיֵּ֤י הַגּוֹיִם֙ 1 “came the people groups who lived {in regions} near/beside the {Mediterranean} Sea. They moved to different places {and settled}”
10:5 rjew rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בְּאַרְצֹתָ֔ם 1 “in their {own} territories/regions,”
10:5 hstu אִ֖ישׁ לִלְשֹׁנ֑וֹ 1 “and each {group} spoke its own language,” or “They all developed/spoke their own languages,” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to break up this long sentence and start a new sentence here (or later in this verse).
10:5 i92h לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם 1 “and each of them lived in” or “They each had”
10:5 yius לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם 1 “their {own} {extended} families,” or “their {own} family groups,” The word “clan” refers to a group of families who are descended from a common ancestor.
10:5 b8t2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בְּגוֹיֵהֶֽם 1 “and they formed/became their own people/ethnic groups.” or “which {grew/multiplied and} became their own {distinct} people/ethnic groups.” The word “nations” refers here to people groups, not countries. Also, for some languages it may be clearer to change the order of the phrases in this verse and say, “Japheth’s descendants spread out and settled near/by the {Mediterranean} Sea. They all formed their own family groups, which {grew/multiplied and} became their own people groups that spoke their own languages and lived in their own territories/regions.” Do what is best in your language.
10:7 zhco וּבְנֵ֥י רַעְמָ֖ה שְׁבָ֥א וּדְדָֽן 1 “And Raamah’s sons {were} Sheba and Dedan.” or “{The names of} Raamah’s sons {were} Sheba and Dedan.”
10:8 zwg5 וְכ֖וּשׁ יָלַ֣ד אֶת נִמְרֹ֑ד 1 “Cush also fathered/had {a son named} Nimrod,” See how you translated “fathered” in Gen 6:10, and how you translated a phrase in 10:1 (“were born to”) that has a similar meaning.
10:8 k7ej ה֣וּא הֵחֵ֔ל לִֽהְי֥וֹת 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “who was the first {person/man/one} to be” (2) “who became”
10:8 kt9f גִּבֹּ֖ר 1 “a powerful {warrior/conqueror}” or “a powerful {ruler/king}”. There were other mighty men before Nimrod, but apparently he was the first one to have a kingdom (verse 10).
10:8 u6s3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בָּאָֽרֶץ 1 “on earth.” or “in the world.” For some languages it may be more natural to put this phrase earlier and say, “who was the first {person/man} on earth to be/become a powerful ruler/warrior.” Do what is best in your language.
10:9 vq2f יֵֽאָמַ֔ר 1 “people say {about other great men},” or “people/we have the/this saying/expression {about other great men}:” This phrase indicates that what follows was a well-known saying that was used by people to praise or compliment other great men by comparing them to Nimrod.
10:9 ham3 כְּנִמְרֹ֛ד 1 “{That man is} like Nimrod,” or “{So and so is} like Nimrod,”
10:9 fyot לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה 1 “whom Yahweh blessed/helped.” or “because Yahweh helped him.” Be consistent here with how you translated this phrase earlier in verse 9.
10:10 an74 וַתְּהִ֨י רֵאשִׁ֤ית מַמְלַכְתּוֹ֙ 1 “His/Nimrod’s kingdom began with him ruling {over}” or “He/Nimrod started ruling as king {over}” or “The first cities that he/Nimrod ruled as king were”
10:10 orky בְּאֶ֖רֶץ שִׁנְעָֽר 1 “{which were all located} in the land/region of/called Shinar.” Shinar is another name for the land/country of Babylonia. You could put that information in a footnote.
10:11 tmzb מִן הָאָ֥רֶץ הַהִ֖וא 1 “From that region” or “From the land/region of Shinar” or “From there”
10:11 jcf8 יָצָ֣א אַשּׁ֑וּר 1 “he/Nimrod went/moved to {the land/region of/called} Asshur/Assyria,” See how you translated “{the land/region of/called} Asshur/Assyria” in Gen 2:14.
10:11 gcc2 וַיִּ֨בֶן֙ 1 “and {there} he built” or “where he built”
10:12 yxdv וְֽאֶת רֶ֔סֶן בֵּ֥ין נִֽינְוֵ֖ה וּבֵ֣ין כָּ֑לַח הִ֖וא הָעִ֥יר הַגְּדֹלָֽה 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous. It can mean (1) “and Resen, {which is located} between {the cities of} Nineveh and the great city of Calah.” (2) “and Resen, {which is} the great city {located} between {the cities of} Nineveh and Calah.”
10:13 ptqo rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֶת לוּדִ֧ים וְאֶת עֲנָמִ֛ים וְאֶת לְהָבִ֖ים וְאֶת נַפְתֻּחִֽים 1 “the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites,” Throughout verses 13-18, translate the names of people groups in a way that is clear and natural in your language. See what you did in verse 4.
10:14 ylfj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְֽאֶת פַּתְרֻסִ֞ים וְאֶת כַּסְלֻחִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָצְא֥וּ מִשָּׁ֛ם פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים וְאֶת כַּפְתֹּרִֽים 1 “Pathrusites, Casluhites (whom the Philistines came/descended from), and Caphtorites.” or “Pathrusites, Casluhites, and Caphtorites. The Philistines came/descended from the Casluhites.”
10:15 zjx9 וְאֶת חֵֽת 1 “then {he fathered/had} {a son named} Heth,” Canaan’s son Heth was the ancestor of the Hittites, so some translations use “Hittites” here instead and say, “{He was} also {the ancestor of} the Hittites,”
10:16 uwbf וְאֶת הַיְבוּסִי֙ וְאֶת הָ֣אֱמֹרִ֔י וְאֵ֖ת הַגִּרְגָּשִֽׁי 1 “and {he/Canaan was also the ancestor of} the Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites,” or “Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites,” Consider what is the best way in your language to list the names of the people groups in these verses.
10:19 efvy וַֽיְהִ֞י גְּב֤וּל הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ 1 “and {eventually} the borders/boundaries of their {territory/land} reached/extended” or “so that {eventually} the territory/land where Canaanites/they lived reached/extended”
10:19 m5gx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit מִצִּידֹ֔ן 1 “from {the city of} Sidon {in the north},” or “from Sidon {City} {in the north},” Some languages have an affix or a word (that means “city”) that must be used every time the name of a city is mentioned, or the first time a particular city is mentioned in a paragraph or section. Do what is natural in your language here and elsewhere throughout the Bible.
10:19 juim rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit בֹּאֲכָ֥ה גְרָ֖רָה עַד עַזָּ֑ה 1 “all the way {down/south} toward {the city of} Gerar to {the city of} Gaza,” or “{down/south} to Gaza {City}, which is on the road to Gerar {City},” The Canaanites’ border reached Gaza, but did not extend down to Gerar, which was farther south.
10:19 dchu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit בֹּאֲכָ֞ה סְדֹ֧מָה 1 “{then} as far {east} as”
10:20 mrbd אֵ֣לֶּה 1 “Those {are/were} {the names of}” or “Those {men/people} {are/were}”. The word “Those” refers back to the people listed in verses 6-19. Also, many translations that use “were” (and other past tense verbs) in verses 2-19 and 21-30 use “are” here (and in verses 31 and 32). Do what is best in your language.
10:20 w958 בְנֵי חָ֔ם 1 “the descendants of Ham” or “Ham’s sons/descendants”
10:20 ixjv לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם 1 “according to their family groups,” or “and each one had his own clan/family,” or “and their {extended} families,” See how you translated “clans” in verse 5.
10:20 n9z9 לִלְשֹֽׁנֹתָ֑ם בְּאַרְצֹתָ֖ם בְּגוֹיֵהֶֽם 1 “Each {clan/family} had/spoke its own language and {lived in} its own territory/region, and {eventually} became its own people/ethnic group.” or “Each {clan/family} {grew/multiplied and} became/established its own people/ethnic group that had/spoke its own language and {lived in} its own territory/region.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated verse 5, which has some of the same phrases as verse 20.
10:21 am4z וּלְשֵׁ֥ם יֻלַּ֖ד גַּם 1 “Shem also fathered/had {some} sons”. In the Hebrew text, “to Shem” comes first in this sentence after “And”, to emphasize Shem. Do what is natural in your language.
10:21 x6vj ה֑וּא אֲבִי֙ כָּל בְּנֵי עֵ֔בֶר 1 “He was the ancestor of all the descendants of Eber”
10:21 f29s אֲחִ֖י יֶ֥פֶת הַגָּדֽוֹל 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “and his/Shem’s older brother was Japheth.” (2) “and he/Shem was Japheth’s older/oldest brother.”
10:22 t2s3 בְּנֵ֥י שֵׁ֖ם 1 “{The names of} Shem’s sons {were}” or “These {were} {the names of} Shem’s sons:”
10:22 o6p2 עֵילָ֣ם וְאַשּׁ֑וּר וְאַרְפַּכְשַׁ֖ד וְל֥וּד וַֽאֲרָֽם 1 “Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud and Aram.” The name “Arpachshad” is spelled as “Arphaxad” in many translations. Also, see how you spelled “Lud” in verse 13 (who is a different person with the same name). Be consistent with how you spell each name throughout the Bible.
10:23 ylhl וּבְנֵ֖י אֲרָ֑ם 1 “{The names of} Aram’s sons {were}” or “These {were} {the names of} Aram’s sons:”
10:23 qqox ע֥וּץ וְח֖וּל וְגֶ֥תֶר וָמַֽשׁ 1 “Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.” The same person who is called “Mash” here, is referred to as “Meshech/Meshek” in 1 Chronicles 1:17. To prevent confusion, some translations use “Meshech/Meshek” here too, or put that name in a footnote.
10:24 u3c2 וְאַרְפַּכְשַׁ֖ד יָלַ֣ד אֶת שָׁ֑לַח 1 “Arpachshad/Arphaxad fathered/had {a son named} Shelah,” Be consistent here with how you spelled “Arpachshad/Arphaxad” in verse 22.
10:25 ibtk פֶּ֗לֶג 1 “Peleg, {which means “division/divide,”}” You can put the meaning of Peleg’s name in the text or in a footnote, so that it is clear why he was given his name. See what you did for a similar case (Noah’s name) in Gen 5:29.
10:25 mrdo כִּ֤י בְיָמָיו֙ 1 “because during his lifetime”
10:25 v3na rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy נִפְלְגָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ 1 “{the people on} the earth divided/separated {into separate groups} {and scattered everywhere}.” This phrase refers to the people on the earth and implies that they scattered and lived all over the earth (as specified in Gen 11:8).
10:25 po91 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וְשֵׁ֥ם אָחִ֖יו יָקְטָֽן 1 “His/Peleg’s {younger} brother’s name was Joktan.” or “{Eber’s second/other son} was named Joktan and was younger than Peleg.” Make sure it is clear in your translation who is being referred to in this sentence, especially after reading the previous two sentences.
10:26 eu4k וְיָקְטָ֣ן יָלַ֔ד 1 “Joktan fathered/had {sons named}” or “Joktan fathered/had {the following sons:}” Notice that the list of Joktan’s sons continues through verse 29.
10:29 xri4 וְאֶת אוֹפִ֥ר וְאֶת חֲוִילָ֖ה וְאֶת יוֹבָ֑ב 1 “Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab.” Consider again how you translated lists of names throughout chapter 10.
10:29 d37u כָּל אֵ֖לֶּה 1 “All those {were} {the names of}” or “All those {men/people} {were}” or “Those {were} all”
10:30 z0dr וַֽיְהִ֥י מוֹשָׁבָ֖ם 1 “Their dwelling {place}” or “Their territory/region” or “The region/area where they {and their descendants} lived”
10:30 h4i1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַֽיְהִ֥י & מִמֵּשָׁ֑א 1 “extended/reached from {the city of} Mesha {in the west},” See how you translated a similar sentence in verse 19.
10:30 qhqk בֹּאֲכָ֥ה סְפָ֖רָה 1 “all the way to” or “as far as”
10:30 buoh סְפָ֖רָה 1 “{the city/town of} Sephar, {which is in/near}”. Sephar might refer to a city, a mountain, or a region (that was named after the city or mountain).
10:30 bl54 הַ֥ר הַקֶּֽדֶם 1 “the mountain range {that is} in the east.” or “the hill country in the east.” or “the eastern hill country.” The word “mountain{s}” is ambiguous in the Hebrew text. It can be (1) a collective noun that refers to mountains or hill country near the town of Sephar (2) a singular noun that refers to a specific mountain that was called Sephar.
10:31 v7ly אֵ֣לֶּה 1 “Those {are/were} {the names of}” or “Those {men/people} {are/were}”. The word “Those” refers here to the people listed in verses 21-30. See how you translated verse 20, which is almost exactly the same as verse 31.
10:31 ffht בְנֵי שֵׁ֔ם 1 “the descendants of Shem” or “Shem’s sons/descendants”
10:31 lpn7 לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם 1 “and each one had his own clan/family.” See how you translated “clans” in verses 5 and 20.
10:31 b1x8 לִלְשֹׁנֹתָ֑ם בְּאַרְצֹתָ֖ם לְגוֹיֵהֶֽם 1 “Each {clan/family} had/spoke its own language and {lived in} its own territory, and {eventually} became its own people/ethnic group.” or “Each clan/family {grew/multiplied and} became/established its own people/ethnic group that had/spoke its own language and {lived in} its own territory.”
10:32 e560 אֵ֣לֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹ֧ת בְּנֵי נֹ֛חַ 1 “{All} those {people} {are/were} the clans/families {who descended} from Noah’s sons,” or “{All} those clans/families descended from Noah’s sons,” The word “Those” refers here to everyone who is listed in verses 2-31. Consider again how you translated “clans” in verses 5, 18, 29, 31-32.
10:32 bl71 לְתוֹלְדֹתָ֖ם בְּגוֹיֵהֶ֑ם 1 “Each clan/family had its own genealogy/descendants and became its own people/ethnic group.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, compare how you translated similar phrases in verses 5, 20, and 31.
10:32 nh8d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וּמֵאֵ֜לֶּה נִפְרְד֧וּ הַגּוֹיִ֛ם בָּאָ֖רֶץ אַחַ֥ר הַמַּבּֽוּל 1 “From those {people} {came/descended} {all} the people/ethnic groups {who} spread out on/over the earth after the flood.” or “In fact, after the flood {all} the people groups on the earth descended from them and spread out everywhere.” Consider again how you translated “nations” in verses 5, 20, 31-32.
11:1 r2b8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וַֽיְהִ֥י כָל־הָאָ֖רֶץ שָׂפָ֣ה אֶחָ֑ת 1 “Now {at first,} everyone on the earth spoke/shared the same language” or “Now {for a while,} all {the people on} the earth spoke one language”. The events in chapter 11:1-9 happened before the people listed in chapter 10 had their own languages and before they spread out over the earth (Gen 10:5, 19-20, 30-32). You could include some of that information in a footnote.
11:1 l2n1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet וּדְבָרִ֖ים אֲחָדִֽים 1 “and {spoke/shared} the same words/vocabulary.” or “and spoke words everyone knew/understood.” or “so that everyone understood each other.” The phrases “one language” and “the same words” are very similar in meaning and emphasize the fact that everyone spoke the same language. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
11:2 ufks rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַֽיְהִ֖י 1 “After a while, as/when” or “As/When” or “As time passed,” The phrase “it happened that” introduces an important event and helps create suspense so that readers will wonder what the outcome will be. Some translations omit this phrase because it is not natural in their language. Do what is best in your language.
11:2 phjs rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns בְּנָסְעָ֣ם 1 “they moved/traveled” or “the people migrated/moved”. Consider whether it is better in your language to use a pronoun (“they”) or a noun phrase (“the people”) here.
11:2 kqit מִקֶּ֑דֶם 1 “from the eastern {regions},” or “{around} in the eastern {regions},” At first after the flood, people lived in the regions around the mountains of Ararat (where the ark had landed). As they began to migrate and spread out to different places (as God had told them to do), they must have headed south at some point, since they ended up at the plain of Shinar, which was south of where the Ararat Mountains were. The reference to “the east” probably reflects the viewpoint of the author (Moses), since the Ararat mountains and the plain of Shinar were both far to the east of where he was living.
11:2 zdwp וַֽיִּמְצְא֥וּ 1 “they discovered” or “they {eventually} came to” or “and {eventually} came to”. Make sure the way you translate this phrase fits with the way you translated the first half of this verse.
11:2 vygx בִקְעָ֛ה בְּאֶ֥רֶץ שִׁנְעָ֖ר 1 “a wide/spacious, flat valley/area in the land/region called Shinar”. This plain was a wide, flat area between mountains. Also be consistent here with how you translated “land of Shinar” in Gen 10:10.
11:2 dxfo וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם 1 “and lived/stayed there.” or “and began to live there.”
11:3 m2g2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֗הוּ 1 “Then {one day} they urged each other,” The events that are described below probably did not happen immediately after they arrived at the plain. Consider what is the best way to begin these events in your language.
11:3 jfqv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom הָ֚בָה 1 “Come on,” Consider whether or not your language has an idiom like this that is used to urge or persuade someone to do something together.
11:3 uwu2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive נִלְבְּנָ֣ה 1 “let us {work together and} make” or “we should {work together and} make”. The pronoun “us” is inclusive here and refers to the people who are talking to each other.
11:3 y8pj וְנִשְׂרְפָ֖ה לִשְׂרֵפָ֑ה 1 “and harden them with fire.” or “and use fire to bake/harden them.” or “and put/bake them in/over fire {to make them hard/strong}.”
11:3 s0kz וַתְּהִ֨י לָהֶ֤ם 1 “So {they did that, and} they had” or “They had/used”
11:4 z87w rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְנַֽעֲשֶׂה לָּ֖נוּ שֵׁ֑ם פֶּן נָפ֖וּץ 1 “{We should do that} to make ourselves famous and to keep us from spreading out” or “{That way} we will become well-known/famous, and we will not separate from each other {and live}”. The phrase “make a name for ourselves” is a idiom. Consider whether or not your language has a similar idiom that would work well here. Also see how you translated the word “scattered” in Gen 10:18, 32.
11:4 ytfe rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom עַל פְּנֵ֥י כָל הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “all over the earth/world.” or “around the world.”
11:5 zcoi בָּנ֖וּ 1 “were building.” or “had started building.” Make sure the way you translate this verb fits with the fact that the people had not yet finished building the city (verse 8).
11:6 zesy rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֗ה 1 “And/Then he said (to himself),” or “He said,” Consider what is the best way to refer to Yahweh here in your language.
11:6 h94b הֵ֣ן 1 “Look,” This term calls attention to what Yahweh says next. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language.
11:6 q2ld עַ֤ם אֶחָד֙ 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “{they are} one people/ethnic {group},” (2) “the/these people {are} one/united {in what they are doing},”
11:6 cwlf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-doublenegatives לֹֽא יִבָּצֵ֣ר מֵהֶ֔ם כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָזְמ֖וּ לַֽעֲשֽׂוֹת 1 “nothing that they plan to do will be impossible for them.” or “everything/anything they plan/attempt to do will be possible for them.” or “they will be able to do anything/whatever they plan/try to do.” The words “not” and “impossible” are two negatives that work together to communicate an emphatic positive statement. Consider what is the best way to translate this in your language.
11:7 ab2t נֵֽרְדָ֔ה & שָׁ֖ם 1 “we must go down there {now}” or “let us go to them”. Most Bible scholars think the plural pronoun “us” refers here to God and the fact that he is three Persons in one God. So it is best to keep this plural pronoun in your translation. See what you did for similar pronouns in Gen 1:26.
11:7 b6e9 וְנָבְלָ֥ה & שְׂפָתָ֑ם 1 “and scramble their language” or “and mix up their language”
11:7 yf9e אִ֖ישׁ שְׂפַ֥ת רֵעֵֽהוּ 1 “what they say to each other.” or “each other.”
11:8 abaf וַיָּ֨פֶץ יְהוָ֥ה אֹתָ֛ם מִשָּׁ֖ם 1 “Then/So Yahweh {did that and} caused the people to leave from there and spread out” or “That is how Yahweh caused the people to leave from there and settle/live in different places”
11:8 bj40 וַֽיַּחְדְּל֖וּ לִבְנֹ֥ת 1 “so that they had to stop building/constructing”
11:8 fvq8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure הָעִֽיר 1 “the city {and the tower}.” or “the city {and the tall building}.” For some languages it is better to change the order of clauses in this verse (so that events are in the order that they happened) and say, “In that way, Yahweh caused the people to stop building the city {and the tower} and to move away from each other, {so that eventually they lived} all over the world.” Do what is best in your language.
11:9 grok קָרָ֤א שְׁמָהּ֙ 1 “people named the/that city” or “the name of the/that city is” or “the/that city was named/called”. Frequently in the Hebrew text, this phrase has a general meaning and does not refer to someone specific.
11:9 flf8 בָּבֶ֔ל 1 “Babel, {which means “confused/mixed-up/scrambled,”}” If you include the meaning of “Babel” here in your translation or in a footnote, be consistent with the way you translate “confused” later in this verse and in verse 7.
11:9 f8ye שְׂפַ֣ת כָּל הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “the language that everyone on the earth spoke/shared,”
11:9 uhku וּמִשָּׁם֙ הֱפִיצָ֣ם יְהוָ֔ה 1 “and {in that way} Yahweh/he made them spread out from there”
11:9 onj2 עַל פְּנֵ֖י כָּל הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “over the surface of the entire earth.” or “all over the earth/world.” See how you translated this phrase in verses 4 and 8.
11:10 k4zv אֵ֚לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת שֵׁ֔ם 1 “This/Here is the record/list of Shem’s descendants:” or “This is Shem’s genealogy/family-line:”
11:10 xsg5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure שֵׁ֚ם בֶּן מְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֔ה וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת אַרְפַּכְשָׁ֑ד שְׁנָתַ֖יִם אַחַ֥ר הַמַּבּֽוּל 1 “Two years after the flood {began}, when Shem was 100 years old, he had {a son named} Arpachshad/Arphaxad.” The phrase “after the flood” probably refers to two years after the flood began, not after it ended; see a similar case in Gen 9:28. Also be consistent here with how you spelled “Arpachshad/Arphaxad” in Gen 10:22.
11:11 hhxi rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַֽיְחִי שֵׁ֗ם אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת אַרְפַּכְשָׁ֔ד 1 “After he fathered/had Arpachshad/Arphaxad, Shem/he lived” or “After Arpachshad/Arphaxad was born, Shem lived” or “After Arpachshad/Arphaxad’s birth, Shem lived”. Throughout this section, make sure that names and pronouns (like “he”) are used in a way that is accurate and natural in your language, so that it is always clear who is being referred to.
11:11 newn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure חֲמֵ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “{another} 500 years,” or “500 {more} years,” See how you translated Gen 5:7, which has the same sentence structure as 11:11. For some languages, it may be more natural to change the clause order of this sentence and say, “Shem lived 500 {more} years after Arpachshad/Arphaxad was born,...” Do what is best in your language throughout this chapter.
11:11 e9d9 וַיּ֥וֹלֶד 1 “and he {also} fathered/had” or “He/Shem {also} fathered/had” or “He/Shem was {also} the father of”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated this phrase and the following one in Gen 5:4.
11:11 lc2z בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֽוֹת 1 “{other} sons, as well as daughters.”
11:12 wvlk וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת שָֽׁלַח 1 “he fathered/had {a son named} Shelah.” or “he fathered/had {a son he/they named} Shelah.” or “he fathered/had {a son whose name was} Shelah.” See how you translated Gen 5:6, which has the same sentence structure as 11:12.
11:13 s590 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַֽיְחִ֣י אַרְפַּכְשַׁ֗ד אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת שֶׁ֔לַח 1 “After he fathered/had Shelah, Arpachshad/Arphaxad lived” or “After Shelah was born, Arpachshad/Arphaxad lived” or “After Shem’s birth, Arpachshad/Arphaxad lived”. Be consistent with how you spell the name “Arpachshad/Arphaxad” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 10:22, 24; 11:10-13.
11:13 om3u rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיּ֥וֹלֶד 1 “and he {also} fathered/had” or “He/Arpachshad {also} fathered/had” or “He was {also} the father of”. Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to Arpachshad at this point in the paragraph.
11:15 hd5n rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַֽיְחִי שֶׁ֗לַח אַחֲרֵי֙ הוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת עֵ֔בֶר 1 “After he/Shelah fathered/had Eber, Shelah/he lived” or “After Eber was born, Shelah lived” or “After Eber’s birth, Shelah lived”. Be consistent with how you spell the name “Shelah” in Gen 10:24; 11:12-15.
11:16 xcap rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת פָּֽלֶג 1 “he fathered/had {a son named} Peleg.” or “he fathered/had {a son whose name was} Peleg.”
11:17 wlcr rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַֽיְחִי עֵ֗בֶר אַחֲרֵי֙ הוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת פֶּ֔לֶג 1 “After he/Eber fathered/had Peleg, Eber/he lived” or “After Peleg was born, Eber lived” or “After Peleg’s birth, Eber lived”. Be consistent with how you spell the name “Eber” in Gen 10:24-25; 11:14-17.
11:17 ocjw rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיּ֥וֹלֶד 1 “and he {also} fathered/had” or “He/Eber {also} fathered/had” or “He/Eber was {also} the father of”. Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to Eber at this point in the paragraph.
11:19 qfcg rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַֽיְחִי פֶ֗לֶג אַחֲרֵי֙ הוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת רְע֔וּ 1 “After he/Peleg had Reu, Peleg/he lived” or “After Reu was born, Peleg lived” or “After Reu’s birth, Peleg lived”. Be consistent with how you spell the name “Peleg” in Gen 10:25; 11:16-19.
11:21 blty rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיְחִ֣י רְע֗וּ אַחֲרֵי֙ הוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת שְׂר֔וּג 1 “After he/Reu had Serug, Reu/he lived” or “After Serug was born, Reu lived” or “After Serug’s birth, Reu lived”. Be consistent with how you spell “Reu” in Gen 11:18-21.
11:21 t6kn rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיּ֥וֹלֶד 1 “and he {also} fathered/had” or “He/Reu {also} fathered/had” or “He/Reu was {also} the father of”. Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to Reu at this point in the paragraph.
11:23 ryhr rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיְחִ֣י שְׂר֗וּג אַחֲרֵ֛י הוֹלִיד֥וֹ אֶת נָח֖וֹר 1 “After he/Serug had Nahor, Serug/he lived” or “After Nahor was born, Serug lived” or “After Nahor’s birth, Serug lived”. Be consistent with how you spell the name “Serug” in Gen 11:20-23.
11:24 ej3c וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת תָּֽרַח 1 “he fathered/had {a son named} Terah.” or “he fathered/had {a son whose name was} Terah.” Consider again how you translated verses 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24, which all have the same sentence structure.
11:25 is9f וַיּ֥וֹלֶד 1 “and he {also} fathered/had” or “He/Nahor {also} fathered/had” or “He/Nahor was {also} the father of”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
11:25 e11k בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֽוֹת 1 “{other} sons, as well as daughters.” Consider again how you translated verses 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 and 25, which all have the same sentence structure.
11:26 fa4t וַֽיְחִי־תֶ֖רַח שִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “After Terah had lived 70 years,” or “After Terah was/turned 70 years old,” Your translation needs to allow for the fact that Terah’s sons were not triplets (just as Noah’s sons were not triplets; see Gen 5:32), rather he started having children after he turned 70 and his sons were born in different years after that. In fact, Abram was not born until Terah was at least 130 years old (11:32, 12:4-5; Acts 7:4), and he was probably Terah’s youngest son. Abram is listed first (instead of Haran or Nahor) probably because of his importance as the one whom Yahweh made His covenant with. Some of this information could be put in a footnote.
11:27 y44z וְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת תֶּ֔רַח 1 “Here/This {is} the history/account/record about/of Terah and his descendants/family:” This section is different from the previous section. What follows is a history about Terah’s descendants (especially Abram); it is not a genealogy or list of names. See how you translated a similar phrase in Gen 6:9.
11:27 egvx תֶּ֚רַח הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת אַבְרָ֔ם אֶת נָח֖וֹר וְאֶת הָרָ֑ן 1 “Terah fathered/had {sons named} Abram, Nahor, and Haran;” or “Terah’s sons were Abram, Nahor, and Haran.”
11:27 vacr וְהָרָ֖ן הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת לֽוֹט 1 “and Haran fathered/had {a son named} Lot.” or “Haran’s son {was named} Lot.” or “and Haran had a son {whose name was} Lot.”
11:28 l32z וַיָּ֣מָת הָרָ֔ן עַל פְּנֵ֖י תֶּ֣רַח אָבִ֑יו 1 “Later Haran died while he was with his father Terah,” or “While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died”
11:28 w957 בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מוֹלַדְתּ֖וֹ 1 “in the land where he was born,” or “in his native land,”
11:28 la6c בְּא֥וּר כַּשְׂדִּֽים 1 “in {the city of} Ur which was ruled/inhabited by the Kasdim/Chaldeans.” or “in {the city of} Ur where the Kasdim/Chaldea people lived.” The word “Kasdim” probably comes from the name of one of Nahor’s sons, Kesed (Gen 22:22), and often refers to the Chaldeans who were a people group that lived in the country of Babylonia (where Ur was located).
11:29 nome בַּת הָרָ֥ן אֲבִֽי מִלְכָּ֖ה וַֽאֲבִ֥י יִסְכָּֽה 1 “She/Milcah was the daughter of {his/Nahor’s brother} Haran, who was the father of {both} Milcah and {her sister} Iscah.” or “Milcah and {her sister} Iscah were Haran’s daughters.”
11:30 nr3i rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background וַתְּהִ֥י שָׂרַ֖י עֲקָרָ֑ה 1 “But/Now Sarai was unable to conceive,” or “Sarai was not able to become/get pregnant,” Consider what is the best way in your language to introduce this background information about Sarai.
11:30 x9g9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֵ֥ין לָ֖הּ וָלָֽד 1 “{so} she did not have any children.” or “{so} she had no children.” For some languages it may be better to switch the order of the clauses in this verse and say, “But/Now Sarai did not have any children, because she was not able to conceive.” Do what is best in your language.
11:31 a4sh rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַיִּקַּ֨ח תֶּ֜רַח 1 “Then {one day,} Terah gathered” or “{One day,} Terah brought/called together”. Consider what is the best way to begin this new paragraph in your language.
11:31 cmu7 אֶת אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֗וֹ 1 “his son Abram,” Make sure it is clear in your translation of this phrase that “his son” refers to Abram, not another person.
11:31 zczu וְאֶת ל֤וֹט בֶּן הָרָן֙ בֶּן בְּנ֔וֹ 1 “and Lot, {who was} his son Haran’s son,” or “and his grandson Lot, {who was} Haran’s son,” The phrases “Lot,” “Haran’s son,” and “his son’s son” all refer to Lot. Make sure that is clear in your translation and that it does not sound like three people.
11:31 zs6d וְאֵת֙ שָׂרַ֣י כַּלָּת֔וֹ 1 “and his daughter-in-law Sarai,” The phrases “Sarai,” “his daughter-in-law,” and “the wife of his son Abram” all refer to Sarai. Make sure that is clear in your translation.
11:31 ajg2 אֵ֖שֶׁת אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֑וֹ 1 “who was his son Abram’s wife,” or “who was Abram’s wife,”
11:31 mrxu וַיֵּצְא֨וּ אִתָּ֜ם 1 “and they {all} left” or “and {all of} them set out together” or “Then they {all} left”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
11:31 bdcj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit מֵא֣וּר 1 “from {the city of} Ur” or “from Ur {City}”. See the note at Gen 10:19 about how to translate the names of cities.
11:31 id6w כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים 1 “of the Chaldeans” or “where the Chaldea people lived”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 28.
11:31 e1dg לָלֶ֨כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן 1 “to go/travel to the region of/called Canaan.” or “to go/travel to Canaan Land.”
11:31 izwt וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַד חָרָ֖ן 1 “But {on the way there,} they came to {the city of} Haran, and” or “But {along the way,} when they arrived/stopped at {the city of} Haran,” The city of Haran was not in the land of Canaan, rather it was around 450 kilometers (280 miles) northeast of there.
11:31 zd02 וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם 1 “they settled/stayed there {instead}.” or “they decided to settle/live there {instead}.”
11:32 ql8v וַיִּהְי֣וּ יְמֵי תֶ֔רַח חָמֵ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים וּמָאתַ֣יִם שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “Then {many years later,} when Terah was 205 years old,” or “When Terah reached the age of 205 years,”
12:1 lkpd rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל אַבְרָ֔ם 1 “Then {one day} Yahweh told/commanded Abram,” Consider what is the best way to begin this new section in your language. Also, make sure that the way you translate this quote margin fits with what Yahweh says in the following quote.
12:1 rqtx לֶךְ לְךָ֛ מֵאַרְצְךָ֥ 1 “Get yourself away from your homeland/country” or “You must move away from your homeland/country” or “You must leave {behind} the land/country where you are living”
12:1 ya2a וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ 1 “and your relatives/people,”
12:1 pxeg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ 1 “including your father’s household/family,” The phrase “the house” refers here to everyone who was a member of Terah’s household.
12:2 is7x לְג֣וֹי גָּד֔וֹל 1 “an important/large people group,” or “a large, important people/ethnic group,”
12:2 kyvt וַאֲבָ֣רֶכְךָ֔ 1 “and I will bless/prosper you {and them}.” or “and I will cause you {all} to prosper/flourish.” See how you translated “blessed” in Gen 1:22, 28. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
12:2 y893 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַאֲגַדְּלָ֖ה שְׁמֶ֑ךָ 1 “I will make you {important and} well-known/famous,” Consider what is the best way to translate this idiom in your language. Also consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
12:2 xnwh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וֶהְיֵ֖ה בְּרָכָֽה 1 “and you will be a blessing {to many people}.” or “and you {and your descendants} will bless {many people}.” or “and {I will use} you {and your descendants} to bless {many people}.”
12:3 yvsd rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy בְךָ֔ 1 “Through you {and your offspring/descendants}” or “Because of you {and your offspring/descendants}” or “By means of you {and your offspring/descendants}”. This phrase refers to Abram and his descendants, including ultimately the Messiah. In other words, God’s promise in this verse is part of his wonderful news (the Gospel message) for all people (Galatians 3:8-9) and is a prophecy about the Messiah/Christ, who was one of Abraham’s descendants (Matthew 1:1, Genesis 22:18, Galatians 3:16). God blessed all people on earth by sending his Son Jesus (the Messiah/Christ) to die in their place and pay for all their sins (John 3:16-18, 1 Timothy 2:3-6), so that they could have a close relationship with him/God and be part of his family forever. God repeats this great promise in Genesis 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14. You could put some of that information in a footnote.
12:3 yt58 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וְנִבְרְכ֣וּ & כֹּ֖ל מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָאֲדָמָֽה 1 “all the families/people on the earth will be blessed {by me}.” or “{I} will bless all the families/people on the earth.” Consider what is the best way in your language to translate this passive sentence. For some languages it is clearer to change the order of the sentence and say, “I will use you {and your offspring/descendants} to bless all the families/people on the earth.” Do what is best in your language.
12:4 b2v7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אַבְרָ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר אֵלָיו֙ יְהוָ֔ה 1 “Then/So Abram left {the city of Haran}, just/exactly as Yahweh had told/commanded him {to do},” or “Then/So Abram did/obeyed what Yahweh had told/commanded him {to do} and left {the city of Haran},” Consider what is the best way in your language to begin this sentence to show that Abram is now doing what God just commanded him to do (verse 1).
12:4 p63p rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וְאַבְרָ֗ם 1 “Now Abram” or “Abram”. Many translations omit the conjunction “And” or “Now” here. Do what is best in your language.
12:4 tb22 בְּצֵאת֖וֹ 1 “when he left” or “when he set out”
12:4 ln5h מֵחָרָֽן 1 “from {the city of} Haran.” or “from there.”
12:5 w44u rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-go וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת שָׂרַ֨י אִשְׁתּ֜וֹ 1 “Abram/He took/brought {with him} his wife Sarai”. Be consistent here with how you spelled “Sarai” in Gen 11:29-31.
12:5 t055 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וְאֶת ל֣וֹט בֶּן אָחִ֗יו 1 “and his {deceased} brother’s son Lot” or “and his nephew Lot”. For some languages it is more natural to make “son of his brother” or “his nephew” explicit in verse 4 (where Lot is first mentioned in this section) and leave it implied here in verse 5. Do what is best in your language.
12:5 af34 וְאֶת כָּל רְכוּשָׁם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָכָ֔שׁוּ וְאֶת הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂ֣וּ 1 “everything that they owned, including slaves/servants {and everything else} they had acquired/gotten”. The word “possessions” is general here and includes slaves, animals, furniture, clothes, and money. See how you translated “slave” or “servant” in Gen 9:25-27.
12:5 v8yx בְחָרָ֑ן 1 “in {the city of} Haran,” or “in Haran {City}
12:5 hhfp וַיֵּצְא֗וּ לָלֶ֨כֶת֙ 1 “and they {all} started traveling”
12:5 iazy אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן 1 “to the land/region of/called Canaan.” or “to Canaan Land.”
12:5 zel6 וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אַ֥רְצָה כְּנָֽעַן 1 “Then/Eventually they arrived in Canaan.” or “When they reached Canaan,” or “When they arrived/got there,”
12:6 ep53 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר אַבְרָם֙ 1 “Abram traveled/went” or “Abram {and his family} traveled/went” or “they traveled/went”. Abram is the only one named here because he is in focus. However, your translation should not sound like he traveled alone in verse 6. Also make sure that the way you begin this verse in your translation fits with the way you ended verse 5.
12:6 o804 בָּאָ֔רֶץ 1 “through that land/region”. See how you translated “land” in verse 5.
12:6 klyk מְק֣וֹם שְׁכֶ֔ם 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “the city of Shechem,” (2) “the/a {sacred} place at/near {the city of} Shechem,”
12:6 wf66 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown עַ֖ד אֵל֣וֹן מוֹרֶ֑ה 1 “to Moreh’s terebinth/oak tree.” or “to the terebinth/oak tree on Moreh’s land.” Moreh is probably the name of the person who owned the land where the terebinth tree was. A terebinth tree is a large, broadleaf, flowering tree in the cashew family that can grow to a height of 5 to 12 meters (16 to 40 feet). The Hebrew words for “oak” and “terebinth” are similar, so many translations (including LXX) translate this as “oak tree” here. Notice, however, that oak trees and terebinth trees are from two different families of trees.
12:6 aje0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י אָ֥ז בָּאָֽרֶץ 1 “At/During that time the Canaanites {were still living} in that land/region,” For some languages it is clearer and more natural to put the time phrase (“at that time”) first in this sentence.
12:7 jgjr rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast וַיֵּרָ֤א 1 “but”. Yahweh’s promise in verse 7 to give Canaan to Abram’s descendants contrasts with the fact that the Canaanites were still occupying that region (verse 6).
12:7 nqjy וַיֵּרָ֤א יְהוָה֙ אֶל אַבְרָ֔ם 1 “Then/but Yahweh came to Abram” or “but Yahweh visited Abram”. Yahweh’s promise in verse 7 to give Canaan to Abram’s descendants contrasts with the fact that the Canaanites were still occupying that region (verse 6). Also, notice that the text does not specify in what form or in what way God appeared to Abram, so your translation should not do that either.
12:7 zfqw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לְזַ֨רְעֲךָ֔ אֶתֵּ֖ן אֶת הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את 1 “I will give this land to your offspring/descendants.” In the Hebrew text, the phrase “to your offspring” is emphasized by its position at the beginning of this quote. However, for some languages it may be clearer and more natural to change the order of the clauses and say, “I will give this land to your offspring/descendants.” Do what is best in your language.
12:7 ed0y rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּ֤בֶן & מִזְבֵּ֔חַ 1 “So/Then he/Abram built/made an altar {out of large stones}” or “So/Then he/Abram built/made a sacrifice table/mound {with stones}”. Consider what is the best way to refer to Abram here in your language. See how you translated “altar” in Gen 8:20.
12:7 ywd2 הַנִּרְאֶ֥ה אֵלָֽיו 1 “who had appeared/come to him {there}.” or “because he/Yahweh had appeared/come to him {there}.” See how you translated “appeared” earlier in verse 7.
12:8 c1kt הָהָ֗רָה מִקֶּ֛דֶם לְבֵֽית אֵ֖ל 1 “the hill country that was east of {the town of} Bethel” or “the mountainous region east of {the town of} Bethel”
12:8 u3l7 וַיֵּ֣ט אָהֳלֹ֑ה 1 “and set/put up his/their tents {there}” or “They set up their tents/camp”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated “tent” in Gen 9:21, 27.
12:8 r71q בֵּֽית אֵ֤ל מִיָּם֙ וְהָעַ֣י מִקֶּ֔דֶם 1 “between Bethel to the west and {the town of} Ai to the east.” or “Bethel was to the west {of them} and {the town of} Ai was to the east.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
12:8 yv1t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהוָֽה 1 “and he worshiped/praised Yahweh/him by name.” or “he addressed Yahweh/him by {his} name as he worshiped/praised him.” or “he used Yahweh’s/his name in his prayers and worship.” or “he worshiped/praised Yahweh/him.” See how you translated a similar clause in Gen 4:26.
12:9 bv60 וַיִּסַּ֣ע אַבְרָ֔ם הָל֥וֹךְ וְנָס֖וֹעַ 1 “After that, Abram/he {and his family} traveled in stages” or “Then Abram/he {and his family} moved from place to place”
12:9 yypr rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names הַנֶּֽגְבָּה 1 “{south} toward the Negev/Southern {Wilderness/Desert}.” or “{southward} until they reached the Negev/Southern {Wilderness/Desert}.”The Hebrew word “Negev” can mean “south” or “dry country,” so some translations translate the meaning. But most translations transliterate the Hebrew name (as “Negev” or “Negeb”) as they do with other names in the Bible.
12:10 glm2 וַיְהִ֥י 1 “Now there was”. This clause gives the setting for the rest of the sentence. Translate this in a way that is natural in your language.
12:10 eik8 רָעָ֖ב 1 “a serious/extreme shortage/lack of food” or “a hungry/starving time when food was very/extremely scarce”. A “famine” is a prolonged period of time when people are starving because crops are failing, often due to a lack of rain or other severe weather conditions.
12:10 wayf בָּאָ֑רֶץ 1 “in that land/region/area,” or “in the Negev Wilderness/Desert,”
12:10 rz12 וַיֵּ֨רֶד אַבְרָ֤ם 1 “so Abram {and his family} headed/traveled southwest” or “so Abram {and his family} went/traveled/moved {further} south”. This phrase refers to the fact that Egypt is lower in elevation than Canaan (verse 5). It is also located southwest of Canaan.
12:10 vjke rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בָּאָֽרֶץ 1 “in that land/region.” or “in the Negev {Wilderness/Desert} {so they could not survive/live there}.” For some languages it may be more natural to put this clause near the beginning of this verse and say, “Then/Now there was a famine in that land/region that was so heavy/severe/bad that Abram {and his family} {left there and} went down to {the land/country of} Egypt to live for a while.” Do what is best in your language.
12:11 ajhq יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּ֛י אִשָּׁ֥ה יְפַת מַרְאֶ֖ה אָֽתְּ 1 “I know/realize that you {are} a very beautiful woman.” or “You {are} a very beautiful woman.”
12:12 x50x rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result וְהָיָ֗ה כִּֽי 1 “So when” or “When”. Consider whether it is better in your language to begin this sentence with or without a conjunction (“So”).
12:12 semy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations וְאָמְר֖וּ אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ זֹ֑את 1 “they will say/know that you are my wife,” Consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote.
12:12 sw31 וְהָרְג֥וּ אֹתִ֖י וְאֹתָ֥ךְ יְחַיּֽוּ 1 “Then they will kill me but/and let you live {so that they can have/take you}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
12:13 erv1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations אֲחֹ֣תִי אָ֑תְּ 1 “ ‘I am his/Abram’s sister,’ ” Consider whether an indirect quote or direct quote is best here in your language.
12:13 p2h5 לְמַ֨עַן֙ יִֽיטַב לִ֣י 1 “so that I will be treated well” or “so that they/people will treat me well”
12:13 pv49 בַעֲבוּרֵ֔ךְ 1 “because of you”
12:13 kbgh וְחָיְתָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י בִּגְלָלֵֽךְ 1 “and my life will be spared {by them}.” or “and they will spare my life.” or “and {they will} let me live.” For some languages it is not natural to include the phrase “because of you” here, because it repeats the same idea as “for your sake” that was earlier in the sentence. Do what is best in your language.
12:14 ip31 וַיְהִ֕י 1 “That is {exactly} what happened:”
12:14 ajxi rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit כְּב֥וֹא אַבְרָ֖ם מִצְרָ֑יְמָה 1 “When Abram {and his family} entered {the land/country of} Egypt,” Although Abram is in focus here, your translation should not sound like he was traveling alone.
12:14 s2xw וַיִּרְא֤וּ הַמִּצְרִים֙ 1 “the Egyptian {people} saw/noticed” or “the people {living} there saw/noticed”
12:14 g5l2 אֶת־הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה כִּֽי־יָפָ֥ה הִ֖וא מְאֹֽד 1 “that the woman {with him} {was} {indeed/truly} very beautiful.” or “that Sarai {was} {indeed/truly} very beautiful.”
12:15 twfq rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיִּרְא֤וּ אֹתָהּ֙ שָׂרֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה 1 “{Some of} the officials/officers who served/ruled under the {Egyptian} king/ruler noticed/spotted her, so” or “When some officials/officers of/under Pharaoh {the king of/over Egypt} saw/noticed her,” The term “officials” is general and refers to leaders or rulers who were under Pharaoh and served him. Also, the term “Pharaoh” is an Egyptian title that refers to the king or ruler over Egypt. However, in the Old Testament, it is treated as a name (that frequently occurs with the title “king of Egypt”), so translators often transliterate “Pharaoh” (which is how other names in the Bible are normally treated). Some languages require an honorific title with the names of kings, for example, “{King} Pharaoh”. Decide how you will handle this in your translation.
12:15 oubs rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיְהַֽלְל֥וּ אֹתָ֖הּ אֶל פַּרְעֹ֑ה 1 “they told Pharaoh/him how beautiful she was,” or “they highly recommended her to him,”
12:15 vbhr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַתֻּקַּ֥ח הָאִשָּׁ֖ה 1 “and she/Sarai was taken/brought” or “So he had them bring her/Sarai”. Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language. Also consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
12:15 hq0q בֵּ֥ית פַּרְעֹֽה 1 “into/to his palace {to be one of his wives}.”
12:16 xuh3 וּלְאַבְרָ֥ם הֵיטִ֖יב בַּעֲבוּרָ֑הּ 1 “Then Pharaoh treated Abram well because of her/Sarai,” or “The king thought that Abram was her/Sarai’s brother, so he treated him well.”
12:16 wjdj rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַֽיְהִי ל֤וֹ 1 “and Abram acquired {from him}” or “and he gave him/Abram” or “He gave him/Abram”. Make sure it is clear in your translation who is being referred to here. Also consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
12:16 r8kj rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown וּגְמַלִּֽים 1 “and {larger load-bearing animals called} camels.” If camels are not known in your language area, you could include a picture of a camel in your translation. You could also describe it in the text or in a footnote.
12:17 dn17 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-honorifics וַיְנַגַּ֨ע יְהוָ֧ה אֶת פַּרְעֹ֛ה & וְאֶת בֵּית֑וֹ 1 “But/Then Yahweh struck/afflicted the king and {the people in} his household/family” or “Then Yahweh caused {King} Pharaoh and {the people} in his household/family to get/be very sick”. See how you translated “Pharaoh” in verse 15. You could translate it differently in different contexts. Do what is clear and natural in your language in each context.
12:17 s1no rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure עַל דְּבַ֥ר שָׂרַ֖י אֵ֥שֶׁת אַבְרָֽם 1 “because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.” or “because he/Pharaoh had taken Abram’s wife Sarai.” For many languages it is clearer and more natural to put this clause first in this verse and say, “But since {King} Pharaoh had taken Abram’s wife Sarai, Yahweh afflicted the king and his family {with} severe illnesses.” Do what is best in your language
12:18 qiwz וַיִּקְרָ֤א פַרְעֹה֙ 1 “So/Then {King} Pharaoh called/sent for Abram” or “So/Then Pharaoh/he summoned Abram {before him}” or “So/Then the king sent for Abram {to come to him}”
12:18 ru7l rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “and said {to him},” or “and asked {him},” Make sure that the way you translate this quote margin fits with the way that you translate the following quote.
12:18 xd4w rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מַה זֹּ֖את עָשִׂ֣יתָ לִּ֑י 1 “Why have you treated me so badly?” or “You have treated me very badly!” Pharaoh uses rhetorical questions in verses 18 and 19 to express his anger at what Abram had done; he does not expect Abram to answer him. Some languages must use statements or exclamations here instead. Do what is best in your language.
12:18 yw65 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion לָ֚מָּה לֹא הִגַּ֣דְתָּ לִּ֔י כִּ֥י אִשְׁתְּךָ֖ הִֽוא 1 “You should have told/informed me that she/Sarai {is} your wife!”
12:19 o893 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion לָמָ֤ה אָמַ֨רְתָּ֙ אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֔וא 1 “Why did you say/pretend that she {is} your sister,” or “You should not have said/pretended that she {is} your sister,” Pharaoh uses this rhetorical question to scold Abram and express his anger at him. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language. Also consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote.
12:19 xl4b rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result וָאֶקַּ֥ח אֹתָ֛הּ לִ֖י לְאִשָּׁ֑ה 1 “so that I took/chose her to be a/my wife!” or “so that I ended up taking her to be my wife!” or “I believed you and took her to be my wife!” For some languages it is clearer and more natural to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
12:20 hloj וַיְצַ֥ו & פַּרְעֹ֖ה 1 “Then {King} Pharaoh gave orders to” or “Then the {Egyptian} king ordered” or “Then the king {of/over Egypt} commanded/ordered”. Consider again how you translated “Pharaoh” in verses 15-18, 20. It may be helpful to read this section aloud to make sure it is clear and natural in your language.
12:20 caru rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns עָלָ֛יו 1 “concerning/about him/Abram,” or “to make sure that Abram left,” Throughout this verse, make sure it is clear in your translation who is being referred to.
12:20 ynrv rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֥וּ אֹת֛וֹ 1 “and/so they forced him to leave {the/their country},” or “and/so they expelled him {from Egypt},”
12:20 ec0t וְאֶת אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ 1 “along with his wife”
12:20 hplb וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לֽוֹ 1 “and all that he/they had/owned.” or “all his/their possessions.” This included Abram’s slaves, animals, and everything else that he owned.
13:1 dcd5 וַיַּעַל֩ אַבְרָ֨ם 1 “So Abram went/traveled {northeast} from” or “Then/So Abram left”. The Negev Wilderness (or Desert) is northeast in direction from Egypt and is higher in elevation. Compare how you translated “down” in Gen 12:10 when Abram traveled in the opposite direction.
13:1 hcbz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure ל֛וֹ הַנֶּֽגְבָּה 1 “{and they all went/traveled} {back} to the Negev/Southern {Wilderness/Desert}.” For many languages it is more natural to put this phrase earlier in this verse and say, “Then Abram went up from Egypt {and traveled back} to the Negev {Wilderness/Desert}, along with his wife and everything that belonged to him. {His nephew} Lot also went with them.” Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated “Negev” in Gen 12:9, and see the note about that there.
13:2 zhuu rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וְאַבְרָ֖ם 1 “Now” or “{By this/that time} Abram” or “Abram”. Consider what is the best way in your language to introduce this background information about Abram.
13:2 t3k3 כָּבֵ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד 1 “{had become} very wealthy/rich”
13:2 k7fc בַּמִּקְנֶ֕ה 1 “with {many} livestock” or “so that he owned {many} livestock”. The term “livestock” includes all kinds of domestic animals, such as cattle, sheep, goats, camels and donkeys.
13:2 sedh בַּכֶּ֖סֶף וּבַזָּהָֽב 1 “and {much} silver and gold.” In this context, “silver and gold” includes the metals themselves as well as objects made out of the metals, but not coins (since coins did not exist at that time). See how you translated “gold” in Gen 2:11-12.
13:3 ph3d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ֙ לְמַסָּעָ֔יו 1 “he/Abram {and his family} moved/traveled from place to place {northward}” or “he/Abram {and his family} continued traveling {northward}”. Abram represents his whole family here, and it is assumed that they are traveling with him. Consider whether or not you need to make them explicit in your language.
13:3 yj2g עַד הַמָּק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁר הָ֨יָה שָׁ֤ם אָֽהֳלוֹ֙ 1 “to the place/site where he/they had camped/lived in tents” or “where he had pitched his tents”
13:3 moa2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names בֵּ֥ין בֵּֽית אֵ֖ל וּבֵ֥ין הָעָֽי 1 “between {the towns of} Bethel and Ai,” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to put this phrase earlier in the sentence and say, “Then from the Negev {Desert} Abram {and his family} continued traveling {northward} {until they came} to the place between {the towns of} Bethel and Ai where they had camped in tents before.” Do what is best in your language. Also, be consistent here with how you spelled “Bethel” and “Ai” in Gen 12:8.
13:4 jmqv אֶל מְקוֹם֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ אֲשֶׁר עָ֥שָׂה שָׁ֖ם בָּרִאשֹׁנָ֑ה 1 “to the {same} place/site where he had made/built an altar before/previously,” or “{That is/was} the {same} place/site where he had first/previously made/built an altar,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also see how you translated “altar” in Gen 8:20 and 12:7-8.
13:4 tq1g rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּקְרָ֥א שָׁ֛ם אַבְרָ֖ם בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהוָֽה 1 “There {again} Abram/he {sacrificed animals on the/that altar and} addressed Yahweh by {his} name as he worshiped/praised him.” or “So Abram/he {again} {used that altar} there {and} worshiped/praised Yahweh by name.” or “...worshiped/praised Yahweh.” See how you translated “called on the name of Yahweh” in Gen 12:8.
13:5 mqte rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וְגַם לְל֔וֹט הַהֹלֵ֖ךְ אֶת אַבְרָ֑ם הָיָ֥ה 1 “Lot was traveling with {his uncle} Abram, and he {and his family} also had/owned”. The word “Now” introduces more background information for the new episode. For some languages it is more natural to leave “Now” implied and just use a paragraph break. Do what is best in your language.
13:5 r7v1 צֹאן וּבָקָ֖ר 1 “flocks {of sheep and goats} and herds {of cattle}” or “many sheep and cattle”. See how you translated this phrase in Gen 12:16.
13:5 q7sx וְאֹהָלִֽים 1 “and {many} tents.” or “as well as {many} tents.”
13:6 zhy2 וְלֹא־נָשָׂ֥א אֹתָ֛ם הָאָ֖רֶץ 1 “there was not enough land to provide them {all} with enough food and water” or “there was not enough land to provide/have enough food and water for both families {and their livestock/animals}”
13:6 a3n3 לָשֶׁ֣בֶת יַחְדָּ֑ו 1 “if they lived near each other,” or “if they lived in the same area/region,”
13:6 qa7c כִּֽי הָיָ֤ה רְכוּשָׁם֙ רָ֔ב וְלֹ֥א 1 “because their belongings were so abundant that” or “because they owned so many servants and livestock/animals that” or “They each owned so many servants and livestock/animals that”. The phrase “their possessions” especially refers to their livestock, which required much land to graze on and much water to drink, and probably also includes their many servants. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
13:6 m3y0 וְלֹ֥א יָֽכְל֖וּ לָשֶׁ֥בֶת 1 “they could not {all}” or “it was not possible for them to {all}”
13:6 nfu1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לָשֶׁ֥בֶת יַחְדָּֽו 1 “live near each other.” or “live in the same area/region.” See how you translated a similar phrase earlier in this verse. For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to change the order of the clauses in this sentence and say, “In fact, they {each/both} owned so many servants and livestock/animals that they could not live in the same area. There was not enough land to provide/produce the amount of food and water that they {all} needed.” Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated “stayed together” earlier in this verse.
13:7 wfy2 וַֽיְהִי 1 “In fact,” or “As a result,”
13:7 qb77 וַֽיְהִי רִ֗יב 1 “there was conflict/arguing” or “arguments/quarreling erupted/started”. The Hebrew word for “strife” is general in meaning and can include arguing and fighting. Some languages have an idiom for this that fits well here. Do what is best in your language.
13:7 jdu4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בֵּ֚ין רֹעֵ֣י מִקְנֵֽה אַבְרָ֔ם וּבֵ֖ין רֹעֵ֣י מִקְנֵה ל֑וֹט 1 “between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen.” or “between the men who were tending Abram’s livestock and the men who were tending Lot’s livestock.” For some languages it may be clearer and more natural to change the order of the clauses in this sentence and say, “Then the men who were taking care of Abram’s livestock and the men who were taking care of Lot’s livestock started to argue with each other.” Do what is best in your language.
13:7 syk1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י 1 “the Canaanite people and the Perizzite people” or “the descendants of Canaan and Perez”. See how you translated the names of people groups in Gen 10, and see how you translated “the Canaanites” in Gen 12:6.
13:7 eq3i rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אָ֖ז 1 “at that time.” For some languages it is more natural to put this time phrase earlier in the sentence and say, “...at that time the Canaanites....” Do what is best in your language.
13:8 wne5 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אַבְרָ֜ם אֶל ל֗וֹט 1 “Then/Finally {one day} Abram said to Lot,”
13:8 d1gl אַל נָ֨א תְהִ֤י 1 “Please, we should not have/allow” or “We need to do something so that there is not {any}”
13:8 xank מְרִיבָה֙ 1 “conflict/fighting/arguing”. See how you translated “strife” in verse 7.
13:8 kz66 בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֔יךָ 1 “between you and me,” or “between us,”
13:8 a1pw וּבֵ֥ין רֹעַ֖י וּבֵ֣ין רֹעֶ֑יךָ 1 “or/nor between the men tending my livestock and the men tending your livestock,” or “or/nor between our herdsmen,” See how you translated “herdsmen” in verse 7.
13:8 d9nl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּֽי אֲנָשִׁ֥ים אַחִ֖ים אֲנָֽחְנוּ 1 “because/since we {are} men {who are also} brothers/relatives.” or “because/since we {are} close relatives.” Abram and Lot were close relatives, not actual brothers. Also, for some languages it may be better to put this clause earlier in this verse and say, “Please, since we {are} close relatives, we need to do something so that you and I and our herdsmen will not argue.” Do what is best in your language.
13:9 sm7c rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲלֹ֤א כָל הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ 1 “Look, the entire land is available to you {to choose from}.” or “You can {choose to} live anywhere in this entire land.” Abram is using a rhetorical question to emphasize his point. He does not expect an answer from Lot. If that is not clear, you can translate this as a statement.
13:9 ad9o rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness הִפָּ֥רֶד נָ֖א מֵעָלָ֑י 1 “Please {choose the land you want, and} let’s go our separate ways.” or “Please {choose where you want to live, and} let’s live in separate places.” Make sure it is clear in your translation of verse 9 that Abram is being kind to Lot, not mean or rude.
13:9 oj9a אִם הַשְּׂמֹ֣אל 1 “If {you choose} {the land to} the left {of here},” or “if {you decide to live} {in the land to} our left,”
13:9 fva4 וְאֵימִ֔נָה 1 “then I will take/choose {the land to} the right,” or “then I will live {in the land} to our right,”
13:9 dd7y וְאִם הַיָּמִ֖ין 1 “Or if {you choose} {the land to} the right {of here},” or “Or if {you decide to live} {in the land to} our right,” For some languages, it may be more natural to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
13:9 m1ka וְאַשְׂמְאִֽילָה 1 “then I will take/choose {the land to} the left.” or “then I will live {in the land} to our left.”
13:10 ksqi rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idioms וַיִּשָּׂא־ל֣וֹט אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו 1 “So Lot looked {all} around” or “Lot ooked around {carefully}”
13:10 cuw3 וַיַּרְא֙ אֶת־כָּל־כִּכַּ֣ר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן כִּ֥י כֻלָּ֖הּ & בֹּאֲכָ֖ה צֹֽעַר 1 “and he observed/noticed that the entire/whole Jordan {River} Valley, all the way to {the town of} Zoar,” The Jordan Plain is the wide, flat valley where the Jordan River flows between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.
13:10 pwsa מַשְׁקֶ֑ה 1 “had a lot of water,” or “had plenty of water,”
13:10 r14f כְּגַן יְהוָה֙ 1 “{It was lush and green} like the garden that Yahweh had planted,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also see how you translated “garden” in Gen 3:23-24. This phrase refers to the Garden of Eden. You could put that information in a footnote.
13:10 mtls כְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם 1 “and/or like the country of Egypt,”
13:10 k9y5 לִפְנֵ֣י שַׁחֵ֣ת יְהוָ֗ה אֶת סְדֹם֙ וְאֶת עֲמֹרָ֔ה 1 “{That is what it was like} before Yahweh destroyed {the cities of} Sodom and Gomorrah {which were also in that valley}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
13:11 oyxz וַיִּבְחַר ל֣וֹ ל֗וֹט אֵ֚ת כָּל כִּכַּ֣ר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן 1 “So/Then Lot chose the entire/whole Jordan {River} Plain/Valley for himself,” or “So/Then Lot decided to live in the plain/valley that surrounded/bordered the Jordan {River},” See how you translated “plain of the Jordan” in verse 10.
13:11 w8ng rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּסַּ֥ע ל֖וֹט 1 “and he traveled/moved” or “Then Lot/he {left Abram and} traveled/moved”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also consider whether it is better in your language to use Lot’s name or a pronoun to refer to him here.
13:11 h78o rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּפָּ֣רְד֔וּ אִ֖ישׁ מֵעַ֥ל אָחִֽיו 1 “So {in this way} they lived separately from each other.” or “That is how Abram and Lot ended up living in separate/different places.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also consider what is the best way to refer to Abram and Lot at this point in the paragraph.
13:12 f9os rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit בְּעָרֵ֣י הַכִּכָּ֔ר 1 “{in another part of the land/region} in/among the cities of/in the {Jordan River} valley” or “{in another part of the land/region} in/among the cities in the plain/valley {surrounding/bordering the Jordan River}”. As Lot traveled, he probably lived in several different cities in the Jordan River Valley until he eventually settled in the city of Sodom (Gen 14:12).
13:12 tu8e וַיֶּאֱהַ֖ל עַד 1 “He {eventually} pitched his tents in/near” or “and {eventually} moved his tents to/near”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
13:13 qeuu rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וְאַנְשֵׁ֣י 1 “But”. This conjunction introduces background information that builds suspense for what happens to the people of Sodom later in Genesis (chapters 18-19). Consider what is the best way to begin this verse in your language.
13:13 qquc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וְאַנְשֵׁ֣י סְדֹ֔ם 1 “the people {who lived} in {the city of} Sodom”. This phrase probably has a general meaning here that includes all the people of Sodom, especially the men.
13:13 a8b1 וְחַטָּאִ֑ים לַיהוָ֖ה 1 “were {terrible} sinners against Yahweh.” or “were {always/constantly} sinning/rebelling against Yahweh.” Some translations treat the phrase “wicked and sinful” as a hendiadys that means “wicked sinners”, but it is best to keep the two parts of this phrase separate (like the Hebrew text does) to emphasize the people’s evil character and behavior.
13:14 grqj rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness שָׂ֣א נָ֤א עֵינֶ֨יךָ֙ 1 “Look around please/now” or “Look {all} around you”. See how you translated the idiom “lift...eyes” in verse 10. The Hebrew word for “please” is used to show politeness when making a proposal or to soften a command. It can also be translated “now” or omitted, depending on the context. Your translation here should not sound like God is begging.
13:14 pmid rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure מִן הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר אַתָּ֣ה 1 “from the place where you {live},” or “from where you {are standing},” For some languages it is more natural to put this phrase first in this quote and say, “From where you are standing, look {all} around you. Look...” Do what is best in your language.
13:14 tlr6 צָפֹ֥נָה וָנֶ֖גְבָּה וָקֵ֥דְמָה וָיָֽמָּה 1 “to the north, south, east, and west,” or “{in all directions:} north, south, east, and west,” or “around you in every direction,” See how you translated “east” and “west” in Gen 12:8.
13:15 u6rx כִּ֧י אֶת כָּל הָאָ֛רֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה 1 “All the land that you see” or “All that land, as far as you can see,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
13:15 arvu לְךָ֣ אֶתְּנֶ֑נָּה וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֖ 1 “I will give to you and your descendants”. See how you translated “offspring” in Gen 12:7.
13:16 psm1 וְשַׂמְתִּ֥י אֶֽת זַרְעֲךָ֖ 1 “Besides that, I will {also} cause your offspring/descendants to be” or “In fact, I will {also} give you so many offspring/descendants that they will be”
13:16 rtyn rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-contrary אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם יוּכַ֣ל אִ֗ישׁ לִמְנוֹת֙ 1 “Just as it is impossible to count” or “Just as no one is able to count”. The Hebrew text has a contrary-to-fact clause here which implies that it is impossible for anyone to count all the specks of dust. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
13:16 it85 כַּעֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “all the dust/dirt specks/particles,” or “how many specks/particles of dust/dirt there are,” For some languages it is not natural to repeat “of/on the earth” here. Do what is best in your language.
13:16 tjyw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure גַּֽם זַרְעֲךָ֖ יִמָּנֶֽה 1 “so it will be impossible to count all your offspring/descendants {because they will be so numerous}.” or “no one will be able to count how many descendants you have.” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to change the order of the last two clauses and say, “No one will be able to count how many offspring/descendants you have, just as no one can count how many {specks/particles of} dust/dirt there are.” Do what is best in your language.
13:17 hsbz ק֚וּם הִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ 1 “{Now} go walk” or “{So now,} start walking”. The phrase “get up” may imply that Abram was sitting down, but it probably just means that God is telling him to start walking through the land.
13:17 vbbt בָּאָ֔רֶץ 1 “through/throughout the land {in all directions},”
13:17 hdl5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-merism לְאָרְכָּ֖הּ וּלְרָחְבָּ֑הּ 1 “including its length and its width, {and look it over,}” or “Walk/Go throughout the entire land {and look it over},” The phrase “its length...its width” also includes all the area of land in between. Consider what is the best way to translate this merism in your language. Also consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
13:17 j72c כִּ֥י לְךָ֖ אֶתְּנֶֽנָּה 1 “because you {are the one} I am giving it to.” or “because I am giving it {all} to you.” In the Hebrew text, the phrase “to you” is before the verb to emphasize Abram. In your translation, communicate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
13:18 evru וַיֶּאֱהַ֣ל אַבְרָ֗ם 1 “Then Abram {did what Yahweh commanded} and moved his tents” or “Abram {obeyed Yahweh and} moved/relocated his tents”. Abram obeyed God, but we do not know if he did everything that God commanded in verse 17 before he moved his tents near Hebron (verse 18), or if moving his tents was the first step in obeying what God told him to do. It is best to keep this general in your translation (as the Hebrew text does). Also see how you translated the phrase “moved his tents” in verse 12.
13:18 rny9 בְּאֵלֹנֵ֥י מַמְרֵ֖א 1 “near the terebinth/oak trees on Mamre’s {land},” or “near the terebinth/oak trees {on the land} owned by {a man named} Mamre,” See how you translated “terebinth” in Gen 12:6.
13:18 isz2 אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּחֶבְר֑וֹן 1 “near {the city of} Hebron,”
13:18 hx7g וַיִּֽבֶן שָׁ֥ם מִזְבֵּ֖חַ 1 “There he built an altar {out of stones}”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated this phrase in Gen 12:7-8.
13:18 ikf8 לַֽיהוָֽה 1 “{and burned/offered sacrifices on it} to {thank and} worship Yahweh.” See how you translated this phrase in Gen 12:7 and how you translated a similar phrase in Gen 8:20 and 12:8.
14:1 vbzr וַיְהִ֗י בִּימֵי֙ 1 “Then it happened {that} during the days/time when” or “During that time”
14:1 rxaj rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-keyterms אַמְרָפֶ֣ל מֶֽלֶךְ 1 “Amraphel {was} the king/ruler over” or “King Amraphel was ruling”. The term “king” refers to the highest ruler or leader over a kingdom, which at that time was often just a city, a small region or a people group. Translate this with the best word for that in your language. Also see how you translated “Shinar” in Gen 10:10; 11:2.
14:1 abfg אַרְי֖וֹךְ מֶ֣לֶךְ 1 “Arioch {was} the king/ruler over” or “King Arioch was ruling”. It is not known whether Ellasar was the name of a city or the name of a kingdom that had one or more cities.
14:1 b13t rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names כְּדָרְלָעֹ֨מֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ 1 “Kedorlaomer/Chedorlaomer {was} the king/ruler over” or “King Kedorlaomer/Chedorlaomer was ruling”. In Hebrew this king’s name is pronounced “Kedorlaomer”. However in many translations it is spelled “Chedorlaomer”. Be consistent with your choice throughout this chapter. Also, “Elam” refers to the land where the descendants of Shem’s son Elam lived (Gen 10:22).
14:1 ygbq rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וְתִדְעָ֖ל מֶ֥לֶךְ 1 “and Tidal {was} the king/ruler over” or “and King Tidal was ruling”. Most translation teams transliterate the name “Goyim” (as they do other names in the Bible). Some translations translate its meaning and say, “the nations/peoples”. Do what is best in your language.
14:1 sjfe rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names גּוֹיִֽם 1 “the Goyim {people},” Most translation teams transliterate the name “Goyim” (as they do other names in the Bible). Some translations translate its meaning and say “the nations/peoples”. Do what is best in your language.
14:2 htro עָשׂ֣וּ מִלְחָמָ֗ה אֶת־ 1 “those/Those {four} kings {became allies/partners and} made/waged war” or “those/Those {four} kings {joined forces and} went to war”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here, which depends on how you translated verse 1.
14:2 yl85 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit הִיא צֹֽעַר 1 “which {is also/now called} Zoar.” or “which {was later called} Zoar.” or “that is, Zoar.” This town is first mentioned in Gen 13:10, but it was not actually named Zoar until later (Gen 19:22). You may want to put that information in a footnote.
14:3 lfo8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit כָּל אֵ֨לֶּה֙ 1 “These/Those {five kings} all”. Consider whether it is necessary to make it explicit in your translation that “these” refers to the five kings just mentioned in verse 2.
14:3 ju1b חָֽבְר֔וּ 1 “united/combined their forces/armies {as allies/partners} {and fought against the four kings}”
14:3 y38z אֶל עֵ֖מֶק הַשִּׂדִּ֑ים 1 “in the Siddim Valley,”
14:3 v7c6 ה֖וּא יָ֥ם הַמֶּֽלַח 1 “which {later} {became} the Salt Sea.” or “where the Salt Sea {is now}.” The Hebrew word for “sea/ocean” can also refer to a large lake. The Salt Sea (also known as the Dead Sea) is about 31 miles (50 kilometers) long and 9 miles (15 kilometers) wide. Use a term in your language for a body of water that size.
14:4 n2ht rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background שְׁתֵּ֤ים עֶשְׂרֵה֙ שָׁנָ֔ה 1 “{This is what happened:} {For/During} twelve years” or “{This is why they were fighting:} {For/During} twelve years”. This paragraph (verses 4-9) is a flashback that tells the events that led up to the war (verses 1-3). Consider what is the best way in your language to introduce this background information.
14:4 iqc8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns עָבְד֖וּ 1 “the five kings had paid tribute/taxes/money to” or “the five kings had been subject to” or “they had been ruled by””. Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to the five kings (listed in verse 2) at this point in the paragraph.
14:4 cdq3 אֶת כְּדָרְלָעֹ֑מֶר 1 “{King} Kedorlaomer/Chedorlaomer,” Be consistent here with how you spelled this name in verse 1.
14:5 oirx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit בָּ֣א 1 “{united/combined their armies and} went {to war/fight} {against all their enemies}”. Verses 5-7 list enemies of King Kedorlaomer that are in addition to the five kings mentioned in verses 2-4. Consider whether or not to make it explicit in your translation here that they were fighting all their enemies.
14:5 cg83 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיַּכּ֤וּ 1 “{First,} they conquered/defeated”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
14:5 vtcv rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֶת רְפָאִים֙ 1 “the Rephaites” or “the Rephaite/Repha people”. See how you translated the names of people groups in Gen 10:4, 13-18, and see the note about that at 10:4.
14:5 wbtc הָֽאֵימִ֔ים 1 “the Emites” or “the Emite/Em people”
14:5 fhdm בְּשָׁוֵ֖ה קִרְיָתָֽיִם 1 “in {the city of} Shaveh-Kiriathaim,”
14:6 zg2n וְאֶת הַחֹרִ֖י 1 “and the Horite/Hor people”
14:6 f5cg בְּהַרְרָ֣ם שֵׂעִ֑יר 1 “{who lived} in the hill country of {the land/region of} Seir” or “{who lived} in the Seir Hills/Mountains”
14:6 p20q עַ֚ד אֵ֣יל פָּארָ֔ן 1 “{all the way} to {the city of} El Paran,”
14:6 b5lx אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל 1 “which {is located} near/beside” or “which {is} on/at the edge/border of”
14:6 pbqs הַמִּדְבָּֽר 1 “the/a desert.” A wilderness is a dry, rocky area where few plants grow and few people live. See how you translated “wilderness/desert” in Gen 12:9 and 13:1, 3 (if you made that explicit in those verses).
14:7 fm78 אֶל עֵ֤ין מִשְׁפָּט֙ 1 “to {the city of} En Mishpat,”
14:7 wbrw הִ֣וא קָדֵ֔שׁ 1 “which {is also/now called} Kadesh,” or “which {was later called} Kadesh,” or “that is, Kadesh,” See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 2.
14:7 v4ak וַיַּכּ֕וּ 1 “They conquered/defeated”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
14:7 wufy אֶֽת כָּל שְׂדֵ֖ה הָעֲמָלֵקִ֑י 1 “the entire/whole territory/area/land where the Amalekites lived” or “...where the Amalekite/Amalek people {group} lived”
14:7 p33f וְגַם֙ אֶת הָ֣אֱמֹרִ֔י 1 “as well as the Amorite/Amor people {group},” Be consistent here with how you translated “Amorites” in Gen 10:16.
14:8 txjr rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וַיֵּצֵ֨א 1 “That’s when”. Verse 8 is talking about the same battle that is mentioned in verse 2, except it leaves out the names of the kings. Make sure in your translation that it does not sound like a different battle.
14:8 irbp מֶֽלֶךְ סְדֹ֜ם וּמֶ֣לֶךְ עֲמֹרָ֗ה וּמֶ֤לֶךְ אַדְמָה֙ וּמֶ֣לֶךְ צְבוֹיִ֔ם וּמֶ֥לֶךְ בֶּ֖לַע 1 “the king over {the city of} Sodom, the king over {the city of} Gomorrah, the king over {the city of} Admah, the king over {the city of} Zeboyim, and the king over {the town of} Bela,” or “the kings over {the cities of} Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Bela,” Be consistent in verse 8 with how you spelled the names of these cities in verse 2 and in Gen 10:19.
14:8 or65 הִוא צֹ֑עַר 1 “which {is also/now called} Zoar,” or “that is, Zoar,” See how you translated this phrase in verse 2.
14:8 e103 וַיֵּצֵ֨א 1 “went/marched out {with their armies}”
14:8 djq8 בְּעֵ֖מֶק הַשִּׂדִּֽים 1 “into the Siddim Valley”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 3.
14:8 g78j וַיַּֽעַרְכ֤וּ אִתָּם֙ מִלְחָמָ֔ה 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “and assembled/prepared/positioned {themselves} for battle” or “and got ready to fight” (2) “and joined/united together in battle”
14:9 daj4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֵ֣ת כְּדָרְלָעֹ֜מֶר מֶ֣לֶךְ 1 “against Kedorlaomer/Chedorlaomer {who was} the king/ruler over” or “against King Kedorlaomer/Chedorlaomer who was ruling”. The same kings (and the places they ruled) that are listed here in verse 9 are listed in verse 1, but in a different order. Be consistent here with how you spelled the names there.
14:9 jqlu אַרְבָּעָ֥ה מְלָכִ֖ים אֶת 1 “{It was} four kings {who started fighting} against” or “{Then} the/those four kings attacked”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
14:9 ea8b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit הַחֲמִשָּֽׁה 1 “the five {kings} {and started defeating them}.” It is implied in verse 10 that the four kings had started defeating the five kings. If that is not clear, you could make that explicit here.
14:10 n67g rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וְעֵ֣מֶק הַשִׂדִּ֗ים בֶּֽאֱרֹ֤ת בֶּאֱרֹת֙ חֵמָ֔ר 1 “The Siddim Valley was full of tar pits,” or “There were many tar pits in the Siddim Valley,” The word “Now” indicates a change of topic and introduces background information. For some languages it is more natural to omit that word and just use a paragraph break. Do what is best in your language. Also be consistent here with how you translated “the Valley of Siddim” in verses 3 and 8, and how you translated “tar” in Gen 11:3.
14:10 p8kh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיָּנֻ֛סוּ מֶֽלֶךְ סְדֹ֥ם וַעֲמֹרָ֖ה 1 “As/When the kings of/over {the cities of} Sodom and Gomorrah {and their armies/soldiers} were running away {from the battle},” It is assumed here that the kings were accompanied by their armies. If that is not understood, you could make that explicit in your translation. Also, consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
14:10 wym8 וַיִּפְּלוּ שָׁ֑מָּה 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “they died there {in the tar pits}.” or “some {of their soldiers/men} were killed there {in the tar pits}.” or “they fell into the tar pits {and died}.” (2) “jumped into the tar pits {to hide}.” Notice that the king of Sodom is still alive in verse 17, so the pronoun “they” probably does not include him here, depending on how you translate “fell there”.
14:10 v2gs וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֖ים 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “while/but those who were left” or “Those who escaped” (2) “But the other {three kings and their armies/soldiers}” Consider whether or not it is best in your language to begin a new sentence here or continue the previous sentence.
14:11 yt9q rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַ֠יִּקְחוּ 1 “The the four kings took {by force}” or “Then the four kings seized”. Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to the four kings at this point in the paragraph.
14:11 vxuv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy אֶת כָּל רְכֻ֨שׁ סְדֹ֧ם וַעֲמֹרָ֛ה 1 “all the possessions of/from {the people of/in} {the cities of} Sodom and Gomorrah” or “all the {people’s} belongings in {the cities of} Sodom and Gomorrah”. The phrase “Sodom and Gomorrah” refers here to the people who lived in those cities. Consider what is the best way to refer to those people here in your language.
14:12 z7z0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְה֥וּא יֹשֵׁ֖ב בִּסְדֹֽם 1 “since he was living in {the city of} Sodom.” For some languages it may be more clearer or more natural to put this phrase first in this sentence and say, “Since Abram’s nephew Lot was {also} living in {the city of} Sodom, the four kings took/captured him too, along with his possessions.”
14:13 rmjy וַיָּבֹא֙ הַפָּלִ֔יט 1 “Then/But someone {from Sodom} escaped {from the battle} and came/went”
14:13 tz4r וַיַּגֵּ֖ד לְאַבְרָ֣ם הָעִבְרִ֑י 1 “to Abram the Hebrew and reported {to him} {what had happened}.” The Hebrew people are the descendants of Abram (Abraham), and they were named after his ancestor Eber, who was Shem’s great grandson (Genesis 11:10-26). Some of this information could be put in a footnote.
14:13 b6mh rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וְהוּא֩ 1 “Now {at that time} he/Abram” or “{At that time} he/Abram”. This phrase introduces background information about Abram as part of the setting for what happens next. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
14:13 ebfw שֹׁכֵ֨ן בְּאֵֽלֹנֵ֜י מַמְרֵ֣א 1 “was {still} living by/near the terebinth/oak trees that were owned by Mamre” or “was {still} living by/near the terebinth/oak trees on the land owned by Mamre”. See how you translated this clause in Gen 13:18.
14:13 p3v8 הָאֱמֹרִ֗י 1 “{who was} {a member of} the Amorite {people/ethnic group}”. See how you translated “Amorites” in verse 7.
14:13 u9mn בַּעֲלֵ֥י בְרִית אַבְרָֽם 1 “had made a covenant/pact/agreement with Abram {to be his allies}.” or “and Abram had made a covenant/pact/agreement together {that they would help each other against their enemies}.”
14:14 bkqj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive כִּ֥י נִשְׁבָּ֖ה אָחִ֑יו 1 “that his relative/nephew {Lot} had been captured,” or “that {the four kings} had captured his nephew {Lot},” Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language.
14:14 r50d וַיָּ֨רֶק 1 “he called/gathered together {for battle}” or “he summoned/assembled/mobilized {for battle}.”
14:14 j9ie אֶת חֲנִיכָ֜יו יְלִידֵ֣י בֵית֗וֹ שְׁמֹנָ֤ה עָשָׂר֙ וּשְׁלֹ֣שׁ מֵא֔וֹת 1 “318 of his/the servants who had been born in his household and were trained/skilled warriors” or “318 of his servants born in his household whom he had trained to fight/battle”. It is clear from verse 15 that these men were Abram’s servants.
14:14 uxi9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיִּרְדֹּ֖ף 1 “Then he/Abram {and his men/servants and his allies} went/chased after {the invaders}” or “Then {together with his allies} they {all} pursued {the four kings and their armies}”. In this sentence the pronoun “he” refers to Abram and all those who had united with him as his allies.
14:14 vvdg עַד 1 “all the way to” or “until they caught up with them at”
14:14 dlm1 דָּֽן 1 “{the town of} Dan.”
14:15 ktaz וַיֵּחָלֵ֨ק עֲלֵיהֶ֧ם לַ֛יְלָה ה֥וּא וַעֲבָדָ֖יו 1 “Then/There during the night he/Abram and his servants/men divided {into groups}, {surprise} attacked the {four} kings {and their soldiers},”
14:16 oopx וְגַם֩ & הֵשִׁ֔יב 1 “He also got back” or “He also recovered/rescued”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
14:17 ykht rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-go וַיֵּצֵ֣א מֶֽלֶךְ־סְדֹם֮ 1 “Then the king over {the city of} Sodom went out”. Consider whether “came” or “went” is more natural here in your language.
14:17 icwx אֶל עֵ֣מֶק שָׁוֵ֔ה 1 “in the Shaveh Valley,”
14:17 k618 ה֖וּא עֵ֥מֶק הַמֶּֽלֶךְ 1 “which {is also called/named} the King’s Valley,” or “that is, the King’s Valley,”
14:17 c2vk אַחֲרֵ֣י שׁוּב֗וֹ 1 “as he/Abram was returning {home}” or “as he/Abram was going/headed back home”. When Abram reached the Shaveh Valley, he was still about 20 miles (30 kilometers) north of his home, which was near the city of Hebron (Gen 13:18).
14:17 luxv אֶת כְּדָרלָעֹ֔מֶר 1 “{King} Kedorlaomer/Chedorlaomer {and his army}”. Be consistent here with how you spelled this name previously in this chapter; see verses 1, 4-5, 9, 17.
14:17 c1g6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתּ֑וֹ 1 “who were Kedorlaomer’s/Chedorlaomer’s allies/partners.” or “who had joined/allied themselves with Kedorlaomer/Chedorlaomer.” For some languages it may be better to put the clauses of this verse in the order that the events actually happened. For example you could say, “After Abram defeated {King} Kedorlaomer/Chedorlaomer and the {other} {three} kings who were Kedorlaomer’s/Chedorlaomer’s allies, he started to return {home}. When Abram reached the Shaveh Valley, that is, the King’s Valley, the king over {the city of} Sodom came/went there and greeted/welcomed him.” Do what is best in your language.
14:18 x5qz וּמַלְכִּי צֶ֨דֶק֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ שָׁלֵ֔ם 1 “Then Melchizedek {who was} the king over {the city of} Salem {also came/went there, and he}”. Salem is the short name for the city of Jerusalem (See: Psalm 76:2). The Shaveh Valley, where Melchizedek met Abram, was located just east of Jerusalem. You could put some of that information in a footnote.
14:18 zo6c הוֹצִ֖יא לֶ֣חֶם וָיָ֑יִן 1 “brought (some) bread and wine {for them to eat and drink}.” or “brought {some} bread and wine {for Abram and his men to eat and drink}.” It is not known whether Melchizedek brought out a large amount of bread and wine to feed Abram and his men, or if he brought out just enough for him and Abram to share, possibly as part of establishing a covenant between them. The first alternate above would work for either meaning. See how you translated “wine” in Gen 9:21, 24.
14:18 vl2w rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms כֹהֵ֖ן 1 “a priest for” or “a priest who served”. A priest is someone who represents people to God, and who represents God to the people. He leads the people in praying, worship, making sacrifices, ceremonies, and festivals.
14:19 z3jb rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֖הוּ 1 “He blessed Abram” or “So he/Melchizedek blessed Abram”. Make sure your translation of “blessed...and said” refers to the same event, not two separate events. Also see how you translated “bless” in Gen 12:2-3.
14:19 qqks rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לְאֵ֣ל עֶלְי֔וֹן 1 “by the most high/powerful God,” or “by the highest/greatest God,” See how you translated this title in verse 18. For some languages it may be better to switch the order of phrases in this sentence and say, “May the greatest God, who owns heaven and earth, bless Abram/you.” or “I pray that the most high/powerful God, who created heaven and earth, will bless {you} Abram.” Do what is best in your language.
14:19 cnzx קֹנֵ֖ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ 1 “{who is} the Owner/Creator of heaven and earth.” or “who owns/created heaven and earth.” The Hebrew word for “Possessor” also means “Creator,” which is used in many translations. Whichever one you do not use in the text, you could put in a footnote.
14:20 qi3k וּבָרוּךְ֙ 1 “Praise” or “Give praise to” or “Let everyone praise”. See how you translated “Praised be” in Gen 9:26.
14:20 bnw8 אֵ֣ל עֶלְי֔וֹן 1 “the most high/powerful God,” or “the highest/greatest God,” See how you translated this phrase in verses 18-19.
14:20 bx1d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אֲשֶׁר מִגֵּ֥ן צָרֶ֖יךָ בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ 1 “because he gave you victory over your enemies!” or “because he enabled you to defeat your enemies!” The phrase “delivered...into your hand” is an idiom. Consider whether your language has a similar idiom that fits well here.
14:20 kq14 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּתֶּן ל֥וֹ 1 “Then Abram gave {King} Melchizedek”. Make sure it is clear in your translation who is being referred to here.
14:20 dxmy מַעֲשֵׂ֖ר 1 “one-tenth” or “ten percent”
14:20 yh95 מִכֹּֽל 1 “of everything {that he had recovered/captured in the battle}.” or “of all {the plunder he had brought back from the battle}.” This phrase refers to the belongings of the people of Sodom that Abram had recovered from the kings who stole them.
14:21 u3e7 וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֶֽלֶךְ סְדֹ֖ם אֶל־אַבְרָ֑ם 1 “Then the king of Sodom requested of Abram,” or “After that, the king over {the city of} Sodom urged/asked Abram,”
14:21 kges rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness תֶּן לִ֣י 1 “{Please} give/return to me”. Make sure in your translation that the king of Sodom’s request to Abram sounds polite, not rude or demanding.
14:21 pmak הַנֶּ֔פֶשׁ 1 “the/my people {whom you rescued/saved},” or “the people {from Sodom} {whom you rescued},”
14:21 yqi3 וְהָרְכֻ֖שׁ קַֽח לָֽךְ 1 “but the possessions/plunder you may take/keep for yourself.” or “but take/keep for yourself the/their belongings {that you recovered}.” See how you translated “possessions” in verses 11-12,16.
14:22 n9df rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אַבְרָ֖ם אֶל מֶ֣לֶךְ סְדֹ֑ם 1 “But Abram/he replied to him,” Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to Abram and to the king of Sodom at this point in their conversation.
14:22 mra6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction הֲרִימֹ֨תִי יָדִ֤י אֶל יְהוָה֙ 1 “{I will not keep anything, because} I have raised my hand {and sworn/vowed/promised} to Yahweh,” It was the custom that when a person made an oath, he raised his hand to show that he was telling the truth and making a serious, unbreakable promise. Abram’s oath to Yahweh made Yahweh his witness who would hold him accountable and punish him if he breaks his oath.
14:22 j9qr אֵ֣ל עֶלְי֔וֹן 1 “{who is} the highest/greatest God,” See how you translated this phrase in verses 18-20.
14:22 v040 קֹנֵ֖ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ 1 “{and} the Owner/Creator of heaven and earth,” or “{and} the One who owns/created heaven and earth,” See how you translated this phrase in verse 19.
14:23 lbqa מִחוּט֙ וְעַ֣ד שְׂרֽוֹךְ נַ֔עַל 1 “even a thread/string or the strap from a sandal,” or “even {something as small/insignificant as} a string or a sandal strap,”
14:23 wb28 וְאִם אֶקַּ֖ח מִכָּל 1 “No/Yes, I will not keep/accept anything”. This clause emphasizes Abram’s point. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language.
14:23 ah9p rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֲשֶׁר לָ֑ךְ 1 “that {belongs} to you {or your people},” or “that is yours {or your people’s},” For some languages, it may be clearer and more natural to put this phrase earlier in this verse and say, “{that} I will not keep/accept anything that {belongs} to you {or your people}, not even {something as small as} a thread/string or the strap from a sandal.” Do what is best in your language.
14:23 xhbz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes אֲנִ֖י הֶעֱשַׁ֥רְתִּי אֶת אַבְרָֽם 1 “I {am the one who} made Abram rich/wealthy!” or “that you {were the one who} made me rich.” The Hebrew pronoun that refers here to the king of Sodom is emphatic. Consider what is the best way to communicate that emphasis in your language. Also consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote.
14:24 kk1m rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-exceptions בִּלְעָדַ֗י רַ֚ק 1 “{So} I {will} not {keep/accept} anything, except” or “{So} I {will} only {keep/accept}”. Consider what is the best way in your language to translate this exception sentence.
14:24 kaz7 אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽכְל֣וּ הַנְּעָרִ֔ים 1 “what my servants {who fought with me} have eaten” or “what my men/warriors ate”. These young men were Abram’s trained servants or warriors who are mentioned in verses 14-15.
14:24 pp7i וְחֵ֨לֶק֙ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָלְכ֖וּ אִתִּ֑י עָנֵר֙ אֶשְׁכֹּ֣ל וּמַמְרֵ֔א 1 “and the share/part {of the plunder} that Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre deserve for being my allies/partners.” or “and what Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre deserve for helping me in the battle.”
14:24 h54m rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness הֵ֖ם יִקְח֥וּ 1 “{Please} let them take/have” or “{Please} give them”. Abram is being polite, but make sure in your translation that he does not sound like he is begging, especially since he is a mighty warrior.
15:1 uy8x rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms הָיָ֤ה דְבַר יְהוָה֙ אֶל אַבְרָ֔ם בַּֽמַּחֲזֶ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “Yahweh said to Abram in a vision,” or “Yahweh appeared/came to Abram visually and said {to him},” A vision is a supernatural experience that a person has while he is awake, so the way you translate this term should be different from the way you translate “dream” (since people have dreams while asleep). Make sure your translation of this clause does not sound like what Abram saw was unreal; what he saw and heard actually happened.
15:1 a97c rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor אָנֹכִי֙ מָגֵ֣ן לָ֔ךְ 1 “I {am} your shield/protector,” or “I protect you {like} a shield,” or “I will shield/protect you,” God is like a shield to Abram, since he protects him. Consider what is the best way to translate this metaphor in your language.
15:1 dbve שְׂכָרְךָ֖ הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “{and} your reward {from me} will be very great.” or “{and} I will give you a very great/valuable reward/gift.” The context (verse 2) shows that is how Abram understood God. (2) “{and} {I am} your very great/valuable reward.”
15:2 vwfv rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָ֗ם 1 “Then Abram said/lamented {to him},” or “But/Then Abram asked {him},” The way you translate this quote margin may depend on how you translate the following rhetorical question.
15:2 n8qe rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms אֲדֹנָ֤י יֱהוִה֙ 1 “My Master, Yahweh,” or “Yahweh, my Lord/Master,” The term “Lord” implies ownership and that God has complete authority over people.
15:2 ep5f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מַה תִּתֶּן לִ֔י 1 “what {reward} will/can you give to me {that would benefit me},” or “{I don’t understand} how a reward from you {would benefit/help} me,” or “even if you reward me {greatly}, {that will not benefit/help me,}” Abram uses this rhetorical question to show that he is lamenting that he has no children. Make sure in your translation that he does not sound rude.
15:2 dltw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וּבֶן מֶ֣שֶׁק 1 “so that {when/after I die,} the inheritor/heir of” or “So {when I die,} the one who will inherit/own”. The phrase “son of the inheritance” is used here as an idiom that means “inheritor” or “heir”; it does not refer to an actual son. Consider whether or not your language has a similar idiom. Also consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
15:2 gn01 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche בֵּיתִ֔י 1 “my estate/property” or “all/everything that I have/own”. This phrase refers here to all Abram’s belongings.
15:2 nc22 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion דַּמֶּ֥שֶׂק אֱלִיעֶֽזֶר 1 “{is} {my foreign servant} Eliezer from Damascus” or “{is} {my servant} Eliezer {who is} {a foreigner} from {the city of} Damascus”. In the Hebrew text, Abram emphasizes the fact that Eliezer was from Damascus, which means he was a foreigner from a foreign city, not a blood relative. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language. Also, be consistent here with how you translated “{the city of} Damascus” in Gen 14:15.
15:3 jv86 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָ֔ם 1 “Then he continued/added,” Some languages omit these words, because the same speaker is still speaking to the same audience. Do what is best in your language.
15:3 o4j4 לִ֔י לֹ֥א נָתַ֖תָּה זָ֑רַע 1 “you have not given me any children,” In the Hebrew text “to me” is before “you have not given” to emphasize Abram. Do what is natural in your language.
15:4 os3q rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom דְבַר יְהוָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר 1 “Yahweh said/replied to him/Abram,” See how you translated this idiom in verse 1.
15:4 o38q rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-Idiom אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵצֵ֣א מִמֵּעֶ֔יךָ ה֖וּא 1 “a son whom you father” or “it will be your very own {biological} son who”. The phrase “comes from your bowels” is an idiom that refers to fathering a son. Make sure your translation of this clause does not imply that Abram would give birth to a son.
15:5 ww36 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜וֹ 1 “Then Yahweh took/led him/Abram”. Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to Yahweh and Abram at this point in the paragraph.
15:5 gdld rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit הַח֗וּצָה 1 “outside {his tent}”. Abram was probably inside a tent, not inside a house. But if possible, it is best to leave this implied in a translation (as the Hebrew text does).
15:5 p6yn rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ 1 “and said {to him},”
15:5 vwsk הַבֶּט נָ֣א 1 “Please/Now look {up}” or “Look {up}”. See how you translated “please” in Gen 13:14. Make sure your translation does not sound like God is begging.
15:5 zhiv הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה 1 “into the heavens” or “at/into the {night} sky”
15:5 i9uf rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-contrary וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים אִם תּוּכַ֖ל לִסְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑ם 1 “and {try to} count how many stars there are, if {in fact,} anyone could {possibly} count {all of} them.” or “There are so many stars that no one could {ever/possibly} count them {all}.” God’s point here is that there are so many stars that no one could ever count that high. He is not questioning Abram’s ability to count. Consider what is the best way to translate this contrary-to-fact statement in your language.
15:5 uudh rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ 1 “{While Abram was looking at the stars,} Yahweh said to him/Abram,” or “{So Abram looked up at the stars,} and Yahweh continued speaking to him,” Throughout this chapter make sure it is clear in your translation who is speaking to whom. Always use pronouns and nouns in a way that is clear and natural in your language.
15:5 fv94 כֹּ֥ה יִהְיֶ֖ה זַרְעֶֽךָ 1 “That is how {numerous/many} your offspring/descendants will be.” or “That is how many offspring/descendants you will have.”
15:6 obq6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וְהֶאֱמִ֖ן 1 “He/Abram trusted/believed Yahweh,” or “He/Abram believed what Yahweh said,” Many translations omit the conjunction “And” here. Do what is best in your language. Also, make sure it is clear in your translation that Abram is the subject here, not Yahweh (who was the last subject in verse 5).
15:6 nhkm rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיַּחְשְׁבֶ֥הָ לּ֖וֹ צְדָקָֽה 1 “and {so} Yahweh counted/credited it/that to him {as} righteousness.” or “and because of that, Yahweh considered/reckoned him/Abram to be righteous.” or “so Yahweh considered him/Abram to have a right relationship with him.” Notice that Yahweh is now the subject again. Make sure it is clear in your translation who is speaking to whom here and throughout this section.
15:7 j8wd כַּשְׂדִּ֔ים 1 “which is ruled/inhabited by the Kasdim/Chaldeans” or “that the Kasdim/Chaldeans rule” or “where the Kasdim/Chaldeans live”. See how you translated “Ur of the Kasdim/Chaldeans” in Gen 11:28, 31, and see the note about that there.
15:8 vtol rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּאמַ֑ר 1 “Then/But Abram said/replied {to him},” or “Then/But he/Abram asked {him},” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Abram is the one speaking here, not Yahweh.
15:8 yj8m אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהוִ֔ה 1 “My Lord/Master, Yahweh,” or “Yahweh, my Lord/Master,” See how you translated this phrase in verse 2.
15:8 i68u בַּמָּ֥ה אֵדַ֖ע 1 “how will/can I know {for sure}” or “how will/can I be certain/sure”
15:8 auft כִּ֥י אִֽירָשֶֽׁנָּה 1 “that I will possess/own this land/territory?” or “that this land will be mine?”
15:9 m3dc וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו 1 “Yahweh said/replied to him/Abram,” or “Yahweh replied,”
15:9 i00p קְחָ֥ה לִי֙ 1 “Bring me”
15:9 uh33 עֶגְלָ֣ה מְשֻׁלֶּ֔שֶׁת 1 “a cow that is three years old,”
15:9 zo9s וְעֵ֥ז מְשֻׁלֶּ֖שֶׁת 1 “a female goat that is three years old,”
15:9 x5l7 וְאַ֣יִל מְשֻׁלָּ֑שׁ 1 “and a male sheep that is three years old.” For some languages it may be more natural to shorten this list of animals and say, “Bring to me a {young} cow, a female goat, and a male sheep, each which is three years old,” Do what is best in your language.
15:9 h03l rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown וְתֹ֖ר וְגוֹזָֽל 1 “as well as a turtledove/dove and a young pigeon.” Turtledoves and pigeons are common, closely related birds that look similar and are often gray or grayish brown in color. One of the main differences is that turtledoves are smaller than pigeons. Compare how you translated “dove” in Gen 8:8.
15:10 haes וַיִּֽקַּֽח 1 “So {the next/following day} Abram brought/took”. It was nighttime in verse 5 when Abram looked at the stars. Now in verses 10-11 it was probably daytime, which is when birds of prey fly (verse 11). Then in verse 12 it became night again. Consider what is the best way to begin this verse in your translation.
15:10 rm6l rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit ל֣וֹ אֶת כָּל אֵ֗לֶּה 1 “all those {animals} to him/Yahweh {and slaughtered/killed them}.” Some languages need to make explicit that Abram killed the animals first, before cutting them in half. Do what is best in your language.
15:10 qlm4 בַּתָּ֔וֶךְ 1 “in half lengthwise” or “into two parts lengthwise”. Abram probably cut the animals down the middle lengthwise, which means that each half had one front leg, and one back leg.
15:10 zyln וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אִישׁ־בִּתְר֖וֹ לִקְרַ֣את רֵעֵ֑הוּ 1 “and placed/arranged each half a short distance/space across from the/its other half {in two rows},” or “and laid/arranged the right half of each animal opposite/across from its left half {in two rows},”
15:10 g80e וְאֶת הַצִפֹּ֖ר לֹ֥א בָתָֽר 1 “but he did not cut/divide {the bodies of} the birds in two/half.” or “except for the birds, which he did not cut in two/half.” See how you translated “cut...in two” earlier in verse 10.
15:11 dhk0 וַיֵּ֥רֶד הָעַ֖יִט 1 “Then {some} birds of prey landed” or “Then {some} vultures flew/swooped down {and landed}”. Birds of prey eat dead animal meat and can include vultures, buzzards, condors, eagles, and crows.
15:11 p4wl עַל־הַפְּגָרִ֑ים 1 “the {dead} animal bodies/parts {to eat them},” or “the dead animals {to eat them},”
15:11 xeat וַיַּשֵּׁ֥ב אֹתָ֖ם אַבְרָֽם 1 “but Abram chased/scared them away.” or “but Abram made them go away.”
15:12 e39m וַיְהִ֤י 1 “Then it happened {that}” or “Later”. This phrase adds suspense and makes the reader wonder what will happen next. Many translations leave it out, but if possible it is best to keep it in your translation.
15:12 d33t הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ֙ לָב֔וֹא 1 “as/when the sun was going down” or “as/when it was starting to become dark/night”
15:12 l3t7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְתַרְדֵּמָ֖ה נָפְלָ֣ה עַל אַבְרָ֑ם 1 “Abram fell/went into a deep/sound sleep,” or “Abram went soundly asleep,” See how you translated a similar idiom in Gen 2:21.
15:12 zuck rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אֵימָ֛ה חֲשֵׁכָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה נֹפֶ֥לֶת עָלָֽיו 1 “a great/deep, terrifying darkness came over him.” or “it became completely/very dark, and he became/was terrified.”
15:13 y3qj rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאַבְרָ֗ם 1 “Then Yahweh said to Abram/him,”
15:13 wscw גֵ֣ר יִהְיֶ֣ה 1 “will live as foreigners/sojourners”. The word “strangers” refers to people who live temporarily in a city, country, or region, but they do not settle there permanently.
15:13 d6oi rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַעֲבָד֖וּם 1 “They will serve the people {of/in that land/country} {as slaves},” or “They will be servants/slaves for the people {who live in that land/country},” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, make sure that your translation of these pronouns clearly communicates who is being referred to.
15:13 kntb rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וְעִנּ֣וּ אֹתָ֑ם 1 “and those people will oppress/mistreat them” or “and those people will treat them cruelly/badly”. Notice that here the pronoun “they” refers to the people who were living in the country where Abram’s descendants will be sojourning and “them” refers to Abram’s descendants. Make sure that is clear in your translation.
15:13 hx9m rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה 1 “{for} 400 years.” or “{for a period of} 400 years.” This phrase refers to how long Abram’s descendants would live in a land that is not theirs, not how long they would be oppressed, which was less than half of those 400 years. To make that clear in your translation, you could move this phrase earlier and say: “I want you to know that for 400 years your offspring/descendants will live in a land/country that is not their own, and the people of that country will oppress them.”
15:14 dvzz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure דָּ֣ן אָנֹ֑כִי 1 “I will punish,” For some languages it is clearer or more natural to put this clause earlier in this sentence and say, “But I will also judge/punish {the people of} the nation that they serve”. Do what is natural in your language.
15:14 hshe בִּרְכֻ֥שׁ גָּדֽוֹל 1 “with many possessions.” or “with great/much wealth.” or “and take many possessions/riches with them.” See how you translated “possessions” in Gen 14:16, 21.
15:15 lnj7 וְאַתָּ֛ה 1 “Now/But {as for} you,” or “As for you,” In the Hebrew text, this phrase, which includes the emphatic pronoun “you” in a fronted position, is used here to change the topic. Do what is clear and natural in your language.
15:15 yeva rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism תָּב֥וֹא אֶל אֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ בְּשָׁל֑וֹם 1 “you will be at peace when you {die and} join your forefathers/ancestors {who have died/gone before you}”. This clause is a euphemism that refers to Abram’s death. However, it is best to translate the clause as literally as possible, since it implies the important information that people are still alive after they have died on earth. Also, notice that the term “fathers” refers here to ancestors who have died, not those who are still alive on earth.
15:15 wwh9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure תִּקָּבֵ֖ר בְּשֵׂיבָ֥ה טוֹבָֽה 1 “{In fact,} you will not die until you have lived a good/blessed, long life.” or “{In fact,} you will live a good/blessed, long life before you die.” This clause is a euphemism that refers to Abram’s death. Make sure in your translation that it does not sound like he will be buried alive. For some languages it may be more natural to change the order of this sentence and say, “after you have lived a good/blessed long life, you will die peacefully and join your ancestors {who have died before you}.” Do what is best in your language.
15:16 jv0t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit כִּ֧י לֹא שָׁלֵ֛ם עֲוֺ֥ן הָאֱמֹרִ֖י עַד הֵֽנָּה 1 “because that is when the Amorite/Amor people will have sinned as much as I will allow {before I take away their land and give it to your descendants}.” or “{and I will give them the land of the} Amorite/Amor people, whose sin will have reached its limit by then.” God planned to give the Amorites’ land to Abram’s descendants because of the Amorites’ sin. Consider whether or not to include that implied information in your translation or in a footnote. Also, see how you translated the names of people groups in Gen 10:13-18.
15:17 pz6x וַיְהִ֤י 1 “Then it happened {that}”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 12, and see the note about that there.
15:17 epqp הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ֙ בָּ֔אָה 1 “when/after the sun had gone down,” or “when/after the sun had set,” The sun had started to go down in verse 12. Here it had completely set.
15:17 s3qr וַעֲלָטָ֖ה הָיָ֑ה 1 “it was/became {very} dark”. This Hebrew word for “darkness” implies that it was darker than normal, so that not even light from the moon and stars was visible.
15:17 gctf וְהִנֵּ֨ה 1 “and suddenly,” or “Then suddenly,” For some languages it is better to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
15:18 trnn בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא 1 “On that {very} day” or “At that time”. It is still nighttime at this point (See: verse 17), so the word “day” refers generally here to a 24-hour day; it does not refer to daytime.
15:18 jufm rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “{by} saying,” or “and said,”
15:18 nifa rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לְזַרְעֲךָ֗ נָתַ֨תִּי֙ אֶת הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את 1 “I am giving your offspring/descendants this land,” or “I hereby give this land to your offspring/descendants,” In the Hebrew text “to your offspring/descendants” is first in this quote to emphasize Abram’s descendants. Do what is natural in your language.
15:18 g5es מִנְּהַ֣ר מִצְרַ֔יִם 1 “{which extends} from Egypt’s river {in the south}”. This phrase probably refers to the Wadi El-Arish (not the Nile River), which is on the border between Egypt and Israel. It is best in a translation to leave this general as the Hebrew text does.
15:18 wiap עַד הַנָּהָ֥ר הַגָּדֹ֖ל נְהַר פְּרָֽת 1 “to the great/big Euphrates River {in the north},”
15:19 dwlz אֶת 1 “{including} {the land which is owned/inhabited by}” or “{That is/includes} {the land which belongs to}”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
15:19 ba00 אֶת הַקֵּינִי֙ וְאֶת הַקְּנִזִּ֔י וְאֵ֖ת הַקַּדְמֹנִֽי 1 “the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,” or “Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,” In a list of people group names like this (verses 19-21), for some languages it is more natural to leave out “and” and “the” most of the time. Do what is natural in your language.
15:20 t17t וְאֶת הַחִתִּ֥י וְאֶת הַפְּרִזִּ֖י וְאֶת הָרְפָאִֽים 1 “the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim/Rephaites,” or “Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim/Rephaites,” Be consistent here with how you translated “the Hittites” in Gen 10:15, “the Perizzites” in Gen 13:7, and “the Rephaim/Rephaites” in Gen 14:5.
15:21 tiio וְאֶת הָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ וְאֶת הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י וְאֶת הַגִּרְגָּשִׁ֖י וְאֶת הַיְבוּסִֽי 1 “the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” or “Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” Be consistent here with how you translated “the Amorites” in verse 18 and “Amorites”, “Canaanites”, “Girgashites”, and “Jebusites” in Gen 10:15-18.
16:1 j5rh rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background וְשָׂרַי֙ אֵ֣שֶׁת אַבְרָ֔ם 1 “Sarai, Abram’s wife,” or “Now Abram’s wife Sarai”. This verse begins a new topic and gives background information about Sarai. Some languages have a special conjunction for this. Other languages do not use a conjunction here. Do what is best in your language.
16:1 itjv לֹ֥א יָלְדָ֖ה ל֑וֹ 1 “{still} had not had {any} children for him,” or “had {still} not given birth {to any children} for him,” Sarai’s barrenness is first mentioned in Gen 11:30.
16:1 ck1v וְלָ֛הּ 1 “but she owned” or “but she did have”
16:1 oni8 שִׁפְחָ֥ה מִצְרִ֖ית 1 “an Egyptian slave/servant woman” or “a female slave/servant from {the country of} Egypt”. See how you translated “female slaves/servants” in Gen 12:16.
16:1 gj9y וּשְׁמָ֥הּ הָגָֽר 1 “whose name was Hagar.” or “named Hagar.”
16:2 hcuf וַתֹּ֨אמֶר שָׂרַ֜י אֶל אַבְרָ֗ם 1 “So she told Abram,” or “Then Sarai/she told Abram,”
16:2 hjtg הִנֵּה נָ֞א 1 “Listen please/now,” or “Please listen {to me/this}:” See how you translated this phrase in Gen 12:11.
16:2 l1km עֲצָרַ֤נִי יְהוָה֙ מִלֶּ֔דֶת 1 “{since} Yahweh has not permitted/allowed me to bear/have {any} children,” or “{as you know,} Yahweh has not permitted/allowed me to bear/have {any} children, {so}”
16:2 pxu9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism בֹּא נָא֙ אֶל 1 “please sleep with” or “please have {marital/sexual} relations with”. See how you translated the idiom “went to” in Gen 6:4.
16:2 mcq5 אִבָּנֶ֖ה מִמֶּ֑נָּה 1 “I can build/have a family through her {children}.” or “she can have children for me so that I can build/have a family.”
16:2 klj2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אַבְרָ֖ם לְק֥וֹל שָׂרָֽי 1 “Abram agreed to do what Sarai/she requested/suggested.” or “So Abram listened to Sarai.”
16:3 kkb6 וַתִּקַּ֞ח שָׂרַ֣י אֵֽשֶׁת אַבְרָ֗ם 1 “So/Then Abram’s wife Sarai took/brought” or “Then Sarai took/brought”. In the Hebrew text, the phrase “Abram’s wife” is repeated (in verses 1 and 3) to emphasize Sarai’s relationship to Abram in contrast to Hagar. For some languages it is overly redundant to repeat that phrase, and so they leave it implied here. However, if possible, it is best to keep this repetition in your translation.
16:3 hq9o אֶת הָגָ֤ר הַמִּצְרִית֙ שִׁפְחָתָ֔הּ 1 “her Egyptian servant woman Hagar,” or “her servant Hagar,” The word “Egyptian” is repeated (in verses 1 and 3) to emphasize the fact that Hagar was a foreigner. If possible, it is best to keep this repetition in your translation.
16:3 c5qd מִקֵּץ֙ עֶ֣שֶׂר שָׁנִ֔ים לְשֶׁ֥בֶת אַבְרָ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן 1 “after Abram {and Sarai} had lived in the land/region of Canaan for ten years,”
16:3 usjt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַתִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛הּ לְאַבְרָ֥ם אִישָׁ֖הּ ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה 1 “and she gave her to her husband Abram to be his {second} wife.” For most languages it is clearer and more natural to change the order of the clauses in this verse and say, “So Abram’s wife Sarai gave her servant Hagar to her husband Abram to be his {second} wife. {This/That happened} after Abram {and Sarai} had lived in the land/region of Canaan for ten years.” Make sure your translation does not sound like verse 3 happened ten years after Abram agreed to sleep with Hagar.
16:4 z3yz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַיָּבֹ֥א אֶל הָגָ֖ר 1 “Then/So Abram slept with Hagar,” or “Then/So Abram/he had {marital} relations with Hagar,” Consider whether it is better in your language to refer to Abram by his name or by a pronoun here at the beginning of this paragraph. See how you translated the idiom “go to” in verse 2.
16:4 onr6 וַתַּ֑הַר 1 “and {as a result,} she became pregnant.” or “and {so} she became pregnant.” Make sure that the way you translate this phrase will not be embarrassing or offensive to people, especially when it is read aloud.
16:4 j6gh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַתֵּ֨רֶא֙ כִּ֣י הָרָ֔תָה 1 “And/But {when} she/Hagar saw/realized that she was pregnant,” The word “saw” is used here as an idiom that means “realized” or “perceived”. Consider whether or not you have a similar idiom in your language that would work well here.
16:4 kp9y rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַתֵּקַ֥ל גְּבִרְתָּ֖הּ בְּעֵינֶֽיהָ 1 “she despised/disrespected her mistress/owner {Sarai}.” or “she regarded/treated her mistress/owner {Sarai} with contempt/disdain.” or “she started to look down on her mistress {Sarai}.” The phrase “despised in her eyes” is an idiom that refers here to Hagar’s attitude and disrespectful actions toward Sarai. Consider whether or not your language has a similar idiom. Also consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language.
16:5 l7q0 חֲמָסִ֣י עָלֶיךָ֒ 1 “I am suffering because of you!” or “I am being mistreated because of you!” or “It is your fault that I am being treated wrongly/badly!” or “It is your fault that I am suffering!”
16:5 ris2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism אָנֹכִ֗י נָתַ֤תִּי שִׁפְחָתִי֙ בְּחֵיקֶ֔ךָ 1 “I gave my maidservant/servant to you to be your wife,” or “I allowed my maidservant/servant to have {marital} relations with you,” The idiom “put...into your arms” refers to Abram’s relationship with Hagar. Make sure that your translation of this clause is not offensive.
16:5 dadx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וָאֵקַ֖ל בְּעֵינֶ֑יהָ 1 “she despises/disrespects me!” or “she treats me with contempt/disdain”. Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language. Also see how you translated a similar clause in verse 4.
16:5 igre rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit יִשְׁפֹּ֥ט בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֶֽיׄךָ 1 “I ask Yahweh to judge/decide between you and me {who is responsible for this}!” or “I ask Yahweh to judge/decide who is right/wrong, you or me!” or “May Yahweh judge whether it is you or I who is responsible {for this}!” As the head of the household, it was Abram’s responsibility to rebuke Hagar and require her to respect Sarai. You could put that information in a footnote.
16:6 mgqu rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אַבְרָ֜ם אֶל שָׂרַ֗י 1 “But Abram said/replied to Sarai/her,” or “Abram said/replied,”
16:6 onw4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom שִׁפְחָתֵךְ֙ בְּיָדֵ֔ךְ 1 “your slave/servant woman is under your authority/control.” or “you have authority over your slave/servant.” or “you are in charge of your servant.” The phrase “in your hand” is an idiom that refers to having control or authority over someone. Consider whether or not your language has a similar idiom. Also see how you translated “maidservant” in verses 1-3, 5.
16:6 ns17 עֲשִׂי לָ֖הּ 1 “Do with her” or “{So} {you can/may} do to/with her”
16:6 orxc הַטּ֣וֹב בְּעֵינָ֑יִךְ 1 “what{ever} you think/decide is good/right/best.” or “what{ever} pleases you.” The phrase “in your eyes” is an idiom that refers to Sarai’s opinion. See how you translated a similar idiom (“in her eyes”) in verses 4 and 5.
16:6 yvhx וַתְּעַנֶּ֣הָ שָׂרַ֔י 1 “Then/So Sarai oppressed/mistreated her/Hagar, and/so” or “Then/So Sarai treated her/Hagar so harshly/badly that”. See how you translated “afflict” in Gen 15:13.
16:6 a1qw rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַתִּבְרַ֖ח מִפָּנֶֽיהָ 1 “she/Hagar ran away from her.” or “she/Hagar ran away {from home to get away} from her/Sarai.” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Hagar is the one who fled, not Sarai.
16:7 ziyg rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וַֽיִּמְצָאָ֞הּ מַלְאַ֧ךְ יְהוָ֛ה 1 “Then/But an angel/messenger {sent} from Yahweh found Hagar” or “Then/But one of Yahweh’s angels/messengers came to Hagar”. Make sure that the way you translate “found” does not sound like the angel had come across Hagar accidentally. Rather, he knew where she was and had gone to her intentionally. Also, this messenger from Yahweh was an angel, not a human being.
16:7 urd3 עַל עֵ֥ין הַמַּ֖יִם 1 “by/beside a spring of water” or “by/beside a spring”
16:7 b4xd בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר 1 “in the desert”. See how you translated “wilderness” in Gen 14:6.
16:7 grd7 עַל הָעַ֖יִן 1 “{She was} at the spring” or “{It was} the spring”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
16:7 xce6 בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ שֽׁוּר 1 “{that was} beside/by the road {that goes} to {the city of} Shur.” or “{that was} beside/by the road near {the city of} Shur.”
16:8 aajb rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּאמַ֗ר 1 “And the angel/messenger said {to her},” or “The angel/messenger asked {her},” The angel asked Hagar a question, so for some languages it is better to use a word like “asked” here. Consider what is the best way to translate this quote margin in your language.
16:8 ya1g מִפְּנֵי֙ שָׂרַ֣י גְּבִרְתִּ֔י אָנֹכִ֖י בֹּרַֽחַת 1 “I am running away from my mistress/owner Sarai.” See how you translated “fled from...face” in verse 6 and how you translated “mistress” in verse 4.
16:9 symc rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה 1 “But/So Yahweh’s angel/messenger told her/Hagar,” or “Then/But he told her/Hagar,” Consider what is the best way to begin this verse in your translation, after what Hagar said in verse 8.
16:9 ceyk שׁ֖וּבִי אֶל גְּבִרְתֵּ֑ךְ 1 “Go back {home} to your mistress/owner {Sarai}”. See how you translated “mistress/owner” in verses 4 and 8.
16:9 hp9h rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְהִתְעַנִּ֖י תַּ֥חַת יָדֶֽיהָ 1 “and {humbly} submit {yourself} to her authority.” or “obey her {as her servant}.” See how you translated a similar idiom (“in your hand”) in verse 6.
16:10 wpc6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה 1 “Then the angel/messenger told/promised her,” or “Then he added/continued,” Some languages do not include the quote margins here and in verse 11, because the angel is still talking to Hagar. However, the repeated quote margins could show that the angel paused (before continuing), or that he is changing the topic, or to emphasize what he says next. Do what is best in your language.
16:10 un14 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit הַרְבָּ֥ה אַרְבֶּ֖ה אֶת זַרְעֵ֑ךְ 1 “I {Yahweh} will greatly increase/multiply {the number of} your offspring/descendants, so that” or “{This is what Yahweh says/promises to you:} “I will give you so many offspring/descendants that” or “{Yahweh promises to you that} he will give you many descendants, so that”. The pronoun “I” refers to Yahweh here. So either the angel was representing Yahweh and speaking Yahweh’s words to Hagar, or it was Yahweh himself who had taken on the form of an angel.
16:11 e1h4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה 1 “Then/Finally the angel/messenger {also} said/prophesied to her,” or “Then/Finally he {also} told her,” or “Then the angel/messenger added/continued,”
16:11 c3yg הִנָּ֥ךְ הָרָ֖ה וְיֹלַ֣דְתְּ בֵּ֑ן 1 “Look/Listen, {as you know,} {you are} expecting a child/baby. You will bear/have a son, and/then” or “Look/Listen, you are pregnant with a son. After/When he is born,” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Hagar already knew that she was pregnant, but did not know she was having a son or what she should name him.
16:11 mecd וְקָרָ֤את שְׁמוֹ֙ 1 “give him the name” or “name him”
16:11 tezq יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל 1 “Ishmael, {which means “God listens/hears,”}” Some translation teams make the meaning of Ishmael’s name explicit in their translation. Other teams put the meaning of his name in a footnote. See what you did for similar cases in Gen 3:20, 4:1, 16, 25; 6:29, 10:25, 11:9.
16:11 q8bz rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names כִּֽי שָׁמַ֥ע יְהוָ֖ה אֶל 1 “because Yahweh heard” or “because Yahweh paid attention to”. If you include the meaning of Ishmael’s name earlier in this verse, make sure it fits with how you translate this clause.
16:11 aus7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit עָנְיֵֽךְ 1 “your {cries of} misery/suffering {and helped you}.” or “you when you were suffering {and helped you}.” The word that means “listened to” implies here that God also took action to help Hagar.
16:12 rnzx rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וְה֤וּא 1 “{When Ishmael grows up,} he” or “As for Ishmael, {when he grows up,} he”. The pronoun “he” is emphatic here, to emphasize Ishmael. Make sure that your translation refers here to Ishmael, not Yahweh.
16:12 p7hn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor יִהְיֶה֙ פֶּ֣רֶא אָדָ֔ם 1 “will be {proud and free} {like} a wild/untamed donkey” or “will be {like} a wild/untamed donkey {that no one can control/rule}” or “will not be ruled by anyone else”. The angel compares Ishmael to a wild donkey. Consider whether or not your language can use a similar metaphor or a simile here.
16:12 ihvp יָד֣וֹ בַכֹּ֔ל וְיַ֥ד כֹּ֖ל בּ֑וֹ 1 “He will fight against everyone, and everyone will fight against him.” or “He will be enemies with everyone.”
16:12 y6tx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism וְעַל־פְּנֵ֥י & יִשְׁכֹּֽן 1 “In fact, he will {even} be hostile toward” or “Yes/Indeed, he will {also/even} fight against”. The rest of this verse forms a parallelism with the first half, emphasizing what Ishmael (and his descendants) will be like. Try to keep both parts of the parallelism in your translation, since each part has a different focus and the second part adds important information. Also, consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
16:12 sdus rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche כָל אֶחָ֖יו 1 “all of his {own} relatives.” or “all of his {own} family members.” The word “brothers” is used here to refer to relatives in general. Consider what is the best way to translate this synecdoche in your language.
16:13 iirj rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַתִּקְרָ֤א שֵׁם יְהוָה֙ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר אֵלֶ֔יהָ אַתָּ֖ה אֵ֣ל רֳאִ֑י 1 “Then she/Hagar named Yahweh who had spoken to her. {She said/exclaimed,} “You are the God who sees!” ” or “After Yahweh spoke to her/Hagar, she called him El Roi, {which means “the God who sees,”}” Some translations transliterate (copy or borrow) the name “El Roi” from the Hebrew, some translate its meaning, and some do both. Decide what is best in your language.
16:13 nxa3 כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֗ה 1 “{She named him that,} because she {had} said/exclaimed {to herself},” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
16:13 an8m rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲגַ֥ם הֲלֹ֛ם רָאִ֖יתִי אַחֲרֵ֥י רֹאִֽי 1 “How can it be that I was able to look at the back of {the one/God who} looks after me?” or “I just now saw the back of {him/God who} sees me!” Hagar’s rhetorical question shows surprise and amazement. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your translation.
16:14 jkis עַל כֵּן֙ 1 “That is why”. See how you translated this phrase in Gen 11:9.
16:14 x357 קָרָ֣א לַבְּאֵ֔ר 1 “the/that well is/was called/named” or “people call that well” or “the name of the/that well is”. Frequently in the Hebrew text, this phrase has a general meaning and does not refer to someone specific. Also, this well is the same as the spring in verse 7. For some languages, it may be necessary to translate these words the same way so that it is clear that they refer to the same place. Do what is best in your language.
16:15 sm1e וַתֵּ֧לֶד הָגָ֛ר לְאַבְרָ֖ם בֵּ֑ן 1 “After that, Hagar/she {returned home and} gave birth to a son for Abram,”
16:15 sf8b וַיִּקְרָ֨א אַבְרָ֧ם שֶׁם בְּנ֛וֹ אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָ֥ה הָגָ֖ר יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל 1 “and he called/named his son whom she bore/had Ishmael.” or “and Abram/he named his/their son Ishmael.”
16:16 a7rj rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וְאַבְרָ֕ם 1 “Abram {was}”. For some languages it is more natural to omit the conjunction here. Do what is best in your language.
16:16 xkvq בְּלֶֽדֶת הָגָ֥ר אֶת יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל לְאַבְרָֽם 1 “when Hagar gave birth to Ishmael for him.” or “when Hagar had Ishmael for him.” See how you translated “bore...for Abram” in verse 15. Also, be consistent here with how you spelled “Hagar” in chapter 16 (verses 1, 4, 6-11, 13), and how you spelled “Ishmael” in verses 11, 12 and 15.
17:1 a4g7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַיְהִ֣י אַבְרָ֔ם בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְתֵ֣שַׁע שָׁנִ֑ים 1 “{Years} later, when Abram was 99/ninety-nine years old,” Thirteen years have passed between the last verse of chapter 16 and the first verse of chapter 17. Consider what is the best way in your language to begin this new section. See how you translated “was a son of...years” in Gen 5:32.
17:1 ph7e rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֲנִי אֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֔י 1 “I {am} Almighty God.” or “I {am} the all-powerful God.” or “I {am} God {who is} all-powerful.” Most translation teams translate the meaning of God’s title here and say, for example, “God Almighty.” Other teams treat this title as a name and transliterate it as “El Shaddai” and put its meaning in a footnote. Do what is best in your language.
17:1 z65o rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idioms הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖י 1 “Walk/Live in my presence” or “Live according to my will” or “Live in a way that pleases me”. This phrase is an idiom that means to habitually live according to God’s will.
17:1 bv2d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom תָמִֽים 1 “without fault.” or “blameless/upright.” See how you translated this idiom in Gen 6:9. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
17:2 dsx1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וְאֶתְּנָ֥ה בְרִיתִ֖י 1 “I will establish/institute my covenant/agreement”. Some translations begin this sentence without a conjunction. Do what is best in your language. See how you translated “cut/make/establish....covenant” in Gen 15:18, where the verb is different from here but has a similar meaning (“establish/seal” or “put into effect”).
17:2 unnk וְאַרְבֶּ֥ה אוֹתְךָ֖ בִּמְאֹ֥ד מְאֹֽד 1 “and I will cause you to have very many descendants.” or “and I will increase {the number of} your descendants so that they are exceedingly/very numerous.”
17:3 iqyn rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּפֹּ֥ל אַבְרָ֖ם עַל־פָּנָ֑יו 1 “Then Abram prostrated himself {before God} {to show him respect},” or “{When} Abram {heard that, he} bowed with his face to the ground {before God} {to show respect},” Make sure that the translation of this clause does not sound like Abram fell down accidentally; rather he intentionally threw himself to the ground out of deep respect for God.
17:3 ia2w rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתּ֛וֹ אֱלֹהִ֖ים לֵאמֹֽר 1 “and God spoke with/to him and said,” or “and God continued speaking with/to him/Abram,” or “and God continued/added,” Some translations omit “saying” here because it is not natural in those languages. Do what is best in your language.
17:4 opjt אֲנִ֕י הִנֵּ֥ה בְרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ 1 “Listen/Look, this is my part/responsibility in my covenant/agreement with you:” or “Listen/Look, this is what I will do to fulfill my covenant/agreement with you:” In the Hebrew text, the pronoun “me” is emphatic in form and in sentence position to emphasize that Yahweh is the one doing this.
17:5 y88x וְהָיָ֤ה שִׁמְךָ֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם 1 “Rather/Instead, {from now on} it will be Abraham” or “Rather, I am changing it {now} to Abraham”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
17:5 ju00 כִּ֛י & נְתַתִּֽיךָ 1 “because I will make you” or “because you will be”. The form of the Hebrew verb in this clause is completed aspect (“have made”) and shows certainty that God will do this. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
17:6 d68r rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וְהִפְרֵתִ֤י אֹֽתְךָ֙ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד 1 “Yes, I will make you extremely/exceedingly fruitful,” or “I will give you very many offspring/descendants,” This verse repeats and elaborates on the last part of verse 5; it does not refer to different events. Consider what is the best way to begin this sentence in your language.
17:6 p8wc וּנְתַתִּ֖יךָ לְגוֹיִ֑ם 1 “so that you will be/become {the father/ancestor of} {many} people/ethnic groups,” or “and I will cause your descendants to become {many} people/ethnic groups,”
17:6 vqo1 וּמְלָכִ֖ים מִמְּךָ֥ יֵצֵֽאוּ 2 “In fact, there will be kings who descend from you.” or “In fact, some of your descendants will be/become kings.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated “king” in Gen 14:1-5.
17:7 q56j rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular וַהֲקִמֹתִ֨י אֶת בְּרִיתִ֜י בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֗ךָ 1 “I will establish/make my covenant/agreement with you”. See how you translated a similar clause in verse 2. The pronouns “you” and “your” are singular in this clause and also later in this verse.
17:7 dj4k וּבֵ֨ין זַרְעֲךָ֧ אַחֲרֶ֛יךָ 1 “and {all} your offspring/descendants {who live/come} after you” or “as well as {all} your offspring/descendants”
17:7 s1qx לְדֹרֹתָ֖ם 1 “for {all} generations to come” or “for {all} future generations”
17:7 cyi2 לִבְרִ֣ית עוֹלָ֑ם 1 “It will be a covenant/agreement that never ends,” or “It will be a covenant/agreement that lasts forever,” For some languages it is better to break up this long sentence and begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
17:7 ds2h לִהְי֤וֹת לְךָ֙ לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֖ אַחֲרֶֽיךָ 1 “that I will be your God and {the God} of {all} your descendants.” or “that I will be the God who takes care of you and {all} your descendants.” or “that I will be the God whom you and {all} your descendants worship/serve.”
17:8 nyz3 וְנָתַתִּ֣י לְ֠ךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֨ אַחֲרֶ֜יךָ 1 “I will also give to you and your offspring/descendants”
17:8 z44f אֵ֣ת אֶ֣רֶץ מְגֻרֶ֗יךָ 1 “the/this land where you have been living as a foreigner/outsider,”
17:8 ooc1 אֵ֚ת כָּל אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן 1 “{yes,} the entire land/region of Canaan,”
17:8 bvrb לַאֲחֻזַּ֖ת עוֹלָ֑ם 1 “It will be their land/property forever,” or “They will own it forever,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
17:8 udkv וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָהֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים 1 “and I will be their God.” or “and I will be the God who takes care of them.” or “I will be the God whom they worship/serve.” See how you translated the phrase “be God to you” in verse 7.
17:9 qzbp וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל אַבְרָהָ֔ם 1 “Then God continued,” Some languages leave out this quote margin, because God is still speaking to the same person. See what you did for similar cases in Gen 16:10-11.
17:9 ognl וְאַתָּ֖ה 1 “As for you,” or “Now as for your part/responsibility {in this/my covenant/agreement},” or “Your part/responsibility {in this/my covenant/agreement} is that”. In the Hebrew text, the pronoun “you” is emphatic in form and in sentence position to shift the focus from talking about God’s part in the covenant (verses 4-8) to talking about Abraham’s part. Translate this phrase in a way that shows this change in focus.
17:9 zstx אֶת בְּרִיתִ֣י תִשְׁמֹ֑ר 1 “you must keep/obey {the requirements/rules of} my covenant/agreement,” or “you must obey me,”
17:9 r3ok אַתָּ֛ה וְזַרְעֲךָ֥ 1 “{both/including} you and” or “{That includes} you and” or “{That applies to} you as well as”. For some languages it is better to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
17:9 uz7r וְזַרְעֲךָ֥ אַֽחֲרֶ֖יךָ 1 “{all} your descendants {who live} after you” or “{all} your offspring/descendants”
17:9 uumy לְדֹרֹתָֽם 1 “for/including {all} generations to come.” or “for/including {all} future generations.” See how you translated this phrase in verse 7, and a similar phrase in verse 8.
17:10 grqg זֹ֣את בְּרִיתִ֞י 1 “This is {what I require in} my covenant/agreement” or “This is {one of the requirements of/in} my covenant/agreement”
17:10 mdxu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁמְר֗וּ וּבֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם 1 “which you {all} must obey,” Notice that the pronoun “you” is plural here.
17:10 esro rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular בֵּינִי֙ וּבֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵ֥ין אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ 1 “{the covenant/agreement that is} between me and you {all}, including” or “{the covenant/agreement I have made} with {all of} you, including”. The pronoun “you” is plural here and probably refers to Abraham and his family or household.
17:10 bxe0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure תִּשְׁמְר֗וּ זַרְעֲךָ֖ אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ 1 “your descendants {who will live} after you:” or “{all} your descendants:” Notice that the pronouns “your” and “you” are singular here and refer to Abraham. Also, it may be clearer or more natural to change the order of some of the clauses in this sentence and say, “This is {what I require in} my covenant/agreement with you and your descendants {who will live after you}, which you {all} must keep/obey:” Do what is best in your language.
17:10 pe10 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms הִמּ֥וֹל לָכֶ֖ם כָּל זָכָֽר 1 “You must circumcise all males {who live} among/with you.” or “You must cut off the {male} foreskin of every boy and man {who lives} among you.” Circumcision involves cutting the foreskin off the penis of a boy or man. Translate this clause in a way that does not offend or embarrass people. Some languages may need to be more discreet and say something general like “must cut off the {male} skin” or “must follow the {male} skin cutting custom.” It may be necessary to include a footnote and/or an explanation in the glossary about this so that people understand what circumcision is, especially in areas where people cut their skin on other parts of the body for other reasons.
17:11 mhww rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular וּנְמַלְתֶּ֕ם אֵ֖ת בְּשַׂ֣ר עָרְלַתְכֶ֑ם 1 “Yes, {all the males among} you must have your/their foreskins cut off,” or “Indeed/Yes, you must circumcise the foreskin of {all the males among} you”. Notice that in the Hebrew text, the pronouns “you” and “your” are plural in this verse. Also, be consistent here with how you translated “circumcise” in verse 10.
17:11 c80d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular וְהָיָה֙ לְא֣וֹת בְּרִ֔ית בֵּינִ֖י וּבֵינֵיכֶֽם 1 “and that {custom/practice} will serve as the sign {that reminds you} of this/my covenant/agreement {I made} with {all of} you.” or “and that {custom/practice} will remind/show {you all} that {I made} this/my covenant/agreement with you.” The pronoun “you” is plural here.
17:12 pl8e rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וּבֶן שְׁמֹנַ֣ת יָמִ֗ים יִמּ֥וֹל 1 “{Every} eight-day-old baby boy must be circumcised {by you},” or “So you must circumcise {every} eight-day-old baby boy,” Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language.
17:12 c7zl כָּל זָכָ֖ר 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “{and} every {other} male” or “{as well as} all {other} males” (2) “{yes,} every male {child}”. The following context suggests that this phrase includes males of all ages, not just babies, since male slaves who were bought would especially include adult males.
17:12 n2rq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶ֑ם 1 “for all {future} generations,” It may be more natural to put this phrase at the beginning of this verse and say, “For all {future} generations you must circumcise {every} baby boy who is eight days old, {as well as} all {other} males among your people,...” Do what is best in your language.
17:12 qqux יְלִ֣יד בָּ֔יִת 1 “{including} those/males {who are} born in your household/family” or “{That includes} those/males from your own household/family”. This phrase refers to Abraham’s future sons, including Isaac (Gen 21:4) and his concubines’ sons (25:6), and may also refer to the sons of Abraham’s servants. Also, for some languages it may be better to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
17:12 lsxb וּמִקְנַת כֶּ֨סֶף֙ מִכֹּ֣ל בֶּן נֵכָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹ֥א מִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֖ 1 “and those whom you buy from foreigners {as slaves/servants}, who {are} not your offspring/descendants.” or “as well as those who {are} not your offspring/descendants but {are slaves/servants whom you} have bought from foreigners.”
17:13 bi24 הִמּ֧וֹל יִמּ֛וֹל 1 “{That’s right,} they must definitely be circumcised,” or “{Yes,} you must surely/definitely circumcise {all of} them,” This verse repeats and emphasizes what was just said in verse 12. Consider what is the best way to communicate this emphasis in your language.
17:13 zibc יְלִ֥יד בֵּֽיתְךָ֖ וּמִקְנַ֣ת כַּסְפֶּ֑ךָ 1 “{including} those/males who are born in your household as well as those/males whom you buy {as a slave/servant}.” or “{regardless of whether} they are sons/males from your own household/family or slaves/servants whom you have bought.” See how you translated these phrases in verse 12. It may be best to translate them in a slightly different way here because of the repetition. Do what is best in your language.
17:13 ojc7 וְהָיְתָ֧ה בְרִיתִ֛י 1 “That is how {the sign of} my covenant/agreement will/must be marked” or “That is how you must mark my covenant/agreement”
17:13 yepf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche בִּבְשַׂרְכֶ֖ם 1 “on your bodies”. The word “flesh” refers here to the body in general. Translate this in a way that is clear and natural in your language.
17:13 we4s לִבְרִ֥ית עוֹלָֽם 1 “to show that it is an everlasting/permanent covenant/agreement.” or “to show that it is a covenant/agreement that never ends.” See how you translated “an eternal covenant” in verse 7.
17:14 sp1v וְעָרֵ֣ל זָכָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא יִמּוֹל֙ אֶת בְּשַׂ֣ר עָרְלָת֔וֹ 1 “But {as for} any/every male/man who is not circumcised,” or “In fact, if a/any man refuses to let you circumcise him,” or “If a/any man refuses to be circumcised,” In this context, “male” refers to men who refuse to be circumcised, not baby boys.
17:14 z5fa rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא מֵעַמֶּ֑יהָ 1 “that person must {be sent away and} not be allowed to associate/fellowship with his/my people” or “you must {send him away and} not allow him to associate/fellowship with his/my people”. The phrase “cut off from his people” is an idiom which means that the person is an outcast of society and can no longer associate closely with other people in that society. Consider whether or not your language has a similar idiom that would work well here.
17:14 x4d6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom הֵפַֽר 1 “{because} he has not kept/obeyed” or “{because} he has disobeyed”. This phrase has the opposite meaning of “keep” or “obey” in verse 9. Consider whether or not your language has an idiom like “broken” that means to not do what has been agreed upon or to disobey what was commanded.
17:14 r1ku אֶת בְּרִיתִ֖י 1 “{the requirements/rules of} my covenant/agreement.” or “{what I require in} my covenant/agreement.”
17:15 b4k2 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל אַבְרָהָ֔ם 1 “Later God {also} said to Abraham,” or “God {also} told Abraham,”
17:15 d7gc שָׂרַ֣י אִשְׁתְּךָ֔ 1 “{As for} your wife Sarai,” This phrase is first in this quote to change the focus to Sarai and emphasize her. Consider what is the best way to do this in your language.
17:15 zovk לֹא תִקְרָ֥א אֶת שְׁמָ֖הּ שָׂרָ֑י 1 “do not call her Sarai {anymore},” or “her name will no longer be Sarai,”
17:15 fvai כִּ֥י שָׂרָ֖ה שְׁמָֽהּ 1 “because {from now on} her name will be Sarah.” or “Rather/Instead, her name is {now} Sarah.” or “Rather, {from now on} it will be Sarah.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
17:16 m30z וְגַ֨ם נָתַ֧תִּי מִמֶּ֛נָּה לְךָ֖ בֵּ֑ן 1 “and I will definitely enable her to bear/have a son for you.” or “and I will definitely give you a son by her.”
17:16 fk5z וּבֵֽרַכְתִּ֨יהָ֙ 1 “In fact, I will bless/prosper her” or “Yes, I will bless/prosper her”
17:16 sif8 וְהָֽיְתָ֣ה לְגוֹיִ֔ם 1 “so that she will become {the mother/ancestor of many} people/ethnic groups,” or “so much that she will {have many descendants that will} become/form {new/many} people/ethnic groups,” See how you translated “nations” in verses 4-6.
17:16 gvvj מַלְכֵ֥י עַמִּ֖ים מִמֶּ֥נָּה יִהְיֽוּ 1 “and kings over peoples/nations will descend from her.” or “and some of her descendants will {even} be kings {who rule} over {many} people/ethnic groups.” See how you translated a similar clause in verse 6.
17:17 w1xa וַיִּפֹּ֧ל אַבְרָהָ֛ם 1 “{When} Abraham {heard that, he}”
17:17 xnh2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּפֹּ֧ל אַבְרָהָ֛ם עַל־פָּנָ֖יו 1 “{When} Abraham {heard that, he} bowed with his face to the ground {before God} {to show respect},” or “Then Abraham prostrated himself {before God} {to show him respect},” See how you translated a similar clause in verse 3.
17:17 wr09 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּצְחָ֑ק וַיֹּ֣אמֶר בְּלִבּ֗וֹ 1 “but he laughed {to himself} and thought,” or “but he laughed and thought to himself,” The phrase “said in his heart” is an idiom that refers to something Abraham thought, but did not say out loud. Consider whether or not your language has a similar idiom that fits well here.
17:17 d074 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הַלְּבֶ֤ן מֵאָֽה שָׁנָה֙ יִוָּלֵ֔ד 1 “How can a hundred-year-old man {like me/myself} father a son/child?” or “Certainly it is not possible for a hundred-year-old man {like me} to father a son/child!” or “Certainly a hundred-year-old man {like myself} cannot father a son/child, can he?” Abraham uses the rhetorical questions in verse 17 to express strong disbelief. If that is not clear in your language, you could translate the rhetorical questions as statements, with or without a tag question.
17:17 ld4f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וְאִ֨ם שָׂרָ֔ה הֲבַת תִּשְׁעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה תֵּלֵֽד 1 “And how can Sarah who is 90 years old {still} have a baby/child?” or “And certainly it is not possible for a 90-year-old woman like Sarah to {still} bear/have a baby/child!” or “And certainly a 90-year-old woman like Sarah cannot {still} give birth to a baby/child, can she?”
17:18 zy6u rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶל הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים 1 “Then/So Abraham/he said to God,”
17:18 ro82 ל֥וּ יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל 1 “Oh, that Ishmael could/would” or “Please let Ishmael”. Consider what is the best way to express this strong wish or hope in your language.
17:18 gi97 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom יִחְיֶ֥ה לְפָנֶֽיךָ 1 “live/prosper in your presence!” or “be the one whom you bless!” This idiom means to live under God’s care and be blessed by him.
17:19 e0ka אֲבָל֙ 1 “No, rather” or “Yes, but/however”. Consider whether it is best in your language to begin God’s response to Abraham here with a “No” or a “Yes”. Although God agrees that he will bless Ishmael (verse 20), he disagrees with Abraham’s request to allow Ishmael to be the one God establishes his covenant with.
17:19 vvis שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֗ 1 “{as I said,} your wife Sarah {is the one} {who}” or “{it is} your wife Sarah {who}”. Here God emphasizes what he said in verse 16 about Sarah.
17:19 ki58 יֹלֶ֤דֶת לְךָ֙ בֵּ֔ן 1 “will bear you a son,” or “will give birth to a son for you,”
17:19 yo8z וְקָרָ֥אתָ אֶת שְׁמ֖וֹ יִצְחָ֑ק 1 “and you must name him Isaac.” or “You must give him the name Isaac.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated “call...name...” in verse 15.
17:19 jxgr וַהֲקִמֹתִ֨י אֶת בְּרִיתִ֥י אִתּ֛וֹ 1 “I will establish/make my covenant/agreement with him” or “He {is the one} I will establish my covenant/agreement with,” See how you translated a similar clause in verse 7.
17:19 t5se לִבְרִ֥ית עוֹלָ֖ם 1 “as a permanent covenant/agreement”
17:19 p6c9 לְזַרְע֥וֹ אַחֲרָֽיו 1 “{that will also be} for/with {all} his offspring/descendants {who live} after him.” or “{that I will also establish/keep} with {all} his offspring/descendants {who live} after him.”
17:20 x4ze וּֽלְיִשְׁמָעֵ֘אל שְׁמַעְתִּיךָ֒ 1 “As for Ishmael, I have heard your request {for him}.” or “I also heard what you asked me to do for Ishmael.”
17:20 l4uk וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֥י אֹת֖וֹ בִּמְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד 1 “and greatly increase {the number of} his descendants.” or “so that he has a great many descendants.”
17:20 kjss יוֹלִ֔יד 1 “{In fact,} he will be the father of” or “{In fact,} he will have”
17:20 ya9m שְׁנֵים עָשָׂ֤ר נְשִׂיאִם֙ 1 “twelve {sons who become} chiefs,” or “twelve {sons who will be} {great/powerful} leaders,” Many translations have “princes” here, but these Ishmaelite rulers were not actually sons of a king, so it is better to use a more general term in your translation.
17:20 tlf0 וּנְתַתִּ֖יו לְג֥וֹי גָּדֽוֹל 1 “and I will make him {the father/ancestor of} a great/large people/ethnic group.” or “and I will make him {and his descendants} become a great/large people/ethnic group.”
17:21 ni6a rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וְאֶת בְּרִיתִ֖י אָקִ֣ים 1 “But I will establish/make my covenant/agreement”. In the Hebrew text, the phrase “my covenant” is put before the verb in order to change the topic to God’s covenant. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language. Also consider again how you translated “covenant” in verses 2, 4, 7, 9-11, 13-14, 19, 21.
17:21 nbs6 אֲשֶׁר֩ תֵּלֵ֨ד לְךָ֤ שָׂרָה֙ 1 “whom Sarah will give birth to for you” or “Sarah will give birth to him”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, see how you translated “is bearing...for you” in verse 19.
17:21 e5iw לַמּוֹעֵ֣ד הַזֶּ֔ה בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה הָאַחֶֽרֶת 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “by/at this time/season next year.” (2) “at the appointed/set time next year.”
17:22 e61u וַיְכַ֖ל לְדַבֵּ֣ר אִתּ֑וֹ 1 “When/After he/God had finished speaking/talking with/to Abraham,” See how you translated “spoke with him” in verse 3.
17:22 fuch rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיַּ֣עַל אֱלֹהִ֔ים מֵעַ֖ל אַבְרָהָֽם 1 “he went up from Abraham/him {to heaven}.” or “God/he left him and ascended {to heaven}.” or “God/he left him.” Consider whether to use a noun or a pronoun to refer to God and Abraham at each point in this verse. Do what is clear and natural in your language.
17:23 waa8 כָּל זָכָ֕ר בְּאַנְשֵׁ֖י בֵּ֣ית אַבְרָהָ֑ם 1 “{yes,} every male in his household,” This phrase refers to everyone mentioned in the first half of this verse, including all males of all ages, not just men.
17:23 m2zy וַיָּ֜מָל אֶת בְּשַׂ֣ר עָרְלָתָ֗ם בְּעֶ֨צֶם֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה 1 “and on that same day he cut off their foreskins,” or “Then on that same day he circumcised them,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
17:23 dx5x rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ אֱלֹהִֽים 1 “just/exactly as God had commanded him {to do}.” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to change the order of the clauses in this verse and say, “Then that very/same day, Abraham did just/exactly as God had told/commanded him {to do}: He took/gathered...” Do what is best in your language.
17:24 q91v rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וְאַ֨בְרָהָ֔ם 1 “Now Abraham” or “Abraham”. The information in verses 24 and 25 is background information. Many languages have a specific conjunction or transitional phrase that is used to introduce this kind of information. Do what is best in your language.
17:24 belb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive בְּהִמֹּל֖וֹ בְּשַׂ֥ר עָרְלָתֽוֹ 1 “when his foreskin was cut off,” or “when he was circumcised,” We do not know who circumcised Abraham. Some Jewish scholars think it was Shem and some others think Abraham did it himself. However, the Hebrew text does not say who did it, so in your translation it is best to also not specify who did it. Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language.
17:25 vbof וְיִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בְּנ֔וֹ 1 “and his son Ishmael” or “His son Ishmael”. Consider whether or not it is better to begin a new sentence here in your language.
17:25 m286 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive בְּהִ֨מֹּל֔וֹ אֵ֖ת בְּשַׂ֥ר עָרְלָתֽוֹ 1 “when his foreskin was cut off.” or “when he was circumcised.” or “when {he/Abraham} circumcised him.” See how you translated this clause in verse 24.
17:26 d2d2 בְּעֶ֨צֶם֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה 1 “{So it was,} on that very/same day”. Verses 26 and 27 repeat what happened in verse 23 to emphasize what happened. Make sure in your translation that it does not sound like Abraham and Ishmael were circumcised twice. See how you translated “on that very/same day” in verse 23.
17:26 ipkz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive נִמּ֖וֹל אַבְרָהָ֑ם וְיִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל בְּנֽוֹ 1 “{both} Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised.” or “Abraham was circumcised, and {he circumcised} his son Ishmael.” Abraham is the one who circumcised his son Ishmael (verse 23). See how you translated “he was circumcised” in verse 24.
17:27 mrt0 וּמִקְנַת־כֶּ֖סֶף 1 “as well as those {whom he had} bought {as slaves/servants}”. See how you translated a similar clause in verses 12 and 23.
17:27 tt49 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive נִמֹּ֖לוּ אִתּֽוֹ 1 “were also circumcised.” For some languages it may be better to move this phrase earlier in this verse and say, “And all the {other} males in his/Abraham’s household were also circumcised, {including} those {who had been} born...” Do what is best in your language. Also, consider again how you translated “circumcised” in verses 10-14, 23-27.
18:1 xaic וַיֵּרָ֤א אֵלָיו֙ יְהוָ֔ה 1 “Then {one day} Yahweh appeared/came {again} to him/Abraham” or “One day Yahweh visited Abraham {again}”. See how you translated “appeared” in Gen 12:7 and 17:1. Also, consider whether it is better to refer to Abraham here with a pronoun or with his name in your language.
18:1 yyba בְּאֵלֹנֵ֖י מַמְרֵ֑א 1 “at/near Mamre’s terebinth/oak trees,” or “beside the terebinth/oak trees on Mamre’s land,” See how you translated this phrase in Gen 13:18, 14:13, and a similar phrase in Gen 12:6.
18:1 grq0 פֶּֽתַח הָאֹ֖הֶל 1 “{at/in} the entrance/doorway of his tent” or “{by} the front of his tent”. The entrance to the tent was an opening that could be closed by a large piece of cloth or animal skin. It did not have a solid wood door like a house has. See how you translated “tent” in Gen 4:20.
18:1 x2ic כְּחֹ֥ם הַיּֽוֹם 1 “during the hot/hottest time/part of the day.”
18:2 febu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא 1 “He/Abraham looked up/around”. See how you translate this phrase in Gen 22:13.
18:2 lfa5 וְהִנֵּה֙ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים נִצָּבִ֖ים 1 “and saw/noticed that there were three men standing” or “and was surprised to see three men standing”
18:2 ceux עָלָ֑יו 1 “a short distance away.” or “not too far away from him.” Translate this phrase in a way that fits with the fact that the men were far enough away from Abraham that he could run over to them (as he did in the next sentence).
18:2 ayo5 וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ אָֽרְצָה 1 “Then he bowed {low} {before them} {with his face/forehead} to the ground {to show respect},” or “Then he prostrated himself on the ground {in front of them} {to show respect},” Compare how you translated a phrase that has a similar meaning (“fell on his face”) in Gen 17:3, 17.
18:3 i1yu rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-honorifics אֲדֹנָ֗י 1 “My masters,” or “Sirs/Gentlemen,” Abraham uses “lords” here as a polite address to the three men. The Hebrew word “lord” can also be a reference to God, but notice that at this point Abraham probably thought he was talking to men or angels. It wasn’t until later that he realized that one of them was Yahweh (verse 14).
18:3 f44a אִם נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ 1 “if you are pleased/satisfied with me,” or “if you consider me worthy {to be your host},” or “if you would favor/honor me {with your presence},” The pronoun “your” is singular here in the Hebrew text, and also in the next clause. It could be that Abraham is addressing each of the three men simultaneously, or that he is addressing their leader or spokesman.
18:3 qzez rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person אַל נָ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר מֵעַ֥ל עַבְדֶּֽךָ 1 “please do not leave here without letting me serve you {as my guests}.” or “please stay here for a while as my guests.” Abraham refers to himself as a servant here in order to show respect to his guests.
18:4 s8jr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive יֻקַּֽח נָ֣א מְעַט מַ֔יִם 1 “Please let me bring {you} some water,” or “Let my servants bring {you} some water,” Saying “a little” was a polite way of showing generosity. Make sure your translation does not sound here like Abraham was only offering the men a tiny bit of water; he or his servants were going to bring them enough water to wash their feet.
18:4 ygvl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular וְרַחֲצ֖וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֑ם 1 “That way you {all} can wash {the dust off} your feet”. People wore sandals and their feet would get dusty when they traveled. So it was customary to offer guests water to wash the dust off their feet. Consider whether or not it is better to begin a new sentence here in your language. Also, notice that the pronouns “you” and “your” are plural here in the Hebrew text.
18:5 w6hc פַת 1 “a little bit of” or “some”. Saying “a morsel” was a polite way of showing generosity. Make sure your translation does not sound here like Abraham was only offering the men a tiny bit of bread; he was going to give them plenty of food to eat.
18:5 qih5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy לֶ֜חֶם 1 “bread/food {for you} {to eat}.” Since bread was a common staple of their diet, it is often used in the Bible to refer to food in general.
18:5 e1nm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְסַעֲד֤וּ לִבְּכֶם֙ 1 “Then you can be refreshed/strengthened” or “That way you can regain your strength”. Notice that the pronouns “you” and “your” are plural in this quote in the Hebrew text and refer to Abraham’s three guests.
18:5 vde1 אַחַ֣ר תַּעֲבֹ֔רוּ 1 “and then continue on your way,” or “before you continue traveling,”
18:5 gvtq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּ֥ן עֲבַרְתֶּ֖ם עַֽל עַבְדְּכֶ֑ם 1 “now that you have come to me.” or “since you are here with me.” For some languages it may be more natural to put this clause at the beginning of this verse and say, “Since you are here with me, let me {also} bring some food...” Do what is best in your language.
18:5 wdtf כֵּ֥ן 2 “Okay,” or “Very well,” or “That is good/fine,” The word used here in the Hebrew text shows agreement or acceptance. Do what is natural in your language.
18:6 vfdt rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown שְׁלֹ֤שׁ סְאִים֙ 1 “three {large} measures/scoops/batches”. It is not certain how much “three seahs” was, but it is thought that it was more than 20 quarts/liters. It was enough flour to make bread for many people, just as the calf (verse 7) provided enough meat for many people and showed generous hospitality. Besides Abraham’s guests, others in his household may have also joined in eating the feast.
18:6 yzn0 קֶ֣מַח סֹ֔לֶת 1 “of {good/high} quality flour.” or “of the/our best flour.”
18:6 ygf6 ל֖וּשִׁי וַעֲשִׂ֥י עֻגֽוֹת 1 “Knead {the dough} and make it into loaves/bread.” or “and bake {some} loaves of {flat} bread.” or “and bake/make {some} bread.” The Hebrew word for “loaves” here is often translated “cakes”, which probably refers to their flat, round shape (similar to biscuits). However, make sure your translation of this word does not sound like a dessert, because this bread was not sweet. Also, consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
18:7 bsyq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-pronouns וְאֶל־הַבָּקָ֖ר רָ֣ץ אַבְרָהָ֑ם 1 “Then Abraham/he hurriedly {left the tent and} went to his herd {of cattle}” or “Next Abraham/he quickly went/hurried {outside} to his herd {of cattle}” or “Then he ran {outside} to his herd {of cattle}”
18:7 hxpb וַיִּקַּ֨ח 1 “and chose” or “and picked out”
18:7 z2ik בֶּן בָּקָ֜ר רַ֤ךְ וָטוֹב֙ 1 “one of his best/choice calves that would be good/tasty to eat.”
18:7 jtgs וַיִּתֵּ֣ן 1 “Then he took/brought the calf” or “Then he turned it over”. The word “gave” means Abram brought the calf to his servant and put him in charge of preparing its meat for a meal. Make sure your translation does not sound like the calf was a gift.
18:7 zqcc אֶל הַנַּ֔עַר 1 “to one of his servants”
18:7 vnc1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיְמַהֵ֖ר לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת אֹתֽוֹ 1 “and the/his servant quickly prepared it.” or “who quickly slaughtered/butchered it and cooked/roasted it.” Make sure it is clear in your translation that this clause refers to the servant, not Abraham.
18:8 pb0g rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּקַּ֨ח 1 “Then he/Abraham brought/got”. Make sure that your translation of this phrase refers to Abraham, not his servant.
18:8 tlvu rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּתֵּ֖ן לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם 1 “and he served {all of} it/that to the {three} men {to eat}.” or “and he set/put it {all} before his {three} guests {to eat}.” Since verse 2 was the last time the three men were mentioned, it may be clearer and more natural to make them explicit here. Do what is best in your language.
18:8 oc6u rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֹּאכֵֽלוּ 1 “{and waited on them} while they ate.” or “{and served them} while they ate.” As the host, Abraham stood nearby his guests in order to wait on them and make sure they had everything that they needed.
18:9 xl7m rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵׄלָׄ֔יׄוׄ 1 “Then {one of} the men asked him/Abraham,” The Hebrew text uses a plural pronoun here (“they”) to refer to one of the three men who spoke to Abraham on behalf of them all (See verse 10). Many languages can use “they” or “the men” in the same way. Make sure your translation of this quote margin does not sound like all three of the men spoke at the same time.
18:9 frnv rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֖אמֶר 1 “He/Abraham answered {them/him},” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Abraham is the one speaking here.
18:9 c5q0 הִנֵּ֥ה בָאֹֽהֶל 1 “{She is} there in/inside the tent.”
18:10 b369 וַיֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “Then the/that man”. This phrase refers to the man in verse 9 who spoke on behalf of himself and the other two men. We find out in verse 13 that the man was actually Yahweh. However, at this point Abraham and Sarah probably did not yet know who he was, so it is better to not specify who he was here, in order to keep that suspense in your translation.
18:10 s103 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom כָּעֵ֣ת חַיָּ֔ה 1 “at/about this time/season next year,” or “next year at/around this time/season,” For some languages it may be more natural to move this time phrase to the beginning of this quote and say, “Next year at this time I will surely/definitely return...” Do what is best in your language.
18:10 usku וְהִנֵּה 1 “and when I do,” or “When I do,” or “At that time,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
18:10 yh3k בֵ֖ן לְשָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ 1 “your wife Sarah will have a {baby} son/boy {with her}.” or “your wife Sarah will {already} have a {baby} son/boy.” This means that Sarah would have a son with her when Yahweh returns. It does not mean that she would give birth at that time.
18:10 kp1s rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וְשָׂרָ֥ה שֹׁמַ֛עַת 1 “Now Sarah was listening/eavesdropping” or “Sarah was listening/eavesdropping”. This sentence gives information about something that was happening while the man was talking. Translate this in a way that makes that clear in your language.
18:11 oz4x rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וְאַבְרָהָ֤ם וְשָׂרָה֙ 1 “Abraham and Sarah/she” or “Sarah/She and Abraham”. This verse gives background information that is important to what happens next. Some languages use a conjunction such as “Now” here to introduce this kind of information, while other languages omit the conjunction, especially if “Now” is used to begin the last sentence in verse 10. Do what is best in your language.
18:11 pdfh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism חָדַל֙ לִהְי֣וֹת לְשָׂרָ֔ה אֹ֖רַח כַּנָּשִֽׁים 1 “so that Sarah/she was much older than the normal age for bearing children.” or “so that Sarah/she was {far} past the age/time that she could bear/have children.” The Hebrew text has an idiom here that is a polite way of saying that Sarah had reached menopause and so was not able to have children. Other languages may have a similar idiom. Make sure your translation of this clause will not offend or embarrass people when it is read aloud in public.
18:12 plyn וַתִּצְחַ֥ק שָׂרָ֖ה בְּקִרְבָּ֣הּ 1 “So Sarah/she laughed to herself {in disbelief}”. See how you translated “laughed” in Gen 17:17 where Abraham also laughed to himself.
18:12 nggz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אַחֲרֵ֤י בְלֹתִי֙ 1 “Since my body is {now} worn out,” or “Now that I am too old {to conceive},”
18:12 rjek rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הָֽיְתָה לִּ֣י עֶדְנָ֔ה 1 “will I {still} have/experience {this/that} pleasure?” or “it doesn’t seem possible that I could {still} have/experience the pleasure {of bearing/having a child}!” Sarah uses a rhetorical question to express her strong emotion and disbelief. Consider whether or not it is best to use a rhetorical question here in your language.
18:12 he9b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַֽאדֹנִ֖י זָקֵֽן 1 “Besides that, my master/husband is {also} {very/too} old!” The phrase “my lord” is a title of respect that Sarah uses to refer to Abraham as her husband. Also, for some languages it may be better to change the order of some of the clauses in this verse and say, “I am too old {to conceive} and my husband is {also} {very/too} old! How can I {possibly} {still} have/experience the pleasure {of having a child}?” or “It doesn’t seem possible that I could have/experience the pleasure {of having a child} now that I am too old {to conceive}. Besides that, my husband is {also} {very/too} old!” Do what is best in your language.
18:13 xspz rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל אַבְרָהָ֑ם 1 “Then/But Yahweh asked Abraham,” The way you translate this quote margin will depend on whether you translate the rest of this verse as a rhetorical question or a statement.
18:13 jhpl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion לָ֣מָּה זֶּה֩ צָחֲקָ֨ה שָׂרָ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר 1 “Why did Sarah laugh {to herself} and say/think,” or “Sarah should not have laughed and said/thought {to herself},” or “Sarah should not have laughed, thinking,” Yahweh uses rhetorical question in verses 13-14 to confront Sarah’s disbelief and to emphasize that nothing is too difficult for God to do. Consider whether or not it is best to use rhetorical questions here in your language.
18:13 jigk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes הַאַ֥ף אֻמְנָ֛ם אֵלֵ֖ד וַאֲנִ֥י זָקַֽנְתִּי 1 “I am too old to bear/have a child!” or “that she is too old to have a child.” or “that it isn’t possible for her to have a child now that she is old.” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to make this embedded quote a direct or indirect quote. Make sure that your translation of “I” refers here to Sarah, not Yahweh.
18:14 i07c rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲיִפָּלֵ֥א מֵיְהוָ֖ה דָּבָ֑ר 1 “Is {there} anything {that is} too hard/difficult for Yahweh {to do}?” or “Nothing is too hard/difficult for Yahweh {to do}!”
18:14 vgyv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כָּעֵ֥ת חַיָּ֖ה 1 “{Yes, I will come/return} at this time next year,” or “—{it will be} at this time next year—”. See how you translated this idiom in verse 10. Also, for some languages it may be better to put this phrase right after the first time phrase in this verse and say, “At the time that I have decided, which will be this time next year, I will return {here} to visit you,” Do what is best in your language.
18:14 i8zs וּלְשָׂרָ֥ה בֵֽן 1 “and Sarah will have a {baby} son/boy {with her}.” or “and Sarah will {already} have a {baby} son/boy.” See how you translated a similar clause in verse 10.
18:15 za8c וַתְּכַחֵ֨שׁ שָׂרָ֧ה 1 “But/Then Sarah lied {to him}”. The Hebrew verb here includes the meaning of lying or deceiving.
18:15 e03j לֵאמֹ֛ר 1 “and said,” Notice that the verbs “denied” and “saying” refer to the same event, not two separate events. Make sure that is clear in your translation.
18:15 d6be rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations לֹ֥א צָחַ֖קְתִּי כִּ֣י יָרֵ֑אָה 1 “that she did not laugh. {She said that,} because she was afraid.” Consider whether it is best in your language to translate this quote as a direct or indirect quote. Also, for some languages it may be clearer or more natural to change the order of the clauses in this sentence and say, “{When Sarah heard that,} she was afraid, so she lied {to him} and said, “I did not laugh.” ” Do what is best in your language.
18:15 rwv6 לֹ֖א כִּ֥י צָחָֽקְתְּ 1 “Yes, you did laugh.” or “That is not true. You did laugh.” Consider whether Yahweh’s reply to Sarah here should begin with “No” or “Yes” in your language.
18:16 c73z וַיָּקֻ֤מוּ מִשָּׁם֙ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים 1 “{When/After they had finished eating,} the {three} men got up {to leave}”
18:16 gktx וַיַּשְׁקִ֖פוּ עַל פְּנֵ֣י סְדֹ֑ם 1 “and started walking/heading down toward {the city of} Sodom.” This phrase reflects the fact that the city of Sodom was lower in elevation than the city of Hebron, where Abraham was living.
18:16 hm8x וְאַ֨בְרָהָ֔ם הֹלֵ֥ךְ עִמָּ֖ם 1 “Abraham went/walked with them {for a while}” or “Abraham escorted/accompanied them {for a while}”
18:16 f1fq לְשַׁלְּחָֽם 1 “to see them on their way.” or “as they were leaving.”
18:17 jgid rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַֽיהֹוָ֖ה אָמָ֑ר 1 “Then Yahweh said/thought {to himself},” The context implies that Yahweh said this to himself, without Abraham hearing him. See how you translated a similar phrase in Gen 11:6.
18:17 h1l5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הַֽמְכַסֶּ֤ה אֲנִי֙ מֵֽאַבְרָהָ֔ם 1 “Should I keep secret from Abraham” or “I should/will not hide/conceal from Abraham” or “I should/will tell Abraham”
18:17 gyoq אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֲנִ֥י עֹשֶֽׂה 1 “what I am going/about to do {to the city of Sodom}”. Whether you end this sentence with a question mark or a period will depend on how you choose to translate this rhetorical question.
18:18 aib0 וְאַ֨בְרָהָ֔ם הָי֧וֹ יִֽהְיֶ֛ה 1 “Abraham/he will surely/definitely be {the ancestor of}” or “After all, Abraham/he {and his descendants} will surely/definitely {multiply and} become”. Some translations begin a new sentence here. Other translations continue the rhetorical question (or statement) in verse 17 to the end of verse 18 and say, “since Abraham/he will....” or “seeing that Abraham/he will...” Do what is best in your language.
18:18 ox5n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy ב֔וֹ 1 “and through him/them” or “and because of him/them” or “and by means of him/them”. This phrase refers to Abraham and his descendants, including ultimately the Messiah. See the note about this at Gen 12:3.
18:18 vsqn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וְנִ֨בְרְכוּ & כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “all the people/ethnic groups in the world will be blessed {by me}.” or “{I} will bless all the people/ethnic groups in the world.” See how you translated a similar clause in Gen 12:3.
18:19 fa4n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom יְדַעְתִּ֗יו 1 “I have chosen him/Abraham”. Consider whether or not your language has an idiom that fits well here.
18:19 w7fg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person וְשָֽׁמְרוּ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְהוָ֔ה 1 “so that they will live the way I want them to live” or “to obey Yahweh’s/my ways/will”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that Yahweh is speaking about himself here.
18:19 l0t4 לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת צְדָקָ֖ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט 1 “and do what is righteous/right and just {in my eyes}” or “and do what is righteous/right and/including treat people justly/rightly”
18:19 sxv0 לְמַ֗עַן 2 “Therefore/So”. For some languages it is more natural to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
18:19 kp8o rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person הָבִ֤יא יְהוָה֙ 1 “I will do/accomplish”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that Yahweh is referring to himself here.
18:19 w9ko rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns עַל אַבְרָהָ֔ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּ֖ר עָלָֽיו 1 “for Abraham/him what/everything I have promised him {that I will do}.” The pronoun “he” refers to Yahweh here. Make sure the way you use nouns and pronouns throughout this verse makes it clear in your language who is speaking and who is being referred to.
18:20 bsh5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה 1 “So Yahweh said {to Abraham},” or “Then/So Yahweh informed/told {Abraham},”
18:20 ejie rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy זַעֲקַ֛ת סְדֹ֥ם וַעֲמֹרָ֖ה כִּי רָ֑בָּה וְחַ֨טָּאתָ֔ם כִּ֥י כָבְדָ֖ה מְאֹֽד 1 “I have heard {many} serious/terrible complaints/accusations against {the people of} {the cities of} Sodom and Gomorrah because they are sinning so/very grievously/terribly. So” or “I have heard many people crying out against {the people of/in} {the cities of} Sodom and Gomorrah because they are committing/doing very evil/terrible sins/things.” Make sure it is clear in your translation that the phrase “Sodom and Gomorrah” refers to the people in those cities. Also, in the Hebrew text this sentence continues into verse 21. Do what is best in your language.
18:21 iqb6 אֵֽרֲדָה נָּ֣א 1 “I must go down {to those cities} now” or “I am going {to those cities} now”. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were both lower in elevation than the city of Hebron. See what you did for a similar case in verse 16.
18:21 cael rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-goal וְאֶרְאֶ֔ה 1 “to investigate/determine” or “in order to find out”
18:21 ehz9 הַכְּצַעֲקָתָ֛הּ & עָשׂ֣וּ ׀ כָּלָ֑ה 1 “whether {or not} the people in those cities are guilty of everything” or “if the people there have done/committed all the {terrible} sins”
18:21 p8yd הַבָּ֥אָה אֵלַ֖י 1 “that I have heard against/about them.” or “that I have heard they are guilty of.”
18:23 o9sc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הַאַ֣ף תִּסְפֶּ֔ה 1 “Will/Would you indeed/actually wipe out” or “Surely/Certainly you will/would not destroy”. Abraham uses a rhetorical question here to express his strong feelings and concern about what Yahweh told him. Consider whether or not it is clear and natural to use a rhetorical question here in your language. Make sure it does not sound like Abraham is angry or being rude. See how you translated a similar idiom (“wipe away”) in Gen 6:7.
18:23 tazw צַדִּ֖יק 1 “the righteous/godly/good/innocent {people} {in the city}” or “righteous {people}”
18:23 l14u rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion רָשָֽׁע 1 “the wicked/evil/guilty {people} {there}” or “the people {there} who are wicked/evil” or “the wicked/evil {people} {there}, will/would you?” The way you translate this rhetorical question will determine what punctuation mark you end this sentence with. If you use an exclamation mark here, make sure it does not sound like Abraham was angry, shouting, or being disrespectful.
18:24 pfkn אוּלַ֥י 1 “Suppose {that}” or “What {will you do} if”
18:24 hdx0 יֵ֛שׁ חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים צַדִּיקִ֖ם בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֑יר 1 “there are fifty/50 righteous/good {people} {living} in the city {of Sodom}?” See how you translated “the righteous” in verse 23. Also consider whether to use “fifty” or “50” here in your translation, which depends on how your translation team has decided to represent numbers.
18:24 hrne rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הַאַ֤ף תִּסְפֶּה֙ 1 “Will/Would you really/actually {still} destroy” or “Certainly you will/would not {still} destroy”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 23.
18:24 h1ad וְלֹא תִשָּׂ֣א לַמָּק֔וֹם 1 “the place/city {and all its inhabitants} rather than spare it/them” or “{all the people in} the place/city rather than let them all live”
18:24 zuz1 לְמַ֛עַן 1 “because of” or “in order to save”
18:24 qhq8 חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים הַצַּדִּיקִ֖ם 1 “the fifty/50 righteous/good {people}”
18:24 jhkh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ 1 “who live in it” or “who live there” or “who live there, will/would you?” The way you translate this rhetorical question will determine what punctuation mark you end this sentence with.
18:25 zsq3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom חָלִ֨לָה לְּךָ֜ 1 “Surely/Certainly you would never” or “It seems impossible/inconceivable that you would {ever}” or “I hope that you would never”. This idiom expresses emphatically that Abraham does not believe Yahweh would do this. Consider whether or not your language has a similar idiom. Make sure that Abraham sounds respectful in your translation.
18:25 vi64 מֵעֲשֹׂ֣ת כַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה לְהָמִ֤ית 1 “do such a thing as kill”
18:25 ngke צַדִּיק֙ 1 “righteous/godly/good/innocent {people}”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 23.
18:25 nhtp עִם 1 “{along/together} with” or “when you destroy”
18:25 xel1 רָשָׁ֔ע 1 “wicked/evil {people},” See how you translated “the wicked” in verse 23.
18:25 scup וְהָיָ֥ה כַצַּדִּ֖יק כָּרָשָׁ֑ע 1 “so that righteous/good {people} are treated/punished {by you} as if they were wicked/evil!” or “so that you are treating them both the same way!” If exclamation marks are used in this chapter, make sure it does not sound like Abraham is angry, shouting, or being disrespectful
18:25 rs19 חָלִ֣לָה לָּ֔ךְ 1 “Surely/Certainly you would never do such a thing!” or “It seems impossible/inconceivable that you would ever do such a thing!” or “I hope that you would never do such a thing!” See how you translated a similar phrase at the beginning of this verse.
18:25 zx52 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲשֹׁפֵט֙ כָּל הָאָ֔רֶץ לֹ֥א יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה מִשְׁפָּֽט 1 “As the judge of/over everyone on the earth, certainly/surely you will treat people justly/rightly.” or “You are the one who judges all {the people on} the earth. Certainly/Surely you will do what is just/right.” Consider what is the best way in your language to translate this rhetorical question; make sure that Abraham sounds polite. Also see how you translated “justice” in verse 19.
18:26 yoae rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה 1 “Then Yahweh answered {him/Abraham},” or “Yahweh replied {to him},” Make sure that the various quote margins in this long conversation (verses 23-32) are clear and natural in your translation.
18:26 bj6m rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-nominaladj בִסְדֹ֛ם חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים צַדִּיקִ֖ם בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֑יר 1 “fifty/50 righteous/godly/good/innocent {people} {living} in the city of Sodom,”
18:26 gvx5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וְנָשָׂ֥אתִי לְכָל הַמָּק֖וֹם 1 “then I will spare the whole/entire city {and everyone who lives there}” or “then I will not destroy the city {or anyone in it}”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that Yahweh is referring here to the city of Sodom as well as the people who live there, not just the city.
18:27 feez rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations וַיֹּאמַ֑ר 1 “and said {to Yahweh/him},” or “and asked {Yahweh/him},”
18:27 nwih rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom הִנֵּה נָ֤א הוֹאַ֨לְתִּי֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל 1 “Listen, please, since I have been bold to speak to {you,}” or “Please excuse me for speaking to you so boldly,” The idiom “taken it upon myself” means that Abraham has decided to do something and is acting boldly. Consider whether or not your language has an idiom that fits well here.
18:27 duu3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person אֲדֹנָ֔י 1 “my Master,” or “Lord/Master,” Abraham realizes by now that he is talking to Yahweh, so use a respectful term in your translation that is appropriate for him to use when he refers to Yahweh here and in the rest of this chapter. Also, for some languages it is more natural to put this phrase first in this quote and say, “My Lord/Master, please excuse me for speaking to you so boldly,” Do what is best in your language.
18:27 otno rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וְאָנֹכִ֖י עָפָ֥ר וָאֵֽפֶר 1 “I am {as unimportant/insignificant as} dust/dirt and ashes {compared to you}.” or “I am nothing/unimportant {compared to you}.” or “I have zero/no status/importance {compared to you}.” It may be clearer to put this comparison earlier in the sentence and say, “My Lord/Master, I am {as unimportant/insignificant as} dust/dirt and ashes, so please excuse me...” Do what is best in your language. Also, see how you translated “dust” in Gen 2:7 and 3:19.
18:28 omjl א֠וּלַי 1 “{But} suppose {that}” or “{But} what {will you do} if”. See how you translated this term in verse 24.
18:28 z4ng יַחְסְר֞וּן חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים הַצַּדִּיקִם֙ חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה 1 “there are five fewer than fifty/50 righteous {people} {living in the city}?” or “there are only forty-five/45 righteous {people} {in the city} instead of fifty/50?”
18:28 nmr1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit הֲתַשְׁחִ֥ית & אֶת כָּל הָעִ֑יר 1 “Will/Would you {still} destroy the whole city {and everyone in it}”. See how you translated “the whole place” in verse 26.
18:28 vm49 בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה 1 “if there are five people too few {who are righteous}?” or “because the number {of righteous people} is five persons short/low?”
18:28 fkpg rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ 1 “And/Then Yahweh said/replied {to him/Abraham},” or “Yahweh answered {him/Abraham},” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Yahweh is speaking here, not Abraham.
18:28 d67i rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis לֹ֣א אַשְׁחִ֔ית אִם אֶמְצָ֣א שָׁ֔ם אַרְבָּעִ֖ים וַחֲמִשָּֽׁה 1 “I will not destroy the city if there are forty-five/45 {righteous people} {living} there.” or “if I find forty-five/45 {righteous people} {living} in the city, I will not destroy it.” Make sure it is clear in your translation what “forty-five/45” refers to.
18:29 mgon rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive יִמָּצְא֥וּן & אַרְבָּעִ֑ים 1 “{only} forty/40 {righteous people} are found {by you}” or “you find {only} forty/40 {righteous people}” or “there are {only} forty/40 {righteous people}”. Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language.
18:30 tijl rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַ֠יֹּאמֶר 1 “Then Abraham asked {him/Yahweh},” or “Then Abraham pleaded {with him/Yahweh},” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Abraham is speaking here, not Yahweh.
18:30 fekp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person אַל נָ֞א יִ֤חַר לַֽאדֹנָי֙ 1 “My Lord/Master, please do not be angry {with/at me},” Abraham addresses Yahweh using the third person and the title “Lord” to show him honor and respect. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language.
18:30 w00d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis יִמָּצְא֥וּן & שְׁלֹשִׁ֑ים 1 “{only} thirty/30 {righteous people} are found” or “you find {only} thirty/30 {righteous people}” or “there are {only} 30/thirty {righteous people}”. If you use the numeral “30” here in your translation, make sure that it will not get confused with the verse number.
18:30 wy2p rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ 1 “He/Yahweh replied,” or “He/Yahweh answered {him},” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Yahweh is speaking here, not Abraham.
18:30 r9fd rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֔ה אִם אֶמְצָ֥א שָׁ֖ם שְׁלֹשִֽׁים 1 “I will not destroy {the city} if I find thirty/30 {righteous people} {living} there.” or “If I find thirty/30 {righteous people} {living} in the city, I will not destroy it.” See how you translated a similar sentence at the end of verse 28.
18:31 nea1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “Then Abraham said {to him/Yahweh},” or “Then Abraham asked {him/Yahweh},” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Abraham is speaking here, not Yahweh.
18:31 slxe rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person הִנֵּֽה נָ֤א הוֹאַ֨לְתִּי֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל אֲדֹנָ֔י 1 “Listen, please, since I have been bold to speak to {you,} my Lord/Master.” or “My Lord/Master, please excuse me for speaking to you so boldly.” See how you translated this clause in verse 27.
18:32 lk3d אַל נָ֞א יִ֤חַר לַֽאדֹנָי֙ 1 “My Lord/Master, please do not be angry {with/at me},” See how you translated this sentence in verse 30. Consider again how you translated “my Lord” in verses 27, 30-32. Contrast that to verse 3, where Abraham probably used the term before he realized that he was talking to Yahweh.
18:32 ly53 אוּלַ֛י 1 “Suppose {that}” or “What {will you do} if”. Consider again how you translated the term “Suppose” in verses 24 and 28 and how you translated the sentence “Suppose {only}...{righteous people} are found there?” in verses 29-32.
18:32 qkyp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive יִמָּצְא֥וּן & עֲשָׂרָ֑ה 1 “{only} ten {righteous people} are found” or “you find {only} ten {righteous people}” or “there are {only} ten {righteous people}”. Consider again how you translated “found” and “find” in verses 26, 28-32.
18:32 rknm rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ 1 “And/Then Yahweh replied,” or “He/Yahweh answered {him},” Consider again how you referred to Yahweh and Abraham in your translation throughout this dialogue (verses 23-32). It is a good idea to read this conversation aloud at a regular speed and listen to make sure that all quote margins are natural and clear in your language.
18:32 dxyk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis הָעֲשָׂרָֽה 1 “the/those ten {righteous people}.” Consider again whether you used words or numerals for the numbers throughout verses 24-32. Also consider again how you translated “righteous {people}” and “{righteous people}” in verses 23-32.
18:33 yjrf וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ יְהוָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר כִּלָּ֔ה לְדַבֵּ֖ר אֶל אַבְרָהָ֑ם 1 “Then Yahweh left {Abraham/him} as soon as he finished speaking to/with him,” or “When Yahweh had finished talking with Abraham, he left {him},”
18:33 sski וְאַבְרָהָ֖ם שָׁ֥ב לִמְקֹמֽוֹ 1 “and Abraham returned/went home.”
19:1 g0pi rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וַ֠יָּבֹאוּ שְׁנֵ֨י הַמַּלְאָכִ֤ים סְדֹ֨מָה֙ בָּעֶ֔רֶב 1 “That evening {Yahweh’s/God’s} two angels/messengers arrived at {the city of} Sodom,” or “Then/Later that evening the two {men, who were} {Yahweh’s/God’s} angels/messengers arrived at {the city of} Sodom,” See how you translated “angel” in Gen 16:7-11.
19:1 guh5 בְּשַֽׁעַר סְדֹ֑ם 1 “at/by the gate/entrance of the city.” or “at the city gate/entrance.” Cities like Sodom had stone walls built around them, with entrance gates (that were closed at night) to protect the people in the city from enemies.
19:1 kpct rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-youdual וַיַּרְא לוֹט֙ וַיָּ֣קָם 1 “When Lot saw them, he got/stood up”. Some languages have a special dual pronoun that can be used throughout verses 1-19 to refer to the two angels. Do what is best in your language.
19:1 oarz rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ אַפַּ֖יִם אָֽרְצָה 1 “and {then} bowed {before them} with his face/forehead to the ground {to show respect}.” or “and {then} kneeled {in front of them} and bowed/touched his forehead to the ground {to show them respect}.” See how you translated a similar phrase in Gen 18:2.
19:2 pbyh rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֜אמֶר 1 “Then he said {to them},”
19:2 qrka rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness הִנֶּ֣ה נָּא אֲדֹנַ֗י 1 “Listen {to me} please, my lords/masters:” or “Sirs/Gentlemen, please listen {to this}:” See how you translated “Behold, please” in Gen 18:27. Also see how you translated “my lord” in Gen 18:3. At this point, Lot probably did not know that these were angels, because they looked like men.
19:2 uv8k rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness ס֣וּרוּ נָ֠א אֶל 1 “Please come to” or “Please stop in at”. Lot is being urgent here (using “please” twice), probably because he knows how dangerous the city is. Translate this quote in a way that communicates this urgency.
19:2 ya0h rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person בֵּ֨ית עַבְדְּכֶ֤ם וְלִ֨ינוּ֙ 1 “my house so that I can serve you”. Lot refers to himself as “your servant” here to show respect to the two men and to politely offer to host them as his guests.
19:2 n4bd וְלִ֨ינוּ֙ וְרַחֲצ֣וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֔ם 1 “and you can lodge for the night {there}. {That way} too {you can} wash {the dust off} your feet.” or “You can wash {the dust off} your feet and lodge/stay for the night {there}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated “wash your feet” in Gen 18:4.
19:2 bnmm rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness לֹּ֔א כִּ֥י 1 “No, {thank you,} rather” or “Thank you, but” or “That is kind of you, but”. The angels’ reply should sound polite and respectful in your translation, not rude or disrespectful. For example, in some cultures it is not polite to say “No” too directly.
19:2 nmtj בָרְח֖וֹב נָלִֽין 1 “we will {just} stay/sleep in the public/city square tonight.” or “we plan to spend/stay the night in the street/square.” This refers to a public, outdoor place inside the city, perhaps the open place inside the city gate where people would meet.
19:3 ck6p וַיִּפְצַר בָּ֣ם מְאֹ֔ד 1 “But he/Lot insisted urgently” or “However he/Lot continued to urge/invite them earnestly” or “However he/Lot continued to urgently invite them”
19:3 g3lh וַיָּסֻ֣רוּ אֵלָ֔יו 1 “until they {finally} {agreed and} went with him” or “until {he finally convinced them and} they went with him”
19:3 gnxh וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אֶל בֵּית֑וֹ 1 “to his house and entered it.” or “to his house.”
19:3 yh3g וַיַּ֤עַשׂ לָהֶם֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה 1 “Then/There he/Lot prepared/made a big/hearty meal for them,” or “Then/There Lot had a big/hearty meal prepared for them,” Lot probably had his wife or servants prepare the meal (as Abraham did in Gen 18:6-7). It is common in the Bible to say that a leader or head of household (as here) did something, when in reality he had it done by someone else who was under his authority.
19:3 pv7b וּמַצּ֥וֹת אָפָ֖ה 1 “including {some} bread without yeast/leavening {in it},” or “including {some} flat bread,”
19:3 a3zt וַיֹּאכֵֽלוּ 1 “and they {sat down and} ate {the meal}.”
19:4 rxq5 טֶרֶם֮ יִשְׁכָּבוּ֒ 1 “{But} {after the meal,} before they could lie down {to sleep},” or “{After that,} before they could go to bed {for the night},”
19:4 j14c rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-merism מִנַּ֖עַר וְעַד זָקֵ֑ן 1 “from/including the youngest to the oldest,” or “including men of all ages,” This phrase refers to all the men of the city of Sodom, including the young and the old and everyone in between. Consider what is the best way to translate this phrase in your language.
19:4 pth7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole כָּל הָעָ֖ם מִקָּצֶֽה 1 “{In fact,} all the people from every section/part {of the city} {were there}.” or “{so that} people from the entire city {were there}.” or “{In fact,} everyone/people from all parts of the city {had come there}.” This phrase is hyperbole or exaggeration, to emphasize that a very large number of people from the city were there. Consider whether or not your language can do the same thing. Also consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
19:5 yafr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-pronouns וַיִּקְרְא֤וּ 1 “Then the crowd/mob {of men/people} called out to Lot/him,” or “Then the crowd/mob {of men/people} shouted to Lot/him,” Consider what is the best way to refer to these people at this point in the paragraph in your translation.
19:5 o8pw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וְנֵדְעָ֖ה אֹתָֽם 1 “so that we can have relations/sex with them!” In Hebrew the verb “know” is often used as an idiom that means “have sex with” (as in Gen 4:1, 25). Here it refers to homosexual activities and raping the two men. Translate this in a way that is not too offensive to be read aloud in public.
19:7 sw0r rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּאמַ֑ר 1 “Then he said {to them},” or “and/Then he pleaded {with them},” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
19:7 fcre rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness נָ֥א אַחַ֖י 1 “{No,} please, my brothers/friends,” or “I beg you, my brothers/friends,” or “{No,} my brothers/friends, please”. The phrase “my brothers” is used here as a polite address that implies a close relationship. Lot uses this idiom to try to get the men of Sodom to not harm his guests. The men were not his actual brothers. For some languages it is more natural to put “my brothers” (or “my friends”) first in this quote. Do what is best in your language.
19:8 kz77 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism לֹֽא יָדְעוּ֙ אִ֔ישׁ 1 “have not/never had {marital/sexual} relations with a man.” or “have never slept with a man.” or “are virgins.” See how you translated the idiom “knew” in verse 5 and Gen 4:1, though it may need to be translated in different ways depending on the context.
19:8 kt35 אוֹצִֽיאָה נָּ֤א אֶתְהֶן֙ אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם וַעֲשׂ֣וּ לָהֶ֔ן 1 “Allow me to bring them out to you {instead} so that you may/can do to/with them” or “If you will let me bring them out {here} to you, then you may/can do to/with them”
19:8 hber רַ֠ק לָֽאֲנָשִׁ֤ים הָאֵל֙ אַל־תַּעֲשׂ֣וּ דָבָ֔ר 1 “But you must not do anything to {harm} these men,” or “But do not violate/harm these men,”
19:8 i8uo rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom כִּֽי עַל כֵּ֥ן בָּ֖אוּ בְּצֵ֥ל קֹרָתִֽי 1 “because they have come under the shelter/protection of my roof/house.” or “because they are my guests and I am responsible for their well-being/safety.”
19:9 jiyd rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ 1 “But the men of Sodom responded {to him/Lot},” or “But the men of Sodom shouted {at him/Lot},”
19:9 v2qe הָאֶחָ֤ד בָּֽא 1 “This guy came {here}”. The phrase “this one/guy” shows disdain and disrespect for Lot. If possible, use a similar term in your language here.
19:9 tah3 לָגוּר֙ 1 “to live temporarily,” or “as a foreigner/outsider,” See how you translated “sojourn” in Gen 12:10. Here it has the negative meaning that Lot does not belong there.
19:9 pdcc וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֣ט שָׁפ֔וֹט עַתָּ֕ה 1 “and now he wants/dares to judge/condemn {us}!” or “and now he thinks that he can judge {us}!”
19:9 o113 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit נָרַ֥ע לְךָ֖ מֵהֶ֑ם 1 “{Then they shouted at him/Lot,} “{Now} we will treat you worse than {we treat} your {two} guests!” ” or “{Then they shouted at him/Lot,} “We will do worse things to you than {we do} to your {two} guests!” ” Here the crowd switches from talking to each other to shouting at Lot. Decide whether or not that needs to be explicit in your translation.
19:9 eo89 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּפְצְר֨וּ בָאִ֤ישׁ בְּלוֹט֙ מְאֹ֔ד 1 “Then they started shoving/pushing hard against Lot/him”
19:10 izks וַיִּשְׁלְח֤וּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ אֶת־יָדָ֔ם 1 “But the {two} men {inside} {who were Lot’s guests} {opened the door,} reached outside” or “But Lot’s {two} guests {opened the door,} reached outside”
19:11 oetn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְֽאֶת־הָאֲנָשִׁ֞ים אֲשֶׁר פֶּ֣תַח הַבַּ֗יִת הִכּוּ֙ בַּסַּנְוֵרִ֔ים 1 “Then those {two} men/guests {who were angels} caused the men {of Sodom} who {were at/outside} the door of the house to be blind,”
19:11 p3qa rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-merism מִקָּטֹ֖ן וְעַד גָּד֑וֹל 1 “from/including the youngest to the oldest,” or “including every last one of them,” This phrase refers to all the men who were outside the house, including the young and the old and everyone in between. See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 4.
19:11 w33l וַיִּלְא֖וּ לִמְצֹ֥א הַפָּֽתַח 1 “so that they wearied/exhausted themselves {groping/fumbling around} {trying} to find the door.” or “so that they {could not see} the door and gave up {trying} to find it.”
19:12 zvxl עֹ֚ד מִֽי לְךָ֣ פֹ֔ה 1 “What other family members do you have here,” or “Do you have any other relatives here in the/this city,”
19:12 gaxp חָתָן֙ וּבָנֶ֣יךָ וּבְנֹתֶ֔יךָ 1 “{such as} sons-in-law or sons or daughters” or “{If you have} sons-in-law, sons, daughters,” Consider whether it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here or later in this verse.
19:12 hx9v בָּעִ֑יר 1 “in this city,” or “in Sodom?” or “here,” The punctuation you use here depends on whether or not you began a new sentence earlier in this quote.
19:12 l25l הוֹצֵ֖א 1 “{then} {quickly} take/get {them} out/away”. Whether or not you begin a new sentence here will depend on whether you began a new sentence earlier in this quote.
19:12 h0sr מִן הַמָּקֽוֹם 1 “from this city,” or “from here,” Make sure that the way you translate this phrase fits well with the ways that you refer to the city of Sodom earlier in this verse and in the next verse. It may help to read the entire verse aloud to make sure everything is clear and sounds natural in your language.
19:13 gxxj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive כִּֽי מַשְׁחִתִ֣ים אֲנַ֔חְנוּ 1 “because we are about/going to destroy”. The pronoun “we” refers here only to the two angels, not Lot or anyone else.
19:13 q23w rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns כִּֽי גָֽדְלָ֤ה צַעֲקָתָם֙ אֶת פְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה 1 “Yahweh has heard that the people of this city are guilty of serious/terrible sins,” or “Yahweh has heard serious/terrible accusations against the people who live here”. See how you translated “outcry” in Gen 18:20-21. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context. Also, make sure that your translation of “their outcry” refers to the people of Sodom, not Lot’s relatives who were the last ones referred to (verse 12).
19:13 ovq1 לְשַׁחֲתָֽהּ 1 “to destroy the city.” or “to destroy them {and their city}.” Make sure the way you translate this phrase fits with how you translated the first part of this sentence.
19:14 wrto rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לֹקְחֵ֣י בְנֹתָ֗יו 1 “who were {going/pledged} to marry his daughters” or “who were engaged to his daughters”. The word “take” is used here as an idiom that means to marry. Consider whether or not it is best in your language to translate this as an idiom in your language.
19:14 i021 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ 1 “and he said {to them},” or “and he warned/urged {them},” or “He told them,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
19:14 xhur ק֤וּמוּ 1 “Hurry up {and}” or “Come on! {We must}”. This phrase communicates urgency here.
19:14 xzmf צְּאוּ֙ מִן 1 “get away from” or “flee from” or “leave”
19:14 l2nd הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה 1 “this city,”
19:14 o4rj כִּֽי מַשְׁחִ֥ית יְהוָ֖ה 1 “because Yahweh is about/going to destroy”. See how you translated “are destroying” in verse 13.
19:14 ibgy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיְהִ֥י כִמְצַחֵ֖ק בְּעֵינֵ֥י חֲתָנָֽיו 1 “But his sons-in-law thought that he was joking, {so they ignored him}.” or “But his sons-in-law {did not listen to him, because they} thought he was joking.”
19:15 wugx וּכְמוֹ֙ הַשַּׁ֣חַר עָלָ֔ה 1 “{Very} early the next morning,” Dawn is the time before sunrise when it starts getting light.
19:15 hw3n וַיָּאִ֥יצוּ הַמַּלְאָכִ֖ים בְּל֣וֹט לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “the {two} angels/messengers urged Lot,” or “the/Yahweh’s {two} angels/messengers urgently told Lot,” See how you translated “angels” in verse 1.
19:15 rtvk קוּם֩ 1 “Hurry up {and}” or “You must quickly”
19:15 xo9t קַ֨ח אֶֽת אִשְׁתְּךָ֜ וְאֶת שְׁתֵּ֤י בְנֹתֶ֨יךָ֙ הַנִּמְצָאֹ֔ת 1 “take/get your wife and two daughters {away from the city}” or “leave {the city} with your wife and two daughters”
19:15 uht3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-passives פֶּן תִּסָּפֶ֖ה 1 “so that you will not be destroyed” or “or else you will be destroyed” or “so that you will not die”. Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language. Also, see how you translated the idiom “sweep away” in Gen 18:23-24.
19:15 vgvt בַּעֲוֺ֥ן הָעִֽיר 1 “when {the people of/in} the city are punished {by God}.” or “when {God/Yahweh} punishes {the people of/in} the city.”
19:16 mwva rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-pronouns וַֽיִּתְמַהְמָ֓הּ 1 “But Lot did not leave immediately,” or “Lot hesitated/delayed,” Consider what is the best way to refer to Lot at this point in the paragraph in your language.
19:16 yaj9 וַיַּחֲזִ֨קוּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֜ים בְּיָד֣וֹ וּבְיַד־אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ וּבְיַד֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י בְנֹתָ֔יו 1 “so the {two} men/angels took hold of his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters,” or “so they took him and his wife and two daughters by the hand,”
19:16 f2ww rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בְּחֶמְלַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה עָלָ֑יו 1 “because Yahweh was being merciful/kind to him/them,” For some languages it may be better to put this phrase last in verse 16 so that it does not interrupt the flow of the sentence. Or it may be better to put this phrase earlier in the sentence and say, “Lot hesitated, but Yahweh was being merciful/kind to him, so the {two} men/angels took hold of Lot’s hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and took/led them out of the city.” Do what is best in your language.
19:17 e9wr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-go וַיְהִי֩ כְהוֹצִיאָ֨ם אֹתָ֜ם הַח֗וּצָה 1 “As {soon as} the angels had brought/taken/led them outside {the city},” See how you translated “brought” in verse 16.
19:17 e164 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ 1 “one of them said {to Lot/them},” or “one of the angels said {to Lot/them},”
19:17 hutb הִמָּלֵ֣ט עַל נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ 1 “Run for your lives!” or “Flee/Run to save your lives!” or “Run away from here as fast as you can!”
19:17 e6nx אַל תַּבִּ֣יט אַחֲרֶ֔יךָ 1 “Do not look behind you {at Sodom},” or “Do not look back {at the city},”
19:17 yi3d וְאַֽל תַּעֲמֹ֖ד בְּכָל הַכִּכָּ֑ר 1 “and do not stop/delay anywhere in the plain/valley!” or “and do not stop/delay in the plain/valley for any reason!” This plain or valley was a wide, flat area between mountains. See how you translated “plain/valley” in Gen 13:10-12.
19:17 owz1 הִמָּלֵ֖ט 1 “Flee/Hurry” or “Go quickly” or “Run away”
19:17 fqrc הָהָ֥רָה 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “to the mountains/hills” or “to the hill country” or “to the/that mountain {range}” (2) “to the/that mountain”. This phrase is ambiguous because often the Hebrew text uses a singular form to refer to something that is plural.
19:17 wwro rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive פֶּן תִּסָּפֶֽה 1 “so that you will not be destroyed!” or “so that you will not die!” or “or else you will die!” See how you translated this clause in verse 15.
19:18 y4wg rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֖וֹט אֲלֵהֶ֑ם 1 “But Lot replied to them,” or “But Lot pleaded with them,” Some languages have a special dual pronoun for “them” that fits well here. Do what is best in your language.
19:18 uauu אַל נָ֖א אֲדֹנָֽי 1 “Please, my lords/masters, do not {make us go that far}!” or “I beg you, sirs, do not {make us do that}!” See how you translated “my lords/masters” in verse 2.
19:19 brtm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person מָצָ֨א עַבְדְּךָ֣ חֵן֮ בְּעֵינֶיךָ֒ 1 “{I,} your servant, have been treated well/kindly by you,” or “You have treated me well/kindly even though I am unimportant,” The phrase “your servant” does not mean that Lot is actually a servant for the angels, but rather, it is a humble way for Lot to refer to himself and show respect to them; see how you translated that phrase in verse 2. Also see how you translated the idiom “found favor in...eyes” in Gen 6:8 and 18:3.
19:19 u1nu rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וַתַּגְדֵּ֣ל חַסְדְּךָ֗ אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשִׂ֨יתָ֙ עִמָּדִ֔י 1 “and you have shown me great mercy/kindness” or “and you have been very merciful/kind to me”. This is the first occurrence in the Bible of the important Hebrew word “khesed,” which is translated as “mercy,” “kindness,” or “lovingkindness” and often implies that it was not deserved. Compare how you translated a different word that has a similar meaning (“mercy” or “compassion”) in verse 16.
19:19 r6kn לְהַחֲי֖וֹת אֶת נַפְשִׁ֑י 1 “and saved my life.”
19:19 qin5 וְאָנֹכִ֗י לֹ֤א אוּכַל֙ לְהִמָּלֵ֣ט הָהָ֔רָה 1 “But I am not able to flee/run {all the way} to the mountains/hills” or “But there is no way that I can make it safely {all the way} to the mountains/hills” or “But the mountains/hills are too far away for me to make it there safely”. See how you translated “the mountain{s}” in verse 17.
19:19 swvd rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-personification פֶּן תִּדְבָּקַ֥נִי הָרָעָ֖ה וָמַֽתִּי 1 “before the disaster catches up with me and kills me.” or “before the disaster strikes/occurs and kills me.” The word “disaster” is personified here, that is, it is talked about as if it can act in human ways. Consider whether or not it would be clear and natural to do that here in your language.
19:20 scbl הִנֵּה נָ֠א 1 “{So} listen {to this} please:” Consider again how you translated “Behold, please” in verses 2, 8, 19-20. It may be necessary to translate it in slightly different ways, depending on the context.
19:20 v9tb הָעִ֨יר הַזֹּ֧את & שָׁ֖מָּה 1 “That town up ahead” or “That town over there”. The Hebrew word for “town” here (and in verses 21-23) can refer to either a city or a town, depending on the context. Many translations have “town,” or even “village,” here because the place was very small (verses 20, 22). Many other translations have “city” here instead, but that does not fit the context.
19:20 dubz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲלֹ֥א מִצְעָ֛ר הִ֖וא 1 “{After all,} it is {only/just} a little/small place/town.” or “{After all,} it is very small.” This rhetorical question implies that it will not matter if such a small town like Zoar is not destroyed. Consider whether or not a rhetorical question works well here in your language.
19:20 nhzf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche וּתְחִ֥י נַפְשִֽׁי 1 “Then I/we will/can stay alive.” or “{If you let us go there,} then {my family and} I will live.” or “{If you allow that,} our lives will be saved/spared.” Lot says “my life,” but he is probably also including his family who is with him.
19:21 f6h0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֣אמֶר 1 “The angel said/replied”. This phrase probably refers to the same angel who spoke to Lot in verse 17. Make sure it does not sound like Lot is the one speaking here.
19:21 wf9h rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom נָשָׂ֣אתִי פָנֶ֔יךָ גַּ֖ם לַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה 1 “I will allow/grant your request,” or “I will allow/permit you to do what you have requested,” Consider what is the best way in your language to translate the idiom “lifted up your face” here.
19:21 yu2a rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֶת הָעִ֖יר אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ 1 “the {little/small} town that you mentioned.” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to put this clause earlier in the sentence and say, “I will allow you to go to the {small} town that you are talking about, and I will not destroy it.” Do what is best in your language.
19:22 p51q כִּ֣י לֹ֤א אוּכַל֙ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת 1 “because I am not allowed to do/destroy anything” or “because I must wait to do/destroy anything” or “because {God} will not allow/permit me to do/destroy anything”. This clause implies that Yahweh will not allow the angel to destroy anything until Lot and his family arrive safely in the town of Zoar.
19:22 iw13 עַד בֹּאֲךָ֖ שָׁ֑מָּה 1 “until you get/reach there {safely}.” or “until you are {safely} there.”
19:22 vgig עַל כֵּ֛ן 1 “That is why” or “Since Lot said the town was little/small,” This phrase refers back to what Lot said in verse 20, not what the angel just said.
19:22 nll4 קָרָ֥א שֵׁם הָעִ֖יר 1 “the town was called” or “they/people called that town” or “the name of the town is”. See how you translated “they called the name” in Gen 11:9 and 16:14.
19:22 hrvo צֽוֹעַר 1 “Zoar, {which means “little/small.”}” If this implied information is included in your translation or in a footnote, be consistent here with how you translated the word “little” or “small” in verse 20.
19:23 nppm הַשֶּׁ֖מֶשׁ יָצָ֣א עַל הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “The sun was rising”. Make sure that the way verse 23 begins in your translation fits with the way verse 15 begins, which refers to the same day.
19:23 lo6p rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-simultaneous וְל֖וֹט 1 “as/when Lot {and his family}”. In that culture the father was often the only one mentioned and the other family members were assumed to be with him.
19:23 o3z7 בָּ֥א צֹֽעֲרָה 1 “arrived at/in {the town of} Zoar.” or “reached{the town of} Zoar.”
19:24 attr וַֽיהוָ֗ה הִמְטִ֧יר עַל סְדֹ֛ם וְעַל עֲמֹרָ֖ה גָּפְרִ֣ית וָאֵ֑שׁ 1 “Then Yahweh rained/poured down burning sulfur/rocks and fire on {the cities of} Sodom and Gomorrah” or “Then Yahweh caused fire and burning sulfur/rocks to rain/pour down on {the cities of} Sodom and Gomorrah”. The word “brimstone” refers to sulfur, which is a type of rock that is highly flammable. When it burns, it produces smoke, intense heat, and a bad smell like rotten eggs.
19:24 z1eq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure מֵאֵ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה מִן הַשָּׁמָֽיִם 1 “from himself in heaven,” or “from out of the heavens/sky,” Some translations omit the phrase “from Yahweh” since Yahweh is already mentioned earlier as the one doing this. Also, for some languages it may be better to change the order of phrases in this verse and say, “Then Yahweh caused fire and burning sulfur/rocks to fall/pour like {heavy} rain from the heavens/sky on {the cities of} Sodom and Gomorrah.” Do what is best in your language.
19:25 rfr1 וַֽיַּהֲפֹךְ֙ 1 “and (so) he/Yahweh {completely} destroyed” or “In that way, he/Yahweh {completely} destroyed ” or “That is how he/Yahweh {completely} destroyed”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated a phrase with a similar meaning (“swept away”) in verses 15 and 17.
19:25 euza וְאֵ֖ת כָּל הַכִּכָּ֑ר 1 “and the entire/whole plain/valley,” or “and the rest of the plain/valley,” Make sure it is clear in your translation that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were also in the plain/valley, not separate from it.
19:25 ao52 וְאֵת֙ כָּל יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הֶעָרִ֔ים 1 “including all the people who lived in the cities {of/in that plain/valley}” or “including everyone who lived in the cities {there}”. This phrase refers to Sodom and Gomorrah and at least two other cities in the valley (Deuteronomy 29:23).
19:25 rrut וְצֶ֖מַח 1 “and {even} {all} the vegetation/plants”
19:25 g2sq וְצֶ֖מַח הָאֲדָמָֽה 1 “{that were growing} on the ground/land.” or “of/in the/that area/region.”
19:26 fbf2 וַתַּבֵּ֥ט אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ מֵאַחֲרָ֑יו 1 “But Lot’s wife, {who was} {walking} behind him, looked/glanced back {at the city},” or “...looked back {at Sodom},”
19:26 q9a5 וַתְּהִ֖י 1 “and {immediately} she turned into” or “and {immediately} her body turned into” or “and {immediately} {God/Yahweh} turned her into”
19:26 trht נְצִ֥יב מֶֽלַח 1 “a column/statue of {solid} salt {rock} {and she died}.” or “salt {rock} that was in the shape of a pillar/column.”
19:27 t3yb וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֥ם אַבְרָהָ֖ם בַּבֹּ֑קֶר 1 “{Meanwhile,} Abraham got up early that {same} morning” or “Early that same morning, Abraham got up”. Some translations translate this as the next morning, but it is more likely that this was the same day when Lot arrived in Zoar and Yahweh destroyed the cities in the valley (verse 23).
19:27 qmne אֶל הַ֨מָּק֔וֹם 1 “and returned to the place/spot”
19:27 i49j אֲשֶׁר עָ֥מַד & אֶת פְּנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה 1 “where he had stood/been with Yahweh {the previous day},” or “where he had stood in Yahweh’s presence {the day before}.”
19:28 z2pg rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיַּשְׁקֵ֗ף 1 “Then he/Abraham looked down” or “He looked down”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, make sure it is clear that Abraham, not Yahweh, is being referred to here.
19:28 dxlc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile כְּקִיטֹ֖ר הַכִּבְשָֽׁן 1 “like smoke {that comes from the fire} in a {large} furnace/oven.” or “like smoke from a {huge} fire.” During that time period, a furnace was heated by fire.
19:29 kybu וַיְהִ֗י בְּשַׁחֵ֤ת אֱלֹהִים֙ 1 “So it was/happened {that} when God destroyed” or “When God destroyed”. See how you translated “destroyed” in verses 13-14, 17.
19:29 vtt3 אֶת עָרֵ֣י הַכִּכָּ֔ר 1 “the cities on the plain,” or “the cities in the plain/valley,” Consider again how you translated “plain/valley” in Gen 13:10-12; 19:17, 25, 28, 29.
19:29 rzta וַיִּזְכֹּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת אַבְרָהָ֑ם 1 “he kept Abraham {and his request} in mind” or “he remembered/granted Abraham’s request”. Make sure your translation of this clause does not imply that God forgot Abraham. See how you translated “God remembered” in Gen 8:1.
19:29 she7 וַיְשַׁלַּ֤ח אֶת לוֹט֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ 1 “and brought Lot {safely} away from” or “So he rescued/saved Lot from”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
19:30 ek4n וַיַּעַל֩ ל֨וֹט מִצּ֜וֹעַר וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב בָּהָ֗ר וּשְׁתֵּ֤י בְנֹתָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ 1 “After that, Lot moved with his two daughters from {the town of} Zoar up into the mountains/hills and settled/lived there,” or “Sometime later, Lot and his two daughters left {the town of} Zoar and moved to the mountains/hills,” Be consistent here with how you translated “the mountain{s}” in verses 17 and 19.
19:30 vxtl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּ֥י יָרֵ֖א לָשֶׁ֣בֶת בְּצ֑וֹעַר 1 “because he was afraid to stay in {the town of} Zoar.” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to put this clause earlier in this sentence and say, “Lot was afraid to settle/stay in {the town of} Zoar, so he and his two daughters moved from there to the mountains/hills, where they lived in a cave.” Do what is best in your language. Also, be consistent with how you spelled “Zoar” throughout the book of Genesis. See Gen 13:10; 14:2, 8; 19:22-23, 30.
19:31 j9nj rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness אָבִ֣ינוּ זָקֵ֑ן 1 “Our father is elderly,” or “Our father is getting along in years,” In some cultures, it is not polite to call someone “old”. Translate this clause in a way that is accurate and acceptable in your language area.
19:31 gqzx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole בָּאָ֨רֶץ֙ 1 “in this land/area” or “around here”. Lot’s daughter is exaggerating here, to emphasize her point.
19:31 daji rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism לָב֣וֹא עָלֵ֔ינוּ 1 “to be/sleep with us,” or “to marry us,” See how you translated the idiom “went to” in Gen 6:4, which is the same meaning as “come to” here.
19:31 ewpx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy כְּדֶ֖רֶךְ כָּל הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “as {is} the way/custom of all {the people on} the earth.” or “which is normal/customary {for people} all over the earth/world.” or “which {is} the custom {that people have} everywhere else in the world.”
19:32 sm90 נַשְׁקֶ֧ה אֶת־אָבִ֛ינוּ יַ֖יִן 1 “let’s get our father to drink wine {until he is drunk},” or “we should get our father drunk on wine,” Consider what is the best way to translate this proposal or suggestion in your language.
19:32 g3i0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וְנִשְׁכְּבָ֣ה עִמּ֑וֹ 1 “and {then} we should/can sleep with him” or “Then we should/can have {physical/sexual} relations with him”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
19:32 b82q rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result וּנְחַיֶּ֥ה 1 “That way we will/can have descendants” or “so that we can preserve/continue our family line” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
19:33 tjdu rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַתַּשְׁקֶ֧יןָ אֶת אֲבִיהֶ֛ן יַ֖יִן בַּלַּ֣יְלָה ה֑וּא 1 “So they got their father drunk on wine that {very} night,” or “So that night Lot’s daughters got their father drunk on wine,” Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to Lot’s daughters at this point in the paragraph.
19:33 orhq וַתָּבֹ֤א הַבְּכִירָה֙ 1 “Then the/his oldest/older {daughter} went {to him}”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
19:33 o341 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַתִּשְׁכַּ֣ב אֶת אָבִ֔יהָ 1 “and slept with him,” or “and had relations with him,” Make sure that the way you translate the euphemism “lay with” will not be too offensive to be read aloud in public.
19:33 ujz7 וְלֹֽא יָדַ֥ע 1 “But {he was so drunk that} he did not {even} know/realize” or “But {he was so drunk that} he was not {even} aware” or “But {he was so drunk that} he was {completely} unaware”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
19:33 es4a rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism בְּשִׁכְבָ֖הּ וּבְקׄוּמָֽהּ 1 “that she got in bed {with him} or that she left.” or “that she had been with him.”
19:34 ezgg וַֽיְהִי֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת 1 “The next day, this is what happened:” or “The next day”. The phrase “Then it happened” introduces and emphasizes important information which the following narrative builds on. It also creates suspense so that readers and listeners wonder what will happen next. Some translations leave this phrase out, but that loses some of the suspense. Do what is best in your language.
19:34 xct4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure הֵן & אֶ֖מֶשׁ 1 “Listen, last night”. For some languages it may be more natural to put this time phrase (“last night”) last in this sentence. Do what is best in your language.
19:34 upb9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism שָׁכַ֥בְתִּי & אֶת אָבִ֑י 1 “I slept with our father.” or “I had {sexual/physical} relations with our father.” See how you translated “lay with” in verse 33.
19:34 kl6h rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure נַשְׁקֶ֨נּוּ יַ֜יִן גַּם הַלַּ֗יְלָה 1 “Let’s get him drunk on wine again tonight.” or “Tonight we should get him drunk again.” Consider whether it is better in your language to put the time word “tonight” first or last in this clause.
19:34 gdjt וּנְחַיֶּ֥ה 1 “so that we will/can have descendants” or “so that we will/can preserve/continue our family line”. See how you translated the last clause in verse 32, which is the same as the rest of verse 34.
19:35 zl9m וַתַּשְׁקֶ֜יןָ גַּ֣ם בַּלַּ֧יְלָה הַה֛וּא אֶת אֲבִיהֶ֖ן יָ֑יִן 1 “So they got their father drunk on wine that night, also/too.” or “So that night Lot’s daughters got their father drunk on wine again.”
19:35 u2gm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַתָּ֤קָם הַצְּעִירָה֙ וַתִּשְׁכַּ֣ב עִמּ֔וֹ 1 “Then the/his younger {daughter} went {to him} and slept with him,” or “Then the/his younger {daughter} went {to him} and had {sexual/physical} relations with him,”
19:35 d5p3 וְלֹֽא יָדַ֥ע 1 “But/And {once again} {he was so drunk that} he did not {even} know/realize” or “...he was not {even} aware” or “...he was completely unaware”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, see how you translated the last clause in verse 33, which is similar to the rest of verse 35.
19:35 dkew rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism בְּשִׁכְבָ֖הּ וּבְקֻמָֽהּ 1 “that she got in bed {with him} or that she left.” or “that she had been with him.”
19:37 hz0k וַתֵּ֤לֶד הַבְּכִירָה֙ בֵּ֔ן 1 “Later the/his oldest/older {daughter} gave birth to a son,” or “...had a son,” Make sure that the way you translate “Later” fits with the fact that several months have gone by.
19:37 cx7f rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names מוֹאָ֑ב 1 “Moab, {which means “from my father.”}” You can include the meaning of this name in your translation text or in a footnote. Some translations put this implied information in parentheses. Do what is best in your language.
19:37 ror5 ה֥וּא אֲבִֽי 1 “He/Moab {was/became} the forefather/ancestor of”
19:37 ur16 מוֹאָ֖ב עַד הַיּֽוֹם 1 “the Moabite people {who are still living} today.” or “the people/ethnic group {who are} called the Moabites today.” The phrase, “to this day” or “today” refers to the time when Moses wrote the book of Genesis, which was hundreds of years after Lot and his daughters lived and died.
19:38 cwha יָ֣לְדָה בֵּ֔ן 1 “gave birth to a son,” or “had a son,” See how you translated the last half of verse 37, which is the same as the rest of verse 38, except for the names.
19:38 jg6f וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ 1 “and she called/named him” or “whom she named”
19:38 f4a0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names בֶּן עַמִּ֑י 1 “Ben-Ammi, {which means “son of my people.”}” You can include the meaning of this name in your translation text or in a footnote. Some translations put this implied information in parentheses. Do what is best in your language.
19:38 oeub ה֛וּא אֲבִ֥י 1 “He/Ben-Ammi {was/became} the forefather/ancestor of”
19:38 eiz3 בְנֵֽי עַמּ֖וֹן עַד הַיּֽוֹם 1 “the Ammonite people {who are still living} today.” or “the people/ethnic group {who are} called the Ammonites today.” See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 37.
20:1 ye30 וַיִּסַּ֨ע & אַבְרָהָם֙ 1 “Then/Meanwhile Abraham {and his family} journeyed/moved/left”. Consider what is the best way to introduce this new episode in your language, where the focus shifts to Abraham.
20:1 hy06 מִשָּׁ֤ם 1 “from the place where he/they were living” or “from near {the city of} Hebron”. Abraham and Sarah had been living by the trees of Mamre, near the city of Hebron (Gen 13:18; 18:1).
20:1 kpyu rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אַ֣רְצָה הַנֶּ֔גֶב 1 “{and went/moved south} to the Negev {Wilderness/Desert} area/region,” See how you translated “the Negev {Wilderness/Desert}” in Gen 12:9 (note); 13:1, 3.
20:1 e1qn וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בֵּין קָדֵ֖שׁ וּבֵ֣ין שׁ֑וּר 1 “There he/they lived between {the cities of} Kadesh and Shur”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, be consistent here with how you spelled “Kadesh” in Gen 14:7 and “Shur” in 16:7.
20:1 wu3o וַיָּ֖גָר בִּגְרָֽר 1 “and they stayed/lived {there} for a while {as foreigners}, in {the city of} Gerar.” or “and they stayed/lived in {the city of} Gerar for a while.” See how you translated “sojourn” in Gen 12:10. Also be consistent here with how you translated “Gerar” in Gen 10:19.
20:2 k17k rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וַיֹּ֧אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־שָׂרָ֥ה אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֑וא 1 “{While they were there,} Abraham/he told {people} that his wife Sarah {was} his sister.” or “{While they were there,} Abraham/he told {people} that Sarah {was} his sister, not his wife.” Sarah was Abraham’s younger sister (Gen 19:19). Some languages use special words for “sister” and “brother” in Gen 12:13, 19; 20:2, 5, 12-13, 16, to distinguish when someone is younger or older than his or her sibling. Do what is best in your language.
20:2 r5oe וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח אֲבִימֶ֨לֶךְ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ גְּרָ֔ר וַיִּקַּ֖ח אֶת־שָׂרָֽה 1 “So/Then {one day} Abimelech, {who was} the king of/over {the city of} Gerar, had {some of his servants} bring Sarah {to his home} {to be his wife}.”or “So/Then {one day} {King} Abimelech, who ruled {the Philistines} from {the city of} Gerar, had Sarah brought {to him} {to be his wife}.” The city of Gerar was the Philistines’ capital city where King Abimelech ruled from (Gen 21:2, 32; 26:1).
20:3 fzoe rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-honorifics וַיָּבֹ֧א אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶל אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ בַּחֲל֣וֹם 1 “But God appeared to {King} Abimelech in a dream”. For some languages it is necessary to use an honorific title for a king each time (or most of the time) that he is referred to by name, to show proper respect. Do what is best in your language throughout this chapter.
20:3 ompr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure הַלָּ֑יְלָה 1 “{during} the night” or “by/at night” or “that night”. It may be more natural to put this time phrase earlier in this sentence and say, “But that night God came/appeared to {King} Abimelech in a dream...” Do what is best in your language.
20:3 tkin הִנְּךָ֥ מֵת֙ 1 “Listen {to me}, you are a dead man” or “Listen {to me}, you are about to die” or “Behold, {I have sentenced} you to die”. Make sure that the way you translate this clause does not make it sound like King Abimelech is already dead. God is telling King Abimelech what is about to happen to him.
20:3 couv עַל הָאִשָּׁ֣ה אֲשֶׁר לָקַ֔חְתָּ וְהִ֖וא 1 “because the woman whom you have taken {to be your wife}”. See how you translated “took” in verse 2.
20:3 pki1 בְּעֻ֥לַת בָּֽעַל 1 “is {already} married to someone else!” or “is a married woman!” or “is another man’s wife!”
20:4 iodw rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וַאֲבִימֶ֕לֶךְ 1 “Now/However {King} Abimelech”. Consider what is the best way in your language to introduce this background information.
20:4 su1c rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism לֹ֥א קָרַ֖ב אֵלֶ֑יהָ 1 “had not {yet} slept with her/Sarah,” or “had not had {marital/sexual} relations with her/Sarah,” Translate this clause in a way that will not be offensive or embarrassing in your language when it is read aloud in public. See how you translated a different phrase in Gen 19:31 (“come to us”) that has the same meaning.
20:4 giez rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּאמַ֕ר 1 “so he asked {God},” The way you translate this quote margin will depend on how you translate the rhetorical question that follows it.
20:4 on63 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲג֥וֹי גַּם & תַּהֲרֹֽג 1 “will/would you kill {me and} my people {group} even if/though” or “please do not kill/destroy {me and} my people {group}, since”. King Abimelech uses a rhetorical question here to express his desperate concern. Abimelech is saying in a dramatic way that if God kills him, he will destroy the nation that Abimelech leads as their king. Make sure in your translation that he does not sound angry or rude. Also, see how you translated “nation” in Gen 18:18.
20:4 d8vu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion צַדִּ֖יק 1 “{we are} innocent?” or “{we are} {actually} righteous/innocent!” Consider again how you translated the word “righteous” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 6:9, 7:1, 18:23-26, 28; 20:4. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
20:5 v3lu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲלֹ֨א ה֤וּא אָֽמַר לִי֙ אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֔וא 1 “He/Abraham himself told me that she/Sarah {was} his sister.” Abimelech uses another rhetorical question here as he continues to defend his actions. Do what is best in your language. Also, see how you translated “sister” in verse 2.
20:5 crpu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וְהִֽיא גַם הִ֥וא אָֽמְרָ֖ה אָחִ֣י ה֑וּא 1 “And she/Sarah herself also said/claimed that he {was} her brother.” Consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote.
20:5 i5qq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom בְּתָם לְבָבִ֛י 1 “with a pure/blameless/clear conscience” or “with honorable/pure intentions/motives”
20:5 bdcs rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וּבְנִקְיֹ֥ן כַּפַּ֖י 1 “and with clean/innocent hands!” or “and I did not know that I was doing anything wrong!” If you use an exclamation mark here in your translation, make sure it does not mean that King Abimelech is angry or being rude; rather, he is desperate.
20:6 uurf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom בְתָם לְבָבְךָ֙ 1 “with a pure/blameless/clear conscience” or “with honorable/pure intentions/motives”. See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 5.
20:6 qte3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure עָשִׂ֣יתָ זֹּ֔את 1 “{that} you did this,” or “{that} you took her/Sarah {to be your wife},” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to put this phrase before the previous one and say, “Yes, I know/realize {that} you did this with honorable/pure motives,...” Do what is best in your language.
20:6 ucn6 וָאֶחְשֹׂ֧ךְ גַּם־אָנֹכִ֛י אֽוֹתְךָ֖ מֵחֲטוֹ־לִ֑י 1 “and in fact, it is I who kept/prevented you from doing this sin against me.” or “In fact, I {am the one who} kept/prevented you from sinning against me.” In the Hebrew text, “I” is an emphatic pronoun. Try to communicate that emphasis in a natural way in your translation. Also, consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
20:6 drw1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לִנְגֹּ֥עַ אֵלֶֽיהָ 1 “sleep with her.” or “have {marital/sexual} relations with her.” or “do anything with/to her.” See how you translated the idiom “gone/come near to her” in verse 4, which has a meaning that is similar to the idiom here. Also, for some languages it may be better to change the order of these clauses and say, “I {am the one who} did not allow/permit you to touch her so that you would not sin against me.” Do what is best in your language.
20:7 zdzu הָשֵׁ֤ב אֵֽשֶׁת הָאִישׁ֙ 1 “give back the man’s wife” or “you must give Abraham’s wife back {to him}” or “return her/Sarah to her husband {Abraham}”
20:7 wp12 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms כִּֽי נָבִ֣יא ה֔וּא 1 “He {is} a prophet/spokesman {for me}, so” or “Since he {is} my prophet/spokesman,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, a prophet is someone who speaks for someone else. In this case, Abraham serves as an intercessor and speaks for God and prays what God wants him to say (verses 7,17). Avoid a translation of this term that focuses on telling the future, which is only one thing that a prophet might do.
20:7 nal9 דַּ֚ע כִּי 1 “you need to know that” or “be aware that” or “you can be sure that”
20:7 l1xw מ֣וֹת תָּמ֔וּת אַתָּ֖ה וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָֽךְ 1 “you and all your people will surely/definitely die!” or “I will surely/definitely kill/destroy you and all your people!” The phrase “all who {belong} to you” refers to King Abimelech’s people, whom he referred to in verse 4. Make sure that is clear in your translation.
20:8 nr08 וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ בַּבֹּ֗קֶר 1 “So the next morning {King} Abimelech got up early” or “Early the next morning {King} Abimelech got up”
20:8 r90t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיְדַבֵּ֛ר אֶת כָּל הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה בְּאָזְנֵיהֶ֑ם 1 “Then he told/informed them about everything that God had said to him {in the dream},” or “He told told them everything that had happened,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
20:8 vz79 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּֽירְא֥וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים מְאֹֽד 1 “and they were/felt terrified.” or “{When they heard that,} they were very afraid {that God would punish/kill them}.” or “{As soon as they heard that,} the men/servants/officials were very afraid {of what would/might happen next}.” Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to King Abimelech’s servants at each point in this verse.
20:9 o1nm וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ 1 “Then {King} Abimelech summoned Abraham” or “Then the king called Abraham in {to see him}” or “Then he had Abraham brought to him”. Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to King Abimelech at this point in the paragraph.
20:9 d4p9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ל֜וֹ 1 “and asked him,” or “scolded him {by saying},” The way you translate this quote margin will depend on how you translate the rhetorical question that follows it.
20:9 n4ca rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מֶֽה עָשִׂ֤יתָ לָּ֨נוּ֙ 1 “Why have you treated us like this?” or “What you have done to us is not right!” or “You have treated us very badly!” Abimelech uses two rhetorical questions here to express his anger and to scold Abraham for what he had done. Consider whether or not a rhetorical question is the best way to communicate that in your language.
20:9 gqys rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וּמֶֽה חָטָ֣אתִי לָ֔ךְ כִּֽי 1 “What did I do wrong to you so that” or “I never did anything wrong to you, and/but yet”
20:9 s6oi rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֵבֵ֧אתָ עָלַ֛י וְעַל מַמְלַכְתִּ֖י חֲטָאָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֑ה 1 “you brought on me and my kingdom/people the guilt of a terrible sin!” or “you have caused me and the kingdom/people that I rule to be guilty of sinning terribly!” Make sure your punctuation here fits with how you translate this rhetorical question.
20:9 y075 מַעֲשִׂים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא יֵֽעָשׂ֔וּ עָשִׂ֖יתָ עִמָּדִֽי 1 “You have wronged me in ways that should never be done {to anyone}!” or “No one should ever wrong someone the way you have wronged me!”
20:10 y1ly rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ אֶל אַבְרָהָ֑ם 1 “Finally, {King} Abimelech asked him,” For some languages it is more natural here to omit this quote margin, because the same person is still talking to the same person. However, the words emphasize what King Abimelech says next and may indicate that there was a pause between what he said in verse 9 and in verse 10. Do what is best in your language.
20:10 p1a4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom מָ֣ה רָאִ֔יתָ כִּ֥י עָשִׂ֖יתָ 1 “What did you expect {to benefit} from/by doing” or “What motivated you to do” or “What were your reasons/motives for doing”
20:11 d1mk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes אָמַ֗רְתִּי רַ֚ק אֵין יִרְאַ֣ת אֱלֹהִ֔ים בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַהֲרָג֖וּנִי עַל דְּבַ֥ר אִשְׁתִּֽי 1 “I said/thought {to myself}, ‘Surely/Certainly there is no one in this place/city who fears/reveres/respects God, so they will kill me because they want {to take} my wife.’ ” or “I thought that there was certainly no one in this place/city who feared/revered/obeyed God, so {I was afraid} that they would kill me {in order} to get/take my wife {for themselves}.” To “fear God” is an important theme in the Bible. It is a complex term that means to recognize how holy and powerful God is and to deeply respect and honor him by obeying and worshiping him. Also, consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote.
20:12 rav8 אָמְנָ֗ה אֲחֹתִ֤י & הִ֔וא 1 “it is true that she/Sarah {is} my sister/half-sister,” or “she/Sarah actually {is} my sister/half-sister,”
20:12 pjfg בַת אָבִי֙ & אַ֖ךְ לֹ֣א בַת אִמִּ֑י 1 “because she and I have the same father, but not the same mother,” or “We have the same father, but different mothers,”
20:12 etjp וַתְּהִי־לִ֖י לְאִשָּֽׁה 1 “and {after we grew up,} we got married.” or “and {when we were old enough,} I married her.”
20:13 ctau rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy מִבֵּ֣ית אָבִי֒ 1 “my father’s household/family,” or “the place where my father {and other relatives} were living,” See how you translated “house of...father” in Gen 12:1.
20:13 xlc3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes זֶ֣ה חַסְדֵּ֔ךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשִׂ֖י עִמָּדִ֑י אֶ֤ל כָּל־הַמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָב֣וֹא שָׁ֔מָּה אִמְרִי־לִ֖י אָחִ֥י הֽוּא 1 “ ‘This {is} how you can show kindness/loyalty to me: Wherever we go, tell people that I {am} your brother.’ ” or “ ‘{Please} be kind/loyal to me and tell people wherever we go that I {am} your brother.’ ” or “to {please} do me a {special} favor and tell people everywhere we went that I {was} her brother.” Consider whether it is better in your language to translate these embedded quotes as direct or indirect quotes.
20:14 qur6 וַעֲבָדִים֙ וּשְׁפָחֹ֔ת 1 “and men and women slaves/servants {to Abraham}” or “and male and female slaves/servants {to Abraham}”. See how you translated this phrase in Gen 12:16.
20:14 olap rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּתֵּ֖ן לְאַבְרָהָ֑ם 1 “and gave them {all} to Abraham/him,”
20:14 k33e וַיָּ֣שֶׁב ל֔וֹ אֵ֖ת שָׂרָ֥ה אִשְׁתּֽוֹ 1 “He also gave back to Abraham his wife Sarah.” or “And/Then he {also} gave Abraham’s wife Sarah back to him.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, see how you translated “return” twice in verse 7.
20:15 jg7k rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אַרְצִ֖י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ 1 “my land {is} in front of you.” or “my land {is} available to you.” See how you translated the idiom “before your face” in Gen 13:9.
20:15 l3ey rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom בַּטּ֥וֹב בְּעֵינֶ֖יךָ 1 “wherever you think/decide {is} good/best {for you}.” or “wherever you want.” See how you translated the idiom “good in your eyes” in Gen 19:8. You may need to translate this phrase in different ways, depending on the context.
20:16 urds rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-bmoney נָתַ֜תִּי אֶ֤לֶף כֶּ֨סֶף֙ לְאָחִ֔יךְ 1 “I have given 1,000 {pieces of} silver to your brother.” or “I have given your brother 1,000 {shekels/pieces of} silver.” Coins did not exist at that time. Rather people paid each other with shekels of silver or gold shekels, which was a weight measurement. A thousand shekels of silver was about 25 pounds (11.5 kilos) of silver. Many translation teams like to keep the same numbers that are in the Hebrew text in their translation, and then in a footnote give the equivalent amount in their own currency. Other teams put the equivalent amount in the text and put the literal phrase in a footnote.
20:16 lgrs rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לָךְ֙ כְּס֣וּת עֵינַ֔יִם לְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתָּ֑ךְ 1 “to show everyone that you are innocent {of any wrongdoing},” or “so that everyone knows you did nothing wrong,” or “to prove/show to everyone that you are an honorable woman,” The phrase “a covering of the eyes” is an idiom which means that King Abimelech’s payment to Abraham “covered” (that is, “protected”) Sarah’s good reputation and showed that she was innocent.
20:16 bj38 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וְאֵ֥ת כֹּ֖ל וְנֹכָֽחַת 1 “and to make it clear that you are not at fault for anything {that happened}.” or “and to compensate you for everything {that has happened to you}.”
20:17 kbi6 וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶל הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים 1 “Then Abraham prayed to God {for King Abimelech},” or “asked God {to be merciful/kind to the king},” See how you translated “pray” in Gen 20:7.
20:17 jsvz וַיִּרְפָּ֨א אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶת אֲבִימֶ֧לֶךְ 1 “So God healed {King} Abimelech” or “So God healed him”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
20:17 fcz0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וְאֶת אִשְׁתּ֛וֹ וְאַמְהֹתָ֖יו 1 “and his/Abimelech’s wife and his servant women,” or “as well as his/Abimelech’s wife and his female slaves/servants,” Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to King Abimelech at each point in this verse.
20:18 ok17 כִּֽי & יְהוָ֔ה 1 “because {previously} Yahweh” or “{Previously} Yahweh”. For some languages it may be more natural to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
20:18 l10y rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-honorifics עָצֹ֤ר עָצַר֙ & בְּעַ֥ד כָּל רֶ֖חֶם לְבֵ֣ית אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ 1 “had made every woman in {King} Abimelech’s household barren/infertile” or “had kept/prevented all the women in {King} Abimelech’s household from conceiving,” Consider again how often you need to use the honorific title “King” with Abimelech’s name in this chapter in your language.
20:18 lzt7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-versebridge שָׂרָ֖ה אֵ֥שֶׁת אַבְרָהָֽם 1 “Sarah, Abraham’s wife.” or “Abraham’s wife Sarah.” For some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of the clauses in this sentence (which begins in verse 17) and say, “{Before this,} Yahweh had completely closed up every womb in the household of {King} Abimelech because he had taken Abraham’s wife Sarah. Then Abraham prayed...” If the order is changed, it will be necessary to combine these two verses and to put the verse numbers “17-18” in front of the sentence. Some translation teams have decided that they will never combine verses like that. Other teams have decided that occasionally it is acceptable to do that if it makes the meaning clearer.
21:1 ia7b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַֽיהוָ֛ה פָּקַ֥ד אֶת שָׂרָ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמָ֑ר 1 “Then Yahweh blessed Sarah as he had said/promised {that he would},” or “Then Yahweh was gracious/kind to Sarah {just} as he had said/promised {he would be},” The word “visited” is used here as an idiom that means God blessed Sarah and was kind to her (by enabling her to have a son). The same idiom is used in 1 Samuel 2:21 and Luke 1:68.
21:1 kuv7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism וַיַּ֧עַשׂ יְהוָ֛ה לְשָׂרָ֖ה 1 “Yes, Yahweh/he did for her” or “That’s right, Yahweh/he did for her”. The two halves of verse 1 form a parallelism to emphasize what God did for Sarah. In your translation it is best, if possible, to keep both parts of the parallelism, since each part has a different emphasis.
21:1 b6xq כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֵּֽר 1 “{just} as he had said {he would do}” or “{exactly} what he had promised {to do},”
21:2 u1fc וַתַּהַר֩ & שָׂרָ֧ה 1 “So Sarah/she became pregnant” or “As a result, Sarah/she conceived”. Translate this clause in a way that is not offensive or awkward, especially when read aloud in public. Also, consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
21:2 tycu וַתֵּ֨לֶד & בֵּ֖ן 1 “and gave birth to a son” or “and had a son”
21:2 rwek לְאַבְרָהָ֛ם & לִזְקֻנָ֑יו 1 “for Abraham when he was old”
21:2 iomd לַמּוֹעֵ֕ד 1 “at the set/exact time” or “at the time {God had} appointed/set” or “{That happened} at the exact time”. See how you translated “appointed time” in Gen 18:14.
21:2 pby0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּ֥ר אֹת֖וֹ אֱלֹהִֽים 1 “when/that God had told/promised him {it would happen}.” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to change the order of the clauses in this sentence and say, “So Sarah became pregnant, and at the time {God had} appointed/set, she gave birth to a son for Abraham when he was old, just as God had told/promised him {that she would}.” Do what is best in your language.
21:3 z971 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה לּ֥וֹ שָׂרָ֖ה יִצְחָֽק 1 “whom Sarah had given birth to, Isaac, {which means “he laughs.”}” or “Isaac, {the son} whom Sarah had given birth to.” Many translations include the meaning of Isaac’s name, either in the text or in a footnote. Do what is best in your language.
21:4 hw25 וַיָּ֤מָל אַבְרָהָם֙ 1 “And Abraham/he {also} circumcised”. Abraham may have circumcised Isaac (verse 4) on the same day that he named him (verse 3). See how you translated “circumcised” in Gen 17:10-14.
21:4 kp0g rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns אֶת יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֔וֹ 1 “his son,” or “Isaac/him,” Consider what is the best way to refer to Isaac at this point in the paragraph, in your language.
21:4 leer rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בֶּן שְׁמֹנַ֖ת יָמִ֑ים 1 “who was eight days old,” or “when he was eight days old,” For some languages it may be more natural to put this phrase first in this verse and say, “Also, when Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him,” Do what is best in your language.
21:4 w8my כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה אֹת֖וֹ אֱלֹהִֽים 1 “which was exactly what God had commanded him {to do}.” or “He did exactly what God had commanded him {to do}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
21:5 kgwz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְאַבְרָהָ֖ם בֶּן מְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “Abraham {was} 100 years old”. See how you translated this clause in Gen 17:17.
21:7 djf4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מִ֤י מִלֵּל֙ לְאַבְרָהָ֔ם 1 “No one would have {ever} told Abraham” or “No one would have {ever/even thought of} telling Abraham”. Sarah uses a rhetorical question here to express great joy and amazement. Some languages must use a statement or exclamation here instead. Do what is best in your language.
21:7 rqy2 כִּֽי 1 “{And/But} yet” or “In spite of that,”
21:7 opev יָלַ֥דְתִּי בֵ֖ן 1 “I have had a son {for him}” or “I have given birth to a son {for him}”. See how you translated “bear” in Gen 18:13.
21:7 uov6 לִזְקֻנָֽיו 1 “when he is old!” or “even though he is old!” See how you translated this phrase in verse 2. You may need to translate it in a different way here because of the slightly different context.
21:8 wq03 וַיִּגְדַּ֥ל הַיֶּ֖לֶד 1 “The child/boy {Isaac} grew” or “Isaac grew as a child”
21:8 c6j2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַיִּגָּמַ֑ל 1 “and his mother weaned him,” or “and reached the age when his mother stopped nursing/breast-feeding him,” Children in that culture were often weaned around the age of three. Translate “weaned” in a way that will not embarrass or offend people.
21:8 i21w וַיַּ֤עַשׂ אַבְרָהָם֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה גָד֔וֹל בְּי֖וֹם הִגָּמֵ֥ל אֶת יִצְחָֽק 1 “When that happened, Abraham held a big/elaborate feast {to celebrate}.” or “On that same day, Abraham had {his servants prepare} an elaborate feast {to celebrate}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
21:9 h2vs וַתֵּ֨רֶא שָׂרָ֜ה 1 “But {at/during the feast} Sarah saw/noticed”
21:9 ja34 אֶֽת בֶּן הָגָ֧ר הַמִּצְרִ֛ית אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָ֥ה לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם 1 “{that} the son whom Hagar, {her handmaid} from {the country of} Egypt, had given birth to for Abraham” or “{that} {Ishmael,} the son of {her} Egyptian {handmaid} Hagar and Abraham,” Also see how you translated “have born” in verse 8.
21:9 kgmh מְצַחֵֽק 1 “was mocking {Isaac}.” or “was making fun of {Isaac}.” or “was laughing at {Isaac}.”
21:10 cv15 וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ לְאַבְרָהָ֔ם 1 “So she {was angry/upset and} told Abraham,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
21:10 q0vm גָּרֵ֛שׁ 1 “Send away” or “Get rid of”
21:10 diqu הָאָמָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את 1 “that servant woman” or “that female slave/servant”. See how you translated “slave women” in Gen 20:17. Some languages may have a single word (as Hebrew does) that means this.
21:10 umxq וְאֶת בְּנָ֑הּ 1 “{along} with her son!”
21:10 kfmw כִּ֣י & בֶּן הָאָמָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את 1 “The son of that slave/servant woman” or “Her son”. Consider whether or not it is best in your language to begin a new sentence here.
21:10 fq2l לֹ֤א יִירַשׁ֙ & עִם בְּנִ֖י עִם יִצְחָֽק 1 “will/must not/never inherit/share {any part of} what my/our son Isaac inherits {from you}!” or “will/must not/never inherit/get anything {from you}! Only my/our son Isaac {will/should inherit your estate}!”
21:11 yt0j rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיֵּ֧רַע הַדָּבָ֛ר מְאֹ֖ד בְּעֵינֵ֣י אַבְרָהָ֑ם 1 “Abraham was/felt very distressed/upset/grieved about that” or “Sarah’s words/demands were very distressing/upsetting/painful to Abraham” or “What Sarah/she said distressed/grieved Abraham very much”
21:11 svxs עַ֖ל אוֹדֹ֥ת בְּנֽוֹ 1 “because of his son {Ishmael}.” or “because he {also} cared about his son {Ishmael}.” or “because {Ishmael} was {also} his son {and he cared about him too}.”
21:12 zd49 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶל אַבְרָהָ֗ם 1 “But/Then God said to him,” or “But/Then God told Abraham/him,”
21:12 pu24 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אַל יֵרַ֤ע בְּעֵינֶ֨יךָ֙ 1 “Do not be distressed/upset/sad” or “Do not let yourself be upset/distressed”. See how you translated “distressing” in verse 11.
21:12 ckc5 עַל הַנַּ֣עַר וְעַל אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ 1 “about the boy/youth or your slave/servant woman.” Ishmael was about 17 years old at this time, so in verses 12-16 use terms for him in your language that fit with that fact.
21:12 bb24 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תֹּאמַ֥ר אֵלֶ֛יךָ שָׂרָ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלָ֑הּ 1 “{Rather,} listen to everything/whatever Sarah tells you {to do}, {and do it,}” or “Do everything that Sarah tells/told you {to do},” The word “listen” means to hear and do what is being asked. Also, the phrase “her voice” refers to Sarah and what she said.
21:12 rdik כִּ֣י בְיִצְחָ֔ק יִקָּרֵ֥א לְךָ֖ זָֽרַע 1 “because it is in/through Isaac that the/your descendants {I promised you} will be reckoned/traced.” or “because Isaac is the one who will be the ancestor of the/your descendants {that I promised to give you}.” or “because the offspring/descendants {that I promised to you} will come through/from Isaac.”
21:13 x8gk rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast וְגַ֥ם אֶת־בֶּן־הָאָמָ֖ה & אֲשִׂימֶ֑נּוּ 1 “But I will also make the son of your slave/servant woman” or “However, I will also make your slave/servant woman’s son”
21:13 zcf9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּ֥י זַרְעֲךָ֖ הֽוּא 1 “because/since he {is} your son/descendant.” For some languages, it may be clearer or more natural to put this “because...” clause earlier in this sentence and say, “And/But because/since the son of your slave/servant woman is your offspring/son, I will also make him into a {great/important/large} people/ethnic group.” Do what is best in your language.
21:14 mfcz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche וַיִּֽקַּֽח לֶחֶם֩ 1 “got/brought {some} bread/food”. This phrase may refer to bread or more generally to food.
21:14 sji3 וְחֵ֨מַת מַ֜יִם 1 “and a leather bag/container {full} of water” or “and a {full} water container/bag made of {animal} hide/leather” or “and a water bag/container {full of water}”. The word “skin” refers here to animal skin or hide.
21:14 k8au וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶל הָ֠גָר שָׂ֧ם עַל שִׁכְמָ֛הּ 1 “to Hagar and put them on her shoulder/back.”
21:14 gwq4 וְאֶת הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֶ֑הָ 1 “Then he sent her and the child/boy away,” or “Then he sent her off with the boy/youth,”
21:14 z5r6 וַתֵּ֣לֶךְ וַתֵּ֔תַע 1 “and she/they left and wandered {around}” or “and they wandered {around}”
21:14 rva8 בְּמִדְבַּ֖ר בְּאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע 1 “in the Beersheba Wilderness/Desert.” or “in the wilderness/desert near {the place/city that was later called} Beersheba.” Sometimes in the Bible a place is identified by the well-known name it will be called later. That is the case in this verse, since Beersheba is not given its name until verse 31.
21:15 tajn וַיִּכְל֥וּ הַמַּ֖יִם מִן הַחֵ֑מֶת 1 “When they had finished/drunk {all} the water {that they had} in the {water} skin/container,” or “When there was no more water in the water skin/bag,” or “When the water container/bag was empty,” See how you translated “skin” in verse 14.
21:15 rnel rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַתַּשְׁלֵ֣ךְ 1 “she/Hagar {hurriedly} put/left”. Make sure your translation of this idiom does not mean that Hagar literally threw Ishmael through the air.
21:15 umgo אֶת הַיֶּ֔לֶד 1 “the/her boy” or “her son”
21:15 ezqr תַּ֖חַת אַחַ֥ד הַשִּׂיחִֽם 1 “under {the shade of} one of the bushes {there},” or “under {the shade of} a {nearby} bush,”
21:16 v16a וַתֵּלֶךְ֩ וַתֵּ֨שֶׁב לָ֜הּ מִנֶּ֗גֶד 1 “Then she went {away from him} and sat down by herself,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
21:16 ldji rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-bdistance הַרְחֵק֙ כִּמְטַחֲוֵ֣י קֶ֔שֶׁת 1 “about as far away as someone can shoot a bow/arrow,” or “about a hundred meters/yards away,” If you do not translate the text literally, the literal text could be put in a footnote.
21:16 v45g rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnoun אַל אֶרְאֶ֖ה בְּמ֣וֹת הַיָּ֑לֶד 1 “I cannot {bear to} watch/see my child/son die!” or “I don’t want to watch my child/son die!” Consider whether it is better to use a noun (“death”) or a verb (“die”) in your translation here. Also, see how you translated “child” in verses 14 and 15.
21:16 ommg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַתֵּ֣שֶׁב מִנֶּ֔גֶד וַתִּשָּׂ֥א אֶת קֹלָ֖הּ וַתֵּֽבְךְּ 1 “As she sat there, she started sobbing/crying loudly.” or “Then she started sobbing/crying loudly.” For some languages it may be more natural to change the order of the clauses in this verse (so that the events are in the order that they actually occurred) and say, “She thought {to herself}, “I cannot {bear to} watch/see my son die.” So she went {away from him} and sat down by herself, about as far away as someone can shoot an arrow. Then she started crying loudly.” Do what is best in your language.
21:17 g71i rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וַיִּקְרָא֩ מַלְאַ֨ךְ אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֶל הָגָר֙ מִן הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לָ֖הּ 1 “so one of his angels/messengers called to Hagar from heaven and said/asked,” or “so he had one of his angels/messengers call to Hagar from heaven and say/ask,” See how you translated the key term “angel” in Gen 16:7.
21:17 kmbk מַה לָּ֣ךְ הָגָ֑ר 1 “What is the matter, Hagar?” or “What’s wrong, Hagar?” or “Hagar, why are you crying/upset?” For some languages it is necessary to put “Hagar” first in this quote. Do what is natural in your language.
21:17 p37b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אַל תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י כִּֽי שָׁמַ֧ע אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶל ק֥וֹל הַנַּ֖עַר בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר הוּא שָֽׁם 1 “Do not be afraid, because God has heard the cries/sobs of the boy/youth where he is lying {and will take care of him}.” or “Do not be afraid. God has heard the boy/youth crying over there {and will take care of him}.” or “God has heard the boy/youth crying over there, so do not be afraid {because he will take care of you both}.” The phrase “has listened to” means that God heard the boy and that he would help him.
21:18 l3mg כִּֽי & אֲשִׂימֶֽנּוּ 1 “because I {Yahweh} will make him become {the ancestor of}” or “because Yahweh will make his descendants become”. The pronoun “I” refers to Yahweh here. So either Yahweh had taken on the form of an angel, or the angel was representing Yahweh and speaking for him. See what you did for a similar case in Genesis 16:10. Also, see how you translated “make...into a great nation” in verse 13. Also see 18:18, which is similar.
21:19 k9hm וַתַּ֖שְׁקְ אֶת הַנָּֽעַר 1 “and gave her son some water to drink.” or “and gave Ishmael a drink {from it}.”
21:20 t51d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיְהִ֧י אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת הַנַּ֖עַר 1 “God was with the boy/youth {and helped/blessed him},” This clause means that God guided, helped, protected, and blessed Ishmael, that is, he took care of him. Consider whether or not your language has an idiom that fits well here. Also consider again how you translated “boy/youth” in verses 12, 17-20.
21:20 x2tn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיִּגְדָּ֑ל וַיֵּ֨שֶׁב֙ 1 “as he grew up/older.” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to change the order of the clauses in this verse and say, “As the boy/youth grew up/older, God was with him {and helped/blessed him}.” Do what is best in your language.
21:20 s0rv וַיֵּ֨שֶׁב֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר 1 “And he lived in the wilderness/desert {of Paran}” or “He lived in the {Paran} Wilderness/Desert”. For some languages it is more natural to specify here in verse 20 that the name of the wilderness is Paran, rather than wait until verse 21, so that it is clear that both verses refer to the same wilderness. See how you translated “the wilderness” in verse 14.
21:20 n9h4 וַיְהִ֖י רֹבֶ֥ה קַשָּֽׁת 1 “and became a skilled/expert bowhunter/archer.” or “and learned to hunt skillfully with a bow {and arrows}.”
21:21 rlzv וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב בְּמִדְבַּ֣ר פָּארָ֑ן 1 “While he was living in the Paran Wilderness/Desert,” or “While he was living in that wilderness/desert,” or “While he was there,” See how you translated “wilderness” in verse 20.
21:21 ay6a rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַתִּֽקַּֽח ל֥וֹ אִמּ֛וֹ אִשָּׁ֖ה 1 “his mother found/chose/got a wife for him” or “his mother arranged for him to marry a woman”
21:21 vi5d מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם 1 “{who was/came} from the country of Egypt.” or “who was Egyptian.” See how you translated “the land of Egypt” in Gen 13:10.
21:22 qzrz rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַֽיְהִי֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔וא 1 “Meanwhile, one day” or “Around that same time,” Consider what is the best way to introduce a new episode here in your language.
21:22 ajvq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֗לֶךְ וּפִיכֹל֙ שַׂר צְבָא֔וֹ אֶל אַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “{King} Abimelech {came/went} with his army commander/captain Phicol to Abraham {and} said to him,” or “{King} Abimelech and his army commander/captain Phicol {came/went} to Abraham {and} said to him,” For some languages it is necessary in your language to make explicit that King Abimelech and Phicol came (or went) to Abraham before they spoke to him. Do what is best in your language.
21:22 zrmj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אֱלֹהִ֣ים עִמְּךָ֔ בְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר אַתָּ֖ה עֹשֶֽׂה 1 “{I have noticed that} God {is} with you {and helps/blesses you} in everything that you do.” See how you translated a similar phrase (“God was with...”) in verse 20.
21:23 dapc וְעַתָּ֗ה 1 “So now, {please}” or “Now then, {please}”. King Abimelech’s words to Abraham should sound polite and respectful in your translation, not rude or demanding. See how you translated this phrase in Gen 20:7.
21:23 k01e הִשָּׁ֨בְעָה לִּ֤י בֵֽאלֹהִים֙ הֵ֔נָּה 1 “swear/vow to me here in God’s presence” or “solemnly promise me here with God as your witness”. To “swear...by God” means that Abraham would be accountable to God, asking him to be his witness and to punish him if he breaks his oath/vow/promise to King Abimelech. It does not mean that Abraham used swear words or other foul language. If this custom is not familiar to many people in your language area, you could put this information in a footnote. See how you translated a similar sentence in Gen 14:22.
21:23 w3li אִם תִּשְׁקֹ֣ר לִ֔י וּלְנִינִ֖י וּלְנֶכְדִּ֑י 1 “that you will never {again} deceive me or my children or my descendants.”
21:23 gd6n כַּחֶ֜סֶד אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂ֤יתִי עִמְּךָ֙ 1 “{Instead/Rather,} just as I have treated you kindly,” or “{But} just as I have been kind to you,”
21:23 ofrf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה עִמָּדִ֔י וְעִם הָאָ֖רֶץ 1 “{swear/vow that} you will {also} be kind to me and {the/my people in} this land/country”. In this context, the phrase “the land” refers to the people who live in the land.
21:24 llgs rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אָנֹכִ֖י אִשָּׁבֵֽעַ 1 “I swear/vow {that I will do those things}.” or “I solemnly promise {that I will do that}.” See how you translated “swear” in verse 23.
21:25 ngd9 אֶת אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ 1 “{King} Abimelech”. For some languages, it is necessary to include the title “King” every time that Abimelech (or any other king) is referred to by name. For other languages, it is more natural to use the title only occasionally (especially when the focus is on him), or perhaps only the first time he is referred to in a section (so that his status is clear). Do what is best in your language throughout this section.
21:25 osf1 עַל אֹדוֹת֙ 1 “about/regarding”
21:25 p4mg בְּאֵ֣ר הַמַּ֔יִם 1 “a well of water” or “a/the water well” or “a/the well”. See how you translated “well of water” in verse 19.
21:25 hqvs אֲשֶׁ֥ר גָּזְל֖וּ עַבְדֵ֥י אֲבִימֶֽלֶךְ 1 “that {King} Abimelech’s servants had seized/taken control of {from Abraham’s/his servants}.”
21:26 dm1j וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ 1 “But Abimelech responded {to him},” or “When {King} Abimelech {heard that}, he said/responded,”
21:26 s5cp לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי 1 “I have no idea”
21:26 msxx מִ֥י עָשָׂ֖ה אֶת הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה 1 “who did that.” or “who seized/took your well from you.” or “who seized/took control of your well.”
21:26 q3de וְגַם 1 “Furthermore,” or “Besides that,” Here Abimelech is introducing an additional explanation of his innocence in this matter. Consider what it the best way to do that in your language.
21:26 d0y8 אַתָּ֞ה לֹא הִגַּ֣דְתָּ לִּ֗י 1 “you did not tell/inform me {about it/that} {before/previously},” or “you never told/informed me {about this/that},”
21:26 dpcm וְגַ֧ם 1 “and so” or “so {as a result}”
21:26 qavd אָנֹכִ֛י לֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖עְתִּי בִּלְתִּ֥י הַיּֽוֹם 1 “I knew nothing about it until today.” or “today is the first {time} that I have heard about it.”
21:27 ty60 וַיִּקַּ֤ח אַבְרָהָם֙ צֹ֣אן וּבָקָ֔ר וַיִּתֵּ֖ן לַאֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ 1 “Then Abraham brought/got {some of his} sheep and cattle, and gave them to Abimelech,” or “Then Abraham gave {some of his} sheep and cattle to Abimelech,” See how you translated “sheep and cattle” in Gen 20:14.
21:27 b406 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּכְרְת֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם בְּרִֽית 1 “and he and Abimelech made/established a {peace} treaty/agreement {with one another}.” See how you translated this phrase in Gen 15:18.
21:28 jg03 אֶת שֶׁ֛בַע כִּבְשֹׂ֥ת הַצֹּ֖אן לְבַדְּהֶֽן 1 “seven female lambs from the rest of the flock/sheep.” or “seven young female sheep from the rest of the flock/sheep.”
21:29 qlqx מָ֣ה הֵ֗נָּה שֶׁ֤בַע כְּבָשֹׂת֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִצַּ֖בְתָּ לְבַדָּֽנָה 1 “What is the reason that you set apart those seven lambs?” or “Why did you put those seven lambs off by themselves?” or “Why did you isolate/separate those seven lambs {from the rest of the flock/sheep}?” See how you translated “set apart” in verse 28.
21:30 ljh3 וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “Abraham replied,” or “Abraham answered {him},”
21:30 spzl כִּ֚י אֶת שֶׁ֣בַע כְּבָשֹׂ֔ת תִּקַּ֖ח 1 “These/Those seven lambs are for you to receive/accept” or “Because I want you to take/accept them”
21:30 gno6 בַּעֲבוּר֙ תִּֽהְיֶה לִּ֣י לְעֵדָ֔ה 1 “to show {everyone} that you agree with me” or “to testify/verify {to everyone}”
21:30 dj5y כִּ֥י חָפַ֖רְתִּי אֶת הַבְּאֵ֥ר הַזֹּֽאת 1 “that I dug this well {and so it is mine}.” or “that I {am the one who} dug this well {and it belongs to me}.”
21:31 r5gz עַל כֵּ֗ן 1 “That is why” or “Therefore/So” or “{Abimelech accepted the lambs,} so”
21:31 ace1 קָרָ֛א לַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא 1 “Abraham called/named that place” or “they/people call that place” or “that place was/is called”. The phrase “he called” often means that people in general gave a city or other place a certain name. Here it could be that Abraham named the place Beersheba, and then later other people called it the same name, and it became well known by that name. See how you translated this phrase in Gen 19:22.
21:31 h7pp בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע 1 “Beersheba, {which means “Well of the Seven” or “Well of the Vow/Oath,”}” Be consistent here with how you spelled “Beersheba” in verse 14. Also, if you include the meaning of the name in your translation or in a footnote, make sure that the way you translate “vow” or “oath” here matches the way you translate “oath” later in this verse.
21:31 py2p כִּ֛י שָׁ֥ם 1 “because it was there that” or “because that is where”
21:31 khcp שְׁנֵיהֶֽם 1 “they both” or “he/Abraham and Abimelech both”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 27.
21:31 hkv1 נִשְׁבְּע֖וּ 1 “made a vow/oath {to each other}.” or “vowed {to live at peace with one another}.” or “solemnly promised {each other to live in peace}.” See how you translated “swear” in verses 23-24.
21:32 idhd rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּכְרְת֥וּ בְרִ֖ית בִּבְאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע 1 “After Abraham and {King} Abimelech made/established their {peace} treaty/agreement at Beersheba,” Consider whether it is better in your language to use a pronoun or nouns here to refer to these men. Some languages have a special dual pronoun for “they” that fits well here. Also, see how you translated the idiom “cut...covenant” in verse 27.
21:32 usgz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיָּ֣קָם אֲבִימֶ֗לֶךְ וּפִיכֹל֙ שַׂר צְבָא֔וֹ 1 “Abimelech and Phicol, his army commander/captain, left {from there}” or “Abimelech and his army commander/captain Phicol left {Abraham}”. See how you translated “got up” in verse 22.
21:32 qzuk אֶל אֶ֥רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים 1 “to the land/territory where the Philistines lived.” or “to {their homes in} the Philistines’ land/territory {that Abimelech ruled over}.” Abimelech and Phicol probably returned to their homes in the city of Gerar (Gen 20:2), which at that time was the Philistines’ capital city, where Abimelech ruled from. The place in the desert where Abimelech and Abraham made their covenant (Beersheba) was probably located on the border of the Philistines’ territory.
21:33 aoys rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown אֶ֖שֶׁל 1 “a salt-cedar tree” or “an {evergreen} tree {called/named} tamarisk/salt-cedar”. The tamarisk tree (also known as salt-cedar) is a small-leaved evergreen tree that grows up to 30 feet (9 meters) high and provides shade. It grows well in desert areas that have salty soil. You could put some of that information in a footnote.
21:33 nqr4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּ֨קְרָא שָׁ֔ם בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה 1 “and he worshiped/praised Yahweh by name there,” or “and he addressed Yahweh there by {his} name as he worshiped/praised him,” or “and there he worshiped/praised Yahweh,” See how you translated this clause in Gen 12:8 and a similar clause in 13:4.
21:33 kg6a אֵ֥ל עוֹלָֽם 1 “{who is} the Eternal/Ever-existing God.” or “{who is} the God who lives forever.” or “{who is} the God who has always existed.” This phrase means that God has no beginning and no end. In other words, he has always existed and he will continue to exist forever.
21:34 iij4 בְּאֶ֥רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים 1 “in the land/territory that was ruled/occupied by the Philistines” or “in the land/territory where the Philistines lived/ruled” or “in Philistines’ territory”
21:34 rc8r rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure יָמִ֥ים רַבִּֽים 1 “for many years.” Abraham lived in the Philistines’ territory for around 25 years, so keep that in mind as you translate this phrase. For some languages it is clearer or more natural to put this time phrase earlier in this sentence and say, “...lived {there} for many years in the land...” Do what is best in your language.
22:1 oi54 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה 1 “Sometime after those things happened” or “Sometime later” or “Several years later”. This is the beginning of a new episode that takes place around twelve years after Abraham and King Abimelech made their treaty (chapter 21). See how you translated “after those events” in Gen 15:1; it may be necessary to translate this phrase in a slightly different way here because of the different context.
22:1 y0sj וְהָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים נִסָּ֖ה אֶת אַבְרָהָ֑ם 1 “God {wanted/decided to} test Abraham.” Make sure your translation of this clause does not sound like the test was over. Rather it introduces what the following episode is about.
22:1 krqu וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו אַבְרָהָ֖ם 1 “So {one day} he called to him, “Abraham!” ” or “He called to him, “Abraham!” ” or “{This is what happened:} He/God called to him, “Abraham!” ”
22:1 ed64 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֥אמֶר 1 “Abraham replied/responded {to him},” Make sure it is clear in your translation who is speaking here.
22:1 padv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom הִנֵּֽנִי 1 “I’m listening, {Lord/Master}.” or “Yes, {Lord/Master}?” or “What is it, {Lord/Master}?” Abraham’s reply is respectful and means that he is listening and ready to do what God wants him to do. Consider what is the best way to say this phrase in your language.
22:2 kuxt rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֡אמֶר 1 “Then God said {to him},” or “Then God commanded/told {him},” Translate this quote margin in a way that fits this context well.
22:2 yhh1 קַח נָ֠א אֶת בִּנְךָ֨ 1 “Take your son {with you},” See how you translated “please” when God is talking to a person in Gen 13:14; 15:5. Your translation of “take” here should not imply the use of force. See how you translated “took” in Gen 11:31 and 12:5.
22:2 b5q0 אֶת יְחִֽידְךָ֤ אֲשֶׁר אָהַ֨בְתָּ֙ אֶת יִצְחָ֔ק 1 “{yes/indeed,} your only {son} Isaac whom you love,” This phrase repeats part of the previous phrase in order to emphasize it. Do what is natural in your language.
22:2 zek7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וְלֶךְ לְךָ֔ 1 “and go/travel {with him}”. It is understood that he was to take Isaac with him. If this is not clear in your language, you could make that information explicit.
22:2 fsxs rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֶל אֶ֖רֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּ֑ה 1 “to the region of/called Moriah,” or “to the Moriah Region,”
22:2 fvbp וְהַעֲלֵ֤הוּ שָׁם֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה 1 “and sacrifice/offer him there {to me} as a burnt offering” or “There you are to burn him up {on an altar} as a sacrifice/offering {to me},” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated a similar phrase in Gen 8:20.
22:2 yxpj עַ֚ל אַחַ֣ד הֶֽהָרִ֔ים 1 “on {top of} one of the mountains” or “on {top of} a mountain”
22:2 c0gi אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֹמַ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ 1 “that I will show to you.” or “that I will point out to you.”
22:3 rmr5 וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם אַבְרָהָ֜ם בַּבֹּ֗קֶר 1 “So the next morning, Abraham got up early” or “Early the next morning Abraham got up”. See how you translated “got up early in the morning” in Gen 20:8.
22:3 r4ae rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown וַֽיַּחֲבֹשׁ֙ אֶת חֲמֹר֔וֹ 1 “and put a {pack} saddle on his donkey {to get it ready} {for the trip}.” or “and got his donkey ready {for the trip}.” A donkey is like a small horse that people used to carry loads (as here).
22:3 cnmv וַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶת שְׁנֵ֤י נְעָרָיו֙ אִתּ֔וֹ וְאֵ֖ת יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֑וֹ 1 “He took/brought two of his servants with him and his son Isaac,” or “Then he took/got his son Isaac and two of his servants,”
22:3 kxn0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיְבַקַּע֙ עֲצֵ֣י 1 “and he chopped/split {some} {fire}wood {with them}” or “and they chopped {some} {fire}wood {together}”. The reason Abraham is the only one mentioned in this clause and in the next sentence is that he is in focus. He did not travel alone and he probably did not chop the wood alone. Decide whether or not you need to make that explicit in your translation.
22:3 pd14 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns עֹלָ֔ה 1 “{to use} for the burnt offering {and loaded it on the donkey}.” or “that they would use to burn the sacrifice/offering {and loaded it on the donkey}.” Some languages must translate this noun phrase using a verb. Do what is natural in your language. See what you did in verse 2.
22:3 tot6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיָּ֣קָם וַיֵּ֔לֶךְ אֶל הַמָּק֖וֹם 1 “Then he set out {with them} for/toward the place/mountain” or “Then they started traveling toward/to the place/mountain”. In this context, “got up” is used as an idiom that means Abraham started an activity. It does not mean that he was sitting down and literally stood up.
22:4 o9zt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֧ם אֶת עֵינָ֛יו 1 “Abraham/he looked up/ahead”. See how you translated the idiom “lifted his eyes” in Gen 18:2. It may be necessary to translate it differently here, because of the different context.
22:4 ql9b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיַּ֥רְא אֶת הַמָּק֖וֹם מֵרָחֹֽק 1 “and he could see the place/mountain {where they were headed} in the distance.” or “and in the distance he could see the place/mountain {where they were headed/going}.” Consider where it is best in your language to put the location phrase “from a distance” or “in the distance”.
22:5 a4ha וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶל נְעָרָ֗יו 1 “Then Abraham/he told his servants,” Be consistent here with how you translated “young men” in verse 3.
22:5 a6c1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-youdual שְׁבוּ לָכֶ֥ם פֹּה֙ עִֽם הַחֲמ֔וֹר 1 “You {two} stay here with the donkey,” Some languages have special dual pronouns (that refer to only two people) that can be used in verse 5 to refer to Abraham’s two servants.
22:5 dec5 וַאֲנִ֣י וְהַנַּ֔עַר נֵלְכָ֖ה 1 “while the young man and I go” or “while my son and I go”. See how you translated “the boy” in Gen 21:12, 17-20. We do not know for sure how old Isaac was at this time, but estimates range between 18 and 37 years old. Make sure your translation of “boy” allows for that fact.
22:5 g7di עַד כֹּ֑ה 1 “over there {to that mountain}” or “{to the mountain} over there”
22:5 qx9v rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וְנִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה 1 “and bow down {to worship God}.” or “and worship {God}.” In that culture, people had the custom of bowing down to worship God. Make sure it is clear in your translation why Abraham and Isaac would bow down.
22:5 xg6u וְנָשׁ֥וּבָה אֲלֵיכֶֽם 1 “Then we will return to you {here}.” or “After that, we will come back {here} to you.”
22:6 z998 וַיִּקַּ֨ח אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת עֲצֵ֣י הָעֹלָ֗ה 1 “Then Abraham/he took the {fire}wood for the burnt offering {off the donkey},” or “Then Abraham/he took the {fire}wood that they would use to burn the/their sacrifice/offering,” See how you translated “{fire}wood” and “burnt offering” in verse 3.
22:6 opxt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיָּ֨שֶׂם֙ עַל יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֔וֹ 1 “and loaded/put {it} on his son Isaac{’s shoulder/back} {to carry},” or “and gave {it} to his son Isaac to carry,” The Hebrew text does not specify exactly where Abraham put the wood on Isaac. Only specify that in a translation if it is necessary in your language.
22:6 jggs וַיִּקַּ֣ח בְּיָד֔וֹ 1 “and/while he himself carried” or “He himself carried”. Consider whether or not it is better to begin a new sentence here in your language.
22:6 b8n2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy אֶת הָאֵ֖שׁ 1 “a fire {pot} {with hot coals/embers in it}” or “the {other} things to make/start a fire”. The “fire” can either refer to hot coals (in a pot) or to a flint stone and wood chips that they would use to start the fire on the altar. Make sure that your translation of this phrase does not mean that Abraham was holding fire or hot coals in his bare hands.
22:6 gsz4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-dual וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם יַחְדָּֽו 1 “Then Abraham and Isaac walked on together,” or “Then they continued walking/heading {toward the mountain},” Some languages have a dual pronoun that could be used here.
22:7 pbll rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִצְחָ֜ק אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֤ם אָבִיו֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר 1 “and {as they went/walked,} Isaac said to his father Abraham,” or “{As they walked,} Isaac said to Abraham,” Consider what is the best way to translate this quote margin in your language.
22:7 yodu rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֖אמֶר 1 “Abraham said/replied {to him},” Consider what is the best way to refer to Abraham at this point in the paragraph in your language.
22:7 q4kt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom הִנֶּ֣נִּֽי בְנִ֑י 1 “I’m listening, my son.” or “Yes, my son?” or “What is it, my son?” See how you translated the idiom “Behold me” in verse 1.
22:7 ai7j rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “Then Isaac asked {him},” or “Isaac asked {him},” Make sure that the way you translate this quote margin fits well with what Isaac says next.
22:7 yc7e הָאֵשׁ֙ וְהָ֣עֵצִ֔ים 1 “the fire {pot/coals} and the {fire}wood,” or “what/everything we need to make a fire {to burn the sacrifice},”
22:7 jd19 וְאַיֵּ֥ה הַשֶּׂ֖ה 1 “but where {is} the lamb/sheep” or “but why is there no lamb/sheep” or “but why don’t we have a lamb”
22:7 izci לְעֹלָֽה 1 “{for us} to use as the burnt offering?” or “{for us} to burn as the/our sacrifice {to God}?” or “that we will burn as a/our sacrifice/offering {to God}?”
22:8 icf0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם 1 “Then Abraham said {to him},” or “Abraham answered {him},”
22:8 kpqx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אֱלֹהִ֞ים יִרְאֶה לּ֥וֹ 1 “God himself will see {to it that there is}” or “God himself will provide”. This is an idiom that means God will provide the lamb. Make sure this meaning is clear in your translation.
22:8 qwmm הַשֶּׂ֛ה לְעֹלָ֖ה 1 “a lamb/sheep for the burnt offering,” or “a lamb/sheep for us to burn as a/our sacrifice/offering {to him},” See how you translated this phrase in verse 7.
22:8 ma9g rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בְּנִ֑י 1 Consider whether it is more natural in your language to put this address first in this quote and say, “My son, God himself will...”
22:8 rj6h rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-dual וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם 1 “Then/So the two of them walked on together.” or “Then/So they continued walking together {toward the mountain}.”. See how you translated “the two of them” in verse 6.
22:9 r054 וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ אֶֽל 1 “When/After they got to” or “When/After they arrived at” or “When/After they reached”
22:9 ouv8 הַמָּקוֹם֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽמַר ל֣וֹ הָאֱלֹהִים֒ 1 “the place/mountain that God had told him {to go to}”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 3.
22:9 esjb וַיִּ֨בֶן שָׁ֤ם אַבְרָהָם֙ אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ 1 “Abraham built/made a {stone} altar there”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated “altar” in Gen 13:4, 18.
22:9 k8uv וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ אֶת הָעֵצִ֑ים 1 “and laid/put the wood {on top of it}.” Abraham arranged the wood on top of the altar so that it would burn well. Make sure your translation of this phrase does not sound like he lit the fire yet; he did not do that until verse 13 when he sacrificed the ram.
22:9 i4fp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַֽיַּעֲקֹד֙ אֶת יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֔וֹ 1 “Then he bound/tied his son Isaac{’s arms and legs} {with rope}”.
22:9 wkmq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיָּ֤שֶׂם אֹתוֹ֙ עַל הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ מִמַּ֖עַל לָעֵצִֽים 1 “and put him on top of the wood {that was} on the altar.” Consider which order of these phrases is the clearest and most natural in your language.
22:10 mmrx rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח אַבְרָהָם֙ אֶת־יָד֔וֹ וַיִּקַּ֖ח אֶת־הַֽמַּאֲכֶ֑לֶת 1 “Then he took the knife in his hand” or “Then he picked up the knife”. Consider whether it is better in your language to use a noun or a pronoun to refer to Abraham here. See how you translated “knife” in verse 6.
22:10 ycq6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit לִשְׁחֹ֖ט אֶת בְּנֽוֹ 1 “{in order} to kill his son {before sacrificing/burning his body on the altar}.” In the process of sacrificing, the first step was to kill the sacrifice and then burn up the body on the altar. If necessary, you could make that information explicit in your translation or in a footnote.
22:11 m7u5 וַיִּקְרָ֨א & מַלְאַ֤ךְ יְהוָה֙ 1 “But {before he/Abraham could use the knife,} an angel from Yahweh called/shouted” or “But {just then} one of Yahweh’s angels called/shouted”. Make sure in your translation that it does not sound like Abraham killed Isaac. See how you translated this phrase in Gen 21:17.
22:11 emlx אֵלָ֜יו & מִן הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֣ם אַבְרָהָ֑ם 1 “to him/Abraham from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” ” The angel repeats Abraham’s name to communicate urgency and that he wants him to stop and listen. Make sure your translation does not sound like the angel was angry or criticizing Abraham.
22:11 ea4o rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֖אמֶר 2 “Abraham replied {to the angel},”
22:11 bges rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom הִנֵּֽנִי 1 “I’m listening, {Lord/Master}.” or “What is it, {Lord/Master}?” or “Yes, {Lord/Master}?” See how you translated “Behold me” in verse 1.
22:12 u0h9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “Then the angel said,” or “Then the angel told him,” Make sure it is clear in your translation that the angel is speaking here, not Abraham.
22:12 htic rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אַל תִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָֽדְךָ֙ אֶל 1 “Do not lay your hands on” or “Do not harm/kill”. Consider whether your language has an idiom that has the same meaning as the Hebrew idiom here.
22:12 qdxh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism וְאַל תַּ֥עַשׂ ל֖וֹ מְא֑וּמָּה 1 “Do not do anything to {harm} him” or “You must not do anything to {harm} him” or “You must not harm him in any way”. The angel repeats the previous command (using different words) in order to emphasize that Abraham should not hurt Isaac. Most languages can do something similar. Do what is natural in your language.
22:12 dilb כִּ֣י עַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֗עְתִּי 1 “Now I know/see” or “You have shown me”. Yahweh is the one talking here, represented by the angel who speaks on his behalf, or perhaps God is appearing to Abraham as an angel.
22:12 fr8l rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms כִּֽי יְרֵ֤א אֱלֹהִים֙ אַ֔תָּה 1 “that you fear/revere me” or “that you deeply respect me”. See how you translated “fear” in Gen 20:11.
22:12 kcxw וְלֹ֥א חָשַׂ֛כְתָּ אֶת בִּנְךָ֥ אֶת יְחִידְךָ֖ מִמֶּֽנִּי 1 “since/because you {obeyed me and} did not hold back your son from me, {yes/indeed,} your only son.” or “since/because you {obeyed me and} did not refuse to sacrifice your son to me, {even though he is} your only son.”
22:13 v3dv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ 1 “Then Abraham looked around”. See how you translated “lifted his eyes and looked” in Gen 18:2.
22:13 q7w3 וְהִנֵּה אַ֔יִל אַחַ֕ר 1 “and suddenly he saw a ram behind {him}” or “and there behind {him} he saw a ram”. A ram is an adult male sheep or goat. See how you translated this term in Gen 15:9.
22:13 t9hq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive נֶאֱחַ֥ז בַּסְּבַ֖ךְ בְּקַרְנָ֑יו 1 “that had caught/tangled its horns in the thicket/bushes.” or “that had its horns caught/stuck in a bush.”
22:13 vrf2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ אַבְרָהָם֙ וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־הָאַ֔יִל 1 “So/Then {after releasing Isaac,} Abraham/he took/untangled the ram {from the thicket/bush}.” or “So/Then Abraham/he {released/untied Isaac,} went {over to the ram} and untangled it.” For some languages it may be necessary to explicitly state that Abraham untied Isaac and took him off the altar before he sacrificed the ram. Do what is best in your language.
22:13 p6og rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיַּעֲלֵ֥הוּ לְעֹלָ֖ה 1 “{Then he killed/slaughtered the ram} and burned it on the altar as a sacrifice/offering {to God}”. Animals that were sacrificed to God as burnt offerings were killed first before they were burned on an altar. Make sure your translation does not sound like the ram was burned alive. If that is not clear, you could make some of the above implied information explicit in your translation.
22:14 hiz5 וַיִּקְרָ֧א אַבְרָהָ֛ם שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא 1 “That is why Abraham called/named that place” or “{Because God provided the ram,} Abraham called/named that place”. Make sure it is clear that what Yahweh did in verse 13 is the reason that Abraham gave that place the name “Yahweh-Yireh” in verse 14.
22:14 fs0p rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names יְהוָ֣ה יִרְאֶ֑ה 1 “Yahweh-Yireh, {which means “Yahweh will see/provide,”}” or “Yahweh Will See/Provide,” If you include the meaning of this name in your translation text or in a footnote, be consistent with how you translate the verb “see/provide” in verse 8 (and later in verse 14), which the name is based on.
22:14 scaj אֲשֶׁר֙ יֵאָמֵ֣ר הַיּ֔וֹם 1 “{Even} today/now people {still} say,” This refers to the time period when Moses was writing this book. If that is not clear, you could put that information in a footnote.
22:14 v6oq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom יֵרָאֶֽה 1 “it will be provided {by him}.” or “he will see to it {that we have what we need}.” or “he will provide what we/you need.” See how you translated this idiom in verse 8.
22:15 m2cz וַיִּקְרָ֛א מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם שֵׁנִ֖ית מִן־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם 1 “Then Yahweh’s angel called/spoke to Abraham from heaven again.” See how you translated “called...from heaven” in verse 11, and how you translated “angel” in verses 11-12.
22:16 ouls וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “He said,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
22:16 j53n בִּ֥י נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי נְאֻם יְהוָ֑ה 1 “This is what Yahweh declares/says {to you}: ‘I swear by my own name” or “These are Yahweh’s own words: ‘With myself {as my own witness}, I vow/promise {to you}”. See how you translated “swear” in Gen 21:23-24.
22:16 rcpc כִּ֗י יַ֚עַן אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשִׂ֨יתָ֙ אֶת הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה 1 “that because/since you have done what I said/commanded” or “that since you obeyed me”
22:16 sgj6 וְלֹ֥א חָשַׂ֖כְתָּ אֶת בִּנְךָ֥ 1 “and did not hold back your son {from me},” or “and did not refuse to sacrifice your son {to me},” or “were willing to give/sacrifice your son {to me}”. See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 12.
22:16 pxdg אֶת יְחִידֶֽךָ 1 “{yes,} your only {son}” or “{even though he is} your only {son}”. See how you translated this in verse 12.
22:17 z6y6 כִּֽי בָרֵ֣ךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָ֗ 1 “I will abundantly/surely bless you,” or “I will {surely} cause you to prosper greatly,”
22:17 d019 וְהַרְבָּ֨ה אַרְבֶּ֤ה אֶֽת זַרְעֲךָ֙ 1 “I will greatly multiply/increase {the number of} your offspring/descendants {so that they will be}” or “In fact, I will give you so many offspring/descendants {that they will be}”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
22:17 ufpq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile כְּכוֹכְבֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם 1 “{as many/numerous} as the stars in the heavens/sky”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that God is comparing the number of stars and grains of sand to the number of descendants Abraham will have. There will be so many that no one can count them all (as in Gen 13:16 and 15:6).
22:17 v3sf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְיִרַ֣שׁ זַרְעֲךָ֔ אֵ֖ת שַׁ֥עַר אֹיְבָֽיו 1 “and they will conquer the cities of {all} their enemies.” or “They will conquer/defeat {all} their enemies and rule over them.” or “Your offspring/descendants will...” Cities often had high stone walls surrounding them to protect the people inside. The gates in the walls were the only way to go in or out of a city. The idiom “possess the gates of...enemies” refers to taking control of the cities and conquering the people living there. Consider what is the best way to translate this idiom in your language.
22:18 ropw בְזַרְעֲךָ֔ 1 “In/Through your offspring/descendants” or “Because of your offspring/descendants” or “By means of your offspring/descendants”. See how you translated “offspring” in verse 17.
22:18 c2lu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וְהִתְבָּרֲכ֣וּ & כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “all the nations/peoples of/on the earth will be blessed {by me},” or “{I} will bless all the people/ethnic groups {that live} on the earth,” See how you translated a similar sentence (“in/through...all the...of/on the earth will be blessed”) in Gen 12:3 and 18:18.
22:18 emd5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy עֵ֕קֶב אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ בְּקֹלִֽי 1 “because you heeded/obeyed my command.” or “{I will do that} because you obeyed me.” Make sure your translation of “my voice” refers to what God commanded Abraham. Also, consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
22:19 nybt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיָּ֤שָׁב אַבְרָהָם֙ 1 “After that, Abraham returned {with Isaac}” or “Afterwards/Then Abraham {and Isaac} went back”. Make sure your translation does not sound like Abraham returned alone (without Isaac).
22:19 tggg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיָּקֻ֛מוּ וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ יַחְדָּ֖ו אֶל בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע 1 “Then they returned {home} together to {the city of} Beersheba,” or “Then together they {all} traveled {back} {home} to {the city of} Beersheba,” At that time, Abraham and his family were living in Beersheba (Gen 21:31-34). So in your translation, it should not sound like Beersheba was a new destination; they were returning home.
22:19 q7m7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב אַבְרָהָ֖ם בִּבְאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע 1 “and Abraham {and his family} stayed there.” or “and Abraham continued to live there {with his family}.” or “where Abraham {and his family} continued to live.” Make sure your translation does not sound like Abraham was living alone in Beersheba apart from his family.
22:20 i6mk rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַיְהִ֗י אַחֲרֵי֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה 1 “Sometime after that” or “Sometime later”. This phrase introduces a new topic. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language.
22:20 s6w0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַיֻּגַּ֥ד לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “someone told Abraham,” Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language.
22:20 g7pp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations יָלְדָ֨ה מִלְכָּ֥ה גַם הִ֛וא בָּנִ֖ים לְנָח֥וֹר אָחִֽיךָ 1 “Milcah the wife of your brother Nahor has born {some} sons for him,” or “your brother Nahor and his wife Milcah also have {some} sons,” For some languages it may be better to use an indirect quote in this verse and say, “Sometime later Abraham found out that his brother Nahor and {Nahor’s wife} Milcah had some sons,” Do what is best in your language.
22:21 wmd4 אֶת ע֥וּץ בְּכֹר֖וֹ וְאֶת בּ֣וּז אָחִ֑יו וְאֶת קְמוּאֵ֖ל 1 “{including} their firstborn/oldest son Uz, then Buz and Kemuel,” or “The first/oldest son/one {is} Uz, {the second is} Buz, and {the third is} Kemuel,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
22:21 rvcd אֲבִ֥י אֲרָֽם 1 “{who is} the father of Aram.” or “who fathered Aram.” or “whose son is Aram.”
22:22 szt9 וְאֶת 1 “{They} also {have sons named}”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that the people listed in verse 22 were sons of Nahor and Milcah, not sons of Kemuel (verse 21). Also, consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
22:22 zhtn כֶּ֣שֶׂד וְאֶת חֲז֔וֹ וְאֶת פִּלְדָּ֖שׁ וְאֶת יִדְלָ֑ף וְאֵ֖ת בְּתוּאֵֽל 1 “Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” Consider whether it is best in your language to use a conjunction between each name in this list (like Hebrew does), or only before the last name in the list. See what you did for a similar list of names in Gen 10:26-29.
22:23 hgj2 וּבְתוּאֵ֖ל יָלַ֣ד אֶת רִבְקָ֑ה 1 “Bethuel was the father of Rebekah.” or “Bethuel had {a daughter named} Rebekah.” Some translations put this sentence in parentheses to show that it is a separate comment by the author and not part of the previous quote. Do what is best in your language. Also, see how you translated “fathered” in Gen 11:27.
22:23 idq9 שְׁמֹנָ֥ה אֵ֨לֶּה֙ יָלְדָ֣ה מִלְכָּ֔ה לְנָח֖וֹר אֲחִ֥י אַבְרָהָֽם 1 “Those {are} the eight {sons} {that} Milcah had for Abraham’s brother Nahor.” or “Those {are} {the names of} the eight {sons} whom Abraham’s brother Nahor and {his wife} Milcah had together.” or “{Altogether} Milcah bore/had eight sons for Abraham’s brother Nahor.”
22:24 wjgn וּפִֽילַגְשׁ֖וֹ וּשְׁמָ֣הּ רְאוּמָ֑ה וַתֵּ֤לֶד גַּם הִוא֙ 1 “Besides that, Nahor’s concubine Reumah also bore/had {some sons, whom they named}” or “In addition to that, Nahor and his servant wife Reumah also had {some sons, including}”
22:24 ze05 אֶת טֶ֣בַח וְאֶת גַּ֔חַם וְאֶת תַּ֖חַשׁ וְאֶֽת מַעֲכָֽה 1 “Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.” See how you connected the list of names in verse 22.
23:1 xsnc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה 1 “{Yes,} that is how long she lived” or “That is how old she lived to be”. Consider whether it is better in your language to combine the last part of verse 1 with the beginning of verse 2 and say, “That is how old she was when she died in Kiriath Arba...”
23:2 uigf rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names בְּקִרְיַ֥ת אַרְבַּ֛ע 1 “in {the city of} Kiriath Arba,” or “in {the city of} Kiriath-arba,” You can spell this name as two words, as in the Hebrew text, or combine them into one word, with or without a hyphen. Be consistent with how you spell this name throughout the Bible.
23:2 zc7g הִ֥וא חֶבְר֖וֹן 1 “which {is also/now called/named} Hebron,” or “also/now known as Hebron,” or “that is, Hebron,” The city of Kiriath Arba was later named Hebron (Joshua 14:15).
23:2 ptzp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן 1 “in the land/region of/called Canaan.” For some languages it is more natural to put a general location before a specific location and say, “in the land of Canaan, in {the city of} Kiriath Arba, which {is} Hebron.” Do what is best in your language.
23:2 y3fa וַיָּבֹא֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם 1 “Then Abraham went/came {to her}” or “Abraham went/came {to her side}”
23:2 d6r2 לִסְפֹּ֥ד לְשָׂרָ֖ה וְלִבְכֹּתָֽהּ 1 “to mourn and weep/cry for her.” or “and cried and mourned for her.” For some languages it is necessary to translate this sentence using a verb form that expresses completion or past tense so that it is clear that Abraham actually did this. Do what is best in your language.
23:3 l42n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit בְּנֵי חֵ֖ת לֵאמֹֽר 1 “{the leaders/elders of} the Hittites {at the city gates} {and} said to them,” The phrase “sons of Heth” refers to the descendants of Canaan’s son Heth (Genesis 10:15; 15:20) who are also known as the Hittites. Consider what is the best way to refer to them here in your language. Also, for some languages it is necessary to make it explicit here in verse 3 that Abraham went to the city gates to meet with the Hittites, rather than wait until verse 10. Do what is best in your language.
23:4 s4tz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אָנֹכִ֖י 1 “I {am coming to you as}” or “{As you know,} I {am}” or “{Since} I {am}”. The leaders of the city already knew that Abraham was a foreigner, so make sure your translation of this sentence does not sound like he is telling them something that they did not know.
23:4 i6f1 גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁ֥ב 1 “a foreigner/outsider who has settled” or “a foreigner/outsider who is living”. See how you translated “foreigner” in Gen 15:13.
23:4 rxen rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit עִמָּכֶ֑ם 1 “among you {and I have no land/property of my own}.” or “in your land {and/so I do not own any property here}.” It is implied by Abraham and understood by the Hittites that Abraham’s status as a foreigner means he owns no property. Consider whether or not to make this implied information explicit in your translation.
23:4 ck58 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness תְּנ֨וּ לִ֤י 1 “{Please} give/sell me” or “{Please} let me buy”. Make sure that the way you translate this phrase sounds polite, not rude or demanding.
23:4 sf40 אֲחֻזַּת קֶ֨בֶר֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם 1 “{some} property/land among you” or “some of your land/property”
23:4 szs9 וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה מֵתִ֖י מִלְּפָנָֽי 1 “so I have a place to take my dead/deceased {wife} and bury her.” or “where I can bury {the body of} my wife who has died.” or “so that I can give my deceased {wife} a proper/decent burial.” Translate this clause in a way that shows respect for the person who has died.
23:5 vukz rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיַּעֲנ֧וּ בְנֵי־חֵ֛ת אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֥ר לֽוֹ 1 “{The leaders/elders of} the Hittites replied/responded to Abraham/him,” or “When {the leaders/elders of} the Hittites {heard that}, they replied/responded,” See how you translated “the sons of Heth” in verse 3.
23:6 r5h0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-honorifics שְׁמָעֵ֣נוּ אֲדֹנִ֗י 1 “{Please} listen to our proposal, my/our lord/master.” or “Sir, {please} listen to what we propose:” Abraham was not their actual lord or master, rather the Hittites are addressing him in a respectful manner. Also, for some languages it is more natural or respectful to put the form of address “My lord” or “Sir” first in this quote. Do what is best in your language.
23:6 dlnm נְשִׂ֨יא אֱלֹהִ֤ים אַתָּה֙ 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “You {are} a powerful/important leader/man” (2) “You {are} a leader/man of/from God”. The interpretation that you do not follow in your translation could be put in a footnote.
23:6 i7x9 בְּתוֹכֵ֔נוּ 1 “{living} among us.” or “{who lives} among our people.”
23:6 i3yv קְבֹ֖ר 1 “{So} {you may} bury/put”. Make sure that the reply of the Hittites sounds polite here in your translation.
23:6 bpqa אֶת מֵתֶ֑ךָ 1 “your dead/deceased {wife}” or “{the body of} your wife who has died”
23:6 y3g4 בְּמִבְחַ֣ר קְבָרֵ֔ינוּ 1 “in {any} one of our best”
23:6 pudg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure קְבָרֵ֔ינוּ 1 “burial sites.” or “places to bury {people who have died}.” or “tombs.” For some languages it may be better to change the order of the phrases in this sentence and say, “{So please choose} {any} one of our best burial sites and bury/put your dead/deceased {wife} there.” Do what is best in your language.
23:6 j0hg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-litotes אִ֣ישׁ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ אֶת קִבְר֛וֹ לֹֽא יִכְלֶ֥ה מִמְּךָ֖ מִקְּבֹ֥ר 1 “Each of us is willing/happy to give you {some of} his land where you can bury” or “All of us are willing/happy for you to use {any of} our burial sites to bury”
23:6 p2vf מֵתֶֽךָ 1 “your dead/deceased {wife}.” or “{the body of} your wife who has died.” or “her.” Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to Sarah’s dead body here since it was just mentioned in the previous sentence.
23:7 x7ub וַיָּ֧קָם אַבְרָהָ֛ם 1 “So Abraham got/stood up” or “Abraham got/stood up”. The verb “got up” reflects the fact that Abraham and the leaders/elders of the Hittites were all sitting as they talked to each other.
23:7 erok rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ 1 “and bowed {in respect}” or “and bowed down/low {to the ground} {in respect}” or “and kneeled and touched his forehead to the ground {in respect}”. We do not know how far Abraham bowed down. He may have bowed his upper body from a standing position, or he may have knelt down and touched his forehead to the ground with his arms outstretched.
23:7 rwqv לְעַם הָאָ֖רֶץ לִבְנֵי חֵֽת 1 “in front of {the leaders/elders of} the Hittites, who owned the land {in the area}” or “before the leaders/elders over the Hittites”. The phrase “people of the land” is a term that refers to the leaders of that region who owned land in the area and were the ones to decide whether a foreigner could acquire land.
23:8 hd9f rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתָּ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “and said to them,” or “Then he said to them,” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to have two verbs, or just one verb, in this quote margin. Also consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
23:8 ct9t אִם יֵ֣שׁ אֶֽת נַפְשְׁכֶ֗ם 1 “If you are willing”
23:8 r7qy לִקְבֹּ֤ר אֶת מֵתִי֙ מִלְּפָנַ֔י 1 “{for me} to bury my dead/deceased {wife} {here},” or “{to allow me} to bury {the body of} my wife who has died,” or “to {help/let me} give my deceased {wife} a proper/decent burial {here},” See how you translated this phrase in verse 4.
23:8 fqbj שְׁמָע֕וּנִי וּפִגְעוּ לִ֖י בְּעֶפְר֥וֹן בֶּן צֹֽחַר 1 “{please} appeal to Ephron the son of Zohar on my behalf” or “{please} help me by asking Zohar’s son Ephron”
23:9 lpzg rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֶת מְעָרַ֤ת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה֙ אֲשֶׁר ל֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֖ר בִּקְצֵ֣ה שָׂדֵ֑הוּ 1 “his cave that is at the end/edge of his field in the Machpelah {area}.” Machpelah is the name of the area or neighborhood where Ephron’s cave and field were located (verse 17).
23:9 jtgy בְּכֶ֨סֶף מָלֵ֜א יִתְּנֶ֥נָּה לִ֛י 1 “Ask him to give/sell it to me for its full price/value” or “Ask him to sell it to me and I will pay him the full amount that it is worth”
23:9 g5xi בְּתוֹכְכֶ֖ם 1 “in front of you {all}” or “with all of you {present/here} to witness the sale”
23:9 kb9e לַאֲחֻזַּת קָֽבֶר 1 “so that I will have land/property to bury {the body of my deceased wife}.” or “That way I will have a place {here} where I can bury {the body of my wife who has died}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
23:10 yfyu וְעֶפְר֥וֹן יֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּת֣וֹךְ בְּנֵי חֵ֑ת 1 “Now Ephron the Hittite was sitting {there} {at the meeting} among the {other} Hittite leaders/elders,” or “Ephron was one of the Hittite leaders/elders who had gathered {there} {at the meeting},”
23:10 rq1v rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיַּעַן֩ אֶת אַבְרָהָם֙ 1 “so/and he replied to Abraham”
23:10 igbc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom בְּאָזְנֵ֣י בְנֵי חֵ֔ת 1 “in the hearing/presence of {the leaders/elders of} the Hittites,” or “as/while the {other} leaders/elders listened,”
23:10 w1wf לְכֹ֛ל בָּאֵ֥י שַֽׁעַר־עִיר֖וֹ 1 “including everyone who had gathered {there} at their/the city gate,” The pronoun “his” refers back to “everyone” who had gathered at the city gate, not just one person. Also, in that culture, the leaders of a city would hold their meetings at the city gates, where they would make decisions on important matters such as the one Abraham brought before them. You could include that information in a footnote.
23:10 r2ii rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations לֵאמֹֽר 1 “He said,” or “This is what he said:” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
23:11 kb99 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness לֹֽא אֲדֹנִ֣י 1 “That is not necessary, sir.” or “Sir, there is no need for that.” Make sure your translation of this phase sounds polite. In some cultures it is rude to say “No” too directly.
23:11 ektg שְׁמָעֵ֔נִי 1 “{Please} listen to this/my proposal:” or “{Please} accept this offer/proposal:” or “{Please} listen to what I am proposing:”
23:11 m2tk הַשָּׂדֶה֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לָ֔ךְ 1 “I {hereby} give/offer you the {entire} field,” Ephron is making a formal proposal or offer. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
23:11 ut9u וְהַמְּעָרָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר בּ֖וֹ לְךָ֣ נְתַתִּ֑יהָ 1 “including the cave that {is} in it.” or “as well as the cave that {is} in it.”
23:11 frm9 נְתַתִּ֥יהָ לָּ֖ךְ 1 “I’m giving it/them to you {now/here}”
23:11 hebf לְעֵינֵ֧י בְנֵי עַמִּ֛י 1 “in the sight/presence of the leaders/elders of my people.” or “as/while the leaders/elders of my people watch/listen {as witnesses}.” or “and {all} the leaders/elders of my people here are witnesses of this.”
23:11 z7u7 קְבֹ֥ר מֵתֶֽךָ 1 “{You may/can} bury your dead/deceased {wife} {there}.” or “{Please go ahead and} bury your dead/deceased {wife} {on that land}.”
23:12 c96c rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּשְׁתַּ֨חוּ֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם 1 “Then Abraham bowed {again}” or “{Once again,} Abraham bowed”. See how you translated “bowed” in verse 7.
23:12 w96w עַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “in front of the people/leaders/elders who owned the land {in the area},” or “before/to the leaders/elders {of/over the Hittites},” See how you translated this phrase in verse 7. You could translate this in a slightly different way here since these people have been referred to repeatedly before this.
23:13 zbz3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר אֶל עֶפְר֜וֹן בְּאָזְנֵ֤י עַם הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר 1 “and he said to Ephron while the {rest of} the leaders/elders listened,” or “As/While they {all} listened, he/Abraham said to Ephron,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated “in the ears of” in verse 10.
23:13 ul13 אִם אַתָּ֥ה ל֖וּ 1 “if you are willing,” or “since you are willing {to let me have the field},” In verses 9-15, Abraham and Ephron are bargaining indirectly with each other according to the customs of that culture and time. Keep that in mind as you translate their conversation.
23:13 dy0v נָתַ֜תִּי כֶּ֤סֶף הַשָּׂדֶה֙ 1 “I will give/pay you the {full} price of what the field is worth.” or “I want to give/pay you the {full} price of/for the field.”
23:13 riop rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness קַ֣ח מִמֶּ֔נִּי 1 “{Please} take/accept my money/payment,” or “{Please} let me buy it from you,”
23:13 la7v וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת מֵתִ֖י שָֽׁמָּה 1 “so that I can bury {the body of} my dead/deceased {wife} there.” or “so that {the field will be mine and} I can bury {my wife} there who has died.” or “then I will have a place to bury {the body of} my dead/deceased {wife}.”
23:14 p5za rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיַּ֧עַן עֶפְר֛וֹן אֶת אַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֥ר לֽוֹ 1 “Then Ephron said to Abraham,” or “Ephron responded to Abraham,”
23:15 ihwt rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-honorifics אֲדֹנִ֣י 1 “Sir,” See how you translated this respectful form of address in verses 6 and 11.
23:15 stvm rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness שְׁמָעֵ֔נִי 1 “{please} listen to me.” See how you translated this clause in verse 13. Make sure Ephron sounds polite here in your translation.
23:15 tka1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-bmoney אֶרֶץ֩ אַרְבַּ֨ע מֵאֹ֧ת שֶֽׁקֶל כֶּ֛סֶף 1 “The land/field {is worth} 400 shekels of silver.” or “If I were selling that land, it would cost 400 shekels of silver.” Coins did not exist at that time. Rather people paid each other with shekels of silver or gold, which was a weight measurement. Four hundred shekels of silver was about 10 pounds (4.5 kilos) of silver. Many translation teams like to keep the same numbers that are in the Hebrew text in their translation, and then in a footnote give the equivalent amount in their own currency. Other teams put the equivalent amount in the text and put the literal phrase in a footnote. See how you translated “shekels of silver” in Gen 20:16.
23:15 efpw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מַה הִ֑וא 1 “what {significance} {is} that?” or “that {is} not important.” or “I would not ask you to pay that.” or “there is no need for that.” Decide whether or not a rhetorical question fits here well in your language.
23:15 uilj וְאֶת מֵתְךָ֖ קְבֹֽר 1 “So {go ahead and} bury your dead/deceased {wife} {there}.” Consider again how you translated “bury...dead” in verses 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, and 15.
23:16 g94w וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע אַבְרָהָם֮ אֶל עֶפְרוֹן֒ 1 “Abraham accepted Ephron’s price/offer,” or “Abraham agreed with Ephron’s price/offer,” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Abraham did not just hear what Ephron said, but also acted on it.
23:16 i5n2 וַיִּשְׁקֹ֤ל אַבְרָהָם֙ לְעֶפְרֹ֔ן 1 “and/so he paid Ephron/him”
23:16 jss8 אֶת הַכֶּ֕סֶף אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֖ר 1 “the {amount of} silver that he/Ephron had stated/suggested”
23:16 x9sr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom בְּאָזְנֵ֣י בְנֵי חֵ֑ת 1 “in the hearing/presence of the {other} Hittite leaders/elders” or “as/while {the rest of} {the leaders/elders of} the Hittites {watched and} listened”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 10. You might need to translate it differently here because of the different context.
23:16 wisp אַרְבַּ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ שֶׁ֣קֶל כֶּ֔סֶף 1 “{which was} 400 shekels of silver,” or “{Abraham weighed the} 400 shekels of silver”
23:16 nryz עֹבֵ֖ר לַסֹּחֵֽר 1 “using/with the same kind of weights/scale that merchants used {to accurately weigh silver/things}.” or “using the standard shekel/weights that sellers/traders used {at that time}.”
23:17 vy2y וַיָּ֣קָם שְׂדֵ֣ה עֶפְר֗וֹן 1 “So Ephron’s field” or “That is how the field that belonged to Ephron”. Verses 17-18 are a summary of the transaction between Ephron and Abraham. Make sure your translation of these verses does not sound like this was a second time that the field was sold.
23:17 aztc אֲשֶׁר֙ בַּמַּכְפֵּלָ֔ה 1 “that {was} in the Machpelah {area}”
23:17 x93p אֲשֶׁ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י מַמְרֵ֑א 1 “east of {the city of} Mamre,” or “near {the city of} Mamre,” Mamre was another name for the city of Hebron (verse 19). The name probably came from Abraham’s friend and ally who lived there (Gen 13:18; 14:13).
23:17 r9zm הַשָּׂדֶה֙ וְהַמְּעָרָ֣ה אֲשֶׁר בּ֔וֹ 1 “{including both} the field and the cave that {was} in it,” or “including the cave that {was} in the field,”
23:17 d17x בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּכָל גְּבֻל֖וֹ סָבִֽיב 1 “in the field, {whatever was} inside its borders,” or “anywhere inside the borders/boundaries of the field,”
23:17 ua4y rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיָּ֣קָם 1 “was {officially/legally} deeded/sold {by Ephron}” or “Ephron deeded/sold {all of that}”. For some languages it may be better to break up this long sentence, change the order of the phrases in this verse, and say, “So Ephron sold his field {to Abraham}, including the cave that was in the field, as well as all the trees that were inside its boundaries. The field was in the Machpelah {area} near {the city of} Mamre. {Ephron sold the/that field}...” Do what is best in your language.
23:18 y1ss rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לְעֵינֵ֣י בְנֵי חֵ֑ת 1 “in the sight/presence of {the leaders/elders of} the Hittites” or “while {the leaders/elders of} the Hittites watched {as witnesses}”. See how you translated the idiom “before the eyes of” in verse 11.
23:18 ym12 בְּכֹ֖ל בָּאֵ֥י שַֽׁעַר־עִירֽוֹ 1 “including everyone who had gathered at their/the city gate/gates.” or “That included everyone who had met together at their/the city gate/gates.” For some languages it may be more natural to change the order of some of the clauses in this verse and say, “...to Abraham in front of {the leaders of} the Hittites who had gathered at the city gates, so that they all witnessed that the land was now Abraham’s property.” Do what is best in your language. Also, see how you translated a similar clause in verse 10.
23:19 hrzz rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֶל מְעָרַ֞ת שְׂדֵ֧ה הַמַּכְפֵּלָ֛ה 1 “in the cave in the field in the Machpelah {area},” Be consistent here with how you spelled “Machpelah” in verses 9 and 17.
23:19 k7kw עַל פְּנֵ֥י מַמְרֵ֖א 1 “east of {the city of} Mamre,” or “near {the city of} Mamre,” See how you translated this phrase in verse 17. Also, be consistent here with how you spelled this name in verse 17 and in Gen 14:13, 24; 18:1.
23:19 wb07 הִ֣וא חֶבְר֑וֹן 1 “which {is also called/named} Hebron,” or “also known as Hebron,” or “that is, Hebron,”
23:19 meyv בְּאֶ֖רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן 1 “in the land/region called Canaan.” See how you translated this phrase in verse 2.
23:20 ujmp וַיָּ֨קָם הַשָּׂדֶ֜ה וְהַמְּעָרָ֧ה אֲשֶׁר־בּ֛וֹ לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם 1 “So {that is how} that field, including the cave that {was} in the field, was/were {officially/legally} sold to Abraham” or “So {in that way,} the field {of Ephron}, including...” Verse 20 is a concluding summary of chapter 23 and repeats parts of verses 17-18. Make sure that the way you translate this does not sound like Abraham bought another property from the Hittites.
23:20 z30w לַאֲחֻזַּת קָ֑בֶר מֵאֵ֖ת בְּנֵי חֵֽת 1 “by the Hittites as a burial place/site.” or “by the Hittites, so that he had a place where he could bury {his wife who had died}.” Consider again how you translated “a burial place” in verses 4, 9, and 20, and how you translated “the sons of Heth” in verses 3, 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, and 20.
24:1 wzyg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-doublet וְאַבְרָהָ֣ם זָקֵ֔ן בָּ֖א בַּיָּמִ֑ים 1 “Abraham had lived a long time and was {now} {very} old,” or “Abraham was very old now. He had lived many years,” or “Now Abraham had become very old,” Verse one gives the setting for the new episode and begins with a doublet that emphasizes how old Abraham was. Try to preserve this emphasis in a way that is natural in your translation.
24:1 saka וַֽיהוָ֛ה בֵּרַ֥ךְ אֶת אַבְרָהָ֖ם 1 “and Yahweh had blessed him” or “and Yahweh had caused him to prosper”. See how you translated “bless” in Gen 12:2-3.
24:1 mbdb בַּכֹּֽל 1 “in everything {he had done}.” or “in every way.”
24:2 b4i8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֗ם אֶל 1 “{One day} Abraham/he told”. Consider what is the best way to introduce the first event in this episode in your language.
24:2 onzf rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction שִֽׂים נָ֥א יָדְךָ֖ תַּ֥חַת יְרֵכִֽי 1 “Please put your hand under my thigh/leg {to show that you will do what I ask}”. You can make the meaning of this custom explicit in your translation, or you can put that information in a footnote. What Abraham asks his servant to do here is part of the vow-making process in verse 3.
24:3 t966 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-imperative וְאַשְׁבִּ֣יעֲךָ֔ 1 “I want you to vow {to me}” or “and swear/vow {to me}” or “and make an unbreakable promise {to me}”. Decide the best way to translate this command in your language. Also, see how you translated “swear” in Gen 21:23, and see the note about that there.
24:3 d82y בַּֽיהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וֵֽאלֹהֵ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “with Yahweh as your witness, the God who rules/created the heavens and the earth,” See how you translated “the heavens and the earth” in Gen 1:1.
24:3 j350 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא תִקַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ לִבְנִ֔י 1 “that you will not get/find/choose a wife/woman for my son {Isaac} {to marry} from {among}” or “that you will not arrange for my son {Isaac} to marry”. For some languages it is clearer and more natural to make “Isaac” explicit here in verse 3, rather than wait until the end of verse 4. Do what is best in your language. Also, see how you translated the idiom “took a wife for” in Gen 21:21.
24:3 twy1 מִבְּנוֹת֙ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י יוֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ 1 “the Canaanite women whom we live among” or “{any of} the Canaanite women who live around us here”. Make sure your translation does not sound like Abraham was living by himself among the Canaanites; his family and servants also lived among them with him.
24:4 ph6k אֶל אַרְצִ֛י 1 “to my {home} country” or “to the country/region where I grew up” or “to the country that I came from”
24:4 x63y וְאֶל מוֹלַדְתִּ֖י 1 “to my relatives/family/kinfolk {who live there},”
24:4 e2z3 וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ אִשָּׁ֖ה לִבְנִ֥י לְיִצְחָֽק 1 “and find/choose a wife/woman {from there} for my son Isaac {to marry}.” or “and get/choose a wife/woman {from among them} for him {to marry}.” or “and arrange for him to marry one of their daughters.” The way you refer to Isaac here will depend on how you refer to him in verse 3.
24:5 b2aj rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ הָעֶ֔בֶד 1 “Then the servant asked Abraham,” or “But {Abraham’s} servant asked him,” Consider what is the best way to translate this quote margin in your language so that it fits the context well.
24:5 m0tg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo אוּלַי֙ 1 “Suppose {that}” or “What {should I do} if”. See how you translated this phrase in Gen 18:24, 28, 29.
24:6 t4c7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו אַבְרָהָ֑ם 1 “Then Abraham said/replied to his servant,” or “Abraham answered him,” or “Abraham replied,” Consider what is the best way to translate this quote margin at this point in the conversation.
24:6 z1c6 הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֔ פֶּן תָּשִׁ֥יב אֶת בְּנִ֖י 1 “{No,} be/make sure that you never take my son back” or “{No,} you must definitely not/never take my son back”
24:6 lauy שָֽׁמָּה 1 “there {to live}” or “to my home country/land {to live}”
24:7 kqni יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם 1 “{because} Yahweh, the God who rules/created the heavens,” Make sure it is clear in your translation that verse 7 gives the reason for verse 6. Also, see how you translated “the God of the heavens” in verse 3.
24:7 m7st אֲשֶׁ֨ר לְקָחַ֜נִי מִבֵּ֣ית אָבִי֮ 1 “brought/led me {here} from my father’s household”
24:7 krl7 וּמֵאֶ֣רֶץ מֽוֹלַדְתִּי֒ 1 “and from the land where {the rest of} my relatives/family live,”
24:7 fb50 וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּר לִ֜י וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר נִֽשְׁבַּֽע לִי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר 1 “and he vowed to me,” or “and he made an oath/vow to me and said,” or “and he made an unbreakable promise to me and said,”
24:7 t9zo rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes לְזַ֨רְעֲךָ֔ אֶתֵּ֖ן אֶת הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את 1 “I will give this land to your offspring/descendants” or “that he would/will give this land {where we live} to my descendants”. The phrase “this land” refers to the land of Canaan here, not the land where Abraham’s relatives lived. Make sure that is clear in your translation. Also, consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote with a direct quote or an indirect quote.
24:7 zrxe ה֗וּא יִשְׁלַ֤ח מַלְאָכוֹ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ 1 “He will send one of his angels ahead of you {to guide/help you},” If you begin a new sentence here, make sure that the previous sentence is well-formed and complete in your language. Also, see how you translated “angel” in Gen 22:11, 15.
24:7 ksow וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ 1 “so that you will {be able to} find/choose” or “so that you can find/get”
24:7 tdz1 אִשָּׁ֛ה לִבְנִ֖י מִשָּֽׁם 1 “a wife/woman from there for my son {to marry}” or “a wife/woman from my home country/land for my son {to marry}.” See how you translated “take/find a wife for” in verses 3-4.
24:8 wcpk וְאִם & הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ 1 “However, if the woman {you find/choose}”
24:8 y2r9 לֹ֨א תֹאבֶ֤ה 1 “does not want” or “refuses”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 5.
24:8 rfey לָלֶ֣כֶת אַחֲרֶ֔יךָ 1 “to come {back} {here} with you,” or “to follow you {back} {here},” See how you translated a similar phrase (“to come with me”) in verse 5.
24:8 mdi5 מִשְּׁבֻעָתִ֖י זֹ֑את 1 “then you will be released/free from {keeping} this oath/vow that I am asking/requesting you to swear/make {today/now}.” or “then you will not have to keep/fulfill this binding/unbreakable promise that you are swearing/making to me {today/now}.” An oath is a serious, unbreakable promise or vow that is made before God to guarantee that it will be fulfilled. See how you translated the verb form of this word (“swear” or “vow”) in verse 3.
24:8 eey0 רַ֣ק 1 “Just” or “But {no matter what happens,}”
24:8 rucb אֶת בְּנִ֔י לֹ֥א תָשֵׁ֖ב שָֽׁמָּה 1 “you must not/never take my son back to my home country/land!” See how you translated a similar clause in verse 6.
24:9 qz2a rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיָּ֤שֶׂם אֶת יָד֔וֹ תַּ֛חַת יֶ֥רֶךְ אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֑יו 1 “So the/Abraham’s servant put his hand under his master/owner Abraham’s thigh/leg”. See how you translated a similar clause in verse 2. Also, in that culture, people owned servants and had complete authority over them. Make sure your translation of “master” and “servant” does not imply that the servant was mistreated. Servants were treated well, could hold important positions and were often considered as members of the master’s family. See how you translated a related term “mistress/owner” in Gen 16:4, 8-9.
24:9 ezs1 וַיִּשָּׁ֣בַֽע ל֔וֹ 1 “and vowed to him” or “and made an oath/vow to him” or “and made an unbreakable promise to him”. See how you translated “swore” in verse 7 and “swear” in verse 3.
24:9 w2zk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit עַל הַדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּֽה 1 “that he would do what he/Abraham had requested/told him to do.” or “that he would go get/find a wife/woman for Isaac.” Some languages need to make explicit what “this matter” refers to. Do what is best in your language.
24:10 l8l3 וַיִּקַּ֣ח הָ֠עֶבֶד עֲשָׂרָ֨ה גְמַלִּ֜ים מִגְּמַלֵּ֤י אֲדֹנָיו֙ 1 “Then/Next he got ten of his master’s camels ready {for the trip}”. Make sure that your translation of “took” does not imply that the servant stole the camels or valuable things from Abraham. Rather, the “good things” that he loaded on the camels included things that he would give as gifts to Isaac’s relatives (verse 53). Also, see how you translated “camels” in Gen 12:16.
24:10 zzj6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֵּ֔לֶךְ וְכָל ט֥וּב אֲדֹנָ֖יו בְּיָד֑וֹ וַיָּ֗קָם 1 “and left {with some other servants}, taking with him many of his master’s valuable things {to give as gifts}. Then he” or “and after he loaded them with all kinds of valuable things from his master {to use as gifts}, he left {with some other servants} and”. For some languages, it is best to make it explicit here in verse 10 that other servants went with Abraham’s chief servant, rather than have them appear suddenly in verse 32. Do what is best in your language.
24:10 cwi1 וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ אֶל 1 “and made the {long} journey/trip to” or “Then he traveled to”. This was about a 800 kilometer (500 mile) trip and would take camels about seventeen days to complete. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
24:10 in1t אֲרַ֥ם נַֽהֲרַ֖יִם 1 “{the region of} Aram Naharaim,”
24:10 pnrb אֶל עִ֥יר נָחֽוֹר 1 “to Nahor’s city.” or “to the city where Nahor lived.” Nahor lived in the city of Haran (Gen 11:31-32). That information could be put in a footnote. Make sure your translation of this phrase does not sound like Nahor owned the city.
24:11 sqc8 וַיַּבְרֵ֧ךְ הַגְּמַלִּ֛ים מִח֥וּץ לָעִ֖יר 1 “{When they arrived there,} Abraham’s servant had the camels kneel/lie down {to rest} outside the city”
24:11 csy7 אֶל בְּאֵ֣ר הַמָּ֑יִם 1 “near its well” or “by/near the {community/public} well {that was there}”. Each town or city had a well where people from the city came to get their water. See how you translated “well of water” in Gen 21:19. You might need to translate this in a slightly different way here because of the different context.
24:11 qle5 לְעֵ֣ת עֶ֔רֶב 1 “It was evening time,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
24:11 ct2m rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit לְעֵ֖ת צֵ֥את הַשֹּׁאֲבֹֽת 1 “the time when the {young} women {of the city} came out to draw/get water {from the well} {for their families/homes}.” or “when the {young} women {of the city} were starting to come out {to the well} to draw/get water {for their families/homes}.” In that time and culture, there was no running water in homes so people had to come out to the city well to get water for their families.
24:12 jy5x rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּאמַ֓ר 1 “Then Abraham’s servant said/prayed,” Consider what is the best way to begin this paragraph in your language.
24:12 ws5i יְהוָ֗ה 1 “{Dear/Oh} Yahweh,” Consider what is the best way to begin this prayer in your language.
24:12 i0vz אֱלֹהֵי֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֔ם 1 “{who is} the God {who takes care} of my master Abraham,” or “{who is} the God whom my master Abraham worships/serves,”
24:12 hwr0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure הַקְרֵה נָ֥א לְפָנַ֖י הַיּ֑וֹם וַעֲשֵׂה חֶ֕סֶד עִ֖ם אֲדֹנִ֥י אַבְרָהָֽם 1 For some languages it may be clearer and more natural to change the order of the clauses in this sentence and say, “Please be kind/gracious to my master by helping me succeed today.” or “Please show your kindness to my master today by helping me {find a wife/woman for his son to marry}.” Do what is best in your language.
24:13 fd2a rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness הִנֵּ֛ה אָנֹכִ֥י נִצָּ֖ב עַל 1 “Look/See, {here} I am, standing beside/near” or “As you see/know, I am standing {here} beside/near”. Make sure in your translation that what Abraham’s servant says here to Yahweh sounds polite and respectful, not rude, demanding or complaining. Also, he is not telling God something that God did not already know.
24:13 ulm2 עֵ֣ין הַמָּ֑יִם 1 “this spring/well,” or “this spring-fed well,” The phrase “spring of water” (here and in verse 16) refers to the same well that is referred to in verses 11 and 20, which means that this was probably a spring-fed well. Some translation teams use only one term to refer to this spring or well throughout this chapter in order to prevent confusion. Decide what is best in your language.
24:13 awnn וּבְנוֹת֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י הָעִ֔יר 1 “and the daughters of the townspeople” or “and the young women of/from the city”
24:13 jc9y יֹצְאֹ֖ת לִשְׁאֹ֥ב מָֽיִם 1 “are coming out {here} to draw/get water.” See how you translated “draw/get water” in verse 11.
24:14 fw47 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness וְהָיָ֣ה 1 “{Please} make it happen {that}”. Make sure that your translation of the servant’s request to God sounds polite.
24:14 w6tq הַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֹמַ֤ר אֵלֶ֨יהָ֙ 1 “when I say to one of the young women,” The phrase “young woman” is actually a single word in Hebrew (like the old English words “damsel” and “maiden”) and refers to a young woman who is old enough to get married, but has never been married before. Some languages have a single word for this; other languages prefer a phrase.
24:14 qkdm הַטִּי נָ֤א כַדֵּךְ֙ 1 “Please lower your {water} jar/jug/pot”. The water containers that people used were usually made out of clay.
24:14 avo0 וְאֶשְׁתֶּ֔ה 1 “so that I can drink {some water},” or “so that I can have/take a drink {of water},”
24:14 mgn6 וְאָמְרָ֣ה 1 “and/if she says/replies {to me},” or “she will say {to me},”
24:14 ych4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes שְׁתֵ֔ה וְגַם גְּמַלֶּ֖יךָ אַשְׁקֶ֑ה 1 “Have/Take a drink, and I will also draw/get water for your camels”. For some languages it is clearer and more natural to make one or both of the two embedded direct quotes in this verse into indirect quotes. For example you could say, “{Please} make it happen that when I ask one of the young women to lower her jug so that I can have a drink {of water}, she will offer me a drink and will also offer to draw water for my camels.” Do what is best in your language.
24:14 tgbs אֹתָ֤הּ הֹכַ֨חְתָּ֙ 1 “{Then I will know that} she {is the one} you have chosen”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
24:14 hmob לְעַבְדְּךָ֣ לְיִצְחָ֔ק 1 “{as a wife} for your servant Isaac.” or “to be the wife of Isaac who serves you,”
24:14 ys98 וּבָ֣הּ אֵדַ֔ע כִּי עָשִׂ֥יתָ חֶ֖סֶד עִם אֲדֹנִֽי 1 “and that you have been kind/gracious to my master {Abraham}.” See how you translated “show kindness toward” in verse 12.
24:15 b9n9 וַֽיְהִי ה֗וּא טֶרֶם֮ כִּלָּ֣ה לְדַבֵּר֒ 1 “Before Abraham’s servant had {even} finished speaking/praying {to God},” Many translations omit the phrase “Then it happened”, but this phrase emphasizes the events that follow it and adds suspense, so that the audience wonders what the outcome will be. Do what is natural in your language.
24:15 e70q וְהִנֵּ֧ה 1 “just then {he saw}” or “suddenly {he saw}”. This phrase spotlights Rebekah and shows that she is the center of attention. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
24:15 h8p0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-participants רִבְקָ֣ה יֹצֵ֗את 1 “{a young woman named} Rebekah coming out {of the city}”. Consider what is the best way in your language to introduce Rebekah here for the first time in this episode. Some translations use an exclamation mark to help show the excitement.
24:15 mbyu אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֻלְּדָה֙ לִבְתוּאֵ֣ל 1 “She was the daughter of Bethuel,” or “Her father was Bethuel,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
24:15 xu2z בֶּן מִלְכָּ֔ה אֵ֥שֶׁת נָח֖וֹר אֲחִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֑ם 1 “{who was} the son of Milcah and Abraham’s brother Nahor.” or “and his/Bethuel’s parents were Abraham’s brother Nahor and Milcah.”
24:15 fygo rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְכַדָּ֖הּ עַל שִׁכְמָֽהּ 1 “She was carrying her/a water jug on her shoulder.” or “She had her/a water jar/jug on her shoulder.” For some languages it may be more natural to put this clause earlier in this verse and say, “Rebekah was coming out {of the city} with/carrying her/a water jar/jug on her shoulder.” Do what is best in your language.
24:16 zld1 וְהַֽנַּעֲרָ֗ טֹבַ֤ת מַרְאֶה֙ מְאֹ֔ד בְּתוּלָ֕ה 1 “She/Rebekah was a very beautiful unmarried young woman,” See how you translated “young woman” in verses 14 and 15.
24:16 ig54 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א יְדָעָ֑הּ 1 “whom no man had ever slept with.” or “who had never slept with a man.” or “who had never had {marital/sexual} relations with a man.” See how you translated the idiom “not known a man” in Gen 19:8.
24:16 q92s וַתֵּ֣רֶד 1 “She went/walked down”. Notice that the spring or well was at a place that was lower than the place where Abraham’s servant was standing.
24:16 x0t1 הָעַ֔יְנָה 1 “to the spring/well” or “to the spring-fed well,” See how you translated “spring” in verse 13.
24:16 vgr9 וַתְּמַלֵּ֥א כַדָּ֖הּ 1 “filled her jar/jug {with water},”
24:16 vj4l rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַתָּֽעַל 1 “and came/walked {back} up {with/carrying it on her shoulder}.” If it is not clear, you may need to make it explicit in your translation that Rebekah still had the jar with her when she came up from the well or spring, especially since she lowers it from her shoulder in verse 18.
24:17 fsbq הַגְמִיאִ֥ינִי נָ֛א מְעַט מַ֖יִם מִכַּדֵּֽךְ 1 “Please let me have a little water to drink from your jar/jug.” or “Please give me a little drink/water from your jar/jug.”
24:18 x3u8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-honorifics שְׁתֵ֣ה אֲדֹנִ֑י 1 “{Please} have a drink, sir.” or “{Certainly,} sir, {you may} have a drink.” Make sure that Rebekah’s reply is polite and respectful in your language, though the way she addresses Abraham’s servant should not make it sound like she is his slave. Also see how you translated “my lord” in Gen 23:6, 11, 15.
24:18 o34c rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתֹּ֧רֶד כַּדָּ֛הּ עַל יָדָ֖הּ 1 “Then she quickly lowered her jar/jug {from her shoulder} to her hands”
24:20 llu6 וַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתְּעַ֤ר כַּדָּהּ֙ 1 “Then/So she quickly emptied/poured {the rest of the water from} her jar/jug”. See how you translated “Then she hurried and” in verse 18.
24:20 xlk7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown אֶל הַשֹּׁ֔קֶת 1 “into the {animal} {drinking} trough/place {that was there}” or “into the {stone} trough/container/thing {that was there for animals to drink out of}”. The drinking trough was a long, open stone container that several animals could drink from at the same time.
24:21 qhyv rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-participants וְהָאִ֥ישׁ מִשְׁתָּאֵ֖ה לָ֑הּ מַחֲרִ֕ישׁ 1 “Meanwhile the/Abraham’s servant silently watched her/Rebekah {and waited}” or “While she/Rebekah was doing that, the/Abraham’s servant silently watched her”. Starting in verse 21 the Hebrew text takes Rebekah and Laban’s perspective and refers to Abraham’s servant as “the man”. This continues until verse 34, when the servant tells everyone that he is Abraham’s servant. For some languages this is confusing (because it sounds like two different people), so for those languages it is necessary to refer to him as “Abraham’s servant” or “the servant” throughout this chapter.
24:21 mzx4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לָדַ֗עַת הַֽהִצְלִ֧יחַ יְהוָ֛ה דַּרְכּ֖וֹ אִם לֹֽא 1 “to find out whether or not Yahweh had made him successful on his journey/trip {to find a wife for Isaac}.” or “to know/see for sure whether/if Yahweh had given him success on his journey/trip.”
24:22 z0mg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיְהִ֗י כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר כִּלּ֤וּ הַגְּמַלִּים֙ לִשְׁתּ֔וֹת 1 “Finally, when the camels had finished drinking,” or “After {all} the camels had drunk as much water as they wanted {and Rebekah had stopped drawing/fetching water},”
24:22 sg19 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-bweight וַיִּקַּ֤ח הָאִישׁ֙ נֶ֣זֶם זָהָ֔ב בֶּ֖קַע מִשְׁקָל֑וֹ 1 “the/Abraham's servant brought out a gold nose ring weighing one beka {and gave it to Rebekah/her}” or “the/Abraham's servant gave {Rebekah/her} a gold nose ring that weighed one beka”. Many translation teams keep the numbers and the names of weights that are used in the Bible text in their translation, and they may or may not put the modern equivalents in pounds or grams in a footnote. Other teams do the opposite. One beka was about 1/5 of an ounce (5.5 grams), and ten shekels (See below) was about 4 ounces (110 grams).
24:22 szjk וּשְׁנֵ֤י צְמִידִים֙ & זָהָ֖ב 1 “He also gave her two gold bracelets”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
24:22 afe9 עַל יָדֶ֔יהָ 1 “for her wrists”. The Hebrew term is ambiguous here; it can refer to hands, arms or wrists. However in this context, the bracelets would have been put on the arms or the wrists.
24:23 m6vp בַּת מִ֣י אַ֔תְּ הַגִּ֥ידִי נָ֖א לִ֑י 1 “Please tell me who your father {is}.” The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. The phrase “Please tell me” can go: (1) with the previous question; or (2) with the following question. Since Abraham’s servant’s goal is to find a wife for Isaac who is one of Abraham’s relatives, the first interpretation seems most likely.
24:23 t1yc rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns הֲיֵ֧שׁ בֵּית אָבִ֛יךְ מָק֥וֹם 1 “{Also,} is there {enough} room/space at/in his house” or “{Also,} does your father have enough/any room in/at his house”. If you made “your father” explicit in the previous sentence, it may be more natural to refer to him with the pronoun “his” in this sentence.
24:23 pzbr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive לָ֖נוּ 1 “for me and my men”. The pronoun “us” includes other servants who came with Abraham’s chief servant (as verse 32 shows). If your language has inclusive and exclusive forms of this pronoun, you should use the exclusive form here.
24:24 v7bk בַּת בְּתוּאֵ֖ל אָנֹ֑כִי 1 “My father {is} Bethuel,” or “Bethuel {is} my father,” or “My father’s name {is} Bethuel,”
24:24 l5rk בֶּן מִלְכָּ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָלְדָ֖ה לְנָחֽוֹר 1 “{who is} a son of Milcah and Nahor.” or “{and he is} one of Nahor and Milcah’s sons.” or “and his parents are Nahor and Milcah.” Make sure the way you translate this does not sound like Bethuel was the only son of Milcah and Nahor; they had eight sons (Gen 22: 21-22). Also, in some cultures the father’s name is normally given first; in other cultures the mother’s name is normally first.
24:25 pbeh rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו 1 “Then she added/continued,” Some languages leave this quote margin implied here, because the same person is still talking to the same person. Other languages can keep the quote margin (like the Hebrew text does), to emphasize what Rebekah says next. The quote margin may also indicate that Rebekah paused before she said what she says in verse 25.
24:25 wijh גַּם תֶּ֥בֶן גַּם מִסְפּ֖וֹא רַ֣ב עִמָּ֑נוּ 1 “We have plenty of both straw and {other} feed {at our house} {for the/your camels to eat},” The term “fodder” refers to dry feed that is prepared for animals to eat; it can include chopped hay and grains such as oats and barley.
24:25 dj14 גַּם מָק֖וֹם 1 “{and there is} also {enough} room {at/in his/our house} {for all of you}”
24:25 c715 לָלֽוּן 1 “to spend the night {there}.” or “to stay {there} tonight.” See how you translated this in verse 23.
24:26 g67i rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּקֹּ֣ד הָאִ֔ישׁ וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ לַֽיהוָֽה 1 “Then the/Abraham’s servant bowed to the ground and worshiped/thanked Yahweh,” See how you translated “bowed” in Gen 18:2; 19:1. The word “prostrated” means he bowed low to the ground and touched his face or forehead to the ground with outstretched arms, in an act of worship. When combined with “bowed down” as in this verse, it is usually translated as “worshiped”.
24:27 kzzy וַיֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “by saying,” or “He said,” The servant is worshiping God by bowing down and by what he says in verse 27.
24:27 lmcg בָּר֤וּךְ יְהוָה֙ 1 “Praise Yahweh,” or “I praise Yahweh,” See how you translated this in Gen 9:26.
24:27 w2ii אֱלֹהֵי֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֔ם 1 “the God {who takes care} of my master Abraham” or “{who is} the God whom my master Abraham worships/serves”. See how you translated “God of my master Abraham” in verse 12.
24:27 r1xi rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-litotes אֲ֠שֶׁר לֹֽא עָזַ֥ב חַסְדּ֛וֹ וַאֲמִתּ֖וֹ מֵעִ֣ם אֲדֹנִ֑י 1 “He has never stopped being kind and faithful to my master,” or “He has always been kind and faithful to my master,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated “kindness” in verses 12 and 14. The phrase “not abandoned” is a way of emphasizing that Yahweh had always been kind and faithful to Abraham.
24:27 inzl אָנֹכִ֗י בַּדֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ נָחַ֣נִי יְהוָ֔ה 1 “and he has guided me on the road/journey {here}” or “{Yes,} Yahweh/he guided me on the/my journey/trip {here}”. The last part of verse 27 is what Abraham’s servant is praising God for; it is an example of how God has been kind and faithful to Abraham. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
24:27 ddm0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy בֵּ֖ית אֲחֵ֥י אֲדֹנִֽי 1 “{to} the home of my master’s relatives/family!” or “{to} the home where my master’s relatives/family live!” or “to my master’s relatives.”
24:28 easg וַתָּ֨רָץ֙ הַֽנַּעֲרָ֔ 1 “Then Rebekah ran/hurried {home}”. See how you translated “young woman” previously in this chapter, and consider what is the best way to refer to Rebekah here.
24:28 tpgz וַתַּגֵּ֖ד 1 “and reported to” or “and told” or “and shared the news with”
24:29 w36y rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וּלְרִבְקָ֥ה אָ֖ח 1 “Now {it so happened that} Rebekah had a brother” or “Rebekah had a brother”. Laban was Rebekah’s older brother. Some languages have a specific term for “older brother” that fits well here. Also, consider what is the best way to introduce this background information in your language.
24:29 natm rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיָּ֨רָץ לָבָ֧ן 1 “and he ran/hurried/rushed” or “Laban/He ran/hurried” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also consider what is the best way to refer to Laban here in your language.
24:29 awi9 אֶל הָאִ֛ישׁ הַח֖וּצָה אֶל הָעָֽיִן 1 “out to the spring/well where the man/servant was.” or “to where the man/servant was standing beside the spring/well.”
24:30 isaz rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-versebridge וַיְהִ֣י כִּרְאֹ֣ת 1 “This is how it was/happened: When he/Laban had seen” or “As soon as he/Laban had seen”. Verse 30 is a flashback of what had happened before Laban ran to the well (verse 29). Consider what is the best way to express this in your language. For some languages it may be necessary to combine verses 29-30 and put the sentences in the order that things actually happened. For example, “Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban. When he saw the nose ring and the bracelets that she was wearing, and heard her tell what the man had said to her, he hurried out to meet the man. He found/saw him standing with his camels beside the well.” If you do this, you would mark these combined verses as 29-30.
24:30 ez7q אֶת הַנֶּ֗זֶם וְֽאֶת הַצְּמִדִים֮ עַל יְדֵ֣י אֲחֹתוֹ֒ 1 “the nose ring that his sister was wearing and the bracelets on her arms” or “the nose ring and the bracelets that his sister was wearing”. Some languages have a specific term for “younger sister” that fits well here. Also see how you translated “nose ring” and “bracelets” in verse 22.
24:30 xs19 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations וּכְשָׁמְע֗וֹ אֶת דִּבְרֵ֞י רִבְקָ֤ה אֲחֹתוֹ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּֽה דִבֶּ֥ר אֵלַ֖י הָאִ֑ישׁ 1 “and had heard her announce/tell/report what the man {at the well} had said to her,” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to use a direct quote or indirect quote here. If you want to make it clear who “the man” refers to, you should still translate it generally, for example, “the man {I met at the well}” because when Rebekah said this, she did not yet know who he was.
24:30 d8fj rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיָּבֹא֙ אֶל הָאִ֔ישׁ 1 “he went {out} to {where} the man/servant {was},” or “he went {out} to meet him,”
24:30 uddd וְהִנֵּ֛ה עֹמֵ֥ד 1 “and there he was, standing” or “He found/saw him standing”. The word “behold” emphasizes what follows it. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
24:30 a99n עַל הַגְּמַלִּ֖ים עַל הָעָֽיִן 1 “with {his} camels at/beside the spring/well.” or “beside/near the spring/well with {his} camels.”
24:31 wip5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “Then Laban said {to him},” or “Then Laban said {to the man/servant},” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Laban is the one talking here. Consider whether or not to include whom he is speaking to in this quote margin.
24:31 q7mg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion לָ֤מָּה תַעֲמֹד֙ בַּח֔וּץ 1 “There is no need for you to stand out here.” Laban is being polite here, not accusing or critical. For some languages a rhetorical question does not fit here. Do what is best in your language.
24:31 megh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וְאָנֹכִי֙ פִּנִּ֣יתִי הַבַּ֔יִת 1 “I have gotten our house ready {for you and your men to stay with us}” or “because the house is prepared/ready {for you and your men to lodge/stay there}”. Consider whether or not it is necessary in your translation to make any implied information explicit in this sentence.
24:32 dix2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-go וַיָּבֹ֤א הָאִישׁ֙ הַבַּ֔יְתָה 1 “Then the man/servant went/came home {with Laban}.” or “So Abraham’s servant went/came to Laban’s house.” The Hebrew verb can be translated “went” or “came”, depending on the perspective that is taken. Do what is most natural in your language.
24:32 ib7t וַיְפַתַּ֖ח הַגְּמַלִּ֑ים 1 “{When they arrived there,} Laban unloaded the camels” or “There Laban took the loads off the camels”. The Hebrew text (“he”) is ambiguous here, but since Laban was the host it is most likely that he (or some of his servants) took care of the camels for his guests.
24:32 bzwz וַיִּתֵּ֨ן תֶּ֤בֶן וּמִסְפּוֹא֙ לַגְּמַלִּ֔ים 1 “and he gave straw and {other} feed to them {to eat}.” or “and fed them straw and {other} fodder/feed.” See how you translated “straw and fodder” in verse 25.
24:32 a0rt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וּמַ֨יִם֙ לִרְחֹ֣ץ רַגְלָ֔יו וְרַגְלֵ֥י הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּֽוֹ 1 “{He} also {gave/brought} water to the/Abraham’s servant and the men who {were} with him, to wash {the dust/dirt off} their feet.” or “{He} also {brought} water for the/Abraham’s servant and his men to wash {the road dust/dirt off} their feet.” Make sure your translation does not sound like Abraham’s chief servant washed the feet of the other servants who were with him; each person washed off his own feet. See how you translated “wash {the dust off} your feet” in Gen 19:2.
24:33 k5bb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive ויישם לְפָנָיו֙ לֶאֱכֹ֔ל 1 “Then they served/brought the servant {and his men} some food,” or “After that, {Laban’s family} served/provided them a meal to eat,” Consider whether it is best in your language to use a passive or active construction here.
24:33 nh5b rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ 1 “but the man/servant said {to them},” or “but the man/servant said {to Laban’s family},”
24:33 uwhs לֹ֣א אֹכַ֔ל עַ֥ד אִם דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי דְּבָרָ֑י 1 “I will/must not eat {anything} until I have told you my message.” or “Before I will/can eat {anything}, I need to tell {you} why I am here.”
24:33 l3yy rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness דַּבֵּֽר 1 “{Please} tell {us} {what you have/want to say}.” or “{Go ahead and} tell {us} {your message}.” Make sure the way you translate this sounds polite.
24:34 du15 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּאמַ֑ר 1 “Then/So the man/servant told {them},” Consider again how you referred to “the man” in verses 21, 22, 26, 29-34, and see the note about that at verse 21.
24:35 vm28 וַיִּתֶּן ל֞וֹ צֹ֤אן וּבָקָר֙ 1 “Yahweh has given him {many} sheep and cattle,” This is the beginning of a list of what Yahweh had given Abraham. Consider the most natural way to list items in your language. Also, see how you translated “flocks and herds” in Gen 13:5.
24:35 itd0 וְכֶ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֔ב 1 “{much} silver and gold,” See how you translated “silver and gold” in Gen 13:2.
24:35 zdh6 וַעֲבָדִם֙ וּשְׁפָחֹ֔ת 1 “{many} men and women slaves/servants” or “{many} male and female slaves/servants,” See how you translated this phrase in Gen 20:14.
24:35 m8rb rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown וּגְמַלִּ֖ים וַחֲמֹרִֽים 1 “and {many} camels and donkeys.” See how you translated “donkeys” in Gen 22:3.
24:36 i0d4 וַתֵּ֡לֶד שָׂרָה֩ אֵ֨שֶׁת אֲדֹנִ֥י בֵן֙ לַֽאדֹנִ֔י 1 “Besides that, my master’s wife Sarah bore him a son” or “Also, my master’s wife Sarah gave birth to a son for him”
24:37 y61j וַיַּשְׁבִּעֵ֥נִי אֲדֹנִ֖י 1 “{Before I came here,} my master made/had me vow {to do something for him},” or “{Before I came here,} my master asked me to make an unbreakable promise to him,” See how you translated “swear” in verse 3, and “swore” in verses 7 and 9.
24:37 p6d3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “and he said {to me},” or “He said,” or “This is what he said {to me}:” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
24:37 iobw לֹא תִקַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ לִבְנִ֔י 1 “You must not get/find/choose a wife/woman for my son {to marry}” or “You must not arrange for my son {Isaac} to marry {any of}”. See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 3.
24:37 ywdr מִבְּנוֹת֙ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י 1 “from {among} the Canaanite women” or “{any of} the Canaanite women”
24:37 b049 אָנֹכִ֖י יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּאַרְצֽוֹ 1 “whose land we have been living in” or “whom we live among in this land”. As in verse 3, make sure your translation does not sound like Abraham lived by himself among the Canaanites; his family and servants also lived among them with him.
24:38 gjyw אִם לֹ֧א 1 “Rather/Instead,” Consider whether or not it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here. After you translate a section, it is a good habit to read through it at normal speed as you pay attention to where it is best to begin new sentences so that sentences and paragraphs flow well and it is easy for people to read.
24:38 kiae אֶל בֵּית אָבִ֛י תֵּלֵ֖ךְ 1 “go to my father’s household/family,” or “go to where my father’s family lives,” See how you translated “house of my father” in verse 7.
24:38 y1u6 וְאֶל מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑י 1 “to my {own} relatives,”
24:38 tx7r וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ אִשָּׁ֖ה לִבְנִֽי 1 “and get/find/choose a wife/woman {from among them} for my son {to marry}.”
24:39 ua91 וָאֹמַ֖ר אֶל אֲדֹנִ֑י 1 “So I asked my master,”
24:39 c5j4 הָאִשָּׁ֖ה 1 “the {young} woman {I find/choose}” or “when I find that {young} woman, she”
24:39 xe6y לֹא תֵלֵ֥ךְ & אַחֲרָֽי 1 “does not {want/agree to} come/go {back/home} with me?” or “refuses to come {back} {here} with me?” See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 5.
24:40 t9je rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom יְהוָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר הִתְהַלַּ֣כְתִּי לְפָנָ֗יו 1 “Yahweh, whose presence I walk/live in,” or “Yahweh whom I serve/obey,” See how you translated “walk/live before” in Gen 17:1. This idiom implies that Abraham lived according to God’s will.
24:40 h5z2 יִשְׁלַ֨ח מַלְאָכ֤וֹ 1 “will send one of his angels”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 7.
24:40 yx7b אִתָּךְ֙ 1 “{to go} with you” or “to accompany you”
24:40 j6mg וְהִצְלִ֣יחַ 1 “to make your journey successful,” or “He will make you succeed on your journey,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
24:40 h9kc וְלָקַחְתָּ֤ אִשָּׁה֙ לִבְנִ֔י מִמִּשְׁפַּחְתִּ֖י 1 “so that you will/can get/find/choose a wife for my son from {among} my relatives,” or “so that you can arrange for my son to marry a woman who is one of my relatives,” See how you translated “clan” in verse 38, and consider again how you translated “take a wife for my son” in verses 3, 4, 7, 37-38.
24:40 cmgn וּמִבֵּ֥ית אָבִֽי 1 “{someone} {who is} from my father’s family.” See how you translated “house of my father” in verse 38.
24:41 o0q5 אָ֤ז 1 “At that/this time” or “But if this happens,” or “There is a situation/circumstance when”. The word “Then” is a special Hebrew word that can mean “at that time” and implies here that the servant’s question (in verse 39) is now being addressed specifically.
24:41 po5g תִּנָּקֶה֙ מֵאָ֣לָתִ֔י 1 “you will be released/free from{keeping} the/your oath/vow {you are making} to me:” or “you will not have/need to fulfill the/your vow to me:”
24:41 r5dm כִּ֥י תָב֖וֹא אֶל מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑י וְאִם לֹ֤א יִתְּנוּ֙ לָ֔ךְ 1 “When/After you go to my clan/family {and find a wife/woman for Isaac}, if they are not willing to let her go with you,” or “If you find a wife for Isaac but my family refuses to let the woman {you have found/chosen} leave with you,”
24:41 l25u וְהָיִ֥יתָ נָקִ֖י מֵאָלָתִֽי 1 “you will be released/free from {keeping} the/your oath/vow {that you are making} to me.” or “you will not have/need to keep/fulfill the unbreakable promise {you are making} to me.” See how you translated “clear from” earlier in this verse and in verse 8.
24:42 a11b וָאָבֹ֥א הַיּ֖וֹם אֶל הָעָ֑יִן 1 “Then today when I arrived at {your city’s} spring/well,” or “{Abraham’s servant said/continued,} “Then today when I arrived at {your city’s} spring/well,” Make sure it is clear in your translation that the servant is now talking about himself. He is no longer quoting Abraham (whose words ended in verse 41).
24:42 f4wp אֱלֹהֵי֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֔ם 1 “{who is} the God {who takes care} of my master Abraham,” or “{who is} the God whom my master Abraham serves/worships,” See how you translated this phrase in verse 12.
24:42 e7rf אִם יֶשְׁךָ 1 “if you are willing,” or “if you agree,”
24:42 mkmv נָּא֙ מַצְלִ֣יחַ דַּרְכִּ֔י 1 “please give me success on/during this journey/trip” or “please make me successful on this journey/trip”. See how you translated this clause in verses 21 and 40.
24:42 m2hh אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י הֹלֵ֥ךְ עָלֶֽיהָ 1 “that I have made/undertaken.”
24:43 mjv8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness הִנֵּ֛ה אָנֹכִ֥י נִצָּ֖ב עַל 1 “Look/See, {here} I am, standing beside/near” or “As you see/know, I am standing {here} beside/near”. See how you translated this in verse 13.
24:43 ce1l rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י אֵלֶ֔יהָ הַשְׁקִֽינִי נָ֥א מְעַט מַ֖יִם מִכַּדֵּֽךְ 1 “and I ask her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar/jug,” or “and I ask her to let me drink some water from her {water} jar/jug/pot,” This direct quote is within a direct quote that is within another direct quote. For some languages, it may be clearer or more natural to use an indirect quote here. Decide what is best in your language.
24:44 txkx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וְאָמְרָ֤ה אֵלַי֙ גַּם אַתָּ֣ה שְׁתֵ֔ה וְגַ֥ם לִגְמַלֶּ֖יךָ אֶשְׁאָ֑ב 1 “if she says/replies, “{Yes,} have a drink and I will also draw/get water for your camels,” or “if she gives me a drink and also offers to draw/get water for my camels,” See how you translated the embedded direct quote in verse 43.
24:44 y8uc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit הִ֣וא הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה אֲשֶׁר הֹכִ֥יחַ יְהוָ֖ה לְבֶן אֲדֹנִֽי 1 “{then} {let} her {be} the woman/one whom {you} Yahweh have chosen to be the wife of my master’s son.” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Abraham’s servant is still talking directly to Yahweh in this clause. For example, you could make “you” explicit in this clause.
24:45 j4vo רִבְקָ֤ה יֹצֵאת֙ 1 “Rebekah coming out {of the city}”. See how you translated the first half of verse 15, which is very similar to the first half of verse 45.
24:45 xd9t וְכַדָּ֣הּ עַל שִׁכְמָ֔הּ 1 “carrying/with her {empty} {water} jar/jug on her shoulder.”
24:45 c9mt וַתֵּ֥רֶד הָעַ֖יְנָה וַתִּשְׁאָ֑ב 1 “She walked down to the spring/well and filled up her jar/jug with water,” Consider again how you translated “spring” (verses 13, 16, 29-30, 42-43 and 45) and “well” (verses 11 and 20) in this chapter. Both terms refer to the same source of water. See the note about this at verse 13.
24:45 f15b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וָאֹמַ֥ר אֵלֶ֖יהָ הַשְׁקִ֥ינִי נָֽא 1 “so I said to her, ‘Please let me have a drink.’ ” or “so I asked her, ‘May I please have a drink {of water}?’ ” or “so I asked her to please give me a drink.” Consider what is the best way to translate this embedded quote in your language.
24:46 pk0q וַתְּמַהֵ֗ר וַתּ֤וֹרֶד כַּדָּהּ֙ 1 “She quickly/immediately lowered her jar/jug” or “She quickly/immediately brought her jar/jug down”. Consider again how you translated “jar” in verses 14-18, 20, 43, 45-46.
24:46 zbwm מֵֽעָלֶ֔יהָ 1 “from/off her {shoulder}”
24:46 m6uc rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness וַתֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁתֵ֔ה 1 “and said {to me}, ‘Have/Take a drink,” Make sure Rebekah sounds polite here in your translation.
24:46 ivit וְגַם גְּמַלֶּ֖יךָ אַשְׁקֶ֑ה 1 “and I will also give water to your camels.” or “and I will also draw/get water for your camels.” See how you translated this clause in verse 14. Also see verse 18, which is similar.
24:46 nqly וָאֵ֕שְׁתְּ 1 “So I drank {some water} {from her jar/jug},” or “So I took a drink {from her jar/jug},”
24:46 qkxu וְגַ֥ם הַגְּמַלִּ֖ים הִשְׁקָֽתָה 1 “and she also drew/gave water to my camels.”
24:47 ggw9 בַּת בְּתוּאֵל֙ 1 “{I am} the daughter of Bethuel,” or “My father is Bethuel,” or “My father’s name is Bethuel,” See how you translated this phrase in verse 24.
24:47 v0s4 בֶּן נָח֔וֹר אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָֽלְדָה לּ֖וֹ מִלְכָּ֑ה 1 “{who is} a son of Nahor and {his wife} Milcah.” or “{and he is} one of Nahor and Milcah’s sons.” or “and his parents are Nahor and Milcah.”
24:47 yp77 וָאָשִׂ֤ם הַנֶּ֨זֶם֙ עַל אַפָּ֔הּ וְהַצְּמִידִ֖ים עַל יָדֶֽיהָ 1 “Then/So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms/wrists.” or “After that I gave her a/the nose ring and bracelets to wear.” See how you translated “nose ring”, “bracelets”, and “arms” in verse 22.
24:48 nvge rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וָאֶקֹּ֥ד וָֽאֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה לַיהוָ֑ה וָאֲבָרֵ֗ךְ אֶת יְהוָה֙ 1 “Then/Next I bowed to the ground and worshiped and praised Yahweh,” See how you translated “bowed down and prostrated himself” in verse 26, and see the note about that there.
24:48 wizd אֱלֹהֵי֙ אֲדֹנִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֔ם 1 “the God {who takes care} of my master Abraham,” or “the God whom my master Abraham serves/worships,” See how you translated this phrase in verses 12 and 42.
24:48 vtn2 אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִנְחַ֨נִי֙ 1 “because he led/guided me”
24:48 e19s בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אֱמֶ֔ת 1 “the right way/direction” or “right/exactly where I should go”
24:48 gyfv אֶת בַּת אֲחִ֥י אֲדֹנִ֖י 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “the granddaughter of my master’s brother”, which refers to Nahor's granddaughter. (2) “the daughter of my master’s relative”, which refers to Bethuel's daughter. Abraham’s brother Nahor was the father of Bethuel and the grandfather of Rebekah (Genesis 11:26; 22:20-23).
24:48 jwkn לִבְנֽוֹ 1 “{to be the wife} for my master’s son.” Make sure it is clear in your translation that this refers to Abraham’s son, not Nahor’s or Bethuel’s son.
24:49 n6ri וְ֠עַתָּה אִם יֶשְׁכֶ֨ם 1 “So now/then, if you are willing”. Throughout this verse “you” is plural.
24:49 oour rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit עֹשִׂ֜ים חֶ֧סֶד וֶֽאֱמֶ֛ת אֶת אֲדֹנִ֖י 1 “to {let her come with me, and in that way} show {your} kindness and faithfulness to my master,” or “to be kind and faithful to my master {by sending her with me},” See how you translated “kindness” and “faithfulness” in verse 27. If necessary in your translation, you can make it explicit how they would show kindness and faithfulness to Abraham.
24:49 etr8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure הַגִּ֣ידוּ לִ֑י וְאִם לֹ֕א הַגִּ֣ידוּ לִ֔י 1 “{please} tell me, or if you are not willing, tell me,” It may be clearer or more natural to put this information near the beginning of the sentence and say, “So now, please tell me whether or not you are willing to {let her come with me, and in that way} show {your} kindness and faithfulness to my master,” or “So now, please tell me whether or not you are willing to be kind and faithful to my master {by letting her come with me},” Do what is best in your language.
24:49 rxq4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְאֶפְנֶ֥ה עַל יָמִ֖ין א֥וֹ עַל שְׂמֹֽאל 1 “so that I will/can know/decide which way to turn/go.” or “so that I can decide/know what to do {next}.” Consider whether your language has the same idiom that Hebrew has here, or a similar idiom, with the same meaning, or whether you need to say this without an idiom.
24:50 aqiu מֵיְהוָ֖ה יָצָ֣א הַדָּבָ֑ר 1 “{We can clearly see that} Yahweh has made {all} this happen,” or “{It is clear/obvious that} {all} this is the will of Yahweh,”
24:50 mnf9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-dual לֹ֥א נוּכַ֛ל 1 “{so} it is not our place/right” or “{so} we have no right”. Some languages have a dual pronoun that is used here.
24:50 al8q rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom דַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלֶ֖יךָ רַ֥ע אוֹ טֽוֹב 1 “to tell you anything different {from what he has done/decided}.” or “to say/decide anything against what he has decided.”
24:51 stjs וּתְהִ֤י אִשָּׁה֙ לְבֶן אֲדֹנֶ֔יךָ 1 “so that she will be the wife of your master’s son” or “so that she can marry your master’s son”
24:51 qwll כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָֽה 1 “as Yahweh has guided.” or “just as Yahweh has decided/determined {it should be}.”
24:52 oase וַיְהִ֕י כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁמַ֛ע עֶ֥בֶד אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶת דִּבְרֵיהֶ֑ם 1 “When Abraham’s servant heard what they said,” The phrase “Then it happened” introduces the climax of the chapter, when the servant responds to hearing that Yahweh has fulfilled his prayer to find a wife for Isaac. Do what is natural in your language.
24:52 bfdt rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ אַ֖רְצָה לַֽיהוָֽה 1 “he bowed low to the ground and praised/thanked Yahweh.” See how you translated “bowed down” in verse 48. Notice that here in verse 52, the phrase “to the ground” is explicit and emphasized.
24:53 l9ad וַיּוֹצֵ֨א הָעֶ֜בֶד 1 “Then he brought/took out”
24:53 wbut כְּלֵי כֶ֨סֶף וּכְלֵ֤י זָהָב֙ וּבְגָדִ֔ים וַיִּתֵּ֖ן לְרִבְקָ֑ה 1 “silver and gold jewelry and {other expensive/valuable gifts, including} {beautiful} clothing, and gave them to Rebekah.” or “{expensive/valuable gifts, including} silver and gold jewelry, and {also} {beautiful} clothing, and gave them to Rebekah.”
24:53 maat וּמִ֨גְדָּנֹ֔ת נָתַ֥ן 1 “He {also} gave valuable/expensive gifts”
24:53 y6rd לְאָחִ֖יהָ וּלְאִמָּֽהּ 1 “to her brother and mother.” or “to her mother and brother.”
24:54 v706 וַיֹּאכְל֣וּ וַיִּשְׁתּ֗וּ ה֛וּא וְהָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־עִמּ֖וֹ וַיָּלִ֑ינוּ 1 “Then Abraham’s servant and his men ate {supper} and stayed/slept {there} that night.” See how you translated “lodged” in verses 23, 25, and 31.
24:54 q7tn וַיָּק֣וּמוּ בַבֹּ֔קֶר וַיֹּ֖אמֶר 1 “{Early} the next morning after everyone got/was up, he said {to Rebekah’s family},” or “{Early} the next morning when everyone {in Rebekah’s family} was up, Abraham’s servant said {to them},”
24:54 g7oe rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness שַׁלְּחֻ֥נִי לַֽאדֹנִֽי 1 “{Please} let me/us return {home} {now} to my master.” Make sure that what Abraham’s servant says here sounds polite in your translation, not rude or demanding.
24:55 yfg9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness תֵּשֵׁ֨ב הַנַּעֲרָ֥ אִתָּ֛נוּ 1 “{Please} let the young woman stay/remain {here} with us” or “{Please} let Rebekah stay/remain {here} with us”
24:56 qz8o rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-dual וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ 1 “But the/Abraham’s servant said/responded to them,” Some languages have a dual pronoun that could be used here. However the servant is probably still addressing the whole family.
24:56 rm4v אַל תְּאַחֲר֣וּ אֹתִ֔י וַֽיהוָ֖ה הִצְלִ֣יחַ דַּרְכִּ֑י שַׁלְּח֕וּנִי 1 “{Please} do not detain/delay me. Since Yahweh has made me successful on my journey, send me/us off” or “{Please} do not detain/delay me, now that Yahweh has given me success on my journey. Let me/us leave”. There are two different places where you could begin a new sentence here. Consider what is the most clear and natural way to do this in your language. Also, see how you translated “make my journey succeed” in verse 42.
24:57 oke9 נִקְרָ֣א לַֽנַּעֲרָ֑ 1 “Let’s call/summon Rebekah” or “Let’s ask Rebekah to come here”. Consider again how you translated “young woman” in verses 14-16, 28, 43, 55, and 57, and see the note about this at verse 14. You may need to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
24:57 zk0y rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְנִשְׁאֲלָ֖ה אֶת פִּֽיהָ 1 “and ask her to tell us {what she wants to do}.” or “and ask her what she wants to do.” or “and ask her if she is willing to go now.”
24:58 fccu rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּקְרְא֤וּ לְרִבְקָה֙ 1 “So they called for her” or “So/Then they summoned her”. Consider whether it is better to use a name or a pronoun to refer to Rebekah here in your language, especially considering how you referred to her in verses 53, 55, and 57.
24:59 l9ot rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֛וּ אֶת רִבְקָ֥ה אֲחֹתָ֖ם 1 “So they {agreed/decided to} send their sister Rebekah”. Notice that Rebekah does not actually leave until verse 61. If this is not clear in your translation, you could include the implied information that they agreed or decided to send her with Abraham’s servant.
24:59 st26 וְאֶת מֵנִקְתָּ֑הּ 1 “and her {personal} servant {who had helped raise her},” The term “nurse” refers here to a servant woman who probably nursed Rebekah as a baby, took care of her as she was growing up, and still served her now.
24:60 itbw וַיְבָרֲכ֤וּ אֶת רִבְקָה֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ לָ֔הּ 1 “They blessed Rebekah by saying to her,” Make sure your translation of “blessed...and said” refers to the same event, not two separate events.
24:60 thpj אֲחֹתֵ֕נוּ 1 “{Dear} {little} sister,” This is a term of endearment that family members used to refer to Rebekah even though she was not the actual sister of all of them. This practice is common in many cultures. Do what is natural in your language.
24:60 xde8 אַ֥תְּ הֲיִ֖י 1 “may you become {the mother/ancestor of}” or “we pray that you will have” or “we pray that God will give you”
24:60 njdw לְאַלְפֵ֣י רְבָבָ֑ה 1 “thousands and thousands {of descendants},” or “countless/many thousands {of descendants},”
24:60 v0h9 וְיִירַ֣שׁ זַרְעֵ֔ךְ 1 “and we pray that your/those descendants will conquer/defeat” or “and we pray that God will help them conquer/defeat”
24:60 tvnp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy אֵ֖ת שַׁ֥עַר שֹׂנְאָֽיו 1 “the cities of {all} their enemies!” or “{all} their enemies and rule over them!” See how you translated the phrase “possess the gates” in Gen 22:17.
24:61 oczw וַתָּ֨קָם רִבְקָ֜ה וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֗יהָ 1 “Then Rebekah and her maids/servants {who were going with her} got ready {to go}, and” or “After Rebekah and her maids/servants {who were going with her} packed their things,”
24:61 ubmr וַתִּרְכַּ֨בְנָה֙ עַל הַגְּמַלִּ֔ים 1 “they got up on the camels {they were going to ride}”
24:61 aunz וַתֵּלַ֖כְנָה אַחֲרֵ֣י הָאִ֑ישׁ 1 “and went with Abraham’s servant.” Consider again how you translated “the man” in verses 21, 22, 26, 29, 30, 32, 61. See the note about this at verse 21.
24:61 susk וַיִּקַּ֥ח הָעֶ֛בֶד אֶת רִבְקָ֖ה 1 “So the/Abraham’s servant took Rebekah {with him}” or “So he took her {with him}”
24:61 jk9n וַיֵּלַֽךְ 1 “and left {to return home}.” or “and started the journey {back} home.”
24:62 ydke וְיִצְחָק֙ בָּ֣א מִבּ֔וֹא 1 “Meanwhile Isaac returned {home} from visiting” or “{While they were traveling,} Isaac returned {home} from a trip/visit {he had made} to”
24:62 u4oo rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names בְּאֵ֥ר לַחַ֖י רֹאִ֑י 1 “{the place/well called} Beer Lahai Roi”. See how you translated the name of this place in Gen 16:14.
24:62 wadh וְה֥וּא יוֹשֵׁ֖ב 1 “{At that time} he was living” or “and/so he was {back home} where he lived”
24:62 bbo8 בְּאֶ֥רֶץ הַנֶּֽגֶב 1 “in the Negev {Wilderness/Desert} region/area.” or “in the Negev {Wilderness/Desert}.” See how you translated “the land of the Negev” in Gen 20:1, and “the Negev” in Gen 12:9; 13:1, 3.
24:63 zzgh וַיֵּצֵ֥א יִצְחָ֛ק לָשׂ֥וּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה 1 “{One day} Isaac/he went out in/to the field/countryside to meditate/pray” or “{After Isaac/he had returned home, one day} he was meditating/praying out in the fields/countryside”. What Isaac does in verse 63 happened sometime after he returned from Beer Lahai Roi, but the Hebrew text does not say exactly when. So introduce this new event in a general way that is not too specific.
24:63 j9u1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לִפְנ֣וֹת עָ֑רֶב 1 “as it was becoming evening/dusk” or “late in the afternoon”. For some languages it is more natural to put this time phrase earlier in this sentence and say, “{One day} as it was becoming evening, Isaac/he went...” or “One evening, Isaac/he went...” Do what is best in your language.
24:63 ihv0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ 1 “{As he was praying,} he looked up”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
24:65 oiy6 מִֽי הָאִ֤ישׁ הַלָּזֶה֙ הַהֹלֵ֤ךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה֙ לִקְרָאתֵ֔נוּ 1 “Who {is} that man in the field who is walking {this way} to greet us?” or “Who {is} that man walking towards us in the field?”
24:65 w0yx וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הָעֶ֖בֶד ה֣וּא אֲדֹנִ֑י 1 “The servant answered {her}, “He {is} my master {Isaac}.” ” Abraham and Isaac were both the servant’s masters, especially since Abraham had already given Isaac all of his possessions (verse 36), which included his servants. Consider again how you translated “master/owner” throughout chapter 24.
24:65 u0fn rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַתִּקַּ֥ח הַצָּעִ֖יף וַתִּתְכָּֽס 1 “So she took the/her veil and covered her face with it {to show modesty}.” or “So she covered herself with a/her veil {to show modesty}.” In that culture a bride-to-be wore a large veil to cover her entire body, especially her face, to show modesty and submission to her husband.
24:66 m7o2 וַיְסַפֵּ֥ר הָעֶ֖בֶד לְיִצְחָ֑ק 1 “Then the servant told Isaac” or “{When they reached Isaac,} the servant told him”
24:66 nr4w אֵ֥ת כָּל הַדְּבָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה 1 “everything/all that he had done {on/during the journey/trip}.” or “everything/all that had happened {on/during his journey}.”
24:67 i3w0 וַיְבִאֶ֣הָ יִצְחָ֗ק 1 “Then/So Isaac brought/took Rebekah”
24:67 bmk4 הָאֹ֨הֱלָה֙ שָׂרָ֣ה אִמּ֔וֹ 1 “into the tent where his mother Sarah had lived {before she died},” Make sure your translation of this phrase does not sound like Sarah still lived there; she had died three years previously (Gen 23:1-2).
24:67 ed84 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַיִּנָּחֵ֥ם 1 “and he was consoled {by her}” or “and he was happy again” or “and she made him happy again”
24:67 xqch rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אַחֲרֵ֥י אִמּֽוֹ 1 “after {mourning for} his mother {who had died}.” or “after {the sadness of} his mother’s {death}.” Make sure it is clear in your translation here why Isaac needed comforting.
25:1 midz וַיֹּ֧סֶף אַבְרָהָ֛ם וַיִּקַּ֥ח אִשָּׁ֖ה וּשְׁמָ֥הּ קְטוּרָֽה 1 “Then Abraham married another wife/woman, who was named Keturah.” or “Then Abraham got married again, and his wife’s name {was} Keturah.” Abraham probably married Keturah after Sarah died (Gen 23:1-2) and after Isaac married Rebekah (Gen 24:67). Make sure your translation of this verse does not sound like Abraham had two wives named Keturah.
25:2 qyyg וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֗וֹ 1 “She/Keturah gave birth to sons for him/Abraham {whose names were}” or “She bore/had {sons} for/with him {whom they named}” or “They had sons together {whom they named}”. See how you translated “bore for him” in Gen 21:3; 24:47.
25:2 hpt0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֶת זִמְרָן֙ וְאֶת יָקְשָׁ֔ן וְאֶת מְדָ֖ן וְאֶת מִדְיָ֑ן וְאֶת יִשְׁבָּ֖ק וְאֶת שֽׁוּחַ 1 “Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.” See how you used commas and conjunctions in similar lists of names in Gen 22:22, 24.
25:3 lxod rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֶת שְׁבָ֖א וְאֶת דְּדָ֑ן 1 “{sons named} Sheba and Dedan.” or “{sons whom they named} Sheba and Dedan.”
25:3 n1zj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וּבְנֵ֣י דְדָ֔ן הָי֛וּ אַשּׁוּרִ֥ם וּלְטוּשִׁ֖ים וּלְאֻמִּֽים 1 “Dedan’s descendants were/became {people/ethnic groups named} the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites.” See how you translated the names of people groups in Gen 10:4, 13-14, 16-18, and see the note about that at 10:4.
25:4 fzu6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases עֵיפָ֤ה וָעֵ֨פֶר֙ וַחֲנֹ֔ךְ וַאֲבִידָ֖ע וְאֶלְדָּעָ֑ה 1 “Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah.” Consider what is the best way to connect the names in this list in your language.
25:4 zpdj כָּל אֵ֖לֶּה בְּנֵ֥י קְטוּרָֽה 1 “All of those {were} Keturah’s descendants {whom she had with Abraham}.” or “All those {were} the descendants of Keturah {and Abraham}.” This phrase refers back to all the people listed in verses 2-4, which includes Keturah’s six sons, seven grandsons and three great grandsons. Make sure you spelled “Keturah” consistently in verses 1-4.
25:5 cgzs וַיִּתֵּ֧ן אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר ל֖וֹ לְיִצְחָֽק 1 “Abraham left/willed everything that he owned to Isaac.” or “And Isaac inherited all/everything that Abraham owned/possessed.” Some languages have a specific word such as “left” or “willed” that means to give something as an inheritance. In that time and culture, a father would give his children their inheritance before he died.
25:6 vn52 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְלִבְנֵ֤י הַפִּֽילַגְשִׁים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאַבְרָהָ֔ם נָתַ֥ן אַבְרָהָ֖ם מַתָּנֹ֑ת 1 “Abraham/He also gave {valuable} gifts to the sons he had with his concubines,” or “Abraham/He also gave (valuable gifts) to the sons that his servant wives had {for/with him},” See how you translated “concubine” in Gen 22:24. The word “gifts” in this clause is very general and can include domestic animals, servants, gold, silver, and other things.
25:6 bsqq rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵ֞ם & בְּעוֹדֶ֣נּוּ חַ֔י קֵ֖דְמָה אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ קֶֽדֶם 1 “then while he was still alive he sent them eastward to the land/region in the East” or “and/but after that he sent them to the east country” or “and/but after that he made them move away to the east country”. The Hebrew word “Kedem” means “east” and refers to the region east of Canaan and the Dead Sea. Consider whether it is best in your language to transliterate (copy) the Hebrew name or to translate the meaning.
25:6 w2ek rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit מֵעַ֨ל יִצְחָ֤ק בְּנוֹ֙ 1 “{to be/live} {far} away from his son Isaac.” or “{so that they would live/be} {far} away from his son Isaac.”
25:7 g7ic וְאֵ֗לֶּה יְמֵ֛י שְׁנֵֽי חַיֵּ֥י אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֲשֶׁר חָ֑י מְאַ֥ת שָׁנָ֛ה וְשִׁבְעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְחָמֵ֥שׁ שָׁנִֽים 1 “The length of Abraham’s life that he lived was 175 years.” or “Abraham lived a total of 175 years.” or “Abraham lived to be 175 years old.”
25:8 spt5 וַיִּגְוַ֨ע & אַבְרָהָ֛ם 1 “Then Abraham/he breathed out {for the last time}” or “Then he breathed/took his last/final breath”
25:8 otow וַיָּ֧מָת & בְּשֵׂיבָ֥ה טוֹבָ֖ה 1 “and died at a ripe/very old age,” or “and died when he was very old,”
25:8 x9ao rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom זָקֵ֣ן וְשָׂבֵ֑עַ 1 “an elderly/old man who had lived a full life, and” or “After he had lived a long and satisfying/blessed life,” The idiom “full” refers to a long life that was blessed by God. Consider what is the best way to translate this idiom in your language. Also consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
25:8 uf1c rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַיֵּאָ֖סֶף אֶל 1 “he was gathered/taken {by God} to be with” or “{God} took his spirit to be with” or “he joined”. The phrase “gathered to his people” is a euphemism that refers to dying but also implies that God took his spirit to be with his ancestors who had already died. It is best to translate this phrase fairly literally since it teaches about life after death.
25:8 z547 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit עַמָּֽיו 1 “his ancestors/relatives {who had already died}.” or “his ancestors/relatives {who had gone/died before him}.” or “his {deceased} ancestors/relatives.” Make sure your translation of this phrase does not sound like these ancestors were still alive. They had already died before Abraham died.
25:9 u4fz אֶל מְעָרַ֖ת הַמַּכְפֵּלָ֑ה 1 “in the cave of/in the Machpelah {area}”. See how you translated this phrase in Gen 23:9, and see the note about that there. Also see how you translated similar phrases in Gen 23:17, 19.
25:9 qu8c אֶל שְׂדֵ֞ה עֶפְרֹ֤ן בֶּן צֹ֨חַר֙ הַֽחִתִּ֔י 1 “{which was} in the field that had belonged to Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite,” Ephron no longer owned the field (See: verse 10).
25:9 bi8r rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל פְּנֵ֥י מַמְרֵֽא 1 “east of {the city of} Mamre.” or “near {the city of} Mamre.” For some languages it is clearer or more natural to put this phrase earlier in this verse. Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated “before Mamre” in Gen 23:17, 19.
25:10 e7at הַשָּׂדֶ֛ה אֲשֶׁר קָנָ֥ה אַבְרָהָ֖ם 1 “{That is} the {same} field that Abraham had bought”
25:10 ekpo מֵאֵ֣ת בְּנֵי חֵ֑ת 1 “from the Hittites.” The Hebrew text has two different ways to refer to the Hittites; compare the phrase here with verse 9 where a single Hebrew word is used to refer to this people group. See how you translated “the sons of Heth” in Gen 23:20.
25:10 l4kk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit שָׁ֛מָּה קֻבַּ֥ר אַבְרָהָ֖ם וְשָׂרָ֥ה אִשְׁתּֽוֹ 1 “Abraham was buried in that cave, where his wife Sarah had also been buried.” or “That is {the cave} where his/Abraham’s sons buried/put/placed his body next to {the body of} his wife Sarah {whom he had buried there before}.” or “That is where Sarah had been buried, and they buried Abraham {next to her}.” Abraham had already buried Sarah’s body in the cave (Gen 23:19). Make sure your translation of this sentence does not sound like Sarah was buried there a second time.
25:11 sza5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-order וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֑וֹ 1 “God blessed his son Isaac”. Use the phrase order in your language that is most natural in this context.
25:11 l10e וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב יִצְחָ֔ק עִם 1 “who lived/settled near” or “Isaac lived {in the region} near”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
25:11 uedu rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names בְּאֵ֥ר לַחַ֖י רֹאִֽי 1 “{the place/well called} Beer Lahai Roi.” Be consistent here with how you spelled “Beer Lahai Roi” in Gen 24:62.
25:12 d20j rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וְאֵ֛לֶּה תֹּלְדֹ֥ת 1 “This/Here {is} the genealogy/family-line of” or “This/Here {is} the list/record of the descendants of” or “What follows {is} the/a record of the descendants of”. Consider what is the best way in your language to introduce the new topic that begins here. See how you translated this clause in Gen 11:10.
25:12 kbl8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-order אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָלְדָ֜ה הָגָ֧ר הַמִּצְרִ֛ית שִׁפְחַ֥ת שָׂרָ֖ה לְאַבְרָהָֽם 1 “whom Sarah’s Egyptian maidservant Hagar gave birth to for Abraham.” or “whom Abraham had with Sarah’s Egyptian slave woman Hagar.”
25:13 vmok וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמוֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל 1 “These/Here {are} the names of Ishmael’s sons,” or “Here {is} {a list/record of} the names of Ishmael’s sons,”
25:13 ocpk rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names בְּכֹ֤ר יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ נְבָיֹ֔ת 1 “His oldest {son/child} {was} Nebaioth,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
25:13 twvo וְקֵדָ֥ר וְאַדְבְּאֵ֖ל וּמִבְשָֽׂם 1 “followed by Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,” or “After him came Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
25:15 r03w rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases חֲדַ֣ד וְתֵימָ֔א יְט֥וּר נָפִ֖ישׁ וָקֵֽדְמָה 1 “Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedermah.” See how you translated a similar list of names in verses 2-4.
25:16 jzrq וְאֵ֣לֶּה שְׁמֹתָ֔ם בְּחַצְרֵיהֶ֖ם וּבְטִֽירֹתָ֑ם שְׁנֵים עָשָׂ֥ר נְשִׂיאִ֖ם לְאֻמֹּתָֽם 1 “who became the rulers/leaders of twelve tribes that were named after them, and each tribe lived in its {own} settlements/towns and camps/villages.” or “Each of them became the ruler/leader of a tribe that was named after him, and each tribe had its own towns/villages and {tent} camps/settlements.” The Hebrew words for “settlements” and “camps” overlap in meaning. Both refer to temporary or permanent places where people settled, surrounded by some sort of wall or fence. Also, many translations have “princes” here instead of “rulers,” but these Ishmaelite rulers were not actually sons of a king. See how you translated “rulers” in Gen 17:20.
25:17 ywtp וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל מְאַ֥ת שָׁנָ֛ה וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים 1 “The length of Ishmael’s life that he lived was 137 years.” or “Ishmael lived a total of 137 years.” “Ishmael lived to be 137 years old.” See how you translated a similar sentence in verse 7.
25:17 ca85 וַיִּגְוַ֣ע וַיָּ֔מָת 1 “Then he/Ishmael breathed out {for the last time} and died,” or “Then he/Ishmael breathed/took his last/final breath and died,” See how you translated “exhaled” in verse 8.
25:17 msza וַיֵּאָ֖סֶף אֶל 1 “and he was gathered/taken {by God} to be with” or “and {God} took his spirit to be with {the spirits of}” or “and he joined”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 8.
25:17 lgua rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit עַמָּֽיו 1 “his ancestors/relatives {who had already died}.” or “his ancestors/relatives {who had gone/died before him}.” or “his {deceased} ancestors/relatives.”
25:18 w2v5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names מֵֽחֲוִילָ֜ה עַד שׁ֗וּר 1 “{throughout the area that extended} from {the region of} Havilah to {the wilderness/desert of} Shur”. Be consistent here with how you spelled “Havilah” in Gen 2:11; 10:7, 29 and “Shur” in Gen 16:7; 20:1. The name “Shur” means “wall”. The Wilderness of Shur may have been named after a city or fortification named Shur that was located near the eastern border of Egypt (Gen 16:7).
25:18 bm8n אַשּׁ֑וּרָה 1 “to {the city of} Asshur {in Assyria}.” or “in the direction of {the land/country of} Assyria.” Assyria and its capital city Asshur were far east of Shur. Consider again how you spelled “Asshur” in Gen 2:14; 10:11, 22, and 25:3, 18.
25:18 wu16 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom עַל פְּנֵ֥י כָל אֶחָ֖יו נָפָֽל 1 The Hebrew text has an idiom here that is ambiguous in this context. It could mean (1) “He/They lived in hostility toward/against all his/their brothers/relatives.” or “They lived as enemies against all their brothers/relatives.” See how you translated a different idiom in 16:12 that probably has this meaning. (2) “They settled/lived in the presence of all their brothers/relatives.” or “They settled/lived among/near all their brothers/relatives.” (3) “He/Ishmael died in the presence of all his brothers/relatives.” or “He/Ishmael died when all his brothers were still alive.”
25:19 ldvn וְאֵ֛לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֥ת יִצְחָ֖ק בֶּן אַבְרָהָ֑ם 1 “This/Here {is} {more of} the record/history of/about Abraham’s son Isaac and his descendants/family:” or “What follows tells {more} about Abraham’s son Isaac and his descendants/family:” We have already heard about much of Isaac’s history in previous chapters; now we are told even more. See how you translated “these are the generations of” in verse 12 and Gen 6:9.
25:19 dw7d אַבְרָהָ֖ם הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת יִצְחָֽק 1 “{After} Abraham fathered/had {his son} Isaac,” See how you translated “fathered” in verse 3.
25:20 cn5u וַיְהִ֤י יִצְחָק֙ בֶּן אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה בְּקַחְתּ֣וֹ אֶת רִבְקָ֗ה & ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה 1 “Isaac {grew up and} married Rebekah when he was 40 years old.” See how you translated “was a son of...years” in Genesis 21:5.
25:20 bvzb בַּת בְּתוּאֵל֙ הָֽאֲרַמִּ֔י מִפַּדַּ֖ן אֲרָ֑ם 1 “{She/Rebekah was} the/a daughter of Bethuel, {who was} an Aramean from {the land/region of} Paddan Aram,”
25:21 kvb4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיֶּעְתַּ֨ר יִצְחָ֤ק לַֽיהוָה֙ לְנֹ֣כַח אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ כִּ֥י עֲקָרָ֖ה הִ֑וא 1 “Isaac prayed {earnestly} to Yahweh for his wife {to have children} because she {was} barren/infertile.” or “But/However {for many years} Rebekah was not able to become/get pregnant, so Isaac prayed that Yahweh would give her children.” Isaac and Rebekah had been married for almost 20 years and they still had no children. See how you translated “barren” in Gen 11:30. Also, it may be clearer to change the order of the clauses in this sentence to put them in the order in which they happened. Do what is best in your language.
25:21 hevv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַתַּ֖הַר רִבְקָ֥ה אִשְׁתּֽוֹ 1 “so that Rebekah/she became pregnant {with twins}.” For some languages it is clearer to include here the fact that Rebekah was pregnant with two babies, rather than wait until verse 22. Do what is best in your language.
25:22 df89 וַיִּתְרֹֽצֲצ֤וּ הַבָּנִים֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ 1 “And/But the {two} babies inside her kept/started pushing/shoving against each other,” or “After a while the twins wrestled with each other inside her,”
25:22 w08h אִם כֵּ֔ן לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה אָנֹ֑כִי 1 “Why is this happening to me?” or “What is happening inside me?”
25:22 fgoh וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ לִדְרֹ֥שׁ אֶת יְהוָֽה 1 “Then she went/turned to Yahweh to ask him {what was happening}.” or “Then she prayed to Yahweh about it.”
25:23 do4i שְׁנֵ֤י גוֹיִם֙ בְּבִטְנֵ֔ךְ 1 “{The ancestors of} two {future} people groups {are} inside you.” or “Inside you {are} {the ancestors of} two people groups.” or “{The two babies} inside your womb will become {the fathers/ancestors of} two nations.” Many translations put Yahweh’s words in poetry format in this verse. If your translation team decides to do this, look at a Bible version that does this to know where to divide the clauses.
25:23 l1ey וּשְׁנֵ֣י לְאֻמִּ֔ים 1 “Those two people groups” or “Those two ancestors” or “They”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
25:25 xnz0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile וַיֵּצֵ֤א הָרִאשׁוֹן֙ אַדְמוֹנִ֔י כֻּלּ֖וֹ כְּאַדֶּ֣רֶת שֵׂעָ֑ר 1 “When the first one/baby came out, he was covered with thick red hair so that he was as hairy as a fur coat/robe.” or “The first {one/baby} who was born was completely covered with thick red hair.”
25:25 kyoh וַיִּקְרְא֥וּ שְׁמ֖וֹ 1 “So his parents named him” or “So he was called/named”. The Hebrew text has “they” here, which probably refers to Esau’s parents and may include people in general after his parents named him.
25:25 t2t0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names עֵשָֽׂו 1 “Esau, {which means “hairy.”}” Consider whether or not to include the meaning of Esau’s name in the text or in a footnote.
25:26 wm8b יָצָ֣א אָחִ֗יו 1 “his brother was born,” Some languages have a specific term for a younger brother that fits here. See what you did in Gen 4:2.
25:26 lw96 וְיָד֤וֹ אֹחֶ֨זֶת֙ בַּעֲקֵ֣ב עֵשָׂ֔ו 1 “with his hand holding on {tightly} to Esau’s heel.” or “gripping Esau’s heel {tightly} with his hand.”
25:26 hoky וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ 1 “So they called/named him” or “So he was called/named”. See how you translated a similar clause in verse 25 that probably has the same meaning.
25:26 lggz rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names יַעֲקֹ֑ב 1 “Jacob, {which means “heel-grabber.”}” If you decide to include the meaning of Jacob’s name in the text or in a footnote, make sure it matches the way you translate “grabbing” earlier in this sentence.
25:26 uqny rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְיִצְחָ֛ק בֶּן שִׁשִּׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה 1 “Isaac {was} 60 years old”. See how you translated the idiom “was a son of...years” in verse 20.
25:27 q0d8 וַיְהִ֣י עֵשָׂ֗ו אִ֛ישׁ יֹדֵ֥עַ צַ֖יִד 1 “Esau became a skilled/expert hunter,” or “Esau became good at hunting animals {for food},” See how you translated a similar phrase (“mighty hunter”) in Gen 10:9.
25:27 qo31 אִ֣ישׁ שָׂדֶ֑ה 1 “and he enjoyed/preferred {being/working in} the open country,” or “and he was an outdoorsman,”
25:27 nj2e rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast וְיַעֲקֹב֙ אִ֣ישׁ תָּ֔ם 1 “but/whereas Jacob {was} a quiet/mild-mannered man/person” or “Jacob, on the other hand, had a quiet/mild-mannered personality/character”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, make sure that it is clear in your translation that Esau and Jacob are being contrasted.
25:27 t5f0 יֹשֵׁ֖ב אֹהָלִֽים 1 “and stayed/worked close to home.” or “and {liked/preferred} to be/work at/near home.”
25:28 uzdf וַיֶּאֱהַ֥ב יִצְחָ֛ק אֶת עֵשָׂ֖ו 1 “Isaac loved Esau {most},” or “Isaac’s favorite son was Esau,” Your translation should not sound like Isaac and Rebekah did not love both of their sons. Rather, they each had their favorite son.
25:28 dwdz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּי צַ֣יִד בְּפִ֑יו 1 “because he liked to eat the meat of wild animals/deer {that he/Esau hunted},” Make sure your translation of “he liked” refers here to Isaac, not Esau. For some languages it is clearer or more natural to put this clause first in this sentence and say, “Isaac liked to eat wild animal/deer meat, so his favorite son was Esau”. Do what is best your language.
25:28 gbyt וְרִבְקָ֖ה אֹהֶ֥בֶת אֶֽת יַעֲקֹֽב 1 “but/whereas Rebekah loved Jacob {most}.” or “but/whereas Rebekah’s favorite son was Jacob.” See how you translated a similar clause earlier in this verse.
25:29 uzn3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַיָּ֥זֶד יַעֲקֹ֖ב נָזִ֑יד 1 “{Once} Jacob was making/cooking {some} stew/soup,” or “{One day} when Jacob was making {some} stew/soup,” According to verse 34, this stew (or thick soup) was made out of lentils, which are a type of bean; it may also have had pieces of meat in it. Consider what is the best way in your language to introduce the first event in this episode (following the background information in verses 27-28).
25:29 hj1w וַיָּבֹ֥א עֵשָׂ֛ו מִן הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה 1 “Esau came home from {hunting/working out in} the fields/country”. See how you translated “field” in verse 27.
25:29 wxqp וְה֥וּא עָיֵֽף 1 “and he {was/felt} exhausted/weak {from hunger}.” or “and he {was/felt} exhausted/weak {and hungry}.” or “extremely/very tired {and hungry}.” The Hebrew word for “exhausted” means Esau was very tired (perhaps even feeling faint) from his hunting or work, as well as hungry and thirsty from lack of food. Some languages have an idiom for this that fits well here. Do what is best in your language.
25:30 tyd4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר עֵשָׂ֜ו אֶֽל יַעֲקֹ֗ב 1 “So Esau asked Jacob,” or “So Esau requested from Jacob,” Consider what is the best way in your language to translate this quote margin.
25:30 f235 הַלְעִיטֵ֤נִי נָא֙ 1 “Please let me eat/have”
25:30 whmu מִן הָאָדֹ֤ם הָאָדֹם֙ הַזֶּ֔ה 1 “some of that very/dark red stew/soup {you are making}”
25:30 r8j4 כִּ֥י עָיֵ֖ף אָנֹ֑כִי 1 “because I {am/feel} exhausted/weak {from hunger}!” or “because I {am/feel} {hungry and} exhausted/weak!” See how you translated “exhausted” in verse 29.
25:30 u35r עַל כֵּ֥ן 1 “That is why” or “Because he/Esau said that,”
25:30 ems1 קָרָֽא שְׁמ֖וֹ 1 “he/Esau was/is {also} called/nicknamed” or “his/Esau’s nickname was” or “they/people called/nicknamed him”. Frequently in the Hebrew text, this phrase has a general meaning and does not refer to someone specific. Do what is best in your language.
25:30 q10m rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֱדֽוֹם 1 “Edom, {which means “red.”}” You could include the meaning of “Edom” in your translation or in a footnote so that it is clear why Esau was given that name.
25:31 lm42 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֖אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֑ב 1 “But Jacob said/replied {to him},” or “Jacob replied,”
25:31 k63y כַיּ֛וֹם 1 “Today {right now}” or “Right now” or “First”
25:31 r3pd rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit מִכְרָ֥ה & אֶת בְּכֹֽרָתְךָ֖ לִֽי 1 “give your birthright to me in exchange {for some stew/soup}.” or “trade your rights as the firstborn/oldest son to me {for the/some stew/soup,} {then I will give you some}.” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Jacob was offering the stew as payment for Esau’s birthright as the firstborn son. In Hebrew culture the firstborn son inherited twice as much as the rest of the children in the family (Deuteronomy 21:15-17). That information could be put in a footnote so that people understand what Esau was selling for a bowl of stew.
25:32 zepf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole הִנֵּ֛ה אָנֹכִ֥י הוֹלֵ֖ךְ לָמ֑וּת 1 “Look, I am about to die {from hunger}!” or “Look/Listen, {I am so hungry that I feel like} I am about/going to die!” Esau is using hyperbole or exaggeration here to emphasize how hungry he is. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
25:32 hxqu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וְלָמָּה זֶּ֥ה לִ֖י בְּכֹרָֽה 1 “So how will my birthright benefit me {if I die}?” or “So my birthright is of no use/value/benefit to me {right now}!” Esau uses a rhetorical question to emphasize his point about how hungry he is. Consider whether or not a rhetorical question works well here in your language.
25:33 gxm8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit הִשָּׁ֤בְעָה לִּי֙ כַּיּ֔וֹם 1 “{First} make an oath/vow to me today {before God} {that your rights are now mine}!” or “{You must first} vow/promise to me right now {that you sell/give your rights to me}.” See how you translated “swear to me by God” in Gen 21:23.
25:33 d5gk וַיִּשָּׁבַ֖ע ל֑וֹ 1 “So he/Esau swore/vowed to him/Jacob” or “So Esau made an unbreakable promise/vow to him/Jacob”. Make sure the way you translate this clause fits well with what Jacob just said.
25:33 xdmk וַיִּמְכֹּ֥ר אֶת בְּכֹרָת֖וֹ לְיַעֲקֹֽב 1 “that he had sold/traded his rights as the firstborn/oldest son to Jacob/him {for the stew/soup}.” or “that he was selling/giving his firstborn-son-rights to Jacob/him {in exchange for the stew/soup}.” See how you translated “sell your birthright” in verse 31. Also see how Hebrews 12:16 is translated, which refers to the same event.
25:34 jfkm rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown וְיַעֲקֹ֞ב נָתַ֣ן לְעֵשָׂ֗ו לֶ֚חֶם וּנְזִ֣יד עֲדָשִׁ֔ים 1 “Then Jacob gave Esau {some} bread and {some of the} lentil stew/soup,” or “Then Jacob gave Esau {some of the} lentil stew/soup and/with {some} bread,” Consider again how you translated “stew/soup” in verses 29 and 34. Lentils are small, round, flat, reddish-brown legume seeds that grow inside a pod (similar to peas or beans). If lentils are not known in your area, you could describe them as “a type of legume/bean called lentils”.
25:34 l7h8 וַיֹּ֣אכַל וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּ וַיָּ֖קָם וַיֵּלַ֑ךְ 1 “and Esau ate, drank, got/stood up, and left.” or “and Esau {quickly/hurriedly} ate the meal and left.” Consider what is the most natural way to translate this series of actions that happened quickly one after the other and shows how carelessly Esau treated his birthright.
25:34 y8f5 וַיִּ֥בֶז עֵשָׂ֖ו אֶת הַבְּכֹרָֽה 1 “So Esau showed that he did not value his rights as the firstborn/oldest son.” or “In that way, Esau treated his birthright {carelessly/flippantly} as if it had no/little value.” See how you translated “birthright” in verses 31-33.
26:1 zr1w rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַיְהִ֤י 1 “Now there was”. Consider what is the best way in your language to begin this new episode.
26:1 my54 רָעָב֙ 1 “{another} famine” or “{another} extreme/serious shortage/lack of food” or “{another} {time of} extreme/severe food shortage”. See how you translated “famine” in Gen 12:10.
26:1 ltfb מִלְּבַד֙ הָרָעָ֣ב הָרִאשׁ֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָיָ֖ה 1 “in addition to the previous famine/one/shortage that occurred/happened” or “{This was} a different famine/shortage from the one that had happened {years} earlier/before,”
26:1 znvb בִּימֵ֣י אַבְרָהָ֑ם 1 “during Abraham’s lifetime.” or “while Abraham was still alive.”
26:1 oa44 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֵּ֧לֶךְ יִצְחָ֛ק 1 “So Isaac {and his family} went”. In your translation it should not sound like Isaac went alone to the city of Gerar; the rest of his family lived with him.
26:1 io2w אֶל אֲבִימֶּ֥לֶךְ מֶֽלֶךְ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים 1 “{for help} to {King} Abimelech, {who was} the king over the Philistines” or “to {King} Abimelech, who ruled the Philistines, {to ask him for help}.” See how you translated “Philistines” in Gen 10:14; 21:32, 34.
26:1 uz2g rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure גְּרָֽרָה 1 “and {lived} in {the city of} Gerar.” or “{He/Abimelech lived} in {the city of} Gerar.” or “{He/Abimelech ruled} from {the city of} Gerar{, which was the Philistines’ capital city}.” King Abimelech ruled all the Philistines from Gerar, their capital city. Make sure your translation does not sound like the only Philistines he ruled were the ones who lived in Gerar. For some languages it may be clearer to put the location (Gerar) earlier in this sentence and say, “So Isaac went to {the city of} Gerar to {ask for help from} King Abimelech who ruled over the Philistines.” Do what is best in your language. Also, be consistent here with how you translated “{the city of} Gerar” in Gen 10:19; 20:1-2.
26:2 gxel rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֵּרָ֤א אֵלָיו֙ יְהוָ֔ה 1 “Then Yahweh came to Isaac”. See how you translated “appeared” in Gen 12:7. Also consider whether it is more natural in your language to refer to Isaac here with his name or a pronoun.
26:2 d4sf rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֖אמֶר 1 “and said {to him},” or “and told/commanded {him},” Consider what is the best way in your language to translate this quote margin.
26:2 m265 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אַל תֵּרֵ֣ד 1 “Do not go/travel south” or “Do not go/travel”. Egypt was lower in elevation and also south of the land of the Philistines. Many translations leave that information implied. Do what is best in your language.
26:2 ytdn שְׁכֹ֣ן בָּאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֹמַ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ 1 “{but rather} live/stay/reside in the/this land where/wherever I tell you {to live}.” or “{but rather} live where/wherever I tell you to live.”
26:3 esom גּ֚וּר 1 “You must live/stay/reside for a while” or “Live/Stay/Reside temporarily {as a foreigner/outsider}”. See how you translated this term in Gen 12:10 and 19:9. You may need to translate it in slightly different ways, depending on the context.
26:3 rbvm בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את 1 “in this region,”
26:3 a5hr וְאֶֽהְיֶ֥ה עִמְּךָ֖ 1 “and I will stay with you” or “and I will be/stay {right} beside you”. This clause means that God will guide, help, and protect Isaac, and provide for his needs.
26:3 rnp1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-keyterms וַאֲבָרְכֶ֑ךָּ 1 “and prosper you.” or “cause you {and your family} to prosper.”
26:3 dvmh rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases כִּֽי לְךָ֣ וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֗ אֶתֵּן֙ אֶת כָּל הָֽאֲרָצֹ֣ת הָאֵ֔ל 1 “In fact, I will give all the {surrounding} lands/regions to you and your offspring/descendants,” Starting here (through verse 4) Yahweh explains how he will bless Isaac. Begin this sentence in a way that makes that clear in your translation.
26:3 lqx8 וַהֲקִֽמֹתִי֙ 1 “and I will continue to keep/fulfill”
26:3 nxyo אֶת הַשְּׁבֻעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם אָבִֽיךָ 1 “the vow/promise that I made to your father Abraham.” Consider again how you translated “oath” in Gen 24:8. It may be necessary to translate this word differently in different contexts.
26:4 w607 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֤י אֶֽת זַרְעֲךָ֙ כְּכוֹכְבֵ֣י 1 “multiply/increase {the number of} your offspring/descendants {so that they are as numerous/countless} as” or “make your offspring/descendants as numerous/many/countless as” or “give you so many offspring that they will be as numerous as”. See how you translated a similar clause in Gen 22:17.
26:4 ibhs בְזַרְעֲךָ֔ 1 “In fact, through your offspring/descendants” or “And because of your offspring/descendants” or “In fact, by means of your offspring/descendants”. See how you translated this phrase and the following clause in Gen 22:18.
26:4 gsf7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וְהִתְבָּרֲכ֣וּ & כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “all the people/ethnic groups on earth will be blessed {by me},” or “{I} will bless all the people/ethnic groups on the earth,” Consider what is the best way in your language to translate this passive clause.
26:5 yet9 עֵ֕קֶב אֲשֶׁר 1 “{all} because” or “{I will do all that} because”. Verse 5 gives the reason that Yahweh will do everything that he says in verses 3 and 4. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
26:5 wtdv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy שָׁמַ֥ע אַבְרָהָ֖ם בְּקֹלִ֑י 1 “Abraham obeyed me” or “Abraham {always} obeyed/did what I told him”. The phrase “my voice” stands for what Yahweh said to Abraham and also represents Yahweh himself.
26:5 y9qm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism וַיִּשְׁמֹר֙ מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֔י מִצְוֺתַ֖י חֻקּוֹתַ֥י וְתוֹרֹתָֽי 1 “Yes, he kept/obeyed all my requirements, {including} {all} my commands, decrees, and laws.” or “and did everything that I ever commanded {him} {to do}.” This clause is another way of saying “obeyed my voice” in the previous clause, and emphasizes that Abraham always obeyed God in everything. Notice that the terms in this clause have much overlap in meaning.
26:6 mvz1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יִצְחָ֖ק בִּגְרָֽר 1 “So/Then Isaac {did/obeyed what God said/commanded and} stayed/settled {with his family} in {the city of} Gerar.” In your translation it should not sound like Isaac lived alone; the rest of his family lived with him.
26:7 iokv וַֽיִּשְׁאֲל֞וּ אַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמָּקוֹם֙ לְאִשְׁתּ֔וֹ 1 “After a while the men of/from that place/city started asking {Isaac/him} about Rebekah,” or “When the men from there started asking {Isaac/him} about Rebekah,”
26:7 c8jy rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֖אמֶר 1 “he said/replied {to them}” or “he {lied and} told {them}” or “he {deceived them by} saying”
26:7 on1f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֑וא 1 “that she {was} his sister”. Consider whether it is more natural in your language to use a direct quote or an indirect quote here.
26:7 z3c2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations כִּ֤י יָרֵא֙ לֵאמֹ֣ר אִשְׁתִּ֔י 1 “He was afraid to say/admit that she was his wife,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also see how you handled the previous quote in this sentence.
26:7 e48o rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations פֶּן יַֽהַרְגֻ֜נִי אַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמָּקוֹם֙ 1 “He thought that the men of the/that city might kill him” or “He was afraid that the men in that place/city would kill him”. See how you translated “the men of the place” earlier in this verse. Also consider whether it is better in your language to use a direct or indirect quote here, and see what you did earlier in this verse.
26:7 b01d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּֽי טוֹבַ֥ת מַרְאֶ֖ה הִֽיא 1 “because she {is/was} very/so beautiful.” For some languages it may be better to put this clause first in this verse and say, “Now Rebekah {was} very beautiful, so the men in that city started asking {Isaac} about her. Isaac was afraid they might kill him in order to take/have her, so he {lied and} told {them} she {was} his sister.” Do what is best in your language.
26:8 ymwh וַיַּשְׁקֵ֗ף אֲבִימֶ֨לֶךְ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים 1 “Abimelech {who was} king over the Philistines looked down/out” or “the Philistines’ King Abimelech looked down/out” or “King Abimelech looked down/out”
26:8 vhn2 בְּעַ֖ד הַֽחַלּ֑וֹן 1 “from a window {of his house/palace}”
26:8 koto וַיַּ֗רְא וְהִנֵּ֤ה 1 “and saw to his surprise” or “and was surprised to see”. In this context, “behold” means that King Abimelech was surprised at what he saw.
26:8 o4an יִצְחָק֙ מְצַחֵ֔ק אֵ֖ת רִבְקָ֥ה אִשְׁתּֽוֹ 1 “that Isaac was flirting with his wife Rebekah.” or “that Isaac was showing affection to his wife Rebekah.” There is a word play here in Hebrew (since “Isaac” and “laughing” come from the same root word). Isaac may have been laughing or flirting with Rebekah or physically touching her in an affectionate or intimate way, as a husband would do with his wife.
26:9 ziot וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ לְיִצְחָ֗ק 1 “So/Then {King} Abimelech summoned Isaac” or “So/Then {King} Abimelech sent someone to bring Isaac to him”. King Abimelech probably sent a servant to tell Isaac to come talk to him.
26:9 mblv rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ 1 “and said {to him},” or “and scolded {him} {by saying},” Consider what is the best way to translate this quote margin in your language.
26:9 vq6l rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-keyterms אַ֣ךְ הִנֵּ֤ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֙ הִ֔וא 1 “It is clear/obvious that she/Rebekah {is} actually your wife!” The word “behold” emphasizes what follows it. Consider what is the best way in your language to translate this term in this context.
26:9 l4xt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וְאֵ֥יךְ אָמַ֖רְתָּ אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֑וא 1 “So why did you tell us that she {is} your sister?” Consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded direct quote (“She is my sister”) as a direst or indirect quote.
26:9 j573 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ יִצְחָ֔ק 1 “Isaac answered him,” Consider what is the best way in your language to translate this quote margin.
26:9 kge5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes כִּ֣י אָמַ֔רְתִּי פֶּן אָמ֖וּת עָלֶֽיהָ 1 “Because I thought that I might die because of her.” or “{I said that} because I was afraid that someone might kill me in order to take/have her {as a wife}.” Consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote.
26:10 t8xc rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ 1 “Then Abimelech scolded {him} {further},” Consider what is the best way to translate this quote margin in your language to fit this context.
26:10 t0lq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מַה זֹּ֖את עָשִׂ֣יתָ לָּ֑נוּ 1 “Why did you treat us this way?” or “You have treated us very badly!” or “You should not have done this to us!” King Abimelech uses a rhetorical question here to show strong emotion and to emphasize that what Isaac did was wrong and should not have been done. Do what is best in your language.
26:10 wvvu כִּ֠מְעַט & אַחַ֤ד הָעָם֙ 1 “Sooner or later, one of the people/men {whom I rule} could/might have”
26:10 a431 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism שָׁכַ֞ב & אֶת אִשְׁתֶּ֔ךָ 1 “slept with your wife,” or “had {physical/sexual} relations with your wife,” or “committed adultery with your wife,” See how you translated the idiom “lay with” in Gen 19:32-35. It may be necessary to translate this in slightly different ways, depending on the context.
26:10 q591 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive וְהֵבֵאתָ֥ עָלֵ֖ינוּ אָשָֽׁם 1 “and you would have caused us to be guilty {of adultery}!” or “with the result that you would have brought guilt/punishment on us!” The pronoun “us” in this verse refers to King Abimelech and the Philistines whom he ruled; it does not include Isaac.
26:11 z2nk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom הַנֹּגֵ֜עַ בָּאִ֥ישׁ הַזֶּ֛ה וּבְאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת 1 “If anyone harms this man {Isaac} or his wife {in any way}, I will surely/definitely have that person killed/executed!” or “I will surely/definitely execute anyone who harms Isaac or his wife {in any way}!” In this context “touches” is used as an idiom that means “harms {in any way}”. Many languages have a similar idiom that fits well here. Do what is best in your language.
26:12 okdv וַיִּזְרַ֤ע יִצְחָק֙ בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַהִ֔וא 1 “Isaac planted seeds/crops in that area,” To “sow seeds” means to plant seeds by scattering them by hand on the ground. If this method of planting is not known in your language area, you could translate this more generally and say, “planted seeds/crops” or “planted {large} fields”.
26:12 rsw3 וַיִּמְצָ֛א בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה הַהִ֖וא מֵאָ֣ה שְׁעָרִ֑ים 1 “and during that year he gathered/reaped {a huge harvest that was} a hundred times {more than what he had planted}” or “and that year he harvested a very large crop/harvest”
26:12 p8ak וַֽיְבָרֲכֵ֖הוּ יְהוָֽה 1 “because Yahweh blessed him.” or “Yahweh continued to bless him,” Consider whether or not it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here that continues into verse 13.
26:13 ly00 וַיִּגְדַּ֖ל הָאִ֑ישׁ וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ הָלוֹךְ֙ וְגָדֵ֔ל 1 “In that way he/Isaac kept getting more and more wealthy” or “so that he grew/became richer and richer”
26:13 hg95 עַ֥ד כִּֽי גָדַ֖ל מְאֹֽד 1 “until {eventually} he was extremely/very wealthy/rich.”
26:14 avey וַֽיְהִי ל֤וֹ מִקְנֵה צֹאן֙ וּמִקְנֵ֣ה בָקָ֔ר 1 “He had/owned many flocks {of sheep} and herds {of cattle}” or “He had/owned many sheep and cattle”. See how you translated “flocks” and “herds” in Gen 24:35.
26:14 uq3c rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וַעֲבֻדָּ֖ה רַבָּ֑ה 1 “and {he also had/owned} many servants/slaves.” or “He also had/owned many servants/slaves.” The same Hebrew word is used for both “servant” or “slave”. Slaves and servants were owned by their masters but often they were treated as respected members of the family. An example of this was Abraham’s head servant who was sent to find a wife for Isaac (Gen 24). Keep this information in mind as you translate “servants” into your language.
26:14 qv2e rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result וַיְקַנְא֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים 1 “Because of that, the Philistines envied him/Isaac,” or “As a result, the Philistines were envious/jealous of him/Isaac,”
26:15 b9xb וְכָל הַבְּאֵרֹ֗ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר חָֽפְרוּ֙ עַבְדֵ֣י אָבִ֔יו בִּימֵ֖י אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֑יו סִתְּמ֣וּם פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיְמַלְא֖וּם עָפָֽר 1 “and/so they stopped/plugged up all his father Abraham’s wells by filling them with dirt.” or “So they filled up with dirt all the wells that the servants of his father Abraham had dug while he was {still} alive.” or “and/so they filled up all his/Isaac’s wells with dirt {so that no one could use them anymore}. Those were the wells that Abraham’s servants had dug while he was still alive.” See how you translated “well” in Gen 21:30-31.
26:16 z4zj rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ אֶל יִצְחָ֑ק 1 “Then/Finally {King} Abimelech said to Isaac/him,” Consider what is the best way to translate this quote margin in your language.
26:16 b5ab rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-politeness לֵ֚ךְ מֵֽעִמָּ֔נוּ 1 “{Please} move away from us,” or “{We want you to} move {somewhere else} away from us,” Although King Abimelech is asking Isaac to leave, he is still trying to be polite.
26:16 ectv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּֽי עָצַֽמְתָּ מִמֶּ֖נּוּ מְאֹֽד 1 “because you are too powerful for us.” or “because you are so powerful {that you are a threat} to us.” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause first in this quote and say, “You are so powerful that we {are afraid of you and} want you to move away from us.” Do what is best in your language.
26:17 lmkp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ מִשָּׁ֖ם יִצְחָ֑ק 1 “So Isaac moved {away} from {the city of} Gerar {with his family}”. In your translation it should not sound like Isaac moved by himself from the city of Gerar; his family moved with him. See what you did for similar cases in verses 1 and 6.
26:18 jra3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַיָּ֨שָׁב יִצְחָ֜ק וַיַּחְפֹּ֣ר אֶת בְּאֵרֹ֣ת הַמַּ֗יִם אֲשֶׁ֤ר חָֽפְרוּ֙ בִּימֵי֙ אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֔יו 1 “Then Isaac {had his servants} dig the dirt out of the wells that Abraham’s servants had dug and” or “Then Isaac’s servants re-dug his father Abraham’s wells”. Isaac had his servants re-dig the wells; he did not do that work by himself.
26:18 eqvq rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיְסַתְּמ֣וּם פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים אַחֲרֵ֖י מ֣וֹת אַבְרָהָ֑ם 1 “{that} the Philistines had plugged up with dirt after Abraham had died,” or “{that} the Philistines had {just} filled {with dirt},” Be consistent with how you spelled or translated “Philistines” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 10:14; 21:32, 34; 26:1, 8, 14-15, 18.
26:18 h4so וַיִּקְרָ֤א לָהֶן֙ שֵׁמ֔וֹת כַּשֵּׁמֹ֕ת 1 “He/Isaac gave the/those wells the same names” or “He/Isaac named the/those wells with the same names”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
26:18 uecx אֲשֶׁר קָרָ֥א לָהֶ֖ן אָבִֽיו 1 “that his father had named/given them.”
26:19 z3nv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיַּחְפְּר֥וּ עַבְדֵֽי יִצְחָ֖ק בַּנָּ֑חַל 1 “Next Isaac’s servants dug {at/in a new place} in the valley {of Gerar}”
26:19 eibf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּ֨מְצְאוּ שָׁ֔ם בְּאֵ֖ר מַ֥יִם חַיִּֽים 1 “and discovered/struck/reached a source/spring of fresh/flowing water there.” The phrase “living water” is an idiom that means the well was spring fed and was a source of continually flowing, fresh water to drink.
26:20 pv7y וַיָּרִ֜יבוּ רֹעֵ֣י גְרָ֗ר עִם־רֹעֵ֥י יִצְחָ֛ק לֵאמֹ֖ר 1 “But the herdsmen from {the city of} Gerar argued/disputed with Isaac’s herdsmen and said/claimed,”
26:20 i62f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations לָ֣נוּ הַמָּ֑יִם 1 “That water/well is ours!” or “that the water/well belonged to them.” or “that they owned that water/well.” Consider whether it is best in your language to use a direct quote or an indirect quote here.
26:20 opnl rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names עֵ֔שֶׂק 1 “Esek, {which means “dispute/argument,”}” If you include the meaning of this well’s name in your translation text or in a footnote, make sure it fits with how you translate “disputed” in the next clause. This word is different from the word for “quarreled” earlier in verse 20 but it has the same meaning.
26:20 hywb כִּ֥י הִֽתְעַשְּׂק֖וּ עִמּֽוֹ 1 “because they argued with him {about it}.” or “because they disputed/argued with his herdsmen {about it}.” The herdsmen from Gerar disputed with Isaac indirectly (verse 20b) when they quarreled with his herdsmen (verse 20a). Make sure in your translation that the two halves of this verse do not contradict each other.
26:21 ryzw וַיָּרִ֖יבוּ גַּם עָלֶ֑יהָ 1 “but {once again} the herdsmen from Gerar argued/disputed {with them} about that one/well too,” Be consistent here with how you translated “quarreled” in the first part of verse 20.
26:21 prjv וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמָ֖הּ 1 “so he/Isaac named it” or “So he/Isaac named the/that well”
26:21 s7bl rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names שִׂטְנָֽה 1 “Sitnah, {which means “hostility/strife.”}”
26:22 ndq5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיַּעְתֵּ֣ק מִשָּׁ֗ם 1 “Then Isaac {and his family} moved from there”. In your translation it should not sound like Isaac moved by himself.
26:22 ixst וְלֹ֥א רָב֖וּ עָלֶ֑יהָ 1 “but {this time} the herdsmen of/from Gerar did not quarrel/argue about it,” or “{This time} Gerar's herdsmen did not quarrel/argue about it,”
26:22 ekhj וַיִּקְרָ֤א שְׁמָהּ֙ 1 “so he called/named it” or “so he called/named the/that well” or “so he gave it the name”. See how you translated this clause in verses 20 and 21.
26:22 ggt9 רְחֹב֔וֹת 1 “Rehoboth, {which means “space/room,”}” Be consistent here with how you spelled “Rehoboth” in Gen 10:11.
26:22 z2q3 וּפָרִ֥ינוּ בָאָֽרֶץ 1 “so that we will prosper/flourish {here} in the/this land.”
26:23 cbus וַיַּ֥עַל מִשָּׁ֖ם בְּאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע 1 “From there he/Isaac {and his family} went/moved south to {the city of} Beersheba.” or “{One day} he/Isaac {and his family} went/moved from there to {the city of} Beersheba.” The word “up” refers to the fact that Beersheba is higher in elevation from where they were; it is also south in direction. Some translations leave that information implied. Do what is best in your language.
26:24 ro9s וַיֵּרָ֨א אֵלָ֤יו יְהוָה֙ בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַה֔וּא וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “That night Yahweh appeared/came to him and said {to him},” See how you translated “Yahweh appeared to him” in verse 2.
26:24 kaqe אָנֹכִ֕י אֱלֹהֵ֖י אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֑יךָ 1 “I {am} the God whom your father Abraham serves/worships.” or “I {am} the God {who takes care} of your father Abraham.”
26:24 xp88 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אַל תִּירָא֙ כִּֽי אִתְּךָ֣ אָנֹ֔כִי 1 “I {will always be} with you, so do not be afraid.” Some languages can do like the Hebrew text does and put the result clause (“do not be afraid”) before the reason (“I am with you”). Other languages prefer to put the reason before the result. Do what is best in your language.
26:24 k105 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וּבֵֽרַכְתִּ֨יךָ֙ 1 “I will bless/prosper you”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 3.
26:24 n65z וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֣י אֶֽת זַרְעֲךָ֔ 1 “and multiply/increase {the number of} your offspring/descendants” or “and make your offspring/descendants numerous” or “and give you many/countless offspring/descendants”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 4.
26:24 s2lp בַּעֲב֖וּר 1 “because of {my promise/relationship to}” or “just as I promised to” or “in order to keep my promise to”
26:24 hirv אַבְרָהָ֥ם עַבְדִּֽי 1 “my servant Abraham.” or “Abraham who serves me.”
26:25 qm2j וַיִּ֧בֶן שָׁ֣ם מִזְבֵּ֗חַ 1 “Then/So Isaac built an altar there {at Beersheba}”. See how you translated “altar” in Gen 22:9.
26:25 junf וַיִּקְרָא֙ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֔ה 1 “and {offered/burned sacrifices on it to Yahweh as he} worshiped/praised Yahweh/him by name.” Consider again how you translated the idiom “called on the name of Yahweh” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 4:26, 12:8, 13:4, 21:33, 26:25, and see the note about this at 4:26.
26:25 kvmx וַיֶּט שָׁ֖ם אָהֳל֑וֹ 1 “He also set up his tents/camp there,” See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 17.
26:25 lfr5 וַיִּכְרוּ שָׁ֥ם עַבְדֵי יִצְחָ֖ק בְּאֵֽר 1 “and his servants started digging {another} well there {too}.” Notice that they did not finish digging this well until verse 32. Keep that in mind as you translate this clause.
26:26 nte9 וַאֲבִימֶ֕לֶךְ הָלַ֥ךְ אֵלָ֖יו מִגְּרָ֑ר 1 “Then {King} Abimelech came/went to him/Isaac from {the city of} Gerar”
26:26 evv1 וַאֲחֻזַּת֙ מֵֽרֵעֵ֔הוּ 1 “with his adviser Ahuzzath”. King Abimelech’s friend Ahuzzath was probably his adviser.
26:26 kkn7 וּפִיכֹ֖ל שַׂר צְבָאֽוֹ 1 “and Phicol {who was} the commander/leader of his/Abimelech’s army/soldiers.” or “and his army/military commander/captain Phicol.” See how you translated this phrase in Gen 21:22, 32.
26:27 bwup rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מַדּ֖וּעַ בָּאתֶ֣ם אֵלָ֑י 1 “Why did you come here,” or “I don’t understand why you came to see me,” Isaac probably wants to know why King Abimelech and his men are there, but this may also be a rhetorical question that shows his strong emotion.
26:27 mx4e וְאַתֶּם֙ שְׂנֵאתֶ֣ם אֹתִ֔י 1 “{especially} since you have treated me hatefully/meanly” or “{especially} since you have been hateful/unfriendly/hostile toward me”
26:28 m7us rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive רָא֣וֹ רָאִינוּ֮ 1 “It is very obvious/clear to us”. Make sure your translation of the pronoun “we” does not include Isaac here.
26:28 e5ty כִּֽי הָיָ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה עִמָּךְ֒ 1 “that Yahweh is with you {and blessing/prospering you},” See how you translated a similar phrase in verses 3 and 24.
26:28 rfk0 וַנֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “so we said {to each other}” or “so/and we decided”
26:28 f7p3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive תְּהִ֨י נָ֥א אָלָ֛ה בֵּינוֹתֵ֖ינוּ בֵּינֵ֣ינוּ וּבֵינֶ֑ךָ 1 “that there should be an oath/vow between us and you.” or “that we should make a vow with you {to live in peace with one another}.” or “that we should make a vow to each other.” In the Hebrew text, the first “us” in this sentence includes Isaac, but the second “us” excludes him. Notice that in the first two alternate translations, the “us” or the “we” exclude him, but in the third alternate translation, the “we” includes him.
26:28 o3r6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive וְנִכְרְתָ֥ה בְרִ֖ית 1 “So {please} let us make/establish a {peace} treaty/agreement”. See how you translated “cut a covenant” in Gen 21:27, 32. Notice that the pronoun “us” in this phrase either excludes Isaac or includes him, depending on whether you use “with you” or “with each other” for the following phrase.
26:29 x6xs אִם תַּעֲשֵׂ֨ה עִמָּ֜נוּ רָעָ֗ה 1 “that you will never harm us,” Verse 29 specifies the details of the covenant or treaty that they want Isaac to vow or promise.
26:29 xrwr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom כַּאֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א נְגַֽעֲנ֔וּךָ 1 “just as we never harmed you {in any way},” See how you translated “touch” or “harm” in verse 11.
26:29 noji אַתָּ֥ה עַתָּ֖ה בְּר֥וּךְ יְהוָֽה 1 “Now {because of that,} Yahweh has {greatly} blessed/prospered you.” or “{As a result,} Yahweh has now {greatly} blessed/prospered you.”
26:30 upgd וַיַּ֤עַשׂ לָהֶם֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה 1 “Then Isaac prepared a feast,”
26:30 ncvw וַיֹּאכְל֖וּ וַיִּשְׁתּֽוּ 1 “and they {all} ate and drank {together}.” In your translation it should not sound like the feast was only for King Abimelech and his men; Isaac ate with them.
26:31 ovmw וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ בַבֹּ֔קֶר 1 “Early the next morning they got up”. See how you translated “got up early in the morning” in Gen 20:8; 21:14, 22:3.
26:31 e434 וַיִּשָּׁבְע֖וּ אִ֣ישׁ לְאָחִ֑יו 1 “made unbreakable oaths/promises to each other {to keep their covenant/treaty}.” or “and made vows/oaths to one another {that they would keep their treaty/agreement}.” See how you translated “swore” in Gen 25:33. Also, if you make the implied information explicit, it should match the way you translate “covenant” or “treaty” in verse 28.
26:31 dqn2 וַיְשַׁלְּחֵ֣ם יִצְחָ֔ק 1 “Then Isaac said goodbye to them,” or “Then Isaac told them goodbye,”
26:31 fbfb וַיֵּלְכ֥וּ מֵאִתּ֖וֹ בְּשָׁלֽוֹם 1 “and they went home from him in peace.” or “and they left him on peaceful terms and went/returned home.”
26:32 c721 וַיְהִ֣י בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא 1 “On that {same} day” or “{Later} that {same} day”
26:32 h1e9 וַיָּבֹ֨אוּ֙ עַבְדֵ֣י יִצְחָ֔ק וַיַּגִּ֣דוּ ל֔וֹ 1 “Isaac’s servants came {to him} to tell/inform him”
26:32 n9yf עַל אֹד֥וֹת הַבְּאֵ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָפָ֑רוּ 1 “about the well that they had been digging”. This is the same well that Isaac’s servants started digging in verse 25.
26:32 yrmy rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמְרוּ ל֖וֹ 1 “and announced,” Consider what is the best way to translate this quote margin in your language.
26:33 ksjm rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֹתָ֖הּ שִׁבְעָ֑ה 1 “So Isaac named the well Shibah/Shebah, {which means “oath/vow.”}” The name of this well can be spelled “Shibah” or “Shebah.”
26:33 rlw9 שֵׁם הָעִיר֙ בְּאֵ֣ר שֶׁ֔בַע עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה 1 “{even} today the name of that city {is} still Beersheba, {which means “well of the oath/vow.”}” See how you translated “Beersheba” and its meaning in Gen 21:31.
26:34 xghn וַיְהִ֤י עֵשָׂו֙ בֶּן אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה 1 “Now Esau was 40 years old, and” or “When Esau was forty years old,” Consider again how you translated “a son of...years” in the book of Genesis. See 5:32; 11:10; 12:4; 16:16; 17:1, 17, 24-25; 25:20-21 and 26:34.
26:34 wv0p וַיִּקַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ אֶת יְהוּדִ֔ית בַּת בְּאֵרִ֖י הַֽחִתִּ֑י וְאֶת בָּ֣שְׂמַ֔ת בַּת אֵילֹ֖ן הַֽחִתִּֽי 1 “he married {a woman named} Judith, {who was} the/a daughter of a Hittite {man} named Beeri, and {he also married} {a woman named} Basemath, {who was} the/a daughter of a Hittite {man} named Elon.” or “he married {two} Hittite women: Judith, whose father was Beeri, and Basemath, whose father was Elon.” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Basemath was Esau’s second wife, not Beeri’s wife.
26:35 hack rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַתִּהְיֶ֖יןָ מֹ֣רַת ר֑וּחַ לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּלְרִבְקָֽה 1 “Those {foreign} women caused Isaac and Rebekah to be very distressed/upset.” or “Isaac and Rebekah were very distressed/upset that their son had married foreign women {rather than a woman from their own religion and people group}.”
27:1 omqk rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַיְהִי֙ כִּֽי 1 “One day when” or “Now when”. The events in chapter 27 happened about 23 years after the end of chapter 26. Make sure your translation begins this verse in a way that fits with that fact.
27:1 za37 וַתִּכְהֶ֥יןָ עֵינָ֖יו מֵרְאֹ֑ת 1 “and his eyes were so weak that he could not see,” or “and he could no longer see,” or “and he was almost blind,” Isaac was either totally blind or so blind that he could not recognize people anymore (See: verses 18-27, 32-33).
27:1 rtzv rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו 1 “Esau answered him,” or “Esau replied,” Consider what is the best way in your language to translate this quote margin.
27:2 ag4z rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “Then Isaac told {him},” Consider what is the best way in your language to translate this quote margin.
27:2 fkcw זָקַ֑נְתִּי 1 “I am {very} old” or “I am an old man {now}”. See how you translated “old” or “an old man” in verse 1.
27:2 a42u לֹ֥א יָדַ֖עְתִּי י֥וֹם מוֹתִֽי 1 “{and} I do not know when I will die.” or “{and} I might die soon.” or “{and} I might not live much longer.”
27:3 lnze שָׂא נָ֣א כֵלֶ֔יךָ תֶּלְיְךָ֖ וְקַשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ 1 “take/get your hunting gear, your quiver {of arrows}, and your bow,” or “take/get your bow and arrows”. Consider what is the most natural way to refer to a bow and arrows in your language.
27:3 x56a וְצֵא֙ 1 “then go out” or “go out”
27:3 i275 הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה 1 “into/to the fields” or “into/to the open country”. See how you translated “the field” in Gen 25:27.
27:3 lcqx וְצ֥וּדָה לִּ֖י צידה 1 “and hunt/get {some} {wild} animal/deer {meat} for me.” or “and go hunting for me.” See how you translated “game” in Gen 25:28.
27:4 lb4h rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַעֲשֵׂה 1 “Next/Then {use the meat to} cook/make” or “Next/Then {butcher the animal/deer and} cook/make”. For some languages it may be necessary to make explicit more of the steps that Esau needs to take to prepare the meal, so that it does not sound like the animal would be eaten alive or uncooked. Do what is best in your language.
27:4 m687 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche תְּבָרֶכְךָ֥ נַפְשִׁ֖י בְּטֶ֥רֶם אָמֽוּת 1 “I can bless you before I die.” or “before I die I can ask God to bless/prosper you.” Isaac uses the phrase “my soul” to refer to himself.
27:5 iw6n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְרִבְקָ֣ה שֹׁמַ֔עַת בְּדַבֵּ֣ר יִצְחָ֔ק אֶל עֵשָׂ֖ו בְּנ֑וֹ 1 “Rebekah overheard what Isaac said to his/their son Esau.” or “Now while Isaac was speaking to his son Esau, Rebekah was listening/eavesdropping.” The phrase “his son” probably recalls the fact that Esau was Isaac’s favorite son (Gen 25:28). However make sure that your translation of this phrase does not sound like Esau was not also Rebekah’s son.
27:5 bdl8 וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ עֵשָׂו֙ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה לָצ֥וּד צַ֖יִד לְהָבִֽיא 1 “So after Esau went out to the fields/country to hunt/get {wild} animal/deer {meat},” or “So after Esau had left to go hunting in the open country,” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here that continues into verse 6. Also see how you translated “the field” and “hunt game” in verse 3.
27:6 bx0k וְרִבְקָה֙ אָֽמְרָ֔ה אֶל יַעֲקֹ֥ב בְּנָ֖הּ לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “Rebekah/she said to her/their son Jacob,” The phrase “her son” probably recalls the fact that Jacob was Rebekah’s favorite son (Gen 25:28). See how you translated “his son” in verse 5.
27:6 tcc3 הִנֵּ֤ה 1 “Listen,” or “Listen to this:”
27:6 cvsc rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship מְדַבֵּ֛ר אֶל עֵשָׂ֥ו אָחִ֖יךָ לֵאמֹֽר 1 “tell your brother Esau” or “say to your brother Esau,” Some languages have a special term for “older brother” that is used here. Do what is best in your language.
27:7 d0l5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes הָבִ֨יאָה לִּ֥י צַ֛יִד 1 “to bring/get him {some} {wild} animal/deer {meat}”. Consider whether it is best in your language to translate Rebekah’s quote of Isaac in verse 7 as a direct quote or an indirect quote.
27:7 juty וַעֲשֵׂה לִ֥י מַטְעַמִּ֖ים וְאֹכֵ֑לָה 1 “and {use it to} cook a tasty/delicious meal for him to eat.” See how you translated this clause in verse 4.
27:7 bqb7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations וַאֲבָרֶכְכָ֛ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י מוֹתִֽי 1 “Then before he dies, he wants to bless Esau with Yahweh as his witness.” or “Then before he dies, he will ask Yahweh to bless/prosper Esau.” Be consistent in translating the parts of verse 7 as either a direct quote (using first person pronouns) or an indirect quote (using third person pronouns).
27:8 w8zu וְעַתָּ֥ה בְנִ֖י 1 “So then, my son,” or “Now son,” See how you translated “So now” in verse 3. Also, make sure it is clear that Rebekah is no longer quoting Isaac’s words (whether directly or indirectly). If necessary, you could begin this verse with: “Rebekah continued,” or “Then Rebekah said {to Jacob},”
27:8 b2vw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלִ֑י 1 “listen to me” or “listen to what I’m saying”. See how you translated “my voice” in Gen 26:5.
27:8 lusi לַאֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י מְצַוָּ֥ה אֹתָֽךְ 1 “and do what I tell you {to do}.” or “so that you do what I’m telling you.” or “and obey me.”
27:9 lppq לֶךְ נָא֙ אֶל הַצֹּ֔אן 1 “Please go {out} to our flock {of goats}” or “Go to our flock {of goats}”
27:9 n98a וְקַֽח לִ֣י מִשָּׁ֗ם 1 “and bring me” or “and get for me”
27:9 p6eq שְׁנֵ֛י גְּדָיֵ֥י עִזִּ֖ים טֹבִ֑ים 1 “two fine/choice kid/young goats” or “two of the/our best kid/young goats”
27:9 rkva וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂ֨ה אֹתָ֧ם 1 “so that I can {use the meat from them to} prepare/cook” or “I will {use their meat to} cook/make”. Consider whether or not it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here.
27:9 x89y מַטְעַמִּ֛ים לְאָבִ֖יךָ 1 “{some} savory food for your father” or “a tasty/delicious meal for your father”. See how you translated “prepare some tasty food for” in verses 4 and 7.
27:9 yxaa כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָהֵֽב 1 “the kind he likes best/most.” or “{just} the way that he likes it.” See how you translated this phrase in verse 4.
27:10 ymlt וְהֵבֵאתָ֥ לְאָבִ֖יךָ 1 “Then you can take the meal/food to your father”
27:10 u9by וְאָכָ֑ל בַּעֲבֻ֛ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְבָרֶכְךָ֖ לִפְנֵ֥י מוֹתֽוֹ 1 “to eat, so that he will bless you before he dies.” or “so that he will eat {it}, and {then} before he dies, he will ask Yahweh to bless/prosper you.” See how you translated “will bless” in verses 4 and 7.
27:11 msb6 אֶל רִבְקָ֖ה אִמּ֑וֹ 1 “to his mother,” or “to her,”
27:11 r28w הֵ֣ן 1 “Look/Listen,” or “Remember that” or “As you know,”
27:11 d7jp עֵשָׂ֤ו אָחִי֙ 1 “my brother Esau”. See how you translated “brother” in verse 11.
27:11 i1x2 אִ֣ישׁ שָׂעִ֔ר 1 “has hairy skin” or “has a lot of hair on his skin/body”. See how you talked about Esau’s hairy body in Gen 25:25.
27:11 fy4c וְאָנֹכִ֖י אִ֥ישׁ חָלָֽק 1 “but I have smooth/non-hairy skin.” or “but I am not hairy.”
27:12 hr6z אוּלַ֤י 1 “What if” or “What will/would happen if” or “{I am afraid of} what will happen if”
27:12 kr4s יְמֻשֵּׁ֨נִי֙ אָבִ֔י 1 “my father touches/feels my skin/arms”. If this sentence is translated as a statement, you could end it with a period or an exclamation point to show that Jacob is worried.
27:12 yk4h rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo וְהָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינָ֖יו כִּמְתַעְתֵּ֑עַ 1 “{Certainly} he will/would {recognize me and} know/realize that I am trying to deceive/trick him.” Make sure that your translation of verse 12 describes a hypothetical situation, not something that had happened yet. Some languages have a special verb form (such as “would”) to communicate this.
27:12 wq82 וְהֵבֵאתִ֥י עָלַ֛י קְלָלָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א בְרָכָֽה 1 “Then I will/would cause myself to be cursed instead of blessed.” or “Then he will curse me instead of blessing me.”
27:13 sw3k עָלַ֥י קִלְלָתְךָ֖ בְּנִ֑י 1 “My son, {if your father curses you,} may that curse be/fall on me {and not on you}.” or “{If that happens,} may God curse me instead of you, my son.” Make sure that your translation of “your curse” refers to the curse Jacob fears his father might say against him, and does not sound like Jacob cursed someone. Also, for some languages it is more natural to put an address like “my son” first in this quote. Do what is best in your language.
27:14 xp8r rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַתַּ֤עַשׂ אִמּוֹ֙ 1 “Then she {had them butchered and she} prepared/cooked/made” or “Then she {used the butchered meat from the goats to} prepare/cook”. In some languages it is necessary to specify that the animal was killed and cut up before being cooked. Do what is best in your language. See what you did for a similar case in verse 4.
27:15 q7yz אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתָּ֖הּ בַּבָּ֑יִת 1 “that she had in the house”
27:15 iixo וַתַּלְבֵּ֥שׁ אֶֽת יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּנָ֥הּ הַקָּטָֽן 1 “and had her younger son Jacob put them on.” or “and gave them to her younger son Jacob to put on.” Your translation should not sound like Rebekah dressed Jacob herself as if he were a little child. She probably gave him the clothes and asked him to put them on himself.
27:16 bv6u וְאֵ֗ת עֹרֹת֙ גְּדָיֵ֣י הָֽעִזִּ֔ים הִלְבִּ֖ישָׁה עַל יָדָ֑יו וְעַ֖ל 1 “Then she used the goat skins to cover his/Jacob’s arms and”. See how you translated “skins” in Gen 3:21. The skins still had the goat hair or fur on them.
27:16 gced חֶלְקַ֥ת צַוָּארָֽיו 1 “the non-hairy part of his neck.” or “the part of his neck that had no hair {on it}.” See how you translated “smooth” in verse 11.
27:17 xf7r וַתִּתֵּ֧ן אֶת הַמַּטְעַמִּ֛ים וְאֶת הַלֶּ֖חֶם אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑תָה בְּיַ֖ד יַעֲקֹ֥ב בְּנָֽהּ 1 “Then she/Rebekah gave/handed to Jacob/him the tasty/savory goat meat dish and some bread she had baked/made.” or “Then she gave/handed the tasty/delicious food/meal to Jacob/him, including some bread that she had baked/made.”
27:18 jlx7 וַיָּבֹ֥א אֶל אָבִ֖יו 1 “He/Jacob took the meal to his father”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
27:18 g6ty הִנֶּ֔נִּי מִ֥י אַתָּ֖ה בְּנִֽי 1 “Here I am, my son. Who {are} you?” or “Yes? Which {one} of my sons {are} you?” See how you translated “Behold me” in verse 1. It may be necessary to translate this in a different way here because the context is different.
27:19 l516 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֜ב אֶל אָבִ֗יו 1 “Jacob replied/lied to his father,”
27:19 clmd rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms אָנֹכִי֙ עֵשָׂ֣ו בְּכֹרֶ֔ךָ 1 “I {am} Esau, your firstborn/oldest son.” The term “firstborn” is a key term in the Bible because the firstborn son had special rights, including the fact that he inherited his father’s authority and the largest portion of his father’s estate. Jacob is claiming those rights by using this term. See how you translated this term in Gen 25:13.
27:19 vnm1 עָשִׂ֕יתִי כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ אֵלָ֑י 1 “I have done what you told/requested me {to do}.”
27:19 ckg4 קֽוּם נָ֣א שְׁבָ֗ה וְאָכְלָה֙ מִצֵּידִ֔י 1 “{So now,} please sit up and eat some of the game/deer {meat} that I have prepared/cooked {for you},” See how you translated “game {meat}” in verses 3, 5 and 7.
27:19 q51t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche בַּעֲב֖וּר תְּבָרֲכַ֥נִּי נַפְשֶֽׁךָ 1 “so that you can bless me.” See how you translated a similar clause in verse 4.
27:20 jc6p מַה זֶּ֛ה מִהַ֥רְתָּ לִמְצֹ֖א בְּנִ֑י 1 “How were you able to find/get {the deer/animal} so quickly, my son?” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to put the address “my son” first in this quote.
27:20 i5gl כִּ֥י & יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ 1 “{I was successful} because Yahweh, the God you worship/serve,” or “Yahweh, {who is} the God who takes care of you,”
27:20 onx0 הִקְרָ֛ה & לְפָנָֽי 1 “helped me to hunt/find it.” or “helped me to succeed.” or “brought it to me.” See how you translated this clause in Gen 24:12.
27:21 l1al וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יִצְחָק֙ אֶֽל יַעֲקֹ֔ב 1 “Then/But Isaac said to him,”
27:21 w851 גְּשָׁה נָּ֥א וַאֲמֻֽשְׁךָ֖ בְּנִ֑י 1 “Please come close/closer {to me}, my son, so that I can touch/feel you” or “My son, please come here so that I can touch/feel you”. Consider whether it is more natural in your language to put the address “my son” first or earlier in this quote. Also see what you did in verses 13 and 20.
27:21 gb5v הַֽאַתָּ֥ה זֶ֛ה בְּנִ֥י עֵשָׂ֖ו אִם לֹֽא 1 “and make/be sure/certain that you are really my son Esau.” or “{I want to know} {for sure} whether or not you really are my son Esau.” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here.
27:22 tblg וַיִּגַּ֧שׁ יַעֲקֹ֛ב אֶל יִצְחָ֥ק אָבִ֖יו 1 “So/Then Jacob came/stepped close/closer to his father Isaac,”
27:22 g1m1 וַיְמֻשֵּׁ֑הוּ 1 “and his father touched/felt him” or “and his father touched/felt his hands/arms”. See how you translated “touch” or “feel” in verses 12 and 21.
27:22 egzs וְהַיָּדַ֖יִם יְדֵ֥י עֵשָֽׂו 1 “but the/his hands/arms {feel like} Esau’s hands/arms.” or “but he feels like Esau.” In Hebrew, the word for “hand” is the same word as for “arm”. Isaac probably felt Esau’s hands and arms.
27:23 rksk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְלֹ֣א הִכִּיר֔וֹ כִּֽי הָי֣וּ יָדָ֗יו כִּידֵ֛י עֵשָׂ֥ו אָחִ֖יו שְׂעִרֹ֑ת 1 “So Isaac was not able to recognize/identify who he/Jacob was because his/Jacob’s hand/arms were/felt hairy like his brother Esau’s.” or “Since Jacob’s hands/arms were/felt hairy like the hands/arms of his brother Esau, Isaac did not recognize him.” Be consistent here with how you translated “hands” or “arms” in verses 16 and 22. Also consider whether it is more natural in your language to change the original order of clauses in this sentence, as in the second alternate translation above.
27:23 p730 וַֽיְבָרְכֵֽהוּ 1 “Then Isaac was about/prepared to bless him/Jacob,” or “Isaac was getting ready to bless him/Jacob,” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here that continues into verse 24.
27:24 hfhw וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “But {he still was not sure/certain, so} he asked {him},” or “but {first} {he wanted to be completely sure/certain, so} he asked {him},”
27:24 bd4l אַתָּ֥ה זֶ֖ה בְּנִ֣י עֵשָׂ֑ו 1 “Are you really/truly/actually my son Esau?”
27:25 w7ds rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “So Isaac said {to him},” or “So his father said {to him},”
27:25 g2u7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-politeness הַגִּ֤שָׁה לִּי֙ 1 “{Please} bring/serve me {the food/meal}” Your translation of Isaac’s request should sound polite, not rude or demanding. It should also not sound like he was begging or pleading.
27:25 p1h5 וְאֹֽכְלָה֙ מִצֵּ֣יד בְּנִ֔י לְמַ֥עַן תְּבָֽרֶכְךָ֖ נַפְשִׁ֑י 1 “so that I can eat some of your {wild} animal/deer {meat} and bless you.” See how you translated a similar clause in verse 19.
27:25 mns3 וַיַּגֶּשׁ לוֹ֙ וַיֹּאכַ֔ל 1 “Then/So Jacob brought/served {the meal} to his father, and he ate {it}.”
27:25 qy9x וַיָּ֧בֵא ל֦וֹ יַ֖יִן וַיֵּֽשְׁתְּ 1 “Jacob also brought/served him wine, and he drank {it}.” Consider whether or not it is better to begin a new sentence here in your language. Also, see how you translated “wine” in Gen 19:32-35.
27:26 r2g9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו יִצְחָ֣ק אָבִ֑יו 1 “Then his/Jacob’s father said to him,” or “Then Isaac said to him/Jacob,”
27:26 hjsx גְּשָׁה נָּ֥א 1 “Come here” or “Come closer/near {to me}”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 21.
27:26 vy5c וּשְׁקָה לִּ֖י בְּנִֽי 1 It was a Hebrew custom for relatives and close friends to greet each other with a kiss on each cheek. Also consider whether it is more natural in your language to put the address “my son” first in this quote.
27:27 bkqc וַיִּגַּשׁ֙ 1 “So/Then he/Jacob came/stepped close/closer {to his father}”. See how you translated “went close” in verse 22.
27:27 i4z0 וַיָּ֛רַח אֶת רֵ֥יחַ בְּגָדָ֖יו 1 “Then Isaac smelled/recognized the fragrance/scent of Esau’s clothes {that Jacob was wearing}” or “{As he/Jacob did that,} his father smelled/recognized the fragrance/scent of Esau’s clothes”
27:27 lggs רְאֵה֙ רֵ֣יחַ בְּנִ֔י 1 “Ahh, my son smells” or “Ahh, my son, you smell”. Some translations put the words of Isaac’s blessing in poetry format (beginning here and through verse 29). Be consistent here with how your translation team decides to format passages like this.
27:27 jo64 כְּרֵ֣יחַ שָׂדֶ֔ה 1 “{wonderful} like the fragrance of a {green/productive} field” or “{wonderful} the way a {green/productive} field smells”
27:28 dgyi rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וְיִֽתֶּן לְךָ֙ הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים 1 “May God give/provide you {and your descendants}” or “I ask God to provide you {and your descendants}” or “I pray that God will give/provide you {and your descendants}”. In the Hebrew text, “you” is singular in verses 28-29 and refers to both Jacob and his descendants. If necessary, you could make that explicit in your translation.
27:28 ca2c מִטַּל֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּמִשְׁמַנֵּ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “{plenty of} dew/rain from the heavens/sky {for your crops and animals} and riches from the earth/land/soil” or “{plenty of} rain and rich/fertile land/soil,”
27:28 va8w rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וְרֹ֥ב דָּגָ֖ן וְתִירֹֽשׁ 1 “including an abundance of grain/food and wine/drink.” or “so that {you have} abundant harvests/food and {much} wine.”
27:29 mwtq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism יַֽעַבְד֣וּךָ עַמִּ֗ים וְיִֽשְׁתַּחֲו֤וּ לְךָ֙ לְאֻמִּ֔ים 1 “May people groups serve you {and your descendants}, and may they bow down to you {in respect/submission}.” or “I also ask God to cause nations to serve and honor you {and your descendants}.” If possible in your language, it is best to keep both halves of this parallelism, which is used to emphasize what Isaac is saying to Jacob.
27:29 o811 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism וְיִשְׁתַּחֲוּ֥וּ לְךָ֖ בְּנֵ֣י אִמֶּ֑ךָ 1 “Yes, may your mother’s descendants show you complete submission/respect.” or “and they will bow down to you {in submission}.” or “Yes, they {too} will {submit to you and} bow down to you.” This clause is another way of referring to Jacob's authority over Esau and his descendants. Consider again how you translated the singular “you” in verses 28-29. You could use a plural “you” here or you could say “you {and your descendants}”.
27:29 nx79 אֹרְרֶ֣יךָ אָר֔וּר וּֽמְבָרֲכֶ֖יךָ בָּרֽוּךְ 1 “Whoever curses you will be cursed {by God}, and/but whoever blesses you will be blessed {by him}.” or “Whoever curses you {God} will curse, but whoever blesses you {he} will bless.” or “I ask {God} to curse those who curse you, and/but I ask {him} to bless those who bless you.” See how you translated “curse” in Gen 12:3.
27:30 mtk3 וַיְהִ֗י כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר כִּלָּ֣ה יִצְחָק֮ לְבָרֵ֣ךְ אֶֽת יַעֲקֹב֒ 1 “Just as Isaac finished blessing Jacob,” or “As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob,”
27:30 tctn וַיְהִ֗י אַ֣ךְ יָצֹ֤א יָצָא֙ יַעֲקֹ֔ב מֵאֵ֥ת פְּנֵ֖י יִצְחָ֣ק אָבִ֑יו 1 “and right after Jacob had left his father’s presence/tent,” or “and no sooner had Jacob left his father than”
27:30 jeia בָּ֖א מִצֵּידֽוֹ 1 “came back from hunting.” or “returned {home} from hunting.”
27:31 paor וַיַּ֤עַשׂ גַּם הוּא֙ מַטְעַמִּ֔ים 1 “Then he/Esau also prepared/cooked a tasty/delicious meal {with/from the meat he had hunted},” Consider again how you translated “prepared tasty food” in verses 4, 7, 9, 14, 31 and “tasty” in verse 17.
27:31 q82g וַיָּבֵ֖א לְאָבִ֑יו 1 “and he took/carried {it} to his father {Isaac}”
27:31 crso rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאָבִ֗יו 1 “and said to him,” or “and requested,”
27:31 bl51 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness יָקֻ֤ם אָבִי֙ 1 “Father, {please} sit up”. Esau’s request to his father should sound polite in your translation, not rude or demanding.
27:31 i1dj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person וְיֹאכַל֙ מִצֵּ֣יד בְּנ֔וֹ 1 “and eat some of your son’s {wild} animal/deer meat” or “and eat some of my {wild} animal/deer meat”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that Esau is referring to himself in this phrase.
27:31 u4oa בַּעֲב֖וּר תְּבָרֲכַ֥נִּי נַפְשֶֽׁךָ 1 “so that you can bless me.” or “and then you can bless me.” See how you translated a similar phrase in verses 4, 19, 25 and 31.
27:32 gv4p וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֛וֹ יִצְחָ֥ק אָבִ֖יו 1 “But/Then his father asked him,” or “But his father responded/asked/exclaimed,” For some languages it is more natural to make “Isaac” explicit in verse 31 and leave it implied here in verse 32. Do what is best in your language.
27:32 ag39 מִי אָ֑תָּה 1 “Which son {are} you?!” or “Which of my sons {are} you?!” Isaac knew from what Esau just said in verse 31 that one of his sons was talking to him. Also, Isaac is very upset, so some translations add an exclamation mark after the question mark to help communicate that. Do what is best in your language.
27:32 uum9 אֲנִ֛י בִּנְךָ֥ בְכֹֽרְךָ֖ עֵשָֽׂו 1 “I {am} your firstborn/oldest son Esau.” or “I {am} Esau, your firstborn/oldest son.” See how you translated “firstborn” in verse 19.
27:33 j7x3 וַיֶּחֱרַ֨ד יִצְחָ֣ק חֲרָדָה֮ גְּדֹלָ֣ה עַד מְאֹד֒ 1 “Then Isaac {became so upset that he} trembled/shook very violently/noticeably,” or “Then Isaac {was very upset, so that he} began to tremble/shake all over,”
27:33 avi1 מִֽי אֵפ֡וֹא ה֣וּא 1 “Who {was} it then” or “Then where {is} the one”
27:33 cs0r הַצָּֽד צַיִד֩ וַיָּ֨בֵא לִ֜י 1 “that/who hunted game/deer meat and brought a meal to me?” or “that/who brought to me a meal made from wild animal/deer meat?” Consider again how you translated “game” in Gen 27:3, 5, 7, 19, 25, 31 and 33. It may be necessary to translate it in slightly different ways, depending on the context.
27:33 edrl וָאֹכַ֥ל מִכֹּ֛ל בְּטֶ֥רֶם תָּב֖וֹא 1 “Just before you came {to me}, I finished eating the meal” or “I finished eating it just before you came {here}”
27:33 vjq6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וָאֲבָרֲכֵ֑הוּ גַּם בָּר֖וּךְ יִהְיֶֽה 1 “and then I blessed him. And/So God will definitely bless him.” or “Then I asked God to bless him, and/so God will definitely bless him.” Consider where it is most natural in your language to begin a new sentence here.
27:34 hlpe וַיִּצְעַ֣ק צְעָקָ֔ה גְּדֹלָ֥ה וּמָרָ֖ה עַד מְאֹ֑ד 1 “he shouted/burst out with an extremely/very loud and bitter/distressed cry/shout” or “he was so distressed/upset that he cried/yelled out loudly/bitterly”
27:34 aahx בָּרֲכֵ֥נִי גַם אָ֖נִי אָבִֽי 1 “{Please} bless me too, father!” or “Father, {please} bless me too!” For some languages it is more natural to put the address “My father” or “Father” first in this sentence. Do what is best in your language.
27:35 m9v6 בָּ֥א אָחִ֖יךָ בְּמִרְמָ֑ה וַיִּקַּ֖ח בִּרְכָתֶֽךָ 1 “Your brother came {to me} and deceived/tricked {me} and stole the blessing that I was planning to give you.” or “Your brother deceived/tricked me so that I blessed him instead of you!”
27:36 r0d2 וַיֹּ֡אמֶר 1 “Then Esau exclaimed {bitterly/angrily},” or “{When Esau heard that,} he said/exclaimed {bitterly/angrily},”
27:36 ychp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲכִי֩ קָרָ֨א שְׁמ֜וֹ יַעֲקֹ֗ב וַֽיַּעְקְבֵ֨נִי֙ זֶ֣ה פַעֲמַ֔יִם 1 “It is no wonder that he is called Jacob, since he has cheated me two times!” or “The name Jacob fits him exactly, because he has tricked me like this two times {now}!” Esau uses a rhetorical question here to show his strong emotion. Do what is most natural in your language. Also, in order to help readers understand why Esau said this about Jacob, some translations include a footnote like the following: The name “Jacob” means “heel-grabber” and can imply deception. He was given that name because when he was born, he was grabbing hold of Esau’s heel (Genesis 25:26).
27:36 us4x אֶת בְּכֹרָתִ֣י לָקָ֔ח וְהִנֵּ֥ה עַתָּ֖ה 1 “{First} he stole my rights as the oldest son, and now look/see {what he has done}:” or “Not only did he take/steal my birthright, but now look/see {what he has done}:”
27:36 lg00 הֲלֹא אָצַ֥לְתָּ לִּ֖י בְּרָכָֽה 1 “Don’t you still have at least one blessing left for me?” or “Is there still a/some way you can {ask God to} bless me?”
27:37 qhtp וַיַּ֨עַן יִצְחָ֜ק וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְעֵשָׂ֗ו 1 “Isaac responded/replied to Esau/him,” or “Isaac answered him,”
27:37 vpg2 הֵ֣ן גְּבִ֞יר שַׂמְתִּ֥יו לָךְ֙ 1 “Look/Listen, I have {already} appointed Jacob to be your master,” See how you translated “master” in verse 29.
27:37 aezg וְאֶת כָּל אֶחָ֗יו נָתַ֤תִּי לוֹ֙ לַעֲבָדִ֔ים 1 “In fact, I said that you and all your descendants will serve him.” or “In fact, I have asked {God to make it so} that you and your descendants will serve him {and his descendants}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, see how you translated “brothers” in verse 29.
27:37 zpao rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וְדָגָ֥ן וְתִירֹ֖שׁ סְמַכְתִּ֑יו 1 “Besides that, I have {also} supplied/blessed him with {abundant} harvests/food and wine/drink.” or “I have also asked God to provide/supply/bless him with {plenty of} food and wine/drink.” See how you translated “grain and wine” in verse 28.
27:37 h7yn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וּלְכָ֣ה אֵפ֔וֹא מָ֥ה אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֖ה בְּנִֽי 1 “So then, there is no way left for me to bless you, my son!” or “So my son, there is no blessing left for you!” Isaac uses this rhetorical question to emphasize that there is no blessing left for Esau.
27:38 pyp3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר עֵשָׂ֜ו אֶל אָבִ֗יו 1 “But Esau continued to beg his father {and say/said},” or “But again Esau begged/pleaded/asked,”
27:38 k87o הַֽבְרָכָ֨ה אַחַ֤ת הִֽוא לְךָ֙ אָבִ֔י 1 “Father, isn’t there {just/even} one way that you can bless {me}?” or “Father, don’t you have at least one blessing left to give me?” It may be more natural to put “my father” or “Father” first in this quote. See what you did in verse 34.
27:38 ezef בָּרֲכֵ֥נִי גַם אָ֖נִי אָבִ֑י 1 “{Please} bless me too, father!” or “Father, {please} bless me too!” See how you translated this sentence in verse 34.
27:38 wtbr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּשָּׂ֥א עֵשָׂ֛ו קֹל֖וֹ וַיֵּֽבְךְּ 1 “Then/And Esau started sobbing/crying loudly.” See how you translated “lifted...voice and sobbed” in Gen 21:16.
27:39 teeo rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיַּ֛עַן יִצְחָ֥ק אָבִ֖יו וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֑יו 1 “Finally/So his father Isaac responded/said to him,” or “His father replied,”
27:39 fckf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy הִנֵּ֞ה & יִהְיֶ֣ה מֽוֹשָׁבֶ֔ךָ 1 “Listen, you {and your descendants} will live”. What Isaac says in verses 39-40 applies to Esau and his descendants. See what you did for a similar case in verses 28-29.
27:39 ch9s מִשְׁמַנֵּ֤י הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ & וּמִטַּ֥ל הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם מֵעָֽל 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “away from the fatness of the earth and away from the dew of the heavens from above.” or “in a place/region where the earth/land/ground is not rich/fertile and where there is very little dew/rain.” or “in a place/region where the land/soil is not good {for farming} and where there is not much rain.” (2) “of the fatness of the earth and of the dew of the heavens from above.” or “in a place where the land is good/fertile {for farming} and where there is {plenty of} dew/rain.” See how you translated “fatness of the earth” and “dew of the heavens” in verse 28.
27:40 ky90 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְעַל חַרְבְּךָ֣ תִֽחְיֶ֔ה 1 “You {and your descendants} will survive by using your swords {to protect yourselves},” or “You {and your descendants} will have to fight battles to stay alive,” or “You {and your descendants} will continually be fighting battles {with other peoples/nations},” The phrase “live by your sword” is an idiom that means Esau and his descendants will have violent conflict with others, often in order to survive.
27:40 j54i וְאֶת אָחִ֖יךָ תַּעֲבֹ֑ד 1 “and you {and your descendants} will serve your brother {and his descendants}.” or “and you {and your descendants} will be servants/slaves for your brother {and his descendants}.”
27:40 u6t7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וְהָיָה֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּרִ֔יד 1 “But when you rebel/revolt {against him/them},” Consider again how you translated the singular “you” in verses 39-40. You could use a plural “you” here or you could say “you {and your descendants}”. See what you did for a similar case in verses 28-29.
27:40 uf7x rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וּפָרַקְתָּ֥ עֻלּ֖וֹ מֵעַ֥ל צַוָּארֶֽךָ 1 “you will break/get free from his/their control/rule over you.” or “you will no longer be under his/their control/rule.” The metaphor “break his yoke off of your neck” means Esau and his descendants will be free from the control of Jacob and his descendants. A yoke is a wooden collar that is placed around the necks of work animals to control them as they pull a plow or cart.
27:41 phou rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms עַל הַ֨בְּרָכָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בֵּרֲכ֖וֹ אָבִ֑יו 1 “because his/their father had given his blessing to Jacob.” or “because their father had blessed Jacob {instead of him}.” Consider again how you translated the terms “bless” and “blessing” in chapter 27. See verses 4, 7, 10, 19, 23, 25, 27, 29-31, 33-36, 38 and 41.
27:41 p7cg יִקְרְבוּ֙ יְמֵי֙ אֵ֣בֶל אָבִ֔י 1 “Soon my father will die, and we will have a time of mourning for him, then” or “Soon my father will die; then after we {bury him and} mourn for him,” In that culture, they had the custom of mourning the death of a loved one for a certain period of time, anywhere from a week to a month or more. See how you translated “mourn” in Gen 23:2.
27:42 i4en rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְרִבְקָ֔ה אֶת דִּבְרֵ֥י עֵשָׂ֖ו בְּנָ֣הּ הַגָּדֹ֑ל 1 “But/Then someone told Rebekah what Esau was saying/planning, so” or “But/Then Rebekah heard about what her older/oldest son Esau was planning, so” or “When Rebekah heard what Esau was planning {to do},” It was probably a servant who told Rebekah about Esau’s plan to kill Jacob.
27:42 tgzk וַתִּשְׁלַ֞ח וַתִּקְרָ֤א לְיַעֲקֹב֙ בְּנָ֣הּ הַקָּטָ֔ן 1 “she sent for her younger/youngest son Jacob {to come to her}” or “she sent a messenger to tell Jacob {to come to her}” or “she summoned her son Jacob”
27:42 vedn הִנֵּה֙ עֵשָׂ֣ו אָחִ֔יךָ מִתְנַחֵ֥ם לְךָ֖ לְהָרְגֶֽךָ 1 “Look/Listen, your brother Esau is making himself feel better by planning to kill you.” or “Listen, your brother Esau is planning to take revenge on you and kill you.”
27:43 qa89 וְעַתָּ֥ה בְנִ֖י 1 “So then, my son,” or “Now son,” See how you translated “So now” in verses 3 and 8.
27:43 m7pp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלִ֑י 1 “listen to me:” or “do/obey what I tell you:” See how you translated this phrase in verses 8 and 13. It may be necessary to translate it differently here because of the context.
27:43 s1bb וְק֧וּם בְּרַח לְךָ֛ 1 “get ready immediately and flee/escape” or “Hurry {and} flee/escape” or “Flee/Escape immediately”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
27:43 al70 אֶל לָבָ֥ן אָחִ֖י חָרָֽנָה 1 “to my brother Laban {who lives} in {the city of} Haran!” or “to {the city of} Haran, to {the house of} my brother Laban!” For some languages, it is more natural to put the location (Haran) before the person who lives there (Laban). Do what is best in your language.
27:44 ohym וְיָשַׁבְתָּ֥ עִמּ֖וֹ יָמִ֣ים אֲחָדִ֑ים 1 “Stay/Live with him for a short time”
27:44 jxy6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom עַ֥ד אֲשֶׁר תָּשׁ֖וּב חֲמַ֥ת אָחִֽיךָ 1 “until your brother’s fury/anger subsides/stops” or “until your brother is no longer furious/angry {with you}”. Consider whether it is more natural in your language to end this sentence here or to continue the sentence into verse 45. Also, the phrase “turns away” is used here as an idiom that means “becomes less” or “goes away”.
27:45 s9be rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom עַד שׁ֨וּב אַף אָחִ֜יךָ מִמְּךָ֗ 1 “until his anger against you is gone” or “When he is not angry with you anymore” or “After a while, when your brother is no longer angry with you”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, notice that the Hebrew word for “anger” here is different from the stronger word (“fury”) in verse 44.
27:45 r7r3 וְשָׁכַח֙ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂ֣יתָ לּ֔וֹ 1 “and he forgets what you did to him” or “and he no longer thinks about what you did” or “and he doesn’t hold a grudge against you anymore”. Rebekah is not saying that Esau would totally forget what Jacob did, but that at some point he would not hold it against him anymore.
27:45 fq9m וְשָׁלַחְתִּ֖י וּלְקַחְתִּ֣יךָ מִשָּׁ֑ם 1 “I will send word that it is safe for you to come {back home} from there.” or “I will send someone to tell you when/that it is safe to come back {home}.”
27:45 lv4a rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion לָמָ֥ה אֶשְׁכַּ֛ל גַּם שְׁנֵיכֶ֖ם י֥וֹם אֶחָֽד 1 “I do not want to lose both of you {on} the same day!” or “I do not want both my sons to be killed!” Rebekah knew that if Esau were to kill Jacob, he himself would have been killed for that crime. Consider whether it is best in your language to use a rhetorical question or an exclamation to emphasize Rebekah’s concern.
27:46 gusr rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַתֹּ֤אמֶר רִבְקָה֙ אֶל יִצְחָ֔ק 1 “Then Rebekah complained to Isaac,” or “{Soon} after that, Rebekah said/complained to Isaac,”
27:46 wp91 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole קַ֣צְתִּי בְחַיַּ֔י 1 “My life is {very} miserable” or “I do not enjoy living” or “I am very upset”. Rebekah is exaggerating how she feels to influence Isaac to do what she wants.
27:46 oa6h מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנ֣וֹת חֵ֑ת 1 “because of the Hittite women {whom Esau married}!” or “because of our Hittite daughters-in-law {whom Esau married}!” To show that Rebekah is speaking with strong emotion, you could use an exclamation point at the end of this sentence and the following one.
27:46 ahi7 אִם לֹקֵ֣חַ יַ֠עֲקֹב אִשָּׁ֨ה מִבְּנֽוֹת חֵ֤ת כָּאֵ֨לֶּה֙ מִבְּנ֣וֹת הָאָ֔רֶץ 1 “If Jacob {also} marries a Hittite woman from around here,” or “If Jacob were to {also} marry a local Hittite woman like that,”
27:46 avta rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion לָ֥מָּה לִּ֖י חַיִּֽים 1 “my life will/would not be worth living!” or “I would not want to keep on living!” Rebekah uses a rhetorical question and hyperbole to emphasize how upset she would be if Jacob married a Hittite woman.
28:1 md9d וַיִּקְרָ֥א יִצְחָ֛ק אֶֽל יַעֲקֹ֖ב 1 “So Isaac called/sent for Jacob {to come to him}” or “{Because of what Rebekah said,} Isaac summoned Jacob”
28:1 u0pi rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹת֑וֹ 1 “blessed him,” or “Then he blessed him” or “{When/After Jacob/he came,} Isaac blessed him”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, for some languages it may be necessary to make it explicit that Jacob arrived. Do what is best in your language.
28:1 nbgz לֹֽא־תִקַּ֥ח אִשָּׁ֖ה מִבְּנ֥וֹת כְּנָֽעַן 1 “Do not take/marry a woman who is a descendant of Canaan.” or “You must not take/choose a wife from among the Canaanite women.” or “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.” If the word “woman” is used here in your translation, make sure it refers to a virgin woman who has never been married, or is general enough to include that.
28:2 c1no rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast ק֥וּם לֵךְ֙ 1 “{Rather} get up/ready and go” or “{Instead} you must go right away”. See how you translated “get up” in Gen 27:43.
28:2 c2p2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names פַּדֶּ֣נָֽה אֲרָ֔ם 1 “to {the land/region of} Paddan Aram,” Be consistent here with how you translated “Paddan Aram” in Gen 25:20.
28:2 tvtv וְקַח לְךָ֤ מִשָּׁם֙ אִשָּׁ֔ה 1 “and choose/find a woman from there to marry” or “and marry”
28:2 w2tm rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship מִבְּנ֥וֹת לָבָ֖ן אֲחִ֥י אִמֶּֽךָ 1 “from among the daughters of your mother’s brother Laban.” or “one of your uncle Laban’s daughters.” Laban was Rebekah’s older brother. Some languages have a special term for this that is used here.
28:3 qw5u וְאֵ֤ל שַׁדַּי֙ יְבָרֵ֣ךְ אֹֽתְךָ֔ 1 “I pray that Almighty God will bless/prosper you” or “I ask God, {who is} all-powerful, to bless/prosper you” or “I pray that God, {who is} all-powerful, will bless/prosper you”. Most translation teams translate the meaning of God’s title here (for example, “God Almighty”). Other teams transliterate the title as “El Shaddai” (as if it were a name) and put the meaning of the title in a footnote. See how you handled “God Almighty” in Gen 17:1.
28:3 fji8 וְיַפְרְךָ֖ 1 “and give you many children” or “and enable you to have many children”
28:3 cjdb וְיַרְבֶּ֑ךָ 1 “and increase {the number of} your descendants” or “so that you have many descendants and”. See how you translated “fruitful and multiply” in Gen 17:20. It may need to be translated in different ways, depending on the context.
28:3 klxv וְהָיִ֖יתָ לִקְהַ֥ל עַמִּֽים 1 “so that you become {the ancestor of} many people/ethnic groups.” or “so that many people/ethnic groups will descend/come from you.” or “so that they become many people/ethnic groups.”
28:4 ei4t וְיִֽתֶּן לְךָ֙ אֶת בִּרְכַּ֣ת אַבְרָהָ֔ם לְךָ֖ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֣ אִתָּ֑ךְ 1 “I {also} pray that he/God will give Abraham’s blessing to you and your descendants,” or “I {also} ask him/God to bless you and your descendants the same way that he blessed Abraham,”
28:4 vo59 מְגֻרֶ֔יךָ 1 “where you have been living/residing as a foreigner/outsider,” or “where you {and your ancestors} have been living as foreigners/outsiders,” See how you translated “land of your sojournings” in Gen 17:8; it may be necessary to translate this differently here because of the different context.
28:4 vgdh אֲשֶׁר נָתַ֥ן אֱלֹהִ֖ים לְאַבְרָהָֽם 1 “{the same land} which God gave/promised to Abraham/him.”
28:5 mnq0 וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יִצְחָק֙ אֶֽת יַעֲקֹ֔ב 1 “Then Isaac sent Jacob {on his way},” or “Then Isaac said good-bye to Jacob,”
28:5 rx0u וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ 1 “and he/Jacob left to go/travel” or “and/so Jacob started traveling”. Make sure your translation of this phrase does not sound like Jacob had already arrived at Paddan Aram.
28:5 awgp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure פַּדֶּ֣נָֽה אֲרָ֑ם אֶל לָבָ֤ן 1 “to/toward {the land/region of} Paddan Aram, to Laban” or “to/toward {his uncle} Laban{’s house} {which was} in {the land/region of} Paddan Aram.” Consider whether is more natural in your language to refer to Paddan Aram first or to Laban first in this sentence. Also see how you translated “to Paddan Aram” in verses 2 and 5.
28:5 ftm9 בֶּן בְּתוּאֵל֙ הָֽאֲרַמִּ֔י 1 “{who/Laban was} the son of Bethuel the Aramean”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, be consistent with how you spelled the name “Bethuel” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 22:22-23; 24:15, 24, 47, 50; 25:20; 28:2, 5.
28:5 ixcg אֲחִ֣י רִבְקָ֔ה אֵ֥ם יַעֲקֹ֖ב וְעֵשָֽׂו 1 “and {also} the brother of Rebekah, {who was} Jacob and Esau’s mother.”
28:6 vuyi וַיַּ֣רְא עֵשָׂ֗ו כִּֽי בֵרַ֣ךְ יִצְחָק֮ אֶֽת יַעֲקֹב֒ וְשִׁלַּ֤ח אֹתוֹ֙ פַּדֶּ֣נָֽה אֲרָ֔ם 1 “Now Esau had seen/observed Isaac bless Jacob and send him to {the land/region of} Paddan Aram”
28:6 s3jt לָקַֽחַת ל֥וֹ מִשָּׁ֖ם אִשָּׁ֑ה 1 “to choose/marry a wife from {among his relatives} there” or “to marry a woman from there”
28:6 j2pe בְּבָרֲכ֣וֹ אֹת֔וֹ וַיְצַ֤ו עָלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר 1 “{and that} when/as Isaac was blessing him/Jacob, he told/instructed him/Jacob” or “When/As Isaac was blessing him/Jacob, {Esau heard} him tell/instruct him/Jacob”. Consider whether or not it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, see how you translated “commanded” in verse 1.
28:6 y1vo rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations לֹֽא־תִקַּ֥ח אִשָּׁ֖ה מִבְּנ֥וֹת כְּנָֽעַן 1 “You must not take/marry a woman who is a descendant of Canaan,” or “that he must not take/choose a wife from among the Canaanite women,” or “to not marry a Canaanite woman,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to translate this direct quote as an indirect quote.
28:7 y4m1 וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע יַעֲקֹ֔ב 1 “and {he also saw/observed that} Jacob” or “{Esau also saw/noticed that} Jacob”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
28:8 krg7 רָע֖וֹת בְּנ֣וֹת כְּנָ֑עַן בְּעֵינֵ֖י יִצְחָ֥ק אָבִֽיו 1 “his father Isaac did not approve of {his sons marrying} Canaanite women.” or “his father Isaac did not want {his sons to marry} Canaanite women.”
28:9 nd2l וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ עֵשָׂ֖ו אֶל יִשְׁמָעֵ֑אל 1 “So/Then Esau went/traveled to {the family/clan of} Ishmael” or “So/Then Esau went to {the region where} Ishmael’s descendants were living”. Most likely Ishmael was already dead by this time, so that Esau went to the region where Ishmael’s children and other descendants were living.
28:9 xyag וַיִּקַּ֡ח אֶֽת מָחֲלַ֣ת בַּת יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל בֶּן אַבְרָהָ֜ם & לְאִשָּֽׁה 1 “and married Abraham’s granddaughter Mahalath, who was Ishmael’s daughter” or “and married Mahalath, who was the daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael”
28:9 vycn rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship אֲח֧וֹת נְבָי֛וֹת 1 “and {who was} the {younger} sister of Nebaioth,” or “and whose {older} brother was Nebaioth,” Be consistent here with how you spelled “Nebaioth” in Gen 25:13. Since Nebaioth was Ishmael’s oldest child, Mahalath was his younger sister, probably from the same mother. Use a kinship term here in your language for “sister” or “brother” that fits with those facts.
28:9 g3ii rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure עַל נָשָׁ֖יו ל֥וֹ 1 “besides the {two} wives he already had.” For some languages it may be better to change the order of some of the clauses in this sentence and say, “So, in addition to the {two} wives he already had, Esau went to {the family of} Abraham’s son Ishmael and married Ishmael’s daughter Mahalath, whose brother was Nebaioth.” Do what is best in your language.
28:10 n0gq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֵּצֵ֥א יַעֲקֹ֖ב מִבְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ 1 “{After} Jacob left from {his family’s home in} {the city of} Beersheba, he started traveling” or “{Meanwhile} Jacob had left {the city of} Beersheba and was traveling”. Verse 10 refers back to verse 5, where Jacob had left his parents’ home in Beersheba to go to Paddan Aram. Make sure your translation does not sound like he left a second time here in verse 10.
28:10 ctw0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit חָרָֽנָה 1 “to/toward {the city of} Haran {in the region/land of Paddan Aram}.” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Jacob was heading toward the same place that his father had told him to go to in verse 2. The author assumed here that his audience knew that Haran was a city located in the Paddan Aram region. It may be helpful to include a map in your translation that shows the locations of the city of Haran and the region of Paddan Aram.
28:11 bo89 וַיִּפְגַּ֨ע בַּמָּק֜וֹם וַיָּ֤לֶן שָׁם֙ 1 “{That evening} he reached a {good} place {to camp/sleep}, so he stayed/spent the night there” or “{Late that evening} he came to a place where he stopped/stayed {for the night}”
28:11 opfz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּי בָ֣א הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ 1 “because the sun had gone {down}.” or “because the sun had set.” For some languages it is more natural to put the information in this clause first in this sentence and say, “After the sun went down, he reached a good place {to camp/sleep}, so he stopped/stayed there {for the night}.” Do what is best in your language.
28:11 lmbe וַיִּקַּח֙ מֵאַבְנֵ֣י הַמָּק֔וֹם 1 “He chose {one} of the stones that was there” or “He picked out a large {flat} stone {that he found} there”. The way you translate “stone” should refer to something that would be large enough to support Jacob’s head, but not so large that it would be too heavy for him to lift. For example in English, a pebble is too small and a boulder is too big.
28:11 nd10 וַיָּ֖שֶׂם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו 1 “and rested his head on it {as a headrest/pillow},” or “and used it as a headrest/pillow,” or “to use as a headrest/pillow,”
28:11 l8b0 וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב בַּמָּק֥וֹם הַהֽוּא 1 “then he lay down there {and went to sleep}.” or “Then he lay down there {on the ground} {and went to sleep}.” or “then he went to sleep there.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
28:12 ph5p וַֽיַּחֲלֹ֗ם 1 “And {as} he dreamed,” or “{As/While he slept,} he had a dream and” or “While he was dreaming,”
28:12 yc2p rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknowns וְהִנֵּ֤ה סֻלָּם֙ מֻצָּ֣ב אַ֔רְצָה 1 “he saw a stairway/staircase whose base was resting on the ground” or “he saw a stairway/staircase. The bottom/base of the stairway was/rested on the ground”. This stairway was wide enough for there to be angels moving up and down on it at the same time.
28:12 lw00 וְרֹאשׁ֖וֹ מַגִּ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמָ֑יְמָה 1 “and its top reached up to heaven,” or “and the top of it went/reached {all the way} up into the heavens/sky,”
28:12 d554 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וְהִנֵּה֙ מַלְאֲכֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֔ים עֹלִ֥ים 1 “and there were angels of/from God who were going up and down on the stairway.” or “and he saw God’s angels going up and coming down on the stairway.” See how you translated “angel” in Gen 24:7, 40.
28:13 imw1 וְהִנֵּ֨ה יְהוָ֜ה נִצָּ֣ב עָלָיו֮ 1 “Then suddenly Yahweh was standing at the top {of the stairway},” or “And there standing at the top {of the stairway} was Yahweh,” or “And Yahweh was {also} there, standing at the top {of the stairway}”. The phrase for “above it” in the Hebrew text is ambiguous. It could mean (1) “above it” or “at the top {of the stairway}” (2) “above/beside him/Jacob”. The interpretation that is not followed in your translation could be put in a footnote.
28:13 bvp0 אֱלֹהֵי֙ אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֔יךָ וֵאלֹהֵ֖י יִצְחָ֑ק 1 “the God whom your forefathers/ancestors Abraham and Isaac serve/worship.” or “the God {who takes care} of your forefathers/ancestors Abraham and Isaac.” Abraham was Jacob’s grandfather and ancestor.
28:13 xkui rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַתָּה֙ שֹׁכֵ֣ב עָלֶ֔יהָ לְךָ֥ אֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה וּלְזַרְעֶֽךָ 1 “The/This land where you are lying/sleeping I am giving to you and your descendants.” or “I will give you and your descendants this land that you are lying/sleeping on.” In the Hebrew text, “the land that you are lying on” comes first in this sentence in order to emphasize it and show its importance. Do what is natural in your language.
28:14 vi8o rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile כַּעֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ 1 “{as numerous/many} as the dust {specks} on the ground,” See how you translated “dust” in Gen 13:16.
28:14 fyzl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וּפָרַצְתָּ֛ 1 “and your descendants/people will spread out” or “so that they expand {their territory}” or “so that they live throughout this land”. In this clause “you” refers to Jacob’s descendants. Make sure that is clear in your translation.
28:14 y8nb יָ֥מָּה וָקֵ֖דְמָה וְצָפֹ֣נָה וָנֶ֑גְבָּה 1 “to the west, east, north, and south.” or “to the north, south, east, and west.” or “in every direction.” See how you translated the names of the directions “west”, “east”, “north” and “south” in Gen 13:14. Notice that they are in a different order there.
28:14 b4q4 בְךָ֛ & וּבְזַרְעֶֽךָ 1 “In/Through you and your offspring/descendants” or “Because of you and your offspring/descendants” or “By means of you and your offspring/descendants”. Be consistent here with how you translated “your offspring” in Gen 22:18 and 26:4.
28:14 wjvf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וְנִבְרֲכ֥וּ & כָּל מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָאֲדָמָ֖ה 1 “all the families/people on the earth will be blessed {by me}.” or “{I} will bless all the families/clans/people in the world.” For some languages it may be better to change the order of phrases in this sentence and say, “And {I} will bless all the families in the world through you and your offspring/descendants.” or “I will use you and your offspring/descendants to bless all the families on earth.” See how you translated similar Messianic blessings in Gen 12:3, 18:18, 22:18, and 26:4.
28:15 spzs וְהִנֵּ֨ה 1 “Listen to this:” or “Remember that”
28:15 dpan אָנֹכִ֜י עִמָּ֗ךְ 1 “I {will always be/stay} with you.” or “I {promise to always be/stay} with you {and help you}.” See how you translated “I {am} with you” in Gen 26:24 and “I will be with you” in Gen 26:3.
28:15 d0fg וּשְׁמַרְתִּ֨יךָ֙ 1 “I will protect/guard you” or “I will take care of you”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
28:15 wycj בְּכֹ֣ל אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵ֔ךְ 1 “everywhere that you go/live,” or “wherever you go/live,”
28:15 k61k וַהֲשִׁ֣בֹתִ֔יךָ אֶל הָאֲדָמָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את 1 “and I will lead/guide you back to this land.”
28:15 dsmr כִּ֚י לֹ֣א אֶֽעֱזָבְךָ֔ 1 “In fact, I will never leave/abandon you”
28:15 wg74 עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־עָשִׂ֔יתִי אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי לָֽךְ 1 “and I will do everything that I have promised you {that I will do}.” Make sure your translation of “until” does not sound like God will only be with Jacob up to the time that he fulfills his promises. Rather the focus is on the period of time between now when God is speaking to Jacob and the time later on when Jacob would see the fulfillment of God’s promises to him.
28:16 nta3 וַיִּיקַ֣ץ יַעֲקֹב֮ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ֒ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “Suddenly Jacob woke up from his dream and said/exclaimed {to himself},” or “When Jacob woke up from his dream, he said/exclaimed {to himself},”
28:16 mg0b אָכֵן֙ יֵ֣שׁ יְהוָ֔ה בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה 1 “Certainly Yahweh is/lives {here} in this place,” or “Yahweh definitely lives here,”
28:16 hkxb וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א יָדָֽעְתִּי 1 “but I did not know/realize {it} {before now}!” or “but I was not aware of {that} {before}!”
28:17 wkb2 וַיִּירָא֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר 1 “He was afraid, so he {also} said/exclaimed,”
28:17 gktr מַה נּוֹרָ֖א הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה 1 “This is an awesome/terrifying place!” or “This place is terrifying!” The word “awesome” refers here to the terror that Jacob was feeling from being in the holy presence of Almighty God.
28:17 bjri אֵ֣ין זֶ֗ה כִּ֚י אִם בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֔ים 1 “This/It can only be God’s house!” or “This/It must be the house/place where God himself lives!”
28:17 rsyk וְזֶ֖ה שַׁ֥עַר הַשָּׁמָֽיִם 1 “This/It {can only be} the gateway/entrance to heaven!” or “This/It {must be} the gateway/entrance to heaven!” Consider whether or not it is best in your language to begin a new sentence here.
28:18 q3yf וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם יַעֲקֹ֜ב בַּבֹּ֗קֶר 1 “Early the next morning Jacob got up,” or “Jacob got up early the next morning,”
28:18 xzkg וַיִּקַּ֤ח אֶת הָאֶ֨בֶן֙ אֲשֶׁר שָׂ֣ם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֔יו 1 “took the stone that he had used as a headrest/pillow”. See how you translated “stone” and “under his head” in verse 11.
28:18 q0n2 וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֹתָ֖הּ 1 “and stood/set it up {on its end}”
28:18 m9zc מַצֵּבָ֑ה 1 “{as} a monument/marker,” or “{as} a memorial stone,” or “to commemorate/mark the/that place {where God had appeared to him}.” The word “pillar” refers here to a stone that is used to commemorate something. In this case, Jacob used a stone to mark and help him remember the place where God had appeared to him.
28:18 rd51 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּצֹ֥ק שֶׁ֖מֶן עַל רֹאשָֽׁהּ 1 “Then he poured {some} {olive} oil on top of the stone/pillar {to dedicate the place to God}.” In Bible times people poured olive oil on a person’s head or on objects (as here) to dedicate that person or object to God. Make sure that the way you translate “oil” does not refer to motor oil. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
28:19 p2h7 וַיִּקְרָ֛א אֶת שֵֽׁם הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא בֵּֽית אֵ֑ל 1 “He named that place Bethel, {which means “God’s house,”}” Be consistent here with how you spelled “Bethel” in Gen 12:8 and 13:3.
28:19 a944 וְאוּלָ֛ם ל֥וּז שֵׁם הָעִ֖יר לָרִאשֹׁנָֽה 1 “even though originally/previously that town was named/called Luz.” or “Originally/Previously the name of that town {had been} Luz.” Consider whether or not it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here.
28:20 rcyf וַיִּדַּ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב נֶ֣דֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “Then Jacob/he made a vow/pledge/promise {to God} and said,” See how you translated a clause that has a similar meaning (“swear to...”) in Gen 21:23, 31.
28:20 rony rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person אִם יִהְיֶ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים עִמָּדִ֗י 1 “God, if {you,} will be/stay with me”. Since Jacob is making this vow to God, for some languages it is more natural to address God directly (as “you”) throughout verses 20-22, rather than only in the last half of verse 22 (as the Hebrew text does). Do what is best in your language.
28:20 lyjc וּשְׁמָרַ֨נִי֙ 1 “and protect/guard me” or “and take care of me”. See how you translated “watch over” in verse 15.
28:20 dopf בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְ הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י הוֹלֵ֔ךְ 1 “on/during this {long} journey I am taking” or “as I travel on this {long} journey”. The way you translate this phrase should reflect that fact that Jacob’s journey from his home to the city of Haran was about 725 kilometers (450 miles) long.
28:20 gftj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וְנָֽתַן לִ֥י לֶ֛חֶם לֶאֱכֹ֖ל וּבֶ֥גֶד לִלְבֹּֽשׁ 1 “and if you give/provide me food to eat and clothes to wear,” or “and if you provide me with food and clothes,” In this context “bread” refers to food in general, not just bread.
28:21 jfhz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy אֶל בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑י 1 “to my father’s/family’s home,” or “to my family,” This phrase especially refers to Jacob's father's family members, not just the physical home.
28:21 yyp2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person וְהָיָ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה לִ֖י לֵאלֹהִֽים 1 “then Yahweh, {you} will be the God whom I serve/worship,” or “then I will serve/worship {you} Yahweh as my God,”
28:22 qeez וְהָאֶ֣בֶן הַזֹּ֗את אֲשֶׁר שַׂ֨מְתִּי֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה יִהְיֶ֖ה בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֑ים 1 “This stone that I have set up will be your house and will mark the/this place {where you appeared to me},” or “and this memorial stone that I set up will remind people that you live here,” See how you translated “as a pillar” in verse 18. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
28:22 qmie rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person וְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּתֶּן לִ֔י עַשֵּׂ֖ר אֲעַשְּׂרֶ֥נּוּ לָֽךְ 1 “and everything that you give to me, I will give a tenth of it back to you.” or “and I will give back to you ten percent of everything that you give to me.” Consider again how you translated the way Jacob refers to Yahweh in verses 20-22; see the note about this at verse 20. Also see how you translated “tithe” in Gen 14:20.
29:1 v7y6 וַיִּשָּׂ֥א יַעֲקֹ֖ב רַגְלָ֑יו וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ 1 “Then Jacob left {Bethel} and continued traveling {until he came}” or “Then Jacob continued traveling until he came”
29:1 wri0 אַ֥רְצָה בְנֵי קֶֽדֶם 1 “to the land in the east where various people/ethnic groups lived.” or “to the land/region that was east {of the land of Canaan} where the eastern people/ethnic groups lived.” This land was located east of the land of Canaan and included the region of Paddan Aram where Jacob’s uncle Laban lived in the city of Haran (Gen 27:43; 28:5). See how you translated “east” in Gen 28:14.
29:2 ox8m rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיַּ֞רְא 1 “Then he looked {around}” or “{When he arrived/got there,} he looked {around},” or “{When he arrived at a place near the city of Haran,} he looked {around},”. Jacob was now near the city of Haran (verse 4), which was in the land east of Canaan (verse 1).
29:2 xzs6 וְהִנֵּ֧ה בְאֵ֣ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֗ה 1 “and saw a well in an {open} field/area” or “and there in an {open} field/area {was} a well” The word “field” refers to an open area of land, not a fenced-in area. See how you translated this term in Gen 25:27, 29.
29:2 f5dt וְהִנֵּה שָׁ֞ם שְׁלֹשָׁ֤ה עֶדְרֵי צֹאן֙ רֹבְצִ֣ים 1 “He saw three flocks of sheep that were lying {down}” or “There were three flocks of sheep lying {down}”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
29:2 gzk1 כִּ֚י מִן הַבְּאֵ֣ר הַהִ֔וא יַשְׁק֖וּ הָעֲדָרִ֑ים 1 “because that was the well where the shepherds drew/got water for the sheep/flocks,” or “That was the well that flocks/sheep drank water from,” Consider whether or not it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here.
29:2 nge7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown וְהָאֶ֥בֶן גְּדֹלָ֖ה עַל פִּ֥י הַבְּאֵֽר 1 “but the stone covering the opening/top of the well {was} large {and heavy}.” or “but there was a {heavy} large stone over/covering the opening/top of the well.” This stone would have been very large and heavy, and probably had been cut into a circular shape to cover the round opening of the well. You could include here in your translation a picture of a well with a round, flat stone covering it.
29:3 zip2 וְנֶאֶסְפוּ שָׁ֣מָּה כָל הָעֲדָרִ֗ים וְגָלֲל֤וּ אֶת־הָאֶ֨בֶן֙ 1 “{Every day} shepherds would bring all the/their flocks {of sheep} there. They would {work together to} roll/take the stone” or “{Whenever/After} all the shepherds brought their flocks there, {together} they would remove the stone”. Verse 3 tells what happened regularly every day. Consider what is the best way to communicate this in your language. Also, be consistent here with how you translated “stone” in verse 2.
29:3 ehgo מֵעַל֙ פִּ֣י הַבְּאֵ֔ר 1 “from/off the opening/top of the well”
29:3 nplo וְהִשְׁק֖וּ אֶת הַצֹּ֑אן 1 “and draw water for the sheep.” or “and get water {from it} for the sheep {to drink}.” See how you translated “watered” in verse 2, and how you translated a different word that has a similar meaning (“draw water”) in Gen 24:19-20.
29:4 ipz9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אַחַ֖י 1 “My friends,” or “Friends,” This is a polite, friendly idiom used as a greeting; it does not mean that the shepherds were actually Jacob’s relatives. Many languages have a similar greeting.
29:4 ooyz מֵחָרָ֖ן אֲנָֽחְנוּ 1 “We {are} from {the city of} Haran.” or “We live in {the city of} Haran.” Your translation should not sound like the city of Haran was far away from there; it was nearby.
29:5 mz8d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ם 1 “So Jacob asked them,” or “So Jacob asked,” Consider what is the most natural way in your language to translate quote margins in a conversation that goes back and forth quickly like the one in verses 4-8. After the conversation gets started, it often sounds more life-like and natural to shorten the quote margins and leave implied some of the references to the people who are being talked to (as long as it is still clear who is talking to whom).
29:5 jju9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure הַיְדַעְתֶּ֖ם אֶת לָבָ֣ן בֶּן נָח֑וֹר 1 “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?” or “Do you know Nahor’s grandson Laban?” Consider what is the best way to order this question in your language.
29:5 o8s7 יָדָֽעְנוּ 1 “{Yes,} we know him.” or “{Yes,} we do.” Hebrew does not have a single word for “Yes”, but rather repeats words from what was asked. Do what is natural in your language.
29:6 wjxw הֲשָׁל֣וֹם ל֑וֹ 1 “Are {things} going well for him?” or “Is he doing well?” Jacob is asking about Laban’s general well-being, not just his health.
29:7 s198 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “Then Jacob said {to them},” or “Then Jacob urged {them},”
29:7 qywf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom הֵ֥ן עוֹד֙ הַיּ֣וֹם גָּד֔וֹל 1 “Look, it is still the middle of the day” or “Look, the sun is still high/bright {in the sky}” or “There is still a lot of daylight/sunlight left”. This is an idiom that means there are still many more hours of daytime left. Consider whether your language has an idiom for this.
29:7 xi00 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness הַשְׁק֥וּ הַצֹּ֖אן 1 “{You ought to} draw/get water for them” or “{It seems like you should} water the/your sheep” or “So why not water the/your sheep”. For some languages it sounds too rude for Jacob to make a direct command here, so it is better to make this a suggestion, or even a rhetorical question. Do what is best in your language.
29:7 agiz וּלְכ֥וּ רְעֽוּ 1 “and/then take {them} {back} out {to the fields} to graze {some more}.” or “then you can take them out to eat {more} grass.”
29:8 ujw5 עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ כָּל הָ֣עֲדָרִ֔ים 1 “until all the shepherds are here with their flocks” or “until all the shepherds have brought their flocks here”
29:8 nl6y rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person וְגָֽלֲלוּ֙ אֶת־הָאֶ֔בֶן 1 “and they/we {all} remove the stone”, or “Then {together} they/we will roll/move the stone”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that the ones who are talking here are also shepherds. See how you translated this phrase in verse 3.” Also, consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
29:8 rng7 מֵעַ֖ל פִּ֣י הַבְּאֵ֑ר 1 “off/from the opening/top of the well” See how you translated this phrase in verses 2 and 3.
29:10 d0m7 וַיָּ֤גֶל אֶת הָאֶ֨בֶן֙ מֵעַל֙ פִּ֣י הַבְּאֵ֔ר 1 “and rolled/took the stone off the opening/top of the well,” or “removed the stone that was covering it,”
29:11 uwgl וַיִּשַּׁ֥ק יַעֲקֹ֖ב לְרָחֵ֑ל 1 “Then he kissed Rachel {on the/her cheek}” or “Then he greeted Rachel warmly/enthusiastically {as one of his relatives}”. In that culture it was common to greet a relative with a kiss on the cheek (or both cheeks). However, if it would be offensive in your culture for Jacob to kiss Rachel here, you could translate this more generally (See: the second alternate translation above). Also see how you translated “kiss” in Gen 27:26-27.
29:11 lylh וַיִּשָּׂ֥א אֶת קֹל֖וֹ וַיֵּֽבְךְּ 1 “and he started crying aloud/loudly {because he was so happy}.” or “and {he was so happy that} he started crying.” See how you translated the idiom “lifted his voice” in Gen 27:38. However, here Jacob is crying because he is happy, not upset. Make sure that is clear in your translation.
29:12 ctrv rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיַּגֵּ֨ד יַעֲקֹ֜ב לְרָחֵ֗ל 1 “Then he told her”. Consider what is the most natural way in your language to refer to Jacob and Rachel in this context.
29:12 b1ec rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations כִּ֣י אֲחִ֤י אָבִ֨יהָ֙ ה֔וּא וְכִ֥י בֶן רִבְקָ֖ה ה֑וּא 1 “that he {was} her father’s relative/nephew, the son of {her aunt} Rebekah.” or “that her father {Laban} was his uncle and that {her aunt} Rebekah was his mother.” or “I am your father’s nephew, the son of {your aunt} Rebekah.” Consider whether it is best in your language to use an indirect quote here or a direct quote.
29:12 i8gv וַתָּ֖רָץ וַתַּגֵּ֥ד לְאָבִֽיהָ 1 “Then/So she ran {home} and told her father {the news}.” or “Then/So she ran {home} to her father and told/informed him {about Jacob}.”
29:13 qvlt וַיְנַשֶּׁק ל֔וֹ 1 “and kissed him {on the/his cheeks}” or “and greeted him warmly/enthusiastically {as one of his relatives}”. See how you translated “kissed” in verse 11.
29:13 ik43 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיְסַפֵּ֣ר לְלָבָ֔ן אֵ֥ת כָּל הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה 1 “Then he/Jacob told Laban {about himself and} everything that had happened,” Laban’s response in verse 14 implies that Jacob told him about himself here in verse 13.
29:14 awri rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אַ֛ךְ עַצְמִ֥י וּבְשָׂרִ֖י אָ֑תָּה 1 “You {are} definitely my own flesh and blood!” or “You {are} definitely my close relative!” or “There is no doubt that you {are} a close relative of my family!” This is an idiom that means Jacob is a close, biological relative of Laban. Consider whether your language has a similar idiom.
29:14 zl07 וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב עִמּ֖וֹ 1 “Then Jacob stayed {and served/worked} with/for him/Laban” or “After Jacob had stayed with Laban {and worked for him}”. Your choice here in verse 14 will determine whether or not this sentence continues into verse 15. Do what is best in your language.
29:14 fe42 חֹ֥דֶשׁ יָמִֽים 1 “{for} an entire month” or “for thirty days”
29:15 ja3r rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָבָן֙ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב 1 “Laban said to him,” or “Laban asked him,”
29:15 drle rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲכִי אָחִ֣י אַ֔תָּה וַעֲבַדְתַּ֖נִי חִנָּ֑ם 1 “{Just} because you are my relative/nephew, {does that mean that} you should work for me without pay?” or “Even though you are my relative/nephew, {that does not mean that} you should {have to} work for me for free!” or “You should not {have to} work for me for nothing/free {just} because you are my relative/nephew!” See how you translated “relative” in verse 12. This rhetorical question expects the implied answer “No, of course not!” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to use a statement here instead.
29:15 dy56 הַגִּ֥ידָה לִּ֖י מַה מַּשְׂכֻּרְתֶּֽךָ 1 “{So} tell me what your wages/pay {should be}.” or “{So} tell me what you want me to pay you {for your work}.”
29:16 vbiz rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וּלְלָבָ֖ן שְׁתֵּ֣י בָנ֑וֹת 1 “Now {it so happened that} Laban had two daughters:” or “Laban had two daughters:” Verses 16-17 introduce background information for what happens in the verses that follow that. Translate this in a way that is natural and clear in your language.
29:16 xkig שֵׁ֤ם הַגְּדֹלָה֙ לֵאָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַקְּטַנָּ֖ה רָחֵֽל 1 “The name of the older {one/daughter} {was} Leah, and the younger {one/daughter} {was} Rachel.” or “The older {one/daughter} was named Leah and the younger {one/daughter} was named Rachel.”
29:17 chl6 וְעֵינֵ֥י לֵאָ֖ה רַכּ֑וֹת 1 “Leah’s eyes {were} delicate/pretty/weak,” or “Leah had pretty eyes,” The Hebrew word for “delicate” is ambiguous in this context. It can have (1) a positive meaning of “pretty” or “lovely” (2) a negative meaning of “weak”, which implies that Leah’s eyes were plain, dull, or unattractive.
29:17 xcjb וְרָחֵל֙ הָֽיְתָ֔ה יְפַת תֹּ֖אַר וִיפַ֥ת מַרְאֶֽה 1 “but/whereas Rachel’s face and figure/shape were lovely/beautiful.” or “but/whereas Rachel was extremely beautiful in every way.”
29:18 ml4f וַיֶּאֱהַ֥ב יַעֲקֹ֖ב אֶת רָחֵ֑ל 1 “Jacob was in love with Rachel,” or “Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel,”
29:18 l9xb אֶֽעֱבָדְךָ֙ שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֔ים 1 “I will work seven years for you”. Jacob is offering seven years of work as the dowry or bride-price for Rachel. Translate this sentence in a way that reflects that.
29:18 cq1a בְּרָחֵ֥ל בִּתְּךָ֖ הַקְּטַנָּֽה 1 “{in exchange} for your younger daughter Rachel {as my wife}.” or “if you will give me your younger daughter Rachel {to be my wife}.” or “if you will let me marry your younger daughter Rachel.”
29:19 n9dn ט֚וֹב תִּתִּ֣י אֹתָ֣הּ לָ֔ךְ מִתִּתִּ֥י אֹתָ֖הּ לְאִ֣ישׁ 1 “{I agree to your terms.} I would {much} rather give her to you {to marry} than give her to some/any other man.” or “{Alright/Okay, that’s fine.} I prefer that she marry you rather than someone else.”
29:20 kubz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיִּהְי֤וּ בְעֵינָיו֙ כְּיָמִ֣ים אֲחָדִ֔ים בְּאַהֲבָת֖וֹ אֹתָֽהּ 1 “but to him it seemed like {only} a few days {had passed} because he loved her {so much}.” or “but he loved her so {much} that to him the time/years seemed {to pass quickly} like {only} a few days.” For some languages it is more natural to switch the order of the clauses in this sentence so that the cause is mentioned before the effect (See: the second alternate translation above). Do what is most clear and natural in your language.
29:21 py3l rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure הָבָ֣ה אֶת אִשְׁתִּ֔י כִּ֥י מָלְא֖וּ יָמָ֑י וְאָב֖וֹאָה אֵלֶֽיהָ 1 “{Please} let me marry {your daughter} {Rachel} {now} so that I can live with her {as} my wife, because I have finished/completed my {seven} years {of work/service} {for you}.” or “I have fulfilled/finished the {seven} years of work/service {that we agreed on}, so {please} let me have {your daughter} {Rachel} so that I can marry her and live with her.” Consider what is the best order for the clauses in this sentence in your language. Also make sure that Jacob’s request here sounds polite in your translation, not rude or demanding. It should also not sound like he was begging or pleading.
29:22 dfx2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ף לָבָ֛ן אֶת כָּל אַנְשֵׁ֥י הַמָּק֖וֹם וַיַּ֥עַשׂ מִשְׁתֶּֽה 1 “Then/So Laban gathered/invited all the local people and held a {wedding} feast.” or “Then/So Laban prepared a wedding/marriage feast and gathered/invited everyone who lived in town {to attend}.” Consider what is the best way to order these events in your language.
29:23 vaw0 וַיִּקַּח֙ אֶת לֵאָ֣ה בִתּ֔וֹ וַיָּבֵ֥א אֹתָ֖הּ אֵלָ֑יו 1 “Laban {deceived/tricked Jacob and} took/brought his daughter Leah {to Jacob’s tent} {instead of Rachel},” or “Laban took/brought Leah to Jacob {instead of Rachel},”
29:23 n4dv rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיָּבֹ֖א 1 “and/so he/Jacob” or “so that he/Jacob”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that “he” refers here to Jacob, not Laban.
29:23 h5xc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַיָּבֹ֖א אֵלֶֽיהָ 1 “so that he/Jacob had marital/sexual relations with her/Leah.” or “and/so he/Jacob slept with her/Leah.” or “spent the night with her/Leah.” Make sure that your translation of “he” refers here to Jacob, not Laban. See how you translated the euphemism “went to” in Gen 16:4 (and “go to” in Gen 16:2 and 29:21). Translate this in a way that is natural, clear, and acceptable for reading in public.
29:24 zehs וַיִּתֵּ֤ן לָבָן֙ 1 “Laban also gave” or “In addition, Laban gave”. It is not clear in the Hebrew text when Laban gave Zilpah to Leah, so it is probably best to keep it that way in your translation. Some translations say that Laban “had {already} given” Zilpah to Leah before the wedding night. However according to Jewish history (outside the Bible), it was on the wedding night that Laban did this as part of his plan to deceive Jacob: Zilpah was younger than Bilhah, so everyone would expect her to be given to Rachel as the younger sister; seeing Zilpah (instead of Bilhah) would help Jacob think that his veiled bride was Rachel. Since we do not know for sure which interpretation is right, it is probably best to be like the Hebrew text and not specify when Laban gave Zilpah to Leah. Some translations put this verse in parentheses because it seems to interrupt the telling of the main events.
29:25 wt9e rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וְהִנֵּה הִ֖וא לֵאָ֑ה 1 “{Jacob} saw/found that his {new} wife was Leah!” or “{Jacob was shocked to} see/discover that it was Leah {he had married}!” Translate “behold” in a way that shows Jacob’s surprise at finding out that he had married Leah instead of Rachel. Also, make sure that your translation of “she” refers here to Leah, not Zilpah (who was mentioned in verse 24).
29:25 qd1f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-honorifics וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל לָבָ֗ן 1 “So/Then he/Jacob complained to {his father-in-law} Laban,” or “So/Then he/Jacob rebuked/confronted Laban and said,” Some languages use an honorific title such as “his father-in-law” here now that Jacob is married. Do what is best in your language.
29:25 n8tv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מַה זֹּאת֙ עָשִׂ֣יתָ לִּ֔י 1 “Why have you treated me like this?” or “You have treated me very badly!” In this verse, Jacob uses rhetorical questions to communicate how angry and upset he is. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language. Also see how you translated this question in Gen 12:18, 20:9, 26:10.
29:25 sxpf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲלֹ֤א בְרָחֵל֙ עָבַ֣דְתִּי עִמָּ֔ךְ 1 “{You know that} Rachel is the one I served you for!” or “You know very well that I worked for you in order to marry Rachel!”
29:25 giws וְלָ֖מָּה רִמִּיתָֽנִי 1 “So why did you deceive/trick me?” or “Tell me why you deceived/tricked me!” See how you translated a different word (“deceit”) that has a similar meaning in Genesis 27:35.
29:26 y7mz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לֹא יֵעָשֶׂ֥ה כֵ֖ן בִּמְקוֹמֵ֑נוּ 1 “It is not customary In our/this land/region” or “It is not the/our custom/tradition/practice here”. For some languages it is necessary to say what the custom is, rather than what it is not. For example, you could say, “Our custom/practice here is to wait until the firstborn/oldest daughter is married before we let the younger daughter{s}/one{s} get married.” Do what is best in your language.
29:26 v8le לָתֵ֥ת הַצְּעִירָ֖ה 1 “to give the younger {daughter} {in marriage}” or “to marry off the younger {daughter}” or “for the younger {daughter} to marry”
29:26 jmo3 לִפְנֵ֥י הַבְּכִירָֽה 1 “before the oldest/older {daughter/one} {marries}.”
29:27 b70a rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit מַלֵּ֖א שְׁבֻ֣עַ זֹ֑את 1 “{So} fulfill/finish this daughter’s bridal/wedding week {and she will remain your wife},” or “{So then,} finish/complete this week of celebrating your marriage/wedding to my daughter {Leah},” or “{So then,} {keep Leah as your wife and} finish this week of celebrating your marriage to her,” For some languages it may be necessary to make explicit the fact that it is assumed that Leah would still remain his wife. Only make this information explicit if it is necessary to avoid wrong meaning.
29:27 w292 וְנִתְּנָ֨ה לְךָ֜ גַּם אֶת זֹ֗את 1 “Then our family will also give you {my} other/younger daughter {to marry}” or “Then you may also marry {my} other/younger daughter”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
29:27 ag84 בַּעֲבֹדָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּעֲבֹ֣ד עִמָּדִ֔י 1 “if you will work for me” or “in exchange for working for me”. See how you translated “serve” in verses 15, 18, 20, 21 and 25.
29:28 q8t0 וַיַּ֤עַשׂ יַעֲקֹב֙ כֵּ֔ן 1 “So that is what Jacob did:” or “So Jacob {agreed with Laban and} did what he said:”
29:28 h55y וַיְמַלֵּ֖א שְׁבֻ֣עַ זֹ֑את 1 “he fulfilled/completed Leah’s bridal/wedding week.” or “he finished/completed his wedding week with Leah.” or “he finished celebrating his marriage to Leah that week.” See how you translated “fulfill” in verse 27.
29:28 n1p0 וַיִּתֶּן ל֛וֹ אֶת רָחֵ֥ל בִּתּ֖וֹ ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה 1 “Then Laban gave him/Jacob his daughter Rachel to marry.” or “Then Laban gave his daughter Rachel to Jacob to be his wife.”
29:29 z1cm וַיִּתֵּ֤ן לָבָן֙ 1 “Laban/he also gave” or “In addition, Laban/he gave”. See how you translated verse 24, which is similar to verse 29.
29:29 it33 לְרָחֵ֣ל בִּתּ֔וֹ אֶת בִּלְהָ֖ה שִׁפְחָת֑וֹ 1 “his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel” or “Rachel a female servant named Bilhah”
29:29 qtvb לָ֖הּ לְשִׁפְחָֽה 1 “to be her {personal} maidservant/servant.” or “to serve her.”
29:30 cieh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַיָּבֹא֙ גַּ֣ם אֶל רָחֵ֔ל 1 “Then Jacob had marital relations with Rachel,” or “Then Jacob slept with Rachel,” See how you translated “went to” in verse 23.
29:30 zq9a וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ד עִמּ֔וֹ 1 “Then he worked for Laban” or “Then he {started} working for Laban”. At this point Jacob begins another seven years of work, but he does not finish the work until Gen 30:25-26.
29:30 jqak ע֖וֹד שֶֽׁבַע שָׁנִ֥ים אֲחֵרֽוֹת 1 “for seven more years.” See how you translated this phrase in verse 27.
29:31 dvs9 וַיַּ֤רְא יְהוָה֙ 1 “Now/Meanwhile Yahweh knew” or “{During that time,} Yahweh saw/knew”
29:31 f2r1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole כִּֽי שְׂנוּאָ֣ה לֵאָ֔ה 1 “that Leah was loved less {than Rachel},” or “that Jacob did not love Leah {very much},” Jacob did not actually hate Leah, rather this is hyperbole that emphasizes how much he loved Rachel compared to Leah (verse 30).
29:31 kk6e rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח אֶת רַחְמָ֑הּ 1 “so he made it so that she could conceive,” or “so he made it possible for her to have children,”
29:31 c12i וְרָחֵ֖ל עֲקָרָֽה 1 “but Rachel was not able to conceive.” or “but he did not enable Rachel to have children.” See how you translated “barren” in Gen 11:30 and 25:21.
29:32 gbdy וַתַּ֤הַר לֵאָה֙ 1 “Then Leah became pregnant”
29:32 kaw1 וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן 1 “and had a son” or “and gave birth to a son”
29:32 grlg rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ רְאוּבֵ֑ן 1 “She named him Reuben, {which means “Look/See, a son!”}” You could include the meaning of Reuben’s name in your translation (or in a footnote), so that people understand why Leah gave him that name. If you do that, make sure the meaning of Reuben’s name matches the way you translate “looked/seen” later in this verse.
29:32 s4ig rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּֽי רָאָ֤ה יְהוָה֙ בְּעָנְיִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה יֶאֱהָבַ֥נִי אִישִֽׁי 1 “Now that Yahweh has seen that I am suffering {and has helped me}, surely my husband will love me!” or “Surely my husband will love me now, since Yahweh has seen that I am suffering {and has helped me}.” Consider what is the best way to order these clauses in your language. Also see how you translated “misery” in Gen 16:11.
29:33 gtbo וַתַּ֣הַר עוֹד֮ 1 “Then Leah became pregnant again”
29:33 s35i וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּן֒ 1 “and had {another} son” or “and gave birth to {another} son”
29:33 tzjw וַתֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “and/so she exclaimed,” or “She exclaimed,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
29:33 i6wk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive כִּֽי שָׁמַ֤ע יְהוָה֙ כִּֽי שְׂנוּאָ֣ה אָנֹ֔כִי 1 “Since Yahweh heard that my husband does not love me,” or “Yahweh heard that I am not loved, so”. See how you translated “hated” in verse 31. Also consider whether it is better in your language to use an active or passive verb here.
29:33 dwxa rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names שִׁמְעֽוֹן 1 “Simeon, {which means “he hears.”}” If you include the meaning of Simeon’s name in your translation (or in a footnote), make sure it matches the way you translated “heard” earlier in this verse.
29:34 aosq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom יִלָּוֶ֤ה אֵלַ֔י 1 “will become attached to me” or “will want to be with me”. Many languages have an idiom that is similar to the Hebrew idiom and fits well here. Do what is best in your language.
29:34 iwal rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּֽי יָלַ֥דְתִּי ל֖וֹ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים 1 “because I have had three sons for him.” or “because I have given him three sons!” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause first in this quote and say, “I have born/had three sons for my husband, so now finally he will become attached to me.” Do what is best in your language.
29:34 mgew קָרָֽא שְׁמ֖וֹ 1 “his name was” or “he was named”. Although this phrase could mean that Jacob named Levi, most translations translate this in a general or indefinite way (See: the alternate translations). Do what is best in your language.
29:34 imm1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names לֵוִֽי 1 “Levi, {which means “joined/attached.”}” or “Levi, {which means “be with.”}” If you include the meaning of Levi’s name in your translation (or in a footnote), make sure it matches the way you translated “be joined” earlier in this verse.
29:35 t71u וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ 1 “and she exclaimed,” or “She said/exclaimed,”
29:35 jh48 הַפַּ֨עַם֙ אוֹדֶ֣ה אֶת יְהוָ֔ה 1 “Now I will praise Yahweh {for giving me this son}!”
29:35 t2yu עַל כֵּ֛ן 1 “That is why” or “Because she praised Yahweh,” See how you translated this phrase in verse 34. You may need to translate it in different ways, depending on the context.
29:35 qanv קָרְאָ֥ה שְׁמ֖וֹ 1 “she named him” or “she named that son” or “she gave him the name”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 33.
29:35 zk7u rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֖ד מִלֶּֽדֶת 1 “Then Leah stopped bearing/having babies/children {for a while}.” or “After that, Leah did not give birth to any more babies/children {for a while}.” Leah had more children at a later time. So it was only temporarily that she stopped having children.
30:1 bp4d וַתֵּ֣רֶא רָחֵ֗ל כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָֽלְדָה֙ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב 1 “Now/Meanwhile when Rachel saw/realized that she was not able to bear/have {any} {children} for Jacob,”
30:1 f4yg rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַתֹּ֤אמֶר אֶֽל יַעֲקֹב֙ 1 “and she pleaded with Jacob,” or “and she demanded of Jacob,” Use a quote margin here in your language that fits the context well.
30:1 dvs5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole מֵתָ֥ה אָנֹֽכִי 1 “I want to die!” or “I have no reason to live!” Rachel is using hyperbole (exaggeration) to show how desperate and deeply ashamed she feels about not having children. You could include a footnote here in your translation that explains how in that culture it was considered very shameful for a woman to be barren (See: Gen 30:23).
30:2 ca4i rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּֽחַר אַ֥ף יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּרָחֵ֑ל וַיֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “Jacob’s anger flared up against Rachel, and/so he said/responded {to her},” or “Jacob became very angry with Rachel and said/responded,” Some languages have an idiom that is similar to the Hebrew idiom here. Do what is best in your language.
30:2 cfsy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲתַ֤חַת אֱלֹהִים֙ אָנֹ֔כִי אֲשֶׁר מָנַ֥ע מִמֵּ֖ךְ פְּרִי בָֽטֶן 1 “I am not in the place of God, who has kept/prevented you from having children!” or “I am not God! He is the one who has kept/prevented you from having children!” Jacob uses a rhetorical question here to show that he is upset with Rachel and to strongly emphasize his point. Do what is best in your language to communicate this.
30:3 vrfr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism בֹּ֣א אֵלֶ֑יהָ 1 “Sleep with her,” or “Have marital relations with her,” See how you translated this euphemism in Gen 16:2.
30:3 x0yo rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom עַל בִּרְכַּ֔י 1 “{for me} {who will sit} on my knees/lap” or “as my surrogate/substitute” or “for me”. The idiom “bear children on my knees” means that Bilhah’s children would be considered Rachel’s children. It may come from the custom of immediately putting a newborn child on the lap of the father and mother to symbolize that the child belonged to them.
30:3 ezdx וְאִבָּנֶ֥ה גַם אָנֹכִ֖י מִמֶּֽנָּה 1 “so that from/through her {children} I too can/will build/have a family.” or “so that I too can/will build/have a family.” See how you translated “built up from her” in Gen 16:2.
30:4 og2j וַתִּתֶּן ל֛וֹ אֶת בִּלְהָ֥ה שִׁפְחָתָ֖הּ 1 “So Rachel gave Jacob her servant/maid Bilhah”. See how you translated “maidservant” in Gen 29:24, 29. Also see how you translated a different word (“servant woman”) in verse 3 that has the same meaning. Some translations use the same term in both verses to prevent confusion. Do what is best in your language.
30:4 vgw7 לְאִשָּׁ֑ה 1 “as {his} wife,” or “to be {a/another} wife {for him},” Make sure your translation does not sound like Bilhah replaced Rachel as Jacob’s wife; Bilhah was an additional wife.
30:4 pfg3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַיָּבֹ֥א אֵלֶ֖יהָ יַעֲקֹֽב 1 “and Jacob slept with her.” or “and Jacob had marital relations with her.” See how you translated “go to” in verse 3 and “went to” in Gen 16:3.
30:6 pbso rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַתֹּ֤אמֶר רָחֵל֙ 1 “and Rachel exclaimed,” or “Then Rachel said/exclaimed,” Consider whether it is more natural here in your language to begin a new sentence here, or to continue the sentence from verse 5.
30:6 uc2m דָּנַ֣נִּי אֱלֹהִ֔ים 1 “God has judged in my favor!” Some translations have “judged me” here. However, make sure your translation of this phrase has a positive meaning (making a decision in Rachel’s favor) and not a negative meaning (condemning her).
30:6 c8tv וְגַם֙ שָׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלִ֔י וַיִּתֶּן לִ֖י בֵּ֑ן 1 “Yes indeed, he has heard/answered my prayer/request/plea and given me a son!”
30:6 fc14 עַל כֵּ֛ן 1 “That is why” or “Because of that”
30:6 kpso קָרְאָ֥ה שְׁמ֖וֹ 1 “she called/named him” or “she gave him the name” or “she named her baby/son”. Make sure it is clear here in your translation that Rachel is naming Bilhah’s son, not God (who was the subject of the previous sentence). See how you translated “called his name” in Gen 29:32.
30:6 cf1v rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names דָּֽן 1 “Dan, {which means “he vindicated.”}” or “Dan, {which means “he judged in my favor.”}” If you include the meaning of Dan’s name in your translation (or in a footnote), make sure it matches the way you translated “he has vindicated” earlier in this verse.
30:7 r1qq וַתַּ֣הַר ע֔וֹד & בִּלְהָ֖ה שִׁפְחַ֣ת רָחֵ֑ל 1 “Then Rachel’s servant Bilhah became pregnant again”. See how you translated verse 5 which is very similar to verse 7.
30:7 vrmg וַתֵּ֕לֶד & בֵּ֥ן שֵׁנִ֖י לְיַעֲקֹֽב 1 “and gave birth to a second son for Jacob.” or “and had a second son for Jacob.”
30:8 fope נַפְתּוּלֵ֨י אֱלֹהִ֧ים נִפְתַּ֛לְתִּי עִם אֲחֹתִ֖י 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “I have had a mighty/difficult struggle/contest with my sister” or “I have struggled intensely/hard with/against my sister”. That would be the meaning if the Hebrew word “elohim” in this phrase is used as an adjective that means “mighty/powerful”. (2) “I have wrestled/struggled with God because of my sister”, which could refer to a struggle against her sister praying to God for children. That would be the meaning if the word “elohim” in this phrase means “God”.
30:8 i44p גַּם יָכֹ֑לְתִּי 1 “and I have won!” or “and/but now I have defeated her!” or “and/but now I am prevailing/winning!”
30:8 jb07 וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ 1 “And/So she called/named him” or “Then/So she called/named that son” or “So she gave him the name”. See how you translated “called his name” in verse 6.
30:8 l04h rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names נַפְתָּלִֽי 1 “Naphtali, {which means “my struggle/contest.”}” As always, if you include the meaning of a name in your translation or in a footnote, make sure that it matches the text that the name is based on.
30:9 am38 וַתֵּ֣רֶא לֵאָ֔ה כִּ֥י עָמְדָ֖ה מִלֶּ֑דֶת 1 “When Leah saw/realized that she had stopped bearing/having children,” See how you translated a similar clause in verse 1.
30:9 gepy וַתִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛הּ לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב לְאִשָּֽׁה 1 “and gave her to Jacob/him as {his} wife.” or “and gave her to Jacob/him to be {another} wife {for him}.” See how you translated “gave...as a wife” in verse 4.
30:10 izmk וַתֵּ֗לֶד זִלְפָּ֛ה שִׁפְחַ֥ת לֵאָ֖ה לְיַעֲקֹ֥ב בֵּֽן 1 “Then Leah’s maidservant Zilpah gave birth to a son for Jacob,” or “Then Zilpah had a son for Jacob,” See how you translated verses 5-8, which are very similar in structure to verses 10-13.
30:11 mlup rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names גָּֽד 1 “Gad, {which means “fortunate/lucky.”}” If you include the meaning of Gad’s name in your translation or in a footnote, make sure it matches the way you translated “good fortune” earlier in this verse.
30:12 epai וַתֵּ֗לֶד זִלְפָּה֙ שִׁפְחַ֣ת לֵאָ֔ה בֵּ֥ן שֵׁנִ֖י לְיַעֲקֹֽב 1 “Then Leah’s servant Zilpah gave birth to a second son for Jacob,” or “ Then Leah’s servant Zilpah had a second son for Jacob,”
30:13 jwvp בְּאָשְׁרִ֕י 1 “I am truly/greatly blessed!” or “{God} has truly/greatly blessed me!” Although many translations have “happy” in this verse instead of “blessed”, the Hebrew noun (and the verb it is based on) is more general and has to do with a person’s blessed state (which results in joy and happiness). The same Hebrew word is used in Psalm 1:1, and the equivalent Greek word is used in Luke 1:48 and Matthew 5:3-11.
30:13 d2t9 כִּ֥י אִשְּׁר֖וּנִי בָּנ֑וֹת 1 “Now {other} women will say that I am blessed {by God}.” or “Now {other} women will say that {God} has blessed me.”
30:13 cadj rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אָשֵֽׁר 1 “Asher, {which means “blessed.”}” If you include the meaning of Asher’s name in your translation or in a footnote, make sure it matches the way you translated “blessed” earlier in this verse.
30:14 c2j2 וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ רְאוּבֵ֜ן בִּימֵ֣י קְצִיר־חִטִּ֗ים 1 “Then {one day} during the season/time when people were harvesting wheat/grain/crops, {Leah’s son} Reuben went out” or “{One day} during...” Wheat is a type of grain that is ground into flour to make bread, which was one of the people’s main foods. The harvest time for wheat in that part of the world is in March and April.
30:14 jiwp rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown וַיִּמְצָ֤א דֽוּדָאִים֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה 1 “and found {some} {fertility/love plants called} mandrakes in a field,” or “in a field and found {some} fertility/love plants {there},” The roots of mandrake plants were used to help people be more fertile. If mandrakes are not known in your language area, you could describe them as a kind of fertility plant. You could also put information about mandrakes in a footnote or glossary.
30:14 h8o4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown תְּנִי נָ֣א לִ֔י מִדּוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנֵֽךְ 1 “Please give me some of the fertility/love plants that your son found.” See how you translated “mandrakes” earlier in this verse.
30:15 zraf rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֗הּ 1 “But Leah replied to her,” of “But Leah retorted,” or “But Leah scolded her,”
30:15 il2x rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הַמְעַט֙ קַחְתֵּ֣ךְ אֶת אִישִׁ֔י 1 “{No!} It was {bad} enough that you took/stole my husband {from me}!” or “You already took/stole my husband {from me}!” Leah uses two rhetorical questions in verse 15 to scold Rachel and show how upset she is with her. Consider whether or not rhetorical questions are the best way to communicate that in your language.
30:15 rrqx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וְלָקַ֕חַת גַּ֥ם אֶת דּוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י 1 “Do you also/even want to take my son’s fertility/love plants?” or “And/So {now} you also/even want to take/steal my son’s fertility/love plants!”
30:15 glxw לָכֵן֙ 1 “Alright then,” or “Very well,” Rachel’s response shows that she realizes that even though Leah was scolding her, she was also bargaining with her.
30:15 xaq3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism יִשְׁכַּ֤ב עִמָּךְ֙ הַלַּ֔יְלָה 1 “I will let him/Jacob sleep/stay with you tonight” or “Jacob can sleep/stay with you tonight” or “Jacob can spend tonight with you”
30:15 hm5f תַּ֖חַת דּוּדָאֵ֥י בְנֵֽךְ 1 “{in exchange} for your son’s fertility/love plants.” or “if you will give me your son’s fertility/love plants.” See how you translated “{in exchange} for” in Gen 29:18.
30:16 uwud rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיָּבֹ֨א יַעֲקֹ֣ב מִן הַשָּׂדֶה֮ בָּעֶרֶב֒ 1 “So when/as Jacob came back that evening from {working in} the fields,” or “That evening as Jacob was coming {home} from {working in} the fields,” Consider where it is best in your language to put the time phrase in this clause. Also see how you translated “field” in verse 14.
30:16 ro5s כִּ֚י שָׂכֹ֣ר שְׂכַרְתִּ֔יךָ בְּדוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י 1 “because I have bought time with you with my son’s fertility/love plants.” or “because I have traded/exchanged my son’s fertility/love plants for time with you.” See how you translated “mandrakes” in verses 14 and 15.
30:16 hp22 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב עִמָּ֖הּ בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הֽוּא 1 “So that night Jacob slept with her/Leah.” or “So Jacob spent that night with her/Leah.”
30:17 bmy1 וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל לֵאָ֑ה 1 “God heard/answered Leah’s/her {prayers/requests},” or “God heard Leah and answered her {prayers},” or “God did what Leah had been asking him to do,” See how you translated “listened to” in verse 6.
30:17 wzl3 וַתַּ֛הַר 1 “so that she became pregnant”
30:17 xdn0 וַתֵּ֥לֶד לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב בֵּ֥ן חֲמִישִֽׁי 1 “and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob.” or “and had a fifth son for Jacob.”
30:18 z46w rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns נָתַ֤ן אֱלֹהִים֙ שְׂכָרִ֔י 1 “God has rewarded me”. Some languages must translate the noun “reward” as a verb. Do what is best in your language.
30:18 ss6r וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ 1 “So she called/named him” or “So she named that son” or “So she gave him the name”. Make sure the way you translate “his name” refers here to Leah’s baby son, not to her husband or God (who were both mentioned earlier in this verse).
30:18 oroa rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names יִשָּׂשכָֽר 1 “Issachar, {which means “reward.”}” See how you translated “reward” earlier in this verse.
30:19 ryhn וַתֵּ֥לֶד בֵּן שִׁשִּׁ֖י לְּיַעֲקֹֽב 1 “and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob.” or “and had a sixth son for Jacob.”
30:20 klb3 וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֵאָ֗ה 1 “Then she said/exclaimed,”
30:20 biow זְבָדַ֨נִי אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֹתִי֮ זֵ֣בֶד טוֹב֒ 1 “God has given me a valuable/precious gift”
30:20 zk5n הַפַּ֨עַם֙ יִזְבְּלֵ֣נִי אִישִׁ֔י 1 “{so} now my husband will honor me”
30:20 q7rh כִּֽי יָלַ֥דְתִּי ל֖וֹ שִׁשָּׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים 1 “because I have had six sons for him.” or “because I have given him six sons.”
30:20 mxru וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת שְׁמ֖וֹ 1 “So she called/named him” or “So she named that/their son” or “So she gave him the name”. Make sure the way you translate “his name” refers here to Leah’s baby son, not to her husband (who was mentioned in the previous sentence).
30:21 rvvm וְאַחַ֖ר 1 “{Sometime} later” or “{Sometime} after that,”
30:21 hfmr יָ֣לְדָה בַּ֑ת 1 “she/Leah gave birth to a daughter” or “she/Leah had a daughter”
30:21 xin3 וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת שְׁמָ֖הּ דִּינָֽה 1 “and called/named her Dinah.” or “whom she named Dinah.”
30:22 zgp4 וַיִּזְכֹּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת רָחֵ֑ל 1 “God had kept Rachel in mind,” or “God had not forgotten Rachel,” Make sure that your translation of this phrase does not imply that God forgot about Rachel. See how you translated a similar phrase in Gen 8:1.
30:22 aigs וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע אֵלֶ֨יהָ֙ אֱלֹהִ֔ים 1 “and/so he heard/answered her {prayers/requests}” or “and/so he did what she had been asking him to do”. See how you translated “listened to” in verses 6 and 17.
30:22 gu2l rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח אֶת רַחְמָֽהּ 1 “and made it so that she could conceive.” or “and made it possible for her to have children.” See how you translated this idiom in Gen 29:31.
30:23 wisk וַתַּ֖הַר 1 “so that {finally} she conceived” or “Then/So she/Rachel became pregnant”. Consider whether it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here, or to continue the sentence from verse 22.
30:23 h8n8 וַתֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “and she exclaimed,” or “Then she said/exclaimed,” Consider whether or not it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here.
30:23 nxcu אָסַ֥ף אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת חֶרְפָּתִֽי 1 “God has removed my shame/humiliation!” or “God has made it so that I am no longer {barren and} ashamed/humiliated!”
30:24 m2mb וַתִּקְרָ֧א אֶת שְׁמ֛וֹ 1 “She called/named her son” or “She gave him the name”
30:24 hdzd rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names יוֹסֵ֖ף 1 “Joseph, {which means “may he add/give another,”}” If you include the meaning of Joseph’s name here in your translation or in a footnote, make sure it matches the way you translate what Rachel says next.
30:24 ogv3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “{because} she said,” For some languages it is more natural to put the last half of verse 24 first in the verse and say, “She also said, “May Yahweh add/give another son to me.” So she named that/her son Joseph, {which means “may he add/give another.”}” Do what is best in your language.
30:25 r0t7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness שַׁלְּחֵ֨נִי֙ 1 “{Please} send me on my way,” or “{Please} allow me to leave {here},” Make sure that your translation of Jacob’s request here sounds polite, not rude or disrespectful. It should also not sound like he is begging or pleading. See how you translated the same request in Gen 24:54.
30:25 q6wg וְאֵ֣לְכָ֔ה אֶל מְקוֹמִ֖י וּלְאַרְצִֽי 1 “so that I may/can return to my {own} home in my {own} country.” or “so that I can go/return to my homeland.”
30:26 yb97 תְּנָ֞ה אֶת נָשַׁ֣י וְאֶת יְלָדַ֗י 1 “Let me have/take my wives and my children”
30:26 ocvf אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָבַ֧דְתִּי אֹֽתְךָ֛ בָּהֵ֖ן 1 “whom I have finished serving you for,” or “whom I have earned by working for you,”
30:26 ztkv כִּ֚י אַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתָּ 1 “because you yourself know” or “You yourself know”
30:26 o0s7 אֶת עֲבֹדָתִ֖י אֲשֶׁ֥ר עֲבַדְתִּֽיךָ 1 “that I have served you {well/faithfully}.” or “how {well/faithfully} I have served you.” or “how {well/faithfully} I have worked for you.”
30:27 s3ax rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אִם נָ֛א מָצָ֥אתִי חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ 1 “If you are pleased with me, please {stay},” or “Please be gracious/kind to me {and stay},” or “Please do me a favor {and do not leave/go},”
30:27 hsr3 נִחַ֕שְׁתִּי 1 “{because} I have found out from observing signs” or “{because} I have learned from observation/experience”. The word “divination” refers to trying to find out information by looking at signs (omens) and interpreting them either by God’s power (Gen 44:5, 15) or by witchcraft and false gods (Ezekiel 21:21). Laban may have consulted his household gods (mentioned in Gen 31:19, 30). It could also be that Laban meant that he had figured this out simply by observing how God had blessed him through Jacob’s expert tending of his flocks.
30:27 csrq וַיְבָרֲכֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֖ה 1 “that Yahweh has caused me to prosper”
30:27 gbcy בִּגְלָלֶֽךָ 1 “because you {are here with me}.” or “because you {have been working for me}.”
30:28 b7cr rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּאמַ֑ר 1 “Then he said {to him,}” or “Then he/Laban added,” Some translations delete this quote margin, since the same person is still speaking to the same person as in the previous verse. However it could be that there was a pause in the conversation, or the author may want to show that there is a change in topic or emphasize what is said next. So if possible, it is best to keep the quote margin here in your translation.
30:28 ci7k נָקְבָ֧ה שְׂכָרְךָ֛ עָלַ֖י וְאֶתֵּֽנָה 1 “Tell me what you want your wages/pay to be, and that is what I will give/pay you.” or “Tell me what you want me to pay you, and I will give that to you.” or “Set your wages, and that is what they will be.” See how you translated “wages” in Gen 29:15.
30:29 vh3k אַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתָּ אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲבַדְתִּ֑יךָ 1 “You yourself know how {hard/well} I have worked for you”. See how you translated “you yourself know” in verse 26.
30:29 gb7m וְאֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר הָיָ֥ה מִקְנְךָ֖ 1 “and how {well} your animals/flocks have prospered/fared”
30:29 ra7s אִתִּֽי 1 “under my care.” or “ever since I have been taking care of them.” or “while I have been tending them.”
30:30 sjrl כִּ֡י מְעַט֩ אֲשֶׁר הָיָ֨ה לְךָ֤ לְפָנַי֙ וַיִּפְרֹ֣ץ לָרֹ֔ב 1 “Before I came, you had very little {wealth}, but now you are prospering abundantly/greatly.” or “The few {animals} that you owned before I came have multiplied/increased dramatically/greatly.” or “Before I worked for you, you owned very few animals, but now you have a huge/large number of animals.”
30:30 rig7 וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ יְהוָ֛ה אֹתְךָ֖ 1 “That is how Yahweh has blessed/prospered you” or “Yes, Yahweh has blessed/prospered you”. See how you translated “blessed” in verse 27.
30:30 izhx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לְרַגְלִ֑י 1 “because of me.” or “because I am here.” or “because I have been working for you.”
30:30 kjib rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וְעַתָּ֗ה מָתַ֛י אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֥ה גַם אָנֹכִ֖י לְבֵיתִֽי 1 “But now I need to also provide for my {own} household/family!” Jacob uses a rhetorical question here to express his strong feelings. Do what is best in your language.
30:31 vxeh מָ֣ה אֶתֶּן לָ֑ךְ 1 “What do you want me to give/pay you {so that you will stay and work for me}?” or “What can I give/pay you {to persuade you} {to stay here}?”
30:31 jax2 לֹא תִתֶּן לִ֣י מְא֔וּמָה 1 “Do not give/pay me anything.” or “You do not need to give/pay me anything.”
30:31 l8g9 אִם תַּֽעֲשֶׂה לִּי֙ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה 1 “{But} if you will do this {one} thing for me,” or “Just do this {one} thing for me, and”
30:31 vxy0 אָשׁ֛וּבָה אֶרְעֶ֥ה צֹֽאנְךָ֖ אֶשְׁמֹֽר 1 “I will continue to tend and watch over your flock{s}:” or “I will continue/keep taking care of your flock{s}:” See how you translated “watches over” in Gen 28:20.
30:32 atgi אֶֽעֱבֹ֨ר בְּכָל צֹֽאנְךָ֜ הַיּ֗וֹם 1 “Let me go/look through all your flock{s} today” or “Today I will go/look through all your sheep and goats”
30:32 c1ev הָסֵ֨ר מִשָּׁ֜ם 1 “and separate out from them” or “and take away from them”
30:32 sir5 כָּל שֶׂ֣ה נָקֹ֣ד וְטָל֗וּא וְכָל שֶׂה חוּם֙ בַּכְּשָׂבִ֔ים 1 “all the lambs that are speckled, spotted or dark-colored,” or “all the lambs that have speckles or spots, or that are dark-colored,” The Hebrew word for “speckled” refers to small spots, whereas “spotted” refers to medium-sized and bigger spots. In that part of the world, most sheep were white and most goats were solid brown or black. So Jacob was asking for the irregular animals for himself, including white sheep with dark marks, dark-colored goats with light marks and dark-colored lambs. You could put some of this information in a footnote.
30:32 zmbe וְטָל֥וּא וְנָקֹ֖ד בָּעִזִּ֑ים 1 “and {all} the young/kid goats that are spotted or speckled.”
30:32 u4ob וְהָיָ֖ה שְׂכָרִֽי 1 “They will be my wages/pay.” or “Those animals will be my wages/pay.”
30:33 b07z rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-personification וְעָֽנְתָה בִּ֤י צִדְקָתִי֙ בְּי֣וֹם מָחָ֔ר 1 “Also, in the future you will know whether or not I am being righteous/honest” or “That way {too}, in the future it will be easy {for you/everyone} to know whether {or not} I am being honest”. The phrase “my righteousness” is referred to here as if it can testify like a person can. Some languages cannot personify righteousness like that. Do what is best in your language.
30:33 ppfp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּֽי תָב֥וֹא עַל שְׂכָרִ֖י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ 1 “whenever you check the animals you have paid/given me.” For some languages it is more natural to move this clause earlier in this sentence and say, “Also, in the future, whenever you check the animals you have paid/given me, you will know whether or not I am being honest.” Do what is best in your own language.
30:33 sw5u כֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ֩ נָקֹ֨ד וְטָל֜וּא בָּֽעִזִּ֗ים וְחוּם֙ בַּכְּשָׂבִ֔ים 1 “{If you see} that I have any {sheep or} goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any sheep/lambs that are not dark-colored,” or “{If you see/find} any {sheep or} goats {among my flocks} that do not have speckles or spots, or any sheep/lambs that are not dark-colored,”
30:33 pa6c גָּנ֥וּב ה֖וּא אִתִּֽי 1 “{you will know that} I stole them {from you}.” or “{it will be obvious that} I stole them {from you}.”
30:34 ujkw ל֖וּ יְהִ֥י כִדְבָרֶֽךָ 1 “let’s do exactly as/what you have said/suggested.” or “we should/will do exactly as/what you have said/suggested.”
30:35 r5ln rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast וַיָּ֣סַר בַּיּוֹם֩ הַה֨וּא 1 “But that {same/very} day, he/Laban removed/separated {from his flocks}”. Make sure your translation of “he” in this clause refers to Laban, not Jacob (as verse 36 confirms). Also, what Laban does in verse 35 does not follow the agreement he just made with Jacob in verses 32-34.
30:35 c75v אֶת הַתְּיָשִׁ֜ים הָֽעֲקֻדִּ֣ים וְהַטְּלֻאִ֗ים וְאֵ֤ת כָּל הָֽעִזִּים֙ הַנְּקֻדּ֣וֹת וְהַטְּלֻאֹ֔ת 1 “{all} the he-goats that had streaks or spots, and all the she-goats that had speckles or spots,”
30:35 fnxm כֹּ֤ל אֲשֶׁר לָבָן֙ בּ֔וֹ 1 “any/all that {had any} white {marks} on them,” The goats were normally dark brown or black, so if they had streaks or spots on them those marks would be white. In the Hebrew text, there is a pun (play-on-words) in verses 35 and 37: the name “Laban” means “white”, so verse 35 literally says that any goats with “Laban” (“white”) on them became Jacob’s. You could include that information in a footnote.
30:35 atss וְכָל ח֖וּם בַּכְּשָׂבִ֑ים 1 “together with all the dark-colored lambs.” or “as well as all the lambs that were dark-colored.”
30:35 cm2l rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּתֵּ֖ן בְּיַד בָּנָֽיו 1 “Then he had his sons tend {them},” or “Then he put his sons in charge of {them},” or “Then he told his sons to take care of {them},”
30:36 r9y9 וַיָּ֗שֶׂם דֶּ֚רֶךְ שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֔ים בֵּינ֖וֹ וּבֵ֣ין יַעֲקֹ֑ב 1 “and he {and his sons} took {those animals} a three-day walking distance away from Jacob.”
30:36 ueil וְיַעֲקֹ֗ב רֹעֶ֛ה אֶת צֹ֥אן לָבָ֖ן הַנּוֹתָרֹֽת 1 “Meanwhile Jacob continued taking care of the rest of Laban’s flock{s}.” See how you translated “tending” in verse 31 and Gen 13:7.
30:37 h28b rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknowns לִבְנֶ֛ה & וְל֣וּז וְעֶרְמ֑וֹן 1 “from poplar {trees}, almond/hazel {trees} and plane/chestnut {trees},” or “from three different kinds of trees,” If the three kinds of trees are not known in your language area, you could transliterate the names of the trees, or be more general and leave out the names (if they are too distracting).
30:37 b4o7 וַיְפַצֵּ֤ל בָּהֵן֙ פְּצָל֣וֹת לְבָנ֔וֹת 1 “and peeled/stripped off long strips/pieces of bark,” or “and made white stripes/streaks on them {by stripping/peeling off long strips/pieces of bark},”
30:37 l8bu מַחְשֹׂף֙ הַלָּבָ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל הַמַּקְלֽוֹת 1 “which exposed/showed the white {wood} under the bark.” or “so that the white {wood} that was inside the branches was exposed/showing.”
30:38 nguj וַיַּצֵּ֗ג אֶת הַמַּקְלוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר פִּצֵּ֔ל בָּרֳהָטִ֖ים בְּשִֽׁקֲת֣וֹת הַמָּ֑יִם 1 “Then he put/set those {striped/streaked} branches in all the {stone} drinking/watering troughs/tubs/places”. See how you translated “trough” in Gen 24:20.
30:38 eo6s אֲשֶׁר֩ תָּבֹ֨אןָ הַצֹּ֤אן לִשְׁתּוֹת֙ 1 “where the flock{s} came to drink,” or “that the flock{s} would come to drink from,” The way you translate this should allow for the fact that the animals came to the watering troughs repeatedly or regularly throughout the day, not just one time.
30:38 v4og לְנֹ֣כַח הַצֹּ֔אן 1 “in front of them.” or “so that the flock{s} would see the branches {there}.”
30:38 owls וַיֵּחַ֖מְנָה בְּבֹאָ֥ן לִשְׁתּֽוֹת 1 “The flocks {often} mated when they came {to the troughs/tubs} to drink,” or “{That way, whenever} the animals that were ready to mate/breed came {to the troughs/tubs} to drink,” The way you translate this clause will determine whether you begin the next verse with a conjunction (“and” or “so”) or without a conjunction. Do what is best in your language.
30:39 u4ep וַיֶּחֱמ֥וּ הַצֹּ֖אן אֶל הַמַּקְל֑וֹת 1 “and/so they would mate in front of the branches,” or “they would mate where they could see the branches,” or “they would see the branches as they were mating/breeding,” Make sure your translation of the verbs in this verse refers to a repeated or habitual activity, not a one-time event.
30:39 dcdv rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַתֵּלַ֣דְןָ הַצֹּ֔אן עֲקֻדִּ֥ים נְקֻדִּ֖ים וּטְלֻאִֽים 1 “As a result, they would bear/have {young/offspring that were} streaked or speckled or spotted.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated “speckled” and “spotted” in verses 32-33 and 35. Also consider what is the most natural way in your language to refer to the flocks in verses 38 and 39.
30:40 t0tb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וְהַכְּשָׂבִים֮ הִפְרִ֣יד יַעֲקֹב֒ 1 “Then Jacob separated those young animals {from Laban’s flocks} {to form/make new flocks for himself},”
30:40 gkje rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַ֠יִּתֵּן פְּנֵ֨י הַצֹּ֧אן אֶל 1 “and he put {the rest of} the flock{s} with”. The Hebrew text uses an idiom here that means Jacob put the marked and unmarked animals together (so that they would mate).
30:40 m70y עָקֹ֛ד וְכָל ח֖וּם 1 “all the streaked animals and dark-colored {animals}”. See how you translated “streaked” in verses 35 and 39, and how you translated “dark-colored” in verses 32-33 and 35.
30:40 ch5g rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit בְּצֹ֣אן לָבָ֑ן 1 “{that were} in Laban’s flock{s} {so that they would mate and have young/offspring/babies that were streaked or dark-colored}.” You may need to make it explicit in your translation why Jacob put the unmarked sheep and goats with Laban’s streaked and spotted animals, so that people understand what Jacob was doing.
30:40 hpgv וַיָּֽשֶׁת ל֤וֹ עֲדָרִים֙ לְבַדּ֔וֹ 1 “In that way, {over time} he created/formed/made separate flocks {of sheep and goats} for himself”
30:40 okhx וְלֹ֥א שָׁתָ֖ם עַל צֹ֥אן לָבָֽן 1 “that he did not put/mix with Laban’s flock{s}.” or “that he kept separate/away from Laban’s flock{s}.”
30:41 q7lz וְהָיָ֗ה בְּכָל 1 “So whenever” or “Whenever”. This verse includes more details about what Jacob was doing on a regular basis.
30:41 dqo7 הַצֹּ֣אן הַמְקֻשָּׁרוֹת֒ 1 “the stronger/best female animals” or “the strong/hardy/robust female sheep and goats”
30:41 feod יַחֵם֮ 1 “were ready to mate/breed,” See how you translated this phrase in verse 38.
30:41 ez3q וְשָׂ֨ם יַעֲקֹ֧ב אֶת הַמַּקְל֛וֹת & בָּרֳהָטִ֑ים 1 “Jacob put/set the {striped/streaked} branches in the {drinking/watering} troughs/tubs”. See how you translated a similar clause in verse 38.
30:41 wc1b rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-purpose לְעֵינֵ֥י הַצֹּ֖אן & לְיַחְמֵ֖נָּה בַּמַּקְלֽוֹת 1 “in front of those animals so that they would see the branches as they were mating/breeding.” or “so that as they were mating, they would see the branches.” See how you translated “mate” and “the branches” in verse 39.
30:42 e9iw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וְהַקְּשֻׁרִ֖ים 1 “and/whereas {the young/offspring from} the stronger/hardy/robust {animals}”. See how you translated “strong” in verse 41.
30:43 pyxq וַיִּפְרֹ֥ץ הָאִ֖ישׁ 1 “So Jacob became extremely/very prosperous/wealthy” or “As a result, Jacob became extremely/very wealthy/rich”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, see how you translated “prospered” in verse 30.
30:43 jzz1 וַֽיְהִי לוֹ֙ צֹ֣אן רַבּ֔וֹת 1 “and owned large flock{s} {of sheep and goats},” or “He owned many sheep and goats,” For some languages it is more natural to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
30:43 osfb וּשְׁפָחוֹת֙ וַעֲבָדִ֔ים וּגְמַלִּ֖ים וַחֲמֹרִֽים 1 “and {many} male and female servants, and {many} camels and donkeys.” See how you translated “maidservants”, “menservants”, “camels”, and “donkeys” in Gen 12:16 and 24:35.
31:1 y7ho וַיִּשְׁמַ֗ע 1 “Then {one day} Jacob heard” or “Then {one day} someone told Jacob”
31:1 i1li אֶת דִּבְרֵ֤י בְנֵֽי לָבָן֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר 1 “that Laban’s sons were {complaining and} saying,”
31:1 wgio לָקַ֣ח יַעֲקֹ֔ב אֵ֖ת כָּל אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאָבִ֑ינוּ 1 “Jacob has taken {for himself} everything/all that our father owned,”
31:1 v4h5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism וּמֵאֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאָבִ֔ינוּ עָשָׂ֕ה אֵ֥ת כָּל הַכָּבֹ֖ד הַזֶּֽה 1 “Yes, he/Jacob has become wealthy/rich by taking our father’s wealth/possessions!” or “In fact, he/Jacob has acquired/gotten all his wealth/riches by taking {the animals} that were our father’s!” This clause forms a parallelism with the previous clause and emphasizes Laban’s sons’ complaint against Jacob. The phrase “all this wealth” especially refers to all the livestock that Jacob had gained during the years he worked for Laban.
31:2 iwy4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אֶת פְּנֵ֣י לָבָ֑ן וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵינֶ֛נּוּ עִמּ֖וֹ כִּתְמ֥וֹל שִׁלְשֽׁוֹם 1 “that Laban no longer looked at him in a kind/friendly way as/like {he did} previously/before.” or “that Laban was no longer pleased/happy with him as/like he was previously/before.” or “that Laban no longer acted kind/friendly toward him the way he did in the past.” The clause “he was not with him” is used here as an idiom that means Laban was no longer happy with Jacob, or that he no longer liked him. Consider whether your language has a similar idiom that fits well here.
31:3 txcg שׁ֛וּב אֶל אֶ֥רֶץ אֲבוֹתֶ֖יךָ וּלְמוֹלַדְתֶּ֑ךָ 1 “Go back to your ancestors’ homeland, where your relatives live,” or “Return to the land where your ancestors lived and where your {other} relatives {also} live,”
31:3 nssb וְאֶֽהְיֶ֖ה עִמָּֽךְ 1 “and I will stay with you {and help/bless you}.” See how you translated this clause in Gen 26:3, and how you translated similar clauses in Gen 26:8, 24; 28:15.
31:4 uryr וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח יַעֲקֹ֔ב וַיִּקְרָ֖א לְרָחֵ֣ל וּלְלֵאָ֑ה הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה 1 “So Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah {to come} to the field/pasture” or “Then/So Jacob sent a message to Rachel and Leah that they should meet him at/in the field/pasture”. See how you translated “sent and called for” in Gen 27:42.
31:4 xk35 אֶל צֹאנֽוֹ 1 “where {he was with/tending} his flock{s} {of sheep and goats}.”
31:5 zcua rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ן 1 “{When they arrived,} he said to them,” or “{There} he told them,” Consider whether in your language it is necessary to make explicit that Rachel and Leah had come to Jacob before he spoke to them.
31:5 gsb5 אֶת פְּנֵ֣י אֲבִיכֶ֔ן כִּֽי אֵינֶ֥נּוּ אֵלַ֖י כִּתְמֹ֣ל שִׁלְשֹׁ֑ם 1 “that your father no longer looks at me in a kind/friendly way as/like he did in the past,” or “that your father is no longer pleased/happy with me as/like he was previously/before,” or “that your father no longer acts friendly toward me the way he used to previously/before,” See how you translated a similar clause in verse 2.
31:5 hvoc וֵֽאלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֔י 1 “but my father’s God” or “but the God whom my father serves/worships” or “but the God {who takes care} of my father”. See how you translated “the God of...” in Gen 28:13.
31:5 ocbl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom הָיָ֖ה עִמָּדִֽי 1 “has stayed with me {and has helped/blessed me}.” See how you translated the idiom “be with you” in verse 3.
31:6 qxli rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-youdual וְאַתֵּ֖נָה יְדַעְתֶּ֑ן 1 “You {both} know”. In the Hebrew text, “you” is an emphatic pronoun. Also, some languages have a special dual pronoun that fits here well. Do what is best in your language.
31:6 pvt6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּ֚י בְּכָל כֹּחִ֔י עָבַ֖דְתִּי אֶת אֲבִיכֶֽן 1 “that I have tried as hard as I can to serve your father well,” or “how I have worked for your father as hard/faithfully as I could,” Consider where it is best in your language to position the phrase “with all my might” in this clause.
31:7 w4hj וַאֲבִיכֶן֙ הֵ֣תֶל בִּ֔י 1 “but {in spite of that,} he has deceived/cheated me” or “but {yet} he has treated me unfairly”
31:7 umvt וְהֶחֱלִ֥ף אֶת מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּ֖י עֲשֶׂ֣רֶת מֹנִ֑ים 1 “by changing what he pays me ten times.” or “and ten times he has changed what he said that he would pay me.”
31:7 k1rd וְלֹֽא נְתָנ֣וֹ אֱלֹהִ֔ים לְהָרַ֖ע עִמָּדִֽי 1 “However, God has not permitted him to harm/hurt me.” or “But God has prevented/kept him from harming/hurting me.” or “But God has protected me so that he/Laban did/could not hurt/harm me.” In this context, “harm” especially refers to financial harm, but it can also include physical harm.
31:8 q29t אִם כֹּ֣ה יֹאמַ֗ר 1 “{For example,} if/whenever he told {me}” or “{For example,} every time that he told {me}”. The examples Jacob is describing in verse 8 took place repeatedly (as verse 7 indicates).
31:8 wbtt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations נְקֻדִּים֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה שְׂכָרֶ֔ךָ 1 “that {only} the speckled {animals} would be my wages/pay,” or “that he would pay me by giving me {only} the animals with speckles on them,” Consider whether it is best in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote. Also, see how you translated “speckled” in Gen 30:32, 33, 35, 39.
31:8 m5nt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וְיָלְד֥וּ כָל הַצֹּ֖אן 1 “then all {the female animals in} the flocks gave birth to” or “then all the female sheep and goats gave birth to”
31:8 minm נְקֻדִּ֑ים 1 “speckled {young/babies}.” or “{young/babies that were} speckled.”
31:8 av4b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations עֲקֻדִּים֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה שְׂכָרֶ֔ךָ 1 “that {only} the streaked {animals} would be my wages/pay,” or “that he would pay me by giving me {only} the animals with streaks on them,” See how you translated “streaked” in Gen 30:35, 39, 40.
31:8 bhhl וְיָלְד֥וּ כָל הַצֹּ֖אן 2 “then all {the females in} the flock{s} gave birth to” or “then all the female sheep and goats had” or “then they all gave birth to”
31:8 lrxh וְיָלְד֥וּ עֲקֻדִּֽים 1 “streaked {young/babies}.” or “{young/babies that had} streaks/stripes on them.”
31:9 z6ij וַיַּצֵּ֧ל אֱלֹהִ֛ים 1 “In that way, God has taken” or “So that’s how God took”
31:9 igfi אֶת מִקְנֵ֥ה אֲבִיכֶ֖ם 1 “{many of} the animals that belonged to your father” or “{many of} the sheep and goats that were your father’s” or “{many of} your father’s animals {from him}”. The term “livestock” usually includes all kinds of domestic animals, but in this context it refers to the sheep and goats that Jacob was taking care of for Laban.
31:9 s89z וַיִּתֶּן לִֽי 1 “and gave {them} to me {instead}.” or “and has given {them} to me.”
31:10 lj7l וַיְהִ֗י 1 “One time/night”
31:10 oqna בְּעֵת֙ 1 “during the season/time” or “during the time of year”
31:10 nw40 יַחֵ֣ם הַצֹּ֔אן 1 “that/when the female sheep and goats were in heat,” or “that/when the flock{s} {of sheep and goats} were mating/breeding,”
31:10 dbn3 וָאֶשָּׂ֥א עֵינַ֛י וָאֵ֖רֶא בַּחֲל֑וֹם וְהִנֵּ֤ה 1 “I had a dream and {in the dream} I looked around and saw/noticed that” or “I had a dream. {In the dream} I looked around and was surprised to see that”. The word “behold” emphasizes what Jacob saw and might also express that he was surprised at what he saw.
31:10 un5t הָֽעַתֻּדִים֙ הָעֹלִ֣ים עַל הַצֹּ֔אן 1 “the {only} male goats {and sheep} that were mating with the female goats {and sheep}”. Some languages have special terms for male and female goats or sheep. For example, billy goats and nanny goats (for male and female goats) and rams and ewes (for male and female sheep). Choose terms in your language that are natural and well-known.
31:10 gcp9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure עֲקֻדִּ֥ים נְקֻדִּ֖ים וּבְרֻדִּֽים 1 “{were} streaked/striped, speckled, or blotched.” or “had a streaked/striped, speckled, or spotted/blotched pattern {in/on their fur/hair}.” It may be more natural to put this phrase earlier and say, “...saw that the male goats {and sheep} that were streaked, speckled, and spotted were the {only} ones that were mating with the female goats {and sheep}.” Do what is best in your language.
31:11 ttd5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלַ֜י מַלְאַ֧ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים בַּחֲל֖וֹם יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב 1 “Then/And an angel from God called to me in the dream {and said}, ‘Jacob!’ ” or “Then in the dream, one of God’s angels said/called to me, ‘Jacob!’ ” In some languages it is more natural to put “in the dream” earlier in this clause. Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated “an angel of God” in Gen 21:17.
31:11 l29s rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וָאֹמַ֖ר 1 “and I answered/responded,”
31:12 cck2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom שָׂא נָ֨א עֵינֶ֤יךָ 1 “Look around you” or “Look carefully”. See how you translated this idiom in Gen 22:13. Also see how you translated Gen 22:2, another passage where Yahweh uses “Please”.
31:12 jhzz כָּל הָֽעַתֻּדִים֙ הָעֹלִ֣ים עַל הַצֹּ֔אן 1 “all the male goats {and sheep} that are mating with the female goats {and sheep}”. See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 10.
31:12 c8mt עֲקֻדִּ֥ים נְקֻדִּ֖ים וּבְרֻדִּ֑ים 1 “{are} streaked/striped, speckled, or blotched,” or “have a streaked/striped, speckled, or spotted/blotched pattern {in their fur/hair},” See how you translated this phrase in verses 8 and 10.
31:12 rsid rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit כִּ֣י רָאִ֔יתִי 1 “{I, Yahweh, have caused that to happen,} because I have observed/noticed”. Sometimes an angel says “I” as God’s representative, but in this context, it seems to be Yahweh himself (in the form of an angel) who is speaking to Jacob (See verse 13). That information could be put in a footnote, and you could make “Yahweh” explicit in the text to make that clear.
31:12 iy7e אֵ֛ת כָּל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָבָ֖ן עֹ֥שֶׂה לָּֽךְ 1 “all {the wrong/terrible things} that Laban has done to you.” or “all the ways that Laban has been treating you {badly/wrongfully}.”
31:13 bfbx rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction אֲשֶׁ֨ר מָשַׁ֤חְתָּ שָּׁם֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה 1 “where you poured {olive} oil on top of a {memorial} pillar/stone {to dedicate the place to me},” See how you translated “poured oil on top of” in Gen 28:38 and “pillar” in Gen 28:18, 22.
31:13 mbfn rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-term אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָדַ֥רְתָּ לִּ֛י שָׁ֖ם נֶ֑דֶר 1 “{and} where you made a vow/pledge/promise to me.” See how you translated “vowed a vow” in Gen 28:20.
31:13 tfiv עַתָּ֗ה ק֥וּם צֵא֙ מִן הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את 1 “{So} now/then, get up/ready and leave this land/region {immediately},” or “Now go/leave at once from this land/region,” The phrase “get up” means that Jacob should immediately get ready to go and then leave; see how you translated this phrase in Gen 27:43.
31:13 pbq6 וְשׁ֖וּב אֶל 1 “and go/travel back to”
31:13 l0op אֶ֥רֶץ מוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ 1 “the land where you were born.” or “the land where your relatives live.” or “your native/home land.” The Hebrew word for “birth” in this phrase can also be translated as “relatives” here (as in verse 3). See how you translated this phrase in Gen 24:7.
31:14 rws1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַתַּ֤עַן רָחֵל֙ וְלֵאָ֔ה וַתֹּאמַ֖רְנָה ל֑וֹ 1 “Then Rachel and Leah responded to him/Jacob,” or “Rachel and Leah replied to him/Jacob,”
31:14 vutc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הַע֥וֹד לָ֛נוּ חֵ֥לֶק וְנַחֲלָ֖ה 1 “We no longer have any part/share in the inheritance” or “We will not/never inherit anything”. This rhetorical question expects the answer “no”. It also expresses Rachel and Leah’s strong emotion and emphasizes that there is nothing for them to inherit from their father. Consider whether or not a rhetorical question fits well here in your language.
31:15 pz13 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲל֧וֹא & נֶחְשַׁ֥בְנוּ ל֖וֹ 1 “Doesn’t he regard/treat us” or “It is obvious that he regards/treats us” or “He obviously is treating us”. This rhetorical question expects the answer “yes” and expresses Rachel and Leah’s anger at how their father treats them. Consider whether or not it is natural in your language to use a rhetorical question here.
31:15 zdnp נָכְרִיּ֛וֹת 1 “like foreigners/strangers/outsiders {and not family}” or “as if we were foreigners/strangers {instead of family}”
31:15 xc1g כִּ֣י מְכָרָ֑נוּ 1 “For example, he sold us {to you},” or “After all, he sold us {to you},” This sentence is an example of how Laban treated his daughters like foreigners.
31:15 eovg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיֹּ֥אכַל גַּם אָכ֖וֹל 1 “and then he spent all” or “and then he used up all”. The phrase “eaten up” is used here as an idiom that means Laban had spent or kept for himself all the wealth he had gained from Jacob’s 14 years of working for him. Many languages have a similar idiom that could be used here. Do what is best in your language.
31:15 td0t rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown אֶת כַּסְפֵּֽנוּ 1 “the money/wealth that should have been ours.” or “the money/wealth that belonged to us.” In that culture at that time, silver was a currency used to buy and sell things.
31:16 cytc כִּ֣י כָל הָעֹ֗שֶׁר אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִצִּ֤יל אֱלֹהִים֙ מֵֽאָבִ֔ינוּ 1 “In fact, all the wealth/abundance {of flocks} that God has taken from our father” or “In fact/reality, all {the flocks} that made our father wealthy and that God has taken from him”
31:16 kbdk לָ֥נוּ ה֖וּא וּלְבָנֵ֑ינוּ 1 “{rightfully/actually} {belongs} to us and our children.” or “{should have been given} to us and our children {anyway}.”
31:16 t00q וְעַתָּ֗ה עֲשֵֽׂה 1 “So then, {you should} do” or “So {go ahead and} do” or “So {we totally agree that you should} do”. The words “So now” introduce Rachel and Leah’s conclusion that is based on what they just said. Do what is best in your language to communicate that.
31:16 ixfc כֹּל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֧ר אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֵלֶ֖יךָ 1 “everything/whatever God has told/commanded you {to do}.” or “exactly what God told/instructed you {to do}.”
31:17 jyen וַיָּ֖קָם יַעֲקֹ֑ב 1 “So/Then Jacob {immediately/quickly} got ready/packed {for the journey}”. See how you translated “get up” in verse 13.
31:17 zvsn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche וַיִּשָּׂ֛א אֶת בָּנָ֥יו וְאֶת נָשָׁ֖יו עַל הַגְּמַלִּֽים 1 “and helped his wives and his sons/children {get/mount up} onto the/some camels.” Jacob took all his children with him, not just his sons.
31:18 wyn3 וַיִּנְהַ֣ג 1 “Then he led/herded” or “Then he {started} driving/leading/herding”
31:18 u8ps אֶת כָּל מִקְנֵ֗הוּ וְאֶת כָּל רְכֻשׁוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָכָ֔שׁ מִקְנֵה֙ קִנְיָנ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָכַ֖שׁ 1 “{the camels and} all his {other} livestock/animals and {along with them,} {he also took} all the {other} possessions that he had acquired/accumulated”. The word “livestock” is general here and includes all of Jacob’s animals.
31:18 ci2u בְּפַדַּ֣ן אֲרָ֑ם 1 “{while living} in {the land/region of} Paddan Aram,” Be consistent here with how you translated “{the land/region of} Paddan Aram” in Gen 25:20.
31:18 wde1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לָב֛וֹא אֶל יִצְחָ֥ק אָבִ֖יו אַ֥רְצָה כְּנָֽעַן 1 “to go/return to his father Isaac’s house in the land/region of Canaan.” or “to go/return to Canaan, to {the home of} his father Isaac.” or “to the land/region of Canaan, where his father Isaac lived.” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause earlier in this verse and say, “Then he {started} driving/herding {the camels} and all his {other} animals to/toward the land/region of Canaan where his father Isaac lived. {He took with him} all his possessions that he had accumulated, {including} all the livestock that he had acquired/accumulated {while living} in {the land/region of} Paddan Aram.” Do what is best in your language.
31:19 ilof rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background וְלָבָ֣ן 1 “Now {before that,} Laban {the Aramean}”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that the events in verse 19 happened before Jacob and his family had left. Also, for some languages it is more natural to first make “the Aramean” explicit here in verse 19, rather than wait until verse 20. Do what is best in your language.
31:19 akjd הָלַ֔ךְ לִגְזֹ֖ז אֶת צֹאנ֑וֹ 1 “had gone away {for several days} to cut the wool off his sheep”. In that culture, sheep wool was very important since it was used to make clothing and blankets. The process of shearing many sheep would have taken several days. You could include some of this information in a footnote.
31:19 zdy1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַתִּגְנֹ֣ב רָחֵ֔ל 1 “so {while he was gone,} Rachel {went into her father’s tent and} stole/took” or “{While he was gone,} Rachel {entered his tent and} stole/took”. Consider whether it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here.
31:19 vfcm rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown אֶת הַתְּרָפִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְאָבִֽיהָ 1 “his {household/family} idols/gods,” or “the idols/gods that he had/worshiped.” These idols were statues made of wood or precious metals. They were small enough to be used in a private home. In this chapter these statues are referred to as “idols” (in verses 19, 34, 35 when the author refers to them) and “gods” (in quotes in verses 30 and 32 when Laban or Jacob talk about them). If it is confusing in your language to switch back and forth between these two terms, you could use “gods” throughout this chapter, since Laban would not have called them idols, nor would Jacob have used that term in his presence. However, if possible, it is best to translate the two terms the way the Hebrew text has them.
31:20 p6en rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּגְנֹ֣ב יַעֲקֹ֔ב אֶת לֵ֥ב 1 “and Jacob deceived/tricked” or “At the same time, Jacob deceived/tricked”. Consider whether it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
31:20 rlvs לָבָ֖ן הָאֲרַמִּ֑י 1 “Laban/him”. If you used “Aramean” earlier (verse 19), it may not be natural here. Do what is best in your language. Also, see how you translated this phrase in Gen 25:20.
31:20 z6av rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure עַל בְּלִי֙ הִגִּ֣יד ל֔וֹ כִּ֥י בֹרֵ֖חַ הֽוּא 1 “by not informing/telling him that he was fleeing/leaving.” or “by fleeing/leaving {secretly} without informing/telling him that he was leaving.”
31:21 k7p0 וַיִּבְרַ֥ח הוּא֙ 1 “So Jacob {and his family} ran away” or “So {in that way} Jacob ran away {with his family}”. This statement summarizes an event that already happened (See verses 18 and 20). Make sure your translation of this verse does not sound like Jacob left a second time. To make this clear you could say, “After Jacob {and his family} ran away with everything that they owned, they {quickly} crossed the {Euphrates} River and headed toward the hill country of Gilead.”
31:21 els4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns אֲשֶׁר ל֔וֹ 1 “that {belonged} to them.” or “that he/they had/owned.” Make sure that your choice of pronouns throughout this verse fits with how you translate the beginning of this sentence.
31:21 bsy0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיָּ֖קָם וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר אֶת הַנָּהָ֑ר 1 “He/They quickly crossed the {Euphrates} River”. The Euphrates River was also called “the River” because it was large and well-known. It was about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Haran where Laban lived. This information could be put in a footnote.
31:21 ancy הַ֥ר הַגִּלְעָֽד 1 “the mountain region of/called Gilead.” or “the hill country of/called Gilead.” The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can (1) refer to mountains or hill country (2) refer to a specific mountain (“Mount Gilead”).
31:22 luj7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַיֻּגַּ֥ד לְלָבָ֖ן בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י 1 “Three days after {Jacob/they had left}, someone informed/told Laban” or “Three days later Laban found out”
31:22 pkx2 כִּ֥י בָרַ֖ח יַעֲקֹֽב 1 “that Jacob {and his family} had run away.” See how you translated “fleeing” and “fled” in verses 20-21.
31:23 xoz7 וַיִּקַּ֤ח אֶת אֶחָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ 1 “So Laban took {some of} his relatives with him” or “So Laban gathered {some of} his relatives”
31:23 ffai וַיִּרְדֹּ֣ף אַחֲרָ֔יו דֶּ֖רֶךְ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים 1 “and chased/followed after Jacob {and his family/household} for seven days”
31:23 pvgt וַיַּדְבֵּ֥ק אֹת֖וֹ 1 “until they overtook him/them” or “until they caught up with him/them”
31:23 sqte בְּהַ֥ר הַגִּלְעָֽד 1 “in the mountain region of/called Gilead.” or “in the hill country of/called Gilead.” See how you translated this phrase in verse 21.
31:24 t5xn וַיָּבֹ֧א אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶל לָבָ֥ן הָאֲרַמִּ֖י בַּחֲלֹ֣ם הַלָּ֑יְלָה 1 “But/Then that {same} night God appeared to Laban in a dream” or “That night Laban had a dream and in it God appeared to him”. See how you translated a similar clause in Gen 20:3. Also see how you translated “Laban the Aramean” in verse 20.
31:24 gmya rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-merism הִשָּׁ֧מֶר לְךָ֛ פֶּן תְּדַבֵּ֥ר עִֽם יַעֲקֹ֖ב מִטּ֥וֹב עַד רָֽע 1 “Be careful/sure that you do not say {or do} anything to Jacob {to try to stop him from leaving}.” or “ Be careful/sure that you do not threaten/harm Jacob in any way.” God is warning Laban not to say or do anything that would harm Jacob (See verse 29).
31:25 vjma rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background וַיַּשֵּׂ֥ג לָבָ֖ן אֶֽת יַעֲקֹ֑ב 1 “So {when} Laban overtook Jacob,” or “{By the time that} Laban caught up with Jacob,” Make sure that the way you translate this clause does not sound like Laban overtook Jacob a second time. This is referring to what already happened in verse 23. See how you translated “overtook” there.
31:25 zquw rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background וְיַעֲקֹ֗ב תָּקַ֤ע אֶֽת אָהֳלוֹ֙ 1 “Jacob {and his family} had {already} set/put up his/their tents” or “Jacob {and his family} had {already} set up camp”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that Jacob had already pitched his tents before Laban arrived. Also see how you translated “pitched his tent” in Gen 12:8 and 26:25.
31:25 inxf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit בָּהָ֔ר 1 “in the mountain region {of Gilead},” or “in the hill country {of Gilead},” For some languages it is clearer and more natural to make “Gilead” explicit here (rather than later in this verse). Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated “mountain{s} of Gilead” in verses 21 and 23.
31:25 rxr5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בְּהַ֥ר הַגִּלְעָֽד 1 “in the hill country of Gilead.” or “there {at a place nearby}.” If you made “Gilead” explicit earlier in this verse in your translation, it may not be necessary to repeat it here. Do what is best in your language.
31:26 bzmi rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָבָן֙ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב 1 “Then {the next day} Laban {went/came to Jacob and} complained to Jacob/him,” or “{The next day} Laban {met with Jacob and} {rebuked/confronted Jacob/him and} said to him,” See how you translated a similar quote margin in 29:25, when the roles were reversed and Jacob confronted Laban.
31:26 wmee rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֔יתָ 1 “Why have you done this?” or “Look what you have done!” or “What you have done is wrong!” Laban uses a rhetorical question here to express his anger at Jacob. Do what is best in your language to communicate that.
31:26 v8bo rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַתִּגְנֹ֖ב אֶת לְבָבִ֑י 1 “You have deceived/tricked me” or “You have acted deceitfully toward me”. See how you translated the idiom “stole the heart of” in verse 20.
31:26 vx4d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole וַתְּנַהֵג֙ אֶת בְּנֹתַ֔י 1 “and dragged away my daughters {with you}” or “and forced my daughters to leave {with you}”. Laban uses exaggeration to show he is angry and to try to make Jacob feel guilty for what he did.
31:26 jaxz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile כִּשְׁבֻי֖וֹת חָֽרֶב 1 “like prisoners of war!” or “as if you had captured them in battle!”
31:27 j32g לָ֤מָּה נַחְבֵּ֨אתָ֙ לִבְרֹ֔חַ וַתִּגְנֹ֖ב אֹתִ֑י 1 “Why did you deceive/trick me and secretly run away” or “Why did you deceive me by secretly running away”
31:27 xjrc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וְלֹא הִגַּ֣דְתָּ לִּ֔י 1 “without telling me {you were leaving}?” or “{Why} didn’t you tell me {that you were leaving}?” or “You should have told me {you were leaving}!” Verse 27 is one long rhetorical question in the Hebrew text that expresses Laban’s anger at Jacob. For some languages it is better to break it up into two or more sentences. Do what is best in your language.
31:27 fe1q rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo וָֽאֲשַׁלֵּחֲךָ֛ בְּשִׂמְחָ֥ה וּבְשִׁרִ֖ים 1 “{If I had known,} I/we would/could have {held a feast and} sent you {on your way}, singing joyful songs {together},” or “{If I had known,} I/we could/would have sent you {on your way} by {having a feast and} singing joyful songs {together},” Make sure it is clear in your translation that the events in this clause are contrary-to-fact (hypothetical).
31:27 b246 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בְּתֹ֥ף וּבְכִנּֽוֹר 1 “with tambourines and lyres/harps playing!” or “with/to the music/sound/playing of musical instruments!” For some languages it may be better to change the order of the phrases in this sentence and say, “{If I had known,} we could have {held a feast and} sung joyful songs {and danced} together, with tambourines and lyres playing, before sending you {on your way}.” Do what is best in your language. Also, see how you translated “lyres/harps” in Gen 4:21.
31:28 evu1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְלֹ֣א נְטַשְׁתַּ֔נִי לְנַשֵּׁ֥ק לְבָנַ֖י וְלִבְנֹתָ֑י 1 “You did not {even} let me kiss my daughters and my grandchildren {goodbye} {before they left}!” or “{You left so secretly that} I wasn’t even able to say goodbye to my daughters and grandchildren!” For some languages, it may be more natural to mention the daughters before the children. Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated “kiss” in Gen 27:26-27.
31:28 xr6d עַתָּ֖ה הִסְכַּ֥לְתָּֽ עֲשֽׂוֹ 1 “What you have done is {very} foolish/stupid!” or “You acted foolishly when you left {secretly} like that!”
31:29 qgvn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular יֶשׁ לְאֵ֣ל יָדִ֔י לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת עִמָּכֶ֖ם רָ֑ע 1 “I {and my relatives/men} have the power/ability to harm {all of} you,” The pronoun “you” is plural here, so it probably refers to Jacob and everyone in his household.
31:29 u6cl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וֵֽאלֹהֵ֨י אֲבִיכֶ֜ם אֶ֣מֶשׁ 1 “but last night {in a dream} the God whom your father serves”. For some languages it may be more natural to put this time phrase later and say “ … said to me {in a dream} last night”. Do what is best in your language. See how you translated a similar phrase (“the God of my father”) in verse 5.
31:29 x6h6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes אָמַ֧ר אֵלַ֣י לֵאמֹ֗ר הִשָּׁ֧מֶר לְךָ֛ מִדַּבֵּ֥ר עִֽם יַעֲקֹ֖ב מִטּ֥וֹב עַד רָֽע 1 “commanded/warned me, ‘Do not say {or do} anything to Jacob {to try to stop him from leaving}.’ ” or “commanded/warned me to not threaten/harm you in any way.” For some languages it is necessary to make this embedded quote an indirect quote. Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated a similar quote in verse 24.
31:30 wnvu rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וְעַתָּה֙ הָלֹ֣ךְ הָלַ֔כְתָּ 1 “Now then, {I know/understand that} you left” or “Now, {I know/understand that} you went/ran away”. Begin this verse in a way which shows that Laban is introducing a new topic. Also notice that “you” shifts to singular here in verse 30.
31:30 gol4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy לְבֵ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ 1 “to return to your father’s household/family,” or “to return home to your father {and other relatives},” This phrase refers to the people in Jacob’s father’s household and other relatives living nearby.
31:31 zthk rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיַּ֥עַן יַעֲקֹ֖ב וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְלָבָ֑ן 1 “Jacob answered Laban/him,” or “Then Jacob told Laban/him,”
31:31 ch72 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit כִּ֣י יָרֵ֔אתִי 1 “{We left secretly} because I was afraid.” Make sure it is clear here in your translation that Jacob is answering Laban’s question in verse 27, not his question in verse 30.
31:31 ozrq כִּ֣י אָמַ֔רְתִּי 1 “I told myself that {if you knew,}” or “I thought that {if I told you we were leaving,}” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here.
31:31 w1wz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo פֶּן תִּגְזֹ֥ל אֶת בְּנוֹתֶ֖יךָ מֵעִמִּֽי 1 “you might take your {two} daughters from me {by force}.” Make sure you translate this sentence in a way that shows it is hypothetical. Also see how you translated “seized” in Gen 21:25.
31:32 mwqa עִ֠ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּמְצָ֣א אֶת אֱלֹהֶיךָ֮ 1 “{As for} your gods, if you find them {here} in someone’s {tent},” or “{However we did not steal/take your gods. In fact,} if you find your gods with anyone {here},” See how you translated “gods” in verse 30.
31:32 ouiu לֹ֣א יִֽחְיֶה֒ 1 “that person will die {for stealing them}!” or “that person will be put to death {as punishment for stealing them}!”
31:32 m3er rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive נֶ֣גֶד אַחֵ֧ינוּ 1 “{So} while our relatives are watching,” or “{So} with our relatives as witnesses,” Make sure your translation of this phrase refers to both Jacob’s and Laban’s relatives.
31:32 eyve הַֽכֶּר לְךָ֛ מָ֥ה עִמָּדִ֖י 1 “search for yourself what/everything I have with me here” or “{go ahead and} search {all} my belongings for yourself”
31:32 oajl וְקַֽח לָ֑ךְ 1 “and take whatever you find that is yours.” or “{If you find} anything that is yours, take it.” Consider whether it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
31:32 ni0a rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background וְלֹֽא יָדַ֣ע יַעֲקֹ֔ב כִּ֥י רָחֵ֖ל גְּנָבָֽתַם 1 “{When Jacob said that,} he did not know that Rachel {was the one who} had stolen the idols.” Translate this background information in a way that is clear and natural in your language. Also see how you translated “stole” in verses 19 and 30.
31:33 s81h וַיָּבֹ֨א לָבָ֜ן בְּאֹ֥הֶל יַעֲקֹ֣ב 1 “Then/So Laban went/started {searching} in/through Jacob’s tent,” See how you translated “tent” in verse 25.
31:33 i6vt וּבְאֹ֣הֶל לֵאָ֗ה 1 “Then {he searched} through/in Leah’s tent”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
31:33 hcfu וּבְאֹ֛הֶל שְׁתֵּ֥י הָאֲמָהֹ֖ת 1 “and through/in the two servant women’s tent,” or “and through/in the tent where the two maidservants lived,”
31:33 z7id וְלֹ֣א מָצָ֑א 1 “but he did not find {anything} {that belonged to him}.” or “but he did not find {the/his idols/gods}.”
31:33 zphp וַיֵּצֵא֙ מֵאֹ֣הֶל לֵאָ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֖א בְּאֹ֥הֶל רָחֵֽל 1 “Then he came out of Leah’s tent {and the servant women’s tent} and went into Rachel’s tent {to search it}.” or “Then/Next after he left/searched those tents, he went into Rachel’s tent {to search it}.”
31:34 pn32 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background וְרָחֵ֞ל לָקְחָ֣ה אֶת הַתְּרָפִ֗ים וַתְּשִׂמֵ֛ם בְּכַ֥ר הַגָּמָ֖ל 1 “Now/But Rachel had put the idols inside {her} camel saddlebag {to hide them},” or “Now/But Rachel had hidden the idols inside her camel saddlebag”. This kind of saddle was used as a seat and also had compartments or bags for carrying things. Make sure it is clear in your translation that Rachel had hidden the idols before Laban entered her tent. Also see how you translated “idols” in verse 19.
31:34 rzfz וַיְמַשֵּׁ֥שׁ לָבָ֛ן אֶת כָּל הָאֹ֖הֶל 1 “Laban searched/rummaged through everything {else} in the tent, but” or “So when/although Laban searched everywhere {else} in her tent,”
31:34 av6e וְלֹ֥א מָצָֽא 1 “he did/could not find {them/anything}.” or “he did/could not find {the/his idols/gods}.” For some languages, it may be better to change the order of the clauses in this sentence and say, “So Laban was not able to find {them}, even though he searched her tent thoroughly.”
31:35 ev0l rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל אָבִ֗יהָ 1 “Rather Rachel had said to him,” or “{As he was searching,} Rachel said to him,”
31:35 z6uu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-honorifics אַל יִ֨חַר֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י 1 “{Please} do not be angry/upset {at me}, sir/Father,” or “Sir/Father, {please} do not be angry/upset {at me}”. Make sure you translate “my lord” in a way that is appropriate for a daughter to show respect to her father; it should not sound like she was Laban’s slave or servant. The word “burn” is used here as an idiom that means to be angry. Consider whether your language has a similar idiom that would work well here. Also see how you translated this idiom in Gen 30:2.
31:35 jr45 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism כִּי דֶ֥רֶךְ נָשִׁ֖ים לִ֑י 1 “because it is that time of the month {when I feel weak}.” or “because I am having my {monthly} period/cycle.” Translate this in a way that will not offend or embarrass people when this is read aloud in public.
31:35 cd5n וַיְחַפֵּ֕שׂ וְלֹ֥א מָצָ֖א אֶת הַתְּרָפִֽים 1 “That is {also} why he did/could not find the/his idols/gods when he searched {her/Rachel’s tent}.” or “So {that is why} he did/could not find the/his idols/gods {in her/Rachel’s tent}.”
31:36 ruop rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּ֥חַר לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב 1 “Then Jacob became {very} angry {at Laban}”. See how you translated the idiom “burn” in verse 35.
31:36 ocyd rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיָּ֣רֶב בְּלָבָ֑ן וַיַּ֤עַן יַעֲקֹב֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְלָבָ֔ן 1 “and contended with Laban/him and said,” or “and confronted/rebuked Laban/him by saying to him,”
31:36 tk5y rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מַה פִּשְׁעִי֙ 1 “Tell me my crime!” or “Tell me what crime I have done/committed!” Jacob’s rhetorical questions in this verse show that he was angry at Laban. Do what is best in your language to communicate the same thing.
31:36 cs49 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מַ֣ה חַטָּאתִ֔י כִּ֥י דָלַ֖קְתָּ אַחֲרָֽי 1 “How have I sinned against you so that you have a reason to pursue me so intensely/fiercely?” or “Tell me what sin/offense I have done/committed {against you} that gives you the right to pursue/chase after me!”
31:37 ywk5 כִּֽי מִשַּׁ֣שְׁתָּ אֶת כָּל כֵּלַ֗י 1 “Now that you have felt/rummaged/searched through all my things/possessions,” See how you translated “felt through” in verse 34.
31:37 x9qo rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit מַה מָּצָ֨אתָ֙ מִכֹּ֣ל כְּלֵי בֵיתֶ֔ךָ שִׂ֣ים כֹּ֔ה 1 “did you find anything {that anyone took} from your household? {If so,} put/bring {it} here” or “show us what you have found that belongs to you! {If you found anything,} put/bring {it} here”.
31:38 fjxk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וְאֵילֵ֥י צֹאנְךָ֖ לֹ֥א אָכָֽלְתִּי 1 “and I have never {killed and} eaten {any} rams/animals from your flocks.” or “and I never took/killed {any} animals from your flocks to eat.” Make sure your translation does not sound here like Jacob is talking about eating animals while they are still alive; the animals would be killed and cooked first.
31:39 izu2 טְרֵפָה֙ לֹא הֵבֵ֣אתִי אֵלֶ֔יךָ 1 “{And} whenever wild animals killed {any of} your animals, I never brought {the dead animal} to you {to show/prove I was innocent}.”
31:39 ccqy אָנֹכִ֣י אֲחַטֶּ֔נָּה 1 “{Rather/Instead,} I paid for that loss myself.” or “{Rather/Instead,} I replaced them at my own expense.” Normally it was the owner of the flocks (not the shepherds) who took care of the expense when an animal was killed or stolen. You could put that information in a footnote.
31:39 r3p8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom מִיָּדִ֖י תְּבַקְשֶׁ֑נָּה 1 “{Besides that,} you required me to pay for” or “You {also} made me pay for”. Consider what is the best way to translate this idiom in your language.
31:39 m07f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive גְּנֻֽבְתִ֣י י֔וֹם וּגְנֻֽבְתִ֖י לָֽיְלָה 1 “{any} animals that got stolen {by thieves}, whether it happened in the day or at night.” or “{any} animals {that anyone ever} stole {at any time of} day or night.” Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language.
31:40 kw5k rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-personification בַיּ֛וֹם אֲכָלַ֥נִי חֹ֖רֶב 1 “During the day the heat {of the sun} oppressed/pounded me,” or “During the days, I suffered from the hot sun,” Consider whether or not you can talk about heat and frost in your language as if they could harm Jacob the way a person could.
31:40 w4mt וְקֶ֣רַח בַּלָּ֑יְלָה וַתִּדַּ֥ד 1 “and at night {I suffered from} the frost/cold, so that I could not/hardly sleep.” or “and during the nights it was so cold that I could not/hardly sleep.”
31:41 y13m זֶה לִּ֞י 1 “That {is what it was like} for me” or “{It was like} that for me”
31:41 xgae עֶשְׂרִ֣ים שָׁנָה֮ בְּבֵיתֶךָ֒ 1 “{for/during the} twenty years that I worked for you.” or “{during the entire} twenty years that I was with you.”
31:41 qcea עֲבַדְתִּ֜יךָ אַרְבַּֽע עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה שָׁנָה֙ בִּשְׁתֵּ֣י בְנֹתֶ֔יךָ 1 “I worked for you for fourteen years in order to marry your two daughters,” or “For fourteen years I worked for you {in exchange} for {marrying} your two daughters,”
31:41 rufm וְשֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים בְּצֹאנֶ֑ךָ 1 “and {I worked} {another} six years to earn flocks {of animals} from you,” or “and for six {more} years {I worked for you} to earn flocks {of sheep and goats} from you,”
31:41 ujyn וַתַּחֲלֵ֥ף אֶת מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּ֖י עֲשֶׂ֥רֶת מֹנִֽים 1 “even though you changed my wages/pay ten times.” or “even though ten times you changed what you said you would pay me.” See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 7.
31:42 canx לוּלֵ֡י אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִי֩ אֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם וּפַ֤חַד יִצְחָק֙ 1 “If God, the Revered/Awesome One, whom my father Isaac and {grandfather} Abraham serve/worship,” or “If God, whom my ancestors Abraham and Isaac serve/worship and fear/revere,” The phrase “the Fear of Isaac” is a title for God that is ambiguous in Hebrew (and English). It could mean (1) “the One/God whom Isaac fears/reveres” (2) “Isaac’s God whom {people/others} are afraid/terrified of”. The interpretation that is not used in your translation could be put in a footnote. Make sure it is clear in your translation that Jacob is only talking about one God in this verse, not two or three. Also notice that “my father” and “Isaac” both refer to Jacob’s father Isaac, not two different people.
31:42 o6jb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo לוּלֵ֡י & הָ֣יָה לִ֔י 1 “had not been with me {to take care of me},” or “had not been with me {protecting me and guiding me},” Make sure it is clear in your translation that the events in this sentence are contrary-to-fact (hypothetical) and imply that God actually had been with Jacob, so that Laban did not send him away empty-handed.
31:42 x6l8 כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה & שִׁלַּחְתָּ֑נִי 1 “you would certainly be sending me away now” or “there is no doubt/question that I would now be leaving {here}”
31:42 gt2h אֶת עָנְיִ֞י & רָאָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “{But} God knows how much I have suffered {under you}” or “{But} God knows how {much} you have afflicted/oppressed/mistreated me”
31:42 kibv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche וְאֶת יְגִ֧יעַ כַּפַּ֛י 1 “and the hard work I did with my hands {for you},” or “and how hard I have worked {for you},”
31:42 wm13 וַיּ֥וֹכַח אָֽמֶשׁ 1 “so last night he judged {against you} {in my favor}.” or “so last night he rebuked {you}.” See how you translated “judge” in verse 37. It may be necessary to translate this word in different ways, depending on the context.
31:43 anon הַבָּנ֨וֹת בְּנֹתַ֜י וְהַבָּנִ֤ים בָּנַי֙ 1 “These women {are} my daughters, and their children {are} my grandchildren,” or “These {are} my daughters and my grandchildren,”
31:43 c90y וְהַצֹּ֣אן צֹאנִ֔י 1 “and these flock{s} {are} {also} mine.” or “and these flock{s}/animals {also} belong to me.”
31:43 l7ol rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole וְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה לִי 1 “In fact, everything/all that you see {here} is mine!” or “Yes, everything that is here with you is {actually} mine!” Laban is lying or exaggerating here to make it sound like he was wronged, when actually he is the one who was dishonest in his dealings with Jacob.
31:43 p48f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וְלִבְנֹתַ֞י מָֽה־אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֤ה לָאֵ֨לֶּה֙ הַיּ֔וֹם א֥וֹ לִבְנֵיהֶ֖ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָלָֽדוּ 1 “But/Yet there is nothing I can do today/now to keep my daughters and grandchildren from leaving!” or “But I can’t do anything now to keep my daughters and their children near me {any longer}!” Laban uses this rhetorical question to express his emotions and emphasize that there is nothing that he can do. Consider whether or not a rhetorical question fits well here in your language.
31:44 qc32 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְעַתָּ֗ה לְכָ֛ה נִכְרְתָ֥ה בְרִ֖ית אֲנִ֣י וָאָ֑תָּה 1 “So then, you and I should make a {peace} covenant/treaty {with each other},” or “So I invite you to make a covenant/treaty with me,” For some languages it may be more natural to put “I” and “you” earlier in the sentence. Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated “So now” in verse 16 and “cut a covenant” in Gen 26:28.
31:44 e2ml וְהָיָ֥ה 1 “and let there be” or “and there should be”. The subject of the Hebrew verb in this phrase is masculine singular, so it cannot refer to “covenant”, which is feminine singular. It is probably best to translate this phrase in a more general way (See the alternate translations above).
31:44 hw1b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive לְעֵ֖ד בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֶֽךָ 1 “a witness/memorial to remind us {of our covenant/treaty}.” or “something to remind us {to keep that covenant/treaty}.” If your language has a dual pronoun for “us”, you could use it in this verse. Also, if your language distinguishes exclusive and inclusive pronouns, you could use the inclusive form of “us” here.
31:45 o8yl וַיִּקַּ֥ח יַעֲקֹ֖ב אָ֑בֶן 1 “So Jacob picked out a {large} stone”. See how you translated “stone” in Gen 28:18.
31:45 szb8 וַיְרִימֶ֖הָ מַצֵּבָֽה 1 “and set/stood it up {on its end} {as} a monument {to mark the place where they made their covenant/treaty}.” or “and set/stood it up {as} a memorial/reminder stone {to mark the place as special}.” See how you translated “pillar” in verse 13 and “set it up as a pillar” in Gen 28:18, 22.
31:46 d3ho וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֤ב לְאֶחָיו֙ 1 “Then Jacob/he told his relatives,” These relatives would have included Jacob’s sons, as well as Laban and his men who had come with him. See how you translated “relatives” in verses 23, 25, 32, 37.
31:46 mwu1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-politeness לִקְט֣וּ אֲבָנִ֔ים 1 “Gather {some more} stones.” or “{Please} gather {some} stones.” Make sure that your translation of Jacob’s request sounds polite here, not rude or demanding, but also not begging.
31:46 wknz וַיֹּ֥אכְלוּ שָׁ֖ם 1 “Then they/everyone ate {a meal together} there”. Make sure your translation does not sound like Jacob ate without Laban and his men.
31:47 by6e rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names יְגַ֖ר שָׂהֲדוּתָ֑א 1 “Jegar Sahadutha, {which means “witness heap/pile/mound,”}” or “Jegar Sahadutha, {which means “heap/pile that reminds,”}” If the meaning of “Jegar Sahadutha” and “Galeed” is included in your translation or in a footnote, be sure that it fits with how you translate “heap/pile/mound” in verses 46 and 48, and “witness” in verse 48.
31:48 flop הַגַּ֨ל הַזֶּ֥ה עֵ֛ד בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינְךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם 1 “This heap/pile {of stones} is to remind us {to keep our peace covenant/treaty}.” or “{Starting} today, when we see this pile/mound {of stones}, we will remember {our peace covenant/treaty}.”
31:48 is6t עַל כֵּ֥ן 1 “That is the reason” or “That is why”
31:48 ii9r קָרָֽא שְׁמ֖וֹ גַּלְעֵֽד 1 “they/people call it Galeed.” or “that place is called Galeed.” or “the name of that place is Galeed.” The phrase “he called its name” is used here in a general way that means “they/people call it”; it does not refer to Laban. Make sure that is clear in your language.
31:49 f54v וְהַמִּצְפָּה֙ 1 “{It is/was} also {called/named} Mizpah,” or “People also call {the place,} Mizpah,” or “{Another name for the place is} Mizpah, {which means “watchtower,”}”
31:49 nyx4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֔ר 1 “because Laban said {to Jacob},” Make sure that your translation of “he” refers here to Laban.
31:49 a4ls rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-dualpronoun כִּ֥י נִסָּתֵ֖ר אִ֥ישׁ מֵרֵעֵֽהוּ 1 “while we are out of each other’s sight {and hold both of us responsible for keeping our covenant/treaty with each other}.” or “{to make sure we keep our covenant/treaty} while we are apart/away from each other.” The pronoun “we” is inclusive here and includes both Laban and Jacob. Some languages have a dual pronoun that fits here well. Do what is natural in your language.
31:50 v7k5 אִם תְּעַנֶּ֣ה אֶת בְּנֹתַ֗י 1 “If you treat my daughters badly,” or “If you mistreat/oppress my daughters,” See how you translated “afflict” in Gen 15:13 and 16:6, and how you translated a related word (“affliction”) in verse 42.
31:50 khim וְאִם תִּקַּ֤ח נָשִׁים֙ עַל בְּנֹתַ֔י 1 “or if you marry {other} wives/women besides them,”
31:50 lk38 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-dual אֵ֥ין אִ֖ישׁ עִמָּ֑נוּ רְאֵ֕ה 1 “{even if} no one {else} is watching us, don’t forget {that}” or “remember {that} {even if} no one {else} is watching us,” See how you translated the pronoun “we” in verse 49.
31:50 yyv9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אֱלֹהִ֥ים עֵ֖ד בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֶֽךָ 1 “God is {always} watching both of us {to hold us accountable}.” or “God always sees/watches us {and will punish us if we break our covenant/treaty}.” In his role as witness, God would also punish anyone who broke the covenant. You could make this information explicit in your translation, or put it in a footnote.
31:51 s0w8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לָבָ֖ן לְיַעֲקֹ֑ב 1 “Then Laban {also} said to Jacob,”
31:51 kv6e הִנֵּ֣ה 1 “See” or “Here is” or “Look at”
31:51 ur69 הַגַּ֣ל הַזֶּ֗ה 1 “this heap/pile/mound {of stones},” See how you translated “heap” in verses 46 and 48.
31:51 ybdz וְהִנֵּה֙ 1 “and here is” or “and see” or “and look at”
31:51 nyh6 הַמַצֵּבָ֔ה 1 “this monument” or “this memorial/reminder stone”. See how you translated “pillar” in verse 45.
31:51 xaq8 אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָרִ֖יתִי בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֶֽךָ 1 “which I {helped} set up between us {to remind us to keep our peace treaty}.” or “which we set/stood up between us {to remind us about our peace covenant/treaty}.” Jacob set up the stone as a pillar, but Laban and Jacob, along with their relatives, worked together to make the pile of stones.
31:52 wobp עֵ֚ד הַגַּ֣ל הַזֶּ֔ה וְעֵדָ֖ה הַמַּצֵּבָ֑ה 1 “This heap/pile {of stones} {is} a witness/reminder and this pillar {is} {also} a witness/reminder” or “This pile/mound {of stones} and this monument/memorial {both} remind us”. See how you translated “witness” in verses 44 and 48.
31:52 vhku אִם אָ֗נִי לֹֽא אֶֽעֱבֹ֤ר אֵלֶ֨יךָ֙ אֶת הַגַּ֣ל הַזֶּ֔ה 1 “that I will/must never go past this heap/pile/mound to {harm/attack} you,” Laban and Jacob could go to each other’s homes in peace, but not to harm each other.
31:52 v9lx וְאִם אַ֠תָּה לֹא תַעֲבֹ֨ר אֵלַ֜י אֶת הַגַּ֥ל הַזֶּ֛ה וְאֶת הַמַּצֵּבָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לְרָעָֽה 1 “and that you will/must never go past this heap/pile/mound and this monument/memorial to harm/attack me.”
31:53 cmza אֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם 1 “May {your grandfather} Abraham’s God” or “May the God whom your grandfather Abraham served/worshiped”. See how you translated a similar phrase in Gen 28:13.
31:53 kg7k וֵֽאלֹהֵ֤י נָחוֹר֙ & אֱלֹהֵ֖י אֲבִיהֶ֑ם 1 “and {my grandfather} Nahor’s gods, {which were also} their/his father {Terah}’s gods,” or “and the gods that {my grandfather} Nahor and his father {Terah} worshiped/served,” Abraham trusted in Yahweh, the one and only true God (Gen 15:6). Terah worshiped other gods (Joshua 24:2), and so did Laban (verses 19, 30), which suggests that Nahor served the same gods that his father Terah served, and then taught his son Laban to do the same thing. In spite of that, many translations still capitalize “God” all three times here in verse 53. Be consistent with how you spelled “Nahor” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 11:22-25, 29; 12:26-27; 22:20, 24, 28; 24:9, 15, 24, 47; 29:5; 31:53.
31:53 tqoy יִשְׁפְּט֣וּ בֵינֵ֔ינוּ 1 “judge between us {and punish us if we break this/our covenant/treaty/agreement}!”
31:53 d5h9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-term וַיִּשָּׁבַ֣ע יַעֲקֹ֔ב 1 “But Jacob swore” or “Then/But Jacob made/vowed a vow”. Jacob refused to swear by the gods of Nahor and Terah. See how you translated “swore” in Gen 26:31, and compare that to how you translated a related phrase (“vowed a vow”) in 31:13.
31:53 jtf2 בְּפַ֖חַד אָבִ֥יו יִצְחָֽק 1 “by the God whom his father Isaac feared/revered, {that he would keep their treaty,}” or “with the Fear/God of his father Isaac as his witness/enforcer,” See how you translated “the Fear of Isaac” in verse 42.
31:54 j4i6 וַיִּזְבַּ֨ח יַעֲקֹ֥ב זֶ֨בַח֙ בָּהָ֔ר 1 “and Jacob/he offered an animal sacrifice {to God} {on an altar} on the/a mountain/hill.” or “and Jacob/he burned {the body of} an animal {on an altar} as a sacrifice {to God} on the/a mountain/hill.” Make sure your translation does not sound like Jacob burned the animal while it was still alive. Also see how you translated “sacrificed” in Gen 22:13.
31:54 xzn7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche וַיִּקְרָ֥א לְאֶחָ֖יו לֶאֱכָל לָ֑חֶם 1 “Then he invited his relatives to eat a meal {together} {there}.” In the Bible, “bread” is often used as an idiom that refers to food in general. In this context, it was a meal that they shared together. Make sure that is clear in your translation.
31:54 lc58 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיֹּ֣אכְלוּ לֶ֔חֶם וַיָּלִ֖ינוּ בָּהָֽר 1 “Then after they had eaten the meal, they spent the night {there} on the/that mountain/hill.” or “So they {all} ate the meal {together} and spent the night there.” As in Genesis 26:30, eating together was an important part of the covenant or treaty process, since it shows unity and close relationship as if they were part of the same family. Some of that information could be included in a footnote.
31:55 m83j וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם לָבָ֜ן בַּבֹּ֗קֶר 1 “The next morning Laban got up early” or “Early the next morning Laban got up”. See how you translated a similar clause in Gen 28:18.
31:55 t8nb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיְנַשֵּׁ֧ק לְבָנָ֛יו וְלִבְנוֹתָ֖יו 1 “and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters {goodbye} {on the cheeks}” or “said goodbye to his daughters and grandchildren and kissed them {on the cheeks}”. It was a Hebrew custom for relatives and close friends to greet each other with a kiss on each cheek. Only make this information explicit here if it is necessary to prevent wrong meaning.
31:55 k8dd וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֶתְהֶ֑ם 1 “and asked God to bless them.”
31:55 v5ei וַיֵּ֛לֶךְ וַיָּ֥שָׁב לָבָ֖ן לִמְקֹמֽוֹ 1 “Then Laban/he {and his men} left {from there} and returned home.” or “Then Laban/he left {from there} {with his men} and went back home.”
32:1 zb5z rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וְיַעֲקֹ֖ב הָלַ֣ךְ לְדַרְכּ֑וֹ 1 “Then/Meanwhile Jacob {also} {left from there and} went/continued on his way/journey {home} {with his family},” You can make implied information explicit in your translation if it is necessary to make the meaning accurate and clear.
32:1 jfda וַיִּפְגְּעוּ ב֖וֹ מַלְאֲכֵ֥י אֱלֹהִֽים 1 “and {some} angels from God met/encountered him.” Translate “met” in a way that allows for the fact that no conversation is recorded between the angels and Jacob, and that the angels were probably not hostile, but may have been sent by God to escort and protect him.
32:2 a5gq rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר רָאָ֔ם 1 “When Jacob saw the angels, he said/exclaimed {in surprise},” Make sure that you refer to Jacob and the angels here in a way that is accurate and natural in your language.
32:2 gvw1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיִּקְרָ֛א שֵֽׁם הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא מַֽחֲנָֽיִם 1 “So he named that place Mahanaim, {which means “two camps/armies.”}” If you include the meaning of the name “Mahanaim” in your translation or in a footnote, be sure it matches the way you translated “God’s camp” earlier in the verse, so that it is clear why Jacob gave the place that name. Also see how you translated “he called the name of that place” in Gen 28:19.
32:3 egca וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח יַעֲקֹ֤ב מַלְאָכִים֙ לְפָנָ֔יו 1 “Then Jacob sent {some} messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau” or “Then Jacob sent {some} of his servants ahead of him to give/deliver a message to his brother Esau”
32:4 lz0b rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיְצַ֤ו אֹתָם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר 1 “{Before/As they left,} he ordered/instructed them,”
32:4 i7t8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-honorifics כֹּ֣ה תֹאמְר֔וּן לַֽאדֹנִ֖י לְעֵשָׂ֑ו 1 “This {is what} you must tell my master Esau:” or “I want you to tell Esau whom I highly respect:” Jacob uses “my lord” and “your servant” in verse 4 and 5 to show his brother Esau great respect. Do this in a way that is natural in your language.
32:4 iepc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ עַבְדְּךָ֣ יַעֲקֹ֔ב 1 “I, your servant Jacob, want you to know that” or “This is a message from Jacob who wants to serve you:” Verses 4 and 5 have two levels of embedded quotes. Some languages need to use indirect quotes for one or both of those levels. Do what is best in your language. Alternate translation: “Your servant Jacob wants you to know that he has been sojourning/staying with {your uncle} Laban all this time.”
32:4 qibe עִם לָבָ֣ן גַּ֔רְתִּי וָאֵחַ֖ר עַד עָֽתָּה 1 “I have been staying with {our uncle} Laban all this time.” or “Since we last saw each other, I have been staying/living with {Uncle} Laban.”
32:5 noe8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וַֽיְהִי לִי֙ 1 “I {now} have/own” or “Also {tell him that} I have/own”. Consider whether it is more natural to use a direct or indirect quote here in your language.
32:5 n5iq שׁ֣וֹר וַחֲמ֔וֹר צֹ֖אן 1 “{many} cattle, donkeys, and flocks {of sheep and goats},” See how you translated “donkeys” and “flocks” in Gen 12:16.
32:5 axuo וְעֶ֣בֶד וְשִׁפְחָ֑ה 1 “as well as {many} male/men and female/women slaves/servants.” See how you translated a similar phrase in Gen 12:16.
32:5 ilz0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-honorifics וָֽאֶשְׁלְחָה֙ לְהַגִּ֣יד לַֽאדֹנִ֔י 1 “I have sent this message to {you,} sir,” or “Sir, I sent these messengers to you,” If you use indirect quotes in this section, make sure each part fits with the other parts, especially in your choice of pronouns. It is helpful if you read your translation aloud to check for accuracy and naturalness. Alternate translation: “Also {tell him that} I have/own...., and that the reason I sent messengers to him is that I want to serve him and I hope I will find favor in his eyes.”
32:5 fagg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לִמְצֹא חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֶֽיךָ 1 “hoping that you will be gracious/kind {to me} {when I arrive}.” or “so that {when we see/meet each other} you will be pleased with me {and welcome me}.” See how you translated the idiom “found favor in your eyes” in Gen 30:27.
32:6 k922 וַיָּשֻׁ֨בוּ֙ הַמַּלְאָכִ֔ים אֶֽל יַעֲקֹ֖ב 1 “{After the messengers delivered the/Jacob’s message,} they returned to Jacob/him” or “{Jacob’s messengers delivered his message,} then they came back to him”
32:6 d9jd בָּ֤אנוּ אֶל אָחִ֨יךָ֙ אֶל עֵשָׂ֔ו 1 “We went {and spoke} to your brother Esau.” or “We went to your brother Esau {and gave/told him your message}.” or “We delivered the/your message to your brother Esau.”
32:6 makp וְגַם֙ הֹלֵ֣ךְ לִקְרָֽאתְךָ֔ 1 “Now he is on his way {here} to meet you,” or “and he is already headed here to meet you,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, notice that the word “meet” is neutral in this context and does not imply whether or not Esau had hostile intent against Jacob.
32:7 qaj0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיַּ֜חַץ אֶת הָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר אִתּ֗וֹ וְאֶת הַצֹּ֧אן וְאֶת הַבָּקָ֛ר וְהַגְּמַלִּ֖ים לִשְׁנֵ֥י מַחֲנֽוֹת 1 “So he divided/organized/put {all} the people and animals that were with him into two {large} camps/groups, including {his family, his servants and} {all} his flocks {of sheep and goats}, herds {of cattle} and camels.” Consider what phrase order for this sentence is best in your language.
32:8 sr41 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo וְהָיָ֛ה הַמַּחֲנֶ֥ה הַנִּשְׁאָ֖ר לִפְלֵיטָֽה 1 “then {the people in} the other camp/group can/could escape.” or “then the other camp/group might {be able to} escape.”
32:9 nncu אֱלֹהֵי֙ אָבִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֔ם וֵאלֹהֵ֖י אָבִ֣י יִצְחָ֑ק יְהוָ֞ה 1 “{Dear} Yahweh, the God whom my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac served/worshiped,” Make sure that your translation of this address refers to only one God, not two or three different Gods. Also make sure it is clear that Jacob is talking directly to Yahweh, not talking about him.
32:9 nl3n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes הָאֹמֵ֣ר אֵלַ֗י שׁ֧וּב לְאַרְצְךָ֛ וּלְמוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ 1 “you told me to go back to my homeland/country where my relatives live,” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to use a direct or indirect quote here. Also see how you translated “land” and “relatives” in Gen 31:3.
32:9 lbag rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וְאֵיטִ֥יבָה עִמָּֽךְ 1 “and that you would cause me to prosper.” or “and that you would make things go well for me.” Make sure your choice of “I” or “you” (for God) and “you” or “me” (for Jacob) in this clause fits with the way you translated the previous part of this quote.
32:10 n5k4 קָטֹ֜נְתִּי 1 “I am not worthy of” or “I do not deserve”
32:10 rboa מִכֹּ֤ל הַחֲסָדִים֙ וּמִכָּל הָ֣אֱמֶ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתָ אֶת עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ 1 “the way you have always treated me so kindly and faithfully as your servant.” or “how kind and faithful/loyal you have always been to {me,} as I have served you.”
32:10 kmdh כִּ֣י בְמַקְלִ֗י עָבַ֨רְתִּי֙ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּ֣ן הַזֶּ֔ה 1 “I crossed this/the Jordan {River} with {only} my staff,” or “When I {first} {left home and} crossed this/the Jordan {River}, all that I owned/had was my walking stick,”
32:10 u2f9 וְעַתָּ֥ה הָיִ֖יתִי לִשְׁנֵ֥י מַחֲנֽוֹת 1 “but now I have {so many people in my household and so many belongings/possessions that there are} two {large} camps/groups.” or “but now my {family and belongings} are enough to form/make two {large} groups.”
32:11 gjy4 הַצִּילֵ֥נִי נָ֛א 1 “Please rescue me {now}” or “{I’m asking you now to} please save/rescue me”
32:11 le3k יָב֣וֹא וְהִכַּ֔נִי אֵ֖ם עַל־בָּנִֽים 1 “he {and his men} will come and attack me {as well as} {these} mothers with/and {their/my/our} children!” or “he {and his men} will attack {and kill} us {all}, {including} {these} mothers with/and {their/my/our} children!”
32:12 ubq7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes הֵיטֵ֥ב אֵיטִ֖יב עִמָּ֑ךְ וְשַׂמְתִּ֤י אֶֽת זַרְעֲךָ֙ כְּח֣וֹל הַיָּ֔ם 1 “that you would surely/greatly prosper me, and that you would make my descendants {as numerous} as {the grains of} sand on the seashore,” For some languages it is more natural to use an indirect quote here, especially since Jacob is quoting the one he is talking to. Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated “I will cause things to prosper with you” in verse 9, and how you translated “as the sand” in Gen 22:17.
32:12 jpv3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא יִסָּפֵ֖ר מֵרֹֽב 1 “which cannot be counted because there are so many.” or “which are so numerous/many that no one can count them all.”
32:13 x40h וַיָּ֥לֶן שָׁ֖ם בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַה֑וּא 1 “Then Jacob spent the night there,”
32:13 mu24 וַיִּקַּ֞ח מִן הַבָּ֧א בְיָד֛וֹ מִנְחָ֖ה 1 “and {during that time} he selected {many} of his animals as gifts/presents” or “and {while he was there} he picked out {many} of the animals he had with him”
32:13 ldp8 לְעֵשָׂ֥ו אָחִֽיו 1 “to give to his brother Esau,”
32:14 iss7 עִזִּ֣ים מָאתַ֔יִם וּתְיָשִׁ֖ים עֶשְׂרִ֑ים רְחֵלִ֥ים מָאתַ֖יִם וְאֵילִ֥ים עֶשְׂרִֽים 1 “{including} 200 nanny/female goats and twenty billy/male goats, 200 female sheep and twenty male sheep,” or “{including} 200 nanny/female goats, twenty billy/male goats, 200 female sheep, twenty male sheep,” Consider what is the most natural way in your language to list these animals, here and in verse 15. See how you translated “she-goats”, “he-goats”, “ewes” and “rams” in Gen 31:10.
32:15 u35q גְּמַלִּ֧ים מֵינִיק֛וֹת וּבְנֵיהֶ֖ם שְׁלֹשִׁ֑ים 1 “thirty mother camels with their young/colts,”
32:15 z6ix פָּר֤וֹת אַרְבָּעִים֙ וּפָרִ֣ים עֲשָׂרָ֔ה אֲתֹנֹ֣ת עֶשְׂרִ֔ים וַעְיָרִ֖ם עֲשָׂרָֽה 1 “forty cows and ten bulls, {and} twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.” or “forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.” See how you translated “female donkeys” and “male donkeys” in Gen 12:16.
32:16 t090 עֵ֥דֶר עֵ֖דֶר לְבַדּ֑וֹ 1 “with each kind {of animal} in a separate herd/group.” or “and had them put/keep the different kinds {of animals} in different/separate groups.”
32:16 qnrm וַ֤יֹּאמֶר אֶל עֲבָדָיו֙ 1 “Then he ordered/told his servants,”
32:16 buc6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations עִבְר֣וּ לְפָנַ֔י וְרֶ֣וַח תָּשִׂ֔ימוּ בֵּ֥ין עֵ֖דֶר וּבֵ֥ין עֵֽדֶר 1 “Go ahead of me, {one herd/group at a time,} and keep {some} space/distance between each herd/group {of animals}.” or “to go ahead of him, {one herd/group at time,} keeping {some} distance between each herd/group.” Consider whether it is better in your language to use a direct or indirect quote here.
32:17 glbd rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes לְמִי אַ֨תָּה֙ וְאָ֣נָה תֵלֵ֔ךְ 1 “ ‘Who is your master, and where are you headed?” or “who your master is and where you are going/headed,” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to use a direct or indirect quote in verses 17-20a.
32:17 m07z rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וּלְמִ֖י אֵ֥לֶּה לְפָנֶֽיךָ 1 “And whose animals are these {that you are driving/herding} ahead of you?’ ” or “Who owns these animals in front of you?’ ” or “and asks who owns the animals that you are herding,”
32:18 i1mc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-honorifics לְעַבְדְּךָ֣ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב מִנְחָ֥ה הִוא֙ שְׁלוּחָ֔ה לַֽאדֹנִ֖י לְעֵשָׂ֑ו 1 “ ‘Esau, sir, these {animals} belong to Jacob who {humbly} serves you. He has sent them to you as a gift.” Also see how you translated “your servant” and “my lord” in verse 4.
32:18 j8h3 וְהִנֵּ֥ה גַם ה֖וּא אַחֲרֵֽינוּ 1 “And indeed/actually he is coming right behind us.’ ” or “In fact, he is following us {here}.’ ” Notice that the pronoun “us” is exclusive here.
32:19 t364 וַיְצַ֞ו גַּ֣ם 1 “In the same way, Jacob ordered/instructed” or “Jacob gave the same orders/instructions to”. See how you translated “commanded” in verse 17.
32:19 o5nc אֶת הַשֵּׁנִ֗י גַּ֚ם אֶת הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י 1 “the servant in charge of the second herd/group and the servant in charge of the third herd/group,” or “the servants who were in charge of the second and third herds/groups {of animals},”
32:19 ig25 גַּ֚ם אֶת כָּל הַהֹ֣לְכִ֔ים אַחֲרֵ֥י הָעֲדָרִ֖ים לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “as well as all {the other servants} who were in charge of the {other} herds/groups,”
32:19 b352 כַּדָּבָ֤ר הַזֶּה֙ תְּדַבְּר֣וּן אֶל עֵשָׂ֔ו בְּמֹצַאֲכֶ֖ם אֹתֽוֹ 1 “When you meet/reach Esau, {you are to} tell him the same thing {that I told the first servant}.”
32:20 ryl0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם גַּ֗ם הִנֵּ֛ה עַבְדְּךָ֥ יַעֲקֹ֖ב אַחֲרֵ֑ינוּ 1 “Especially be sure to tell {him}, ‘Your servant Jacob is following us {here}.’ ” or “Especially be sure to tell {him} that his servant Jacob is following you {there}.” See how you translated “is behind us” in verse 18.
32:20 s0ro rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אֲכַפְּרָ֣ה פָנָ֗יו בַּמִּנְחָה֙ 1 “I will/can appease/pacify Esau by sending” or “Perhaps Esau will stop being angry at me if I send”. The idiom “cover his face” means to try to calm someone’s anger by doing something to please him. Consider whether your language has a similar idiom you could use here.
32:20 ne75 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בַּמִּנְחָה֙ הַהֹלֶ֣כֶת לְפָנָ֔י 1 “him this gift/present {of animals} ahead of me” or “this gift {of animals} to him ahead of me”. For some languages it is more natural to use an indirect quote here and say, “because he thought that if he sent the gifts {of animals} ahead of himself {to Esau}, then Esau would stop being angry at him.” Notice that this alternate translation also changes the clause order. Do what is best in your language.
32:20 vaa1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן֙ אֶרְאֶ֣ה פָנָ֔יו אוּלַ֖י יִשָּׂ֥א פָנָֽי 1 “After that, perhaps he will {forgive me} and welcome/accept me when we see each other face-to-face.” or “He was hoping that when Esau saw the gifts, he would {forgive him and} welcome him when they met in person.” Make sure that the way you translate this clause fits with how you translated the previous clauses as either a direct or indirect quote.
32:21 r0gm וַתַּעֲבֹ֥ר הַמִּנְחָ֖ה עַל פָּנָ֑יו 1 “Then/So the {animal} gifts {for Esau} were taken ahead of Jacob {by his servants},” or “So Jacob’s servants {went} ahead of Jacob with the {animal} gifts {for Esau},” See how you translated “gift” in verses 13, 18, 20.
32:21 bq6f וְה֛וּא לָ֥ן בַּלַּֽיְלָה הַה֖וּא בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה 1 “but/while Jacob {and his family} stayed {behind} in/at the camp that night.” or “but/while Jacob himself stayed/slept for {part of} the night in the camp.”
32:22 kfyv וַיָּ֣קָם בַּלַּ֣יְלָה ה֗וּא 1 “{Later} that {same} night Jacob got/woke up and took” or “{Sometime} during that night”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that this is the same night that was referred to in verse 21. Also, the phrase “got up” often refers to initiating an action, but here it may also imply that Jacob got up out of bed after sleeping for a while.
32:22 fc8d אֶת שְׁתֵּ֤י נָשָׁיו֙ וְאֶת שְׁתֵּ֣י שִׁפְחֹתָ֔יו וְאֶת אַחַ֥ד עָשָׂ֖ר יְלָדָ֑יו 1 “his two wives, his two servant wives and his eleven sons” or “his two wives, two concubines and eleven sons”. Consider what is the best way in your language to list these people. See what you did for a similar list of people in Gen 7:13.
32:22 b3kt וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֔ר 1 “and waded/walked across” or “across”
32:22 e2wn אֵ֖ת מַעֲבַ֥ר יַבֹּֽק 1 “a shallow place on/in the Jabbok {Stream/River}.” or “a place in the Jabbok {Stream/River} that was shallow.” A ford is a very shallow place in a stream that is fairly easy and safe for people and animals to walk across. The Jabbok Stream was a small river that flowed from east to west into the Jordan River about halfway between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. Jacob took his wives and children from the north side of the stream to the south side; his brother was coming towards them from further south. It might be helpful to include a map here in your translation that includes the places named in this chapter and shows where Jacob and Esau were coming from.
32:23 xi98 וַיִּקָּחֵ֔ם וַיַּֽעֲבִרֵ֖ם אֶת הַנָּ֑חַל 1 “{After} he had taken them across the stream/river,” or “After he did that,” Verse 23 refers back to what already happened in verse 22. Make sure your translation does not sound like Jacob’s wives and children crossed the Jabbok Stream twice in verses 22-23.
32:23 p97f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַֽיַּעֲבֵ֖ר אֶת אֲשֶׁר לוֹ 1 “he {went back and} had his servants take {everything} that he owned across {the stream/river} {too}.” or “he {went back and} had his servants take {all} his {livestock/animals and other} belongings/possessions across {the stream/river} {too}.” At some point, Jacob went back to the north side of the Jabbok Stream, while his family waited for him on the south side. His belongings included the animals that he had not sent ahead to Esau, as well as all his other possessions.
32:24 vh2l וַיִּוָּתֵ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב לְבַדּ֑וֹ 1 “Then Jacob was {there} by himself {for a while},” or “After that, Jacob was alone {there} {for a while},”
32:24 fwnb rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-honorifics וַיֵּאָבֵ֥ק אִישׁ֙ עִמּ֔וֹ 1 “and/but {then} a man {came and} wrestled/fought with him”. At some point, Jacob realized that this man was Yahweh in the form of a man (verse 30), so translation teams that capitalize references to God capitalize all the pronouns that refer to him in verses 24-29, and may or may not capitalize “Man” in these verses. See what you did for a similar case when Yahweh appeared as a man to Abraham in Gen 18.
32:24 hyuk עַ֖ד עֲל֥וֹת הַשָּֽׁחַר 1 “until dawn/daybreak.” or “until daylight started to appear.” The word “dawn” refers to the time before sunrise when the sky begins to get light.
32:25 ddzn rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיַּ֗רְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָכֹל֙ ל֔וֹ 1 “Then the man realized that he could not overpower/defeat him/Jacob, so” or “When the man saw/realized that he was not able to defeat him/Jacob,” Make sure it is clear in your translation who is being referred to in verses 25-29.
32:25 dhow rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּגַּ֖ע בְּכַף יְרֵכ֑וֹ 1 “he struck/hit {him/Jacob} on his hip,” or “he touched/struck his/Jacob’s hip joint,”
32:25 ddyo rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַתֵּ֨קַע֙ כַּף־יֶ֣רֶךְ יַעֲקֹ֔ב 1 “so that it was wrenched/knocked/put out of place” or “and his hip joint went out of place”. Consider whether it is better in your language to use an active or passive clause here. Also consider whether it is more natural in your language to use a noun phrase or a pronoun here to refer to Jacob’s hip joint.
32:26 c5o9 שַׁלְּחֵ֔נִי 1 “Let go of me,” or “{You must} let me go {now},”
32:26 y2gk כִּ֥י עָלָ֖ה הַשָּׁ֑חַר 1 “because it is dawn/daybreak!” or “because daylight is beginning to come!” See how you translated “the dawn came up” in verse 24.
32:26 suau rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ 1 “But Jacob said/replied {to him},”
32:26 p1he rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-exceptions לֹ֣א אֲשַֽׁלֵּחֲךָ֔ כִּ֖י אִם בֵּרַכְתָּֽנִי 1 “{No!} I will not let go of you until you {first} bless me!” or “{No!} {First} you must bless me, then I will let you go!” or “I will let you go only if/after you bless me!”
32:27 as79 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו 1 “So/Then the man asked him/Jacob”
32:27 etk9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations מַה שְּׁמֶ֑ךָ 1 “Tell me your name.” or “what his name was.” Consider whether it is better to use a direct or indirect quote here in your language.
32:27 xvcd rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations וַיֹּ֖אמֶר יַעֲקֹֽב 1 “He/Jacob answered {him}, “{My name is} Jacob.” ” or “And he told him his name was Jacob.” or “And Jacob told him his name.” Make sure in your translation that Jacob’s reply sounds respectful. Also consider whether it is better to use a direct or indirect quote here in your language.
32:28 twx4 וַיֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “Then the man said {to Jacob},”
32:28 uf7y לֹ֤א יַעֲקֹב֙ יֵאָמֵ֥ר עוֹד֙ שִׁמְךָ֔ 1 “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” or “You will no longer be called/named Jacob,” The wording here is similar to what God said when he changed Abram’s name to Abraham (Gen 17:5) and Sarai’s name to Sarah (17:15). After that, Abraham and Sarah were no longer called by their previous names. In the case of Jacob, he continues to be referred to by both of his names in this chapter (“Jacob” in verses 29-30, 32; “Israel” in verse 32) and throughout the rest of the Bible, including by God (Gen 46:2). It could be that although God was changing Jacob’s primary name to “Israel”, he was still known by his previous name too. You could put some of that information in a footnote.
32:28 qbvn rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names כִּ֖י אִם יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל 1 “but {rather} {it will be} Israel, {which means “he who struggles/contends with God,”}” If you include the meaning of the name “Israel” in your translation or in a footnote, make sure it fits with how you translate “struggled” in the following clause.
32:28 udk7 כִּֽי שָׂרִ֧יתָ עִם אֱלֹהִ֛ים וְעִם אֲנָשִׁ֖ים 1 “because you have struggled/contended with/against {both} God and men/people,” The Hebrew word for “struggled” here is more general than the word for “wrestled” in verses 24 and 25.
32:28 yhdd וַתּוּכָֽל 1 “and you have won/overcome.” See how you translated “prevailed” in verse 25 and Gen 30:8. It may be necessary to translate this term in slightly different ways, depending on the context.
32:29 bkfv rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-honorifics וַיִּשְׁאַ֣ל יַעֲקֹ֗ב וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ 1 “Then Jacob asked him” or “Then Jacob asked the man”. Consider again whether or not you have capitalized references to the man in verses 24-29. See the note about this at verse 24.
32:29 cidm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations הַגִּֽידָה נָּ֣א שְׁמֶ֔ךָ 1 “What is your name?” or “what his name was.” or “to tell him his name.” Consider whether it is better to use a direct or indirect quote here in your language.
32:29 ct8s rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “But he replied,” or “But the man replied,”
32:29 otq0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה תִּשְׁאַ֣ל 1 “There is no need for you to ask {me}” or “You do not need to ask {me}”. This rhetorical question probably means that there was no need for Jacob to ask the man what his name was; he should have known without asking. Consider whether or not it is best to use a rhetorical question here in your language.
32:29 gbbo לִשְׁמִ֑י 1 “to tell you my name!” or “what my name is!”
32:30 fpdv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom רָאִ֤יתִי אֱלֹהִים֙ פָּנִ֣ים אֶל פָּנִ֔ים 1 “I saw God’s face {here},” or “I saw/met God in person {here},”
32:30 qdf5 וַתִּנָּצֵ֖ל נַפְשִֽׁי 1 “but/and {yet} my life was spared {by him}!” or “but/and {yet} he has allowed me to live!” Jacob was amazed that he was still alive, because although there were exceptions (Exodus 33:11; Judges 13:22), normally people could not see God face-to-face and live (Exodus 33:20). You could put that information in a footnote so that readers understand why Jacob was surprised.
32:31 s3cw וַיִּֽזְרַֽח ל֣וֹ הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ 1 “The sun shined on Jacob” or “The sun was rising/shining”
32:31 qtbh rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָבַ֖ר אֶת פְּנוּאֵ֑ל 1 “as he/Jacob left Penuel {and returned to his family}.” Penuel is another name for the place that is called Peniel in verse 30. That information could be put in a footnote. Or you could use the same spelling in both verses to avoid confusion; “Penuel” is the spelling in the rest of the Old Testament.
32:31 kp04 וְה֥וּא צֹלֵ֖עַ 1 “He was limping {as he walked}” or “{As he walked,} he was limping”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
32:31 uumw עַל יְרֵכֽוֹ 1 “because of his hip {injury}.” or “because his hip {joint} was injured/painful.”
32:32 p4np עַל כֵּ֡ן 1 “That is why”
32:32 adyk עַ֖ד הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה 1 “even today/now” or “{even/still} to/in the present”
32:32 bw6k בְנֵֽי יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל 1 “the descendants/people of Israel” or “the Israelites”
32:32 asw5 לֹֽא יֹאכְל֨וּ & אֶת גִּ֣יד הַנָּשֶׁ֗ה 1 “do not eat the muscle/tendon” or “do not eat meat”
32:32 hbfm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־כַּ֣ף הַיָּרֵ֔ךְ 1 “that is/was attached to an {animal’s} hip socket/joint,” “that comes from an {animal’s} hip socket/joint,” Make sure it is clear in your translation that this is talking about eating meat from an animal, not cannibalism.
32:32 isj7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom כִּ֤י נָגַע֙ בְּכַף יֶ֣רֶךְ יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּגִ֖יד הַנָּשֶֽׁה 1 “to commemorate/remember {the fact} that God struck/hit {and injured} the muscle/tendon attached to Jacob’s hip socket/joint.” or “because that is the muscle/tendon/place on Jacob’s hip that God struck/hit {and injured}.” See how you translated the idiom “touched” in verse 25.
33:1 kz1u rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּשָּׂ֨א יַעֲקֹ֜ב עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ 1 “Then Jacob looked up and saw” or “Then Jacob looked {ahead of him} and saw”. Make sure your translation of this idiom does not mean that Jacob looked straight up, rather he probably looked carefully to the south (the direction that his brother was coming from).
33:1 ilei וְהִנֵּ֣ה עֵשָׂ֣ו בָּ֔א 1 “{in the distance} that Esau was coming {toward him},” or “that Esau was {in the distance} coming/heading {his direction/way},” Esau was still a fair distance away, which gave Jacob time to do everything that he does in verses 1-3.
33:1 ozjn וְעִמּ֕וֹ אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת אִ֑ישׁ 1 “and with him {were} 400 men!” or “with 400 men!” or “and that he had 400 men with him!”
33:1 eqom וַיַּ֣חַץ אֶת הַיְלָדִ֗ים עַל לֵאָה֙ וְעַל רָחֵ֔ל וְעַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֥י הַשְּׁפָחֽוֹת 1 “Then/So he/Jacob {quickly} separated/put his children into groups with {their own mothers,} Leah, Rachel and {his} two servant wives.” or “Then/So he/Jacob had his children {quickly} gather/stand with their own mothers, so that Leah, Rachel and {his} two concubines were each with her own children.” Each of the women had her own children with her (verse 2). See how you translated “divided” in Gen 32:7 and “his two maidservants” in Gen 32:22.
33:2 iser וַיָּ֧שֶׂם אֶת הַשְּׁפָח֛וֹת וְאֶת יַלְדֵיהֶ֖ן 1 “He put his {two} servant wives and/with their children” or “He put the group that had/included his {two} servant wives and their children”. See how you translated “his two maidservants” in Gen 32:22.
33:2 v7cd rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure רִֽאשֹׁנָ֑ה 1 “first {in line},” or “in front {of all the others},” For some languages it is more natural to put phrases like “first” and “after them” at the beginning of their clauses and say, “First {in line} he put his {two} servant wives and/with their children. Behind them {he put} Leah and/with her children, and last {of all} {he put} Rachel and/with {her son} Joseph.” Do what is best in your language.
33:2 i5sj אַחֲרֹנִ֔ים 1 “behind them {all}.” or “last.” or “in the rear.”
33:3 ges4 וְה֖וּא עָבַ֣ר לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם 1 “Then Jacob himself went/walked ahead of them {all} {toward his brother},” or “Then he/Jacob started going/walking {toward his brother} ahead of them {all},”
33:3 d6w5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּשְׁתַּ֤חוּ אַ֨רְצָה֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֔ים עַד גִּשְׁתּ֖וֹ עַד אָחִֽיו 1 “and he bowed {with his face} to the ground seven times {to show respect} as he went/got closer to him/Esau.” or “As he approached him/Esau, he prostrated himself {with his face} to the ground seven times {to show respect}.” See how you translated “bow down” in Gen 27:29.
33:4 unbx rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast וַיָּ֨רָץ עֵשָׂ֤ו לִקְרָאתוֹ֙ וַֽיְחַבְּקֵ֔הוּ 1 “But Esau ran to greet Jacob and hugged him”. This sentence shows a contrast between what Jacob was expecting and what actually happened.
33:4 tp65 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּפֹּ֥ל עַל צַוָּארָ֖ו וַׄיִּׄשָּׁׄקֵ֑ׄהׄוּׄ 1 “and he threw/put his arms around his neck/shoulders and kissed him,” or “He held him/Jacob tightly and kissed him {on the cheek/cheeks},” See how you translated “hugged him...and kissed him {on the cheek/cheeks}” in Gen 29:13. Make sure that the way you translate “fell on his neck” does not imply that Esau accidentally fell. Rather, this is an idiom that means he embraced Jacob warmly, with much emotion.
33:4 nnax rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-youdual וַיִּבְכּֽוּ 1 “and/as they {both} cried {for joy}.” or “Both of them cried {because they were so happy to see each other again}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, some languages have a dual pronoun for “they” that could be used here. Do what is best in your language.
33:5 xxbt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּשָּׂ֣א אֶת עֵינָ֗יו 1 “Then Esau looked up/ahead”. See how you translated the idiom “lifted...eyes” in verse 1 and Gen 31:10. It may be necessary to translate this idiom in different ways, depending on the context.
33:5 isdl מִי אֵ֣לֶּה לָּ֑ךְ 1 “Who {are} these {people}? {Do they belong} to you?” or “How are these people related to you?” Esau wants to know if these people are Jacob’s family members or his servants or someone else; he is not asking what their names are.
33:5 y4y7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּאמַ֕ר 1 “He/Jacob answered {him/Esau},” Make sure it is clear in your translation who is speaking to whom here.
33:5 mix3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֲשֶׁר חָנַ֥ן אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת עַבְדֶּֽךָ 1 “whom God has graciously/kindly given to {me,} your servant.” or “whom God has graciously/kindly given to me, sir.” Jacob uses the phrase “your servant” to be polite and show respect to Esau; he was not actually Esau’s servant. For some languages it is more natural to put the honorific title first in this sentence and say, “Sir, {they are} the {wives and} children whom God has graciously given to me.” Do what is best in your language.
33:6 c9es וַתִּגַּ֧שְׁןָ הַשְּׁפָח֛וֹת הֵ֥נָּה וְיַלְדֵיהֶ֖ן 1 “Then the {two} maidservants came closer {to Esau} {along} with their children,” or “Then the/Jacob’s {two} servant wives and their children came/went closer/forward,” See how you translated “maidservants” in verses 1-2.
33:6 lyhm rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַתִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶֽיןָ 1 “and they {all} bowed {to the ground} {in front of Esau/him} {to show respect}.” See how you translated “bowed down” in verse 3.
33:7 m927 וַתִּגַּ֧שׁ גַּם לֵאָ֛ה וִילָדֶ֖יהָ 1 “Then Leah also came closer {to Esau} {along} with her children” or “Next Leah and her children also came closer/forward”
33:7 dbwa rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-theydual וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֑וּ 2 “and they {also} bowed {to the ground}.” Some languages have a dual pronoun for “they” that fits here well. See what you did in verse 4.
33:8 yk8g rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “Then Esau said {to Jacob},” or “Then Esau asked {Jacob},”
33:8 ag25 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לִמְצֹא חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֵ֥י אֲדֹנִֽי 1 “{I sent them} so that you would be gracious/kind to me, sir.” or “{They are gifts for you} so that you would be pleased with me, sir.” See how you translated “my lord” and the idiom “find favor in...eyes” in Gen 32:5.
33:9 b7wn rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר עֵשָׂ֖ו 1 “But Esau replied,” or “Esau said/replied {to him},” What Esau says is in contrast to what Jacob said, but it may not be necessary to use a conjunction here at all. Do what is best in your language.
33:9 mkk0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure יֶשׁ לִ֣י רָ֑ב אָחִ֕י 1 “My brother, I {already} have/own enough {livestock/animals}”. For some languages it is more natural to put the address “my brother” first in this quote. Some languages also have a special term for “younger brother” that fits well here. Do what is best in your language.
33:9 hmaj יְהִ֥י לְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁר לָֽךְ 1 “Keep what you have/own for yourself.” or “{so} keep your livestock/animals for yourself.” or “{so} keep them for yourself.”
33:10 tfke אַל נָא֙ 1 “No, I beg you.” or “Please don’t refuse {my gift}.” In verses 10 and 11, Jacob speaks urgently to Esau, because in that culture if Esau accepts Jacob’s gift, he is committing himself to treat Jacob as a friend.
33:10 z182 אִם נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ 1 “{Rather,} if you are pleased with me,” or “{Rather,} if you want to be gracious/kind to me, then”. See how you translated the idiom “find/gain favor in your eyes” in verse 8.
33:10 stzb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ מִנְחָתִ֖י מִיָּדִ֑י 1 “then {please} accept these gifts from me.” or “{please} accept from me what I have given {you}.”
33:10 ogvb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile רָאִ֣יתִי פָנֶ֗יךָ כִּרְאֹ֛ת פְּנֵ֥י אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַתִּרְצֵֽנִי 1 “for me to see your face is like seeing God’s face, especially since you have received/welcomed me {so kindly/warmly}.” or “{I thought you were still angry at me, so} I was afraid of seeing/meeting you again in person, just as I would be afraid of seeing/meeting God in person, but you {forgave me and} welcomed me!” In Old Testament times it was terrifying for someone to see God in person, because normally people could not see God’s face and live (Exodus 33:20). However, God had been gracious to Jacob and allowed him to live (Genesis 32:30). In the same way, it was a terrifying thing for Jacob to see Esau who had 400 men with him, but Esau was gracious to him (33:4). See how you translated a different Hebrew word that means “receive” or “welcome” in Gen 32:20.
33:11 zfgz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive קַח נָ֤א אֶת בִּרְכָתִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֻבָ֣את לָ֔ךְ 1 “{So} please accept my gift {of livestock/animals} that my servants brought to you,” or “{So} please accept the livestock/animals from me that I sent/gave to you,”
33:11 dx0h rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּפְצַר בּ֖וֹ 1 “He/Jacob kept urging him/Esau {to accept his gift}” or “He/Jacob kept insisting {that he/Esau accept the gift/livestock/animals from him}”. Make sure it is clear in your translation who and what is being referred to at every point in this sentence.
33:12 zjf4 וְאֵלְכָ֖ה לְנֶגְדֶּֽךָ 1 “and I will lead/accompany/escort you.” Esau is suggesting that he would accompany or escort Jacob and his family, not that he would go far ahead of them.
33:13 ci2o אֲדֹנִ֤י יֹדֵ֨עַ֙ כִּֽי 1 “Sir, you know that” or “Sir, as you know,” See how you translated “my lord” in verse 8.
33:13 r0zl הַיְלָדִ֣ים רַכִּ֔ים 1 “my children {are} fragile/frail/delicate/weak,”
33:13 xg08 וְהַצֹּ֥אן וְהַבָּקָ֖ר עָל֣וֹת עָלָ֑י 1 “and some of my sheep and cattle are nursing {their young}.” or “and I need {to be careful with} {all} the sheep and cattle that are nursing {their young}.” See how you translated “flock{s} and herd{s}” in Gen 12:16.
33:13 gbse וּדְפָקוּם֙ י֣וֹם אֶחָ֔ד 1 “If my servants/men drive the livestock/animals {too hard/far} in one day,” or “If I force the livestock/animals to go/travel too far/fast {for} {even} one day,”
33:13 c17q rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole וָמֵ֖תוּ כָּל הַצֹּֽאן 1 “then all the flock{s} {and herds} will die.” or “then all of them will die.” This phrase especially refers to the sheep and cattle that were nursing, but Jacob is probably using hyperbole here (“all”) to emphasize that he does not want to travel too fast.
33:14 g9ie rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-honorifics יַעֲבָר נָ֥א אֲדֹנִ֖י לִפְנֵ֣י עַבְדּ֑וֹ 1 “{So then,} sir, please go on {home} ahead of me, sir.” See how you translated Jacob’s use of “my lord” (in verse 8) and “servant” (in verse 5) to show respect and deference to Esau. Here he uses both terms for emphasis.
33:14 qgdi וַאֲנִ֞י אֶֽתְנָהֲלָ֣ה לְאִטִּ֗י לְרֶ֨גֶל הַמְּלָאכָ֤ה אֲשֶׁר לְפָנַי֙ וּלְרֶ֣גֶל הַיְלָדִ֔ים 1 “Then/Meanwhile I will travel along slowly at a pace/speed {that is safe/good} for the livestock/animals and children that are with me,”
33:14 lafk עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁר אָבֹ֥א אֶל אֲדֹנִ֖י 1 “until we reach you, sir,” or “We will catch up to you later, sir,”
33:14 tb57 שֵׂעִֽירָה 1 “in {the land/region of} Seir.” See how you translated “the land of Seir” in Gen 32:3. The land of Seir was a mountainous region southeast of the land of Canaan (and the Dead Sea) and was where Esau had settled. It was also called “Edom” (Gen 32:3), which was Esau’s nickname (Gen 25:30). You could put some of that information in a footnote.
33:15 ku53 אַצִּֽיגָה נָּ֣א עִמְּךָ֔ מִן הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתִּ֑י 1 “{Okay,} {then} please let me leave you some of my men {to escort/accompany you}.” or “{Okay,} {then} may I leave some of my men with you {to escort/accompany you}?”
33:15 phvo rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ 1 “But Jacob replied,” or “Jacob said/replied {to him},” or “Jacob answered {him},” Make sure the way you translate this quote margin fits with how you translate the previous and following sentences.
33:15 a29j rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion לָ֣מָּה זֶּ֔ה 1 “There’s no need for that.” or “There is no need {for you} to do that.” Jacob uses a rhetorical question here to emphasize that there is no need for Esau to leave any of his men with him. For some languages it is clearer and more natural to use a statement here instead. Do what is best in your language.
33:15 evmh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-honorifics אֶמְצָא חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֵ֥י אֲדֹנִֽי 1 “{Just} please {continue to} be gracious/kind to me, sir.” or “Sir, please {just} {continue to} treat me kindly.” Consider again how you translated “my lord” in verses 8,13-15. For some languages it is more natural to put this address earlier in this quote. Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated the idiom “find favor in the eyes of” in verse 8.
33:16 r6yz וַיָּשָׁב֩ בַּיּ֨וֹם הַה֥וּא עֵשָׂ֛ו לְדַרְכּ֖וֹ 1 “So that {very/same} day Esau {and his men} started on their way back” or “So that {very/same} day Esau {and his men} left and headed back”
33:16 c592 שֵׂעִֽירָה 1 “{home} to {the land/region of} Seir.” See how you translated “Seir” in verse 14.
33:17 moff rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast וְיַעֲקֹב֙ נָסַ֣ע סֻכֹּ֔תָה 1 “But Jacob traveled/went to {the town of} Succoth {instead},” or “Meanwhile, {instead of going to Seir,} Jacob {and his family} traveled/went to {the town of} Succoth,” Jacob went northwest to Succoth, instead of going south to the region of Seir as he had said he would do (verse 14). Also see how you translated “travel” in verse 12.
33:17 moyc וַיִּ֥בֶן ל֖וֹ בָּ֑יִת 1 “There he {and his men/servants} built a house for himself {and his family/household},” or “where he {and his men/servants} built a house for his family/household,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
33:17 kw1x וּלְמִקְנֵ֨הוּ֙ עָשָׂ֣ה סֻכֹּ֔ת 1 “and they {also} built {some} shelters for his livestock/animals.” or “and shelters for his livestock/animals.” The term “livestock” is general here and includes all of Jacob’s animals.
33:17 oyhe עַל כֵּ֛ן 1 “That is why” or “Because of that,” See how you translated this phrase in Gen 32:32.
33:17 tv48 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names קָרָ֥א שֵׁם הַמָּק֖וֹם סֻכּֽוֹת 1 “the name of that place/town is {called} Succoth, {which means “shelters.”}” or “they/people call that place/town Succoth, {which means “shelters.”}” The phrase “he/they called” could refer to Jacob, or it could refer to people in general (as it often does in Genesis). If you include the meaning of the name Succoth in your translation or in a footnote, make sure it matches the way you translate “shelters” earlier in this verse.
33:18 uqlg וַיָּבֹא֩ יַעֲקֹ֨ב שָׁלֵ֜ם עִ֣יר שְׁכֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן בְּבֹא֖וֹ מִפַּדַּ֣ן אֲרָ֑ם 1 “Later Jacob {and his family} arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land/region of Canaan, as he/they continued traveling {home} from {the land/region of} Paddan Aram,” or “{After that,} Jacob {and his family} continued their journey {home} from {the land/region of} Paddan Aram, until {eventually} they arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land/region of Canaan,” Jacob and his family had left Paddan Aram and had been traveling back to the land of his ancestors in Canaan (Gen 31:3, 13, 18). See how you translated “in peace” in Gen 28:21.
33:18 q3jx וַיִּ֖חַן 1 “and he/they set up camp {in a field}” or “Then he/they set up his/their tents {in a field}”. Consider whether or not it is best in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated “camped” in Gen 26:17.
33:18 a1lz אֶת פְּנֵ֥י הָעִֽיר 1 “near/beside the/that city.” or “on the edge/outskirts of the/that city.”
33:19 dg43 וַיִּ֜קֶן אֶת חֶלְקַ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה 1 “Then he bought the plot/piece of land” or “{While he was there,} he bought the land”
33:19 esul rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown מִיַּ֥ד בְּנֵֽי חֲמ֖וֹר אֲבִ֣י שְׁכֶ֑ם בְּמֵאָ֖ה קְשִׂיטָֽה 1 “from the sons of Hamor for one hundred pieces {of silver/money}. One of Hamor’s sons was named Shechem.” or “for/with one hundred pieces {of silver/money} from the sons of Hamor {who was} the father of Shechem.” The weight and value of a hundred kesitahs of silver is not known. Some ancient translations (including the LXX and Latin Vulgate) have “a hundred lambs” here, but most modern translations have “a hundred pieces of silver/money”.
33:20 lob7 וַיַּצֶּב שָׁ֖ם מִזְבֵּ֑חַ 1 “On that land he/Jacob {also} built a {stone} altar,” or “Jacob {also} built/made an altar {out of stones} on that land,” See how you translated “altar” in Gen 26:25.
33:20 e6k2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיִּ֨קְרָא ל֔וֹ אֵ֖ל אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל 1 “and he named it El Elohe Israel, {which means “God is the God of Israel.”}” The name “El Elohe Israel” could also mean “Powerful/Mighty is the God of Israel” because the Hebrew word “el” can mean “God” or “powerful”. You could put that information in a footnote.
34:1 xwzi rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַתֵּצֵ֤א דִינָה֙ בַּת־לֵאָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָלְדָ֖ה לְיַעֲקֹ֑ב 1 “Then/Now {one day} Dinah, {who was} the daughter whom Leah bore/had for Jacob, went out” or “{One day,} Dinah, {who was} the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went {to/into the city}” These events took place at an unspecified time after Jacob and his family set up their camp beside the city of Shechem (Gen 33:18). Consider what is the best way to introduce a new event in your language. Also be consistent here with how you spelled “Dinah” in Gen 30:21.
34:1 da5z rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לִרְא֖וֹת 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. The verb “to see” could mean (1) “to visit with”; many languages have a similar idiom. (2) “to see/observe” the local women, for example, how they dressed and what jewelry they wore.
34:1 xo8b בִּבְנ֥וֹת הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “{some of} the women who were native to that area/region.” or “{some of} the local/native women.” See how you translated “daughters of the land” in Gen 27:46, and how you translated a similar phrase (“people of the land”) in Gen 23:7, 12.
34:2 kd4e rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיַּ֨רְא & שְׁכֶ֧ם בֶּן חֲמ֛וֹר הַֽחִוִּ֖י נְשִׂ֣יא הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “Then Shechem, who was the/a son of the Hivite named Hamor who ruled that region, saw” or “Now the ruler/chief of that region was a Hivite named Hamor. His son Shechem saw”. Consider which order of phrases is best here in your language. Also see how you translated “Hivites” in Gen 10:17 and “ruler” in Gen 25:16.
34:2 ht9l אֹתָ֜הּ & וַיִּקַּ֥ח אֹתָ֛הּ 1 “Dinah, and he grabbed {hold of} her” or “{how beautiful} Dinah was, so he took/grabbed {hold of} her”
34:2 ptfl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב אֹתָ֖הּ וַיְעַנֶּֽהָ 1 “and forced her to go to bed with him.” or “and raped her.” This is a euphemistic way of saying that Shechem forced Dinah to have sex with him. Translate this in a way that will not offend or embarrass people, especially when hearing your translation read aloud.
34:3 l9qg וַתִּדְבַּ֣ק נַפְשׁ֔וֹ בְּדִינָ֖ה בַּֽת יַעֲקֹ֑ב וַיֶּֽאֱהַב֙ 1 “He/Shechem was strongly/deeply attracted to Jacob’s daughter Dinah and he loved her” or “He/Shechem admired Jacob’s daughter Dinah so much that he fell in love with her” or “He/Shechem admired her so much that he fell in love with her”
34:3 nd16 וַיְדַבֵּ֖ר עַל לֵ֥ב הַֽנַּעֲרָֽ 1 “and spoke sweetly/tenderly to her {to try to woo/persuade/comfort her}.” or “and {tried to win her heart/affection} by speaking tenderly/kindly to her.” See how you translated “young woman” in Gen 24:14, and see the note about that there.
34:4 q2v0 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁכֶ֔ם אֶל חֲמ֥וֹר אָבִ֖יו לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “Then Shechem said to his father Hamor,” or “Then Shechem {went to} his father Hamor and requested/demanded,”
34:4 u0r8 קַֽח לִ֛י אֶת הַיַּלְדָּ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לְאִשָּֽׁה 1 “Negotiate {things} for me so that I can marry this girl.” or “Ask this girl’s family to let me marry her.” At that time it was normal for parents to negotiate with another family to get a spouse for their child. The negotiations would include a bride-price and other details. You could put some of that information in a footnote. The term “girl” that Shechem uses here is less respectful than the term “young woman” that is used in verses 3 and 12.
34:5 ern7 וְיַעֲקֹ֣ב שָׁמַ֗ע כִּ֤י 1 “When Jacob found out that” or “When Jacob was told/informed {by someone} that”
34:5 iqjy טִמֵּא֙ אֶת דִּינָ֣ה בִתּ֔וֹ 1 “Shechem had dishonored/disgraced his daughter Dinah,” or “his daughter Dinah had been defiled/disgraced by Shechem,”
34:5 ikpl וּבָנָ֛יו הָי֥וּ אֶת מִקְנֵ֖הוּ בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה 1 “his sons were {still} tending his livestock/animals out in the fields,” or “his sons were {still} {out} in the fields taking care of his livestock/animals,”
34:5 b462 וְהֶחֱרִ֥שׁ יַעֲקֹ֖ב 1 “so he didn’t say anything {about it}” or “so he didn’t tell anyone {about it}”. Make sure your translation of this phrase does not mean that Jacob was totally silent. Rather, it means he did not speak about what Shechem had done to Dinah.
34:5 vahs עַד בֹּאָֽם 1 “until they came {back} {home}.” or “until they returned {home}.”
34:6 huzm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֵּצֵ֛א חֲמ֥וֹר אֲבִֽי שְׁכֶ֖ם 1 “Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor went {with his son}” or “Meanwhile, {Shechem and} Shechem’s/his father Hamor went”. For some languages it is more natural to introduce Shechem here, rather than wait and have him appear too suddenly in verse 11. Do what is best in your language.
34:6 fxey אֶֽל יַעֲקֹ֑ב לְדַבֵּ֖ר אִתּֽוֹ 1 “to talk with/to Jacob.” or “to Jacob’s {camp/tent} to talk with/to him.”
34:7 celp וּבְנֵ֨י יַעֲקֹ֜ב בָּ֤אוּ מִן הַשָּׂדֶה֙ 1 “Then/Soon Jacob’s sons came/returned {home} from the fields.”
34:7 ydmu כְּשָׁמְעָ֔ם 1 “When they heard {what had happened},” or “When they heard {that Shechem had raped their sister},” Many translations put “when they heard” with the previous sentence. However, unless someone else told Jacob’s sons the news of what happened, that interpretation contradicts verse 5, which says that Jacob kept quiet about it until his sons got home.
34:7 cnrm וַיִּֽתְעַצְּבוּ֙ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים 1 “they were {very} distressed/shocked”. See how you translated “grieved” in Gen 6:6. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
34:7 m7g2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּ֥חַר לָהֶ֖ם מְאֹ֑ד 1 “and filled with anger,” or “and extremely angry”. See how you translated the idiom “it/anger burned within...” in Gen 32:36.
34:7 csph כִּֽי נְבָלָ֞ה עָשָׂ֣ה בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל 1 “because/that Shechem had disgraced/dishonored {the people/family of} Israel” or “because/that Shechem had brought shame on Israel’s family”. Notice that the Hebrew text has both of Jacob’s names in verse 7, “Jacob” and “Israel”, to emphasize that Shechem had sinned against Jacob and all of his descendants (the people of Israel). You could put that information in a footnote. Make sure that your translation of “Israel” does not refer here to a place, since Israel was not yet a country or a territory.
34:7 e6q9 לִשְׁכַּב֙ אֶת בַּֽת יַעֲקֹ֔ב 1 “by having sexual relations with Jacob’s daughter.” or “by raping Jacob’s daughter.”
34:7 wf5f וְכֵ֖ן לֹ֥א יֵעָשֶֽׂה 1 “Such a {wicked/terrible} thing should never be done {by anyone}!” or “No one should ever do such a {wicked/horrible} thing/crime!”
34:8 omfw וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר חֲמ֖וֹר אִתָּ֣ם לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “But Hamor pleaded with Jacob and his sons and said,” or “But Hamor urged/begged Jacob and his sons,”
34:8 ma3r rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular בְּבִתְּכֶ֔ם 1 “My son Shechem really/deeply loves your {family’s} daughter.” or “My son Shechem has fallen {deeply/completely} in love with your daughter {and sister}.” The pronoun “your” is plural here, which shows that Hamor is addressing not only Jacob but also his sons.
34:8 sx6u תְּנ֨וּ נָ֥א אֹתָ֛הּ ל֖וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה 1 “{So} please allow/permit him to marry her.” The way “give” and “take” are used in verses 8, 9, 12, 16 and 21 reflects the culture at that time, when parents or families arranged marriages for their daughters. Also see the note about this at verse 4.
34:9 elqs וְהִֽתְחַתְּנ֖וּ אֹתָ֑נוּ 1 “{In fact,} let’s allow marriage between our two people groups,” or “Let’s agree to let members of our families marry one another,”
34:9 fum0 בְּנֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ תִּתְּנוּ לָ֔נוּ וְאֶת בְּנֹתֵ֖ינוּ תִּקְח֥וּ לָכֶֽם 1 “{so that} your daughters can/will marry our {young men} and your {young men} can/will marry our daughters.” or “{so that} you allow our {young men} to marry your daughters and we allow your {young men} to marry our daughters.”
34:10 rrpa וְאִתָּ֖נוּ תֵּשֵׁ֑בוּ 1 “You can {also} settle/live among us.” or “{We also invite you to} settle/live with/among us.”
34:10 x3fi וְהָאָ֨רֶץ֙ תִּהְיֶ֣ה לִפְנֵיכֶ֔ם שְׁבוּ֙ וּסְחָר֔וּהָ 1 “The land is available for you {to choose what you want}; settle/live {in it} {wherever you want}. You can {also} trade {freely} here,” or “You can settle/live {wherever you want} in the land. You can also do business buying and selling things {wherever you want},” Normally foreigners were not allowed to own land or to move around in the land to trade freely. So that is why Hamor is offering this in exchange for Jacob allowing his family to intermarry with the Hivites.
34:10 b00z וְהֵֽאָחֲז֖וּ בָּֽהּ 1 “and you can buy/own {your own} {property/land}.”
34:11 cmfm rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁכֶם֙ אֶל אָבִ֣יה וְאֶל אַחֶ֔יהָ 1 “Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers,”
34:11 i9w3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אֶמְצָא חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֵיכֶ֑ם 1 “{Please} be gracious/kind to me {and let me marry her/Dinah},” See how you translated the idiom “Let me find favor in the eyes of...” in Gen 33:15.
34:11 mqgb וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר תֹּאמְר֛וּ אֵלַ֖י אֶתֵּֽן 1 “Then I will give/pay {you} whatever you request/require/ask from me {for her}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
34:12 l9mr rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown הַרְבּ֨וּ עָלַ֤י מְאֹד֙ מֹ֣הַר וּמַתָּ֔ן 1 “Set the dowry/bride-price and {marriage/wedding} gifts {that I must pay} {to marry her} as high as you want,” The “dowry” was the payment that a groom (and his family) had to give to the bride’s family, which could include things like money, land and livestock. The term “gift” probably refers to additional gifts given to the bride and her family members (as in Gen 24:53). If the custom of paying a dowry is not known in your culture, you could include an explanation in a footnote.
34:12 zoy5 וְאֶ֨תְּנָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר תֹּאמְר֖וּ אֵלָ֑י 1 “and I will give/pay {you} whatever you request/ask/require from me.” See how you translated a similar clause in verse 11.
34:12 hr5l וּתְנוּ לִ֥י אֶת הַֽנַּעֲרָ֖ לְאִשָּֽׁה 1 “{Just please} give the young woman to me to marry.” or “{Just/Only please} let me marry the young woman.” See how you translated “young woman” in verse 3.
34:13 vxqs וַיַּעֲנ֨וּ בְנֵֽי יַעֲקֹ֜ב אֶת שְׁכֶ֨ם וְאֶת חֲמ֥וֹר אָבִ֛יו בְּמִרְמָ֖ה וַיְדַבֵּ֑רוּ 1 “Then/But Jacob’s sons responded/replied to Shechem and his father Hamor in a deceitful/deceptive way” or “Jacob’s sons responded/replied to Shechem and his father Hamor but deceived/tricked them”
34:13 vyae rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֲשֶׁ֣ר טִמֵּ֔א אֵ֖ת דִּינָ֥ה אֲחֹתָֽם 1 “because he/Shechem had dishonored/disgraced their sister Dinah.” or “because he/Shechem had done a shameful thing to their sister Dinah.” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause first in this verse and say, “But because/since Shechem had defiled/dishonored their sister Dinah, the sons of Jacob deceived/tricked Shechem and his father Hamor 14 by saying to them,” Do what is best in your language.
34:14 qc19 וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם 1 “and said to them,” or “They said to them,” Consider whether it is best in your language to begin a new sentence here or to continue the sentence that started in verse 13.
34:14 fyu7 לֹ֤א נוּכַל֙ לַעֲשׂוֹת֙ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה לָתֵת֙ 1 “We are not able to do such a thing as” or “It would be not be acceptable/right for us to”
34:14 va2y rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism לָתֵת֙ אֶת אֲחֹתֵ֔נוּ לְאִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר ל֣וֹ עָרְלָ֑ה 1 “let our sister marry a man {like you} who has not had his foreskin removed,” or “allow a man {like you} who is not circumcised to marry our sister,” Translate “who has a foreskin” in a way that will not offend or embarrass people, especially when hearing your translation read aloud.
34:14 guat כִּֽי חֶרְפָּ֥ה הִ֖וא לָֽנוּ 1 “because that would dishonor/humiliate our family!” or “That would cause {great} shame/humiliation to our family!” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
34:15 xfgc אַךְ בְּזֹ֖את נֵא֣וֹת לָכֶ֑ם 1 “The only way that we will/can agree with your proposal {is}” or “We will/can do what you want/ask only if you do this one thing:”
34:15 w4wh rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms לְהִמֹּ֥ל לָכֶ֖ם כָּל זָכָֽר 1 “by circumcising all your males.” See how you translated “circumcised” in Gen 17:10.
34:16 i0ty rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive וְנָתַ֤נּוּ אֶת בְּנֹתֵ֨ינוּ֙ לָכֶ֔ם וְאֶת בְּנֹתֵיכֶ֖ם נִֽקַּֽח לָ֑נוּ 1 “Then we will let our daughters marry your {young men}, and our {young men} will marry your daughters.” or “{If/After you do that,} then we will allow your {young men} to marry our daughters, and {we will allow} your daughters to marry our {young men}.” The pronouns “we”, “our” and “us” are exclusive in verses 14-17, except at the end of verse 16 below. Also see how you translated “give...daughters...take...daughters...” in verse 9.
34:16 ijuu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive וְהָיִ֖ינוּ לְעַ֥ם אֶחָֽד 1 “so that we become one people group.” or “and as a result we will {all} be/become one people/ethnic group.” Here the “we” is inclusive because Jacob’s sons are including Shechem and Hamor’s people. If you have an inclusive form of this pronoun in your language, you could use it here.
34:17 p6xy וְאִם לֹ֧א תִשְׁמְע֛וּ אֵלֵ֖ינוּ לְהִמּ֑וֹל 1 “But/However if you refuse to agree with our requirement that you circumcise {your people/males},” or “But if you will/do not circumcise {your males} as we require/say,”
34:17 o476 וְלָקַ֥חְנוּ אֶת בִּתֵּ֖נוּ וְהָלָֽכְנוּ 1 “then we will take our {father’s/family’s} daughter {from you} and go/move {somewhere else}.” or “then we will leave and take our sister with us.” The phrase “our daughter” reflects the fact that Jacob’s sons are using their father’s perspective and authority here. If that is confusing, you could say “our sister” instead. See how you translated “our {family’s} daughter” in verse 8.
34:18 jvuw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּֽיטְב֥וּ דִבְרֵיהֶ֖ם בְּעֵינֵ֣י חֲמ֑וֹר וּבְעֵינֵ֖י שְׁכֶ֥ם בֶּן חֲמֽוֹר 1 “What Jacob’s sons said/proposed seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.” or “Hamor and his son Shechem were pleased {and agreed to do} what Jacob’s sons said/proposed.” See how you translated the idiom “good in...eyes” in Gen 19:8. It may need to be translated in different ways, depending on the context.
34:19 hx5y וְלֹֽא אֵחַ֤ר הַנַּ֨עַר֙ 1 “So Shechem immediately started” or “So right away Shechem took action”
34:19 xq4h לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת הַדָּבָ֔ר 1 “to do/fulfill what they required/proposed,” or “to do/fulfill their requirement,”
34:19 dw3y כִּ֥י חָפֵ֖ץ בְּבַֽת יַעֲקֹ֑ב 1 “because he was thrilled with Jacob’s daughter {Dinah}.” or “because he was deeply/completely in love with Jacob’s daughter {Dinah}.”
34:19 p3wu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְה֣וּא נִכְבָּ֔ד מִכֹּ֖ל בֵּ֥ית אָבִֽיו 1 “{He was able to get people/everyone to do what he wanted} because he was the most respected person in his father’s household/family.” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause earlier in this sentence and say, “So right away Shechem, who was the most respected member in his father’s household/family, started to do what they required, because he was thrilled with Jacob’s daughter.” Do what is best in your language.
34:20 acum וַיָּבֹ֥א חֲמ֛וֹר וּשְׁכֶ֥ם בְּנ֖וֹ אֶל־שַׁ֣עַר עִירָ֑ם 1 “In fact, he/Shechem and his father Hamor went {straight/directly} to their city’s gates/entrance {for a town meeting},”
34:20 cgfe וַֽיְדַבְּר֛וּ אֶל אַנְשֵׁ֥י עִירָ֖ם לֵאמֹֽר 1 “and they spoke to the city elders/leaders {who had gathered there}. They said,” or “and they told the elders/leaders of their city {about Jacob and his sons},” In that culture the leaders of a city held their meetings at the main city gates (as in Gen 23:3). Cities were surrounded by walls (that had gates) for protection. You could put some of that information in a footnote so that people understand what was happening.
34:21 mxq8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive הָאֲנָשִׁ֨ים הָאֵ֜לֶּה שְֽׁלֵמִ֧ים הֵ֣ם אִתָּ֗נוּ 1 “These people are friendly toward us,” or “Jacob and his family are at peace with us,” Here “us” includes Hamor, Shechem and the men they are talking to.
34:21 abis וְיֵשְׁב֤וּ בָאָ֨רֶץ֙ 1 “so {let’s} allow them to live/stay in the/our land” or “so we should let them live/stay in the/our land”. See how you translated “settle” in verse 10.
34:21 r5i3 וְיִסְחֲר֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ 1 “and trade {freely} here.” or “and let them buy and sell things {wherever they want}.” See how you translated “trade in it” in verse 10.
34:21 eq9e rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְהָאָ֛רֶץ הִנֵּ֥ה רַֽחֲבַת יָדַ֖יִם לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם 1 “Look, there is enough land to support them {and us}.” or “After all, there is more than enough space/room in the/this land for them {too}.”
34:21 p1ah אֶת בְּנֹתָם֙ נִקַּֽח לָ֣נוּ לְנָשִׁ֔ים וְאֶת בְּנֹתֵ֖ינוּ נִתֵּ֥ן לָהֶֽם 1 “{That way too,} we can take/choose their daughters to be {our} wives, and we can let their {young} men marry our daughters.” or “{Besides that,} {then} our {young men} can marry their daughters, and their {young men} can marry our daughters.” See how you translated similar clauses in verses 9 and 16. It may be necessary to translate these in different ways, depending on the context.
34:22 hf95 אַךְ בְּ֠זֹאת יֵאֹ֨תוּ לָ֤נוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים֙ לָשֶׁ֣בֶת אִתָּ֔נוּ 1 “There is just one thing/condition/requirement: They will only agree to settle/live among us” or “But they will only consent/agree to settle/live among us”. See how you began verse 15, which is very similar to verse 22.
34:22 r3ez לִהְי֖וֹת לְעַ֣ם אֶחָ֑ד 1 “and become one people group {with us}”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 16.
34:22 yesq בְּהִמּ֥וֹל לָ֨נוּ֙ כָּל זָכָ֔ר 1 “if all our males are circumcised” or “if we circumcise all our males”. See how you translated “every male among...circumcised” in verse 15.
34:22 kv8j כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר הֵ֥ם נִמֹּלִֽים 1 “as their males are.” or “so that we are like them.”
34:23 w2up מִקְנֵהֶ֤ם וְקִנְיָנָם֙ וְכָל בְּהֶמְתָּ֔ם 1 “{Then} all their livestock and animals, and {all} their {other} property/possessions” or “{But if we do that,} {all} their property/possessions, {including} their livestock and all their {other} animals”
34:23 bstj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲל֥וֹא לָ֖נוּ הֵ֑ם 1 “will belong to us!” or “will be ours!” This rhetorical question emphasizes that all of Jacob’s livestock and property will belong to the people of Shechem. If a rhetorical question does not fit here in your language, you could make this a statement.
34:24 kgkn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּשְׁמְע֤וּ & כָּל יֹצְאֵ֖י שַׁ֣עַר עִיר֑וֹ 1 “All {the men} who were citizens/leaders/elders of the city” or “All the men/leaders/elders who were {there} at the city gate/entrance”. Make sure that your translation of this idiom refers here to the same men who had gathered at the city gates in verse 20.
34:24 qqoa וַיִּשְׁמְע֤וּ אֶל חֲמוֹר֙ וְאֶל שְׁכֶ֣ם בְּנ֔וֹ 1 “agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem,” or “agreed to do what Hamor and his son Shechem said,”
34:24 l5xq וַיִּמֹּ֨לוּ֙ כָּל זָכָ֔ר כָּל יֹצְאֵ֖י שַׁ֥עַר עִירֽוֹ 1 “so all of them and all the other males in the city were circumcised.” or “so they circumcised every male in the city, including themselves.”
34:25 xbss וַיְהִי֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י 1 “On the third day {after that},” or “Three days later,”
34:25 x8wa בִּֽהְיוֹתָ֣ם כֹּֽאֲבִ֗ים 1 “when the men of {the city of} Shechem were {all} {still} sore {from being circumcised},” or “when it was {still} painful for the men of the city {to move/walk},”
34:25 abi8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship וַיִּקְח֣וּ שְׁנֵֽי בְנֵי יַ֠עֲקֹב שִׁמְע֨וֹן וְלֵוִ֜י אֲחֵ֤י דִינָה֙ 1 “two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, {who were} Dinah’s brothers, took” These brothers had the same father and mother as Dinah. Some languages have a special term for this. Do what is best in your language.
34:25 nk02 אִ֣ישׁ חַרְבּ֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַל הָעִ֖יר בֶּ֑טַח 1 “their swords and attacked the city, with no one opposing/resisting them.” See how you translated “sword” in Gen 27:40.
34:25 g5z3 וַיַּֽהַרְג֖וּ כָּל זָכָֽר 1 “They killed all the males/men {there}”. The children who were males were probably not killed, since later (verse 29) it says that all the children were captured. Also, consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here that continues into verse 26.
34:26 hiyf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-youdual וְאֶת חֲמוֹר֙ וְאֶת שְׁכֶ֣ם בְּנ֔וֹ הָרְג֖וּ לְפִי חָ֑רֶב 1 “with their swords, including Hamor and his son Shechem.” Some languages have dual pronouns for “they” and “you” that can be used in verses 25-26 and 30-31 to refer to Simeon and Levi. Do what is best in your language.
34:27 cym6 בְּנֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֗ב בָּ֚אוּ עַל הַ֣חֲלָלִ֔ים וַיָּבֹ֖זּוּ הָעִ֑יר 1 “{Then/Next} {all} Jacob’s sons went {into the city} and took everything valuable from/off the dead bodies and from {the rest of} the city,” All of Jacob’s sons probably joined Simeon and Levi in plundering the city, after those two had killed all the men there (verse 25).
34:27 iggu אֲשֶׁ֥ר טִמְּא֖וּ אֲחוֹתָֽם 1 “{They did that} because {that was where} Shechem had defiled/dishonored/disgraced their sister.” or “to get revenge for the shameful thing that had been done to their sister {there}.” See how you translated “defiled” in verses 5 and 13. Even though Shechem was the one who actually defiled Dinah (verses 2, 5, 7, 13), Jacob’s sons held everyone in the city responsible for the crime that their ruler’s son had committed (verses 25-29). If that is not clear, you could put that information in a footnote. Make sure that your translation of “they” does not refer to Jacob’s sons.
34:28 u9bb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֶת צֹאנָ֥ם וְאֶת בְּקָרָ֖ם וְאֶת חֲמֹרֵיהֶּ֑ם וְאֵ֧ת אֲשֶׁר בָּעִ֛יר וְאֶת אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה לָקָֽחוּ 1 “They took away the people’s sheep and goats, their cattle, their donkeys, and everything else {they wanted} from inside the city and from out in the fields/countryside.” or “They plundered whatever was inside the city and out in the {surrounding} fields/area, including the people’s flocks {of sheep and goats}, their herds {of cattle}, and their donkeys.” See how you translated “donkeys” in Gen 32:15.
34:29 ulo0 וְאֶת כָּל חֵילָ֤ם וְאֶת כָּל טַפָּם֙ וְאֶת נְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם שָׁב֖וּ וַיָּבֹ֑זּוּ וְאֵ֖ת כָּל אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּבָּֽיִת 1 “They carried away all the valuable things the people of Shechem had owned, including everything that was in their houses. They also captured all their women and children.” or “They took away everything that was valuable, and also captured all the children and women. They seized and took away everything that was in the houses.” See how you translated “plundered” in verse 27.
34:30 orqa וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֜ב אֶל־שִׁמְע֣וֹן וְאֶל־לֵוִי֮ 1 “Later/Afterwards {when they came home,} Jacob scolded/rebuked Simeon and Levi {by saying},”
34:30 wstm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לְהַבְאִישֵׁ֨נִי֙ בְּיֹשֵׁ֣ב הָאָ֔רֶץ בַּֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י וּבַפְּרִזִּ֑י 1 “by causing the people who live in this land to despise/hate me/us, {including/especially} the Canaanites and Perizzites!” or “by causing the Canaanites and Perizzites who live in this land to despise/hate me/us!” The idiom “making me stink” means Jacob’s sons had caused him to have a very bad reputation so that people would hate him and his family. Some languages have a similar idiom that fits well here. Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated “the Canaanites” and “the Perizzites” in Gen 13:7; 15:20-21. There were other people groups also living in the land, but these two groups are the ones being emphasized here.
34:30 sth0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche וַאֲנִי֙ מְתֵ֣י מִסְפָּ֔ר 1 “I/We {only} have a few men {to defend us},” or “I/We don’t have many people {in our family/household},” The words “I”, “me” and “my” refer in this verse to all of Jacob’s family; he uses these pronouns because he is the leader of his family.
34:30 wg65 וְנֶאֶסְפ֤וּ עָלַי֙ וְהִכּ֔וּנִי 1 “so if they {all} join {forces} against me/us and attack me/us,” Make sure your use of the pronouns “me” or “us” fits with the way you translate the rest of this sentence.
34:30 qov1 וְנִשְׁמַדְתִּ֖י אֲנִ֥י וּבֵיתִֽי 1 “then I/we and my/our family/household will be destroyed/killed!” or “they will destroy/annihilate/kill me/us and {the rest of} my/our family/household!”
34:31 unw5 וַיֹּאמְר֑וּ 1 “But Simeon and Levi responded/replied {angrily},”
34:31 rcxi rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הַכְזוֹנָ֕ה יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֶת אֲחוֹתֵֽנוּ 1 “He/Shechem should not have treated our sister like/as a prostitute/whore!” or “We couldn’t let him/Shechem {just} get away with treating our sister like/as a {cheap,} immoral woman!” This rhetorical question shows Simeon and Levi’s anger and emphasizes that Shechem was wrong to do what he did and implies that he (and his city) deserved justice. Some languages have an idiom for this. Do what is best in your language.
35:1 b2k5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶֽל יַעֲקֹ֔ב 1 “Then God told/commanded Jacob,” Translate this quote margin in a way that is natural in your language and that fits with what God says.
35:1 divn ק֛וּם 1 “Get ready/packed” or “Leave here”
35:1 j11q עֲלֵ֥ה בֵֽית אֵ֖ל וְשֶׁב שָׁ֑ם 1 “and travel to {the town of} Bethel and live there.” or “and move to {the town of} Bethel.” The verb “go up” reflects the fact that the town of Bethel is higher in elevation than the city of Shechem; it does not refer to the direction they were going, which was south. Many translations leave “up” implied (to prevent confusion). Do what is best in your language.
35:1 a8t3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַעֲשֵׂה שָׁ֣ם מִזְבֵּ֔חַ 1 “Build an altar there {and offer sacrifices on it}”. See how you translated “altar” in Gen 33:20.
35:1 auxm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit לָאֵל֙ 1 “to {me as} the God” or “to {me,} the God” or “to worship {me as} the God”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that God is referring to himself as he speaks here to Jacob.
35:1 b1zx הַנִּרְאֶ֣ה אֵלֶ֔יךָ 1 “who appeared/came to you {there}” or “who introduced himself/myself to you {there}”. See how you translated “appeared” in Gen 26:2, 24.
35:1 valf בְּבָרְחֲךָ֔ 1 “when you were running away”. See how you translated “flee” in Gen 31:20-21, 27.
35:1 w50x מִפְּנֵ֖י עֵשָׂ֥ו אָחִֽיךָ 1 “from {the anger of} your brother Esau.” or “from your brother Esau.”
35:2 k4x7 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ אֶל בֵּית֔וֹ 1 “So Jacob told {the members of} his household/family”
35:2 uugi וְאֶ֖ל כָּל אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמּ֑וֹ 1 “and everyone {else} who {was} with him,” This included Jacob’s servants and the people (women and children) whom his sons had just captured from the city of Shechem (Gen 34:29). You could put some of that information in a footnote.
35:2 ftw0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms הָסִ֜רוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵ֤י הַנֵּכָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּתֹכְכֶ֔ם 1 “Get rid of the idols you have that other/pagan people/ethnic groups worship.” or “Give up the idols that you got/have from foreigners”. See how you translated “idols” and “gods” in Gen 31:19, 30, 32.
35:2 ajs7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וְהִֽטַּהֲר֔וּ 1 “and cleanse yourselves” or “Also wash and make yourselves clean”. They were to make themselves physically clean as a sign that they were preparing themselves mentally and spiritually to worship God (as their only God) at Bethel, which was a holy place where God had met with Jacob before. Some languages may have a special word for “purify” that communicates this. Do what is best in your language. Also consider whether or not it is best in your language to begin a new sentence here.
35:2 fg8j וְהַחֲלִ֖יפוּ שִׂמְלֹתֵיכֶֽם 1 “and put/get on clean clothes.”
35:3 nuyn וְנָק֥וּמָה 1 “Then we will/must pack up {our things/belongings}” or “Then we will/must leave here”. See how you translated “get up” in verse 1.
35:3 yauk וְנַעֲלֶ֖ה בֵּֽית אֵ֑ל 1 “and go/move to {the town of} Bethel,” See how you translated “go up” in verse 1.
35:3 jdob וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂה שָּׁ֣ם מִזְבֵּ֗חַ לָאֵ֞ל 1 “where I/we will build an altar to worship God,” or “There I/we will build an altar and worship God,” The Hebrew text has “I” here, but probably also implies that others in Jacob’s household would help him build the altar. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also see how you translated “make an altar” in verse 1.
35:3 qw4q rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom בְּי֣וֹם צָֽרָתִ֔י 1 “during the days/time/times when I was in distress/trouble.” The phrase “In the day of” is used here as an idiom that could refer to the time when Jacob was fleeing from Esau, or it could be more general and also include other times when Jacob was suffering, such as the years he worked for Laban.
35:3 mk28 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיְהִי֙ עִמָּדִ֔י 1 “He has {always} been/stayed with me/us {and taken care of me/us}”. See how you translated the idiom “with me” in Gen 31:5, where it also means that God is not only present with him but also helps him and takes care of him.
35:3 gaoi בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָלָֽכְתִּי 1 “everywhere that I/we have gone/traveled.”
35:4 a2y2 וַיִּתְּנ֣וּ אֶֽל יַעֲקֹ֗ב 1 “So/Then they gave Jacob” or “So/Then they handed/turned over to Jacob”
35:4 trzi אֵ֣ת כָּל אֱלֹהֵ֤י הַנֵּכָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיָדָ֔ם 1 “all the foreign/pagan gods/idols that they had {with them}” or “all their idols”. See how you translated “foreign gods” in verse 2. You could translate this differently here since this is the second time they are mentioned in this paragraph.
35:4 emli וְאֶת הַנְּזָמִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּאָזְנֵיהֶ֑ם 1 “and the earrings they wore on their ears.” or “and {all} their earrings.” These earrings seem to have been part of their idol worship and may have had images of their idols on them. You could include that information in a footnote.
35:4 mkvs וַיִּטְמֹ֤ן אֹתָם֙ יַעֲקֹ֔ב 1 “Then Jacob hid/buried everything {in the ground}” or “Then Jacob hid/buried all those things {in the ground}”
35:4 ppcd תַּ֥חַת 1 “beside” or “at the foot/base of”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that Jacob buried these things in the ground beside the tree, not directly under the trunk of the tree.
35:4 qkq2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown הָאֵלָ֖ה 1 “the/a terebinth/oak tree”. Although this phrase refers to a terebinth tree, many translations have “oak tree” instead, or some other type of large, strong tree that is well known. See how you translated a different Hebrew word that is also translated “terebinth tree” or “oak tree” in Gen 12:6; 13:18; 14:13; 18:1. Another Hebrew word in Gen 35:8 is also translated as “oak”.
35:4 pwdj אֲשֶׁ֥ר עִם שְׁכֶֽם 1 “that {was} near {the city of} Shechem.”
35:5 w4f2 וַיִּסָּ֑עוּ 1 “Then they {all} left there {and started traveling},” or “Then Jacob and everyone with him left that place,”
35:5 bc7c וַיְהִ֣י חִתַּ֣ת אֱלֹהִ֗ים עַל הֶֽעָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֣א 1 “and God caused {the people in} the surrounding/nearby cities/towns to be terrified/afraid, so that” or “and God made {the people in} the nearby cities/towns so afraid that”. The Hebrew word “Elohim” probably means “God” in this phrase (as it usually does in the Bible); most English versions translate it that way here. Or it could be an adjective that modifies “dread/terror” and means “great/deep dread/terror” (similar to Gen 23:6, 30:8). See how you translated “dread” in Gen 9:2.
35:5 xxat וְלֹ֣א רָֽדְפ֔וּ אַחֲרֵ֖י 1 “they did not attack” or “no one attacked” or “none of them chased/came/went after”. Make sure your translation of “they” refers here to the people in the surrounding towns, not Jacob’s sons.
35:5 g7og rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy בְּנֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב 1 “Jacob’s sons/family {to avenge the people of Shechem}.” or “them.” or “Jacob and his family.” Jacob’s sons are mentioned here since they are in focus as the ones who just plundered the city of Shechem; Jacob and the rest of his family were there with his sons and were also in danger.
35:6 r8n3 וַיָּבֹ֨א יַעֲקֹ֜ב ל֗וּזָה 1 “Then/Soon Jacob/they arrived at {the town of} Luz,” Be consistent in this verse with how you spelled “Luz” and “Bethel” in Gen 28:19.
35:6 zpbn הִ֖וא בֵּֽית אֵ֑ל 1 “which {is also/now called/named} Bethel,” or “that {is}, Bethel,” or “which {also/now has the name} Bethel,” See how you translated “which is” in Gen 23:2, 19.
35:6 e1f7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן 1 “which is {also} in Canaan,” Since Shechem (verse 4) and Bethel were both in the land or region of Canaan, for some languages it is clearer or more natural to put this location phrase earlier in the verse and say, “Jacob/He and his family {continued traveling} in the land/region of Canaan and arrived at {the town of} Luz, which {also/now has the name} Bethel,” Do what is best in your language.
35:6 rsay rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure ה֖וּא וְכָל הָעָ֥ם אֲשֶׁר עִמּֽוֹ 1 “he/Jacob and his whole/entire household/family.” For some languages it is clearer or more natural to put this phrase near the beginning of this verse. Do what is best in your language.
35:7 iybt rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וַיִּ֤בֶן שָׁם֙ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ 1 “There he/Jacob built an altar,” or “Then he/Jacob built an altar there,” Consider again how you translated “altar” throughout the book of Genesis. See Gen 8:20; 12:7-8; 13:4, 18; 22:9; 26:25; 33:20; 35:1, 3, 7.
35:7 wumu rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֵ֖ל בֵּֽית אֵ֑ל 1 “El Bethel, {which means “the God of/at Bethel,”}” or “El Bethel, {which means “the God of/at God’s house,”}”
35:7 acaa כִּ֣י שָׁ֗ם 1 “because that is where” or “because it was at Bethel that”
35:7 njqv נִגְל֤וּ אֵלָיו֙ הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים 1 “God had {first} introduced himself to him/Jacob” or “God had {first} appeared to him/Jacob”. Compare how you translated a different Hebrew word that has a similar meaning (“appeared”) in verses 1 and 9.
35:7 l3rr בְּבָרְח֖וֹ 1 “when/while he was running away”. See how you translated “fleeing” in verse 1.
35:7 ww7q מִפְּנֵ֥י אָחִֽיו 1 “from {the anger of} his brother.” or “from his brother.” See how you translated “from the presence of” in verse 1.
35:8 psgk וַתָּ֤מָת דְּבֹרָה֙ מֵינֶ֣קֶת רִבְקָ֔ה 1 “Then {while they were still in Bethel,} Rebekah’s {former} nurse/nanny Deborah died” or “{While they were there,} Deborah died. She was the servant who had helped raise {Jacob’s mother} Rebekah {when she was young}.” See how you translated “nurse” in Gen 24:59.
35:8 cnph וַתִּקָּבֵ֛ר 1 “and {her body} was buried {by Jacob} {in the ground}” or “They/Jacob buried her {body} {in the ground}”
35:8 gwdm מִתַּ֥חַת לְבֵֽית אֵ֖ל 1 “{in the valley} below/near {the town of} Bethel,” or “{at a place} south of {the town of} Bethel,” The town of Bethel was built on a hill, so the phrase “below Bethel” means that Deborah was buried near Bethel, in a valley or place that was lower in elevation than the town, and possibly to the south of it.
35:8 h6bn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure תַּ֣חַת הָֽאַלּ֑וֹן 1 “beside the/an oak tree” or “at the foot/base of an oak tree.” See how you translated a similar phrase (“under the terebinth/oak tree”) in verse 4. Many translations translate this phrase the same way in both places (“under an oak tree”), even though different Hebrew words are used for the type of tree. Also, for some languages it is more natural to put this phrase before the previous phrase and say, “at the base of an oak tree, below/near {the town of} Bethel.” Do what is best in your language.
35:8 eqj9 וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ 1 “So he/they named the tree/place” or “That is why the/that place is known as”. The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can (1) mean that people in general call the tree or place Allon Bacuth. (2) literally refer to Jacob as the one who named the place. See how you translated a similar clause in Gen 31:38.
35:8 iar1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אַלּ֥וֹן בָּכֽוּת 1 “Allon Bacuth, {which means “oak tree of weeping/mourning.”}” or “Allon Bacuth, {which means “oak tree where people mourn.”}” If you include the meaning of this name in your translation text or in a footnote, make sure it fits with how you translated “oak tree” in the previous sentence.
35:9 tchm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיֵּרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֶֽל יַעֲקֹב֙ ע֔וֹד בְּבֹא֖וֹ מִפַּדַּ֣ן אֲרָ֑ם 1 “Now that Jacob had come/returned from {the land/region of} Paddan Aram, God appeared to him {at Bethel} again” or “Now that Jacob had come/returned {to Bethel} from {the land/region of} Paddan Aram, God appeared to him {there} again”
35:9 w0t6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וַיְבָ֖רֶךְ אֹתֽוֹ 1 “and blessed him” or “and showed his goodness/kindness toward him” or “God blessed him”. Consider whether or not it is best in your language to begin a new sentence here.
35:10 q9rk rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּֽאמֶר ל֥וֹ אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “and said to him,” or “by saying to him,” What God says to Jacob in verses 10-12 is the blessing. So make sure your translation of “blessed” (verse 9) and “said” (verse 10) refers to the same event, not two separate events. See how you translated “blessed...and said” in Gen 1:28.
35:10 bpj9 שִׁמְךָ֣ יַעֲקֹ֑ב 1 “{Although} your name {has been} Jacob,” Make sure your translation of this clause does not sound like God was telling Jacob something he did not know.
35:10 qyzi לֹֽא יִקָּרֵא֩ שִׁמְךָ֨ ע֜וֹד יַעֲקֹ֗ב 1 “that will no longer be your {only} name,” or “it will no longer be Jacob/that,” Notice that Jacob is referred to by both of his names in this chapter (“Jacob” in verses 11-20, 22-29; “Israel” in verses 10 and 21). You could put that information in a footnote. Also see how you translated this clause in Gen 32:28, and see the note about Jacob’s names there.
35:10 nvm1 כִּ֤י אִם יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה שְׁמֶ֔ךָ 1 “Rather, your name will {also} be Israel!” or “Rather, you will {also} have the name Israel!” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
35:10 kx9b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת שְׁמ֖וֹ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל 1 “So {once again} God gave Jacob the name Israel.” This was not the first time God had given Jacob the name Israel (See: Gen 32:28). To make that clear, you could make “once again” explicit here.
35:11 ni4y rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּאמֶר֩ ל֨וֹ אֱלֹהִ֜ים 1 “Then God {also} said to him/Jacob,” or “Then God {also} {blessed him/Jacob by} saying,” or “God continued {blessing him/Jacob by} saying to him,” In verse 11, God continues the blessing that he started in verse 10, perhaps after a pause.
35:11 k8l5 אֲנִ֨י אֵ֤ל שַׁדַּי֙ 1 “I {am} Almighty God.” or “I {am} God {who is} all-powerful.” See how you translated the title “God Almighty” in Gen 17:1 and 28:3.
35:11 mdi4 פְּרֵ֣ה 1 “Have many children”. Consider again how you translated “Be fruitful and multiply” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 1:22, 28; 8:17; 9:1, 7; 35:11. It may be necessary to translate this phrase in different ways, depending on the context.
35:11 ko42 וּרְבֵ֔ה 1 “and increase {in number}.” or “so that you {and your descendants} become {very} numerous/many.”
35:11 uzb9 גּ֛וֹי וּקְהַ֥ל גּוֹיִ֖ם יִהְיֶ֣ה מִמֶּ֑ךָּ 1 “{Your descendants will become} a {large} people/ethnic group, in fact, many people/ethnic groups will come/descend from you,” or “Your descendants will become many people/ethnic groups,” Compare how you translated a similar phrase (“a multitude of nations”) in Gen 17:4-5 and another similar phrase (“a community of peoples”) in Gen 28:3.
35:11 ztcs rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וּמְלָכִ֖ים מֵחֲלָצֶ֥יךָ יֵצֵֽאוּ 1 “and kings will come/descend from you.” or “and some of your descendants will be kings.” The phrase “come from your loins” is an idiom that refers to having children, grandchildren and other descendants. Consider whether you have a similar idiom in your language.
35:12 wfzz וְאֶת הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֛תִּי לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם וּלְיִצְחָ֖ק לְךָ֣ אֶתְּנֶ֑נָּה וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֥ אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ אֶתֵּ֥ן אֶת הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “{Besides that,} the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I {also} give to you and your descendants {who live} after you.” or “Also, I am giving to you the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac, and I will {also} give it to your descendants {who live} after you.”
35:13 jeht rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיַּ֥עַל מֵעָלָ֖יו אֱלֹהִ֑ים בַּמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּ֥ר אִתּֽוֹ 1 “Then God left Jacob there where he had been speaking/talking to him.” or “After God finished talking to Jacob, he left him there and went up {to heaven}.” See how you translated “went up from” in Gen 17:22.
35:14 apyn וַיַּצֵּ֨ב יַעֲקֹ֜ב מַצֵּבָ֗ה 1 “Then Jacob set/stood a {large} stone up {on its end}” or “Then Jacob took/chose a {large} stone {that was there} and set/stood it up {on its end}”. See how you translated a similar passage in Gen 28:18 about Jacob setting up a memorial stone pillar.
35:14 vufy בַּמָּק֛וֹם אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ מַצֶּ֣בֶת אָ֑בֶן 1 “at the place where God had spoken/talked to him, to mark the place {as special}.” or “as a memorial stone to remember the place where God had spoken/talked to him.”
35:14 bs34 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיַּסֵּ֤ךְ עָלֶ֨יהָ֙ נֶ֔סֶךְ וַיִּצֹ֥ק עָלֶ֖יהָ שָֽׁמֶן 1 “Then he poured some wine and some {olive} oil on the stone pillar/marker {to thank God and dedicate the place to him}.” A drink offering was probably wine that Jacob poured on the stone as a sacrifice to God, to worship and thank him. See how you translated “poured oil on...” in Gen 28:18.
35:15 r8mu וַיִּקְרָ֨א יַעֲקֹ֜ב אֶת שֵׁ֣ם הַמָּק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁר֩ דִּבֶּ֨ר אִתּ֥וֹ שָׁ֛ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בֵּֽית אֵֽל 1 “Then Jacob called/named that place Bethel, {which means “house of God,”} because God had spoken/talked to him there.” or “Since God had spoken/talked to Jacob at that place, Jacob named it Bethel, {which means “God’s house.”}” See how you translated “called the name of that place Bethel” in Gen 28:19.
35:16 zgdt וַיִּסְעוּ֙ מִבֵּ֣ית אֵ֔ל 1 “Then they left {the town of} Bethel” or “Later Jacob and his family moved on from {the town of} Bethel”. Be consistent here with how you spelled “Bethel” throughout the book of Genesis, and whether you refer to it as a town or a city. See Gen 12:8; 13:3; 28:19; 31:13; 35:1, 3, 7, 15, 16.
35:16 pluk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַֽיְהִי ע֥וֹד כִּבְרַת הָאָ֖רֶץ לָב֣וֹא אֶפְרָ֑תָה 1 “and started {heading} toward {the town of} Ephrath. But while they were still a distance away from there,” or “and headed for {the town of} Ephrath. While they were still some distance from there,” The phrase “a distance of land” is very general, but your translation should not make it sound like the distance was too far, because Rachel’s grave is about two kilometers (one mile) from Ephrath (Bethlehem).
35:16 xn8j וַתֵּ֥לֶד רָחֵ֖ל 1 “{Jacob’s/his wife} Rachel, {who was pregnant,} began to have labor/childbirth pains,” or “Rachel went into labor,”
35:16 hid6 וַתְּקַ֥שׁ בְּלִדְתָּֽהּ 1 “but she was having a very difficult time delivering the baby.” or “but she was experiencing great difficulty.”
35:17 lkqs וַיְהִ֥י בְהַקְשֹׁתָ֖הּ בְּלִדְתָּ֑הּ 1 “Then when her labor pain was at its worst,” or “Then when she was at the most difficult/painful point/time in her labor,” or “Then when her labor/childbirth pains were the most severe,” The phrase “hard labor” refers to when childbirth contractions are close together and very painful, often right before a baby is born.
35:17 ojel וַתֹּ֨אמֶר לָ֤הּ הַמְיַלֶּ֨דֶת֙ 1 “the midwife told her,” or “{the baby was born and} the midwife/woman who was helping her deliver exclaimed to her,”
35:17 uww0 כִּֽי גַם זֶ֥ה לָ֖ךְ בֵּֽן 1 “You {now} have another son/boy!” or “You {just} gave birth to another son/boy!”
35:18 ob0k וַיְהִ֞י בְּצֵ֤את נַפְשָׁהּ֙ כִּ֣י מֵ֔תָה 1 “But Rachel was dying, and as her soul/spirit was leaving her body,” or “But {in fact/reality,} Rachel was about to die, and just/right before her soul/spirit left her,” Some translations use an idiom here, for example, “as she was taking her last breath” or “as her life was slipping/fading away”, but it is best to translate this in a way that preserves the Biblical teaching that at death the soul or spirit leaves the body.
35:18 lpc6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ בֶּן אוֹנִ֑י 1 “she named her baby {boy} Benoni, {which means “son of my sorrow/trouble.”}” The meaning of this name could imply that the child caused Rachel’s death. In the Hebrew text this name is two words connected with a dash (“Ben-oni”). Many translations write it that way, or as one word (“Benoni”), and a few translations write it as “Ben Oni”. Any of these spellings is fine.
35:18 yl7o rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וְאָבִ֖יו 1 “But {later,} his father {Jacob}”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that this phrase refers to Jacob. Also, consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
35:18 qoiz rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names קָֽרָא ל֥וֹ בִנְיָמִֽין 1 “named him Benjamin {instead}.” or “changed his name to Benjamin, {which means “son of my right hand.”}” The phrase “son of my right hand” is an idiom that means “favored son” or “son of strength”.
35:19 z9dg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַתָּ֖מָת רָחֵ֑ל וַתִּקָּבֵר֙ 1 “After Rachel died, her body was buried {by Jacob}” or “After Rachel died, they/Jacob buried her {body}”. See how you translated “was buried” in verse 8.
35:19 u8c3 בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אֶפְרָ֔תָה 1 “beside/near the road {that goes} to {the town of} Ephrath,”
35:19 v561 הִ֖וא בֵּ֥ית לָֽחֶם 1 “which {is also called/named} Bethlehem.” or “which {also has the name} Bethlehem.” or “that {is}, Bethlehem.” See how you translated a similar phrase (“which is Bethel”) in verse 6.
35:20 zolc וַיַּצֵּ֧ב יַעֲקֹ֛ב מַצֵּבָ֖ה 1 “Jacob set/stood a {large} stone up {on its end}”. See how you translated this clause in verse 14. Also consider again how you translated “set up” and “pillar” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 28:18, 22; 31:13, 45, 51, 52; 35:14, 20.
35:20 tkgx עַל קְבֻרָתָ֑הּ 1 “over/on her burial place {to mark/show where it was}.” or “to mark/show {where} her grave/tomb {was}.” or “to mark the place where they/he had buried her body.”
35:20 xjy1 הִ֛וא מַצֶּ֥בֶת קְבֻֽרַת רָחֵ֖ל 1 “{In fact,} that {same} pillar/stone still marks Rachel’s/her grave/tomb”
35:20 r7ta עַד הַיּֽוֹם 1 “to/in the present day.” or “today/now.” The phrase “to this day” refers to the time when the author (Moses) was living. Even in modern times, Rachel’s grave is still marked beside the road about eight kilometers (five miles) south of Jerusalem and two kilometers (one mile) north of Bethlehem.
35:21 e4g9 וַיִּסַּ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל 1 “Then Israel {that is, Jacob,} {and his family} moved on {from there}” or “Then Israel {and his family} started traveling again”. Make sure it is clear in your translation or in a footnote that “Israel” (verses 21-22) and “Jacob” (verses 20, 22) refer to the same person, not two different people.
35:21 sykf וַיֵּ֣ט אָֽהֳלֹ֔ה 1 “and set/put up his/their tents”
35:21 fueh מֵהָ֖לְאָה 1 “on the other/south side of”. This phrase reflects the perspective of Jacob, who was traveling south.
35:21 txka rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names לְמִגְדַּל עֵֽדֶר 1 “the tower of Eder.” or “Eder Tower.” Many translations transliterate “Migdal Eder” (like most other names). Many others translate the meaning of “Migdal” as “the tower” and transliterate “Eder”. A few translate the meaning of the entire name as “the Tower of the Flock”. This was apparently a place near Bethlehem where sheep were raised (Micah 4:8); shepherds may have watched over their flocks from the tower.
35:22 ls6b וַיְהִ֗י בִּשְׁכֹּ֤ן יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ 1 “While Israel {and his family} were {still} living/staying” or “During the time that they were living/staying”
35:22 oswk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ רְאוּבֵ֔ן וַיִּשְׁכַּב֙ אֶת 1 “{his/Israel’s son} Reuben slept with” or “{his/Israel’s son} Reuben committed adultery with” or “{his/Israel’s son} Reuben had {physical/sexual} relations with”. Translate this idiom in a way that will not offend or embarrass people, especially when read aloud in public. See how you translated “lain with” in Gen 26:10.
35:22 vn3i וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל 1 “and/but Israel found out {about it}.” or “and Israel was told/informed {by someone} {about it}.” See how you translated “heard” in Gen 34:5, 7.
35:22 d6jc וַיִּֽהְי֥וּ בְנֵֽי יַעֲקֹ֖ב שְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָֽׂר 1 “{After Benjamin was born,} Jacob’s sons were twelve {in number}.” or “{With/After the birth of Benjamin,} Jacob {now} had {a total of} twelve sons.”
35:23 fjpl בְּנֵ֣י לֵאָ֔ה 1 “The sons {he had} with {his wife} Leah {were}” or “{These are} {the names of} the sons {he had} with {his wife} Leah:” Throughout verses 23-26, many translations have a colon (:) instead of “{were}”. Do what is best in your language. See what you did in chapter 10.
35:24 poyp בְּנֵ֣י רָחֵ֔ל יוֹסֵ֖ף וּבִנְיָמִֽן 1 “The sons {he/Jacob had} with Rachel {were} Joseph and Benjamin.” or “These are the names of the sons {that he/Jacob had} with {his wife} Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.”
35:25 s8xb וּבְנֵ֤י בִלְהָה֙ שִׁפְחַ֣ת רָחֵ֔ל דָּ֖ן וְנַפְתָּלִֽי 1 “The sons {he/Jacob had} with Rachel’s servant Bilhah {were} Dan and Naphtali.” or “These are {the names of} the sons {that he/Jacob had} with Bilhah, Rachel’s servant: Dan and Naphtali.”
35:26 uv07 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms וּבְנֵ֥י זִלְפָּ֛ה שִׁפְחַ֥ת לֵאָ֖ה גָּ֣ד וְאָשֵׁ֑ר 1 “And the sons {he/Jacob had} with Leah’s servant Zilpah {were} Gad and Asher.” or “These are {the names of} the sons {that he/Jacob had} with Leah’s servant Zilpah: Gad and Asher.” Consider again how you translated “maidservant” throughout the book of Genesis. See Gen 12:16, 16:1-3, 5-6, 8; 20:14; 24:35; 25:12; 29:24, 29; 30:4, 7, 9-10, 12, 18, 43; 32:5, 22; 33:1-2, 6; 35:25-26. It may be necessary to translate this word in slightly different ways, depending on the context. Compare that to how you translated a different Hebrew word that has a similar meaning (“slave/servant woman”); see Gen 31:33 for a list of where this word occurs in Genesis.
35:26 f1fu אֵ֚לֶּה בְּנֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֻלַּד ל֖וֹ 1 “{All} those {are/were} the sons Jacob had” or “Those {are/were} {all} Jacob’s sons that he had”
35:26 cmuu בְּפַדַּ֥ן אֲרָֽם 1 “{starting from the time that he lived} in {the region of} Paddan Aram.” Jacob started having children during the time he was living with Laban in Paddan Aram, but his last son Benjamin was not born until after they had left there (verse 18). Translate this in a way that allows for that.
35:27 qidz וַיָּבֹ֤א יַעֲקֹב֙ אֶל יִצְחָ֣ק אָבִ֔יו 1 “Then Jacob came/went {home} to his father Isaac {who was living}” or “Then Jacob continued traveling and came to where his father Isaac was {living}”
35:27 dzkr rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names מַמְרֵ֖א 1 “in {the city of} Mamre,” Be consistent here with how you spelled “Mamre” in Gen 23:17, 19.
35:27 b5zj קִרְיַ֣ת הָֽאַרְבַּ֑ע הִ֣וא חֶבְר֔וֹן 1 “{which is also/now called} Kiriath Arba, that {is}, Hebron,” or “which {is also known as} Kiriath Arba or Hebron,” or “which {also has the name} Kiriath Arba or Hebron,” See how you translated Genesis 23:2, which says that Kiriath Arba (where Sarah died) was also known as Hebron.
35:27 j8e6 אֲשֶׁר גָּֽר־שָׁ֥ם אַבְרָהָ֖ם וְיִצְחָֽק 1 “where Abraham and Isaac {and their families} had lived/stayed for a while {as foreigners/outsiders}.” or “That is where Isaac {and his family} had been living/staying for a while {as foreigners/outsiders} and where {his father} Abraham had also lived/stayed for a while.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
35:28 z6ol וַיִּֽהְי֖וּ יְמֵ֣י יִצְחָ֑ק מְאַ֥ת שָׁנָ֖ה וּשְׁמֹנִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה 1 “Isaac lived to be 180 years old.” See how you translated “the days of” in Gen 5:4-31 and 11:32.
35:29 ei54 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַיִּגְוַ֨ע יִצְחָ֤ק וַיָּ֨מָת֙ 1 “Then Isaac/he breathed out {for the last time} and died,” or “Then he breathed/took his last/final breath and died,” See how you translated “exhaled” in Gen 25:8 and 17.
35:29 e7q5 וַיֵּאָ֣סֶף אֶל 1 “and he was gathered/taken {by God} to be with” or “and {God} took his spirit to be with” or “and he joined”. See how you translated this phrase in Gen 25:8 and 17.
35:29 hm56 עַמָּ֔יו 1 “his ancestors/relatives {who had already died}.” or “his ancestors/relatives {who had gone/died before him}.” or “his {deceased} ancestors/relatives.”
35:29 csuc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure זָקֵ֖ן וּשְׂבַ֣ע יָמִ֑ים 1 “after living a long, full life.” or “{He was} very old and had lived a long, full life.” For some languages it is more natural to put this phrase earlier in this sentence and say, “Then, after living a long, full life, he breathed/took his {last} breath, died and joined his ancestors/relatives {who had died before him}.” Do what is best in your language.
35:29 wmi4 וַיִּקְבְּר֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ עֵשָׂ֥ו וְיַעֲקֹ֖ב בָּנָֽיו 1 “Then his sons Esau and Jacob buried his body.” See how you translated “his sons...buried him” in Gen 25:9.
36:1 mor4 וְאֵ֛לֶּה תֹּלְד֥וֹת עֵשָׂ֖ו 1 “Now this is the genealogy/family-line of Esau,” or “These/Here are the descendants of Esau,” or “Here {is} the/a record/history about the descendants/family of Esau,” See how you translated “the generations of” in 25:12, 19.
36:1 r16h rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit ה֥וּא אֱדֽוֹם 1 “who {was also called} Edom.” or “that is, Edom.” or “whose {name} was {also} Edom.” The name Edom means “red” and is the nickname that Esau got for trading his birthright to Jacob for some reddish-colored stew (Genesis~25:29-34). The region of Edom and the Edomites were named after Esau, which is probably why this chapter repeatedly mentions that Esau is Edom.
36:2 guw8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit עֵשָׂ֛ו לָקַ֥ח אֶת נָשָׁ֖יו מִבְּנ֣וֹת כְּנָ֑עַן 1 “Esau had chosen {two of his} wives from {among} the Canaanite women:” or “Esau had married {two} Canaanite women” or “Esau had married {two} women who were descendants of Canaan”. Only the first two wives mentioned in this chapter were Canaanites; see the comment about Basemath at verse 3. The Canaanites were the descendants of Noah’s grandson Canaan (Ham’s son) and included the Hittites and Hivites (verse 2; Genesis 10:15-18) and several other people groups. You could put some of that information in a footnote.
36:2 ox2j אֶת עָדָ֗ה 1 “{whose names were} Adah,” or “{Their names were} Adah,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
36:2 fkwx rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names בַּת אֵילוֹן֙ הַֽחִתִּ֔י 1 “{who was} the daughter of a Hittite {man} named Elon,” or “whose father was Elon, {who was} a descendant of Heth,” or “the daughter of {a man named} Elon, {who was} a member of the Heth/Hittite people {group},” Make sure your translation does not sound like Elon was the only Hittite. See how you translated “Hittites” in Gen 27:46.
36:2 y896 וְאֶת אָהֳלִֽיבָמָה֙ 1 “and {also} Oholibamah,” or “as well as Oholibamah,” Notice that the names of Esau’s two Canaanite wives here are different from the names of his wives mentioned in Gen 26:34. It could be that they each had two names, or these may be different wives that he married later.
36:2 eq37 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names בַּת עֲנָ֔ה בַּת 1 “{who was} Anah’s daughter {and} the {grand}daughter of” or “whose father was Anah and whose grandfather was”. Notice that Elon, Anah, and Zibeon are the names of men here, not women.
36:2 evi6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names צִבְע֖וֹן הַֽחִוִּֽי 1 “a Hivite named Zibeon.” or “Zibeon {who was} a descendant of Hivi.” or “Zibeon {who was} a {member of the} Hivi/Hivite people {group}.” Make sure that your translation of this phrase does not sound like Zibeon was the only Hivite. Consider again how you translated “Hivites” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 10:17; 34:2; 36:2.
36:3 x22q וְאֶת בָּשְׂמַ֥ת 1 “{Esau also married} Basemath,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Since this Basemath was a daughter of Ishmael (who was a descendant of Noah’s son Shem), she was not a Canaanite, in contrast to Esau’s first two wives (verse 2). She was also known as Mahalath (Gen 28:9); you could include some of that information in a footnote. Be consistent here with how you spelled Basemath (a different woman with the same name) in Gen 26:34.
36:3 sd2v rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship בַּת יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל אֲח֥וֹת נְבָיֽוֹת 1 “{who was} Ishmael’s daughter {and} Nebaioth’s {younger} sister.” or “whose father was Ishmael and whose {older} brother was Nebaioth.” Since Nebaioth was Ishmael’s oldest child (Gen 25:13), Basemath (Mahalath) was his younger sister, probably from the same mother. Use a kinship term here in your language that fits with those facts. See how you translated “the sister of Nebaioth” in Gen 28:9.
36:4 iwl0 וַתֵּ֧לֶד עָדָ֛ה לְעֵשָׂ֖ו אֶת אֱלִיפָ֑ז 1 “{Esau’s wife} Adah bore/had {a son} for/with him {named} Eliphaz,” or “Adah had {a son} for/with Esau {whom they named} Eliphaz,”
36:4 jp5s וּבָ֣שְׂמַ֔ת יָלְדָ֖ה אֶת רְעוּאֵֽל 1 “and/while {his wife} Basemath bore/had {a son named} Reuel,” or “{His/Esau’s wife} Basemath had {a son they named} Reuel,” Consider whether or not it is best in your language to break this long sentence into two or more shorter sentences.
36:5 j4b4 אֶת יעיש וְאֶת יַעְלָ֖ם וְאֶת קֹ֑רַח 1 “{sons named} Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.” or “{sons whom they named} Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.”
36:5 lglt אֵ֚לֶּה בְּנֵ֣י עֵשָׂ֔ו אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֻלְּדוּ ל֖וֹ בְּאֶ֥רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן 1 “Those {were} Esau’s sons that his wives bore/had for/with him {while he and his family were living} in the land/region of Canaan.” or “{All} those {were} Esau’s sons whom he and his wives had {while they lived} in the land/region of Canaan.”
36:6 a0so וַיִּקַּ֣ח עֵשָׂ֡ו אֶת נָ֠שָׁיו וְאֶת בָּנָ֣יו וְאֶת בְּנֹתָיו֮ 1 “Later Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters,”
36:6 dk3y וְאֶת כָּל נַפְשׁ֣וֹת בֵּיתוֹ֒ 1 “and all the {other} members of his household,” This phrase refers to other relatives (besides Esau’s wife and children), as well as servants or slaves who lived with him.
36:6 r7h5 וְאֶת מִקְנֵ֣הוּ וְאֶת כָּל בְּהֶמְתּ֗וֹ וְאֵת֙ כָּל קִנְיָנ֔וֹ 1 “as well as his livestock and all {the rest of} his animals and all the {other} possessions/belongings”
36:6 agv2 אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָכַ֖שׁ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן 1 “that he had gotten/accumulated {while they lived} in the land/region of Canaan,” See how you translated “acquired” and “land of Canaan” in Gen 12:5 and 31:18.
36:6 efkm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אֶל אֶ֔רֶץ מִפְּנֵ֖י יַעֲקֹ֥ב אָחִֽיו 1 “and he moved to an area/region {that was} away from his brother Jacob.” or “and he moved/traveled to a {different} region {and settled there,} away from where his brother Jacob was living.” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause at the beginning of this verse and say, “Then/Later Esau moved to a land {that was} away from his brother Jacob. He took {with him} his wives....” Do what is best in your language.
36:7 keey rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche הָיָ֧ה רְכוּשָׁ֛ם רָ֖ב מִשֶּׁ֣בֶת יַחְדָּ֑ו 1 “he and Jacob {both} owned so many possessions/livestock that they could no longer live near each other.” or “they {both} owned so many livestock/animals that they could not live together {in the same area/region}.” The phrase “their possessions” is general, but here it refers primarily to livestock. Make sure your translation of this phrase refers to both Esau and Jacob’s livestock, not just Esau’s.
36:7 zea4 אֶ֤רֶץ מְגֽוּרֵיהֶם֙ 1 “The land where they were staying/living”. See how you translated Gen 13:6, which is similar in content to this verse.
36:7 ul7p rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-versebridge וְלֹ֨א יָֽכְלָ֜ה & לָשֵׂ֣את אֹתָ֔ם מִפְּנֵ֖י מִקְנֵיהֶֽם 1 “was {just} not big enough to support/feed them {all} because they owned/had so many livestock/animals.” or “did not have enough grazing areas {or water} to support/feed all the livestock/animals that both families owned/had.” For some languages it is necessary to switch the order of verses 6 and 7, and say, “After a while, Esau and Jacob had so many animals and other possessions that the land was not able to support both their families. So Esau took his wives...” If you do this in your translation, you should label these verses as “6-7”.
36:8 hjo1 בְּהַ֣ר שֵׂעִ֔יר 1 “moved to the hill-country in {the land/region of} Seir.” or “went to live in the Seir Mountains.” or “ended up living in the Seir Mountains.” Esau had already been living in the region of Seir (Genesis 32:3, 33:16). Here he moves to the part of that region that had mountains. To make that clear, you could put that information in a footnote.
36:8 z9jc עֵשָׂ֖ו 1 “{That is the record/history about} Esau,”
36:8 mu0g rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure ה֥וּא אֱדֽוֹם 1 “that {is}, Edom.” or “who {was also known as} Edom.” or “who {was also called} Edom.” Some translations put this phrase earlier in this verse and say, “So Esau, that {is}, Edom, moved {with his family} to the mountains of Seir {and settled there}.” Do what is best in your language.
36:9 fw7b וְאֵ֛לֶּה תֹּלְד֥וֹת עֵשָׂ֖ו 1 “What follows {is} {more of} the history of Esau,” or “This/Here {is} a {more detailed} genealogy/record of/about the descendants of Esau,” Consider again how you translated “generations” in the book of Genesis when it is followed by a genealogy (list of names). See Gen 5:1, 10:1, 11:10, 25:12, 36:9. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
36:9 lojs rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms בְּהַ֖ר שֵׂעִֽיר 1 “{who live} in the Seir Mountains/Hills.” or “{who live} in the hill-country/mountains of Seir.” Consider again how you translated “mountains” or “hill country” throughout the book of Genesis. See Gen 10:30; 12:8; 14:6, 10; 19:17, 19, 30; 22:2, 14; 31:21, 23, 25, 54; 36:8-9, and see the note about this at 10:30. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
36:10 g0nv אֵ֖לֶּה שְׁמ֣וֹת בְּנֵֽי עֵשָׂ֑ו 1 “These {were} the names of {two of} Esau’s sons:” or “{Two of} Esau’s sons {were}”. Only two of Esau’s many sons are listed in verse 10.
36:10 ayjo אֱלִיפַ֗ז בֶּן עָדָה֙ אֵ֣שֶׁת עֵשָׂ֔ו 1 “Eliphaz, {who was} the son of his wife Adah,” or “Eliphaz, whom he/Esau had with his wife Adah,” Be consistent here with how you spelled “Eliphaz” and “Adah” in verse 4.
36:10 ki4y רְעוּאֵ֕ל בֶּן בָּשְׂמַ֖ת אֵ֥שֶׁת עֵשָֽׂו 1 “and Reuel, {who was} the son of his wife Basemath.” or “and Reuel, whom he/Esau had with his wife Basemath.” See how you spelled “Basemath” and “Reuel” in verse 4.
36:11 hfga וַיִּהְי֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י אֱלִיפָ֑ז 1 “The sons of Eliphaz {and his wife} were” or “Eliphaz {and his wife} had sons {they named}”
36:12 h320 וְתִמְנַ֣ע הָיְתָ֣ה פִילֶ֗גֶשׁ לֶֽאֱלִיפַז֙ בֶּן עֵשָׂ֔ו וַתֵּ֥לֶד לֶאֱלִיפַ֖ז אֶת עֲמָלֵ֑ק 1 “Eliphaz {also} had a servant wife {named} Timna, and she had {a son} with him {named} Amalek.” or “Eliphaz and his servant wife Timna had {a son they named} Amalek.” See how you translated “concubine” in Gen 22:24, 25:6; 35:22.
36:12 e8n9 אֵ֕לֶּה בְּנֵ֥י 1 “{All} those {sons of Eliphaz} {were} grandsons of” or “Eliphaz’s sons {were} {all} grandsons of”
36:12 i5ld rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit עָדָ֖ה אֵ֥שֶׁת עֵשָֽׂו 1 “Esau’s wife Adah.” or “{Esau and} his wife Adah.” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Adah’s grandsons were also Esau’s grandsons.
36:13 kpue וְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ בְּנֵ֣י רְעוּאֵ֔ל 1 “{The names of} Reuel’s sons {were}” or “The sons of Reuel were named” or “Reuel {and his wife} had these sons:”
36:13 v77t אֵ֣לֶּ֣ה הָי֔וּ בְּנֵ֥י 1 “They were the grandsons of” or “Those {sons of Reuel} were grandsons of”
36:13 u8u8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit בָשְׂמַ֖ת אֵ֥שֶׁת עֵשָֽׂו 1 “Esau’s wife Basemath.” or “{Esau and} his wife Basemath.” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Basemath’s grandsons were also Esau’s grandsons. See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 12.
36:14 bjd3 וְאֵ֣לֶּה הָי֗וּ בְּנֵ֨י אָהֳלִיבָמָ֧ה & אֵ֣שֶׁת עֵשָׂ֑ו 1 “These/Here are the sons that Esau had with his wife Oholibamah,”
36:14 v1bu בַת עֲנָ֛ה בַּת צִבְע֖וֹן 1 “{who was} Anah’s daughter {and} Zibeon’s granddaughter:” or “whose father was Anah and whose grandfather was Zibeon:” See how you translated these phrases in verse 2.
36:14 wqql rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַתֵּ֣לֶד לְעֵשָׂ֔ו אֶת יעיש וְאֶת יַעְלָ֖ם וְאֶת קֹֽרַח 1 “{Their sons’ names were} Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.” or “She/They had sons {whom they named} Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.” For some languages it is clearer or more natural to change the order of clauses in this sentence and say, “Esau and his wife Oholibamah had sons {whom they named} Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. {Oholibamah was} the daughter of Anah {and} the granddaughter of Zibeon.” or “The sons that Oholibamah had with Esau were Jesush, Jalam, and Korah. {She was} the daughter of...” Do what is best in your language.
36:15 bwdy בְּנֵ֤י אֱלִיפַז֙ בְּכ֣וֹר עֵשָׂ֔ו 1 “The sons of Esau’s/his firstborn/oldest {son} Eliphaz”
36:15 vgf5 אַלּ֤וּף תֵּימָן֙ אַלּ֣וּף אוֹמָ֔ר אַלּ֥וּף צְפ֖וֹ אַלּ֥וּף קְנַֽז 1 “who became chiefs {were} Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,” or “who became clan/tribal leaders {were} Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,”
36:16 jfsv אַלּֽוּף קֹ֛רַח אַלּ֥וּף גַּעְתָּ֖ם אַלּ֣וּף עֲמָלֵ֑ק 1 “Korah, Gatam, and Amalek.” Make sure you are consistent in whether or not you use the title “Chief” in verses 15-16.
36:16 u5tu אֵ֣לֶּה אַלּוּפֵ֤י אֱלִיפַז֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ אֱד֔וֹם 1 “Those/They {were/are} the chiefs {who descended} from Eliphaz {and lived} in the land/region of/called Edom.” or “{All} those sons of Eliphaz were clan/tribal leaders {who lived} in the land/region of Edom.” Be consistent with how you spelled “Eliphaz” throughout this chapter; see verses 4, 10-12, 15-16.
36:16 ohhn אֵ֖לֶּה בְּנֵ֥י 1 “They {were} the grandsons of” or “They {were} {all} grandsons of”
36:16 h41g עָדָֽה 1 “{Esau’s wife} Adah.” or “Adah {and Esau}.” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Adah’s grandsons were also Esau’s grandsons. Also, be consistent with how you spelled “Adah” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 4:19-20, 23; 36:2, 4, 10, 12, 16.
36:17 k0w5 וְאֵ֗לֶּה בְּנֵ֤י רְעוּאֵל֙ בֶּן עֵשָׂ֔ו אַלּ֥וּף נַ֨חַת֙ אַלּ֣וּף זֶ֔רַח אַלּ֥וּף שַׁמָּ֖ה אַלּ֣וּף מִזָּ֑ה 1 “{This/Here is a record/list of} the sons of Esau’s son Reuel {who became} chiefs: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.” or “The sons of Esau’s son Reuel {who became} clan/tribal leaders {were} Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.”
36:17 w9uu אֵ֣לֶּה אַלּוּפֵ֤י רְעוּאֵל֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ אֱד֔וֹם 1 “They {were} the chiefs {who descended} from Reuel {and lived} in the land/region of/called Edom.” or “{All} those sons of Reuel {were} clan/tribal leaders {who lived} in the land/region of Edom.” See how you translated a similar clause in verse 16. Also be consistent with how you spelled “Reuel” throughout this chapter; see verses 4, 10, 13, 17.
36:17 yke6 אֵ֕לֶּה בְּנֵ֥י 1 “They {were} {all} grandsons of” or “{All} those {sons of Reuel} {were} grandsons of”. See how you translated this phrase in verses 12, 13 and 16.
36:17 rbdd בָשְׂמַ֖ת אֵ֥שֶׁת עֵשָֽׂו 1 “Esau’s wife Basemath.” or “{Esau and} his wife Basemath.” See how translated this phrase in verse 13 and a similar phrase in verse 12. Also be consistent with how you spelled “Basemath” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 26:34-35; 36:3-4, 10, 13, 17.
36:18 m589 וְאֵ֗לֶּה בְּנֵ֤י אָהֳלִֽיבָמָה֙ אֵ֣שֶׁת עֵשָׂ֔ו אַלּ֥וּף יְע֛וּשׁ אַלּ֥וּף יַעְלָ֖ם אַלּ֣וּף קֹ֑רַח 1 “{This/Here is a record/list of} the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah who became chiefs: Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.” or “The sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah who became clan/tribal leaders {were} Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.”
36:19 d05s אֵ֧לֶּה בְנֵי עֵשָׂ֛ו וְאֵ֥לֶּה אַלּוּפֵיהֶ֖ם 1 “Those {were} Esau’s descendants, and they {were} the chiefs of/over the Edomites.” or “{All} those {chiefs} {were} Esau’s descendants, and they {were} the leaders of their own family groups.”
36:19 ahn8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure ה֥וּא אֱדֽוֹם 1 “Esau {was also known as} Edom.” or “Esau {was also called} Edom.” or “That {is the record/history about} Edom.” Some translations put this phrase earlier in this verse and say, “{All} those {chiefs} were the descendants of Esau, that {is}, Edom, and each one led his own family group.” Do what is best in your language. See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 8.
36:20 zesq אֵ֤לֶּה בְנֵֽי שֵׂעִיר֙ הַחֹרִ֔י יֹשְׁבֵ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “Here is {a record/list of} the descendants of Seir the Horite who were {also} living in that land:” or “The sons/descendants of Seir the Horite {who} were {also} living in that land {were}”. The name “Horites” is an alternate name for the Hivites (verse 2). Also, this genealogy is mentioned here because Seir was the ancestor of Esau’s Canaanite wife Oholibamah (verse 25) and the Seir mountains where Esau was living (verse 8) were probably named after Seir. You could put some of that information in a footnote. See how you translated “Horites” in Gen 14:6.
36:21 y7mp וְדִשׁ֥וֹן וְאֵ֖צֶר וְדִישָׁ֑ן 1 “Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.”
36:21 jmpu אֵ֣לֶּה אַלּוּפֵ֧י הַחֹרִ֛י בְּנֵ֥י שֵׂעִ֖יר 1 “Those descendants of Seir {were/became} the chiefs of/over the Horites” or “They were the descendants of Seir who became clan/tribal leaders for the Horites”. See how you translated the names of people groups in verses 2.
36:21 oacg בְּאֶ֥רֶץ אֱדֽוֹם 1 “{who were living} in the land/region of Edom.”
36:22 mt6k וַיִּהְי֥וּ בְנֵי לוֹטָ֖ן חֹרִ֣י וְהֵימָ֑ם 1 “Lotan’s sons were Hori and Heman” or “{The names of} Lotan’s sons were Hori and Hemam”. Some translations spell the name “Hemam” as “Heman” or “Homam”. You could use any of these spellings in your translation.
36:22 exa7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship וַאֲח֥וֹת לוֹטָ֖ן תִּמְנָֽע 1 “and {the name of} his sister {was} Timna.” or “Lotan’s sister {was} Timna.” or “Lotan was also Timna’s brother.” Timna became a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz (verse 12). This genealogy (verses 20-22) also shows that she was the daughter of Chief Seir (since her brother Lotan was the son of Chief Seir). You could put some of that information in a footnote. Also, according to Jewish history outside the Bible, Timna was Lotan’s younger sister. If your language has a special term for “younger sister” or “older brother” you could use one of those here.
36:24 a7id וְאֵ֥לֶּה בְנֵֽי צִבְע֖וֹן וְאַיָּ֣ה וַעֲנָ֑ה 1 “{The names of} Zibeon’s sons {were} Aiah and Anah.”
36:24 n2x1 ה֣וּא עֲנָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר מָצָ֤א 1 “He/This {is} {the same} Anah who found/discovered” or “Anah {is} the one who found/discovered”
36:24 zp5r אֶת הַיֵּמִם֙ 1 “{some} hot springs” or “springs/water”. The term used here in the Hebrew text occurs only once in the Bible and its meaning is not certain. Most translations have either “hot springs” or “water”.
36:24 my7v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר בִּרְעֹת֥וֹ אֶת הַחֲמֹרִ֖ים לְצִבְע֥וֹן אָבִֽיו 1 “while/when he was {out} in the wilderness/desert grazing his father’s donkeys.” or “when/while he was pasturing/grazing his father’s donkeys out in the wilderness/desert.” See how you translated “pasture” in Gen 29:7.
36:25 pxgy וְאֵ֥לֶּה בְנֵֽי עֲנָ֖ה דִּשֹׁ֑ן וְאָהֳלִיבָמָ֖ה בַּת עֲנָֽה 1 “Anah’s children {were} {his son} Dishon and his daughter Oholibamah.”
36:26 tnsr וְאֵ֖לֶּה בְּנֵ֣י דִישָׁ֑ן 1 “These {were} Dishon’s sons:” or “Dishon’s sons {were}” or “{The names of} Dishon’s sons were”
36:26 bdm5 חֶמְדָּ֥ן וְאֶשְׁבָּ֖ן וְיִתְרָ֥ן וּכְרָֽן 1 “Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran.” The Hebrew name “Keran” can also be spelled “Cheran”. Each of these spellings is found in many translations. Be consistent here with how you spelled “Dishon” in verse 21.
36:27 im1i אֵ֖לֶּה בְּנֵי אֵ֑צֶר בִּלְהָ֥ן וְזַעֲוָ֖ן וַעֲקָֽן 1 “{The names of} Ezer’s sons {were} Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.” Be consistent here with how you spelled “Ezer” in verses 20-21.
36:28 rvdm אֵ֥לֶּה בְנֵֽי דִישָׁ֖ן ע֥וּץ וַאֲרָֽן 1 “Dishan’s sons {were} Uz and Aran.”
36:29 afna אֵ֖לֶּה אַלּוּפֵ֣י הַחֹרִ֑י 1 “The chiefs/leaders of/over the Horite clans/tribes {were}” or “The Horites who became chiefs {were}”
36:29 rn9n אַלּ֤וּף לוֹטָן֙ אַלּ֣וּף שׁוֹבָ֔ל אַלּ֥וּף צִבְע֖וֹן אַלּ֥וּף עֲנָֽה 1 “Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,” Be consistent here with how you spelled “Lotan” and “Shobal” in verse 20, how you spelled “Zibeon” in verses 2, 14, 20, 24, 29, and how you spelled “Anah” in verses 2, 14, 18, 20, 24-25, 29.
36:30 vkr8 אַלּ֥וּף דִּשֹׁ֛ן אַלּ֥וּף אֵ֖צֶר אַלּ֣וּף דִּישָׁ֑ן 1 “Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.” Be consistent here with how you spelled “Dishon” in verses 21, 25-26, how you spelled “Ezer” in verses 21, 27, 30, and how you spelled “Dishan” in verses 21, 28, 30.
36:30 n6gm אֵ֣לֶּה אַלּוּפֵ֧י הַחֹרִ֛י לְאַלֻּפֵיהֶ֖ם 1 “Those {were} the Horite chiefs. They had/led their own family groups” or “Those {were} the clan/tribal leaders of/for the Horites. They had/led their own clans/tribes”. Be consistent with how you translated “Horites” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 14:6; 36:20-21, 29-30.
36:30 pd9g בְּאֶ֥רֶץ שֵׂעִֽיר 1 “{and lived} in the land/region of Seir.” or “{who/which were living} in the land/region of Seir.” Be consistent with how you spelled “Seir” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 14:6; 32:3; 33:14, 16; 36:8-9, 20-21, 30.
36:31 nihl וְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ הַמְּלָכִ֔ים 1 “These {are} {the names of} the kings” or “This/Here {is} {a record/history about} the kings”. See how you translated “kings” in Gen 17:6 and 35:11. Be sure to distinguish “kings” (verses 31-39) from “chiefs” (verses 15-19, 21, 28, 40-43) in your translation of this chapter.
36:31 k12n אֲשֶׁ֥ר מָלְכ֖וּ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ אֱד֑וֹם 1 “who reigned/ruled over {the people of/in} the land/region of Edom”
36:31 htsi לִפְנֵ֥י מְלָךְ מֶ֖לֶךְ לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל 1 “before there were any kings reigning/ruling over the descendants/people of Israel.” or “before the Israelites had their own king.” or “during the time {period} when the Israelites did not yet have their own king.” See how you translated “the sons of Israel” in Gen 32:3.
36:32 h5uy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ בֶּאֱד֔וֹם בֶּ֖לַע בֶּן בְּע֑וֹר 1 “Bela, {who was} the son of Beor, was the {first} king to rule over {the people of} {the land/region of} Edom.” or “The {first} king to rule/reign over {the people of} {the land/region of} Edom was Bela, the son of Beor.”
36:32 q7cf וְשֵׁ֥ם עִיר֖וֹ דִּנְהָֽבָה 1 “The name of his hometown {that he ruled from} {was} Dinhabah.” or “His {capital} city {that he ruled from} {was} Dinhabah.” Dinhabah was probably King Bela’s hometown, which he ruled the land of Edom from as his capital city.
36:33 q9ln וַיָּ֖מָת בָּ֑לַע 1 “When {King} Bela died,”
36:33 yfl1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו יוֹבָ֥ב בֶּן זֶ֖רַח מִבָּצְרָֽה 1 “Jobab, {who was} the son of Zerah from {the city of} Bozrah, took his/Bela’s place as king.” or “Jobab, {who was} the son of Zerah, replaced/succeeded him/Bela as king {and ruled} from {his hometown of} Bozrah.” The phrase “from Bozrah” probably means this was Jobab’s hometown which he ruled from, much like the meaning of “his city” in verses 32, 35 and 39.
36:34 e0l8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו חֻשָׁ֖ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ הַתֵּימָנִֽי 1 “Husham, {who was} from the land/region of the Teman/Temanite people {group}, took his/Jobab’s place as king.” or “Husham replaced/succeeded him/Jobab as king {and reigned/ruled} from {his hometown which was in} the land/region where the Temanites lived.” King Husham may have been a descendant of Esau’s grandson Teman (verse 11). You could put that information in a footnote. Also compare how you translated verse 33.
36:35 l08f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom הַמַּכֶּ֤ה אֶת מִדְיָן֙ 1 “{King Hadad is the one} who defeated the Midianites {in battle/war}”. See how you translated the idiom “struck” in Gen 14:5, 7.
36:35 bdtf בִּשְׂדֵ֣ה מוֹאָ֔ב 1 “in a field {in the region/land} of Moab.” or “in the region/land/country of Moab.” Moab was a large region located to the east of the Dead Sea. This battle probably took place in the countryside or an unpopulated area (a “field”) within this region.
36:35 cp8l וְשֵׁ֥ם עִיר֖וֹ עֲוִֽית 1 “The name of his/Hadad’s hometown {that he ruled from} {was} Avith.” or “His {capital} city {that he ruled from} {was} Avith.” See how you translated a similar sentence in verse 32.
36:36 a8in rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו שַׂמְלָ֖ה מִמַּשְׂרֵקָֽה 1 “Samlah, {who was} from {the city of} Masrekah, took his/Hadad’s place as king.” or “Samlah replaced/succeeded him/Hadad as king {and ruled} from {his hometown of} Masrekah.”
36:37 cre0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו שָׁא֖וּל מֵרְחֹב֥וֹת הַנָּהָֽר 1 “Shaul {who was} from {the city of} Rehoboth {on/beside} the River {Euphrates} took his/Samlah’s place as king.” or “Shaul replaced/succeeded him/Samlah as king {and ruled} from {his hometown of} Rehoboth, which was {beside} the {Euphrates} River.” See how you translated similar sentences in verses 33, 34 and 36.
36:38 f6jn וַיָּ֖מָת שָׁא֑וּל וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו בַּ֥עַל חָנָ֖ן בֶּן־עַכְבּֽוֹר 1 “When {King} Shaul died, Baal-Hanan, {who was} the son of Acbor, took his place as king.” or “...replaced/succeeded him as king.”
36:39 crdu rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיָּמָת֮ בַּ֣עַל חָנָ֣ן בֶּן עַכְבּוֹר֒ וַיִּמְלֹ֤ךְ & הֲדַ֔ר 1 “When {King} Baal-Hanan died, Hadar”. Most translations follow the Hebrew text and have “Hadar” here. Some translations (and ancient versions such as SP, LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate) have “Hadad” here instead, in order to spell this name the same way it is spelled in 1 Chronicles 1:50-51. However, that could cause confusion because “Hadad” is also the name of a different king in verses 35-36 above.
36:39 aq30 וַיִּמְלֹ֤ךְ תַּחְתָּיו֙ 1 “took his place as king” or “replaced/succeeded him as king”. Consider again how you translated this phrase in verses 33-39.
36:39 c1u5 וְשֵׁ֥ם עִיר֖וֹ פָּ֑עוּ 1 “and the name of his hometown {that he ruled from} {was} Pau.” or “His {capital} city {that he ruled from} {was} Pau.” Consider whether it is best in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also see how you translated a similar clause in verses 32 and 35.
36:39 rpz8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names בַּת מַטְרֵ֔ד בַּ֖ת מֵ֥י זָהָֽב 1 “{who was} the daughter of Matred {and} the granddaughter of Me-Zahab.” or “whose father was Matred {and} whose grandfather was Me-Zahab.” Notice that “Matred” and “Me-Zahab” are the names of men. See how you translated similar phrases in verses 2 and 14.
36:40 h2o5 וְ֠אֵלֶּה שְׁמ֞וֹת 1 “Here {are} the names of” or “The following list of names includes”
36:40 w1jt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אַלּוּפֵ֤י עֵשָׂו֙ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֔ם לִמְקֹמֹתָ֖ם בִּשְׁמֹתָ֑ם 1 “{more of} the chiefs {who descended} from Esau. {These chiefs led} their own family groups in their own regions/territories, which were named after them:” or “{more of} the descendants of Esau who were clan/tribal leaders; the clans/tribes and the regions where they lived were named after them:” Notice that the chiefs listed below are different from those listed in the verses above, except for Kenaz and Teman (verse 15). Also, consider whether or not it is better in your language to break up this long sentence into two shorter sentences.
36:40 ynzj אַלּ֥וּף תִּמְנָ֛ע אַלּ֥וּף עַֽלְוָ֖ה אַלּ֥וּף יְתֵֽת 1 “Timna, Alvan, Jetheth,” The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. (1) Most translations treat all the names in verses 40-43 as the names of chiefs (as in the ULT and UST of these verses). (2) However, some scholars think that all the names in verses 40-43 are the names of regions or clans. Alternate translation of verses 40-43: “{These are/were} {the names of} the clans/tribes {that descended} from Esau. Each clan/tribe lived {in the land of Edom} in its own region that was named after that clan/tribe. {The names of the clans/tribes} were TImna, Alvan,...Iram. Those were {the names of} the clans/tribes of the Edomites. Each of the clans/tribes lived in their own part of the land {of Edom} that they owned...”
36:41 mpl5 אַלּ֧וּף אָהֳלִיבָמָ֛ה אַלּ֥וּף אֵלָ֖ה אַלּ֥וּף פִּינֹֽן 1 “Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon,” Make sure that the way you translate verses 41-43 fits with the interpretation you followed in verse 40.
36:43 on4r אַלּ֥וּף מַגְדִּיאֵ֖ל אַלּ֣וּף עִירָ֑ם 1 “Magdiel, {and} Iram.” Make sure you are consistent in whether or not you use the title “Chief” in verses 40-43.
36:43 f7rs אֵ֣לֶּה אַלּוּפֵ֣י 1 “Those {were} {the names of} {more of} the chiefs over/for” or “{All of} those {were} chiefs over” or “Those {were} {more of} the clan/tribal leaders of/over”. Consider again how you translated “chief” throughout this chapter; see verses 15-19, 21, 29-30, 40-43.
36:43 d0oc אֱד֗וֹם 1 “the Edomites;” or “the Edom people {group};”
36:43 blbb לְמֹֽשְׁבֹתָם֙ 1 “they {all} led their own settlements” or “each of them led/ruled {their own clans/tribes} in the places where they lived”
36:43 u7eq בְּאֶ֣רֶץ אֲחֻזָּתָ֔ם 1 “in the land/regions that they owned/controlled/inhabited.”
36:43 aa5c ה֥וּא עֵשָׂ֖ו 1 “That {was} {the record/history about} Esau,” or “This {concludes the record/history about} Esau,”
36:43 vois אֲבִ֥י אֱדֽוֹם 1 “{who was} the ancestor of {all} the Edomites.” or “{who was} the ancestor of the Edom people {group}.” See how you translated this phrase in verse 9. Also compare how you translated the names of other people groups in this chapter, including “Hittite” and “Hivite” in verse 2; “Edomites” in verse 9; “Horite/Horites” in verses 20, 21, 29, 30; “Temanites” in verse 34; and “Midianites” in verse 35.
37:1 r483 וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב יַעֲקֹ֔ב 1 “Now Jacob was {still} living” or “Jacob continued to live”. Chapter 37 continues the history about Jacob that left off at the end of chapter 35. Begin this chapter in a way that is natural in your language. Make sure the way you translate “lived” allows for the fact that Jacob was already living in Canaan and had settled near the city of Hebron, where his father and grandfather had lived previously (Gen 35:27).
37:1 u237 בְּאֶ֖רֶץ מְגוּרֵ֣י אָבִ֑יו בְּאֶ֖רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן 1 “in the land/region of Canaan where his father {Isaac} had lived for a while {as a foreigner/outsider}.” See how you translated “sojourned” in Gen 35:27 and “the land of Canaan” in Gen 35:6.
37:2 iyds אֵ֣לֶּה תֹּלְד֣וֹת יַעֲקֹ֗ב 1 “This/Here is {more of} the record/history about Jacob and his descendants/family:” or “What follows tells {more} about Jacob and his descendants/family:” Consider again how you translated “These are the generations of” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 2:4; 6:9; 11:27; 25:19; 36:1; 37:2, where what follows is a narrative or history of events. Compare that to Gen 5:1; 10:1; 11:10; 25:12; 36:9, where what follows is more of a genealogy (list of names). It may be necessary to translate this phrase in different ways, depending on the context.
37:2 hh9m יוֹסֵ֞ף בֶּן שְׁבַֽע עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה שָׁנָה֙ 1 “{One day} {his} seventeen-year-old son Joseph” or “{Jacob’s/His son} Joseph, who was seventeen years old,” This verse may be referring to a single incident or it may be referring to what happened regularly.
37:2 wtc2 הָיָ֨ה רֹעֶ֤ה & בַּצֹּ֔אן 1 “was taking care of the {family’s} flock{s} {of sheep and goats}” or “had the work/job of pasturing/tending the {family’s} flock{s} {of sheep and goats}”. See how you translated “flocks” in Gen 4:2.
37:2 xjuz אֶת אֶחָיו֙ & וְה֣וּא נַ֗עַר אֶת 1 “Joseph was helping his brothers {who were}” or “as an assistant/helper for his brothers {who were}”
37:2 ilb3 בְּנֵ֥י בִלְהָ֛ה וְאֶת בְּנֵ֥י זִלְפָּ֖ה נְשֵׁ֣י אָבִ֑יו 1 “the sons of his father’s {servant} wives Bilhah and Zilpah,” Be consistent here with how you spelled “Bilhah” in Gen 29:29 and “Zilpah” in 29:24.
37:2 i0ck rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיָּבֵ֥א יוֹסֵ֛ף אֶת דִּבָּתָ֥ם רָעָ֖ה אֶל אֲבִיהֶֽם 1 “and he told their/his father about the bad things they were doing.” or “and he gave bad/negative reports to their/his father about them.” The Hebrew text does not specify what Joseph’s brothers had done wrong, so neither should your translation. Also, make sure your translation of “their father” does not sound like the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah had a different father than Joseph had.
37:3 tws4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל 1 “Now {Jacob, whose other name was} Israel,” or “Israel, {that is, Jacob,}” This verse introduces background information for the events that happen next. Consider what is the best way to begin this sentence in your language. Make sure it is clear in your translation or in a footnote that Jacob (verse 1) and Israel (verse 3) refer to the same person, not two separate people. For a note about this, see Gen 35:10.
37:3 e4ha rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּֽי בֶן זְקֻנִ֥ים ה֖וּא ל֑וֹ 1 “because he/Joseph was born to him when he was old.” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause first in this verse and say, “Now Joseph was born to Israel when he was old, so he/Israel loved him more than all {the rest} of his sons.” Do what is best in your language.
37:3 ruov rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown וְעָ֥שָׂה ל֖וֹ כְּתֹ֥נֶת פַּסִּֽים 1 “So he/Israel/Jacob made a {special/beautiful} tunic/robe for him/Joseph that had many colors.” or “So he/Israel/Jacob made a {special} colorful tunic/robe for him/Joseph.” The meaning of the Hebrew text is not certain here. Many translations (including the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate) say that the tunic or robe was “multicolored” or “colorful”. This “tunic” was probably full-length to the ankles and had long sleeves that reached to the hands.
37:4 j9s1 וַיִּרְא֣וּ אֶחָ֗יו כִּֽי אֹת֞וֹ אָהַ֤ב אֲבִיהֶם֙ מִכָּל אֶחָ֔יו 1 “Joseph’s brothers saw/realized that their father loved him/Joseph more than any of {the rest of} his sons, so” or “When Joseph’s brothers saw/realized that their father loved him/Joseph more than the rest of them,”
37:4 gxph rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַֽיִּשְׂנְא֖וּ אֹת֑וֹ וְלֹ֥א יָכְל֖וּ דַּבְּר֥וֹ לְשָׁלֹֽם 1 “they hated/despised him/Joseph so much that they could/would not speak/talk to him kindly/nicely.” or “...they refused to speak/talk to him in a friendly/kind manner/way.” or “...they always spoke unkindly/disrespectfully to him.” Make sure it is clear here in your translation that the brothers hated Joseph, not their father.
37:5 fwbb וַיַּגֵּ֖ד לְאֶחָ֑יו 1 “and he told his brothers about it.” or “{The next day} he told his brothers what he dreamed”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
37:5 np9k וַיּוֹסִ֥פוּ ע֖וֹד שְׂנֹ֥א אֹתֽוֹ 1 “and they became even more hateful toward him.” or “That made them hate/despise him even more {than before}.”
37:6 o9bp וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם 1 “He told them,” or “{This is what} he told them:”
37:6 tjgv שִׁמְעוּ נָ֕א הַחֲל֥וֹם הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָלָֽמְתִּי 1 “Please listen to {me tell about} this dream that I had:” or “I had a dream {that I want to tell you about}. Please listen to {me tell} it.”
37:7 ighe וְ֠הִנֵּה 1 “{In it} I saw” or “{In my dream} I saw”
37:7 kj3d אֲנַ֜חְנוּ מְאַלְּמִ֤ים אֲלֻמִּים֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה 1 “that we {all} were out in the middle of a field {cutting stalks of grain/wheat and} tying the stalks into sheaves/bundles.” or “us {working together} out in a field {cutting and} tying sheaves/bundles {of grain/wheat stalks}.” A sheaf of grain is a bunch of grain stalks that have been cut and tied together in a bundle, with the heads of grain at the top. Wheat and barley were the grains that were common in this region at that time, not corn or oats.
37:7 hdur וְהִנֵּ֛ה 1 “Then suddenly”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
37:7 kbp0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַתִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖יןָ לַאֲלֻמָּתִֽי 1 “and bowed down {to the ground} to/before my sheaf/bundle {to show respect/submission}.” or “and bowed {respectfully} to my sheaf/bundle.” or “and bowed down in front of it {in respect}.”
37:8 l93b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲמָלֹ֤ךְ תִּמְלֹךְ֙ 1 “Do you really expect to” or “Certainly you don’t think you will” or “You will never”. The brothers use two rhetorical questions in this verse to express their disagreement with Joseph and to emphasize that they are not happy with him. Do what is best in your language.
37:8 r10j rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive תִּמְלֹךְ֙ עָלֵ֔ינוּ 1 “reign over us!” or “be our king!” For languages that mark inclusive and exclusive pronouns, “us” excludes Joseph in this sentence.
37:8 dtki rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion אִם מָשׁ֥וֹל תִּמְשֹׁ֖ל בָּ֑נוּ 1 “You will never rule over us!”
37:8 xn5l וַיּוֹסִ֤פוּ עוֹד֙ שְׂנֹ֣א אֹת֔וֹ 1 “So they hated/despised him even more {strongly/intensely} {than they did before}”. Consider again how you translated “hate” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 24:60; 26:27; 29:31, 33; 37:4-5, 8. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
37:8 hwgw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure עַל חֲלֹמֹתָ֖יו וְעַל דְּבָרָֽיו 1 “for his dreams and for what he told them about the/his dreams.” or “because of what he had said {to them} about his dreams.” For some languages, it is more natural to switch the order of clauses in this sentence and say, “So because of what he/Joseph had told them about his dreams, his brothers hated him even more {strongly/intensely} {than they did before}.” Do what is best in your language.
37:9 rdj8 וַיַּחֲלֹ֥ם עוֹד֙ חֲל֣וֹם אַחֵ֔ר וַיְסַפֵּ֥ר אֹת֖וֹ לְאֶחָ֑יו 1 “Then Joseph had another dream that he {also} told to his brothers.” or “Sometime after that, Joseph told his brothers about another dream that he had.”
37:9 cm0q וַיֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “He said,” or “This/Here is what he said:”
37:9 h6x6 הִנֵּ֨ה חָלַ֤מְתִּֽי חֲלוֹם֙ ע֔וֹד 1 “Listen, I {just} had another dream,”
37:9 tpor וְהִנֵּ֧ה 1 “and there/amazingly {in this dream}” or “and {in it} I saw that”
37:9 pp8q הַשֶּׁ֣מֶשׁ וְהַיָּרֵ֗חַ וְאַחַ֤ד עָשָׂר֙ כּֽוֹכָבִ֔ים 1 “the sun, the moon, and eleven stars”
37:9 utc0 מִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִ֖ים 1 “were bowing down {to the ground}” or “bowed down {to the ground}”. See how you translated “bowed down” in verse 7.
37:9 qq77 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction לִֽי 1 “to/before me {to show respect}.” or “in front of me {to honor me}.” Bowing down to someone was a way of showing respect and honor to that person. If that is not clear in your culture, you could make that information explicit in your translation or in a footnote. If it is understood, you can leave it implied (as the Hebrew text does).
37:10 sa4l וַיְסַפֵּ֣ר אֶל אָבִיו֮ וְאֶל אֶחָיו֒ 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. Verse 10 could refer to (1) a second time that Joseph told his dream. Alternate translation: “Then/Later Joseph told {the same dream} to {both} his father and his brothers, but...” (2) the same time that he told this dream to his brothers in verse 9. Alternate translation: “When Joseph related/told {the dream} to his father and his brothers,”
37:10 l2eq rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיִּגְעַר בּ֣וֹ אָבִ֔יו וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ 1 “but his father rebuked/scolded him by saying,” Your translation of this quote margin should not sound like two separate events; the verbs “rebuked” and “said” refer to the same event.
37:10 epfz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מָ֛ה הַחֲל֥וֹם הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָלָ֑מְתָּ 1 “That {is} a strange dream that you had!” or “Your dream {is} ridiculous/outrageous!” Jacob uses a rhetorical question here to show that he is not happy about Joseph’s dream. Decide the best way to translate this in your language.
37:10 mxwh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲב֣וֹא & אֲנִי֙ וְאִמְּךָ֣ וְאַחֶ֔יךָ 1 “Do you really expect your mother and me and your brothers to” or “Certainly you don’t think that your mother and I or your brothers will” or “Your mother and I and your brothers will never”. See how you translated a similar rhetorical question in verse 8.
37:10 octg נָב֗וֹא & לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֥ת & אָֽרְצָה 1 “come {to you} and bow down to the ground” or “bow down”. See how you translated “bow down” in verse 7.
37:10 yp2m לְךָ֖ 1 “before you” or “in front of you”
37:11 qwst וַיְקַנְאוּ ב֖וֹ אֶחָ֑יו 1 “So Joseph’s brothers were envious/jealous of him,” or “{Because of Joseph’s dreams} his brothers were envious/jealous of him,” See how you translated “envied” in Gen 26:14; 30:1.
37:11 b3wy וְאָבִ֖יו שָׁמַ֥ר אֶת הַדָּבָֽר 1 “but his father continued to think/wonder about what it all could mean.” or “but his father kept thinking about the dreams and wondered what they meant.”
37:12 wp1m וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ אֶחָ֑יו לִרְע֛וֹת אֶׄתׄ־צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶ֖ם 1 “Sometime after that, his/Joseph’s brothers took their father’s flock{s} {of sheep and goats} to graze {in the fields}” or “One time/day, his/Joseph’s brothers...”
37:13 upf3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲל֤וֹא אַחֶ֨יךָ֙ רֹעִ֣ים 1 “As you know, your brothers are pasturing/tending {our flocks/animals}”. Jacob uses a rhetorical question to remind Joseph of something he already knows and to introduce what he wants Joseph to do. Decide the best way to communicate this in your language.
37:14 kwpr אֶת שְׁל֤וֹם אַחֶ֨יךָ֙ וְאֶת שְׁל֣וֹם הַצֹּ֔אן 1 “how your brothers and the flock{s} are doing,” or “whether {or not} things are going well for your brothers and the flock{s},”
37:14 dz4q וַהֲשִׁבֵ֖נִי דָּבָ֑ר 1 “Then come tell me {how they are doing}.” or “Then report back to me {what you find out}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
37:14 b5jc וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֨הוּ֙ 1 “So/Then Israel sent him/Joseph {on his way}”
37:14 opy9 מֵעֵ֣מֶק חֶבְר֔וֹן 1 “from {their home in} the valley near {the city of} Hebron,” Be consistent in how you spell “Hebron” throughout the book of Genesis. See Gen 13:18; 23:2, 19; 35:27; 37:14.
37:14 jkus וַיָּבֹ֖א שְׁכֶֽמָה 1 “and he/Joseph went/traveled to {the city of} Shechem.” The trip from the city of Hebron to the city of Shechem was about 100 kilometers (60 miles).
37:15 oywm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיִּמְצָאֵ֣הוּ אִ֔ישׁ וְהִנֵּ֥ה 1 “There he met a man who had seen/noticed him” or “{When he arrived there,} a man saw him”. In this context “found” means the man happened to meet Joseph as Joseph was walking around looking for his brothers; the man was not intentionally looking for him. Also, for some languages it is clearer or more natural to change the order of the clauses in this sentence and say, “He started wandering around {searching} in the fields {near there}, where/and he met a man who asked...” or “As he was wandering around {searching} in the fields {near there}, he met a man who asked…” Do what is best in your language.
37:15 syph תֹעֶ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וַיִּשְׁאָלֵ֧הוּ הָאִ֛ישׁ לֵאמֹ֖ר 1 “searching around in the {nearby} fields/countryside and asked him”. The word “fields” refers here to large, open places with no fences and few trees, where sheep and goats could easily graze.
37:15 fnn5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations מַה תְּבַקֵּֽשׁ 1 “What/Who are you looking for?” or “what/who he was looking for.” Consider whether it is better to use a direct or an indirect quote here in your language.
37:16 nm7k וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אֶת אַחַ֖י אָנֹכִ֣י מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ 1 “He/Joseph responded/replied, “I am looking/searching for my brothers.” ”
37:16 tg3s rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֵיפֹ֖ה הֵ֥ם רֹעִֽים 1 “where they are pasturing/tending {their flocks}?” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause earlier in the verse and say, “I am looking for my brothers who were somewhere around here shepherding/pasturing/tending {their flocks}. Do you know where they are {now}?” Do what is best in your language.
37:17 elkg rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הָאִישׁ֙ 1 “The man answered {him},” or “The man replied,”
37:17 lggu כִּ֤י שָׁמַ֨עְתִּי֙ אֹֽמְרִ֔ים 1 “In fact, I heard/overheard them say {to each other}” or “but I overheard them say {to each other}”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
37:17 va7d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations נֵלְכָ֖ה דֹּתָ֑יְנָה 1 “ ‘Let’s {move on and} go to {the town of} Dothan.’ ” or “that they were going to {the town of} Dothan.” Consider whether it is better to use a direct or indirect quote here in your translation.
37:17 jp2k וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ יוֹסֵף֙ אַחַ֣ר אֶחָ֔יו וַיִּמְצָאֵ֖ם בְּדֹתָֽן 1 “So Joseph followed his brothers and caught up with them near {the town of} Dothan.” or “So Joseph went to {the town of} Dothan and found his brothers {near} there.”
37:18 bcke וַיִּרְא֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ מֵרָחֹ֑ק 1 “But they saw him while he was still some distance away,” or “While he was still some distance away {from them}, they saw him,”
37:18 mv7y וּבְטֶ֨רֶם֙ יִקְרַ֣ב אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם 1 “and before he reached them,” or “and before he got close to where they were,”
37:18 c9yp וַיִּֽתְנַכְּל֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ לַהֲמִיתֽוֹ 1 “they plotted to kill him.” or “they made plans to kill him.”
37:19 y0we וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל אָחִ֑יו 1 “They said to each other {about him},”
37:19 xisw הִנֵּ֗ה בַּ֛עַל הַחֲלֹמ֥וֹת הַלָּזֶ֖ה בָּֽא 1 “Look/See, here comes that master/expert dreamer!” or “Look who’s coming! It’s that master/expert of dreams!” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Joseph’s brothers are being sarcastic and disrespectful here as they make fun of Joseph.
37:20 q28u rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown בְּאַחַ֣ד הַבֹּר֔וֹת 1 “into one of the {empty} pits/wells {here}.” A cistern was a large hole or pit that had been dug in the ground to catch rain water and store it there. It was wide at the bottom and had a small opening at the top. The sides of the hole were covered with plaster so that it would hold water.
37:20 takb וְאָמַ֕רְנוּ חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֖ה 1 “Then we will/can tell {people} that a fierce/vicious/ferocious {wild} animal”
37:20 pkdz אֲכָלָ֑תְהוּ 1 “has devoured/eaten him,” or “ate him up/down,”
37:20 d69r וְנִרְאֶ֕ה 1 “and we/everyone will see/watch”
37:20 jm0y מַה יִּהְי֖וּ חֲלֹמֹתָֽיו 1 “what will become of his dreams!” or “what happens to his {great} dreams!” or “if his {great} dreams come true!” Joseph’s brothers are speaking here in a disdainful way, continuing to mock him.
37:21 sgyv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche וַיַּצִּלֵ֖הוּ מִיָּדָ֑ם 1 “he {tried to} rescue/save Joseph from them”. The phrase “their hands” refers to Joseph’s brothers and their power to harm him. Consider whether you have a similar figure of speech in your language.
37:21 pj3n rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “and said {to them},” or “by urging them,”
37:21 arpw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לֹ֥א נַכֶּ֖נּוּ נָֽפֶשׁ 1 “We should/must not take his life.” or “We should/must not kill him.” Consider again how you translated the idiom “strike” in Gen 4:15; 34:30; 37:21.
37:22 qril rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֣ם רְאוּבֵן֮ 1 “Then Reuben/he continued/added,” Some translations do not include this phrase, possibly because Reuben is still speaking to the same people. However, he may have paused between verses 21 and 22 to see the effect of what he said in verse 21. Also, the repeated quote margin helps emphasize what he says in verse 22. Do what is best in your language.
37:22 t1mz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אַל תִּשְׁפְּכוּ דָם֒ 1 “Do not kill him.” or “You must not take his life.” See how you translated the idiom “shed blood” in Gen 9:6.
37:22 r99s הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּ אֹת֗וֹ אֶל הַבּ֤וֹר הַזֶּה֙ 1 “{Instead} put him into this {dry/empty} pit/well”. See how you translated “cistern” in verse 20.
37:22 bqz5 אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר 1 “{here} in the wilderness/desert,” Consider again how you translated “wilderness” or “desert” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 14:6 (and note); 16:7; 21:14, 20-21; 36:24; 37:22. Also see when it occurs as implied information in Gen 12:9-10; 13:1, 3; 20:1; 24:62.
37:22 lhby וְיָ֖ד אַל תִּשְׁלְחוּ ב֑וֹ 1 “but you must not harm him {in any way}.” The phrase “lay a hand on” is an idiom that emphasizes that they are not to harm him at all, not even in the smallest way.
37:22 bqvz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche לְמַ֗עַן הַצִּ֤יל אֹתוֹ֙ מִיָּדָ֔ם 1 “Reuben was planning to rescue/save him/Joseph from them” or “{He/Reuben said that} in order to save him/Joseph from being killed by them”. See how you translated “rescued him from their hands” in verse 21.
37:22 lqa5 לַהֲשִׁיב֖וֹ אֶל אָבִֽיו 1 “so that he could return him {safely} to his/their father.” or “and take him back {home} to his/their father.” Make sure your translation of “his father” does not sound like Joseph had a different father than his brothers had.
37:23 k46f וַֽיְהִ֕י כַּֽאֲשֶׁר בָּ֥א יוֹסֵ֖ף אֶל אֶחָ֑יו 1 “When Joseph reached his brothers,” As usual, the phrase “Then it happened” introduces and emphasizes an important set of events. Many translations leave it implied. Do what is natural in your language.
37:23 nae9 וַיַּפְשִׁ֤יטוּ אֶת יוֹסֵף֙ אֶת כֻּתָּנְתּ֔וֹ אֶת כְּתֹ֥נֶת הַפַּסִּ֖ים 1 “they {grabbed/took hold of him and} stripped/ripped/tore off the/his colorful robe”. See how you translated “multicolored tunic” in verse 3.
37:24 h7mu וַיִּ֨קָּחֻ֔הוּ 1 “Then they grabbed him”. If the phrase “grabbed/took hold of him” is made explicit in your translation in verse 23, it can be left implied here in verse 24.
37:24 nbwf וַיַּשְׁלִ֥כוּ אֹת֖וֹ הַבֹּ֑רָה 1 “and put him into the pit/well.” See how you translated “throw him” and “cistern” in verse 20.
37:24 za8r וְהַבּ֣וֹר רֵ֔ק אֵ֥ין בּ֖וֹ מָֽיִם 1 “Now the pit/well {was} empty; it had no water in it.” or “The pit/well {was} empty and {completely} dry inside.”
37:25 h666 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֵּשְׁבוּ֮ לֶֽאֱכָל לֶחֶם֒ 1 “Then {some of} Joseph’s brothers sat down to eat a meal,” It is clear from verse 29 that Reuben was not there when his brothers made the plan to sell Joseph to the traders.
37:25 gl5v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּשְׂא֤וּ עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙ וַיִּרְא֔וּ 1 “and {while they were eating,} they looked around”. See how you translated the idiom “lifted...eyes” in Gen 22:13.
37:25 de55 וְהִנֵּה֙ 1 “and saw/noticed {that}” or “and they saw/noticed {that}”
37:25 yfo8 אֹרְחַ֣ת 1 “a {large} group/company of”. A “caravan” is a large group of people who are traveling together.
37:25 ztmn יִשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔ים 1 “Ishmaelite {traders/merchants}” or “{traders/merchants} from the Ishmael/Ishmaelite people group” or “{traders/merchants who were} descendants of Ishmael”. See how you translated the names of other people groups in Gen 15:19-21.
37:25 klhu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בָּאָ֖ה מִגִּלְעָ֑ד 1 “{who were} traveling from {the region of} Gilead {was headed their way}.” or “traveling from {the region of} Gilead {was coming toward them}.” For some languages it may be clearer to change the order of some of the implied information in this sentence and say, “...and saw/noticed {that headed their way was} a {large} group of Ishmaelite {traders/merchants} {who were} coming/traveling from {the region of} Gilead.” Do what is best in your language. Also, be consistent here with how you spelled “Gilead” in Gen 31:21, 23, 25.
37:25 mpjz וּגְמַלֵּיהֶ֣ם נֹֽשְׂאִ֗ים 1 “Their camels were loaded with”. Consider again how you translated “camel” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 12:16 (and note); 24:10-11, 14, 19-20, 22, 25, 30-32, 35, 44, 46, 61, 63-64; 30:43; 31:17, 18, 34; 32:7, 15; 37:25.
37:25 duc4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknowns נְכֹאת֙ וּצְרִ֣י וָלֹ֔ט 1 “{expensive} spices, healing resin/salve and incense”. Gilead was a mountainous region east of the Jordan River that was famous as a source of balm (or balsam), which was a rare tree resin that was used for perfume and for medicine. Myrrh was another type of tree resin that was used as incense and as medicine. You could put some of that information in a footnote.
37:25 ogiz הוֹלְכִ֖ים לְהוֹרִ֥יד מִצְרָֽיְמָה 1 “that they were taking/transporting down to {the country of} Egypt {to sell there}.” or “that they were taking {to sell} in {the country of} Egypt.”
37:26 ubh1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מַה בֶּ֗צַע 1 “What will we gain” or “We will not gain anything”. Judah uses a rhetorical question here to emphasize his point. Do what is best in your language.
37:26 byyb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom כִּ֤י נַהֲרֹג֙ אֶת אָחִ֔ינוּ וְכִסִּ֖ינוּ אֶת דָּמֽוֹ 1 “if we kill our brother and try to keep people from finding out about it” or “by killing our brother and trying to hide it!” The phrase “cover up” is an idiom that means to prevent people from knowing about something evil that was done. Also, the phrase “his blood” is an idiom that refers to Joseph’s death.
37:27 trsv לְכ֞וּ וְנִמְכְּרֶ֣נּוּ 1 “{Instead,} come on,” See how you translated “come and” in verse 20.
37:27 dfwe וְנִמְכְּרֶ֣נּוּ 1 “let’s sell him” or “we should sell him”
37:27 d1rs לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֗ים 1 “to those Ishmaelites {over there}” or “to those Ishmaelite {traders/merchants} {over there}”. See how you translated “Ishmaelites” in verse 25.
37:27 ink7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְיָדֵ֨נוּ֙ אַל תְּהִי ב֔וֹ 1 “so that we will/do not harm him.” or “so that we will not be guilty of harming him.” Translate this idiom in a way that is natural and clear in your language.
37:27 llb2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom כִּֽי אָחִ֥ינוּ בְשָׂרֵ֖נוּ ה֑וּא 1 “After all, he {is} a member of our family, our own brother.” or “After all, as our brother, he {is} member of our family.” The phrase “our flesh” refers to the fact that they are closely related biologically. See how you translated a similar idiom (“my bone and my flesh”) in Gen 29:14.
37:27 pxd0 וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ אֶחָֽיו 1 “Judah’s brothers agreed {with him}.” or “Judah’s brothers agreed {to do what Judah had proposed/suggested}.” See how you translated “listened” in Gen 34:24.
37:28 z0bz וַיַּֽעַבְרוּ֩ אֲנָשִׁ֨ים מִדְיָנִ֜ים סֹֽחֲרִ֗ים 1 “So when/as the Midianite {(that is, Ishmaelite)} traders/merchants came by/near {them},” or “So when the {Ishmaelite} traders who were {also/sometimes called} Midianites were passing/going by {them},” The Ishmaelites (verses 25, 27-28; 39:1) and Midianites (verses 28 and 36) were the descendants of Abraham’s sons Ishmael and Midian (16:15; 25:1-2). However sometimes (as here) the names of those people groups are used interchangeably for the same people (also see Judges 8:22, 24, 26). Perhaps that was because the two people groups had intermarried. Or there may have been merchants from the two people groups in this caravan who bought and sold Joseph together. You could put some of that information in a footnote.
37:28 v0x8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַֽיִּמְשְׁכוּ֙ וַיַּֽעֲל֤וּ אֶת יוֹסֵף֙ מִן הַבּ֔וֹר 1 “{some of} Joseph’s brothers pulled Joseph/him up out of the pit/well”. Not all of Joseph’s brothers were there, because we know from the next verse that at least Reuben was somewhere else when they sold Joseph.
37:28 ayg7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-bmoney וַיִּמְכְּר֧וּ אֶת יוֹסֵ֛ף לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֖ים בְּעֶשְׂרִ֣ים כָּ֑סֶף 1 “and sold him to the Ishmaelite {traders/merchants} for twenty {shekels/pieces of} silver.” See the note about shekels at Genesis 20:16. Twenty shekels of silver was equal to about one-fourth of a kilo (half a pound) and was the average price for a slave. You could put some of that information in a footnote.
37:29 zb09 וַיָּ֤שָׁב רְאוּבֵן֙ אֶל הַבּ֔וֹר 1 “Later Reuben {who had been gone for a while} returned to the pit/well,” or “Then/Later Reuben came/went back to the pit/well {to get Joseph},” Consider again how you translated “cistern” in verses 20, 22, 24, 28-29.
37:29 jkit וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵין יוֹסֵ֖ף בַּבּ֑וֹר 1 “and he was shocked to see that Joseph was not there!” or “but to his surprise/horror, Joseph was gone!”
37:29 l17h rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּקְרַ֖ע אֶת בְּגָדָֽיו 1 “So/Then he tore his clothes {to show distress/grief}.” or “Then {he was so distressed/grieved that} he tore his clothes.”
37:30 hksj הַיֶּ֣לֶד 1 “The lad/youth” or “Joseph” or “Our {younger} brother”. Joseph was seventeen years old (verse 2), so this phrase should be translated in a way that is appropriate for his older brother to refer to him here. See how you translated a different word that has a similar meaning in Gen 21:12.
37:30 de6v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וַאֲנִ֖י אָ֥נָה אֲנִי בָֽא 1 “Now what should/can I do?” or “Now I do not know what to do!” Reuben uses a rhetorical question here to express how distressed he is and to emphasize that he does not know what to do. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
37:31 h4kn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיִּטְבְּל֥וּ אֶת הַכֻּתֹּ֖נֶת בַּדָּֽם 1 “and dipped the/Joseph's robe in its blood.” For some languages it is more natural to switch the order of clauses in this verse and say, “Then/So Joseph’s brothers killed a young goat, took Joseph’s/his tunic/robe, and dipped it in the {goat’s} blood.” or “Then/So Joseph’s brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’s/his tunic/robe in the {goat’s} blood.” Do what is best in your language.
37:32 igsh וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֞וּ אֶת כְּתֹ֣נֶת הַפַּסִּ֗ים וַיָּבִ֨יאוּ֙ אֶל אֲבִיהֶ֔ם וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ 1 “Then they had someone take/bring the colorful tunic/robe back to their father and say {to him} {for them},” Consider again how you translated “multicolored/colorful tunic/robe” in verses 3, 23, 32.
37:32 cghp זֹ֣את מָצָ֑אנוּ הַכֶּר נָ֗א 1 “We found this {tunic/robe}. Please look at it {to see/determine}”. See how you translated “examine” in Gen 31:32.
37:32 faw3 הַכְּתֹ֧נֶת בִּנְךָ֛ הִ֖וא אִם לֹֽא 1 “whether/if it {is} your son’s tunic/robe.” or “whether or not it {is} your son’s.”
37:33 nule וַיַּכִּירָ֤הּ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ 1 “Jacob examined/recognized the robe and exclaimed,”
37:33 ifzw כְּתֹ֣נֶת בְּנִ֔י 1 “{This is} my son {Joseph}’s tunic/robe!” or “This tunic/robe belongs to my son {Joseph}!”
37:33 mjef חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֖ה אֲכָלָ֑תְהוּ טָרֹ֥ף טֹרַ֖ף יוֹסֵֽף 1 “Surely/Clearly a fierce/vicious/ferocious {wild} animal has torn Joseph/him to pieces/bits and eaten him up/down!” See how you translated “an evil animal devoured him” in verse 20.
37:34 ix46 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּקְרַ֤ע יַעֲקֹב֙ שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יו 1 “Then Jacob tore his clothes {in grief/sorrow},” or “Jacob {was so grieved that he} tore his clothes,” See how you translated “tore his clothes” in verse 29.
37:34 d98k rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown וַיָּ֥שֶׂם שַׂ֖ק בְּמָתְנָ֑יו 1 “put on sackcloth,” or “put on mourning clothes,” It was a Hebrew custom to wear sackcloth, which was a rough/coarse garment made/woven from black goats’ hair, to show that the person was mourning for someone’s death. If this custom is not familiar in your culture, you could put that information in a footnote.
37:34 a63b וַיִּתְאַבֵּ֥ל עַל בְּנ֖וֹ יָמִ֥ים רַבִּֽים 1 “and for many days he mourned/grieved that his son had died.” or “and for a {very} long time he mourned/grieved that/because his son was dead/gone.” See how you translated “mourn” in Gen 27:41.
37:35 p5yz וַיָּקֻמוּ֩ כָל בָּנָ֨יו וְכָל בְּנֹתָ֜יו 1 “All Jacob’s sons and daughters”
37:35 wdyn rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown כִּֽי אֵרֵ֧ד אֶל בְּנִ֛י אָבֵ֖ל שְׁאֹ֑לָה 1 “{No,} I will continue to mourn until I {die and} join my son down in Sheol.” or “{No,} I will continue to mourn {for my son} until I {die and} go down to be with him in the afterworld.” Sheol is the Hebrew name for the world of the dead, that is, the place where the spirits of dead people lived. You could put that information in a footnote. Your translation of “Sheol” should not refer to hell or a place of punishment. Some translations have “the grave” here, but that leaves out the idea of an afterlife that this sentence implies.
37:35 qt95 וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ אֹת֖וֹ אָבִֽיו 1 “So/Then Joseph’s father continued to mourn/grieve {deeply} for him/Joseph.”
37:36 j9zi וְהַ֨מְּדָנִ֔ים מָכְר֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ אֶל מִצְרָ֑יִם 1 “Meanwhile, in {the country of} Egypt, the Midianite {traders} sold Joseph” or “Meanwhile, when the Midianite {traders} got to {the country of} Egypt, they sold Joseph”. Verse 36 picks up where verse 28 left off and occurred during the time that the events in verses 29-35 happened.
37:36 ng42 לְפֽוֹטִיפַר֙ סְרִ֣יס פַּרְעֹ֔ה 1 “to Potiphar, {who was} an official/officer under Pharaoh {the king of/over Egypt};” See how you translated “Pharaoh” in Gen 12:15-20.
37:36 hd6f שַׂ֖ר הַטַּבָּחִֽים 1 “{he was} the captain over the {royal/palace} guards.” or “{he was} the leader of the soldiers who guarded the king.”
38:1 vktj rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַֽיְהִי֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔וא 1 “Meanwhile,” or “At/About that/this time,” The phrase “And it happened” introduces a new episode here. Some translations leave it implied. Do what is best in your language.
38:1 qqqe וַיֵּ֥רֶד יְהוּדָ֖ה מֵאֵ֣ת אֶחָ֑יו 1 “Judah left his brothers and went/traveled down”
38:1 ptef וַיֵּ֛ט עַד אִ֥ישׁ עֲדֻלָּמִ֖י 1 “and settled/stayed/lived in {the town of} Adullam near {the home of} a man from there” or “to {the town of} Adullam and settled/stayed/lived near {the home of} a man from there”. The word “Adullamite” refers to the fact that Hirah was from the town of Adullam; it is not the name of a people group. The town of Adullam was about 19 kilometers (12 miles) northwest of the city of Hebron (37:14), and was lower in elevation, which is why the text says that Judah “went down” to get there.
38:1 woam וּשְׁמ֥וֹ חִירָֽה 1 “whose name {was} Hirah.”
38:2 f34u וַיַּרְא־שָׁ֧ם יְהוּדָ֛ה בַּת אִ֥ישׁ כְּנַעֲנִ֖י וּשְׁמ֣וֹ שׁ֑וּעַ 1 “{While he was living} there, Judah/he met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua,” or “{While he was living} there, Judah/he met a Canaanite woman whose father {was} Shua,”
38:2 n4av rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּקָּחֶ֖הָ 1 “and he took her {as his wife}.” or “and he married her.” See how you translated a similar idiom (“took a wife”) in Gen 25:1.
38:2 c9qf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַיָּבֹ֥א אֵלֶֽיהָ 1 “Then he slept/lay with her,” or “Then he had {marital/sexual} relations with her,” See how you translated the idiom “went to” in Gen 6:4.
38:3 i5xh וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן 1 “and gave birth to a son,” or “When she gave birth, she had a son,” Consider whether or not it is better to begin a new sentence here in your language.
38:3 tjg5 וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת שְׁמ֖וֹ עֵֽר 1 “whom he/Judah named Er.” Throughout Genesis, sometimes the father, sometimes the mother, and sometimes both are said to give their child his name.
38:4 a0s1 וַתַּ֥הַר ע֖וֹד 1 “Then Judah’s wife became pregnant again”. See how you translated verse 3, which is similar to verse 4.
38:4 eo25 וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן 1 “and gave birth to {another} son,”
38:4 g66c וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת שְׁמ֖וֹ אוֹנָֽן 1 “and she named him Onan.”
38:5 rsf9 וַתֹּ֤סֶף עוֹד֙ 1 “Then she conceived again” or “Then she became pregnant yet again”
38:5 ospi וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן 1 “and gave birth to {another} son,”
38:5 vzkw וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת שְׁמ֖וֹ שֵׁלָ֑ה 1 “and she named him Shelah.”
38:5 l4tz וְהָיָ֥ה בִכְזִ֖יב בְּלִדְתָּ֥הּ אֹתֽוֹ 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “He/Judah was in/at {the town of} Kezib when she gave birth to Shelah.” or “When she gave birth to Shelah, Judah was in {the town of} Kezib.” (2) “It was in {the town of} Kezib that she gave birth to him/Shelah.” or “She was in Kezib when she gave birth to him/Shelah.”
38:6 pv6j וַיִּקַּ֧ח יְהוּדָ֛ה אִשָּׁ֖ה לְעֵ֣ר בְּכוֹר֑וֹ וּשְׁמָ֖הּ תָּמָֽר 1 “Years later, Judah got/chose a wife named Tamar for his firstborn/oldest son Er.” or “When Judah’s firstborn/oldest son Er grew up, Judah arranged/negotiated for him to marry a woman whose name {was} Tamar.” See how you translated the phrase “took a wife for” in Gen 21:21.
38:7 roio וַיְהִ֗י עֵ֚ר בְּכ֣וֹר יְהוּדָ֔ה 1 “But Judah’s firstborn/oldest son Er” or “But Er”. Some languages leave “the firstborn of Judah” implied here since Er was already called the firstborn in verse 6. The Hebrew text repeats that information here to emphasize Er’s relationship to Judah in the following events. Do what is best in your language.
38:7 unv4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיְהִ֗י & רַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה 1 “did things that were evil/wicked in Yahweh’s sight/opinion,” or “did something/things that Yahweh considered/judged to be evil/wicked,” The Hebrew text does not specify what Er had done wrong, so neither should your translation. See how you translated the idiom “in the eyes of Yahweh” in Gen 6:8.
38:8 id8g בֹּ֛א אֶל אֵ֥שֶׁת אָחִ֖יךָ 1 “Marry your brother’s wife/widow {Tamar} {according to our custom}”. The Israelites practiced the custom of Levirate marriage, which meant that if a man died without any children, it was his oldest brother’s duty to marry his widow and have a son together who would carry on the deceased man’s family line and inherit his estate (See: [Deuteronomy 25:5-6](../deu/25/05.md)). You could put some of that information in a footnote.
38:9 ks40 וַיֵּ֣דַע אוֹנָ֔ן כִּ֛י לֹּ֥א ל֖וֹ יִהְיֶ֣ה הַזָּ֑רַע 1 “But Onan knew that the children {they would have together} would not belong to him.”
38:9 h91i וְהָיָ֞ה אִם 1 “So whenever” or “So every time”
38:9 s7mu וְשִׁחֵ֣ת אַ֔רְצָה 1 “he wasted {his semen} on the ground” or “he caused/let {his semen} to spill/go on the ground”. Translate this clause in a way that is polite and will not shame or embarrass people when this verse is read aloud in public. Make sure it is clear that Onan did something to keep Tamar from getting pregnant.
38:9 totl לְבִלְתִּ֥י נְתָן זֶ֖רַע לְאָחִֽיו 1 “so that he would not have offspring/children for his brother.” or “to keep her from {getting pregnant and} having {any} offspring/children for his brother.”
38:10 nhk4 וַיֵּ֛רַע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה 1 “Yahweh considered/judged what he/Onan did to be evil/wicked,” or “But that was evil/wicked in Yahweh’s sight/opinion,” See how you translated “evil in the eyes of Yahweh” in verse 7.
38:10 umq7 וַיָּ֖מֶת גַּם אֹתֽוֹ 1 “so he/Yahweh took his life too/also.” or “so he/Yahweh caused him to die too.”
38:11 wpg2 לְתָמָ֨ר כַּלָּת֜וֹ 1 “his daughter-in-law Tamar,” or “his son’s widow Tamar,” or “Tamar,”
38:11 bfcq שְׁבִ֧י אַלְמָנָ֣ה בֵית אָבִ֗יךְ 1 “{Go back} to your father’s house and stay there as a widow” or “{Go and} live at your father’s house, and do not marry again”
38:11 vjtz עַד יִגְדַּל֙ שֵׁלָ֣ה בְנִ֔י 1 “until my son Shelah is old enough {to marry you}.”
38:11 mds7 כִּ֣י אָמַ֔ר פֶּן יָמ֥וּת גַּם־ה֖וּא כְּאֶחָ֑יו 1 “{He/Judah said/did that} because he said/thought {to himself}, “I don’t want Shelah to die like his brothers did!” ” or “{He/Judah did/said that} because he was afraid Shelah would die like his brothers had died.” or “{Actually Judah did not want Shelah to marry Tamar} because he was afraid/worried {that if he did,} he would also die like his brothers had died.”
38:12 fy0d וַתָּ֖מָת בַּת שׁ֣וּעַ אֵֽשֶׁת יְהוּדָ֑ה 1 “Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died.” or “Judah’s wife, {who was} Shua’s daughter, died.” Notice that Shua was the father of Judah’s wife. Be consistent here with how you spelled his name in verse 2.
38:12 na0r וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם יְהוּדָ֗ה 1 “After Judah finished mourning/grieving {for her}, {one day}” or “After Judah had completed the {customary} time of mourning/grieving {for her},” See how you translated “comforted” in Gen 37:35.
38:12 sdjz וַיַּ֜עַל & תִּמְנָֽתָה 1 “he {decided to} go to {the town of} Timnah”. Make sure your translation of this clause does not sound like Judah had already arrived at Timnah, because he does not actually reach there until verse 19. His trip from the town of Adullam (verse 1) to the town of Timnah was about 13 kilometers (8 miles).
38:12 fh0g עַל גֹּֽזֲזֵ֤י צֹאנוֹ֙ 1 “{to work} with {the men} who were shearing his sheep {there}.” or “where {his men} were shearing his sheep {for him}.” See how you translated “shear his sheep” in Gen 31:19 and see the note about that there.
38:12 en0e rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure ה֗וּא וְחִירָ֛ה רֵעֵ֥הוּ הָעֲדֻלָּמִ֖י 1 “He and his friend Hirah, {who was} from {the town of} Adullam, {started traveling there together}.” or “His friend Hirah the Adullamite went/traveled with him.” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to put this clause earlier in this verse and say, “...and he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to {the town of} Timnah where men were shearing Judah’s sheep {for him}.” Do what is best in your language. Also, be consistent here with how you spelled “Hirah” and how you translated “Adullamite” in verse 1.
38:13 r1i3 הִנֵּ֥ה חָמִ֛יךְ 1 “Listen, your father-in-law {Judah}”
38:13 o1kb עֹלֶ֥ה תִמְנָ֖תָה לָגֹ֥ז צֹאנֽוֹ 1 “is on his way to {the town of} Timnah to shear his sheep.” or “is on his way to shear his sheep in/at {the town of} Timnah.” See how you translated “shearing his sheep” in verse 12.
38:14 bmnn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַתָּסַר֩ בִּגְדֵ֨י אַלְמְנוּתָ֜הּ מֵֽעָלֶ֗יהָ 1 “So she changed from her clothes that showed she was a widow” or “So she changed {into different clothes} from the kind of clothes that widows wear”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that Tamar did not just take off her widow’s clothes, but that she also put different clothes on.
38:14 vpxr וַתְּכַ֤ס בַּצָּעִיף֙ 1 “and covered herself with a {large} veil/shawl” or “and covered her face with a {thin} veil/headscarf”. A veil was a large piece of thin cloth that was used to cover the face and/or the body. See how you translated “veil” in Gen 24:65.
38:14 d0cf וַתִּתְעַלָּ֔ף 1 “and dressed/disguised herself {as/like a prostitute}.” or “to disguise herself.”
38:14 fx7e rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַתֵּ֨שֶׁב֙ בְּפֶ֣תַח עֵינַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל דֶּ֣רֶךְ תִּמְנָ֑תָה 1 “Then she sat near/by the entrance/gateway to {the town of} Enaim, which {was} on the road/way to/toward {the town of} Timnah,” or “Then {she went/traveled} toward {the town of} Timnah and sat down at/near the entrance/gateway of {the town of} Enaim, which {was} along the way.” Some languages need to specify that Tamar traveled to Enaim before she sat down there. Do what is best in your language.
38:14 f4by כִּ֤י רָאֲתָה֙ כִּֽי גָדַ֣ל שֵׁלָ֔ה 1 “{She did that} because she had noticed that Shelah was now old enough {to marry},” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
38:14 pc3c rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְהִ֕וא לֹֽא נִתְּנָ֥ה ל֖וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה 1 “but Judah had not given her to him/Shelah to marry {as he was supposed/required to do}.” For some languages it is more natural to change the order of clauses in this sentence and say, “Tamar had seen/noticed that Shelah was now grown up, but Judah had not given her to him to marry {as he was supposed/required to do}. So she changed from her widow’s clothes....” Do what is best in your language.
38:15 bpro rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַֽיַּחְשְׁבֶ֖הָ לְזוֹנָ֑ה כִּ֥י כִסְּתָ֖ה פָּנֶֽיהָ 1 “but since she had covered/veiled her face {with a veil/shawl}, {he could not see who she was and} he thought/assumed that she was a prostitute.” See how you translated “prostitute” in Gen 34:31 and “covered her face” in verse 14.
38:16 rkdo rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֵּ֨ט אֵלֶ֜יהָ אֶל הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ 1 “So he went over to where she was {sitting} beside/by the road”
38:16 m30g rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism הָֽבָה נָּא֙ אָב֣וֹא אֵלַ֔יִךְ 1 “Let me sleep/lie with you.” or “Let me have relations/sex with you.”
38:16 p7ts כִּ֚י לֹ֣א יָדַ֔ע כִּ֥י כַלָּת֖וֹ הִ֑וא 1 “{He did/said that} because he did not recognize/realize that she {was} his daughter-in-law {Tamar}.” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause first in this sentence and say, “He did not realize that she was his daughter-in-law {Tamar}, so he went over to her beside the road and said,...”
38:16 hg0t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom תָב֖וֹא אֵלָֽי 1 “sleep/lie with me?” or “have relations/sex with me?” or “do that?” See how you translated the idiom “come to” earlier in this verse.
38:17 ex73 אָנֹכִ֛י אֲשַׁלַּ֥ח גְּדִֽי עִזִּ֖ים מִן הַצֹּ֑אן 1 “I will send {you} a young goat from my flock.” See how you translated “kid goat” in Gen 27:9, 16.
38:17 g37n אִם תִּתֵּ֥ן עֵרָב֖וֹן 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “{Ok,} if you will give {me} a pledge/deposit...” or “{I will agree,} if you give {me} something {valuable} {of yours} to keep...” (2) “Will you give me a pledge/deposit...?”
38:18 rr3x rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown חֹתָֽמְךָ֙ וּפְתִילֶ֔ךָ 1 “{Leave/Give me} your {name/identification/signature} seal/thing with its cord/string {that you have/wear around your neck},” A “signet” or “identification seal” was a ring or small cylinder-shaped object that had the owner’s name engraved on it and was worn around his neck on a cord. It was used to prove his identity and to sign documents that were written on clay tablets, by rolling the cylinder over the soft clay. If people in your culture are not familiar with these things, you could put some of this information in a footnote.
38:18 z9bt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַיָּבֹ֥א אֵלֶ֖יהָ 1 “Then he slept/lay with her,” or “Then he had {sexual} relations with her,” Consider again how you translated the idiom “went to” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 6:4 (See: note); 16:2, 4; 19:31; 30:3-4; 38:2, 8-9, 16, 18. It may be necessary to translate this phrase in different ways, depending on the context; for example, the relationship in Gen 38:16, 18 was outside of marriage.
38:18 gw3h וַתַּ֥הַר לֽוֹ 1 “and she became pregnant by/from him.” or “and he caused her to become pregnant.” Consider again how you translated “conceive” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 4:1, 17; 16:4-5; 19:36; 21:2; 25:21; 29:32-35; 30:5, 7, 17, 19, 23; 38:3-4, 18.
38:19 liio וַתָּ֣קָם וַתֵּ֔לֶךְ 1 “After that, Tamar left {Judah} and went/returned {home}” or “After Tamar left {Judah}, she went/returned {home}”
38:19 pbgh וַתָּ֥סַר צְעִיפָ֖הּ מֵעָלֶ֑יהָ 1 “took off her veil/shawl” or “Then she took her veil/scarf off”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated “veil” in verse 14.
38:19 a54x וַתִּלְבַּ֖שׁ בִּגְדֵ֥י אַלְמְנוּתָֽהּ 1 “and put {back} on her clothes that showed she was a widow.” or “and put {back} on the kind of clothes that widows wear.” See how you translated “widow’s clothes” in verse 14.
38:20 sd35 וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח אֶת גְּדִ֣י הָֽעִזִּ֗ים בְּיַד֙ רֵעֵ֣הוּ הָֽעֲדֻלָּמִ֔י 1 “Meanwhile Judah sent a young goat with his friend {Hirah}, {who was} from {the town of} Adullam,” or “After that, Judah sent his friend {Hirah} the Adullamite with a young goat”. See how you translated “his friend...the Adullamite” in verse 12 and “kid goat” in verse 17.
38:20 o4m5 לָקַ֥חַת הָעֵרָב֖וֹן מִיַּ֣ד הָאִשָּׁ֑ה 1 “to retrieve/reclaim his things from the woman/prostitute {whom he had given them to}.” or “to exchange it for the things he had left with the woman/prostitute.” or “to get back from the woman/prostitute the things he had left with her.”
38:20 i3ar וְלֹ֖א מְצָאָֽהּ 1 “but Hirah” or “But {when Hirah looked for her,} he”
38:20 wgbh וְלֹ֖א מְצָאָֽהּ 1 “was not able to find her.” or “could not find her.”
38:21 jp7z וַיִּשְׁאַ֞ל אֶת אַנְשֵׁ֤י מְקֹמָהּ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר 1 “So he/Hirah asked {some} men {who lived} near the place where she had been,”
38:21 vr5k אַיֵּ֧ה הַקְּדֵשָׁ֛ה הִ֥וא בָעֵינַ֖יִם עַל הַדָּ֑רֶךְ 1 “Where {is} the temple/shrine prostitute who {was sitting} beside the road near {the town of} Enaim?” Pagan religions had fertility rites at their temples or shrines that included professional prostitutes. Make sure your translation of “temple prostitute” does not refer to any temple built by the Israelites. Also be consistent here with how you translated “Enaim” in verse 14.
38:21 smeq וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ 1 “But they answered {him},”
38:22 ehox rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations אָֽמְר֔וּ לֹא הָיְתָ֥ה בָזֶ֖ה קְדֵשָֽׁה 1 “claimed, ‘There has never been a temple/shrine prostitute in/near this {place/town}.’ ” or “say/claim that there has never been a temple/shrine prostitute near/around there.” See how you translated this same quote in verse 21. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to translate this as an indirect quote here in verse 22.
38:23 m5kc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive פֶּ֖ן נִהְיֶ֣ה לָב֑וּז 1 “so that people do not laugh at us.” or “Otherwise everyone will make fun of us.” or “so that we are not publicly shamed.” The pronouns “we” and “us” are inclusive here because Judah is including Hirah; some languages might use a dual pronoun. Use the pronouns that are best in your language in this context.
38:24 u2di וַיְהִ֣י כְּמִשְׁלֹ֣שׁ חֳדָשִׁ֗ים 1 “About three months later,” The phrase “Then it happened” introduces an important part of the story and helps create suspense or anticipation, so that it leaves the audience wondering what will happen next. Some translations leave it implied. Do what is best in your language.
38:24 m7xn תָּמָ֣ר כַּלָּתֶ֔ךָ 1 “Your daughter-in-law Tamar”. Consider again how you translated “daughter-in-law” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 11:31; 38:11, 16, 24.
38:24 bbh3 זָֽנְתָה֙ 1 “has acted/behaved like/as a prostitute.” Some languages have an idiom for this phrase. Do what is best in your language. See how you translated “prostitute” in Gen 34:31, 38:15 and “temple prostitute” in verses 21-22.
38:24 o1fu וְגַ֛ם הִנֵּ֥ה הָרָ֖ה לִזְנוּנִ֑ים 1 “In fact, look, {she is} {now} pregnant from doing that!” or “In fact, as a result of her immoral/indecent behavior {she has become} pregnant!” or “and even worse, {she is} {now} pregnant because of that!” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
38:24 nens rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit הוֹצִיא֖וּהָ 1 “Take her outside {the town}”. Executions were normally done outside of the city walls.
38:25 zsbg וְהִ֨יא שָׁלְחָ֤ה אֶל חָמִ֨יהָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר 1 “she sent {a messenger} to her father-in-law {along with his things} and {told the messenger to} say,” See how you translated “father-in-law” in verse 13.
38:25 i8al לְאִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁר אֵ֣לֶּה לּ֔וֹ אָנֹכִ֖י הָרָ֑ה 1 “The man who owns these things is the one who got me pregnant.”
38:25 mpys rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ הַכֶּר נָ֔א לְמִ֞י הַחֹתֶ֧מֶת וְהַפְּתִילִ֛ים וְהַמַּטֶּ֖ה הָאֵֽלֶּה 1 “Please identify {the man} who owns this name/identification/signature seal/thing with its cord/string and this walking stick.” or “Please look at this name/identification/signature seal/thing with its cord/string and this walking stick. Do you know/recognize who they belong to?” For some languages it is more natural to omit the quote margin here, since what follows is a continuation of the message Tamar is sending to Judah. Do what is best in your language. See how you translated “signet” and “cord” and “staff” in verse 18.
38:26 zlor כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּ֥ן לֹא־נְתַתִּ֖יהָ לְשֵׁלָ֣ה בְנִ֑י 1 “because I refused to have my son Shelah marry her {as I was supposed/required to}!” or “because I did not let her marry my son Shelah {as I was supposed/required to}!” Be consistent here with how you spelled “Shelah” in verses 5, 11, 14.
38:26 w29m rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וְלֹֽא יָסַ֥ף ע֖וֹד לְדַעְתָּֽה 1 “{So they released her/Tamar,} and {after that} he/Judah never again laid/slept with her/Tamar.” or “...never had {sexual} relations with her/Tamar again.” Consider again how you translated the idiom “knew” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 4:1 (and note), 17, 25; 19:8; 24:16; 38:26. It may be necessary to translate 38:26 differently, since the relationship in this verse was outside of marriage. Compare how you translated a related idiom (“went to”) in verse 18.
38:27 taw4 וַיְהִ֖י בְּעֵ֣ת לִדְתָּ֑הּ 1 “Months later, when Tamar {was ready} to give birth,” See how you translated “Then it happened” in verse 24. The same phrase occurs three times in verses 27-29 to draw attention to the peak of this chapter, the birth of Perez, who was the ancestor of King David and the Messiah.
38:27 krwk וְהִנֵּ֥ה תְאוֹמִ֖ים בְּבִטְנָֽהּ 1 “surprisingly/amazingly {there were} twins inside her!” or “they saw/realized that {there were} twins inside her!” or “it turned out that she was going to have twins!”
38:28 qivh וַיְהִ֥י בְלִדְתָּ֖הּ 1 “While she was in labor,” or “As she was starting to deliver her babies,” See how you translated “giving birth” in Gen 35:16. This may need to be translated differently here because of the different context.
38:28 olds וַיִּתֶּן יָ֑ד 1 “{one of them} stuck out {his} hand” or “{one of the twins/babies} put/stuck out {his} hand”
38:28 lm3k וַתִּקַּ֣ח הַמְיַלֶּ֗דֶת וַתִּקְשֹׁ֨ר עַל־יָד֤וֹ שָׁנִי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר 1 “Then/So the midwife {who was there} tied a {bright} red thread/string on/around his wrist and said,” or “Then/So the midwife {who was helping her}...” The midwife did this because it was her responsibility to identify which baby was the firstborn. See how you translated “midwife” in Gen 35:17.
38:29 h16n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit יָצָ֣א אָחִ֔יו 1 “his brother came out {first} {instead}.” or “his brother was born {first} {instead}.”
38:29 q6iz rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַתֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “Then/So the midwife said/exclaimed {to the baby},”
38:29 bk1c rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מַה פָּרַ֖צְתָּ עָלֶ֣יךָ פָּ֑רֶץ 1 “How did you break/burst yourself out like that?” or “What a dramatic/powerful way for you to break/burst out!” or “Just look at how you have forced your way out!” The midwife uses a rhetorical question here to emphasize how surprised she is that Perez was born first. Decide the best way to communicate this in your language.
38:29 fwgm וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ 1 “So they named him” or “That is why he was named”. The Hebrew text has “he called his name” here, which may refer to Judah (Perez’s father). However, most translations are more general and say “he was named” or “they named him”.
38:29 k9rb rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names פָּֽרֶץ 1 “Perez, {which means “break/burst out.”}” If you include the meaning of Perez’ name in your translation or in a footnote, make sure it fits with how you translated the previous sentence.
38:30 vde7 אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל יָד֖וֹ הַשָּׁנִ֑י 1 “who {had} the {bright} red thread/string on his wrist.” or “with the {bright} red thread/string on his wrist.” See how you translated “scarlet thread” in verse 28.
38:30 f1uo וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ 1 “So he was named” or “So they named him”. See how you translated “he called his name” in verse 29.
38:30 obu4 זָֽרַח 1 “Zerah, {which means “brightness.”}”
39:1 nu80 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background וְיוֹסֵ֖ף הוּרַ֣ד מִצְרָ֑יְמָה 1 “Now {as you know,} {Ishmaelite traders/merchants} had taken/brought Joseph down to {the country of} Egypt,” or “Back/Returning {now} to Joseph: {Remember that} he had been taken/brought down to {the country of} Egypt {by Ishmaelite traders/merchants},” Chapter 39 picks up where 37:36 left off and repeats some events (that happened in chapter 37) to remind readers of what happened before chapter 38 interrupted the narrative. Make sure your translation does not sound like Joseph was taken to Egypt twice or sold to Potiphar twice.
39:1 p905 פּוֹטִיפַר֩ סְרִ֨יס פַּרְעֹ֜ה שַׂ֤ר הַטַּבָּחִים֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י 1 “and/where an Egyptian {named} Potiphar, who was the captain over {King} Pharaoh’s {personal} guards,” See how you translated “an official of Pharaoh, the chief of the guards” in Gen 37:36.
39:1 zeo9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיִּקְנֵ֡הוּ & מִיַּד֙ הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹרִדֻ֖הוּ שָֽׁמָּה 1 “had bought him {as a slave/servant} from the Ishmaelites who had taken/brought him there.” For some languages it is clearer and more natural to change the order of clauses in this verse and say, “Now {as you know,} {some} Ishmaelite traders had taken/brought Joseph down to {the country of} Egypt, and an Egyptian {named} Potiphar had bought him {as a slave/servant} from them. Potiphar {was} {one of} Pharaoh’s officials/officers, the captain over the king’s {personal} guards.” Do what is best in your language. See how you translated “Ishmaelites” in Gen 37:25, 27-28.
39:2 qfkq וַיְהִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֶת יוֹסֵ֔ף 1 “But Yahweh was with Joseph {and helped/blessed him},” See how you translated “was with” in Gen 21:20; 26:28.
39:2 yfoq וַיְהִ֖י אִ֣ישׁ מַצְלִ֑יחַ 1 “so that he succeeded in what/everything he did” or “so that he did everything very well”
39:2 au6r rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיְהִ֕י בְּבֵ֥ית אֲדֹנָ֖יו הַמִּצְרִֽי 1 “as he worked in his Egyptian master’s/owner’s house.” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause first in this verse and say, “As Joseph worked in his Egyptian master/owner’s house, Yahweh was with him/Joseph {and helped/blessed him}, so that he succeeded in everything he did.” Do what is best in your language.
39:3 eyfg וַיַּ֣רְא אֲדֹנָ֔יו כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה אִתּ֑וֹ 1 “His/Joseph’s master/owner realized that Yahweh {was} with/blessing him/Joseph”. In verses 2 through 20, Potiphar is referred to as Joseph’s master (verses 2-3, 7-8, 16, 19-20) and “the Egyptian” (verse 5); he is no longer mentioned by his name in the Hebrew text. Some translations continue to use Potiphar’s name occasionally in verses 2 through 20 to prevent confusion and make it clear that all of these references refer to the same person, not two or three different people. Do what is best in your language. See how you translated “master” or “owner” in Gen 24:9-10.
39:3 o1le וְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁר ה֣וּא עֹשֶׂ֔ה יְהוָ֖ה מַצְלִ֥יחַ בְּיָדֽוֹ 1 “and was helping/enabling him/Joseph to succeed/prosper in everything that he did.” or “and was helping/enabling him/Joseph to do everything very well.” See how you translated “successful” in verse 2.
39:4 t5me rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּמְצָ֨א יוֹסֵ֥ף חֵ֛ן בְּעֵינָ֖יו וַיְשָׁ֣רֶת אֹת֑וֹ 1 “So he/Potiphar was pleased with Joseph/him and made him his personal servant/attendant.” Make sure that your translation of “in his eyes” refers here to Joseph’s master, not Yahweh. Also, see how you translated the idiom “found favor in...eyes” in Gen 6:8.
39:4 jhry rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיַּפְקִדֵ֨הוּ֙ עַל בֵּית֔וֹ וְכָל־יֶשׁ־ל֖וֹ נָתַ֥ן בְּיָדֽוֹ 1 “He/Potiphar also put him/Joseph in charge of managing his household and taking care of everything {else} {that} he owned.” or “He/Potiphar also appointed him/Joseph as the manager/overseer of/over his {entire} household and entrusted into his care everything {that} belonged to him.” Make sure your translation of the pronouns (“he”, “him” and “his”) in verses 2 through 6 refers to the correct person at each point in the text. Also see how you translated the idiom “gave...into the hand of” in Gen 32:16.
39:5 vi9e וַיְהִ֡י מֵאָז֩ 1 “Beginning from the time {that}” or “From the time {that}”
39:5 slwg הִפְקִ֨יד אֹת֜וֹ בְּבֵית֗וֹ וְעַל֙ כָּל אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶשׁ ל֔וֹ 1 “Joseph’s Egyptian master/owner put him in charge of/over his household and everything {else} that belonged to him,” or “he/Potiphar put him/Joseph in charge of managing everything that belonged to him,” or “Joseph’s Egyptian master/owner did that,” See how you translated “put him in charge...his house and...everything {that} was his” in verse 4. It is repeated in verse 5 in the Hebrew text to emphasize the authority that Joseph was given. Do what is natural in your language.
39:5 p5qi וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ יְהוָ֛ה אֶת בֵּ֥ית הַמִּצְרִ֖י 1 “Yahweh blessed the household of that Egyptian {man}” or “Yahweh caused that Egyptian’s household to prosper”. Make sure it is clear in your translation of this chapter that “Egyptian”, “master” and “Potiphar” all refer to the same person, not two or three different people.
39:5 djhx בִּגְלַ֣ל יוֹסֵ֑ף 1 “for Joseph’s sake/benefit.” or “because Joseph was working for him.”
39:5 nobj וַיְהִ֞י בִּרְכַּ֤ת יְהוָה֙ בְּכָל אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶשׁ ל֔וֹ 1 “Yahweh/He blessed everything that belonged to him,” or “Yahweh/He caused everything that he owned to prosper,”
39:5 iqqn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy בַּבַּ֖יִת וּבַשָּׂדֶֽה 1 “{including} {everything} in {his} household/home and in {his} fields.” or “{including} {his family and servants} in {his} household, as well as {the crops and livestock} in {his} fields.” In this context, “house” especially refers to the people in the house and “fields” refers to what is in the fields.
39:6 l7xx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיַּעֲזֹ֣ב כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ֮ בְּיַד יוֹסֵף֒ 1 “In fact, he/Potiphar gave Joseph the responsibility of managing everything that he owned/had, so that” or “In fact, after/since Joseph’s owner put him in charge of everything that he owned,” See how you translated a similar idiom (“gave...into his hand”) in verse 4.
39:6 ywhg rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-exceptions וְלֹא יָדַ֤ע אִתּוֹ֙ מְא֔וּמָה כִּ֥י אִם הַלֶּ֖חֶם אֲשֶׁר ה֣וּא אוֹכֵ֑ל 1 “he did not {need to} concern himself with anything {in his household} except for {personal things/matters like} {deciding} what {kind of} food {he wanted} to eat.” or “the only thing he {needed to} think/decide about {in his household} was {personal things/matters like} what food {he wanted} to eat.” For some languages, it is more natural to put the exception clause first in the sentence. Do what is best in your language. Also, Potiphar did more than decide what to eat; that was just one example of personal decisions which were all he had to concern himself with.
39:6 zuu5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background וַיְהִ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף יְפֵה תֹ֖אַר וִיפֵ֥ה מַרְאֶֽה 1 “Joseph was well-built/muscular and good-looking.” or “Now Joseph was a very handsome young man.” Some languages have a conjunction such as “Now” that introduces background information and a change of topic. For other languages a paragraph break is enough (without a conjunction). Do what is best in your language.
39:7 ysar וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה 1 “So after a while,” or “After {he had been/worked there for} a while,” The phrase “And it happened” introduces and emphasizes an important event. Many English translations do not include this phrase. Do what is natural in your language.
39:7 nv2x rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַתִּשָּׂ֧א אֶת עֵינֶ֖יהָ אֶל יוֹסֵ֑ף 1 “his master’s/owner’s wife started looking at Joseph/him {with desire/lust}” or “...started lusting for Joseph/him”. Many languages have a similar idiom that fits well here. Do what is best in your language.
39:7 x36f rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַתֹּ֖אמֶר 1 “and said {to him},” or “and told/demanded {him},” Translate this quote introduction in a way that fits well with what Potiphar’s wife says to Joseph.
39:7 g6dw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism שִׁכְבָ֥ה עִמִּֽי 1 “Sleep with me!” or “Come to bed with me!” See how you translated the idiom “lie with” in Gen 19:32.
39:8 rjl4 אֲדֹנִ֔י לֹא יָדַ֥ע 1 “my master/owner does not {need to} think/worry {about}” or “my owner does not {need/have to} concern himself with”
39:8 bede מַה בַּבָּ֑יִת 1 “anything that {is} in {his} house,” or “{managing} anything in {his} household,”
39:8 y97a rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר יֶשׁ ל֖וֹ נָתַ֥ן בְּיָדִֽי 1 “In fact, everything that he owns he has given/entrusted into/to my care” or “In fact, he has put me in charge of everything that he owns/has”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated the idiom “gave into...hand” in verse 4.
39:9 zepl אֵינֶ֨נּוּ גָד֜וֹל בַּבַּ֣יִת הַזֶּה֮ מִמֶּנִּי֒ 1 “{so that} he has no one in his household who has more authority than I do.” or “{As a result,} {even} he does not exercise more authority in/over this/his household than I do”. As Joseph’s master, Potiphar still had more authority than Joseph. But he had given Joseph authority to act in his place over everything in his household. Try to make that clear in your translation. Also, consider whether it is more natural in your language to begin verse 9 with a new sentence, or to continue the sentence from verse 8.
39:9 vvmi rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-litotes וְלֹֽא חָשַׂ֤ךְ מִמֶּ֨נִּי֙ מְא֔וּמָה כִּ֥י אִם אוֹתָ֖ךְ בַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתְּ אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ 1 “and he has given me freedom with everything {in his household}, except you, {of course,} because you {are} his wife.” or “He allows me to do anything {in his household}, except with you, his wife.” The phrase “has not withheld” is a litotes that emphasizes the freedom that Potiphar had given Joseph. Some languages must translate this in a way that does not use a negative word such as “not”. Do what is best in your language.
39:9 py3p rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וְאֵ֨יךְ אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֜ה הָרָעָ֤ה הַגְּדֹלָה֙ הַזֹּ֔את וְחָטָ֖אתִי לֵֽאלֹהִֽים 1 “So I refuse to do such an evil thing, which would be a terrible sin against God!” or “So there is no way I would {ever} sin against God by doing such an evil thing!” Joseph uses this rhetorical question to emphasize why he will not do what Potiphar’s wife wants. Do what is best in your language.
39:10 zye2 וַיְהִ֕י כְּדַבְּרָ֥הּ אֶל יוֹסֵ֖ף י֣וֹם י֑וֹם 1 “Even though Potiphar’s wife kept propositioning/pressuring Joseph every day {to lie/sleep with her},” or “Day after day, Potiphar’s wife kept pressuring/asking Joseph {to go to bed with her}, but”. The phrase “Then/And it happened” is used several times in this chapter (verses 5, 7, 10, 11, 13, 15, 18, 19) to introduce and emphasize important events and to increase suspense so that the audience wonders what the outcome will be. Many English translations have omitted this phrase, possibly for reasons of naturalness. Consider whether you have an expression like this that is natural in your language.
39:10 lu95 וְלֹא שָׁמַ֥ע אֵלֶ֛יהָ 1 “he did not do what she wanted, but refused to lie/sleep with her,” or “he refused/rejected her requests/demands”
39:10 nept לִשְׁכַּ֥ב אֶצְלָ֖הּ לִהְי֥וֹת עִמָּֽהּ 1 “and he stayed away from her.” or “and would not {even} go near her.”
39:11 mdad וַיְהִי֙ כְּהַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה 1 “{But} then on a day like that,” or “Then/But one such day” or “Then/But one day”
39:11 okgm וַיָּבֹ֥א הַבַּ֖יְתָה לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת מְלַאכְתּ֑וֹ 1 “Joseph went to {his master’s/owner’s} house {as usual} to do his work, and/but” or “when Joseph went into the/Potiphar’s house to work,”
39:11 vnms וְאֵ֨ין אִ֜ישׁ מֵאַנְשֵׁ֥י הַבַּ֛יִת שָׁ֖ם בַּבָּֽיִת 1 “no other menservants from the household were there.” or “none of the other household menservants were there.”
39:12 jkr9 וַתִּתְפְּשֵׂ֧הוּ בְּבִגְד֛וֹ 1 “So/Then Potiphar’s wife caught/grabbed {hold of} him/Joseph by his robe/tunic,” The word “garment” is very general and probably refers to an outer article of clothing, such as a robe or tunic.
39:12 it2z rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations לֵאמֹ֖ר 1 “{and} said {to him},” or “{and} said/demanded,” See how you translated this quote introduction in verse 7.
39:12 zgtp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism שִׁכְבָ֣ה עִמִּ֑י 1 “Come to bed with me!” or “Sleep with me!” See how you translated this quote in verse 7.
39:12 bhip וַיַּעֲזֹ֤ב בִּגְדוֹ֙ בְּיָדָ֔הּ וַיָּ֖נָס וַיֵּצֵ֥א הַחֽוּצָה 1 “But {immediately} he fled and left his robe/tunic {behind} in her hands as he ran outside/outdoors.” or “But he {immediately} got away from her and fled/ran outside/outdoors, leaving his robe/tunic {behind} in her hands.” Make sure your translation does not sound here like Joseph put his garment in her hands. Rather, it came off in her hands as he was fleeing.
39:13 nwnq וַיְהִי֙ כִּרְאוֹתָ֔הּ 1 “As soon as she saw” or “After/When she saw”
39:13 bsy8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּֽי עָזַ֥ב בִּגְד֖וֹ בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַיָּ֖נָס הַחֽוּצָה 1 “that Joseph had left his robe/tunic {behind} in her hands as he ran outside,” or “that Joseph had fled/run outside/outdoors and left his robe/tunic {behind} in her hands,” See how you translated a similar clause in verse 12.
39:14 tq92 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַתִּקְרָ֞א לְאַנְשֵׁ֣י בֵיתָ֗הּ 1 “she called out for the {other} household menservants {to come to her}” or “she summoned the {other} menservants of/from her household {to come}”. See how you translated “men of the house” in verse 11.
39:14 tibm rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר 1 “Then {when they arrived/came,} she exclaimed to them,”
39:14 jd8u rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit רְא֗וּ 1 “Look {at this}!” or “Look/See {what happened}!” As Potiphar’s wife speaks, she is probably showing the servants Joseph’s garment in her hands.
39:14 bl9l rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns הֵ֥בִיא לָ֛נוּ אִ֥ישׁ עִבְרִ֖י 1 “My husband brought {this} Hebrew slave/servant {here} to/among us”. Make sure that your translation of “He brought” refers here to Potiphar (as verse 17 confirms), not Joseph.
39:14 r8rm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive לְצַ֣חֶק בָּ֑נוּ 1 “to mock/insult/humiliate us!” or “to make fools of us!” In this context, “us” is general and includes Potiphar’s wife and the people she is talking to.
39:14 wqqd בָּ֤א אֵלַי֙ 1 “He came here” or “That man/slave came {here} to me”. Make sure your translation of “He came” refers here to Joseph, not Potiphar (who was the subject of the previous sentence in the Hebrew text).
39:14 tyjv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לִשְׁכַּ֣ב עִמִּ֔י 1 “to rape me,” or “to force me to lie/sleep with him,” Consider again how you translated the idiom “lie with” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 19:32-35; 26:10; 30:15-16; 34:2, 7; 35:22; 39:7, 10, 12, 14. It may be necessary to translate this in different ways, depending on the context.
39:15 h3hc וַיְהִ֣י כְשָׁמְע֔וֹ כִּֽי הֲרִימֹ֥תִי קוֹלִ֖י וָאֶקְרָ֑א 1 “Then when he heard me call/cry out loudly,” or “Then as soon as he heard me scream/shout {like that},”
39:15 nxmk וַיַּעֲזֹ֤ב בִּגְדוֹ֙ אֶצְלִ֔י וַיָּ֖נָס וַיֵּצֵ֥א הַחֽוּצָה 1 “he left his robe/tunic with me and fled/ran outside/outdoors!” or “he {immediately} fled/ran outside/outdoors and he left his robe/tunic behind!” See how you translated a similar clause in verses 12 and 13.
39:16 xlz9 וַתַּנַּ֥ח 1 “So she kept” or “Then/So Potiphar’s wife kept”
39:16 ha6q בִּגְד֖וֹ אֶצְלָ֑הּ 1 “Joseph’s robe/tunic with her”
39:16 cz5n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit עַד & אֲדֹנָ֖יו 1 “until {her husband,} Joseph’s master/owner,”. Make sure that your translation of this phrase does not sound like her husband and Joseph’s master were two different people. Do what is best in your language.
39:16 uclh בּ֥וֹא & אֶל בֵּיתֽוֹ 1 “came {back} to his home.” or “came/returned home.”
39:17 cubv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive לָּ֖נוּ 1 “among us” or “{to work} for us”. Here the pronoun “us” includes Potiphar, his wife and their household.
39:17 jhz0 בָּֽא אֵלַ֞י & לְצַ֥חֶק בִּֽי 1 “{just now} came to me to mock/insult/humiliate me!” or “came here to make a fool of me!” See how you translated “laugh at” in verse 14.
39:18 z8jd וַיְהִ֕י כַּהֲרִימִ֥י קוֹלִ֖י וָאֶקְרָ֑א 1 “But as soon as I screamed/shouted loudly,” or “But when I screamed/shouted {for help},” See how you translated verse 15, which is similar to verse 18.
39:18 ev5k וַיַּעֲזֹ֥ב בִּגְד֛וֹ אֶצְלִ֖י וַיָּ֥נָס הַחֽוּצָה 1 “he left his robe/tunic beside/with me and ran outside/outdoors!” Consider again how you translated “garment” in verses 12-13, 15-16, 18.
39:19 nkgh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations אֶת דִּבְרֵ֣י אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבְּרָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כַּדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה עָ֥שָׂהּ לִ֖י עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ 1 “his wife say, “This is what your slave/servant did to me,” ” or “what his wife said his slave/servant {Joseph} had done to her,” Make sure that your translation of “his” refers to Joseph’s master here, not Joseph. Also, consider whether it is better in your language to use a direct or indirect quote here.
39:19 rnlk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּ֖חַר אַפּֽוֹ 1 “he burned with anger.” or “he became very angry.” Consider whether or not your language has a similar idiom that would fit well here.
39:20 x4x6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּקַּח֩ אֲדֹנֵ֨י יוֹסֵ֜ף אֹת֗וֹ וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֨הוּ֙ אֶל בֵּ֣ית הַסֹּ֔הַר 1 “Then/So he had Joseph arrested and put in the prison/jail” or “And/Then he {had soldiers} arrest Joseph and put him in the prison/jail”. Potiphar probably had soldiers arrest Joseph for him, since he had the authority to do that as the captain of the guards. Consider again how you referred to Joseph and Joseph’s master Potiphar in verses 1-20. As usual, after you finish translating a section like this, it is a good practice to read the section aloud at a normal pace and listen carefully to make sure you refer to everyone accurately and naturally at each point in the text.
39:20 y8ve מְק֕וֹם אֲשֶׁר אסורי הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲסוּרִ֑ים 1 “where the king’s prisoners were confined/imprisoned.” or “where they kept/imprisoned people who had committed crimes against the king.”
39:20 z4kd וַֽיְהִי שָׁ֖ם בְּבֵ֥ית הַסֹּֽהַר 1 “So Joseph was/stayed there in the prison,” or “Joseph remained there in prison,”
39:21 wgy9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּתֵּ֣ן חִנּ֔וֹ בְּעֵינֵ֖י שַׂ֥ר בֵּית הַסֹּֽהַר 1 “and caused the prison warden to be pleased with him, {so that he treated him favorably/well}.” See how you translated a similar phrase (“favor in...eyes”) in verse 4.
39:22 kpq1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּתֵּ֞ן בְּיַד יוֹסֵ֔ף 1 “{Soon} the warden of the prison gave Joseph the responsibility for {taking care of}” or “So {before long} the warden put Joseph in charge of”
39:22 a9xb אֵ֚ת כָּל הָ֣אֲסִירִ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֣ית הַסֹּ֑הַר 1 “all the {other} prisoners who {were} in the/that prison,” or “all the {other} prisoners,”
39:22 uh31 וְאֵ֨ת כָּל אֲשֶׁ֤ר עֹשִׂים֙ שָׁ֔ם ה֖וּא הָיָ֥ה עֹשֶֽׂה 1 “so that he was in charge of everything that was done there.” or “so that he {was the one who} managed everything that they did there.”
39:23 zhrl rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result שַׂ֣ר בֵּית הַסֹּ֗הַר 1 “{So} the warden” or “{As a result} the jail/prison warden”. Do what is best in your language.
39:23 tz9t אֵ֣ין & רֹאֶ֤ה אֶֽת־כָּל־מְא֨וּמָה֙ 1 “did not {need to} supervise/oversee anything” or “did not {need to} pay attention to anything at all”
39:23 lwk7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אִתּ֑וֹ 1 “because Yahweh was with Joseph”. For some languages, it is more natural to put this clause first in this verse and say, “Because/Since Yahweh was with Joseph and helped him to succeed in whatever he did, the warden did not need to supervise/oversee anything that Joseph was in charge of.” Do what is best in your language.
39:23 pxbg וַֽאֲשֶׁר ה֥וּא עֹשֶׂ֖ה יְהוָ֥ה מַצְלִֽיחַ 1 “and gave him success in whatever/everything he did.” or “and helped/enabled him to succeed at everything he did.” See how you translated a similar clause (“Yahweh made all that he was doing successful”) in verse 3.
40:1 q3qj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit מַשְׁקֵ֥ה מֶֽלֶךְ מִצְרַ֖יִם וְהָאֹפֶ֑ה 1 “the {chief/head} wine-server and the {chief/head} baker for the king of/over Egypt” or “the man {who was in charge of those} who served wine to the king of/over Egypt and the man {who was in charge of those} who made/baked bread/food {for the king}”. The chief cupbearer was one of Pharaoh’s most trusted servants. He was in charge of serving Pharaoh anything that he wanted to drink, especially wine. It was his job to test the drink before Pharaoh had some, to make sure it was high quality and not poisoned. Some of that information could be put in a footnote. Also, it may be more natural to include here in verse 1 the fact that these were the head officials in these jobs, rather than wait until verse 2 to introduce that. Do what is best in your language.
40:1 d5ug rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms חָֽטְא֛וּ 1 “disobeyed/displeased” or “offended”. The text does not say what the officials did wrong that angered Pharaoh. They may have done their jobs poorly in some way. Translate this phrase in a way that fits this context well in your language.
40:1 qmtw לַאֲדֹנֵיהֶ֖ם לְמֶ֥לֶךְ מִצְרָֽיִם 1 “their master, {who was} {Pharaoh} the king of/over Egypt.” For some languages it is more natural to include here in verse 1 the fact that the king of Egypt was Pharaoh, rather than wait until verse 2 to introduce that. Do what is best in your language.
40:2 yt3s rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וַיִּקְצֹ֣ף פַּרְעֹ֔ה 1 “So Pharaoh/he” or “As a result, {King} Pharaoh” or “So the king”. Make sure it is clear in your translation that Pharaoh (verse 2) is the same person as the king of Egypt (verse 1). See how you translated “Pharaoh” in Gen 12:15, and see the important note about this there.
40:2 npau rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּקְצֹ֣ף פַּרְעֹ֔ה עַ֖ל 1 “was very angry at/with” or “was furious with”. Consider whether or not your language has an idiom similar to “broke out in anger” that fits well here.
40:2 scrt rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-versebridge שְׁנֵ֣י סָרִיסָ֑יו עַ֚ל שַׂ֣ר הַמַּשְׁקִ֔ים וְעַ֖ל שַׂ֥ר הָאוֹפִֽים 1 “the official in charge of serving wine to him and the official in charge of baking bread for him” or “his chief/head wine-server and chief/head baker” or “those two officials/officers.” It may be more natural to combine verses 1 and 2 and say, “Sometime after that, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, became very angry at two of his officials, his chief wine-server and chief baker, because they had displeased him.” In this case, you would also combine the verse numbers (1-2) to show it is a verse bridge combining two verses. Do what is best in your language.
40:3 sdsb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיִּתֵּ֨ן אֹתָ֜ם 1 “So he had them {arrested and} put” or “So he {had his soldiers arrest them and} put them”. Often in the Bible (as here), when it says that a king (or someone else with authority) did something, it is implied that he had people who were under his authority actually do it. See how you translated a similar clause in Gen 39:20.
40:3 e6e3 בֵּ֛ית שַׂ֥ר הַטַבָּחִ֖ים 1 “in/at the house of the captain of/over the guards,” Apparently the round-house prison was part of the house where the chief of the guards lived and worked, perhaps a lower part (See: Joseph’s use of the word “pit” in verse 15 to refer to this prison). See how you translated “chief/captain of the guards” in Gen 37:36 and 39:1.
40:3 yw2r אֶל בֵּ֣ית הַסֹּ֑הַר מְק֕וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יוֹסֵ֖ף אָס֥וּר 1 “{that is,} in the round-house {prison/jail}, the {same} place/prison where Joseph was imprisoned/confined.” or “in the same prison where Joseph was.” See how you translated “bound” in Gen 39:20.
40:4 a7gm וַ֠יִּפְקֹד שַׂ֣ר הַטַּבָּחִ֧ים אֶת יוֹסֵ֛ף אִתָּ֖ם 1 “{There} the captain of/over the guards assigned/appointed Joseph {to take care of them},”
40:4 gdaa rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיִּהְי֥וּ & בְּמִשְׁמָֽר 1 “and they were {kept} in custody/prison” or “and they remained in custody/prison”. Some translations begin a new paragraph and sentence here that continues into verse 5 and say, “After they had been in prison {for} a while, 5 one night the king’s head wine-server and head baker dreamed...”
40:4 zjgp יָמִ֖ים 1 “{for} some days/time,” or “{for} a while,” The phrase “{for} days” is a general expression that refers to an unspecified length of time.
40:5 uu76 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיַּֽחַלְמוּ֩ חֲל֨וֹם שְׁנֵיהֶ֜ם אִ֤ישׁ חֲלֹמוֹ֙ בְּלַ֣יְלָה אֶחָ֔ד 1 “Then one night the two of them each had a dream,” or “One night they both/each had a dream,”
40:5 g1sc אִ֖ישׁ כְּפִתְר֣וֹן חֲלֹמ֑וֹ 1 “{and} each of the dreams had its own interpretation/meaning.” or “each with its own interpretation/meaning.” or “Each {one’s} dream had its own meaning.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
40:5 enle rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure הַמַּשְׁקֶ֣ה וְהָאֹפֶ֗ה אֲשֶׁר֙ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲסוּרִ֖ים בְּבֵ֥ית הַסֹּֽהַר 1 “{This is talking about} the wine-server and the baker, who had served the king of Egypt and/but were in prison.” Many translations leave this sentence implied because it repeats information from the previous verses and may sound too repetitive. Or you could put this sentence earlier in this verse and say, “One night, the king of Egypt’s wine server and baker each had a dream while they were in prison, and each {man’s/one’s} dream had its own interpretation/meaning.” Make sure it is clear in your translation that the cupbearer and baker in verse 5 are the same officials as those in verses 2-4.
40:6 iztc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיָּבֹ֧א אֲלֵיהֶ֛ם יוֹסֵ֖ף בַּבֹּ֑קֶר וַיַּ֣רְא אֹתָ֔ם וְהִנָּ֖ם 1 “In the morning, Joseph came to {serve} them and was surprised to see that” or “The next morning, when Joseph came to {serve} them, he saw/noticed that”. Consider whether or not it is more natural in your language to have the time phrase “in the morning” first this verse.
40:7 qzjb rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּשְׁאַ֞ל אֶת סְרִיסֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אִתּ֧וֹ בְמִשְׁמַ֛ר בֵּ֥ית אֲדֹנָ֖יו לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “So/And he asked {King} Pharaoh’s officials/officers who {were} in prison with him in his master’s house,” or “So/And he asked them,”
40:7 cnrb מַדּ֛וּעַ פְּנֵיכֶ֥ם רָעִ֖ים הַיּֽוֹם 1 “Why do your faces look so sad/downcast today?” or “Why do you look {so} sad/unhappy today?” Some languages have an idiom that fits well here. Do what is natural in your language.
40:8 zi62 חֲל֣וֹם חָלַ֔מְנוּ 1 “We {each} had a dream {last night},” or “{Last night} we {both/each} had a dream,”
40:8 whpq וּפֹתֵ֖ר אֵ֣ין אֹת֑וֹ 1 “but there is no one {here} who can tell {us} what our dreams mean.” or “but we do not have anyone {here} to interpret/explain them {for us}.”
40:8 k75i rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם יוֹסֵ֗ף 1 “Then/So Joseph replied,” or “Joseph replied,”
40:8 lmb2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲל֤וֹא לֵֽאלֹהִים֙ פִּתְרֹנִ֔ים 1 “God is the {only} one who can explain the meaning {of dreams}.” or “God is the {only} one who gives someone/people the ability to interpret {the meaning of dreams}.” Joseph uses this rhetorical question to emphasize that God is the only one who interprets dreams. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
40:8 sy5s rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit סַפְּרוּ נָ֖א לִֽי 1 “Please tell me {what you dreamed}.” or “Please tell/describe {your dreams} to me {and God will reveal to me what they mean}.” Make sure that your translation of the last two sentences in this verse does not sound like Joseph is claiming to be God. Rather, he is saying that if the two officials tell their dreams to him, God will enable him to interpret the dreams.
40:9 qax1 וַיְסַפֵּ֧ר שַֽׂר הַמַּשְׁקִ֛ים אֶת־חֲלֹמ֖וֹ לְיוֹסֵ֑ף 1 “Then/So the head wine-server told Joseph what was in his dream” or “So the one/officer who was in charge of/over the wine-servers related/described to Joseph what he had seen in his dream”. See how you translated “chief of the cupbearers” in verse 2.
40:9 rkoh וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ 1 “by saying,” or “He said,” or “This is what he said:” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
40:9 clc3 בַּחֲלוֹמִ֕י וְהִנֵּה גֶ֖פֶן 1 “In my dream there was a grapevine/vine” or “While I was dreaming, I saw a grapevine/vine”. If grapevines and grapes are not known in your area, you could be more general in verses 9-11 and say “vine” and “fruit”. See how you translated “vineyard” in Gen 9:20.
40:10 o07v וּבַגֶּ֖פֶן שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה שָׂרִיגִ֑ם 1 “The grapevine/vine had three branches.” or “that had three branches.” Consider whether or not it is more natural to begin a new sentence here in your language.
40:10 yoiw וְהִ֤יא כְפֹרַ֨חַת֙ 1 “As soon as it started budding,” or “Soon buds started forming {on the vine/branches}. {Then}”
40:10 vyyj עָלְתָ֣ה נִצָּ֔הּ 1 “{suddenly} there were blossoms/flowers,” or “{the buds} became blossoms/flowers,”
40:10 ckld הִבְשִׁ֥ילוּ אַשְׁכְּלֹתֶ֖יהָ עֲנָבִֽים 1 “{and} its/the clusters {of flowers} became {clusters/bunches of} ripe grapes/fruit.” or “{and the blossoms/flowers} became clusters/bunches of ripe grapes/fruit.”
40:11 jtrl וְכ֥וֹס פַּרְעֹ֖ה בְּיָדִ֑י 1 “Then/Next {I saw that} I was holding {King} Pharaoh’s cup,” or “...holding the king’s cup,”
40:11 lo6m וָאֶקַּ֣ח אֶת הָֽעֲנָבִ֗ים 1 “and/so I picked {some} grapes/fruit {from the vine}”
40:11 vjbq וָֽאֶשְׂחַ֤ט אֹתָם֙ 1 “and squeezed juice from them” or “and squeezed them {so that the juice went/flowed}”
40:11 bzyw אֶל כּ֣וֹס פַּרְעֹ֔ה 1 “into Pharaoh’s cup.” or “into the cup.”
40:11 xxtf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וָאֶתֵּ֥ן אֶת הַכּ֖וֹס עַל כַּ֥ף פַּרְעֹֽה 1 “Then I put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand {to drink from}.” or “Then I gave/handed the cup to Pharaoh {and he drank from it}.”
40:13 sjgu rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-honorifics פַרְעֹה֙ 1 “{King} Pharaoh” or “the king”. Consider what is the best way to refer to Pharaoh here in your language. Some languages need to include an honorific title with his name more often than other languages.
40:13 lyie rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom יִשָּׂ֤א & אֶת רֹאשֶׁ֔ךָ 1 “will summon you” or “will have you brought up {out of prison}”. The idiom “lift up your head” means that the wine-server will be summoned or brought out from the lowly or shameful place where he had been staying.
40:13 m440 וַהֲשִֽׁיבְךָ֖ עַל כַּנֶּ֑ךָ 1 “and reappoint/reinstate/return you to your {previous} position/work,” or “and give you back your job/status,”
40:13 ucsm וְנָתַתָּ֤ כוֹס פַּרְעֹה֙ בְּיָד֔וֹ 1 “so that you will {again} serve wine to Pharaoh/him,” or “so that you will {again} have the duty of serving Pharaoh/him his cup of wine,”
40:13 ty9j כַּמִּשְׁפָּט֙ הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָיִ֖יתָ מַשְׁקֵֽהוּ 1 “as you used to do when you were his cupbearer/wine-server.” or “the way you did before as his cupbearer/wine-server.”
40:14 ykbt כִּ֧י אִם זְכַרְתַּ֣נִי אִתְּךָ֗ כַּאֲשֶׁר֙ יִ֣יטַב לָ֔ךְ 1 “When {you are out of prison and} everything is going well for you, remember that I was {here} with you,” or “Also, when {you get out of prison and} your life is good, remember {how well} I served/treated you,”
40:14 o7we וְעָשִֽׂיתָ נָּ֥א עִמָּדִ֖י חָ֑סֶד 1 “and please be kind/gracious to me,” or “and please do me a favor,” See how you translated “showed kindness to” in Gen 39:21. It may be necessary to translate this phrase in different ways, depending on the context.
40:14 dy24 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-honorifics וְהִזְכַּרְתַּ֨נִי֙ אֶל פַּרְעֹ֔ה 1 “and mention my situation to {King} Pharaoh,” or “and tell {King} Pharaoh about me {and how I was falsely accused},” Make sure that the way Joseph refers to King Pharaoh sounds respectful in your translation.
40:15 gdgr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive כִּֽי גֻנֹּ֣ב גֻּנַּ֔בְתִּי 1 “Surely I was taken by force” or “People brought me {here} by force”. Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language to emphasize Joseph.
40:15 ks7h מֵאֶ֖רֶץ הָעִבְרִ֑ים 1 “from the land where the Hebrew people live.” or “from the land where {my people,} the Hebrews, live.” The Hebrew people were the descendants of Abraham (See: note at Gen 14:13), and Joseph’s people were known as “Hebrews” in Egypt (Gen 39:14, 17). Their land, which God gave them, was the land of Canaan (Gen 13:12, 14-15; 17:8, 23:19; 37:1). Some of that information could be put in a footnote.
40:16 k4k0 וַיַּ֥רְא שַׂר הָאֹפִ֖ים כִּ֣י ט֣וֹב פָּתָ֑ר 1 “When the head baker heard Joseph interpret/explain that dream in a favorable/positive way,” or “When the head baker heard the positive interpretation/meaning that Joseph gave {for the first dream},” See how you translated a related word (“interpreter”) in verse 8.
40:16 oaqk אַף אֲנִי֙ בַּחֲלוֹמִ֔י וְהִנֵּ֗ה 1 “I also had a dream, and in it there were” or “I also {had a dream}, and while I was dreaming, I saw”
40:16 a1qs שְׁלֹשָׁ֛ה סַלֵּ֥י חֹרִ֖י 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “three baskets {full} of white/fine bread/cakes” or “three bread baskets” (2) “three white/wicker baskets”. These baskets were open on top and were probably woven out of flexible strips of cane or willow branches.
40:16 olwu עַל רֹאשִֽׁי 1 “{stacked} {on top of each other} on my head.” These baskets would have been carried on the head, each one above the other.
40:17 lf58 וּבַסַּ֣ל הָֽעֶלְי֔וֹן מִכֹּ֛ל 1 “In the top basket {there were}” or “The top basket {was full of}”
40:17 v0e7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-honorifics מִכֹּ֛ל מַאֲכַ֥ל פַּרְעֹ֖ה מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה אֹפֶ֑ה 1 “all/many {kinds} of baked goods for {King} Pharaoh to eat,” or “all/many {kinds} of {fine/special} bread and cakes {that had been made/baked} for {King} Pharaoh {to eat},” Make sure that the way the chief baker refers to King Pharaoh sounds respectful in your translation.
40:17 ijtu וְהָע֗וֹף אֹכֵ֥ל אֹתָ֛ם מִן הַסַּ֖ל מֵעַ֥ל רֹאשִֽׁי 1 “but {some} birds were eating/gobbling them/everything {up} from the basket.” or “but {instead,} {some} birds {came and} ate/devoured {all} the food/bread in the basket on my head.”
40:18 otya זֶ֖ה פִּתְרֹנ֑וֹ 1 “This is the interpretation/meaning of your dream:” or “This/Here {is} what your dream means:” See how you translated this in verse 12.
40:18 otf3 שְׁלֹ֨שֶׁת֙ הַסַּלִּ֔ים שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת יָמִ֖ים 1 “The three baskets {represent/symbolize} three days.” See how you translated a similar sentence in verse 12.
40:19 c527 בְּע֣וֹד שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֗ים 1 “In three days” or “Three days from now”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 13.
40:19 si3y פַרְעֹ֤ה 1 “{King} Pharaoh” or “the king”
40:19 yvta יִשָּׂ֨א & אֶת רֹֽאשְׁךָ֙ מֵֽעָלֶ֔יךָ 1 “will {have his soldiers} cut/chop off your head” or “will have you beheaded”. This phrase seems to have a literal meaning here (of having the baker beheaded) in contrast to the meaning of “lift up your head” in verse 13 (where it means to summon from a lowly or shameful place). Make sure your translation of this phrase is accurate and clear in both contexts.
40:19 qtz2 וְאָכַ֥ל הָע֛וֹף אֶת־בְּשָׂרְךָ֖ מֵעָלֶֽיךָ 1 “and/where birds/vultures will eat/devour {all} your flesh off your bones.” These were birds such as vultures, buzzards or condors that eat carrion (dead animals); these were not birds that eat seeds or hunt live prey. You could use the name of a type of bird that is well-known in your language area. See how you translated “eating” in verse 17.
40:20 e75l וַיְהִ֣י בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י י֚וֹם הֻלֶּ֣דֶת אֶת פַּרְעֹ֔ה 1 “Then sure enough, three days later {it was} {King} Pharaoh’s birthday, and” or “And it so happened that three days later, {it was} Pharaoh’s birthday, and”. The phrase “Then it happened” introduces and emphasizes a set of important events. Do what is natural in your language.
40:20 xdmx וַיַּ֥עַשׂ מִשְׁתֶּ֖ה לְכָל עֲבָדָ֑יו 1 “he held a feast/banquet for all of his officials/officers {to attend}.” or “he invited all his officials/officers to attend a/his {birthday} feast/banquet.” See how you translated “feast” or “banquet” in Gen 21:8.
40:20 n9n0 וַיִּשָּׂ֞א אֶת רֹ֣אשׁ שַׂ֣ר הַמַּשְׁקִ֗ים וְאֶת רֹ֛אשׁ שַׂ֥ר הָאֹפִ֖ים 1 “{During the feast/banquet,} he {had soldiers} bring {his} head/chief wine-server and head/chief baker {out of prison} {to the feast/banquet}”. See how you translated similar clauses in verses 3 (See: note), 13, and 19, where Pharaoh had his soldiers do something. Also see how you translated “lifted up your head” in verse 13, where it has a similar meaning.
40:20 qchm בְּת֥וֹךְ עֲבָדָֽיו 1 “in front of {all} his {other} officials/officers.” or “where all his {other} officials/officers were.”
40:21 ehc4 וַיָּ֛שֶׁב 1 “Then he reinstated/reappointed/returned”. See how you translated “restore...to...position” in verse 13.
40:21 iuza אֶת שַׂ֥ר הַמַּשְׁקִ֖ים עַל מַשְׁקֵ֑הוּ 1 “the chief/head wine-server to his {former/previous} position/work,”
40:21 lrle וַיִּתֵּ֥ן הַכּ֖וֹס עַל כַּ֥ף פַּרְעֹֽה 1 “so that {once again} he served wine to him.” or “so that {once again} he had the duty of serving him his cup of wine.” See how you translated a similar clause in verse 13.
40:22 n0d9 וְאֵ֛ת שַׂ֥ר הָאֹפִ֖ים תָּלָ֑ה 1 “But {as for} the chief/head baker, he/Pharaoh had him {executed and} hanged {on a tree/pole}.” or “But he/Pharaoh {had his soldiers execute} the head baker {and} impale {his body on a pole/stake}.” Notice that “the chief of the bakers” is at the beginning of this clause in the Hebrew text to emphasize him and contrast him with what happened to the chief cupbearer. Do what is natural in your language. See how you translated “hang...on a tree” in verse 19.
40:22 s6xh כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר פָּתַ֛ר לָהֶ֖ם יוֹסֵֽף 1 “{Everything happened} exactly the way Joseph had interpreted/explained {their dreams} to them.” or “which was exactly what Joseph had said would happen.”
40:23 z4vm וְלֹֽא־זָכַ֧ר שַֽׂר הַמַּשְׁקִ֛ים אֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף וַיִּשְׁכָּחֵֽהוּ 1 “But the chief/head cupbearer/wine-server did not remember {to tell Pharaoh about} Joseph, but {rather/instead,} he forgot {about} him.” or “...{completely} forgot about Joseph and did not remember {to tell Pharaoh about} him.”
41:1 r8s5 וַיְהִ֕י מִקֵּ֖ץ שְׁנָתַ֣יִם יָמִ֑ים 1 “After two full years had passed,” or “Two whole/complete years later,”
41:1 ydjn rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names וּפַרְעֹ֣ה חֹלֵ֔ם וְהִנֵּ֖ה עֹמֵ֥ד 1 “{King} Pharaoh had a dream. {In the dream} he saw himself standing” or “{King} Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing”. See how you translated “Pharaoh” in Gen 40:2.
41:1 a5ep rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit עַל הַיְאֹֽר 1 “beside the {Nile} River.” This phrase usually refers to the Nile River, which was the most important river in Egypt and was so well known by everyone that it was referred to as “the River”. See how you translated a different Hebrew word for “river” in Gen 36:37.
41:2 oe0t וְהִנֵּ֣ה 1 “Then suddenly,” or “Then he saw that” or “Suddenly,”
41:2 f6tt מִן הַיְאֹ֗ר עֹלֹת֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פָּר֔וֹת יְפ֥וֹת מַרְאֶ֖ה וּבְרִיאֹ֣ת בָּשָׂ֑ר 1 “seven cows {that were} healthy-looking and fat/well-fed came/walked up out of the river {onto the bank/land}” or “seven healthy-looking, fat/well-fed cows came/walked up out of the river {onto the bank/land}”. Make sure your translation does not sound like the cows rose up out of the water into the air. Also see how you translated “cows” in Gen 32:15.
41:2 s1lh וַתִּרְעֶ֖ינָה בָּאָֽחוּ 1 “and started grazing/feeding on the grass {that was there}.” or “and started eating the tall/marsh grass {beside the river}.”
41:3 vh9f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure שֶׁ֧בַע פָּר֣וֹת אֲחֵר֗וֹת עֹל֤וֹת אַחֲרֵיהֶן֙ מִן הַיְאֹ֔ר רָע֥וֹת מַרְאֶ֖ה וְדַקּ֣וֹת בָּשָׂ֑ר 1 “seven cows {that were} sickly-looking and scrawny/skinny walked up out of the river” or “seven sickly-looking, scrawny/skinny cows came/walked up out of the river”
41:3 ndip וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֛דְנָה אֵ֥צֶל הַפָּר֖וֹת 1 “and stood next to the {first/healthy} cows”
41:3 gq8x עַל שְׂפַ֥ת הַיְאֹֽר 1 “on the bank of the river.” or “on the river bank.” Consider again how you refer to “the River” in verses 1-3. If you refer to it as “the {Nile} River” in verse 1, it may be more natural to refer to it as “the river” after that. Do what is best in your language.
41:4 vd7n וַתֹּאכַ֣לְנָה הַפָּר֗וֹת רָע֤וֹת הַמַּרְאֶה֙ וְדַקֹּ֣ת הַבָּשָׂ֔ר 1 “Then the sickly-looking, scrawny/skinny cows devoured” or “Then the cows {that were} sickly-looking and scrawny/skinny ate/swallowed {up/down}”. See how you translated this phrase in verse 3.
41:4 efl8 אֵ֚ת שֶׁ֣בַע הַפָּר֔וֹת יְפֹ֥ת הַמַּרְאֶ֖ה וְהַבְּרִיאֹ֑ת 1 “the seven healthy-looking, fat/well-fed cows.” or “the seven cows {that were} healthy-looking and fat/well-fed.” See how you translated this phrase in verse 2.
41:4 gisj וַיִּיקַ֖ץ פַּרְעֹֽה 1 “{Just} then {King} Pharaoh woke up.” or “After that, the king woke up.” Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to Pharaoh at each point/occurrence in this chapter.
41:5 jet9 וַֽיַּחֲלֹ֖ם שֵׁנִ֑ית 1 “and had a second {dream}.” or “and started dreaming again.”
41:5 fi6m וְהִנֵּ֣ה 1 “{This time} he saw” or “{In this dream} there were”
41:5 a6fl שֶׁ֣בַע שִׁבֳּלִ֗ים עֹל֛וֹת בְּקָנֶ֥ה אֶחָ֖ד בְּרִיא֥וֹת וְטֹבֽוֹת 1 “seven big/plump, beautiful/well-formed heads of grain growing on the same stem/plant.” The phrase “heads of grain” is one word in the Hebrew text. Consider whether it is better in your language to use a word or phrase to translate this.
41:6 bjff וְהִנֵּה֙ 1 “Then suddenly,” or “Suddenly,” or “Then/Next he saw {that}”
41:6 tev5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit שֶׁ֣בַע שִׁבֳּלִ֔ים דַּקּ֖וֹת וּשְׁדוּפֹ֣ת קָדִ֑ים 1 “seven small/shriveled heads of grain that were dried out {by} the {hot} east/desert wind” or “seven thin/shriveled heads of grain that the {hot} east/desert wind had dried out”. This wind was from the desert in the east, so it was hot and dry.
41:6 gzvd rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns אַחֲרֵיהֶֽן 1 “next to them {on the same stalk/plant}.” or “{on the same stalk/plant} beside the first/well-formed heads.” Consider whether it is better in your language to refer to the first heads here with a pronoun (“them”) or a noun phrase.
41:7 nztk וַתִּבְלַ֨עְנָה֙ הַשִּׁבֳּלִ֣ים הַדַּקּ֔וֹת 1 “Next, the small/shriveled heads of grain”. See how you translated “thin” in verse 6 and “heads of grain” in verses 5-6.
41:7 cjek וַתִּבְלַ֨עְנָה֙ הַשִּׁבֳּלִ֣ים הַדַּקּ֔וֹת 1 “swallowed down” or “ate/gobbled up/down” or “devoured”. See how you translated a different Hebrew word that has a similar meaning (“ate {up/down}”) in verse 4.
41:7 xx65 אֵ֚ת שֶׁ֣בַע הַֽשִּׁבֳּלִ֔ים הַבְּרִיא֖וֹת וְהַמְּלֵא֑וֹת 1 “the seven big/plump, well-formed heads.” The word “full” here describes heads of grain that have many seeds in them. See how you translated “fat” in verse 5.
41:7 tpgd וַיִּיקַ֥ץ פַּרְעֹ֖ה 1 “{Just} then Pharaoh woke up” or “After that, Pharaoh woke up” or “At that point, Pharaoh woke up”. See how you translated this clause in verse 4.
41:8 a4cy וַיְהִ֤י בַבֹּ֨קֶר֙ 1 “In the morning” or “The next morning”. The phrase “Then it happened” introduces and emphasizes an important event. It also increases suspense so that the audience wonders what the outcome will be. Many English translations do not include this phrase, possibly for reasons of naturalness. Do what is natural in your language.
41:8 w9at וַתִּפָּ֣עֶם רוּח֔וֹ 1 “his/Pharaoh’s spirit/mind was disturbed/troubled {about what the dreams might mean},” or “Pharaoh was/felt upset/distressed {about the/his dreams},”
41:8 f6a8 וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח וַיִּקְרָ֛א 1 “so he sent {servants/messengers} to summon” or “so he had {servants/messengers} summon”
41:8 h004 אֶת כָּל חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י מִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֶת כָּל חֲכָמֶ֑יהָ 1 “all the magicians/sorcerers and {other} wise men in {the country of} Egypt {to come to him}.” Magicians were some of the wise men whom Pharaoh regularly consulted for advice. They had power from demons to do miracles (Exodus 7:11, 22; 8:7) and to communicate with the spirits of people who had died. They may have also been astrologers, or Egyptian priests who were skilled in sacred writings. Some of that information could be put in a footnote.
41:8 c1g0 וַיְסַפֵּ֨ר פַּרְעֹ֤ה לָהֶם֙ אֶת חֲלֹמ֔וֹ 1 “{When they arrived,} Pharaoh/he told them what he had dreamed,” or “Then Pharaoh/he related/described to them what {he had seen} in his dreams,”
41:8 bzb7 וְאֵין 1 “but none of them” or “but none of those men”
41:8 cdwb פּוֹתֵ֥ר אוֹתָ֖ם לְפַרְעֹֽה 1 “was able to explain to him {what} the dreams {meant}.” or “could tell him what the dreams meant.”
41:9 sjxn וַיְדַבֵּר֙ שַׂ֣ר הַמַּשְׁקִ֔ים אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “Then/But the head wine-server”. Consider again how you translated “chief of the cupbearers” and “cupbearer” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 40:1-2, 5, 9, 13, 20-21, 23; 41:9.
41:9 gu4f rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיְדַבֵּר֙ שַׂ֣ר הַמַּשְׁקִ֔ים אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “spoke {up} and said to Pharaoh,” or “said to Pharaoh,”
41:9 qree rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-honorifics אֲנִ֖י מַזְכִּ֥יר הַיּֽוֹם 1 “{Sir,} today I remember” or “{Your Majesty/Honor,} I now remember”. For many languages, it is necessary to use a respectful title to address a person of high status like Pharaoh. Do what is best in your language.
41:9 lq2t אֶת חֲטָאַ֕י 1 “my sins/failures.” The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “{the time} when I offended/displeased/wronged {you}.” (2) “something {important} I failed/forgot to do.” The second interpretation refers to the cupbearer forgetting to tell Pharaoh about Joseph.
41:10 lbfc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit פַּרְעֹ֖ה קָצַ֣ף עַל 1 “{Some time ago,} {King} Pharaoh, {you} were very angry at/with”. The events in verses 10-13 had happened two years earlier (verse 1); chapter 40 gives the details about those events. See how you translated the idiom “broke out in anger against” in Gen 40:2.
41:10 ttw7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person עֲבָדָ֑יו 1 “his/your officials/officers,” In verses 10 and 13, the cupbearer uses third person (“Pharaoh....his....he...”) to show respect for Pharaoh. For some languages, it is confusing to do that, so second person (“you...your...you...”) must be used instead. Some languages have an honorific such as “your Majesty/Honor” that could be used occasionally in these verses instead of third person. Do what is best in your language.
41:10 hhkv וַיִּתֵּ֨ן אֹתִ֜י בְּמִשְׁמַ֗ר בֵּ֚ית שַׂ֣ר הַטַּבָּחִ֔ים אֹתִ֕י וְאֵ֖ת שַׂ֥ר הָאֹפִֽים 1 “{including} me and the chief/head baker, and he/you put us in custody/prison at the captain of the guards’ house.” or “and he/you put the head baker and me in the prison that is in the house of the captain of the guards.” See how you translated “put...in custody in the house of the chief of the guards” in Gen 40:3. Also consider again how you translated “chief of the bakers” and “baker” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 40:1-2, 4-5, 16-17, 20, 22; 41:10, 13.
41:11 ntkz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive וַנַּֽחַלְמָ֥ה חֲל֛וֹם בְּלַ֥יְלָה אֶחָ֖ד אֲנִ֣י וָה֑וּא 1 “{One time while we were there,} we {each} dreamed/had a dream in/during the same night,” or “{While we were there,} one night we {each} had a dream,” See how you translated a similar sentence in Gen 40:5. In verses 11-13, the pronouns “we” and “us” exclude Pharaoh.
41:11 vxuz אִ֛ישׁ כְּפִתְר֥וֹן חֲלֹמ֖וֹ חָלָֽמְנוּ 1 “{and} each of our dreams had a different meaning.” or “{and} each of our dreams had its own meaning.” Consider again how you translated “interpretation” in Gen 40:5, 8, 12, 18; 41:11 and the related verb “interpret” in Gen 40:16, 22.
41:12 sn9g וְשָׁ֨ם אִתָּ֜נוּ נַ֣עַר עִבְרִ֗י 1 “There was a young Hebrew man with us”. Translate “young...man” in a way that fits with the fact that Joseph was 30 years old (verse 46) and was not yet married.
41:12 lpw0 עֶ֚בֶד לְשַׂ֣ר הַטַּבָּחִ֔ים 1 “{who was} a servant for the captain of/over the guards.” Consider again how you translated “chief of the guards” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 37:36; 39:1; 40:3-4; 41:10, 12.
41:12 ujnq וַנְּ֨סַפֶּר ל֔וֹ 1 “After we told him {our dreams},” or “After we related/described {our dreams} to him,” Consider again how you translated “told” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 24:66; 29:13; 37:9-10; 40:8-9; 41:8, 12.
41:12 s75n וַיִּפְתָּר לָ֖נוּ אֶת חֲלֹמֹתֵ֑ינוּ 1 “he explained them to us.” or “he told us what they meant.”
41:12 aybf אִ֥ישׁ כַּחֲלֹמ֖וֹ פָּתָֽר 1 “He interpreted each man’s dream.” or “He told each of us the meaning of our dreams.” or “He told us what each of our dreams meant.”
41:13 r08j וַיְהִ֛י כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר פָּֽתַר לָ֖נוּ כֵּ֣ן הָיָ֑ה 1 “And sure enough, everything happened exactly the way he had interpreted/explained {the dreams} to us:”
41:13 y07m אֹתִ֛י הֵשִׁ֥יב עַל כַּנִּ֖י 1 “you reinstated/reappointed/returned me to my {former/previous} position/work {as your cupbearer/wine-server},” See how you translated “restored to...position” in Gen 40:21.
41:13 nv90 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person וְאֹת֥וֹ תָלָֽה 1 “and/but you {had your soldiers execute} the baker {and} hang/impale his body {on a pole/stake}.” or “but you {had your soldiers} execute the baker.” Consider again whether you referred to Pharaoh in third person (“he”) or second person (“you”) in verses 10 and 13. Also see how you translated “hanged/impaled {on a tree/pole}” in Gen 40:22.
41:14 qrw6 וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח פַּרְעֹה֙ וַיִּקְרָ֣א אֶת־יוֹסֵ֔ף 1 “sent {servants/messengers} to summon/get Joseph.” or “had {servants/messengers} summon Joseph.” See how you translated “sent and called for” in verse 8.
41:14 g8o0 וַיְרִיצֻ֖הוּ מִן־הַבּ֑וֹר 1 “So they hurriedly brought/got him/Joseph out of the dungeon/prison.” or “So they went right away and brought/got...” See how you translated “pit” in Gen 40:15.
41:14 t4lb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיְגַלַּח֙ וַיְחַלֵּ֣ף שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יו 1 “Then he shaved {his head and face}, changed into suitable/better clothes and” or “Then after he shaved {his head and face} and changed into appropriate/clean clothing, he”. Since Joseph lived in Egypt and Egyptian men kept their heads and faces clean-shaven, Joseph probably also shaved his head and his face. Consider whether or not it is best in your language to make this implied information explicit in your translation.
41:14 x9jg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-go וַיָּבֹ֖א אֶל פַּרְעֹֽה 1 “came/went before Pharaoh.” or “came/went into Pharaoh’s presence.” Your choice of “came” versus “went” in this context depends on whose perspective you take: “came” reflects things from Pharaoh’s point of view, and “went” reflects things from Joseph’s point of view. Do what is most natural in your language.
41:15 b79o rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶל יוֹסֵ֔ף 1 “Then Pharaoh said to him,” or “Then Pharaoh told Joseph/him,”
41:15 kxy4 וּפֹתֵ֖ר אֵ֣ין אֹת֑וֹ 1 “but no one has been able to explain {to me} what it means.” or “but there isn’t anyone who can interpret/explain it {for/to me}.” See how you translated a similar clause in Gen 40:8.
41:15 ancl וַאֲנִ֗י שָׁמַ֤עְתִּי עָלֶ֨יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר 1 “But someone told me about you,” or “But I was told”
41:15 nm1a תִּשְׁמַ֥ע חֲל֖וֹם לִפְתֹּ֥ר אֹתֽוֹ 1 “{that} when you hear a dream, {you are able} to interpret/explain what it means.” or “{that} when someone tells you a dream, {you are able} to interpret/explain its meaning.” Consider again how you translated “interpret” and “interpreter” throughout the book of Genesis. See Gen 40:8, 16, 22; 41:8, 12, 13, 15, 16.
41:16 k2co rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-honorifics בִּלְעָדָ֑י 1 “{Sir,} I do not have that ability {on my own},” or “{Your Majesty,} I cannot do that {by myself},” Make sure your translation of Joseph’s response sounds polite. See what you did in verse 9.
41:16 d4bb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person אֶת שְׁל֥וֹם פַּרְעֹֽה 1 “for your well-being/good, {King} Pharaoh.” or “so that {you,} {King} Pharaoh, will have peace {in your heart/spirit}.” Consider whether or not it is more natural in your language to use Pharaoh’s name at the beginning of this quote (instead of here) and say, “{King} Pharaoh, I do not have that ability...”
41:17 g4ui rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit עַל שְׂפַ֥ת הַיְאֹֽר 1 “on the bank of the {Nile} River.” or “beside the {Nile} River.” See how you translated “the {Nile} River” in verse 1. Since this is the first time that Pharaoh mentions “the River” to Joseph, consider whether this is a good place in your translation to make it explicit again that this is the Nile River.
41:18 kz9v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure מִן הַיְאֹ֗ר עֹלֹת֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פָּר֔וֹת בְּרִיא֥וֹת בָּשָׂ֖ר וִיפֹ֣ת תֹּ֑אַר 1 “seven cows {that were} fat and healthy-looking came/walked up out of the river {onto the bank/land}” or “seven fat/well-fed, healthy-looking cows came/walked up out of the river {onto the bank/land}”
41:19 rdqs rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure דַּלּ֨וֹת וְרָע֥וֹת תֹּ֛אַר מְאֹ֖ד וְרַקּ֣וֹת בָּשָׂ֑ר 1 “they were in terrible/horrible condition, very sickly-looking and scrawny/skinny.” For some languages it is more natural to put this information earlier in this sentence and say, “Then behold, seven poor/weak, very sickly-looking, scrawny cows came up {out of the river} behind the first cows/ones.” Do what is best in your language.
41:20 lyd5 וַתֹּאכַ֨לְנָה֙ הַפָּר֔וֹת הָרַקּ֖וֹת וְהָרָע֑וֹת 1 “Then the scrawny/skinny, sickly/unhealthy cows devoured” or “Then the cows {that were} scrawny/skinny and sickly/unhealthy ate/swallowed {up/down}”. See how you translated “ate” in verse 4.”
41:20 jldm אֵ֣ת שֶׁ֧בַע הַפָּר֛וֹת הָרִאשֹׁנ֖וֹת הַבְּרִיאֹֽת 1 “the seven fat/well-fed cows.” See how you translated “fat” or “fat-fleshed” in verses 2, 4, 18 and 20.
41:21 c485 וַתָּבֹ֣אנָה אֶל קִרְבֶּ֗נָה וְלֹ֤א נוֹדַע֙ 1 “But {even} after they had eaten/devoured them, no one would {ever} know” or “But although the scrawny/skinny cows had eaten/swallowed the fat/well-fed cows/ones, it could not be seen”
41:22 g8dw וָאֵ֖רֶא בַּחֲלֹמִ֑י וְהִנֵּ֣ה 1 “Then I {fell asleep again and} continued dreaming. {This time} I saw that there were” or “Then I {went back to sleep and} had {another} dream. {In this dream} there were”
41:22 atel rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure שֶׁ֣בַע שִׁבֳּלִ֗ים עֹלֹ֛ת בְּקָנֶ֥ה אֶחָ֖ד מְלֵאֹ֥ת וְטֹבֽוֹת 1 “seven heads of grain growing on a single stalk/plant. They were full of ripe grain kernels.” or “seven full/big, beautiful/well-formed heads of grain growing on the same stalk/plant.” See how you translated verse 5, which is similar to verse 22.
41:23 govd וְהִנֵּה֙ 1 “Then suddenly,” or “Then/Next I saw {that}”. See how you translated verse 6, which is similar to verse 23.
41:23 i1u0 שֶׁ֣בַע שִׁבֳּלִ֔ים צְנֻמ֥וֹת דַּקּ֖וֹת שְׁדֻפ֣וֹת קָדִ֑ים 1 “seven heads of grain {that were} small and withered/wilted because they were dried out by the {hot} east/desert wind” or “seven small, withered/wilted heads of grain that the {hot} east/desert wind had dried out”
41:23 ksuc צֹמְח֖וֹת 1 “grew/sprang up” or “started/were growing”
41:23 nr7f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם 1 “next to them {on the same stalk/plant}.” or “{on the same stalk/plant} beside the first/well-formed heads/ones.” For some languages it is more natural to change the order of phrases in this verse and say, “Then seven small heads of grain sprouted {on the same plant} next to the first heads/ones. {These had} withered/wilted because the {hot} east/desert wind had dried them out.” Do what is best in your language.
41:24 vdiv וַתִּבְלַ֨עְןָ֙ הָשִׁבֳּלִ֣ים הַדַּקֹּ֔ת 1 “Then the small/shriveled heads of grain ate/gobbled up/down” or “...swallowed down” or “...devoured”. See how you translated the first half of verse 7, which is similar to the first half of verse 24.
41:24 ae4y אֵ֛ת שֶׁ֥בַע הַֽשִׁבֳּלִ֖ים הַטֹּב֑וֹת 1 “the seven beautiful/well-formed heads/ones.” See how you translated “good” in verses 5 and 22.
41:24 f5d7 וָֽאֹמַר֙ אֶל הַֽחַרְטֻמִּ֔ים 1 “I told {my dreams} to {my} magicians/sorcerers,” See how you translated “magicians” in verse 8.
41:24 jbyt וְאֵ֥ין מַגִּ֖יד לִֽי 1 “but none of them could explain to me {what the dreams meant}.” or “but they could not explain/interpret {them} for me.” See how you translated a different Hebrew word that means “explain” or “interpret” in verse 8.
41:25 l70m rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יוֹסֵף֙ אֶל פַּרְעֹ֔ה 1 “Then Joseph told {King} Pharaoh,” or “Then Joseph responded to Pharaoh,”
41:25 g0g2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person חֲל֥וֹם פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֶחָ֣ד 1 “{Both} Pharaoh’s/your dreams have the same meaning.” or “Your Majesty/Honor, {both of} your dreams mean the same thing.” In verses 25, 28, 32-35, Joseph uses third person (“Pharaoh....his....he...”) to show respect for Pharaoh. For some languages, it is confusing to do that, so second person (“you...your...you...”) must be used instead. Some languages have an honorific such as “your Majesty/Honor” that could be used occasionally in these verses instead of third person. Do what is best in your language. Also see what you did in verses 10 and 13.
41:25 lvoo rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure ה֑וּא אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֧ר הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים עֹשֶׂ֖ה הִגִּ֥יד לְפַרְעֹֽה 1 “{Through them,} God is revealing/showing to you what he will do.” or “God has revealed to {you,} {King} Pharaoh, what he is planning/about to do.” The Hebrew text emphasizes “what God is doing” by putting that phrase first in the sentence. Consider what is the most natural phrase order for this sentence in your language.
41:26 e65z שֶׁ֧בַע פָּרֹ֣ת הַטֹּבֹ֗ת שֶׁ֤בַע שָׁנִים֙ 1 “The seven healthy cows {in your dream} {represent/symbolize} seven years,”
41:26 ypp7 וְשֶׁ֤בַע הַֽשִּׁבֳּלִים֙ הַטֹּבֹ֔ת שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִ֖ים 1 “and the seven beautiful/well-formed heads of grain {represent/symbolize} {the same} seven years.”
41:26 igdu חֲל֖וֹם אֶחָ֥ד 1 “{Both} dreams mean the same thing.” or “{Both} dreams have the same meaning.” See how you translated “dreams {are} one” in verse 25.
41:27 hlx6 וְשֶׁ֣בַע הַ֠פָּרוֹת הָֽרַקּ֨וֹת וְהָרָעֹ֜ת 1 “The seven scrawny/skinny and sickly/unhealthy cows”. See how you translated “thin and ugly cows” in verse 20, and how you translated “thin” in verse 19.
41:27 htpa הָעֹלֹ֣ת אַחֲרֵיהֶ֗ן 1 “that came/walked up {out of the river} behind the first cows/ones”
41:27 r05h שֶׁ֤בַע שָׁנִים֙ הֵ֔נָּה וְשֶׁ֤בַע הַֽשִׁבֳּלִים֙ הָרֵק֔וֹת 1 “{represent/symbolize} {a different} seven years, and {so do} the seven small heads of grain”. See how you translated “thin” in verses 6 and 23, and consider again how you translated “heads of grain” in verses 5-7, 22-24, 26-27.
41:27 m5pk שְׁדֻפ֖וֹת הַקָּדִ֑ים 1 “that the {hot/dry} east/desert wind had dried out/up.” or “that the {desert} wind from the east had dried out/up.” See how you translated this phrase in verses 6 and 23. Also consider again how you translated “east” in the book of Genesis; see Gen 2:8; 3:24; 10:30; 11:2; 12:8; 13:11; 14; 25:6; 28:14; 29:1, 41:6, 23, 27. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
41:27 r6nf יִהְי֕וּ שֶׁ֖בַע שְׁנֵ֥י רָעָֽב 1 “{They both mean that} there will be a famine that lasts seven years.” or “{Both dreams mean that} there will be seven years when food will be very/extremely scarce.” A “famine” is a prolonged period of time when people are starving because crops are failing, often due to a lack of rain or other severe weather conditions. See how you translated this term in Gen 12:10 and 26:1.
41:28 bg5w rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person ה֣וּא הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי אֶל פַּרְעֹ֑ה 1 “{King} Pharaoh, that {is} what I was talking about when I told you {that}” or “Your Majesty/Honor, as I told you previously/before,” Consider what is the best way to refer to Pharaoh here in your language. See what you did in verse 25.
41:28 blxs rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֲשֶׁ֧ר הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים עֹשֶׂ֖ה הֶרְאָ֥ה אֶת פַּרְעֹֽה 1 “God is showing/revealing to you what he will do.” or “God has shown/revealed to you what he is going/about to do.” See how you translated this clause in verse 25.
41:29 uyij הִנֵּ֛ה שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִ֖ים בָּא֑וֹת 1 “Listen, {first} there will be seven years”
41:29 vb43 שָׂבָ֥ע גָּד֖וֹל 1 “when crops/harvests are abundant” or “when people will have more than enough food {to eat}” or “when everyone will have plenty of food {to eat}”
41:29 pa2o בְּכָל אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם 1 “throughout the entire/whole land/country of Egypt.”
41:30 ehv4 וְ֠קָמוּ שֶׁ֜בַע שְׁנֵ֤י רָעָב֙ אַחֲרֵיהֶ֔ן 1 “But after them/that, there will be a famine that lasts seven years,” or “But after those {prosperous} years, there will be seven years when food is very/extremely scarce,” See how you translated “famine” in verse 27.
41:30 wx5u וְנִשְׁכַּ֥ח כָּל הַשָּׂבָ֖ע בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם 1 “So people/everyone in the country of Egypt will forget how good it was during the time/years when they had plenty of food,” or “As a result, the people in Egypt will forget what it was like in their country during all the years when they had more than enough {food} {to eat},” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
41:30 lvdu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וְכִלָּ֥ה הָרָעָ֖ב אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “because the famine will devastate/destroy the land/country {and the people}.” or “because the severe food shortage will devastate/ravage the land/country {so that many people will starve}.” The phrase “the land” here probably also includes the people who lived in that country.
41:31 xglq rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-words-phrases וְלֹֽא־יִוָּדַ֤ע הַשָּׂבָע֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ 1 “That’s right, people will completely forget about the time/years when food was plentiful,” or “Yes/Indeed, there will be no evidence/trace left that there were years when there was more than enough food,” Verse 31 restates much of the content of verse 30, so keep that it mind as you translate the beginning of this verse.
41:31 sqe9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure מִפְּנֵ֛י הָרָעָ֥ב הַה֖וּא אַחֲרֵי כֵ֑ן כִּֽי כָבֵ֥ד ה֖וּא מְאֹֽד 1 “because the famine {that comes/happens} after that {will be} very/so severe/oppressive.” or “because the following years when food is scarce {will be} so severe/terrible.” For some languages, it clearer and more natural to put this clause near the beginning of this verse and say, “Yes, the famine that is coming will be so severe/terrible that people will completely forget about the time/years when food was abundant/plentiful in the land.” Do what is best in your language.
41:32 ohs3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person וְעַ֨ל הִשָּׁנ֧וֹת הַחֲל֛וֹם אֶל פַּרְעֹ֖ה פַּעֲמָ֑יִם כִּֽי 1 “The reason you dreamed/had the same dream in two different ways/forms is that” or “The fact that you, {King} Pharaoh, had two {different} dreams that mean the same thing shows that”
41:32 btn0 נָכ֤וֹן הַדָּבָר֙ מֵעִ֣ם הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים 1 “God has {firmly} decided/determined what he is going to do,” or “God wants you to know that this will {definitely} happen,”
41:32 p6nh וּמְמַהֵ֥ר הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ 1 “and he will make it happen soon.” or “and he will cause it to happen {very} soon.”
41:33 ava1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person וְעַתָּה֙ יֵרֶ֣א פַרְעֹ֔ה אִ֖ישׁ 1 “So {King} Pharaoh, you should now look for a man” or “So now, {your Majesty/Highness,} I recommend that you choose a man”
41:33 dg3a rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם 1 “the country of Egypt {and its people}.” See how you translated “the land” in verse 30.
41:34 zhau rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה פַרְעֹ֔ה וְיַפְקֵ֥ד פְּקִדִ֖ים 1 “{King} Pharaoh, I also recommend that you appoint/assign {regional} administrators/overseers” or “Sir, you should {also} appoint...”
41:34 pdqm עַל הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “to be in charge of/over {different regions/parts of} the country,” or “to supervise/manage {different regions/parts of} the country,”
41:34 p2kn וְחִמֵּשׁ֙ 1 “and {have them} collect/gather {from the people} one-fifth” or “Then {command/order them to} collect...” Consider whether or not it is more natural to begin a new sentence here in your language.
41:34 lx6v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם 1 “of {all} {the crops/grain/food that people/they harvest in/throughout} the country of Egypt” or “of {everything} the land/country of Egypt produces”. In this context, “the land/country” refers to the crops that were growing in Egypt. Make sure that is clear in your translation.
41:34 xfxu בְּשֶׁ֖בַע שְׁנֵ֥י הַשָּׂבָֽע 1 “during the seven years when harvests/crops are abundant/plentiful.” or “during the seven years when there will be more than enough crops/food.” See how you translated “abundance” in verses 29-31.
41:35 wuzc וְיִקְבְּצ֗וּ 1 “Have them gather/collect”
41:35 i7oy אֶת־כָּל־אֹ֨כֶל֙ הַשָּׁנִ֣ים הַטֹּבֹ֔ת הַבָּאֹ֖ת הָאֵ֑לֶּה 1 “all the/that {surplus/extra} food/grain from/during the prosperous years that will come.” or “all the/that {surplus/extra} food/grain during the good/prosperous years ahead {when there will be plenty of food}.”
41:35 v7cn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person תַּ֧חַת יַד פַּרְעֹ֛ה 1 “Under Pharaoh’s/your direction,” or “Under/Using your authority, {King} Pharaoh,” Consider again how you translated the use of the third person to address Pharaoh respectfully in verses 10, 13, 25, 32-35.
41:35 pghx וְיִצְבְּרוּ בָ֞ר 1 “have them stockpile {that} grain” or “command/order them to store up {that} grain”
41:35 olfb אֹ֥כֶל בֶּעָרִ֖ים וְשָׁמָֽרוּ 1 “in the cities {for/as} food and {have soldiers} keep {it} safe.” or “{in storehouses} in the cities and {have soldiers} guard it, so that there will be food {for the people}.”
41:36 a822 וְהָיָ֨ה הָאֹ֤כֶל לְפִקָּדוֹן֙ 1 “That {surplus/extra} food/grain should be kept/held in storage” or “That food/grain should stay in storage” or “They must/should continue to store that {surplus/extra} food/grain”
41:36 sfjy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy לָאָ֔רֶץ 1 “for {the people of} the land/country {to eat}” or “so that {the people of} the land/country have it {to eat}”. The phrase “the land” refers here to the people who live in the land of Egypt. Make sure that is clear in your translation.
41:36 cxiu לְשֶׁ֨בַע֙ שְׁנֵ֣י הָרָעָ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּהְיֶ֖יןָ 1 “during the famine that will last seven years in” or “during the seven years when food is very scarce in”
41:36 i6wb בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם 1 “in the country of Egypt,” or “in Egypt,” Consider whether or not it is natural in your language to repeat “the land/country” in this sentence.
41:36 yzst rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וְלֹֽא־תִכָּרֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ 1 “so that {the people of/in} the land/country” or “so that the people” or “so that they”. Make sure the way you translated “{the people of/in} the land/country” at the beginning of this verse fits with how you translate it here. It is helpful to read your translation aloud to make sure it is clear and natural.
41:36 javn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְלֹֽא־תִכָּרֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ 1 “will not be devastated/destroyed by” or “will not starve to death because of”. See how you translated the idiom “cut off” in Gen 9:11. It may be necessary to translate it differently here because of the different context.
41:37 yzkw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּיטַ֥ב הַדָּבָ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֑ה וּבְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל עֲבָדָֽיו 1 “What Joseph said/proposed seemed like a good plan to {King} Pharaoh and all his servants/officials.” or “{King} Pharaoh and all his servants/officials agreed that what Joseph had said/proposed was good.” See how you translated the idiom “in the eyes of” in Gen 34:18.
41:38 ov2b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲנִמְצָ֣א כָזֶ֔ה אִ֕ישׁ 1 “{Certainly} we cannot find anyone else more qualified than this man,” or “{It is obvious that} we will never find a man as qualified as this/Joseph,” Pharaoh uses a rhetorical question here to emphasize that no one is more qualified than Joseph. Consider whether it is better in your language to translate this quote using a question or a statement.
41:38 n386 אֲשֶׁ֛ר ר֥וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֖ים בּֽוֹ 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “who has God’s Spirit in him” or “whom God’s Spirit guides” (2) “who has a divine spirit in him” or “who has a spirit of {the} gods in him”. Most translations follow the first interpretation, since Joseph had just talked to Pharaoh about God (verses 16, 28, 32) and Pharaoh acknowledges God in verse 39.
41:39 brta וַיֹּ֤אמֶר פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶל יוֹסֵ֔ף 1 “Then he said to Joseph,” or “Then Pharaoh/he {turned} to Joseph and said,”
41:39 xxco אַחֲרֵ֨י הוֹדִ֧יעַ אֱלֹהִ֛ים אוֹתְךָ֖ אֶת כָּל זֹ֑את 1 “Since God has made all this known to you,” or “God has revealed to you what he is going to do, so”
41:39 ktfd אֵין נָב֥וֹן וְחָכָ֖ם כָּמֽוֹךָ 1 “no one {else} is {as} intelligent/insightful as you {are} or/and knows what to do {in this situation}.” or “...or knows how to manage {this situation} wisely.” See how you translated “discerning and wise” in verse 33.
41:40 fq25 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy אַתָּה֙ תִּהְיֶ֣ה עַל בֵּיתִ֔י 1 “{So} I am putting you in charge of my household {and my kingdom/country},” or “{So} I am giving you authority over {the people in} my palace {and the rest of my kingdom/country},” The phrase “my house” refers here to Pharaoh’s household and all the other people he rules as king.
41:40 sv7b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְעַל פִּ֖יךָ יִשַּׁ֣ק כָּל־עַמִּ֑י 1 “so that all the people in my country/kingdom must obey/do whatever you say/command.” or “so that all the people I reign over will/must respect and obey whatever you tell them to do.” Consider whether you have a similar idiom in your language, or if you need to say this without an idiom.
41:40 qqnv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy רַ֥ק הַכִּסֵּ֖א אֶגְדַּ֥ל מִמֶּֽךָּ 1 “Only I {who sit} {on} the throne {as king} will have higher/more authority than you.” or “Only I who am king will...” In this context, “the throne” refers to Pharaoh’s position as the king. Make sure that is clear in your translation.
41:41 fcjq rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֶל יוֹסֵ֑ף 1 “Then Pharaoh said,” or “Pharaoh continued/added,” Some languages leave “Joseph” or even this entire quote margin implied here, since Pharaoh is still talking to the same person. Do what is best in your language.
41:41 b20a רְאֵה֙ נָתַ֣תִּי אֹֽתְךָ֔ עַ֖ל 1 “Look/Listen, I hereby/now put you in charge of” or “I am now appointing/installing you to be {the manager/supervisor} over”. The word “See” emphasizes what Pharaoh says next.
41:41 fuhl כָּל אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם 1 “the whole/entire land/country of Egypt.”
41:42 wuz8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown וַיָּ֨סַר פַּרְעֹ֤ה אֶת טַבַּעְתּוֹ֙ מֵעַ֣ל יָד֔וֹ 1 “Then Pharaoh/he took off his {official/royal} identification ring” or “Then Pharaoh took from his finger the ring that he used to mark/seal {documents/letters}”. The signet ring was the identification ring that the king used to seal official documents. See how you translated “signet” in Gen 38:18.
41:42 bnj5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֖הּ עַל יַ֣ד יוֹסֵ֑ף 1 “and put it on Joseph’s finger {to show that he had appointed him}.” or “and placed it on Joseph’s finger {showing he now had Pharaoh’s authority}”. The signet ring showed that Joseph represented Pharaoh and had his complete authority.
41:42 m7et rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown וַיַּלְבֵּ֤שׁ אֹתוֹ֙ בִּגְדֵי שֵׁ֔שׁ 1 “He {also} had Joseph put on fine/expensive linen clothes/robes” or “He {also} gave Joseph high-quality/expensive clothes/robes to wear”. The Hebrew word for “fine linen” refers to a special kind of white cloth that was woven out of flax and had a fine texture. Clothes made from linen were expensive and were worn by the king and high officials. If linen is not known in your language area, you could be more general and refer to expensive, high-quality clothes.
41:42 tb6j וַיָּ֛שֶׂם רְבִ֥ד הַזָּהָ֖ב עַל צַוָּארֽוֹ 1 “and put a chain/collar {made} of gold around his neck.” or “and put around his neck a chain/necklace {made} of gold.”
41:43 etvw וַיַּרְכֵּ֣ב אֹת֗וֹ 1 “Then Pharaoh had Joseph ride {around}”
41:43 htid rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction בְּמִרְכֶּ֤בֶת הַמִּשְׁנֶה֙ אֲשֶׁר ל֔וֹ 1 “in a royal {horse-drawn} chariot/cart as his second-in-command” or “in the {horse-drawn} chariot/cart that showed he was the second highest ruler in the country.” A chariot is a cart with two or four wheels that was pulled by one or more horses. It was used as transportation and was especially used in battles. Translate this in a way that fits with this description. It may be helpful to include a picture of a chariot in your translation.
41:43 g33q וַיִּקְרְא֥וּ לְפָנָ֖יו 1 “{As he rode,} heralds/messengers {walked} {in the road/streets} ahead of him calling out {to everyone},” Make sure the way you translate “shouted” does not sound angry. Rather they were calling out loudly enough for people to hear them.
41:43 m84b rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction אַבְרֵ֑ךְ 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. (1) It could be a transliteration of an Egyptian word that means “Bow down {in reverence/respect}!” or “Make way {for the king’s appointed one}!” or “Welcome/Honor {your new leader}!” which is what people would be told to do to honor an important person. (2) It could be a combination of Hebrew words that means, “{This is} {the} father of {the} king!” which is similar to what Joseph says in Gen 45:8.
41:43 ry99 וְנָת֣וֹן אֹת֔וֹ עַ֖ל 1 “So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of” or “In that way, Pharaoh {officially} appointed/installed Joseph to be {the manager/supervisor} over/of”. See how you translated a similar sentence in verse 41.
41:43 a2y8 כָּל אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם 1 “the whole/entire land/country of Egypt.”
41:44 h6j0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole וּבִלְעָדֶ֗יךָ לֹֽא יָרִ֨ים אִ֧ישׁ אֶת יָד֛וֹ וְאֶת רַגְל֖וֹ בְּכָל אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם 1 “no one throughout the whole/entire country of Egypt may do anything unless you tell them to do it!” or “throughout the whole/entire country of Egypt, everyone must only do what you tell them to do!” The phrase “will not lift his hand or foot” is hyperbole (exaggeration) that is used to emphasize joseph’s authority. Consider whether or not it is clear and natural to do that here in your language.
41:45 w29d rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names צָֽפְנַ֣ת פַּעְנֵחַ֒ 1 “Zaphenath-Paneah, {which means “explainer/revealer of secrets,”}” or “Zaphenath-Paneah, {which means “the one who explains/reveals secrets,”}”
41:45 c09b וַיִּתֶּן ל֣וֹ אֶת אָֽסְנַ֗ת בַּת פּ֥וֹטִי פֶ֛רַע כֹּהֵ֥ן אֹ֖ן לְאִשָּׁ֑ה 1 “and he gave him {a woman named} Asenath to be {his} wife. {She was} the daughter of Potiphera, {who was} a priest {at the temple} in/at {the city of} On.” Potiphera was a pagan priest, who led people in worshiping the Egyptians’ gods, not Yahweh. See how you translated “priest” in Gen 14:18.
41:45 qrou וַיֵּצֵ֥א יוֹסֵ֖ף עַל אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם 1 “Then Joseph started going/traveling around all over the land/country of Egypt.” or “Then Joseph {started his duties/work and} traveled throughout the land/country of Egypt.”
41:46 l8de וְיוֹסֵף֙ בֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה 1 “Joseph {was} thirty years old”. Consider what is the best way to begin this new paragraph in your language.
41:46 tinh בְּעָמְד֕וֹ לִפְנֵ֖י 1 “when he had that meeting/audience with” or “when he started serving”. This phrase refers to when Joseph stood before Pharaoh and was commissioned to serve as the second-highest ruler in Egypt.
41:46 iu0r פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם 1 “Pharaoh, the king over Egypt.”
41:46 klkm וַיֵּצֵ֤א יוֹסֵף֙ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה 1 “Then Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence” or “{After Pharaoh appointed him,} Joseph left him”
41:46 izc5 וַֽיַּעְבֹ֖ר בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם 1 “and traveled throughout the whole/entire country of Egypt {doing his work}.” or “and began traveling from place to place throughout...”
41:47 k025 בְּשֶׁ֖בַע שְׁנֵ֣י הַשָּׂבָ֑ע 1 “During the seven years when food was abundant/plentiful,” or “For seven years the crops/harvests were abundant/plentiful and”. Compare how you translated “seven years of abundance” in verse 34.
41:47 nel4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַתַּ֣עַשׂ הָאָ֔רֶץ & לִקְמָצִֽים 1 “the land produced huge/large amounts of grain.” or “the people harvested huge/large amounts of grain from the land.” The idiom “by the handfuls” refers here to large amounts of grain. Consider whether your language has a similar idiom you could use here.
41:48 iib5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיִּקְבֹּ֞ץ 1 “So Joseph {told the supervisors/administrators under him} to gather/collect” or “So Joseph {had his helpers} gather/collect”. When the Bible says that a leader such as Joseph did something, it often means that he had it done by people under his authority. Decide whether you want to include this information in your translation or in a footnote.
41:48 ekmx אֶת כָּל אֹ֣כֶל שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר הָיוּ֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם 1 “all the {extra/surplus} food/grain that was produced/harvested in the land/country of Egypt during {those} seven years,” or “all the {extra/surplus} grain {that people harvested/produced} during {those} seven years in the land/country of Egypt,” See how you translated “all the food” in verse 35.
41:48 rw03 וַיִּתֶּן אֹ֖כֶל בֶּעָרִ֑ים 1 “and he {had them} store/stockpile {that} grain in the cities.”
41:48 llbq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֹ֧כֶל שְׂדֵה הָעִ֛יר אֲשֶׁ֥ר סְבִיבֹתֶ֖יהָ נָתַ֥ן בְּתוֹכָֽהּ 1 “The food/grain {that people had harvested} from the fields, he {had his supervisors/helpers} store/stockpile in the nearby cities.” or “In each city he {had them} store/stockpile the food/grain {that people had harvested} from the surrounding/nearby fields.” Consider what phrase order is best for this sentence in your language.
41:49 e4mq וַיִּצְבֹּ֨ר יוֹסֵ֥ף 1 “In that way, Joseph stockpiled” or “Joseph {had his helpers} store up”. See how you translated “store/stockpile” in verse 35.
41:49 gdv0 בָּ֛ר כְּח֥וֹל הַיָּ֖ם 1 “so much grain that it was/seemed/looked as {plentiful as} {grains of} sand beside the sea/ocean.” or “...as {plentiful as} the {grains of} sand on the seashore/beach.” See how you translated “as the sand of the sea” in Gen 32:12 and a similar phrase in Gen 22:17.
41:49 jotk הַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד עַ֛ד כִּי 1 “{In fact,} there was so much that” or “{In fact,} it was so plentiful that {after a while}”
41:49 rt8w חָדַ֥ל לִסְפֹּ֖ר 1 “he {had them} stop keeping records/track {of it}” or “he/they had to stop writing down how much there was,” It was probably Joseph’s helpers who measured the grain and kept records of it. See how you handled this at the beginning of this verse.
41:49 t7vr כִּי אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר 1 “because {there was so much that} he/they could no longer measure/record it.” or “because it was too much to keep track of.”
41:50 ulea rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent בְּטֶ֥רֶם תָּב֖וֹא שְׁנַ֣ת הָרָעָ֑ב 1 “Before the {seven} famine years started,” or “Now {it so happened that} before the {seven} years of famine came/started,” Consider what is the best way to change topics and begin this new paragraph in your language.
41:50 w7ad וּלְיוֹסֵ֤ף יֻלַּד֙ שְׁנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים & אֲשֶׁ֤ר יָֽלְדָה לּוֹ֙ אָֽסְנַ֔ת בַּת פּ֥וֹטִי פֶ֖רַע כֹּהֵ֥ן אֽוֹן 1 “Joseph had two sons with {his wife} Asenath, a daughter of Potiphera, {who was} a priest in {the city of} On.” or “Joseph and {his wife} Asenath had two sons. {Remember that} Asenath was a daughter of Potiphera, a priest {in the city} of On.” See how you translated “Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On” in verse 45.
41:51 emzc rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה 1 “Manasseh, {which means “forget,”}” or “Manasseh, {which means “stop/not thinking about,”}” If you include the meaning of the name “Manasseh” in your translation or in a footnote, it should fit with the way you translate “forget” in the following clause.
41:51 lcpw כִּֽי־נַשַּׁ֤נִי אֱלֹהִים֙ 1 “{and he said/explained,} “{It is} because God has enabled/helped me to forget about” or “...to stop thinking about”. Your translation should not sound like Joseph had lost his memory of these things, rather God had blessed him so much that it helped him stop thinking about those things.
41:51 j0ue אֶת כָּל עֲמָלִ֔י וְאֵ֖ת 1 “all my troubles/hardships and {about}”
41:51 nllc כָּל בֵּ֥ית אָבִֽי 1 “{how much I have missed} all of my family {back home}.” or “{how much I have missed} my father and the rest of my family {back home}.”
41:52 axyh וְאֵ֛ת שֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖י קָרָ֣א 1 “And he/Joseph named {his} second son”
41:52 w4ny rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֶפְרָ֑יִם 1 “Ephraim, {which means “twice fruitful/prosperous,”}” If you include the meaning of Ephraim’s name in your translation or in a footnote, it should fit with the way you translate “fruitful” in the following clause.
41:52 loq5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom כִּֽי הִפְרַ֥נִי אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “{and he said/explained,} “{It is} because God has enabled/helped me to prosper”. Consider again how you translated the idiom “fruitful” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 17:6; 26:22; 41:52.
41:52 lcf9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns בְּאֶ֥רֶץ עָנְיִֽי 1 “in the country where I have suffered {so much}.”
41:53 b2gj וַתִּכְלֶ֕ינָה שֶׁ֖בַע שְׁנֵ֣י הַשָּׂבָ֑ע אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָיָ֖ה 1 “Finally the seven years when food was abundant/plentiful”. See how you translated “the seven years of abundance” in verses 34 and 47, and a similar phrase in verse 29.
41:53 qsta בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם 1 “in the country of Egypt.”
41:53 ulfq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַתִּכְלֶ֕ינָה 1 “came to an end,” or “were over,” For some languages it is better to put this phrase earlier in the sentence and say, “Finally the seven years were over when food was plentiful in the country of Egypt. Do what is best in your language.
41:54 kc3p וַתְּחִלֶּ֜ינָה שֶׁ֣בַע שְׁנֵ֤י הָרָעָב֙ לָב֔וֹא 1 “Then the seven years of famine began,” or “Then the seven years began when there was a severe lack of food,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
41:54 wnph כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר אָמַ֣ר יוֹסֵ֑ף 1 “just as Joseph had predicted {would happen}.” or “which is exactly what Joseph had said/predicted {would happen}.”
41:54 gct9 וַיְהִ֤י רָעָב֙ בְּכָל הָ֣אֲרָצ֔וֹת 1 “The famine spread to every country,” or “The severe food shortage began to affect all countries,”
41:54 b0ci וּבְכָל אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם 1 “but everywhere in the land/country of Egypt” or “but throughout the whole/entire land/country of Egypt”
41:54 xlgt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche הָ֥יָה לָֽחֶם 1 “there was {still} food {in the storehouses}.” or “there was {still} {plenty of} food {stored up}.” In this context, “bread” refers to all food in general.
41:55 z65i rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַתִּרְעַב֙ כָּל אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם 1 “Then all {the people in} the land/country of Egypt began to suffer from the famine, so” or “When everyone in Egypt became very hungry {because of the famine,}” The phrase “all the land” refers here to the people living in Egypt. Consider whether or not you need to make that explicit in your language.
41:55 o6ix לְכ֣וּ אֶל יוֹסֵ֔ף 1 “Go ask Joseph {for help/food},” or “You must go to Joseph {and ask him for help},”
41:55 vkgw אֲשֶׁר יֹאמַ֥ר לָכֶ֖ם תַּעֲשֽׂוּ 1 “{and} do whatever he commands/tells you {to do}.” Consider whether or not it is best to begin a new sentence here in your language.
41:56 o5ta וְהָרָעָ֣ב הָיָ֔ה עַ֖ל כָּל פְּנֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּפְתַּ֨ח 1 “Since the famine had spread throughout the whole country,” or “Since the severe food shortage was affecting the entire/whole country,”
41:56 yaxe rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיִּפְתַּ֨ח יוֹסֵ֜ף 1 “Joseph {had his helpers} open up” or “Joseph {ordered the supervisors/administrators under him to} open up”. See how you translated verses 48 and 49, where Joseph is said to do something that he had his helpers do.
41:57 hocx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וְכָל הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ 1 “In fact, {people from} all over the earth/world”. This phrase refers to the people living on the earth. Consider whether or not you need to make that explicit in your language. See how you translated a similar metonymy (“all the land”) in verse 55.
41:57 rlm3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּֽי חָזַ֥ק הָרָעָ֖ב בְּכָל הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “because the food shortage was {so} severe/terrible throughout the entire/whole world.” For some languages it is clearer or more natural to put this clause near the beginning of verse 57 and say, “In fact, the famine was/became so severe/terrible in/throughout the entire/whole world that {people} started coming/traveling to Egypt from all over the world to buy {grain} from Joseph.” Do what is best in your language. See how you translated “severe/terrible” in verse 56.
42:1 rkqc rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַיַּ֣רְא יַעֲקֹ֔ב כִּ֥י יֶשׁ־שֶׁ֖בֶר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם 1 “Meanwhile {in the land/region of Canaan}, when Jacob heard/learned that there was grain {for sale} in {the country of} Egypt,” or “...when Jacob found out that {he/they could buy} grain in Egypt,” This verse begins a new episode which overlaps in time with some of what was happening in chapter 41. Consider what is the best way to begin this episode in your language.
42:1 ok2e rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion לָ֖מָּה תִּתְרָאֽוּ 1 “What are you waiting for?” or “Do not {just stand/sit here} looking/staring at each other!” or “Do not just {stand around/there} doing nothing!” Jacob uses this rhetorical question to get his sons to take action and do what he says next. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
42:2 etgs rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “Then he continued/added,” For some languages it is more natural to omit the quote margin here, because the same person (Jacob) is still talking to the same people (his sons). Do what is best in your language.
42:2 f9cs הִנֵּ֣ה 1 “Listen {to this}!” or “Look,”
42:2 xjv4 שָׁמַ֔עְתִּי 1 “I heard/learned” or “Someone told me”
42:2 revh כִּ֥י יֶשׁ שֶׁ֖בֶר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם 1 “that there is {much} grain {for sale} in {the country of} Egypt.” or “that {the country of} Egypt has {a lot of} grain {that people can buy}.”
42:2 ukyl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-politeness רְדוּ שָׁ֨מָּה֙ 1 “{So} {I want/need you to} go/travel there” or “{So} {please} go/travel down there”. Make sure that the way you translate Jacob’s command to his sons does not sound rude or harsh.
42:3 hmv4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship וַיֵּרְד֥וּ אֲחֵֽי יוֹסֵ֖ף עֲשָׂרָ֑ה 1 “Then/So Joseph’s ten {older} brothers {left home/Canaan and} went/traveled down”. These ten brothers were older than Joseph and had different mothers than he did. Also, the verb “went down” refers to the fact that Egypt was lower in elevation than the land of Canaan. It is also located southwest of Canaan. See how you translated “go down” in verse 2 and “went down” in Gen 12:10.
42:4 azl2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship וְאֶת בִּנְיָמִין֙ אֲחִ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף לֹא שָׁלַ֥ח יַעֲקֹ֖ב 1 “But Jacob did not send Joseph’s {younger} brother Benjamin {to Egypt}” or “But Jacob did not allow/permit Joseph’s {younger} brother to go {to Egypt}”. Benjamin was younger than Joseph and had the same mother (Rachel) and father.
42:4 x6pq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations כִּ֣י אָמַ֔ר פֶּן יִקְרָאֶ֖נּוּ אָסֽוֹן 1 “because he/Jacob thought that he/Benjamin might be harmed.” or “because he/Jacob was afraid/concerned that something bad/terrible might happen to him.” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause first in this verse and say, “But Jacob was concerned that harm might come to Joseph’s {younger} brother Benjamin, so he did not send him with {the rest of} his brothers {to Egypt}.” Do what is best in your language.
42:5 mphn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיָּבֹ֨אוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל 1 “So Israel’s sons” or “The sons of Israel {that is, Jacob}” or “So the sons of {Jacob who was also called} Israel”. If it is not clear that “Israel” (verse 5) and “Jacob” (verse 4) refer to the same person, you could include the name Jacob here in your translation or in a footnote.
42:5 tdv7 כִּֽי & הָרָעָ֖ב 1 “because the severe/extreme food shortage” or “because the extreme lack/scarcity of food”. See how you translated “because the famine” in Gen 41:57.
42:5 krd7 הָיָ֥ה & בְּאֶ֥רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן 1 “was {also} {affecting everyone} in the land/region of Canaan.” or “was {also} affecting/devastating the {entire} land/region of Canaan.”
42:6 fpi7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background וְיוֹסֵ֗ף ה֚וּא הַשַּׁלִּ֣יט עַל הָאָ֔רֶץ 1 “{Since} Joseph {was} the administrator over the land/country {of Egypt},”
42:6 sus5 הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “the country {of Egypt}” as it does earlier in verse 6; or it can mean (2) “the earth/world.”
42:6 mdhu rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ ל֥וֹ אַפַּ֖יִם אָֽרְצָה 1 “before him {like everyone else} and bowed down {with} {their} faces/foreheads to/toward the ground {to show him respect}.” or “{to him} and prostrated themselves before him {to show respect}.” See how you translated “bow down” in Gen 37:7, 9-10.
42:7 bbex וַיַּ֥רְא יוֹסֵ֛ף אֶת אֶחָ֖יו וַיַּכִּרֵ֑ם 1 “When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them,” or “Joseph immediately recognized his brothers”
42:7 poyo וַיִּתְנַכֵּ֨ר אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם 1 “but he treated them like strangers” or “But he pretended that he did not {know} {them}”. For some languages it is better to divide the first sentence in this verse into shorter sentences. Do what is best in your language.
42:7 mzd9 וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר אִתָּ֣ם קָשׁ֗וֹת 1 “and spoke to them in a harsh/stern way/manner” or “In fact, he spoke to them sternly/roughly”. Consider whether or not it is more natural to begin a new sentence here in your language.
42:7 jyke rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-honorifics מֵאֶ֥רֶץ כְּנַ֖עַן לִשְׁבָּר אֹֽכֶל 1 “{Sir,} {we came} from the land/region of Canaan to buy {some} grain.” or “{Sir,} {we are} from the land/region of Canaan {and we came} to buy {some} grain.” For some languages it is necessary to begin with a respectful title or form of address when someone talks to a person of high status like Joseph. See how Joseph’s brothers address him in verse 10.
42:9 i6tg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לִרְא֛וֹת אֶת עֶרְוַ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ 1 “to see/learn our country’s weaknesses!” or “to find out where {our} country is weak/vulnerable!”
42:10 ue8q rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-politeness לֹ֣א אֲדֹנִ֑י 1 “No, sir,” or “Sir, we are not {spies},” Make sure your translation of this phrase sounds polite. In some cultures it is rude to say “No” too directly. See how you translated a similar phrase in Gen 23:11.
42:10 xa6t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person וַעֲבָדֶ֥יךָ בָּ֖אוּ 1 “but rather {we} come {before you} respectfully/humbly” or “Rather, {we are} {just} humble men {who} have come {here}”. The brothers referred to themselves as “your servants” to show respect to Joseph and to acknowledge his high position. Translate this phrase in a polite way that shows respect toward Joseph.
42:11 t2o1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person נָ֑חְנוּ כֵּנִ֣ים אֲנַ֔חְנוּ לֹא־הָי֥וּ עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ מְרַגְּלִֽים 1 “We {are} honest/trustworthy men/people who {highly} respect you. We are not spies.” or “We {are} humble, honest/trustworthy men/people, not spies.”
42:12 p2xr לֹ֕א כִּֽי & בָּאתֶ֥ם 1 “No/Yes, {you are spies!} {I’m sure} you must have come {here}” or “{That is} not {true}! You have definitely come {here}”. Different languages use “yes” and “no” in different ways, depending on the context. Do what is accurate and natural in this context in your language. Also see how you translated “No” in Gen 18:15.
42:12 qzyw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom עֶרְוַ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ & לִרְאֽוֹת 1 “to see/learn our country’s weaknesses!” or “to find out where {our} country is weak/vulnerable!” See how you translated this phrase in verse 9.
42:13 fuv1 שְׁנֵ֣ים עָשָׂר֩ עֲבָדֶ֨יךָ אַחִ֧ים 1 “Sir, {there are/were} twelve of us brothers.”
42:13 zu8a אֲנַ֛חְנוּ בְּנֵ֥י אִישׁ אֶחָ֖ד 1 “We {are} {all} sons of the same man/father” or “We {all} have the same father”
42:13 g91t בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן 1 “{who lives} in the land/region of Canaan.” or “{and we live} in the land/region of Canaan.”
42:13 c4qf וְהִנֵּ֨ה הַקָּטֹ֤ן 1 “In fact, {our} youngest {brother}” or “{Our} youngest {brother}”. The word “behold” calls attention to what the brothers say next. Some translations leave it implied. Do what is best in your language.
42:13 sekb אֶת אָבִ֨ינוּ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם 1 “{is} presently {back at home} with our father,” or “{is} {there} with our father right now,”
42:13 efwm וְהָאֶחָ֖ד 1 “but the {other} one” or “but {our other} brother”
42:13 tyki rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism אֵינֶֽנּוּ 1 “is no more.” or “is no longer {with us}.” or “has died.” In this context, “is not” is an idiom that means “has died.” Consider whether or not your language has a similar idiom that would fit well here.
42:14 kcn9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֖ם יוֹסֵ֑ף 1 “Then/But Joseph accused them,” or “Then/But Joseph responded,”
42:14 iyrk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes ה֗וּא אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבַּ֧רְתִּי אֲלֵכֶ֛ם לֵאמֹ֖ר מְרַגְּלִ֥ים אַתֶּֽם 1 “What I told you is right/true! You are spying {on our country}!” or “I was right when I said that you are secretly gathering information {about our country}!” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to translate the embedded quote “You {are} spies” as a direct or indirect quote.
42:15 njgh תִּבָּחֵ֑נוּ 1 “I will test/verify whether {or not} you {told me the truth}:” or “I am going to test you to find out if your claims are true:”
42:15 xvi8 חֵ֤י פַרְעֹה֙ 1 “{I swear/vow} by Pharaoh’s life/authority {that}” or “As certain as {King} Pharaoh lives, {I swear/vow that}”. Joseph uses King Pharaoh’s name here to make an oath that emphasizes the certainty of what he says next. Make sure that the way he refers to Pharaoh sounds respectful in your translation. See how you translated other vows in Gen 14:22 and 21:23-24.
42:15 wd40 אִם תֵּצְא֣וּ 1 “you will {definitely} not/never leave” or “I will not/never let you leave”
42:15 vxks rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-exceptions כִּ֧י אִם בְּב֛וֹא אֲחִיכֶ֥ם הַקָּטֹ֖ן הֵֽנָּה 1 “until your youngest brother comes/is here.” or “unless/until {I see that} your youngest brother is here.” For some languages it may be better to change the wording of this sentence and say, “{By} the life of Pharaoh, the only way you will ever leave Egypt is if your youngest brother comes here.” or “{By} the life of Pharaoh, your youngest brother must come here, or else you will {definitely} not/never leave Egypt!” Do what is best in your language.
42:16 fp5d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular וְאַתֶּם֙ 1 “You {who are left}” or “{The rest of} you”. In this verse, the pronouns “you” and “your” are plural.
42:16 zy6p הֵאָ֣סְר֔וּ 1 “will be put/kept in prison.” or “must stay here in prison.” See how you translated “bound” in Gen 39:20; 40:3, 5. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
42:16 ea8u וְיִבָּֽחֲנוּ֙ דִּבְרֵיכֶ֔ם הַֽאֱמֶ֖ת אִתְּכֶ֑ם 1 “That way I can verify {whether or not} you told me the truth.” or “If you do that, I will know that what you told me is true.”
42:16 zf4g וְאִם לֹ֕א 1 “But if {you are} not {telling the truth},” or “But if you are lying,”
42:16 auvz חֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה 1 “{I swear/vow} by Pharaoh’s life/authority,” or “as certain as {King} Pharaoh lives,” See how you translated this phrase in verse 15.
42:16 wsgs כִּ֥י מְרַגְּלִ֖ים אַתֶּֽם 1 “{that means} you {are} definitely spies!” or “{that means} you really are spying {on our country}!”
42:17 kbit וַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ף אֹתָ֛ם אֶל מִשְׁמָ֖ר שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת יָמִֽים 1 “Then Joseph {had his soldiers} put them in custody/prison {for} three days.” or “Then Joseph {had his soldiers} lock up his brothers in prison {for} three days.” See how you translated “in custody” in Gen 40:3-4, 7.
42:18 in6m וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֤ם יוֹסֵף֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י 1 “Three days later, Joseph said to them,” or “After three days, Joseph said to them,” See how you translated “on the third day” in Gen 22:4, 31:22, 40:20. It may be necessary to translate this phrase in different ways, depending on the context.
42:18 hq4p זֹ֥את עֲשׂ֖וּ 1 “Do what I say and” or “If you do this,” or “If you do what I say,”
42:18 g6gn וִֽחְי֑וּ 1 “{you will} live,” or “{I will let} you live,” or “{I will} spare your lives,”
42:18 scf7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֶת הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲנִ֥י יָרֵֽא 1 “{because/since} I revere/respect and obey God:” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause first in this verse and say, “I {am a man who} reveres/respects God. So if you do what I say, {I will let} you live.” Do what is best in your language. See how you translated “fear God” in Gen 22:12.
42:19 kfk1 אִם כֵּנִ֣ים אַתֶּ֔ם 1 “If you {truly/really} {are} honest/trustworthy {men} {as you say/claim},” or “Since you {claim to be} honest/trustworthy {men},” See how you translated “honest” in verse 11.
42:19 tdlb אֲחִיכֶ֣ם אֶחָ֔ד יֵאָסֵ֖ר בְּבֵ֣ית מִשְׁמַרְכֶ֑ם 1 “I will make {just} one of you brothers stay/remain where you have been, in prison,” or “{just} one of you brothers must remain confined/imprisoned where you have been,” See how you translated “be bound” in verse 16.
42:19 dydl וְאַתֶּם֙ לְכ֣וּ הָבִ֔יאוּ שֶׁ֖בֶר 1 “while {the rest of} you go back {home} {now} with/taking grain/food” or “{The rest of} you {may} go {and} take/carry grain/food back {home}”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
42:19 zbmz רַעֲב֥וֹן בָּתֵּיכֶֽם 1 “for your hungry/starving households/families {to eat}.” or “to feed your hungry/starving households/families.”
42:20 wrfx וְאֶת אֲחִיכֶ֤ם הַקָּטֹן֙ תָּבִ֣יאוּ אֵלַ֔י 1 “But you must bring your youngest brother {back} {here} to me” or “After that, you must come back {here} to me with your youngest brother”
42:20 sgd0 וְיֵאָמְנ֥וּ דִבְרֵיכֶ֖ם 1 “so that what you have told me will be proven/confirmed to be true,” or “That way I will know that you are telling the truth,” See how you translated a similar clause in verse 16.
42:20 dqp6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-litotes וְלֹ֣א תָמ֑וּתוּ 1 “and I will {spare your lives and} not execute you {for being spies}.” or “and I will let you live.” In this context, the word “die” refers to execution, not death by natural causes.
42:20 y20f וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כֵֽן 1 “So/Then Joseph’s brothers {agreed to} do that.” or “...{agreed to} do what he said/proposed.” or “...accepted his proposal.”
42:21 tzgd וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל אָחִ֗יו 1 “Then the/Joseph’s brothers said to each other,” or “{While they were still standing there,} they said to each other,”
42:21 l20t אֲבָל֮ אֲשֵׁמִ֣ים אֲנַחְנוּ֮ עַל אָחִינוּ֒ 1 “{This is happening because} we sinned badly against our brother {Joseph} {long ago}.” or “Surely what we did to our brother {Joseph} {long ago} was {very} wrong.”
42:21 wifa rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche אֲשֶׁ֨ר רָאִ֜ינוּ צָרַ֥ת נַפְשׁ֛וֹ 1 “We saw how distressed he was” or “We saw how {terribly} he was suffering”. The phrase “his soul” refers here to Joseph.
42:22 meeb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲלוֹא֩ אָמַ֨רְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶ֧ם לֵאמֹ֛ר 1 “Remember that I told you” or “I told you”. Reuben uses this rhetorical question to scold his brothers. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
42:22 oi3a rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes אַל תֶּחֶטְא֥וּ בַיֶּ֖לֶד 1 “{that} you should/must not harm the boy!” or “{that} you should not do anything bad to him!” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote. Also, see how you translated “lad” in Gen 37:30, and keep in mind that Joseph was seventeen years old when his brothers sold him.
42:22 stcs וְגַם & הִנֵּ֥ה 1 “so now, see {what is happening}:” or “so/and now look,”
42:22 jv5k rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy דָּמ֖וֹ & נִדְרָֽשׁ 1 “we are being held accountable/responsible {by God} for his blood/death!” or “God is holding us responsible for causing him to die!” or “We are getting what we deserve for causing his death!” The phrase “his blood” refers to Joseph’s death; if you do not translate that phrase literally, you could put the literal text in a footnote, since “blood” is such an important term throughout the Bible.
42:23 zl1v rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וְהֵם֙ לֹ֣א יָֽדְע֔וּ 1 “Joseph’s brothers did not know/realize” or “Joseph’s brothers were not aware”.
42:23 fhq7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit כִּ֥י שֹׁמֵ֖עַ יוֹסֵ֑ף 1 “that Joseph/he {could} understand {what they were saying to each other},” or “that Joseph/he was listening {to what they were saying},”
42:23 ys6c rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּ֥י הַמֵּלִ֖יץ בֵּינֹתָֽם 1 “because he had been speaking to them using a translator {as if he did not know their language}.” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause first in this verse and say, “Now Joseph had been using an interpreter to speak to his brothers, so they did not realize that Joseph could understand them.” Do what is best in your language.
42:24 zev4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּסֹּ֥ב 1 “Then/So he/Joseph” or “{When Joseph heard what they were saying,} he”. Throughout this section make sure it is clear at each point who is being referred to, using nouns (including names) and pronouns naturally in your language.
42:24 pz7r וַיִּסֹּ֥ב מֵֽעֲלֵיהֶ֖ם 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “turned his back to them” (2) “went/stepped away from them”. Either way, Joseph was hiding his face from his brothers so they could not see that he was crying.
42:24 bc3z וַיֵּ֑בְךְּ 1 “and started crying.” or “to hide his tears.”
42:24 y4s9 וַיָּ֤שָׁב אֲלֵהֶם֙ 1 “Then {after he recovered,} he/Joseph turned back around” or “{When he had composed himself,} he/Joseph came back to them”. Make sure that the way you translate this sentence fits with the way you translated the last sentence in verse 23.
42:24 pjs5 וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם 1 “and spoke to them {again} {through/using his interpreter/translator}.” or “and continued speaking to them.”
42:24 iqjv וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֵֽאִתָּם֙ אֶת שִׁמְע֔וֹן 1 “Then/Next he chose Simeon from {among} them” or “Then he separated Simeon from {the rest of} the/his brothers”.
42:24 c5q4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ר אֹת֖וֹ 1 “and had him bound/imprisoned” or “and {had his soldiers} bind/confine him {with chains/ropes}”. Joseph probably had soldiers bind Simeon. See how you translated a similar case in Gen 40:3.
42:24 gqgk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם 1 “while/as they watched.” or “in front of them.”
42:25 j6a1 וַיְצַ֣ו יוֹסֵ֗ף וַיְמַלְא֣וּ 1 “Then Joseph commanded/told his servants to fill” or “Then Joseph had his servants fill”
42:25 juwt אֶת כְּלֵיהֶם֮ בָּר֒ 1 “his brothers’ bags/sacks {with} grain.” Two different words, “bag” and “sack”, are used in this verse to refer to the bags of grain that the brothers had. Some languages use just one of these terms in order to prevent confusion. Do what is best in your language.
42:25 wwr6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וּלְהָשִׁ֤יב כַּסְפֵּיהֶם֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל שַׂקּ֔וֹ 1 “{He} also {ordered/told them} to {secretly} put in each brother’s sack/bag the money {they had paid for the grain}” or “{He} also {ordered/told them} to {secretly} put the/his brothers’ {grain/food} money in their sacks/bags”. Joseph had his servants to do this without his brothers knowing about it.
42:25 jz00 וְלָתֵ֥ת לָהֶ֛ם צֵדָ֖ה לַדָּ֑רֶךְ 1 “and to provide/supply them {with} food to eat on the/their trip/journey {home}.” or “and to give them food to eat as they traveled {home}.”
42:25 r98q וַיַּ֥עַשׂ לָהֶ֖ם כֵּֽן 1 “So, that is what was done for them.” or “That is what Joseph did for them.” or “After Joseph did that for his brothers,” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to end this sentence here (and begin verse 26 with a new sentence), or to continue this sentence into verse 26.
42:26 g86q וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ 1 “Then his brothers loaded/put” or “they loaded/put” or “his brothers loaded/put”. Make sure your choice here fits with the way you translated the end of verse 25.
42:26 c1e7 אֶת שִׁבְרָ֖ם עַל חֲמֹרֵיהֶ֑ם 1 “their {sacks of} grain on their donkeys’ {backs}”
42:26 xzck וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ מִשָּֽׁם 1 “and left there {to go home}.” or “and started traveling {home}.” The way you translate this phrase should reflect the fact that Joseph’s brothers were just starting their journey back home; they did not reach their home until several days later (verse 29).
42:27 ob4a וַיִּפְתַּ֨ח הָאֶחָ֜ד אֶת שַׂקּ֗וֹ לָתֵ֥ת מִסְפּ֛וֹא לַחֲמֹר֖וֹ בַּמָּל֑וֹן 1 “Later, {when they stopped} at a place to lodge/stay for the night, one {of them} opened his sack to get {some} feed/grain to feed his donkey.” See how you translated “fodder” in Gen 24:25, 32.
42:27 w95n וַיַּרְא֙ אֶת כַּסְפּ֔וֹ וְהִנֵּה ה֖וּא בְּפִ֥י אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ 1 “Suddenly he saw that the silver/money he had paid {for the grain} was right there in the opening/top of his sack!” or “There in the top of his sack he saw the money that he had paid/used {to buy grain}!”
42:28 zn9u rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֶל אֶחָיו֙ 1 “So/Then he exclaimed to his brothers,” or “So/Then he exclaimed to the others,”
42:28 q65m rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיֵּצֵ֣א לִבָּ֗ם 1 “{They looked, and} their hearts sank,” or “{When they saw it,} they were {completely} shocked,” Consider what is the best way to translate this idiom in your language.
42:28 blx1 וַיֶּֽחֶרְד֞וּ אִ֤ישׁ אֶל אָחִיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר 1 “and they all started trembling/shaking {with fear} and said/exclaimed to each other,” or “and they trembled/shook {with fear}. They asked each other,”
42:28 m4d8 מַה זֹּ֛את עָשָׂ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים לָֽנוּ 1 “What is God doing to us?” or “Why is God doing this to us?” or “Why is God making this happen to us?”
42:29 g299 וַיָּבֹ֛אוּ אֶל יַעֲקֹ֥ב אֲבִיהֶ֖ם אַ֣רְצָה כְּנָ֑עַן 1 “{When} they came/got back {home} to their father Jacob in the land/region of Canaan,” or “{When} they reached {their home in} the land/region of Canaan where their father Jacob was,”
42:29 zl0z וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ ל֔וֹ אֵ֛ת כָּל 1 “they related/explained to him all/everything” or “they told him everything”. See how you translated “reported to” in Gen 38:13.
42:29 cdtq הַקֹּרֹ֥ת אֹתָ֖ם לֵאמֹֽר 1 “they had experienced. They said,”
42:30 ua84 הָאִ֨ישׁ אֲדֹנֵ֥י הָאָ֛רֶץ 1 “The man {who is} the ruler/governor over the land/country {of Egypt}” or “The man who governs/controls the land/country {of Egypt}”
42:30 z0fy דִּ֠בֶּר & אִתָּ֖נוּ קָשׁ֑וֹת 1 “spoke to us sternly/roughly” or “was very harsh/stern when he spoke to us”. See how you translated “harshly” in verse 7.
42:30 tq1x וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֹתָ֔נוּ כִּֽמְרַגְּלִ֖ים 1 “and accused us of spying {on} {their} country!” or “He even accused us of being spies!”
42:31 h6vy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וַנֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו כֵּנִ֣ים אֲנָ֑חְנוּ לֹ֥א הָיִ֖ינוּ מְרַגְּלִֽים 1 “But we told him, ‘We {are} trustworthy {men}; not spies.” or “We told him that we are not spies, but rather honest/trustworthy {men}.” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote. Also, see how you translated “...honest...not spies” in verse 11.
42:32 t2n7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes שְׁנֵים עָשָׂ֥ר אֲנַ֛חְנוּ אַחִ֖ים 1 “There {were} twelve of us brothers,” or “{We told him that} we {are} twelve brothers,” Make sure that the way you translate verse 32 fits with whether you used a direct or indirect quote in verse 31.
42:32 mxfu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism אֵינֶ֔נּוּ 1 “is no more,” or “is no longer {with us},” or “has died,” See how you translated this idiom in verse 13.
42:33 tax5 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלֵ֗ינוּ הָאִישׁ֙ אֲדֹנֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ 1 “Then the ruler/governor of the land/country said/replied to us,” or “But the man who governs/rules the land/country told us,” See how you translated “the man, the lord of the land” in verse 30.
42:33 vfrp בְּזֹ֣את 1 “This is how” or “In this way”. See how you translated “By this” in verse 15.
42:33 bcni אֵדַ֔ע כִּ֥י כֵנִ֖ים אַתֶּ֑ם 1 “I will know that/if you {are} trustworthy {men/people}:”
42:33 y94z אֲחִיכֶ֤ם הָֽאֶחָד֙ הַנִּ֣יחוּ אִתִּ֔י 1 “You must leave one of you here with me,” or “One of you brothers will/must stay {here} with me,”
42:33 a2cp וְאֶת רַעֲב֥וֹן בָּתֵּיכֶ֖ם קְח֥וּ וָלֵֽכוּ 1 “while {the rest of} you take/buy {grain} {to relieve} the hunger of your families and go {home}.” or “and/while {the rest of} you go {home} with {grain/food for} your hungry/starving households/families.”
42:34 yt3a וְ֠הָבִיאוּ אֶת אֲחִיכֶ֣ם הַקָּטֹן֮ אֵלַי֒ 1 “Then/But bring your youngest brother {back} {here} to me” or “After that, you must come back {here} to me with your youngest brother.” See how you translated a similar clause at the beginning of verse 20.
42:34 u5dz וְאֵֽדְעָ֗ה כִּ֣י לֹ֤א מְרַגְּלִים֙ אַתֶּ֔ם 1 “Then I will know that you {are} not spies,” Consider again how you translated “spies” in Gen 42:9-11, 14, 16, 30, 31, 34.
42:34 k4m8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּ֥י כֵנִ֖ים אַתֶּ֑ם 1 “{but} {are} honest/trustworthy {men/people}.” For some languages it is more natural to change the order of clauses in this sentence and say, “Then I will know that you {are} honest/trustworthy {men/people} and not spies.” Do what is best in your language.
42:34 vd53 אֶת אֲחִיכֶם֙ אֶתֵּ֣ן לָכֶ֔ם 1 “{Then} I will return your brother to you {from prison},” or “{Then} I will release to you your brother {who is in prison},”
42:34 df4k וְאֶת הָאָ֖רֶץ תִּסְחָֽרוּ 1 “and I will allow {all of} you to travel {and trade} throughout my country.’ ” or “and you can travel around my country {and trade} {freely}.’ ”
42:35 a8js וַיְהִ֗י הֵ֚ם מְרִיקִ֣ים שַׂקֵּיהֶ֔ם 1 “Then Joseph’s brothers started/began to empty their {grain} sacks,” or “Sometime after that, the brothers began to empty {the grain} from their sacks,”
42:35 p3w3 וְהִנֵּה אִ֥ישׁ צְרוֹר כַּסְפּ֖וֹ בְּשַׂקּ֑וֹ 1 “and there inside each man’s sack was his pouch/bag of money {that he had paid for the grain}!” or “and they were surprised to find/see their pouches/bags of silver/money inside their sacks!”
42:35 e1ff וַיִּרְא֞וּ אֶת צְרֹר֧וֹת כַּסְפֵּיהֶ֛ם הֵ֥מָּה וַאֲבִיהֶ֖ם 1 “When they and their father {Jacob} saw the pouches/bags of silver/money,”
42:36 zzid וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ יַעֲקֹ֣ב אֲבִיהֶ֔ם 1 “Then their father said/exclaimed to them,” If you make “Jacob” explicit in verse 35, you could leave it implied here in verse 36.
42:36 h76g אֹתִ֖י שִׁכַּלְתֶּ֑ם 1 “You have bereaved/deprived me {of my sons}!” or “You have caused me {terrible} loss!”
42:36 rptq יוֹסֵ֤ף אֵינֶ֨נּוּ֙ וְשִׁמְע֣וֹן אֵינֶ֔נּוּ 1 “Joseph is gone! Simeon is gone!” or “Joseph and Simeon are no longer {with us}!”
42:36 s0my וְאֶת בִּנְיָמִ֣ן תִּקָּ֔חוּ 1 “And {now} you {want to} take Benjamin {away} {from me} {too}!”
42:36 thfj עָלַ֖י הָי֥וּ כֻלָּֽנָה 1 “Everything is against me!” or “Everything is going terribly/badly for me!”
42:37 oqs5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר רְאוּבֵן֙ אֶל אָבִ֣יו לֵאמֹ֔ר 1 “Then Reuben said/responded to his father,” or “Reuben replied,”
42:37 qpmv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֶת שְׁנֵ֤י בָנַי֙ תָּמִ֔ית אִם לֹ֥א אֲבִיאֶ֖נּוּ אֵלֶ֑יךָ 1 “You may punish me by killing my sons if I do not bring Benjamin back to you.” or “If I fail to bring Benjamin/him {back} to you {safely}, you can {punish me by} killing my two sons.” For some languages, it is necessary to change the order of clauses in this sentence (so that the condition comes first), as in the second alternate above. Do what is best in your language.
42:37 cqwt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom תְּנָ֤ה אֹתוֹ֙ עַל יָדִ֔י 1 “Entrust him/Benjamin to my care {as we travel to Egypt},” or “Let me be responsible for {taking care of} him/Benjamin {on our trip to Egypt},” The phrase “in my hand” is used here as an idiom that means that Reuben was going to be responsible for Benjamin’s welfare.
42:37 wz8v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַאֲנִ֖י אֲשִׁיבֶ֥נּוּ אֵלֶֽיךָ 1 “and {I promise that} I will bring him back to you {safely}.” For some languages it is more natural to change the order of clauses in this quote and say, “{Father,} let me be responsible for {taking} Benjamin {down to Egypt}. If I fail to bring him {back} to you {safely}, you can {punish me by} killing my two sons.” Do what is best in your language.
42:38 vyte rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “But his father replied/insisted,”
42:38 lta2 לֹֽא יֵרֵ֥ד בְּנִ֖י עִמָּכֶ֑ם 1 “My son {Benjamin} will/may not go with you {to Egypt},” or “{No,} I will not let my son {Benjamin} go down {to Egypt} with you.” Notice that the pronoun “you” is plural in this verse. Also, see how you translated “go down” in verse 2.
42:38 lyr6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship כִּֽי אָחִ֨יו מֵ֜ת 1 “His brother is dead,” Joseph was Benjamin’s older brother from the same father and mother. Consider whether your language has a special kinship term for that. Also consider whether or not it is better to begin a new sentence here in your language.
42:38 gth5 וְה֧וּא לְבַדּ֣וֹ נִשְׁאָ֗ר 1 “so he is the only one {of his mother’s sons} {who is} still alive.” or “and/so he is the only one/son {I have} left {from his mother}.” You could include a footnote here that explains that Joseph and Benjamin were the only two sons of Rachel, Jacob’s favorite wife who died after giving birth to Benjamin (Gen 35:16-20).
42:38 q1la rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo וּקְרָאָ֤הוּ אָסוֹן֙ בַּדֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּֽלְכוּ בָ֔הּ 1 “And/So if he were to be harmed/killed during your journey,” or “So if anything bad happened to him while you are traveling,” Jacob is saying what would happen if he lost Benjamin too. Consider what is the best way to translate this hypothetical statement in your language. Also, see how you translated “harm...meet him” in verse 4.
42:38 bz42 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche וְהוֹרַדְתֶּ֧ם אֶת שֵׂיבָתִ֛י בְּיָג֖וֹן 1 “you would cause me, your gray-haired/elderly father, to grieve so deeply/badly that I would {die and} go down” or “you would cause me, your gray-haired/elderly father, so much sorrow/grief that I would {die and} go down”. The phrase “my gray head” is a synecdoche which Jacob uses to refer to himself as their aged father. Consider whether your language has a similar phrase that is natural and works well here.
42:38 whbu rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown שְׁאֽוֹלָה 1 “to the afterworld!” The Hebrew term “Sheol” is the name of the place where the spirits of people went after they died. If you transliterate the name “Sheol” in your translation, you could put its meaning in a footnote. See how you translated this term in Gen 37:35, and see the note about that there.
43:1 ddpw rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וְהָרָעָ֖ב 1 “The famine” or “The food shortage”. The setting changes here to focus on what is happening in Canaan. Some languages use a special conjunction (like “Now”) to indicate that, while others do not use a conjunction here. Do what is best in your language.
43:1 k8tt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom כָּבֵ֥ד 1 “{was} oppressive/severe” or “{continued to be} severe”. The word “heavy” is used here as an idiom that means the famine caused everyone much suffering. See how you translated the same idiom in Gen 12:10 and Gen 41:31.
43:1 pon5 בָּאָֽרֶץ 1 “in the land/region {of Canaan}.”
43:2 ymu3 וַיְהִ֗י 1 “So it happened {that}” or “So”. This phrase introduces an important event and helps create suspense so that readers will wonder what the outcome will be. Many translations omit “it happened” because it is not natural in their language. Do what is best in your language.
43:2 wchl rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר כִּלּוּ֙ 1 “when Jacob and his family {had} finished eating” or “...{had} used/eaten up”. Consider whether it is clearer in your language to use a pronoun or a noun phrase here.
43:2 akxh rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns אֶת הַשֶּׁ֔בֶר אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֵבִ֖יאוּ 1 “{all} the grain that his sons had {bought and} brought {home}”. The pronoun “they” refers here to Jacob’s sons, not Jacob’s family (as it did earlier in this sentence).
43:2 ldtz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive לָ֥נוּ 1 “for us {and our families}.” or “for the/our family.” The pronoun “us” includes Jacob and his sons and their families here.
43:3 a6uc הָאִ֤ישׁ 1 “The man {who governs/controls the country there}” or “The governor {there}”. The brothers did not realize yet that Joseph was the governor they had spoken to in Egypt, so Judah referred to him generally here as “the man”. See how you translated a similar phrase in Gen 42:30.
43:3 pib6 הָעֵ֣ד הֵעִד֩ בָּ֨נוּ & לֵאמֹר֙ 1 “sternly warned/told us” or “was serious when he warned us”
43:3 klhy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes לֹֽא תִרְא֣וּ פָנַ֔י 1 “that we cannot see him {again}” or “that we cannot go/come to him {again} {to buy grain}”. Consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote.
43:3 qdmg rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-exceptions בִּלְתִּ֖י אֲחִיכֶ֥ם אִתְּכֶֽם 1 “unless our {youngest} brother is with us!” or “if our {youngest} brother {is} not with us.” Make sure that the way you translate this clause fits with how you translated the previous part of this sentence. For some languages it is necessary to put this clause before the previous clause and say, “...that our {youngest} brother must be with us or else we will not {be permitted to} see him {again}!”
43:4 w58d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive אִם יֶשְׁךָ֛ מְשַׁלֵּ֥חַ אֶת אָחִ֖ינוּ אִתָּ֑נוּ 1 “{So} if you will allow/permit our {youngest} brother to go with us,” or “{So} if you will let our {youngest} brother go with us,” In verses 3-5, the pronouns “us” and “we” are exclusive since they do not include Jacob (whom Judah is talking to).
43:4 drtr נֵרְדָ֕ה 1 “{then} we will/can go/travel {to Egypt}”
43:4 hc8i וְנִשְׁבְּרָ֥ה לְךָ֖ אֹֽכֶל 1 “and buy {more} food/grain for you {and the rest of the family}.”
43:5 bila וְאִם אֵינְךָ֥ 1 “However if you refuse to”
43:5 mcx4 מְשַׁלֵּ֖חַ 1 “allow/permit him to go {with us},” or “let him go {with us},” See how you translated “send” in verse 4.
43:5 yja1 לֹ֣א נֵרֵ֑ד 1 “we cannot go down {there},” or “we must not go {there} {to buy grain},” See how you translated “go down” and “went down” in Gen 42:2-3.
43:5 ta44 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes לֹֽא תִרְא֣וּ פָנַ֔י 1 “that we cannot see him {again}” or “that we cannot go to him {again} {to buy grain}”. See how you translated this quote in verse 3.
43:5 zutf rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-exceptions בִּלְתִּ֖י אֲחִיכֶ֥ם אִתְּכֶֽם 1 “unless our {youngest} brother {is} with us!” or “if our {youngest} brother {is} not with us!” See how you translated this clause in verse 3.
43:6 qmq5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל 1 “Then {their father} Israel asked {them},” If it is not clear that “Israel” (verse 6) and “their father” (verse 2) refer to the same person, you could include “their father” here in your translation or in a footnote. See what you did for a similar case in Gen 42:5.
43:6 xkfv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion לָמָ֥ה הֲרֵעֹתֶ֖ם לִ֑י לְהַגִּ֣יד 1 “Why did you cause trouble/distress for me by telling” or “You caused me a lot of trouble/distress because you told”. Jacob uses a rhetorical question here to scold his sons and to show how upset he is. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
43:6 embi לָאִ֔ישׁ 1 “that man” or “the/that governor”. See how you translated “the man” in verses 3 and 5.
43:6 h0lc הַע֥וֹד לָכֶ֖ם אָֽח 1 “that you have another brother!” or “that you have a younger brother?” If you translate this rhetorical question as a statement, make sure that you end it with a period or exclamation mark.
43:7 ebcv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive לָ֣נוּ וּלְמֽוֹלַדְתֵּ֜נוּ לֵאמֹ֗ר 1 “about ourselves and about {the rest of} our family.” In verses 7-8, the pronouns “us”, “our” and “we” are exclusive since they do not include Jacob (whom the sons are talking to).
43:7 ozlb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes הַע֨וֹד אֲבִיכֶ֥ם חַי֙ הֲיֵ֣שׁ לָכֶ֣ם אָ֔ח 1 “He {specifically} asked {us} if/whether our father was still alive and if/whether we had {another} brother.” Consider whether it is more natural in your language to translate this embedded quote with a direct or indirect quote.
43:7 blcg וַנַ֨גֶּד ל֔וֹ עַל פִּ֖י הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה 1 “So we {just/simply} answered his questions {honestly/truthfully}.” or “All we did was answer his questions.”
43:7 z7wb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲיָד֣וֹעַ נֵדַ֔ע 1 “We could not possibly have known” or “There is no way we could have known”. Jacob’s sons use a rhetorical question here to emphasize their innocence and express strong emotion. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
43:7 ltpm כִּ֣י יֹאמַ֔ר הוֹרִ֖ידוּ אֶת אֲחִיכֶֽם 1 “that he would tell/require us to bring/take our brother down {there} {to him}!” If you translate this rhetorical question as a statement, make sure that you end it with a period or exclamation mark.
43:8 bflr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוּדָ֜ה אֶל יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אָבִ֗יו 1 “Then Judah urged his father Israel {about Benjamin},” For some languages it is necessary to make “Benjamin” explicit here in the quote margin so that it is clear that “young man” refers to him in the following quote. Do what is best in your language.
43:8 daxf שִׁלְחָ֥ה הַנַּ֛עַר אִתִּ֖י 1 “Allow/Permit the young man to come with me/us {and I will watch over him}” or “Entrust the young man to me {to take care of}”. See how you translated “young man” in Gen 37:2; 41:12. Use a term here in your language that fits with the fact that Benjamin was probably in his 30’s.
43:8 imi8 וְנָק֣וּמָה וְנֵלֵ֑כָה 1 “and/so we can leave right away {to buy grain in Egypt}” or “so that we can go immediately {to Egypt} {to buy grain}.”
43:8 lenm וְנִֽחְיֶה֙ & גַּם אֲנַ֥חְנוּ גַם אַתָּ֖ה גַּם טַפֵּֽנוּ 1 “Then all of us, including our children, will survive” or “...will/can stay alive”. Consider whether or not it is better to begin a new sentence here in your language. Also, see how you translated “will live and not die” in Gen 42:2.
43:9 ft8t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom מִיָּדִ֖י תְּבַקְשֶׁ֑נּוּ 1 “You can hold/make me responsible/liable for him,” See how you translated a similar idiom in Gen 31:39.
43:9 mk47 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo אִם לֹ֨א הֲבִיאֹתִ֤יו אֵלֶ֨יךָ֙ וְהִצַּגְתִּ֣יו לְפָנֶ֔יךָ 1 “{so that} if I do not bring him {back} {home} to you alive/safely,” Consider what is the best way to translate this hypothetical sentence in your language.
43:10 aodh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo כִּ֖י לוּלֵ֣א הִתְמַהְמָ֑הְנוּ 1 “As it is, If we had not delayed/waited {such a long time},” or “In any case, if we had not delayed/waited {this long},” This sentence refers to something that could have happened, but did not actually happen. Consider what is the best way to translate this contrary-to-fact statement in your language.
43:10 vc35 כִּֽי עַתָּ֥ה שַׁ֖בְנוּ זֶ֥ה פַעֲמָֽיִם 1 “certainly we could have made two {round} trips {there and back} by now.” or “we certainly would have had enough time to go down there and back two times already.”
43:11 rugr וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אֲבִיהֶ֗ם 1 “Then their father Israel said to them,” See how you translated “Israel their father” in verse 8.
43:11 z17t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אִם כֵּ֣ן 1 “If/Since that is how it must be,” or “{Okay,} if that is the only way {we can get more grain},”
43:11 e0uk אֵפוֹא֮ זֹ֣את עֲשׂוּ֒ 1 “then this is what you must/should do:”
43:11 w192 קְח֞וּ מִזִּמְרַ֤ת הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ בִּכְלֵיכֶ֔ם 1 “Put {some} of the best things/goods from {our} land in your sacks,” or “Put in your sacks some of the most valuable things that {our} land produces,”
43:11 xe36 וְהוֹרִ֥ידוּ לָאִ֖ישׁ 1 “and take {them} to the man/governor {in Egypt}”
43:11 x3ux מִנְחָ֑ה 1 “{as} gifts,” or “{as} gifts.” Consider what punctuation is best to use here in your language.
43:11 zelc rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknowns מְעַ֤ט צֳרִי֙ וּמְעַ֣ט דְּבַ֔שׁ 1 “{including} some sweet-smelling tree resin/sap, some honey,” or “{Include} some healing salve, honey,” Consider what is the best way to make a list of things like this in your language. Also see how you translated “balm” in Gen 37:25.
43:11 j3jb rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknowns נְכֹ֣את וָלֹ֔ט 1 “{some} {food} spices/seasonings and incense,” See how you translated “spices” and “myrrh” in Gen 37:25.
43:11 nm7q rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknowns בָּטְנִ֖ים וּשְׁקֵדִֽים 1 “{and} {some} pistachio nuts and almonds.” or “{and} {some} sweet-tasting tree nuts.”
43:12 belf וְאֶת הַכֶּ֜סֶף & תָּשִׁ֣יבוּ בְיֶדְכֶ֔ם 1 “because you must take/give back the silver/money” or “You must give back the silver/money”. Consider whether or not it is better to begin a new sentence here in your language.
43:12 vphu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive הַמּוּשָׁ֨ב 1 “that was given back {to you} {by someone}” or “that someone gave back {to you}”. Consider whether it is better in your language to use a passive or active clause here.
43:12 z9xu בְּפִ֤י אַמְתְּחֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ 1 “in the opening/top of your sacks.” or “in your sacks.” See how you translated a similar phrase in Gen 42:27.
43:12 my0a אוּלַ֥י מִשְׁגֶּ֖ה הֽוּא 1 “That might have happened by mistake.” or “Maybe they/someone did that by mistake.”
43:13 g5d0 וְאֶת אֲחִיכֶ֖ם קָ֑חוּ 1 “So {then/now,} take your {youngest} brother”
43:13 rb0s וְק֖וּמוּ שׁ֥וּבוּ אֶל הָאִֽישׁ 1 “and return right away to the man/governor.” or “and immediately go back to the man/governor.” See how you translated “get up and...” in verse 8.
43:14 ldsn וְאֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֗י יִתֵּ֨ן 1 “May Almighty God” or “I pray that God {who is} all-powerful will”. Consider again how you translated “God Almighty” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 43:14.
43:14 p538 וְאֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֗י יִתֵּ֨ן לָכֶ֤ם רַחֲמִים֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הָאִ֔ישׁ 1 “be merciful/kind to you {as you go} before the man/governor,” or “cause the man/governor to be merciful/kind to you,” or “cause him to treat you mercifully/kindly,”
43:14 bcey וְשִׁלַּ֥ח & אֶת־אֲחִיכֶ֥ם אַחֵ֖ר וְאֶת־בִּנְיָמִ֑ין 1 The Hebrew text us ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “so that he will” or “and I pray that the man/governor will” (2) “and may he/God” or “and I pray that God will”
43:14 t3kf rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship וְשִׁלַּ֥ח אֶת אֲחִיכֶ֥ם אַחֵ֖ר וְאֶת בִּנְיָמִ֑ין 1 “allow/permit your other brother and Benjamin to come/go” or “let your brothers Simeon and Benjamin come/go”. Notice that “other brother” refers to Simeon, who is older or younger (and has the same or different mother) than his brothers that Israel is talking to here. Also see how you translated “send” in verses 4-5.
43:14 nlep וַאֲנִ֕י כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר 1 “{As for} me, if I” or “But {if not, and} if I”. The pronoun “I” is emphatic here in the Hebrew text. If possible, keep that emphasis in your translation.
43:14 djjf שָׁכֹ֖לְתִּי שָׁכָֽלְתִּי 1 “{must} be bereaved/deprived {of them}, {then} I {will} be bereaved/deprived.” or “{must} lose them and grieve {for them}, {then} I {will} grieve.” or “{must} suffer loss, then I {will} suffer loss.” See how you translated “bereaved” in Gen 42:36.
43:15 l6s7 וַיִּקְח֤וּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ אֶת הַמִּנְחָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את 1 “Then/So the brothers packed those gifts {in their sacks}” or “So the brothers gathered/got {all} those gifts {and packed them}”. See how you translated “gift” in verse 11 and in Gen 33:10-11.
43:15 omg5 וּמִשְׁנֶה כֶּ֛סֶף לָקְח֥וּ בְיָדָ֖ם 1 “along with twice as much silver/money {as the grain would cost}.” or “and they also packed double/twice the amount of silver/money {that they needed to pay for the grain}.” See how you translated this phrase in verse 12.
43:15 z4lc וְאֶת בִּנְיָמִ֑ן וַיָּקֻ֨מוּ֙ 1 “They also {took/got} Benjamin and {together} they” or “Then they {took} Benjamin {with them} and”
43:15 qhe4 וַיָּקֻ֨מוּ֙ וַיֵּרְד֣וּ מִצְרַ֔יִם 1 “immediately/quickly traveled down to {the country of} Egypt”. See how you translated “get up and go” in verse 8.
43:15 kkg6 וַיַּֽעַמְד֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י יוֹסֵֽף 1 “and presented themselves before/to Joseph.” or “and went/came directly to Joseph.”
43:16 c5xl וַיַּ֨רְא יוֹסֵ֣ף אִתָּם֮ אֶת בִּנְיָמִין֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ 1 “Joseph saw Benjamin with {the rest of} his brothers. So he told/ordered” or “When Joseph saw Benjamin with his {other} brothers, he told/commanded”
43:16 dsy9 לַֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל בֵּית֔וֹ 1 “{the servant} who managed/supervised his household,” or “his head house-servant,”
43:16 txuy הָבֵ֥א אֶת הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים הַבָּ֑יְתָה 1 “Bring/Lead the/these men to {my} house” or “Escort these men to {my} house.”
43:16 kqg9 וּטְבֹ֤חַ טֶ֨בַח֙ 1 “then slaughter/kill one of {the/my} livestock” or “Then slaughter/butcher an animal/calf/goat”. The Hebrew word for “animal” here is general and refers to an animal that was raised to be killed and eaten, such as a calf or goat. Consider whether or not it is better to begin a new sentence here in your language.
43:16 lwck וְהָכֵ֔ן 1 “and {use/roast/cook the meat to} prepare {a meal/feast},” or “and prepare {a feast} {with its meat},”
43:16 yt78 כִּ֥י אִתִּ֛י יֹאכְל֥וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים בַּֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם 1 “because {I want} them to eat with me {today} at noon.” or “because {I have planned/decided that} the men will eat the noon meal with me {at my house}.”
43:17 r6ug וַיַּ֣עַשׂ הָאִ֔ישׁ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר אָמַ֣ר יוֹסֵ֑ף 1 “The servant did exactly what Joseph {had} told/commanded {him to do}”
43:17 hzqo וַיָּבֵ֥א הָאִ֛ישׁ 1 “and took/led” or “and escorted”
43:17 cer2 אֶת הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים בֵּ֥יתָה יוֹסֵֽף 1 “the brothers to Joseph’s house.” Make sure that the way you translate this phrase does not sound like Joseph’s brothers went inside the house yet. They did not actually go inside until later (verse 24).
43:18 vtq7 וַיִּֽירְא֣וּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֗ים כִּ֣י הֽוּבְאוּ֮ בֵּ֣ית יוֹסֵף֒ 1 “The brothers became afraid when/because they saw that the servant had brought/led them {to} Joseph’s house,” or “But when the brothers saw that he had taken them to Joseph’s house, they were afraid,”
43:18 skvj וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ 1 “and they said {to each other},” or “Then they said {to each other},” Consider whether or not it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here.
43:18 a2z1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure עַל דְּבַ֤ר הַכֶּ֨סֶף֙ הַשָּׁ֤ב בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵ֨ינוּ֙ בַּתְּחִלָּ֔ה אֲנַ֖חְנוּ מֽוּבָאִ֑ים 1 “We have been brought {here} because of the silver/money that was returned {to us} in our sacks the first time {we came here}.” or “He has brought/taken us here because of {our} silver/money that someone gave back to us in our sacks {on} {our} first trip {here}.”
43:18 hjh2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom לְהִתְגֹּלֵ֤ל עָלֵ֨ינוּ֙ וּלְהִתְנַפֵּ֣ל עָלֵ֔ינוּ 1 “{He is planning} to take/seize us by force” or “{He intends} to {have his soldiers} attack us and overpower us”. Consider what is the best way to translate these idioms in your language.
43:18 bwz0 וְלָקַ֧חַת אֹתָ֛נוּ לַעֲבָדִ֖ים 1 “and keep us as slaves/servants,” or “and make us {his} slaves/servants,”
43:18 po0k וְאֶת חֲמֹרֵֽינוּ 1 “along with our donkeys!” or “{He will} also {take/capture} our donkeys!” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
43:19 xsms וַֽיִּגְּשׁוּ֙ אֶל 1 “Then/So they went up to” or “Then/So they approached”
43:19 dmuv הָאִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל בֵּ֣ית יוֹסֵ֑ף 1 “the servant who managed/supervised Joseph’s household” or “Joseph’s head house-servant”. See how you translated a similar phrase in verse 16.
43:19 s3sc וַיְדַבְּר֥וּ אֵלָ֖יו פֶּ֥תַח הַבָּֽיִת 1 “to speak to him {at/outside} the entrance/door to {his} house.” or “{at/outside} the entrance/door to the house in order to speak to him.”
43:20 ml95 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ 1 “They said {to him},” or “{One of} them said {to him} {on behalf of them all},”
43:20 lue5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-honorifics בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִ֑י 1 “Excuse me/us, sir,” or “Master/Sir, please {allow me/us to speak to you}.” The brothers are asking the servant for permission to speak. Translate this in a way that is respectful in your language.
43:20 z7s9 יָרֹ֥ד יָרַ֛דְנוּ בַּתְּחִלָּ֖ה לִשְׁבָּר אֹֽכֶל 1 “the first/previous time we came/traveled down {here} {to Egypt}, we came to buy {some} food/grain.” or “one time before this, we traveled all the way down {here} {to Egypt} and bought {some} food/grain.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
43:21 ordx וַֽיְהִ֞י 1 “But it {so} happened {that}” or “But {on our way home},” This phrase introduces an important event and helps create suspense so that readers will wonder what the outcome will be. Many translations omit “it happened” because it is not natural in their language. Do what is best in your language.
43:21 in48 כִּי בָ֣אנוּ אֶל הַמָּל֗וֹן וַֽנִּפְתְּחָה֙ אֶת אַמְתְּחֹתֵ֔ינוּ 1 “when we arrived at the place where we lodged/stayed for the night, we opened our sacks”. See how you translated “the lodging place” in Gen 42:27.
43:21 ch69 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְהִנֵּ֤ה כֶֽסֶף אִישׁ֙ בְּפִ֣י אַמְתַּחְתּ֔וֹ 1 “and we were surprised to see that our bags/pouches of silver/money were in the opening/top of each of our sacks!” or “There in the opening/top of each of our sacks {was} the silver/money {we had paid/given to you} {for the grain}!” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.\r\nAlso, s\ree how you translated “in the mouth of...sacks” in verse 12.
43:21 penc rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-bmoney כַּסְפֵּ֖נוּ בְּמִשְׁקָל֑וֹ 1 “The full/exact weight/amount of silver/money was there!” or “The silver/money was all there!” The silver was weighed in shekels (Gen 20:16; 23:15-16; 37:28) to determine how much to pay for something. See how you translated “silver” in Gen 42:25, 27, 35.
43:22 fyvo וְכֶ֧סֶף אַחֵ֛ר הוֹרַ֥דְנוּ 1 “We also brought enough extra/additional silver/money with us” or “We have {also} brought more/additional silver/money with us”
43:22 hnax לִשְׁבָּר אֹ֑כֶל 1 “so that we can buy {some more} food/grain {now/today}.”
43:22 qw4u לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְנוּ 1 “We have no idea”
43:22 uztm מִי שָׂ֥ם כַּסְפֵּ֖נוּ בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵֽינוּ 1 “who put the money in our sacks.” or “who gave that silver/money back to us in our sacks.” or “how our silver/money got into our sacks {like that}.”
43:23 yad2 שָׁל֨וֹם לָכֶ֜ם 1 “Be at peace, {and}” or “All is well for you, {so}” or “It/Everything is all right, {so}” The phrase “Peace to you” is a blessing that wishes someone to be well and at peace. Consider whether your language has a similar blessing or possibly an idiom that would work well here.
43:23 ohpb אַל תִּירָ֗אוּ 1 “do not be anxious.” or “do not worry {about it}.”
43:23 iuqp אֱלֹ֨הֵיכֶ֜ם וֵֽאלֹהֵ֤י אֲבִיכֶם֙ 1 “Your God, {who is} also your father’s God” or “The God whom you and your father serve/worship”. Make sure that your translation of these phrases refers to the same God, not two different Gods.
43:23 axqr נָתַ֨ן לָכֶ֤ם מַטְמוֹן֙ בְּאַמְתְּחֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם 1 “must have hidden/put the silver/money in your sacks,”
43:23 zwsy כַּסְפְּכֶ֖ם בָּ֣א אֵלָ֑י 1 “{because} I {definitely} received your/the silver/money {that you paid for the grain}.” or “{because} {I know that} you gave/paid me silver/money {to pay for the grain}.”
43:23 nnn5 וַיּוֹצֵ֥א אֲלֵהֶ֖ם אֶת שִׁמְעֽוֹן 1 “Then the/Joseph’s head-servant brought Simeon out {of prison} to his brothers.” or “Then the/Joseph’s servant {got} Simeon out {of prison} {and} brought/took {him} to his brothers.”
43:24 hz7n וַיִּתֶּן מַ֨יִם֙ 1 “and provided {them} with water”
43:24 f3c2 וַיִּרְחֲצ֣וּ רַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם 1 “and they washed {the dust/dirt off} their feet,” or “to wash {the road dust off} their feet,” Consider again how you translated “wash....feet” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 18:4; 19:2; 24:32; 43:24.
43:24 xfcm וַיִּתֵּ֥ן מִסְפּ֖וֹא לַחֲמֹֽרֵיהֶֽם 1 “and he provided fodder/feed for their donkeys.” or “He also fed their donkeys.” Consider whether or not it is better to begin a new sentence here in your language. Also, see how you translated “fodder” in Gen 42:27.
43:25 q583 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּי שָׁ֖ם יֹ֥אכְלוּ לָֽחֶם 1 “that they were going to eat a meal {with him} there {at his house}.” For some languages it is more natural to put the last half of this verse at the beginning of the verse and say, “When Joseph’s brothers heard that they were going to eat the noon meal with Joseph {at his house}, they got their gifts ready to give him when he came/got home.” Do what is best in your language.
43:26 ida9 וַיָּבִ֥יאּוּ ל֛וֹ אֶת הַמִּנְחָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדָ֖ם הַבָּ֑יְתָה 1 “his brothers {gave/presented} to him the gift/gifts that they had brought with them into the house.”
43:26 vrkt rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ ל֖וֹ אָֽרְצָה 1 “Then they bowed {themselves} down before him {with their faces} to the ground {to show him respect/honor}.” or “Then they prostrated themselves on the ground {to respect/honor him}.” See how you translated “bowed down...ground” in Gen 42:6.
43:27 bvqp וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל לָהֶם֙ לְשָׁל֔וֹם 1 “Then Joseph asked them how they were doing,” or “Then he/Joseph greeted them”
43:27 e2sa וַיֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “and he asked {them},” or “He also asked {them},” Consider whether or not it is more natural in your language to begin a new sentence here.
43:27 f3lh הֲשָׁל֛וֹם אֲבִיכֶ֥ם הַזָּקֵ֖ן 1 “Is your aged/elderly father {doing} well” or “Is your aged/elderly father in good health,”
43:27 fjka אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲמַרְתֶּ֑ם 1 “whom you spoke about {to me} {before}?” or “whom you mentioned {to me}?”
43:27 d9kw הַעוֹדֶ֖נּוּ חָֽי 1 “Is he still living?”
43:28 siak rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-honorifics שָׁל֛וֹם לְעַבְדְּךָ֥ לְאָבִ֖ינוּ עוֹדֶ֣נּוּ חָ֑י 1 “{Yes sir,} our father, who highly respects you, is still alive and well/blessed.” The brothers refer to their father as “your servant” here to show respect to Joseph and to acknowledge his high position. Translate this phrase in a polite way that shows respect toward Joseph. Also, the pronoun “our” is exclusive here because Joseph’s brothers did not yet know that they were talking to Joseph.
43:28 pv3h וַֽיִּקְּד֖וּ 1 “Then they bowed {their heads}” or “Then they knelt”. In this verse, the terms “bowed” and “bowed down” translate two different Hebrew words that together describe and emphasize the process of bowing down to the ground.
43:28 iql9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּֽוּ 1 “and bowed down {to the ground} {again}.” or “and prostrated themselves {in front of him} {again}.” See how you translated “bowed down” in verse 26.
43:29 sk3t rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship וַיִּשָּׂ֣א עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּ֞רְא אֶת־בִּנְיָמִ֣ין אָחִיו֮ 1 “Then Joseph looked up/around and saw his brother Benjamin,” or “When Joseph looked around {at them all}, he saw his brother Benjamin,” Benjamin was younger than Joseph. Also, consider again how you translated the idiom “lifted...eyes” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 13:10, 14; 18:2; 22:4, 13; 24:63-64; 31:10; 33:1, 5; 37:25; 39:7; 43:29.
43:29 tfn4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “and he said {to them},” or “and he asked {them},”
43:29 kw42 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲזֶה֙ אֲחִיכֶ֣ם הַקָּטֹ֔ן 1 “So this {young man} must be your youngest brother” or “I suppose this {young man} is your youngest brother”. This question could be an actual question or a rhetorical question. The fact that Joseph does not wait for an answer suggests that this is a rhetorical question, especially since he already realized that the new brother in the group was Benjamin (verse 16).
43:29 kj9r אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֵלָ֑י 1 “whom you told me about.” Make sure that your punctuation here fits with the way you translated this sentence, either as a question or a statement.
43:29 fgdx וַיֹּאמַ֕ר 1 “Then he said {to Benjamin},”
43:29 x673 אֱלֹהִ֥ים יָחְנְךָ֖ 1 “I pray that God will be gracious/kind to you,” See how you translated “God has been gracious to...” in Gen 33:11. Also see how you translated “grace” in 24:12, 14 ,27, 49; 39:21.
43:29 etkj בְּנִֽי 1 “young man.” The phrase “my son” is a kind way to address a man who is younger or of lower status; it does not mean that Benjamin was Joseph’s actual son. Also, for some languages it is necessary to put this address first in this quote. Do what is natural in your language.
43:30 mlcg כִּֽי נִכְמְר֤וּ רַחֲמָיו֙ אֶל אָחִ֔יו 1 “because he was feeling deeply emotional about his brother,” or “because he felt overwhelmed with emotions for/about his brother”
43:30 lthk וַיְבַקֵּ֖שׁ לִבְכּ֑וֹת 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “and desired/wanted to cry,” or “and felt like crying,” or “and was about to cry,” (2) “and was looking for {a place} to cry,” or “and went to find {a place} to cry,”
43:31 vi1v וַיִּרְחַ֥ץ פָּנָ֖יו וַיֵּצֵ֑א וַיִּ֨תְאַפַּ֔ק 1 “After a while, he stopped crying, washed {the tears off} his face and came out {of his room}” or “After he had gotten control of his emotions {and stopped crying}, he washed {the tears off} his face and came back out {of his room}.”
43:31 djhb וַיֹּ֖אמֶר 1 “and told/commanded {his servants},” or “Then he told/commanded {his servants},” For some languages it is more natural to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
43:31 fj19 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche שִׂ֥ימוּ לָֽחֶם 1 “Serve/Bring the food/meal {to us}.” or “{It is time to} serve/distribute the food/meal {to us}.” The word “bread” refers to all the food they ate at this meal, not just bread.
43:32 k33k וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ ל֛וֹ לְבַדּ֖וֹ 1 “So/Then they served/brought {food} to him/Joseph at his own table,”
43:32 j3ct וְלָהֶ֣ם לְבַדָּ֑ם 1 “and his brothers at their own table,”
43:32 aecw וְלַמִּצְרִ֞ים הָאֹכְלִ֤ים אִתּוֹ֙ לְבַדָּ֔ם 1 “and the Egyptians who were eating as his guests at their own table.” or “They also served/brought {food} to some Egyptian guests at a separate table.” For some languages it is more natural to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
43:32 n9pf כִּי֩ לֹ֨א יוּכְל֜וּן הַמִּצְרִ֗ים לֶאֱכֹ֤ל אֶת הָֽעִבְרִים֙ לֶ֔חֶם כִּי תוֹעֵבָ֥ה הִ֖וא לְמִצְרָֽיִם 1 “Egyptians do not eat at the same table as Hebrew people, because Egyptians/they consider it detestable/unacceptable {to do that}.” or “{The servants did that,} because Egyptians consider it detestable/unacceptable to eat with Hebrew people at the same table.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also consider again how you translated “Hebrews” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 14:13, 39:14, 17; 40:15, 41:12; 43:32.
43:33 kg7b לְפָנָ֔יו 1 “in front of him/Joseph” or “facing his/Joseph’s table”
43:33 owgp הַבְּכֹר֙ כִּבְכֹ֣רָת֔וֹ וְהַצָּעִ֖יר כִּצְעִרָת֑וֹ 1 “according to their age order, from oldest to youngest,” or “in the order of their ages, from the firstborn/oldest to the youngest,”
43:33 liwf וַיִּתְמְה֥וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים אִ֥ישׁ אֶל רֵעֵֽהוּ 1 “so they looked/stared at each other in astonishment/amazement.” or “{When they saw/noticed that,} they were astonished/amazed {and stared} at one another.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
43:34 rsws rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיִּשָּׂ֨א מַשְׂאֹ֜ת מֵאֵ֣ת פָּנָיו֮ אֲלֵהֶם֒ 1 “Then Joseph served his brothers food from his table,” or “Then Joseph {had his servants} serve food to his brothers from his table,” As a person of high position and status, Joseph probably had his servants serve the food rather doing it himself. Decide whether you want to make that information explicit in your translation or include it in a footnote.
43:34 elb9 וַתֵּ֜רֶב מַשְׂאַ֧ת בִּנְיָמִ֛ן & חָמֵ֣שׁ יָד֑וֹת 1 “but the amount of food that was served to Benjamin was five times more” or “but he {had them} serve Benjamin five times more {food}”
43:34 slsw מִמַּשְׂאֹ֥ת כֻּלָּ֖ם 1 “than {the amount of food that} was served to any of {the rest of} them.” or “than {they} served to any of {the rest of} his brothers.”
43:34 gdx2 וַיִּשְׁתּ֥וּ וַֽיִּשְׁכְּר֖וּ עִמּֽוֹ 1 “Then they {ate food,} drank {wine} and celebrated/feasted with him.” or “Then his brothers feasted and drank {wine} freely with him.” or “Then they feasted and drank {wine} freely with him {until they were very merry}.” The Hebrew verb for “became drunk” is the same word that is used in Gen 9:21 to describe Noah when he had drunk so much wine that he had fallen asleep. Here, it probably means that they had drunk enough wine that they were feeling happy and sociable.
44:1 co1e אֶת אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל בֵּיתוֹ֮ 1 “{the servant} who managed/supervised his household,” or “his head house-servant,” See how you translated this phrase in Gen 43:16.
44:1 t9xr לֵאמֹר֒ מַלֵּ֞א אֶת אַמְתְּחֹ֤ת הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ אֹ֔כֶל כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר 1 “Fill the men’s {grain} sacks/bags with as much grain as”. These grain sacks were carried by the brother’s donkeys and were probably fairly large since donkeys are able to carry around 50 kilos (about 110 pounds).
44:1 ikn0 יוּכְל֖וּן שְׂאֵ֑ת 1 “they can take {with them},” or “their/the sacks/bags can hold,”
44:1 uzxa וְשִׂ֥ים כֶּֽסֶף אִ֖ישׁ בְּפִ֥י אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ 1 “and put their {grain} money in the top/opening of their {grain} sacks/bags.” or “and in the top/opening of their sacks/bags, put the silver/money that each {of them} paid {for the grain}.” See how you translated “silver/money” in Gen 42:25, 27-28.
44:2 pli8 וְאֶת גְּבִיעִ֞י גְּבִ֣יעַ הַכֶּ֗סֶף תָּשִׂים֙ 1 “And put my cup, the one that is {made of} silver,” or “Also put my silver cup”. Notice that this cup was made out of silver; it was not just silver in color.
44:2 tqum בְּפִי֙ אַמְתַּ֣חַת הַקָּטֹ֔ן 1 “in the top/opening of the youngest {one/man}’s sack/bag,”
44:2 pdhi וְאֵ֖ת כֶּ֣סֶף שִׁבְר֑וֹ 1 “and/with his grain money/payment.” or “along with the silver/money that he paid for the grain.”
44:2 r9gb וַיַּ֕עַשׂ כִּדְבַ֥ר יוֹסֵ֖ף אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֵּֽר 1 “So the servant did exactly as/what Joseph/he had told/ordered {him to do}.” See how you translated “according to...words” in Gen 43:7.
44:3 qedu הַבֹּ֖קֶר א֑וֹר 1 “The {next} morning {as it} was becoming light,” or “The {next} morning at dawn,” or “Early the next morning,”
44:3 l62s rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וְהָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים שֻׁלְּח֔וּ הֵ֖מָּה וַחֲמֹרֵיהֶֽם 1 “the men/brothers were sent {on their way} with their donkeys {by Joseph}.” or “{Joseph} sent the men/brothers {on their way}, along with their donkeys.” Consider what is the best way to translate this passive sentence in your language.
44:4 c0b7 הֵ֠ם יָֽצְא֣וּ אֶת הָעִיר֮ לֹ֣א הִרְחִיקוּ֒ 1 “{But} after they left the city, before they had gone very far,” or “{But} they had not gone very far out of the city when”
44:4 a5rr וְיוֹסֵ֤ף אָמַר֙ לַֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־בֵּית֔וֹ 1 “Joseph/he told {the servant} who managed/supervised his household,” or “Joseph/he ordered his head-servant,” See how you translated “{the one} who {was} over his house” in verse 1.”
44:4 ve86 רְדֹ֖ף אַחֲרֵ֣י הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֑ים 1 “go/chase after the/those men” or “pursue those men”
44:4 bo39 וְהִשַּׂגְתָּם֙ 1 “When you catch up with them,” or “When you reach them,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
44:4 slkq rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם 1 “say to them,” or “tell/ask them,” Make sure that the way you translate this quote margin fits with the way you translate the following rhetorical question.
44:4 bfwe rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion לָ֛מָּה שִׁלַּמְתֶּ֥ם רָעָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת טוֹבָֽה 1 “Why have you treated {my master} so badly after/when {he was} so good {to you}?” or “My master was very good to you. Why have you treated him so badly?” or “My master treated you so/very well, but in return you have treated him very badly!” Joseph’s servant uses this rhetorical question to scold the brothers and express his outrage. Consider what is the best way to communicate those things in your language.
44:5 rzp9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲל֣וֹא זֶ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׁתֶּ֤ה אֲדֹנִי֙ בּ֔וֹ 1 “Why {do you have} the cup that my master drinks from” or “The cup {you stole} is {the cup} that my master drinks from”. The servant uses this rhetorical question to further express his outrage about the missing cup. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
44:5 kroa וְה֕וּא נַחֵ֥שׁ יְנַחֵ֖שׁ בּ֑וֹ 1 “{It is} the one he regularly uses for divination!” or “He {also} uses it to find out secret things!” The word “divines” refers to the practice of interpreting omens (signs) or using supernatural means to find out things. See how you translated a similar term (“divination”) in Gen 30:27. Also consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
44:5 frff הֲרֵעֹתֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר עֲשִׂיתֶֽם 1 “What you have done is very evil/wrong!” The phrase “you have done” is repeated in this sentence for emphasis. Consider what is the best way to communicate that emphasis in your language.
44:6 n84h וַֽיַּשִּׂגֵ֑ם 1 “Then/So the/Joseph’s servant {left, and when he} caught up with the men/brothers,” Consider again how you translated “overtake” or “overtook” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 19:19; 31:25; 44:4, 6.
44:6 ll3k וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אֶת הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה 1 “he repeated/said to them what Joseph had told him {to say}.” or “he gave/told them that/Joseph’s message.”
44:7 iwsy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion לָ֚מָּה יְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲדֹנִ֔י כַּדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה 1 “Sir, why do you say such things?” or “Master/Sir, we do not know why you are saying that!” The brothers use this rhetorical question to express their shock at being accused of something they had not done. They also address the servant as “my lord” to show him respect. Decide what is the best way to communicate those things in your language.
44:7 ieuc rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-honorifics חָלִ֨ילָה֙ לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ מֵעֲשׂ֖וֹת 1 “{We assure you,} sir, {that} we would never do” or “{We swear as} your {humble} servants {that we} would never {even} think of doing” or “We would never {even} consider doing”. The brothers refer to themselves as “your servants” in order to show respect to Joseph’s head-servant. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
44:8 t6uh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כֶּ֗סֶף אֲשֶׁ֤ר מָצָ֨אנוּ֙ בְּפִ֣י אַמְתְּחֹתֵ֔ינוּ הֱשִׁיבֹ֥נוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן 1 “we returned to you the money that we found/discovered in our {grain} sacks/bags {last time}. {We brought it} {all the way} from {our home in} the land/region of Canaan!” or “as soon as we came {back here} from the land/region of Canaan, we returned to you the money we had found/discovered inside our {grain} sacks/bags.” Consider what is the best way in your language to order the clauses in this sentence.
44:8 r9b7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וְאֵ֗יךְ נִגְנֹב֙ 1 “So why would we {ever} steal/take” or “So we would never steal/take” or “So there is no reason that we would {ever} steal/take”. The brothers use this rhetorical question to strongly emphasize that they would never steal from the servant’s master. Some languages must use a statement or exclamation here instead. Do what is best in your language.
44:8 h9a8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche כֶּ֖סֶף א֥וֹ זָהָֽב 1 “silver {things} or gold {things} {or anything else}”. The brothers are emphasizing that they would never steal anything from Joseph, especially not valuable things made out of gold or silver.
44:9 q39v rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-honorifics אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִמָּצֵ֥א אִתּ֛וֹ מֵעֲבָדֶ֖יךָ 1 “{In fact,} sir, if you find/discover that one/any of us does have the cup,” or “If any one of us does have the cup, sir,” The brothers refer to themselves as “your servants” in order to show respect to Joseph’s head-servant.
44:9 wzg4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-honorifics וְגַם אֲנַ֕חְנוּ נִֽהְיֶ֥ה לַֽאדֹנִ֖י לַעֲבָדִֽים 1 “and besides that, {the rest of} us will become slaves/servants for you, sir.” or “and {the rest of} us, sir, will become your slaves/servants.” See how you translated “my lord” in verse 7.
44:10 dbf7 גַּם עַתָּ֥ה 1 “So/Okay then,” or “Very well then,”
44:10 uj13 כְדִבְרֵיכֶ֖ם כֶּן ה֑וּא 1 “based on what you have said I will do this:” or “I will do as you suggest, {but/except only}”
44:10 v6rg אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִמָּצֵ֤א אִתּוֹ֙ 1 “the one whom I find with my master’s cup” or “if I find one of you with my master’s cup, that person”
44:10 soyh יִהְיֶה לִּ֣י עָ֔בֶד 1 “will be/become my slave/servant.”
44:10 dww7 וְאַתֶּ֖ם תִּהְי֥וּ נְקִיִּֽם 1 “{The rest of} you will be innocent {and free to go}.” or “but {the rest of} you will be free to go/leave.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
44:11 hime וַֽיְמַהֲר֗וּ וַיּוֹרִ֛דוּ אִ֥ישׁ אֶת אַמְתַּחְתּ֖וֹ אָ֑רְצָה 1 “So each of them quickly/immediately lowered his sack/bag {of grain} {from his donkey} to the ground,” or “Then/So each of the men/brothers quickly/immediately took his {grain} sack/bag {off his donkey} and put it on the ground,”
44:12 gwvt rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיְחַפֵּ֕שׂ 1 “Then the/Joseph’s servant searched {their sacks/bags}.” Consider what is the best way to refer to Joseph’s servant in verses 6, 10 and 12. Also see how you translated “searched” in Gen 31:35.
44:12 z3eh בַּגָּד֣וֹל הֵחֵ֔ל וּבַקָּטֹ֖ן כִּלָּ֑ה 1 “beginning/starting with the oldest {brother} and ending/finishing with the youngest {brother/one},” or “He started with the oldest {brother} and continued until he came to the youngest {brother/one},” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
44:12 ax9d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַיִּמָּצֵא֙ הַגָּבִ֔יעַ בְּאַמְתַּ֖חַת בִּנְיָמִֽן 1 “and the cup was found {by him} in Benjamin’s sack/bag!” or “and {there} he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack/bag!” or “and {it was there} in Benjamin’s sack/bag that he found the cup!” Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language.
44:13 fj96 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַֽיִּקְרְע֖וּ שִׂמְלֹתָ֑ם 1 “In response {to that}, the brothers tore their clothes {in distress/grief}.” See how you translated “tore...clothes {in distress}” in Gen 37:29, 34.
44:13 yxdl rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַֽיַּעֲמֹס֙ אִ֣ישׁ עַל־חֲמֹר֔וֹ 1 “Then each {of them} put his sack/bag {back} on his {own} donkey,” or “Then each {of the men/brothers} loaded up his {own} donkey {again},” Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to the brothers in each context throughout this chapter.
44:14 fx2j rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּפְּל֥וּ לְפָנָ֖יו אָֽרְצָה 1 “Then/So they prostrated themselves on the ground before him {to show respect}.” or “Then/So they bowed all the way to the ground in front of him {to honor him}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
44:15 qsr0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ יוֹסֵ֔ף 1 “Then Joseph told/asked them,” or “Then Joseph exclaimed to them,” Make sure the way you translate this quote margin fits with the way you translate the following rhetorical question.
44:15 beu3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מָֽה הַמַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲשִׂיתֶ֑ם 1 “Why did you do such a terrible thing?” or “What you have done is terrible!” or “You should never have done such a thing!” Joseph uses rhetorical questions in this verse to express anger and scold his brothers. Some languages must use strong statements or exclamations here instead. Do what is best in your language. See what you did for a similar case in Gen 20:9.
44:15 bld8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion הֲל֣וֹא יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם 1 “You should have known”
44:15 d0er כִּֽי & אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּמֹֽנִי 1 “that a ruler like me” or “that someone in my position”
44:15 kl9z נַחֵ֧שׁ יְנַחֵ֛שׁ 1 “regularly practices divination!” or “knows how to discover the secret things {that people do}!” or “could use divination to find out {what you did}!” See how you translated “divines” in verse 5.
44:16 vuo6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מַה נֹּאמַר֙ לַֽאדֹנִ֔י 1 “Sir, there is nothing {convincing} that we can say {to you}.” Judah uses a series of rhetorical questions in this verse to express how upset he is about what has happened and to emphasize that there is nothing that they can say to convince Joseph that they are innocent. Consider what is the best way to communicate those things in your language.
44:16 pt2a rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion מַה נְּדַבֵּ֖ר 1 “There is no way that we can explain {this}.” or “We cannot explain {this}.”
44:16 jwxq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וּמַה נִּצְטַדָּ֑ק 1 “We do not know how to show/prove {to you} that we did not do this.” or “There is no way we can prove/show {to you} that we are innocent.”
44:16 t81j rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים מָצָא֙ אֶת עֲוֺ֣ן עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ 1 “God has uncovered/exposed our guilt {for our past sin}.” or “God is punishing {us} your {humble} servants for our {past} sin/sins.” or “God is using this occasion to punish us for our {past} sin.” Judah refers to himself and his brothers as “your servants” to show humility and to honor Joseph. Also, Judah is probably referring here to the sin of selling their brother Joseph into slavery years ago. You could include that information in a footnote.
44:16 llw2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-honorifics הִנֶּנּ֤וּ עֲבָדִים֙ לַֽאדֹנִ֔י 1 “Here we {all} are, {ready to be} slaves/servants for you, sir,” or “{So now,} sir, we are {all} here to be your slaves/servants,”
44:16 fi8v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָ֥א הַגָּבִ֖יעַ בְּיָדֽוֹ 1 “who was found with your cup {in his grain sack/bag}.” or “in whose {grain} sack/bag {your house-servant} found the cup.” or “whom {your house-servant} found with your cup {in his sack/bag}.” Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language.
44:17 ezgz rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “But Joseph told {them},” or “But Joseph exclaimed,”
44:17 ambx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom חָלִ֣ילָה לִּ֔י מֵעֲשׂ֖וֹת זֹ֑את 1 “{No,} I would never {even} consider doing such a thing!” See how you translated “Far be it from...” in verse 7.
44:17 xlig rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive הָאִ֡ישׁ אֲשֶׁר֩ נִמְצָ֨א הַגָּבִ֜יעַ בְּיָד֗וֹ ה֚וּא 1 “{Only} the one who was found with my cup {in his sack/bag}” or “{Only} the man in whose sack/bag {my servant} found the/my cup” or “{Rather} {only} the one/man whom {my servant} found with my cup {in his sack/bag}”. See how you translated “in whose hand the cup was found” in verse 16.
44:17 sa6p יִהְיֶה לִּ֣י עָ֔בֶד 1 “will be/become my slave.” or “will {stay and} serve me as a slave.”
44:17 n9xw וְאַתֶּ֕ם עֲל֥וּ לְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל אֲבִיכֶֽם 1 “But you {others} may return to your father in peace.” or “As for {the rest of} you, you may go {back} home to your father without any trouble.” or “{The rest of} you are free to go {back} home to your father.” The phrase “go up” refers to the fact that the land of Canaan was higher in elevation than the country of Egypt. Some translations leave “up” implied. Do what is best in your language.
44:18 shso וַיִּגַּ֨שׁ אֵלָ֜יו יְהוּדָ֗ה וַיֹּאמֶר֮ 1 “Then Judah went/came up/closer to Joseph and said,” or “Then Judah approached Joseph and said {to him},” See how you translated “went near” in Gen 43:19.
44:18 j6zs rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-honorifics בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִי֒ 1 “Please, sir/master,” or “Excuse me, sir/master,” Compare how you translated this phrase in Gen 43:20.
44:18 rqfg rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-honorifics יְדַבֶּר נָ֨א עַבְדְּךָ֤ דָבָר֙ בְּאָזְנֵ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י 1 “I humbly ask you to let me speak freely/plainly to you.” or “will you please allow {me} your {humble} servant to say something to you.” Make sure your translation of “your servant” refers here to Judah, not to someone else. Throughout verses 18-34, Judah uses phrases such as “my lord”, “your servant”, and “your servants” to be polite and show respect to Joseph. At each point in these verses, make sure it is clear in your translation whom he is referring to.
44:18 hoo2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְאַל יִ֥חַר אַפְּךָ֖ בְּעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ 1 “Please do not be angry with/at me,” Compare how you translated the idiom “his anger burned” in Gen 39:19.
44:19 xcqr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person אֶת עֲבָדָ֖יו 1 “{us} your {humble} servants” or “us”. Make sure it is clear in your translation of “his servants” that Judah is referring to himself and his brothers.
44:19 vxb9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes לֵאמֹ֑ר הֲיֵשׁ לָכֶ֥ם אָ֖ב אוֹ אָֽח 1 “Is your father still alive? Do you have {another} brother?” or “if/whether our father was {still} alive and if/whether we had {any other} brothers.” Consider whether it is better in your language to translate the embedded quotes in verses 19-23 as direct or indirect quotes.
44:20 y8ns rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַנֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אֶל אֲדֹנִ֔י 1 “And we told you, sir, {that}” or “We answered you, sir, {that}”
44:20 iohe rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes יֶשׁ לָ֨נוּ֙ אָ֣ב זָקֵ֔ן 1 “our aged/elderly father is {still} alive” or “we have an elderly father”
44:20 e3jx וְיֶ֥לֶד זְקֻנִ֖ים קָטָ֑ן 1 “and {also} a younger brother who was born when our father was {already} old.” or “and {with him is} his youngest son whom our father had when he was {already} old.”
44:20 grn8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship וְאָחִ֨יו מֵ֜ת וַיִּוָּתֵ֨ר ה֧וּא לְבַדּ֛וֹ לְאִמּ֖וֹ 1 “That son is the only one left {alive} from his mother, since his brother died.” or “And since that son’s brother is dead, he is his mother’s only living son/child.” or “That brother’s mother only had one other son, who is now dead.” In this sentence, “brother” refers to an older brother from the same father and mother. Some languages have a special kinship term for that. Do what is best in your language.
44:21 seoq rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-honorifics וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אֶל עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ 1 “Then you told {us, who are} your {humble} servants” or “Then you told us, sir,” Judah uses the humble term “your servants” to show respect and honor to someone of higher status and authority.
44:21 qfp7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes הוֹרִדֻ֖הוּ אֵלָ֑י וְאָשִׂ֥ימָה עֵינִ֖י עָלָֽיו 1 “Bring your youngest brother to me so that I can see/meet him.” or “to bring our youngest brother {here} to you so that you could/can see him for yourself.” The verb “bring...down” refers to the fact that Egypt was lower in elevation than the region of Canaan. Some translations leave “down” implied. Do what is best in your language.
44:22 g162 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וַנֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אֶל אֲדֹנִ֔י לֹא יוּכַ֥ל הַנַּ֖עַר לַעֲזֹ֣ב אֶת אָבִ֑יו 1 “But we told you, sir, that the young man should/must not leave his father {and come here},”
44:22 xhm8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וְעָזַ֥ב אֶת אָבִ֖יו וָמֵֽת 1 “because if he did/does, his father would/will die {from anxiety}.” Make sure the way you translate this clause fits with how you translated the previous clause, as either a direct or indirect quote.
44:23 x0ri rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes אִם לֹ֥א יֵרֵ֛ד אֲחִיכֶ֥ם הַקָּטֹ֖ן אִתְּכֶ֑ם 1 “if our youngest brother did not come back here with us,” or “unless our youngest brother came with us,” Consider again whether to translate the embedded quotes in verses 19-23 as direct or indirect quotes.
44:23 ud9x rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes לֹ֥א תֹסִפ֖וּן לִרְא֥וֹת פָּנָֽי 1 “you would not permit/allow us to see you again.” or “we could never see you again.” Make sure that the way you translate this clause fits with how you translated the beginning of this verse, either as a direct or indirect quote.
44:24 pdcq וַיְהִי֙ כִּ֣י עָלִ֔ינוּ 1 “When we returned {home}” or “So after we got/came back {home again}”. The phrase, “Then it happened” introduces an important event and helps create suspense so that readers will wonder what the outcome will be. Many translations omit “it happened” because it is not natural in their language. Do what is best in your language.
44:24 b8yd rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-honorifics אֶֽל עַבְדְּךָ֖ אָבִ֑י 1 “to my/our father, {who is} your {humble} servant,” or “to my/our father, who highly respects you,” See how you translated “your servant...father” in Gen 43:28.
44:25 kcr2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אָבִ֑ינוּ 1 “{Months} later our father told {us},” The pronouns “our” and “{us}” are exclusive here because they do not include Joseph.
44:25 zkw7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive שֻׁ֖בוּ שִׁבְרוּ לָ֥נוּ מְעַט אֹֽכֶל 1 “Go back {to Egypt} {and} buy some {more} grain for {all of} us.” The pronoun “us” is inclusive here because what Judah’s father (Jacob) had said included the brothers whom he was talking to. See how you translated this same quote in Gen 43:2.
44:26 sq2t rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַנֹּ֕אמֶר 1 “But we replied {to him},”
44:26 o2aw לֹ֥א נוּכַ֖ל לָרֶ֑דֶת אִם יֵשׁ֩ אָחִ֨ינוּ הַקָּטֹ֤ן אִתָּ֨נוּ֙ וְיָרַ֔דְנוּ 1 “We cannot go {there} unless our youngest brother is with us. Then we can go.” or “We can only go down {there} if our youngest brother is with us.” See how you translated “...down” in verses 21 and 23.
44:26 g0yh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche כִּי לֹ֣א נוּכַ֗ל לִרְאוֹת֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָאִ֔ישׁ 1 “We will not be allowed/permitted to go before/to the man/governor {who sells grain there}” or “The man/governor {who sells grain there} will not allow/permit us to see him {again}”. The phrase “the man’s face” refers to the governor (Joseph) himself. Translate this in a way that is natural in your language.
44:27 eii5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive וַיֹּ֛אמֶר עַבְדְּךָ֥ אָבִ֖י אֵלֵ֑ינוּ 1 “Then my/our father {who is} your {humble} servant said to us,” or “Then my/our father said to us,” See how you translated “your servant my father” in verse 24. Also notice that the pronoun “us” does not include Joseph here. Some languages use an exclusive pronoun for this. Do what is best in your language.
44:27 i4rw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular אַתֶּ֣ם יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם כִּ֥י 1 “As you {all} know,” The pronoun “you” is plural here, referring to all the brothers.
44:27 ngtg שְׁנַ֖יִם יָֽלְדָה לִּ֥י אִשְׁתִּֽי 1 “my wife {Rachel} bore/had {only} two {sons} for me.” or “my wife {Rachel} and I {only} had two {sons} together.”
44:28 pk3k rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וָאֹמַ֕ר אַ֖ךְ טָרֹ֣ף טֹרָ֑ף וְלֹ֥א רְאִיתִ֖יו עַד הֵֽנָּה 1 “I have thought that he must have been {killed and} torn to pieces {by a wild/fierce animal}. I have never seen him again.” or “and I have not seen him since then. I am sure that {a wild/fierce animal} must have {killed him and} torn him apart.” Consider whether it is better in your language to translate this doubly embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote. Also see how you translated “torn...to pieces” in Gen 37:33.
44:29 ks4f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo וּלְקַחְתֶּ֧ם גַּם אֶת זֶ֛ה מֵעִ֥ם פָּנַ֖י 1 “So if you were to also take this {son} away from me,” or “So if you also take her other son {away} from me,” Consider what is the best way to translate the hypothetical sentence in this verse. Make sure all the parts of the sentence fit together well.
44:29 k2l1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְקָרָ֣הוּ אָס֑וֹן 1 “and something terrible happened/happens to him,” or “and if anything bad/terrible happened/happens to him,” or “and anything harmed/harms him,” See how you translated a similar clause in Gen 42:38.
44:29 r1l7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche וְהֽוֹרַדְתֶּ֧ם אֶת שֵׂיבָתִ֛י בְּרָעָ֖ה 1 “you would/will cause me, your gray-haired/elderly father, to grieve so deeply/badly that I would {die and} go down” or “you will/would cause me, your gray-haired/elderly father, so much sorrow/grief that I would {die and} go down”. See how you translated “bring my gray head down” in Gen 42:38.
44:29 ozbf rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown שְׁאֹֽלָה 1 “to the afterworld.” Sheol is the Hebrew name for the world of the dead, that is, the place where the spirits of all people go after they die. You could put that information in a footnote. Your translation of “Sheol” should not refer to hell or a place of punishment. Some translations have “the grave” here, but that leaves out the idea of an afterlife that this sentence implies.
44:30 wiey וְעַתָּ֗ה 1 “So now/then,” This phrase introduces the conclusion to what Judah said in verses 24-29. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language.
44:30 nbx6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-honorifics כְּבֹאִי֙ אֶל עַבְדְּךָ֣ אָבִ֔י 1 “when I/we return {home} to my/our father, who highly respects you,” or “if I/we go {home} to my/our father, sir,” See how you translated “your servant my father” in verses 24 and 27.
44:30 mryj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹ קְשׁוּרָ֥ה בְנַפְשֽׁוֹ 1 “since our father’s life depends on his son’s life,” or “since our father is deeply attached to his son,” This idiom reflects how close the relationship was between Judah’s father and youngest brother. Consider what is the best way to say this in your language.
44:31 liw5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo וְהָיָ֗ה כִּרְאוֹת֛וֹ כִּי אֵ֥ין הַנַּ֖עַר וָמֵ֑ת 1 “if he sees that his son is gone/missing, he will die!” or “then he will die when he sees that his youngest son is not with us!” The phrase “then it will happen” introduces an important hypothetical event here and helps create suspense so that readers will wonder what the outcome will be. Many translations omit the phrase because it is not natural in their language. Do what is best in your language.
44:31 biq9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo וְהוֹרִ֨ידוּ עֲבָדֶ֜יךָ אֶת־שֵׂיבַ֨ת עַבְדְּךָ֥ אָבִ֛ינוּ בְּיָג֖וֹן 1 “{Yes,} we will/would bring/cause our gray-haired/elderly father so much sorrow/grief that he will/would {die and} go” or “{In that way,} we will/would be responsible for bringing/causing our gray-haired...” Consider what is the best way to translate this hypothetical situation in your language. Also, see how you translated “bring...gray head down in sorrow to Sheol” in Gen 42:38, and a similar phrase in 44:29.
44:31 p2vj שְׁאֹֽלָה 1 “to the afterworld!” Consider again how you translated “Sheol” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 37:35; 42:38; 44:29, 31.
44:32 jzbk כִּ֤י עַבְדְּךָ֙ עָרַ֣ב אֶת הַנַּ֔עַר מֵעִ֥ם אָבִ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “{I myself} your {humble} servant guaranteed the young man’s safety to my father. I told/assured {him} that” or “Besides that, sir, I guaranteed/promised my father that I would return his son to him safely. I told him that”. See how you translated the verb “guarantee” in Gen 43:9.
44:32 pir9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes אִם לֹ֤א אֲבִיאֶ֨נּוּ֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ 1 “if I did not bring his son {back} to him,” Consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote.
44:32 r37a rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo וְחָטָ֥אתִי לְאָבִ֖י 1 “then this would be a terrible sin against him” or “I would be guilty of sinning against him”. See how you translated a similar clause in Gen 43:9.
44:32 gtwb כָּל הַיָּמִֽים 1 “all the days {of my life}.” or “for the rest of my life.” or “forever.” Be consistent here with your choice in Gen 43:9.
44:33 glec וְעַתָּ֗ה 1 “So now/then,” This phrase introduces the conclusion to what Judah said in verses 30-32. See how you translated this phrase in verse 30.
44:33 p6r0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-honorifics יֵֽשֶׁב נָ֤א עַבְדְּךָ֙ 1 “I beg/urge you to allow {me} your servant to {be the one to} stay/remain {here}” or “sir, I beg/urge you to let me stay {here}”. Consider again how you translated “your servant” and “your servants” throughout this chapter. See verses 7, 9, 18, 24, 27, 30-32.
44:33 wrus עֶ֖בֶד לַֽאדֹנִ֑י 1 “{as} a slave/servant for you” or “and be your slave/servant”. Throughout this chapter, the same Hebrew word is translated as “slave” when the context has negative connotations (verses 9-10, 16-17, 33), but is translated as “servant” when the context has more positive connotations (verses 7, 9, 16, 18-19, 21, 23-24, 27, 30-32). Do what is best in your language in each context.
44:34 gvqq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion כִּי אֵיךְ֙ אֶֽעֱלֶ֣ה 1 “There is no way I can” or “I could never”. Judah uses this rhetorical question to emphasize how difficult it would be for him to return to his father without his brother. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
44:34 y2n4 אֶֽעֱלֶ֣ה אֶל אָבִ֔י 1 “go back to my father” or “return {home} to my father”. Consider again how you translated “...up” in verses 17, 24, 33-34. Contrast that to how you translated “...down” in verses 21, 23 and 26. Some translations leave “up” or “down” implied. Do what is best in your language.
44:34 jjj3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo וְהַנַּ֖עַר אֵינֶ֣נּוּ אִתִּ֑י 1 “if his youngest {son} is not with me!” or “if our youngest {brother} is not with me!”
44:34 qheo rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo בָרָ֔ע אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְצָ֖א אֶת אָבִֽי 1 “the terrible distress/grief that it would cause my father!” or “how much/terribly my father would suffer/grieve!” See how you translated “misery” in verse 29.
45:1 vlvn וְלֹֽא־יָכֹ֨ל יוֹסֵ֜ף 1 “{When Joseph heard that,} he could no {longer}” or “{When Joseph heard what Judah said,} he was no {longer} able to”
45:1 qtrd לְהִתְאַפֵּ֗ק 1 “control/hide his emotions/feelings” or “keep himself from crying”
45:1 nnml לְכֹ֤ל הַנִּצָּבִים֙ עָלָ֔יו 1 “in front of all his servants who were with/attending him,” or “in front of all his attendants/servants,” Make sure that your translation of this phrase refers to Joseph’s servants, not his brothers.
45:1 zlcr וַיִּקְרָ֕א 1 “and/so he shouted {to them},” or “and/so he said loudly {to them},”
45:1 ok6o הוֹצִ֥יאוּ כָל אִ֖ישׁ 1 “All of you, leave”
45:1 by1g מֵעָלָ֑י 1 “my presence!” or “the room!”
45:1 ws8g rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וְלֹא עָ֤מַד אִישׁ֙ אִתּ֔וֹ בְּהִתְוַדַּ֥ע יוֹסֵ֖ף אֶל אֶחָֽיו 1 “So Joseph was alone with his brothers when he made himself known to them.” or “{Immediately the/his servants/attendants left the room,} so that no one else was with him when he told his brothers who he was.” Make sure your use of nouns or pronouns to refer to Joseph and his brothers here is clear and natural in your language.
45:2 hb44 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אֶת קֹל֖וֹ בִּבְכִ֑י 1 “Then he raised his voice and cried loudly/uncontrollably, so that” or “But he started crying so loudly that”. Consider whether your language has an idiom such as “gave his voice in crying”. Also see how you translated “cried” in Gen 42:24; 43:30.
45:2 vv5j rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַיִּשְׁמְע֣וּ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע בֵּ֥ית פַּרְעֹֽה 1 “{many} Egyptians heard {him/it}, including {the members of} Pharaoh’s household/family.” or “the Egyptian {servants} heard {him/it}, and so did Pharaoh’s household/family.” The word “house” refers here to Pharaoh’s family members and servants, not a literal building.
45:3 qpbn rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יוֹסֵ֤ף אֶל אֶחָיו֙ 1 “Then Joseph/he exclaimed to his brothers {in their language},” In this chapter, the word “brothers” refers to Joseph’s older brothers (from different mothers) and his younger brother (from the same mother).
45:3 mh3c הַע֥וֹד אָבִ֖י חָ֑י 1 “Is our father still alive?” Joseph uses “my father” to emphasize his relationship with his father. Make sure your translation does not sound like he had a different father than his brothers.
45:3 gbg2 וְלֹֽא יָכְל֤וּ אֶחָיו֙ לַעֲנ֣וֹת אֹת֔וֹ 1 “But his/Joseph’s brothers could not reply/respond to him,” or “His brothers could not say a word,”
45:3 vwfh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּ֥י נִבְהֲל֖וּ מִפָּנָֽיו 1 “because they were terrified/shocked {to realize} that they were in his presence.” or “because they felt very afraid to be standing in front of him.” For some languages it is necessary to put this clause earlier in this sentence and say, “But his brothers were so terrified to see him that they could not answer him.” Do what is best in your language.
45:4 dij9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אֲשֶׁר מְכַרְתֶּ֥ם אֹתִ֖י מִצְרָֽיְמָה 1 “whom you sold {to be a slave} in {the country of} Egypt.” or “whom you sold {as a slave that was brought/taken here} to Egypt.” Joseph’s brothers sold him to slave traders who were going to Egypt. If necessary, you could make some of that information explicit in your translation.
45:5 y42s rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וְאַל יִ֨חַר֙ בְּעֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם 1 “or/and angry with/at yourselves”. Consider again how you translated various idioms for “anger” or “be angry” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 4:5-6; 30:2; 31:35-36; 34:7; 44:18; 45:5. It may be necessary to translate these idioms in different ways, depending on the context.
45:6 xeca כִּי זֶ֛ה שְׁנָתַ֥יִם 1 “For two years {now}” or “The past two years”
45:6 o2qw הָרָעָ֖ב בְּקֶ֣רֶב הָאָ֑רֶץ 1 “{there has been} a famine throughout this country/region,” or “a famine {has been affecting/devastating} this whole region,” See how you translated “famine” in Gen 12:10.
45:6 fiio וְעוֹד֙ חָמֵ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר 1 “and for another five years {it will be so severe/bad that}” or “and during the next five years {it will be even worse, so that}” or “and there will be five more years when”
45:6 szwk אֵין חָרִ֖ישׁ וְקָצִּֽיר 1 “{there will} be no plowing {of fields} or harvesting {of crops}.” or “no one will {be able to} plant {seeds} or harvest {crops}.”
45:7 d4nu וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֤נִי אֱלֹהִים֙ 1 “That is why God sent me {here}” or “God sent me {here}” or “God caused me to come {here}”
45:7 f5ep לִפְנֵיכֶ֔ם 1 “before you came,” or “before you got here,”
45:7 oicd לָשׂ֥וּם לָכֶ֛ם שְׁאֵרִ֖ית 1 “so that you will have descendants survive/living” or “to help you survive and have descendants”
45:7 kgqc בָּאָ֑רֶץ 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “on the earth” (2) “in the/this land”
45:7 hip5 וּלְהַחֲי֣וֹת לָכֶ֔ם 1 “by helping you stay live” or “by saving your lives”
45:7 vs2e rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לִפְלֵיטָ֖ה גְּדֹלָֽה 1 “through this/his amazing/extraordinary rescue.” or “in this amazing/powerful way.” For some languages it is better to put the last two phrases earlier in this sentence and say, “But God sent me ahead of you to save your lives in this amazing way so that you will survive and have descendants on the earth.” Do what is best in your language.
45:8 up9h rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor וַיְשִׂימֵ֨נִֽי לְאָ֜ב לְפַרְעֹ֗ה 1 “He has {also/even} made me {like a} father to {King} Pharaoh,” Joseph was like a father to Pharaoh in that Pharaoh highly honored him and Joseph took care of Pharaoh’s household and all their needs.
45:8 v1vi rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וּלְאָדוֹן֙ לְכָל בֵּית֔וֹ 1 “so that I am the master/supervisor of his entire household” or “so that I am the one in charge of his entire household”. See how you translated “lord” in Gen 42:30, 33, and how you translated “house” in Gen 41:40.
45:9 j5m0 מַהֲרוּ֮ וַעֲל֣וּ 1 “Hurry up/back” or “Leave quickly and go back” or “Return quickly”. In this verse, the words “up” and “down” reflect the fact that Canaan was higher in elevation than Egypt. Many languages leave those words implied. Do what is best in your language.
45:9 q5o8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֣ם אֵלָ֗יו כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ בִּנְךָ֣ יוֹסֵ֔ף 1 “and tell him that his son Joseph has sent him this message:” Consider whether it is best in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote.
45:9 jjgl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes שָׂמַ֧נִי אֱלֹהִ֛ים לְאָד֖וֹן לְכָל מִצְרָ֑יִם 1 “God has made/appointed me ruler/governor over the entire {country of} Egypt.” Consider whether it is best in your language to translate this doubly embedded quote (which continues through verse 11) as a direct or indirect quote. An example of an indirect quote would be: “God has made him the ruler over all Egypt. He urges you to come down there to live near him, without delay. He also says that you and your family may live in Goshen Province and that way you will live near him....He will provide for you there...”
45:9 vcd6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אַֽל תַּעֲמֹֽד 1 “{and} do not delay/wait.” or “{and} do not take very long to come.” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause first in this sentence and say, “{So} {please} do not take very long, but rather come down/here quickly {to live} near me.” Do what is best in your language.
45:10 am1x rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וְיָשַׁבְתָּ֣ 1 “You {and your family} can/may live”. The pronouns “you” and “your” in this verse are singular, but Joseph’s message to his father includes the whole family.
45:10 vj43 בְאֶֽרֶץ גֹּ֗שֶׁן 1 “in the region/territory of Goshen” or “in Goshen Province/County”. Goshen was a region or territory that was part of the country of Egypt. Make sure your translation of “land” does not sound like Goshen was its own country.
45:10 db7h וְהָיִ֤יתָ קָרוֹב֙ אֵלַ֔י 1 “and that way you can be/live near me” or “That way you will/can live close to me”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
45:10 abct אַתָּ֕ה וּבָנֶ֖יךָ 1 “with your children”
45:10 wz43 וּבְנֵ֣י בָנֶ֑יךָ 1 “and your grandchildren”
45:10 imwz וְצֹאנְךָ֥ וּבְקָרְךָ֖ 1 “along with your flocks {of sheep and goats}, your herds {of cattle}” or “as well as all your {domestic} animals”
45:10 ey3b וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָֽךְ 1 “and all your {other} belongings.” or “and everything {else} that you own.”
45:11 ntlo וְכִלְכַּלְתִּ֤י אֹֽתְךָ֙ שָׁ֔ם 1 “I will take care of you there,” or “I will support you there,”
45:11 xl31 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּי ע֛וֹד חָמֵ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים רָעָ֑ב 1 “since {there are} still five {more} years of famine {ahead/coming}.” or “because the famine will last five {more} years.” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause first in this verse and say, “There are still five more years of famine ahead/coming, so I will provide for you there {in Goshen}.” Do what is best in your language.
45:11 m9m8 פֶּן תִּוָּרֵ֛שׁ אַתָּ֥ה וּבֵֽיתְךָ֖ וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָֽךְ 1 “That way you and your {extended} family will not become impoverished/destitute/poor {and die}.” or “{Please come} so that {the famine} will/does not cause you and your family to lose everything you own {and die}.” The verb “become impoverished” can include losing livestock, other belongings, and the lives of their servants and family members.
45:12 ss7a וְהִנֵּ֤ה 1 “And/Now look/listen!” or “{Then Joseph said to his brothers,} Look!” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Joseph’s message to his father was completed in verse 11, and that here in verse 12 he is talking directly to his brothers again.
45:12 savf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche עֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ 1 “{I can tell that} {all of} you,” or “{All of} you,” The word “eyes” is used figuratively here (and in the next phrase) to refer to the persons themselves; it also emphasizes the fact that they were seeing Joseph in person. Consider what is the best way to translate this phrase in your language.
45:12 vwt0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship וְעֵינֵ֖י אָחִ֣י בִנְיָמִ֑ין 1 “including my brother Benjamin,” See how you translated “brother” in Gen 43:29.
45:12 d4ru rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche רֹא֔וֹת & כִּי פִ֖י 1 “{can} see that {it really is} me, {Joseph,}” or “{can} see that I {Joseph} {am the one}”. Here the phrase “my mouth” refers to Joseph himself; it also emphasizes the fact that it was Joseph himself who was talking to them. Consider what is the best way to translate this figure of speech in your language.
45:13 ul6y אֶת כָּל כְּבוֹדִי֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם 1 “{about} my powerful/high position in Egypt” or “{about} how powerful/honored I am in Egypt”
45:13 lidn וְאֵ֖ת כָּל אֲשֶׁ֣ר רְאִיתֶ֑ם 1 “and {about} everything {else} that you have seen {here}.”
45:13 bqv7 וּמִֽהַרְתֶּ֛ם וְהוֹרַדְתֶּ֥ם אֶת אָבִ֖י הֵֽנָּה 1 “Then hurry and bring him down here {to me}.” or “Then quickly bring him here {to me}.” See how you translated “down” in verse 9.
45:14 r6ln rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּפֹּ֛ל עַל צַוְּארֵ֥י בִנְיָמִֽן אָחִ֖יו 1 “Then Joseph threw/put his arms around his brother Benjamin’s neck/shoulders” or “Then Joseph hugged his brother Benjamin {tightly/strongly}”. See how you translated the idiom “fell on his neck” in Gen 33:4.
45:14 ea8j וַיֵּ֑בְךְּ 1 “and cried {for joy},” or “and started crying {because he was so happy}.”
45:14 ony8 וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן בָּכָ֖ה עַל צַוָּארָֽיו 1 “and Benjamin {also} cried on his/Joseph’s neck/shoulder.” or “Benjamin {also} cried as he hugged him/Joseph {back}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
45:15 ggne וַיְנַשֵּׁ֥ק לְכָל אֶחָ֖יו 1 “Then/Next Joseph kissed all his brothers {on their cheeks}” or “Then/Next Joseph greeted all his brothers with a kiss {on their cheeks}”. See how you translated “kissed...{on the cheeks}” in Gen 33:4.
45:15 t2gm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיֵּ֣בְךְּ עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם 1 “as he continued to cry {for joy}.” or “with tears {of joy}.” For some languages it is more natural to put this clause first in this verse and say, “Then as Joseph continued to cry, he kissed all his brothers {on the/their cheeks}.” Do what is best in your language.
45:15 wxc9 וְאַ֣חֲרֵי כֵ֔ן דִּבְּר֥וּ אֶחָ֖יו אִתּֽוֹ 1 “After {he did} that, his brothers started talking with him.” Previously Joseph’s brothers had been too afraid to speak (verse 3). Now they felt free to start talking to him.
45:16 a6pi וְהַקֹּ֣ל נִשְׁמַ֗ע בֵּ֤ית פַּרְעֹה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר 1 “When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace/household” or “When Pharaoh’s household heard the news”
45:16 qihz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations בָּ֖אוּ אֲחֵ֣י יוֹסֵ֑ף 1 “that Joseph’s brothers had come/arrived {there},” Consider whether it is better to use a direct or indirect quote here in your language.
45:16 yonq וַיִּיטַב֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה וּבְעֵינֵ֖י עֲבָדָֽיו 1 “it was pleasing to Pharaoh and {all} his servants/officials.” or “Pharaoh and {all} his servants/officials were pleased/happy.”
45:17 f0rb rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶל יוֹסֵ֔ף 1 “Then/So Pharaoh told/instructed Joseph,” or “Then/So Pharaoh gave these instructions to Joseph:”
45:17 nwm7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes אֱמֹ֥ר אֶל אַחֶ֖יךָ זֹ֣את עֲשׂ֑וּ טַֽעֲנוּ֙ אֶת בְּעִ֣ירְכֶ֔ם 1 “Give your brothers this message {from me}: ‘Load your donkeys {with grain}” or “Tell your brothers to load their {pack} animals {with grain}”. These animals were donkeys (Gen 43:18, 44:3), not any other kind of animal. Also, consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote with a direct or indirect quote.
45:17 no0d וּלְכוּ בֹ֖אוּ 1 “and go quickly {back}” or “and quickly return”. The two verbs “leave” and “go” emphasize that Joseph’s brothers should go back immediately to their father in Canaan.
45:18 r5zh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וּקְח֧וּ אֶת אֲבִיכֶ֛ם וְאֶת בָּתֵּיכֶ֖ם וּבֹ֣אוּ אֵלָ֑י 1 “Then bring your father and your families back {here} to me,” or “Then {tell them to} bring their father and their families back {here} to me.” Make sure it is clear in your translation that verse 18 is still part of Pharaoh’s message to Joseph’s brothers. Also make sure the pronouns that you use throughout verses 17 and 18 fit with whether you translate this embedded quote with a direct or indirect quote.
45:18 b98l rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וְאֶתְּנָ֣ה לָכֶ֗ם 1 “I will give you” or “I will give them”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
45:18 xl30 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וְאִכְל֖וּ 1 “so that you...” or “so that they...”
45:18 j0oy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אֶת חֵ֥לֶב הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “will live well/comfortably with the best/abundance of everything in the country.’ ” This idiom means that they would live comfortably with the best of everything; it does not just refer to food. Consider whether or not you have a similar idiom in your language.
45:19 rznz וְאַתָּ֥ה צֻוֵּ֖יתָה 1 “You are also directed/instructed {to tell them}” or “{Then Pharaoh said to Joseph,} “I also command/want you {to tell them}”. The pronoun “you” is singular here and refers to Joseph. This clause is not part of Pharaoh’s message to Joseph’s brothers (verses 17-20). Make sure that is clear in your translation.
45:19 r7b1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes זֹ֣את עֲשׂ֑וּ קְחוּ לָכֶם֩ & עֲגָל֗וֹת 1 “Take {some of} {my} carts/wagons with you” or “to take {some of} {my} carts/wagons with them”. These carts or wagons had two or four wheels and were pulled by animals such as oxen or donkeys. Consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote with a direct or indirect quote. See what you did for a similar case in verses 17-18.
45:19 ehow rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לְטַפְּכֶם֙ וְלִנְשֵׁיכֶ֔ם 1 “for your/their {young} children and wives {to travel/ride in},” or “for your/their wives and {young} children {to travel/ride in},” For some languages it is more natural (and respectful) to put “wives” before “little ones” in this phrase. Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated “little ones” in Gen 43:8.
45:19 zy6m rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וּנְשָׂאתֶ֥ם אֶת אֲבִיכֶ֖ם וּבָאתֶֽם 1 “then bring {them and} your father {back} {here to live}.” or “Then {tell them} to bring their father {and their families} {back} {here to live}.” Make sure the pronouns you use throughout verses 19 and 20 fit with whether you translate the embedded quote with a direct or indirect quote. Also see how you translated “get your father” in verse 18.
45:20 rsjc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וְעֵ֣ינְכֶ֔ם אַל תָּחֹ֖ס 1 “And do not be concerned” or “You/They should not worry”
45:20 n3nt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes עַל כְּלֵיכֶ֑ם 1 “about {leaving some of} your/their belongings {behind},” or “if you/they have to leave behind {some of} your/their belongings/possessions,”
45:20 bf1n כִּי ט֛וּב כָּל אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם 1 “because the best of everything in the land/country of Egypt” or “because the most valuable {things} in all the land/country of Egypt”. This phrase refers generally to the wealth of Egypt which will be available to Jacob’s family, including fertile land and anything else that they need.
45:21 kcbs וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־כֵן֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל 1 “Then/So Israel’s sons {agreed to} do that.” or “...{agreed to} do what Pharaoh said/commanded.” Jacob is referred to by his other name Israel here (also in verse 28). If that is not clear in your translation, you could put that information in a footnote. If possible in your translation, it is best to keep the name that the author chose to use in each case so that you do not change what is being emphasized.
45:21 zkju rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy עַל פִּ֣י פַרְעֹ֑ה 1 “according to Pharaoh’s words/command,” or “as {King} Pharaoh had commanded/directed {him},” This phrase refers to what Pharaoh said.
45:21 kx1n לַדָּֽרֶךְ 1 “to eat on their trip/journey {home}.” or “to eat as they traveled {home}.”
45:22 lj72 לְכֻלָּ֥ם נָתַ֛ן לָאִ֖ישׁ חֲלִפ֣וֹת שְׂמָלֹ֑ת 1 “To each of them he gave a {new} change/set of clothes,” or “He {also} gave a {new} change/set of clothes to each one of his brothers,”
45:22 ku7k rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וּלְבִנְיָמִ֤ן נָתַן֙ שְׁלֹ֣שׁ מֵא֣וֹת כֶּ֔סֶף וְחָמֵ֖שׁ חֲלִפֹ֥ת שְׂמָלֹֽת 1 “but to Benjamin he gave 300 {pieces} of silver {money} and five {new} changes/sets of clothes.” or “but to Benjamin he gave five {new} changes/sets of clothes and/plus 300 {pieces} of silver {money}.” For some languages it is better to mention the gift of clothes to Benjamin before the gift of silver, to more clearly contrast how many clothes he received with how many his brothers received. Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated “{shekels} of silver” at Genesis 20:16 (and see the note there). Three hundred shekels of silver was equal to about 3.5 kilos (7.5 pounds).
45:23 fr3h וּלְאָבִ֞יו שָׁלַ֤ח כְּזֹאת֙ 1 “Besides that, he sent {with them} the following gifts for his father:” or “He also gave {them} the following gifts/things to give to his father:”
45:23 xcsr מִטּ֣וּב מִצְרָ֑יִם 1 “{some of} the best/finest {things/products} from Egypt,” or “{some of} the most valuable {things} produced in {the land/country of} Egypt,”
45:23 kd75 לַדָּֽרֶךְ 1 “to eat on his/their trip/journey {to Egypt}.” or “to eat as he/they traveled {to Egypt}.” See how you translated “provisions...for the road” in verse 21 and Gen 42:25.
45:24 nqcs rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־אֶחָ֖יו 1 “Then Joseph sent/saw his brothers off {on their way/journey home}.” or “After that, he/Joseph got his brothers started {on their journey home}.”
45:24 rty0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אַֽל תִּרְגְּז֖וּ 1 “he told/urged them, “Do not argue {with each other}” or “he told/urged them not to argue {with one another}”. Consider whether it is better in your language to use a direct or indirect quote here.
45:24 dh6n בַּדָּֽרֶךְ 1 “on the way/journey.” or “as you travel.”
45:25 z1e1 וַֽיַּעֲל֖וּ מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם 1 “Then Joseph’s brothers left Egypt”. See how you translated “up” in verse 9.
45:25 mbuw וַיָּבֹ֨אוּ֙ אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן אֶֽל יַעֲקֹ֖ב אֲבִיהֶֽם 1 “and went/traveled {back} {home} to their father Jacob in the land/region of Canaan.”
45:26 ektk וַיַּגִּ֨דוּ ל֜וֹ לֵאמֹ֗ר 1 “They {immediately} announced to him,” or “{When they arrived,} they exclaimed/announced to him,”
45:26 l7wg ע֚וֹד יוֹסֵ֣ף חַ֔י וְכִֽי ה֥וּא מֹשֵׁ֖ל בְּכָל אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם 1 “Joseph {is} still alive! In fact, he {is} the governor over/of the entire country of Egypt!” See how you translated “ruler” in verse 8.
45:26 tsjm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיָּ֣פָג לִבּ֔וֹ 1 “{When their father heard that news,} he was stunned {and silent},” or “{When Jacob heard that,} he was completely shocked,” This idiom means that Jacob was so shocked that he did not know which way to go with his emotions or what to think, say or do; it does not mean that he died. Some languages have a similar idiom. Do what is best in your language.
45:27 os2g וַתְּחִ֕י ר֖וּחַ יַעֲקֹ֥ב אֲבִיהֶֽם 1 “their father Jacob felt much better.” or “he recovered {from the shock}.”
45:28 byhk וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל 1 “Then Israel/he exclaimed {to them},” Consider again whether to include in this chapter a footnote which explains that “Israel” (verses 21 and 28) and “Jacob” (verses 25 and 27) refer to the same person, not two different people.
45:28 nw1o רַ֛ב 1 “{That’s} enough! {It must be true!}” or “{I have heard} enough! {I’m convinced!}”
45:28 un3t עוֹד יוֹסֵ֥ף בְּנִ֖י חָ֑י 1 “My son Joseph must still be alive!” or “My son Joseph really is alive!”
45:28 iyqo אֵֽלְכָ֥ה וְאֶרְאֶ֖נּוּ בְּטֶ֥רֶם אָמֽוּת 1 “I must go {now} and see him {again} before I die.”
46:1 riri וַיִּסַּ֤ע יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְכָל אֲשֶׁר ל֔וֹ 1 “So Israel started the journey {to Egypt} with all his {family members and} belongings/possessions.” or “So Israel {and his family} started traveling {toward Egypt} with all his/their belongings.”
46:1 hkee וַיִּזְבַּ֣ח זְבָחִ֔ים 1 “he offered sacrifices/offerings” or “offered/burned some of his animals {on an altar} {there} as sacrifices”. See how you translated “sacrificed” in Gen 31:54.
46:1 tvbs לֵאלֹהֵ֖י אָבִ֥יו יִצְחָֽק 1 “to God, whom his father Isaac had worshiped/served.”
46:2 r68j וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֤ים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּמַרְאֹ֣ת הַלַּ֔יְלָה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֣ב יַעֲקֹ֑ב 1 “During the night God spoke/called to Israel in a vision, “Jacob! Jacob!” ” or “That night, God {appeared/came to} Israel in a vision and said to him, “Jacob, Jacob.” ” God repeats Jacob’s name to communicate that he has something urgent or important to tell him. Make sure your translation of this phrase does not sound angry or critical. Also see how you translated “vision” in Gen 15:1.
46:2 zw7m rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיֹּ֖אמֶר 2 “Israel/Jacob replied {to him},” For some languages, it is more natural to put this quotation margin (“he said”) after the quote. Do what is best in your language.
46:2 xvb8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom הִנֵּֽנִי 1 “Here I am, {Lord/Master}.” or “Yes, {Lord/Master}?” or “I am listening, {Lord}.” Consider again how you translated the idiom “Behold me” throughout the book of Genesis. See Gen 22:1, 7, 11; 27:1, 18; 31:11; 37:13; 46:2.
46:3 j0y9 אָנֹכִ֥י הָאֵ֖ל אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ 1 “I {am} God, the God whom your father served/worshiped.” See how you translated “the God of” in verse 1.
46:3 l2gh אַל תִּירָא֙ 1 “Don’t be afraid” or “You must not be afraid”
46:3 ss0c מֵרְדָ֣ה מִצְרַ֔יְמָה 1 “to move down to {the country of} Egypt,” or “to go/travel to {the country of} Egypt {and settle there},”
46:3 tlg5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy כִּֽי & אֲשִֽׂימְךָ֥ 1 “because I will make you {and your family/descendants}” or “because I will make your family/descendants” or “because I will give you {many} descendants, who will”. See how you translated “I will make you into a great nation” (and similar phrases) in Gen 12:2; 17:20; 18:18; 21:13, 18.
46:3 qaja לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל & שָֽׁם 1 “{multiply and} become an important/large ethnic/people group {while they live} there.”
46:4 yhnq אָנֹכִ֗י אֵרֵ֤ד עִמְּךָ֙ מִצְרַ֔יְמָה 1 “I myself/personally will go with you to Egypt,” or “I will personally go with you down to Egypt {and take care of you there}.” Consider what is the best way to translate the emphatic pronoun “I” here and in the next clause. Also see how you translated “down” and “up” in Gen 45:9.
46:4 bj4x rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וְאָנֹכִ֖י אַֽעַלְךָ֣ גַם עָלֹ֑ה 1 “Later I will definitely bring your descendants {back} {here} {to Canaan}.” The pronoun “you” refers here to Jacob’s descendants.
46:4 kc9s rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וְיוֹסֵ֕ף יָשִׁ֥ית יָד֖וֹ עַל עֵינֶֽיךָ 1 “And {when you die}, Joseph will {be right there to} close your eyes.” or “When you die, Joseph will be with you.” This clause refers to the custom of closing a person’s eyes after he died and means that Joseph would be with Jacob when he died.
46:5 o6ve וַיָּ֥קָם יַעֲקֹ֖ב מִבְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע 1 “Then/So Jacob left {the city of} Beersheba,” or “After that, Jacob {whose other name was Israel} left {the city of} Beersheba,” Be consistent with how you spell “Beersheba” throughout the book of Genesis. See Gen 21:14, 31-33; 22:19; 26:23, 33; 28:10; 46:1, 5.
46:5 d9sz וַיִּשְׂא֨וּ בְנֵֽי יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת יַעֲקֹ֣ב אֲבִיהֶ֗ם 1 “and his sons, the sons of Israel, took/transported {him} their father” or “and his sons, {that is} the sons of Israel, took/transported him” or “and his sons took/transported him”. “Israel” is the name that God gave to Jacob (Gen 32:28, 35:10). In chapters 45 and 46, the text repeatedly switches back and forth between both of Jacob’s names. Make sure it is clear in your translation that these two names refer to the same person. You could include a footnote that helps readers understand what is happening.
46:5 dh0t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְאֶת טַפָּם֙ וְאֶת נְשֵׁיהֶ֔ם 1 “as well as their children and wives” or “and their wives and children”. See how you translated “little ones and...wives” in Gen 45:19.
46:5 swur rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names אֲשֶׁר & פַּרְעֹ֖ה 1 “that {King} Pharaoh” or “that Pharaoh {the king of Egypt}” or “that the king {of/over Egypt}”. For a note about how “Pharaoh” is used like a name in the Bible, see Gen 12:15.
46:5 a0lg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche לָשֵׂ֥את אֹתֽוֹ 1 “to transport him/them {to Egypt}.” or “for them to ride in/on {to Egypt}.” The pronoun “him” refers to Jacob, the head of his family, and includes Jacob’s wives and children. It may be necessary to use the plural pronoun “them” to make that clear.
46:6 mwtw וְאֶת רְכוּשָׁם֙ 1 “and their {other} belongings”. Consider again how you translated “possessions” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 12:5 (and note); 13:6; 14:11-12, 16, 21; 15:14; 31:18; 36:7; 46:6. It may be necessary to translate this term in slightly different ways, depending on the context.
46:6 rgy2 אֲשֶׁ֤ר רָֽכְשׁוּ֙ 1 “that they had accumulated/gotten”. Consider again how you translated “acquired” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 12:5; 31:18; 36:6; 46:6.
46:6 ll6u בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן 1 “in the region of Canaan.” or “in Canaan.”
46:6 kx4e וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ מִצְרָ֑יְמָה יַעֲקֹ֖ב וְכָל זַרְע֥וֹ אִתּֽוֹ 1 “Then Jacob and all of his descendants arrived in Egypt,”
46:7 fpfy rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-kinship בָּנָ֞יו וּבְנֵ֤י בָנָיו֙ אִתּ֔וֹ בְּנֹתָ֛יו וּבְנ֥וֹת בָּנָ֖יו 1 “{including} his sons and grandsons, {and} his daughters and granddaughters.” or “{including} his sons, daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters.” or “{including} his sons and daughters, {and} his grandsons and granddaughters.” Consider what is the best way in your language to list these descendants.
46:7 f9ba rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְכָל זַרְע֑וֹ הֵבִ֥יא אִתּ֖וֹ מִצְרָֽיְמָה 1 “{Yes,} he/Jacob brought his entire family with him to Egypt.” or “He/Jacob had all his offspring/descendants with him when he arrived in Egypt.” For some languages, it may be clearer or more natural to change the order of the clauses in this verse and say, “He/Jacob brought his entire {extended} family with him to Egypt, {including} his sons...” Do what is best in your language.
46:8 hwco וְאֵ֨לֶּה שְׁמ֧וֹת בְּנֵֽי יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הַבָּאִ֥ים מִצְרַ֖יְמָה יַעֲקֹ֣ב וּבָנָ֑יו 1 “Here is a list of the names of Israel’s descendants who went/came {with him} to Egypt, {that is,} Jacob’s descendants:” or “The following list gives the names of Israel’s descendants, {that is,} Jacob’s descendants, who went/came {with him} to Egypt:”
46:8 r81g בְּכֹ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב רְאוּבֵֽן 1 “Reuben, {who was} his/Jacob’s firstborn/oldest {son},” Some translations put verses 8-14, 16-17, and 19-24 in list format, beginning a new paragraph with each of Jacob’s sons.
46:9 pg60 וּבְנֵ֖י רְאוּבֵ֑ן 1 “and Reuben’s sons, {who were}” or “and Reuben’s sons:” Throughout this section (verses 9-27), some translations use a colon before each list of names instead of “{were}”. Do what is best in your language.
46:9 vobo חֲנ֥וֹךְ וּפַלּ֖וּא וְחֶצְר֥וֹן וְכַרְמִֽי 1 “Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.” For some languages it is more natural to include “and” between every name in a list like this. For other languages it is more natural to use commas between names and leave “and” implied, except before the last name in the list. See how you translated similar lists of names in Genesis 10.
46:10 p9tr וְשָׁא֖וּל בֶּן הַֽכְּנַעֲנִֽית 1 “and Shaul, who had a Canaanite mother.” or “and Shaul, whose mother was a Canaanite.” or “and Shaul. (Shaul had a Canaanite mother.)” In this list, only Shaul had a Canaanite mother. See how you translated “Canaanite” in Gen 38:2.
46:12 hxru עֵ֧ר וְאוֹנָ֛ן וְשֵׁלָ֖ה וָפֶ֣רֶץ וָזָ֑רַח 1 “Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah;” Be consistent here with how you spelled these names in Gen 38:3-11, 26, 29-30.
46:12 kmfp וַיָּ֨מָת עֵ֤ר וְאוֹנָן֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן 1 “actually, Er and Onan had {already} died in the land/region of Canaan.”
46:12 btiw וַיִּהְי֥וּ בְנֵי פֶ֖רֶץ חֶצְר֥וֹן וְחָמֽוּל 1 “Perez’s sons were Hezron and Hamul.” or “Perez had sons {named} Hezron and Hamul.”
46:13 gd3s rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names תּוֹלָ֥ע וּפֻוָּ֖ה וְי֥וֹב וְשִׁמְרֽוֹן 1 “Tola, Puvah/Puah, Job/Jashub, and Shimron.” Numbers 26:24 and 1 Chronicles 7:1 have the same list of Issachar’s sons as here, but instead of “Puvah” and “Job”, they have “Puah” and “Jashub”. Some translations keep the spelling for these names the same in all three locations to avoid confusion. Do what is best in your language.
46:15 nmfo לֵאָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָֽלְדָ֤ה לְיַעֲקֹב֙ 1 “of Leah and Jacob who were born” or “that Jacob’s wife Leah had” or “whom Jacob and {his wife} Leah had together”
46:15 bl0r וְאֵ֖ת דִּינָ֣ה בִתּ֑וֹ 1 “as well as Dinah their daughter.” or “in addition to their daughter Dinah.” or “They also had a daughter {named} Dinah.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, be consistent with how you spell the name “Dinah” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 30:21; 34:1-5, 11, 13, 25-26; 46:15.
46:15 avnp כָּל נֶ֧פֶשׁ בָּנָ֛יו וּבְנוֹתָ֖יו שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וְשָׁלֹֽשׁ 1 “All {together} those sons, daughters {and grandchildren} {totaled} thirty-three persons/people.” or “The {total} number of those descendants {was} thirty-three.”
46:16 l2wr וּבְנֵ֣י גָ֔ד 1 “{Jacob’s other descendants who came with him included} {his/Jacob’s son Gad and} Gad’s sons, {who were}” or “{Other descendants were/included} {Jacob’s son Gad and} Gad’s sons:” This verse begins a new section in the list of Jacob’s descendants. Decide what is the best way to begin this new section in your language.
46:17 ccrj וְשֶׂ֣רַח אֲחֹתָ֑ם 1 “and their sister, {who was} Serah.” or “and their sister, {whose name was} Serah.” or “Their sister {was} Serah.”
46:17 rvtp וּבְנֵ֣י בְרִיעָ֔ה חֶ֖בֶר וּמַלְכִּיאֵֽל 1 “Beriah’s sons {were} Heber and Malkiel.” or “Beriah had sons {named} Heber and Malkiel.”
46:18 ooav אֵ֚לֶּה בְּנֵ֣י זִלְפָּ֔ה 1 “Those {were} the descendants of {Jacob and} Zilpah,” or “Those {were} the children {and grandchildren} {that Jacob had} with Zilpah,” Be consistent with how you spell the name “Zilpah” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 29:24; 30:9-10,12; 35:26; 37:2; 46:18.
46:18 a33d אֲשֶׁר נָתַ֥ן לָבָ֖ן לְלֵאָ֣ה בִתּ֑וֹ 1 “{who was the servant woman} that Laban had given to his daughter Leah.”
46:18 q2fo rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַתֵּ֤לֶד אֶת אֵ֨לֶּה֙ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב שֵׁ֥שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה נָֽפֶשׁ 1 “Zilpah and Jacob had those sixteen descendants.” or “{The total number of} those descendants that Zilpah and Jacob had together was sixteen.” Consider whether it is better in your language to change the order of clauses in this verse and say, “Those {were} sixteen descendants that Jacob had with {his concubine} Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah {as a maidservant/servant}.”
46:19 dl75 בְּנֵ֤י רָחֵל֙ אֵ֣שֶׁת יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב יוֹסֵ֖ף וּבִנְיָמִֽן 1 “{Then} there were the sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel, {who were} Joseph and Benjamin.” or “The sons that Jacob had with his wife Rachel {were} Joseph and Benjamin.” This verse begins a new section in the list of Jacob’s descendants. Decide what is the best way to begin this new section in your language.
46:20 wv2h וַיִּוָּלֵ֣ד לְיוֹסֵף֮ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַיִם֒ & אֶת מְנַשֶּׁ֖ה וְאֶת אֶפְרָֽיִם 1 “Joseph’s {sons} who were born in the land/country of Egypt {were} Manasseh and Ephraim.” or “Joseph’s sons were Manasseh and Ephraim, and they were born in the land/country of Egypt.”
46:20 h1mo אֲשֶׁ֤ר יָֽלְדָה לּוֹ֙ אָֽסְנַ֔ת בַּת פּ֥וֹטִי פֶ֖רַע כֹּהֵ֣ן אֹ֑ן 1 “{Joseph’s/His wife} Asenath bore/had those sons for him; she was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest in/at {the city of} On.” or “Their mother was {Joseph’s wife} Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, {who was} the priest in/at {the city of} On.” See how you translated “Asenath...daughter of Potiphera the priest of On” in Gen 41:45.
46:21 qthw אֵחִ֣י וָרֹ֑אשׁ מֻפִּ֥ים וְחֻפִּ֖ים וָאָֽרְדְּ 1 “Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.” Remember to use (or not use) “and” between the names in this list in a way that is natural in your language.
46:22 khj5 אֵ֚לֶּה בְּנֵ֣י 1 “Those {were} the sons {and grandsons}” or “{All} those {were} the descendants”
46:22 awf7 בְּנֵ֣י רָחֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֻלַּ֖ד לְיַעֲקֹ֑ב 1 “that Jacob’s wife Rachel had,” or “that Jacob and {his wife} Rachel had together,” or “who descended/came from Rachel and Jacob.” Your punctuation here will depend on how you translate the rest of this verse.
46:22 ycq8 כָּל נֶ֖פֶשׁ אַרְבָּעָ֥ה עָשָֽׂר 1 “a total of fourteen descendants.” or “The total {number} of those descendants {was} fourteen.”
46:23 f9g0 וּבְנֵי דָ֖ן חֻשִֽׁים 1 “{Other descendants who came with Jacob included:} {his son Dan and} Dan’s son Hushim.” This verse begins a new section in the list of Jacob’s descendants. See how you started verse 16, which is similar.
46:24 jdr0 יַחְצְאֵ֥ל וְגוּנִ֖י וְיֵ֥צֶר וְשִׁלֵּֽם 1 “Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.” Consider again how you translated these lists of names in this chapter (verses 9-24).
46:25 tn9l אֵ֚לֶּה בְּנֵ֣י בִלְהָ֔ה 1 “Those {were} the descendants of {Jacob and} Bilhah,” or “Those {were all} the sons {and grandsons} that Jacob had with Bilhah,” Be consistent in how you spell “Bilhah” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 29:29; 30:3-5, 7; 35:22, 25; 37:2; 46:25. Also see how you translated verse 18, which is similar in structure to verse 25.
46:25 k5xe אֲשֶׁר נָתַ֥ן לָבָ֖ן לְרָחֵ֣ל בִּתּ֑וֹ 1 “{who was} {the servant woman} whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel.”
46:25 uwps rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַתֵּ֧לֶד אֶת אֵ֛לֶּה לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב כָּל נֶ֥פֶשׁ שִׁבְעָֽה 1 “The total {number} of those descendants that Bilhah and Jacob had together {was} seven.” or “Those descendants that Bilhah had with Jacob totaled seven {persons/people}.” For some languages it is better to change the order of clauses in this verse and say, “All those {were} seven descendants that Jacob had with {his concubine} Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel {as a maidservant/servant}.” Do what is best in your language.
46:26 vq0n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism יֹצְאֵ֣י יְרֵכ֔וֹ 1 “who came/descended from him,” or “who were his blood relatives,” or “who were his biological descendants,” Make sure that your translation of this idiom can be read in public without offending or embarrassing listeners. See how you translated a similar idiom in Gen 35:11.
46:26 rfvm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כָּל נֶ֖פֶשׁ שִׁשִּׁ֥ים וָשֵֽׁשׁ 1 “was sixty-six people in all.” For some languages it is clearer and more natural to change the order of the clauses in this sentence and say, “Altogether Jacob had sixty-six blood relatives who went with him to Egypt. That {number} does not include {his wives or} his sons’ wives.” Do what is best in your language.
46:27 w7ik וּבְנֵ֥י יוֹסֵ֛ף אֲשֶׁר יֻלַּד ל֥וֹ בְמִצְרַ֖יִם נֶ֣פֶשׁ שְׁנָ֑יִם 1 “{If you include/count} {Jacob, Joseph, and} Joseph’s two sons, who were born in Egypt, {then}” or “Joseph {and his} two sons were already in Egypt, {so, including Jacob,}”
46:27 bkox כָּל הַנֶּ֧פֶשׁ לְבֵֽית יַעֲקֹ֛ב הַבָּ֥אָה מִצְרַ֖יְמָה שִׁבְעִֽים 1 “all the people in Jacob’s family who were in Egypt {totaled} seventy.” or “there was a total of seventy members of Jacob’s family in Egypt.”
46:28 b4ff וְאֶת יְהוּדָ֞ה שָׁלַ֤ח 1 “Then he/Jacob told Judah to go” or “{When they reached Egypt,} he/Jacob had Judah go”
46:28 u61x לְפָנָיו֙ אֶל יוֹסֵ֔ף 1 “ahead of them to Joseph” or “to Joseph ahead of them”
46:28 lr93 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit גֹּ֑שְׁנָה 1 “to {the region/territory of} Goshen.” or “to Goshen {Province/County}.” Goshen was a region or territory that was part of the country of Egypt. For some languages it is better to make that explicit here, rather than wait until the end of the verse. Do what is best in your language. Also be consistent here with how you spelled “Goshen” in Gen 45:10.
46:28 ywkc rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ 1 “Then Jacob and his family traveled to” or “After that, Jacob’s family arrived in”. Make sure it is clear in your translation who is being referred to here.
46:28 cib9 אַ֥רְצָה גֹּֽשֶׁן 1 “the region/territory of Goshen.” or “Goshen Province/County.” or “Goshen.” If you use “the land of Goshen” earlier in this verse, it may be better to just say “Goshen” here. Do what is best in your language.
46:29 ytwf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֶּאְסֹ֤ר יוֹסֵף֙ מֶרְכַּבְתּ֔וֹ 1 “Then Joseph got his chariot/cart ready” or “Then Joseph {had his servants} get his chariot/cart ready”. Joseph may have harnessed his horses to his chariot himself, or he may have had his servants do that for him (which was usual for a powerful person like him). Consider how you translated similar situations in Gen 41:48. Also see how you translated “chariot” in Gen 41:43.
46:29 ddl6 וַיַּ֛עַל לִקְרַֽאת יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אָבִ֖יו גֹּ֑שְׁנָה 1 “and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel.” See how you translated “went up” in Gen 13:1 and “go up” in Gen 45:9.
46:29 vrp6 וַיֵּרָ֣א אֵלָ֗יו 1 “{When he got there,} Joseph went/came up to his father” or “{There} Joseph greeted his father”
46:29 zdd2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּפֹּל֙ עַל צַוָּארָ֔יו 1 “and threw/put his arms around his neck/shoulders” or “and hugged him {tightly/strongly}”. See how you translated “fell on...neck” in Gen 45:14.
46:30 cub6 אָמ֣וּתָה הַפָּ֑עַם 1 “Now I can/will die {happy},” or “Now when I die {I will be at peace},” Jacob did not die until 17 years later (Genesis 47:28). Make sure your translation of this clause does not mean or imply that Jacob wanted to die soon or that he thought he would die soon.
46:30 rb7f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche אַחֲרֵי֙ רְאוֹתִ֣י אֶת פָּנֶ֔יךָ 1 “since/because I have seen you face-to-face” or “since/because I have seen you in person”. In this context, “your face” refers to Joseph, not just his face. Decide what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
46:31 iu3p rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-honorifics אֶעֱלֶ֖ה וְאַגִּ֣ידָה לְפַרְעֹ֑ה וְאֹֽמְרָ֣ה אֵלָ֔יו 1 “I will go to {King} Pharaoh and tell/inform him,” Make sure that the way Joseph refers to Pharaoh here sounds respectful in your translation. See what you did in Gen 41:35.
46:31 xkdd rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes אַחַ֧י וּבֵית אָבִ֛י 1 “My brothers and {the rest of} my father’s family” or “that my brothers and {the rest of} my father’s household/family”. Consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote (in verses 31-32) with a direct or indirect quote.
46:32 x44w rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes וְהָאֲנָשִׁים֙ רֹ֣עֵי צֹ֔אן 1 “The men {of my family} raise/tend sheep {and goats}.” or “{I will} also {tell him that} the/you men {in my family} raise sheep {and goats}.” Be consistent here with whether you are translating this embedded quote (that began in verse 31) as an direct or indirect quote.
46:32 igox כִּֽי אַנְשֵׁ֥י מִקְנֶ֖ה הָי֑וּ 1 “for/because they are livestock raisers/herders,” or “In fact, they raise {all kinds of} livestock {for a living},” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
46:32 l2a6 וְכָל 1 “and everything {else}” or “as well as everything {else}”
46:32 vast אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָהֶ֖ם 1 “that they own/have.” or “that is theirs.”
46:33 ai1b וְהָיָ֕ה 1 “Then” or “So then,” This phrase introduces and emphasizes what Joseph says next. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
46:33 h0uq כִּֽי & פַּרְעֹ֑ה 1 “when {King} Pharaoh” or “when the king”
46:33 r2yq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes יִקְרָ֥א לָכֶ֖ם & וְאָמַ֖ר מַה מַּעֲשֵׂיכֶֽם 1 “summons you and asks {you} what your work/occupation is,” Consider whether it is better in your language to translate this embedded quotation with a direct or indirect quote.
46:34 ia61 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person אַנְשֵׁ֨י מִקְנֶ֜ה הָי֤וּ עֲבָדֶ֨יךָ֙ מִנְּעוּרֵ֣ינוּ וְעַד עַ֔תָּה 1 “Your Majesty/Highness, we have raised livestock since the time we were youths/young,” or “Sir, ever since the time we were young until now, we have been raising livestock,” The phrase “your servants” shows respect to Pharaoh and acknowledges his high position; it does not mean that Pharaoh actually owns Joseph’s brothers as servants. Translate this in a polite way that shows respect toward Pharaoh. Also, see how you translated “livestock men” in verse 32.
46:34 r4o3 גַּם אֲנַ֖חְנוּ גַּם אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ 1 “{which is} the same occupation that our forefathers/ancestors had.” See how you translated “fathers” in Gen 15:15.
46:34 k7fk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit תֵּשְׁבוּ֙ 1 “you will be permitted/allowed to live {separately/privately}” or “{he/Pharaoh} will permit/allow you to live {separately/privately}”. The idea here is that Jacob’s family would be permitted to live in rural areas to raise their livestock away from most Egyptians, who despised sheep herders.
46:34 prnu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure תוֹעֲבַ֥ת מִצְרַ֖יִם כָּל רֹ֥עֵה צֹֽאן 1 “sheep herders are detestable {to} Egyptians.” or “the people of Egypt have disdain/contempt for sheep herders.” or “Egyptians despise/detest everyone who raises sheep.” For some languages it is clearer and more natural to change the order of phrases in this clause. Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated “abomination” in Gen 43:32.
47:1 mkye וַיָּבֹ֣א יוֹסֵף֮ וַיַּגֵּ֣ד לְפַרְעֹה֒ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “Then/So Joseph went to {King} Pharaoh and informed/told {him},” See how you translated “report to Pharaoh” in Gen 46:31.
47:1 sa29 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אָבִ֨י וְאַחַ֜י 1 “My father, my brothers {and their families},” It is implied that the brothers brought their families with them. Consider whether or not to make that explicit in your translation.
47:1 i8mx וְצֹאנָ֤ם וּבְקָרָם֙ 1 “and/with their flock{s} {of sheep and goats} and their herd{s} {of cattle}” or “{along} with their sheep, {goats,} cattle,”
47:1 kr2r וְכָל אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָהֶ֔ם 1 “and everything {else} that they own,“ or “and all {the rest of} their belongings/possessions,”
47:1 kw8n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בָּ֖אוּ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן 1 “have come {here} from the land/region of Canaan.” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to put this clause and the rest of this verse earlier in this sentence. For example: “My father and my brothers {and their families} have come {to Egypt} from the region of Canaan and {are} now in Goshen Province. {They brought with them} their sheep...” Do what is best in your language.
47:1 fp70 וְהִנָּ֖ם 1 “They {are staying} now” or “and they have {already} arrived”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
47:1 ckpp בְּאֶ֥רֶץ גֹּֽשֶׁן 1 “in the region/territory of Goshen.” or “in Goshen Province/County.”
47:2 zp5f וּמִקְצֵ֣ה אֶחָ֔יו לָקַ֖ח חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וַיַּצִּגֵ֖ם לִפְנֵ֥י פַרְעֹֽה 1 “Then he/Joseph took/brought five of his brothers before/to Pharaoh and presented/introduced them {to him}.” or “Joseph had brought five of his brothers {with him} {from Goshen}, so he took/brought them before Pharaoh and presented/introduced them {to him}.” Joseph probably brought his father and brothers with him from Goshen (46:31) to Pharaoh’s palace. It is not clear whether or not they were in the room yet when Joseph spoke to Pharaoh about them (47:1).
47:3 dma6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֧אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֛ה אֶל אֶחָ֖יו 1 “Then Pharaoh asked Joseph’s brothers,” or “Then Pharaoh asked them,” Make sure that your translation of “his brothers” refers to Joseph’s brothers, not Pharaoh’s.
47:3 pwof rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ 1 “{We} your {humble} servants” or “Your Majesty/Highness, we” or “Sir, we”. See how you translated “your servants” in Gen 46:34.
47:4 bami rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֶל פַּרְעֹ֗ה 1 “They {also} said to him,” or “Then they added,” For some languages it is more natural here to omit this quote margin, because the same people (Joseph’s brothers) are still talking to the same person (Pharaoh). However, the words emphasize what Joseph’s five brothers say next and may indicate that there was a pause between what they said in verse 3 and verse 4. Do what is best in your language.
47:4 u08w כִּי אֵ֣ין מִרְעֶ֗ה לַצֹּאן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ 1 “because there was not enough pasture/grass for our flock{s} {of sheep and goats}” or “Our flocks, sir, did not have enough grass to eat”. Consider whether or not it is better to begin a new sentence here in your language.
47:4 hq4a rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּֽי כָבֵ֥ד הָרָעָ֖ב בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן 1 “in the region of Canaan {where we are/come from}, because the famine {is} very/so severe/terrible {there}.” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to put this clause earlier in this sentence. For example: “The famine is so severe/terrible in the region of Canaan {where we are/come from} that there is not enough grass {in the fields} for our flocks.” Do what is best in your language.
47:4 fcpf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person וְעַתָּ֛ה יֵֽשְׁבוּ נָ֥א עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ 1 “So now/then, please let {us} your {humble} servants settle/live” or “So then, sir, please let us settle/live”. See how you translated “your servants” in verse 3 to show respect.
47:4 e9jw בְּאֶ֥רֶץ גֹּֽשֶׁן 1 “in the region/territory of Goshen.” or “in Goshen Province.”
47:5 r9kk וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֔ה אֶל יוֹסֵ֖ף לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “Then Pharaoh {turned} to Joseph and said,” or “{When Pharaoh heard that,} Pharaoh/he said to Joseph,”
47:5 eiqg אָבִ֥יךָ וְאַחֶ֖יךָ בָּ֥אוּ אֵלֶֽיךָ 1 “{Now that} your father and brothers have come {to live} near you,” Make sure your translation of this clause does not sound like Pharaoh was telling Joseph something he did not already know. Rather, he is stating shared knowledge as the basis for what he says next.
47:6 z411 אֶ֤רֶץ מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ לְפָנֶ֣יךָ 1 “the {entire} land of Egypt {is} available to you {to choose from}.” or “you may choose any part of the land of Egypt {for them to live in}.” Consider whether it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here or to continue the sentence from verse 5.
47:6 eb2w rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns הוֹשֵׁ֥ב אֶת אָבִ֖יךָ וְאֶת אַחֶ֑יךָ 1 “{So} have your father and your brothers settle” or “{In fact,} they may settle/live”
47:6 tb5b בְּמֵיטַ֣ב הָאָ֔רֶץ & יֵשְׁבוּ֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ גֹּ֔שֶׁן 1 “in the best/finest land {in the country}, in Goshen Province.” or “in the region/territory of Goshen, {which is} the best/finest land {in the country}.”
47:6 g3uh וְאִם יָדַ֗עְתָּ וְיֶשׁ בָּם֙ אַנְשֵׁי חַ֔יִל 1 “And if you know that some of them are especially/very talented/skilled {at/in raising livestock},”
47:6 xtku וְשַׂמְתָּ֛ם שָׂרֵ֥י מִקְנֶ֖ה עַל אֲשֶׁר לִֽי 1 “then make them herdsmen over my livestock {also}.” or “then put them in charge of raising my livestock {also}.”
47:7 qsu0 וַיָּבֵ֤א יוֹסֵף֙ אֶת יַֽעֲקֹ֣ב אָבִ֔יו 1 “Then Joseph brought/took his father Jacob”
47:7 su85 וַיַּֽעֲמִדֵ֖הוּ לִפְנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֑ה 1 “and presented/introduced him to {King} Pharaoh,” or “to {King} Pharaoh and introduced them to each other,” See how you translated “presented” in verse 2.
47:7 e47i וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ יַעֲקֹ֖ב אֶת פַּרְעֹֽה 1 “and Jacob {greeted and} blessed Pharaoh.” or “and Jacob {asked God to} bless/prosper Pharaoh.” or “and Jacob greeted Pharaoh with a blessing.” In Hebrew, there is a common greeting which means “peace be to you,” so it is possible that Jacob used this blessing of peace here to greet Pharaoh.
47:8 rcjy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-politeness כַּמָּ֕ה יְמֵ֖י שְׁנֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ 1 “{Sir,} how old are you now?” Make sure your translation of Pharaoh’s question about Jacob’s age sounds polite. Also, for some languages, a title of respect (such as “Sir”) is necessary whenever someone addresses a distinguished old man such as Jacob.
47:9 n2qw יְמֵי֙ שְׁנֵ֣י מְגוּרַ֔י שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “I have been living {in this world} for 130 years.” or “The length of my life {so far} has been 130 years.” Consider again how you translated “sojournings”, “sojourn” and “sojourner” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 12:10; 15:13; 17:8; 19:9; 20:1; 21:23, 34; 23:4; 26:3; 28:4; 32:4; 35:27; 37:1; 47:4, 9. It may be necessary to translate these terms in different ways, depending on the context.
47:9 wijz מְעַ֣ט וְרָעִ֗ים הָיוּ֙ יְמֵי֙ שְׁנֵ֣י חַיַּ֔י 1 “I have not lived very long, and I have faced/had many difficulties/hardships.” or “My life has been short, with many difficulties/hardships.”
47:9 j6hg וְלֹ֣א הִשִּׂ֗יגוּ אֶת יְמֵי֙ שְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י אֲבֹתַ֔י 1 “In fact, I have lived less years than my forefathers/ancestors did” or “In fact, I have not lived {nearly} as long as my forefathers/ancestors did”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
47:9 cvtb בִּימֵ֖י מְגוּרֵיהֶֽם 1 “during the days/years/time that they lived {on earth}.” or “during their years/time {on earth}.”
47:10 m5px וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ יַעֲקֹ֖ב אֶת פַּרְעֹ֑ה 1 “Then Jacob {again} {asked God to} bless Pharaoh” or “Then Jacob {said goodbye} to Pharaoh with a blessing”. It was customary in Hebrew to use the blessing “peace be to you” both when greeting and when leaving someone. See how you translated “blessed” in verse 7.
47:10 kjg1 וַיֵּצֵ֖א מִלִּפְנֵ֥י פַרְעֹֽה 1 “and left his presence.” or “and left him.” or “and left Pharaoh’s {throne} room.”
47:11 h306 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיּוֹשֵׁ֣ב יוֹסֵף֮ אֶת אָבִ֣יו וְאֶת אֶחָיו֒ וַיִּתֵּ֨ן לָהֶ֤ם אֲחֻזָּה֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּמֵיטַ֥ב הָאָ֖רֶץ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ רַעְמְסֵ֑ס 1 “So Joseph gave his father and his brothers the best/choicest property/land in the country of Egypt, and they {and their families} settled there. {The property was} in Rameses Province/Count, {that is, Goshen Province/County},” or “After that, Joseph helped his father and brothers settle in the country of Egypt. He gave them the choicest property {in Egypt}, which was in {Goshen Province, also known as} Rameses Province.” It is implied that Rameses (verse 11) was another name for Goshen (verses 1, 4, 6). If necessary, you could make that information explicit in your translation or put it in a footnote. Later in Egypt’s history, some of the Pharaohs were named Rameses and a city was named after one of them (Exodus 1:11).
47:11 qnn5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּ֥ה פַרְעֹֽה 1 “just as Pharaoh had commanded/told him {to do}.” or “{He/Joseph did} {exactly} as Pharaoh had commanded/told him {to do}.” It may be more natural to put this clause first in this verse and say, “After that, Joseph did what Pharaoh had commanded/told him {to do}: He helped his father and brothers settle in the country of Egypt. He gave them property in Rameses Province/County, {that is, Goshen Province/County,} {which was} the choicest land {in Egypt}.” Do what is best in your language.
47:12 dxx1 וַיְכַלְכֵּ֤ל יוֹסֵף֙ אֶת אָבִ֣יו וְאֶת אֶחָ֔יו וְאֵ֖ת כָּל בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יו 1 “Joseph {also} provided/supported his father and brothers and all {the rest of} his father’s household/family {with}”
47:12 fz8t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche לֶ֖חֶם לְפִ֥י הַטָּֽף 1 “food, based on how many children/people were in each family.” or “as much food as {each family} needed to feed {all} the children/people in their family.” The children are mentioned to emphasize that all the members of the families were well-provided for, including the youngest ones. Make sure it is clear in your translation that Joseph was providing food for everyone in each family, not just the children.
47:13 e2kb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole וְלֶ֤חֶם אֵין֙ 1 “Now {meanwhile,} there was no {more} food” or “{Meanwhile,} there was {almost} no food” or “{After a while,} there was very little food {available}”. This clause is probably an exaggeration to emphasize that there was so little food that the people were starving. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language. Also consider what is the best way in your language to begin this new section that returns to the famine and how it was progressing.
47:13 wyew בְּכָל הָאָ֔רֶץ 1 This phrase is ambiguous in the Hebrew text. It could mean (1) “in all the earth,” or “in the entire {known} world,” or “anywhere,” which might be an exaggeration (like the previous phrase); (2) “in all the land,” or “in the/that entire area/region {of the earth/world},” which includes Egypt and Canaan (mentioned later in the verse) and other nearby regions and countries. See how you translated “all the earth” in Gen 41:57.
47:13 k3zk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּֽי כָבֵ֥ד הָרָעָ֖ב מְאֹ֑ד 1 “because the famine {was} very/so severe/oppressive/terrible.” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to put this clause first in this sentence and say, for example: “Now {after a while,} the famine was/became so severe/terrible in the entire world that there was very little food {available} {anywhere}.” Do what is best in your language.
47:13 njjj rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַתֵּ֜לַהּ אֶ֤רֶץ מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ וְאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן 1 “As a result, {the people of/in} the country of Egypt and the region of Canaan” or “In fact, {the people living in} the lands of Egypt and Canaan”. Make sure your translation of this phrase refers to the people who live in Egypt and Canaan, not just the lands.
47:13 jo5e וַתֵּ֜לַהּ 1 “were fainting/weak” or “were suffering badly/terribly” or “were wasting away”. The verb “languishing” refers in general to the suffering that the famine was causing, including things such as weakness, fainting and other distress. Some languages have an idiom (like “were wasting away”) that fits well here. Do what is best in your language.
47:13 n055 מִפְּנֵ֖י הָרָעָֽב 1 “because of the severe lack of food.” or “because they did not have enough to eat.” or “from hunger.”
47:14 mx85 וַיְלַקֵּ֣ט יוֹסֵ֗ף אֶת כָּל הַכֶּ֨סֶף֙ הַנִּמְצָ֤א בְאֶֽרֶץ מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ וּבְאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן בַּשֶּׁ֖בֶר אֲשֶׁר הֵ֣ם שֹׁבְרִ֑ים 1 “So the people spent their money buying grain from Joseph until he had collected/received all their money.” or “So they bought grain from Joseph until there was no more silver/money left in the country of Egypt or the land/region of Canaan.”
47:14 wuq1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַיָּבֵ֥א יוֹסֵ֛ף אֶת הַכֶּ֖סֶף בֵּ֥יתָה פַרְעֹֽה 1 “Then Joseph/He {had his servants} take the silver/money to Pharaoh’s palace.” or “Joseph/He stored that silver/money in Pharaoh’s palace.” Joseph probably had servants do this for him. See what you did for a similar case in Gen 41:48.
47:15 nkll rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַיִּתֹּ֣ם הַכֶּ֗סֶף מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַיִם֮ וּמֵאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַעַן֒ 1 “So {when} {all} the silver/money in the land/country of Egypt and the land/region of Canaan had been used up,” or “When/After {the people in} Egypt and Canaan had spent all their silver/money,” Consider whether it is better in your language to use a passive or active clause here.
47:15 j7jc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hyperbole כָל מִצְרַ֨יִם 1 “all {the people} in Egypt” or “the Egyptians all” or “{people from} all over Egypt”. The word “all” is an exaggeration (hyperbole) which emphasizes that a large number of Egyptians went to Joseph. Consider whether or not it is best to use hyperbole here in your language.
47:15 n6v7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-go וַיָּבֹאוּ֩ & אֶל יוֹסֵ֤ף 1 “went to Joseph”. Consider whether “came” or “went” is more natural here in your language.
47:15 u1c8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche הָֽבָה לָּ֣נוּ לֶ֔חֶם 1 “{Sir,} {please} give us food”. Make sure your translation of the people’s request sounds polite, not rude or disrespectful. Also see how you translated “bread” in verses 12-13.
47:15 io0e rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וְלָ֥מָּה נָמ֖וּת נֶגְדֶּ֑ךָ 1 “so that we do not die {right here} in front of you!” or “and do not watch/let us starve to death!” or “so that we do not starve to death!” The people use a rhetorical question here to emphasize how desperate they feel. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
47:15 rqhs rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּ֥י אָפֵ֖ס כָּֽסֶף 1 “There is no more money {to buy food/grain}!” or “We have no more money {to buy food/grain}!” It may be more natural to put this clause first in this quote and say, “{Sir,} we have no more money {to buy grain/food}! Please give us food so that we do not starve to death!” Do what is best in your language.
47:16 i6ek הָב֣וּ מִקְנֵיכֶ֔ם 1 “Bring/Give {me} your livestock/animals”. The word “livestock” is general here and includes all the different kinds of animals that are specified in verse 17.
47:16 upog וְאֶתְּנָ֥ה לָכֶ֖ם בְּמִקְנֵיכֶ֑ם 1 “and I will give/sell you {grain/food} if/when you give me your livestock/animals {to pay for it},” or “and in exchange for them I will give you {grain/food},”
47:16 ie1c rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אִם אָפֵ֖ס כָּֽסֶף 1 “since {all} your money is gone.” or “since you have spent {all} your silver/money.” For some languages it may be more natural to put this clause first in this quote and say, “Since your silver/money is gone, bring/give {me} your livestock to pay for the grain/food that I will give you.” Do what is best in your language.
47:17 tgeh וַיִּתֵּ֣ן לָהֶם֩ יוֹסֵ֨ף לֶ֜חֶם בַּסּוּסִ֗ים וּבְמִקְנֵ֥ה הַצֹּ֛אן וּבְמִקְנֵ֥ה הַבָּקָ֖ר וּבַחֲמֹרִ֑ים 1 “and gave Joseph/him {their} horses, sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys to pay for the grain/food that he gave them.” or “They gave Joseph/him {their}...” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
47:17 a6oo וַיְנַהֲלֵ֤ם בַּלֶּ֨חֶם֙ & בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה הַהִֽוא 1 “In that way Joseph supplied the people with grain/food that year,”
47:18 kmt5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-go וַיָּבֹ֨אוּ אֵלָ֜יו בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשֵּׁנִ֗ית 1 “the people came/went to Joseph {again} in the next/following year”
47:18 srid rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּ לוֹ֙ 1 “and told him,” or “and pleaded with him,”
47:18 ec0q rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-honorifics לֹֽא נְכַחֵ֣ד מֵֽאֲדֹנִ֔י כִּ֚י אִם 1 “Our lord/master, we cannot hide from you {the fact} that” or “Sir, as you know,” For some languages, it may be more natural to put the address “my/our lord” or “sir” first in this quote. Also notice that this address is used three times in this verse to show extra respect to Joseph. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language.
47:18 ejez תַּ֣ם הַכֶּ֔סֶף וּמִקְנֵ֥ה הַבְּהֵמָ֖ה 1 “{our} silver/money is gone and our livestock/animals” or “not only is {our} silver/money {all} gone, but {all} {our} livestock/animals {also}”. Consider again how you translated “silver” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 13:2; 20:16; 23:15-16; 24:35, 53; 31:15; 37:28; 42:25, 27-28, 35; 43:12, 15, 18, 21-23; 44:1-2, 8; 45:22; 47:14-16, 18. It may be necessary to translate this word in different ways, depending on the context.
47:18 qh1k rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person אֶל אֲדֹנִ֑י 1 “{belong} to {you,} our lord/master.” or “are yours, sir.” or “{belong} to you.” In this verse, the people use the third person (“my/our lord”) to address Joseph in a respectful manner. Consider what is the best way to do that in your language.
47:18 hips לֹ֤א נִשְׁאַר֙ לִפְנֵ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י בִּלְתִּ֥י אִם גְּוִיָּתֵ֖נוּ וְאַדְמָתֵֽנוּ 1 “We have nothing left to pay/give you, sir, {for grain/food}, except ourselves and our land/fields.” or “The only way we can pay you {for grain/food} is to give you our land/farmland and work for you, sir.” Consider what is the best way to translate the Hebrew word for “land” here (and In verses 19-26), which refers to cultivated land (such as farmland or fields), not to the planet earth or to a country. It is different from the word for “land” in the rest of this chapter (in verses 1, 4, 6, 11, 13-15, 27-28).
47:19 fbay rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion לָ֧מָּה נָמ֣וּת לְעֵינֶ֗יךָ גַּם אֲנַ֨חְנוּ֙ גַּ֣ם אַדְמָתֵ֔נוּ 1 “What good would it do for us to die and our farmland/fields {to become ruined/empty}?” or “Please do not {just} watch us die or let our land/fields {become wasteland/desolate/empty}.” For many languages, the verb “die” does not fit with both people and land, so a different verb must be used for each one. The end of verse 19 specifies how the land would “die”. See how you translated a similar rhetorical question in verse 15.
47:19 i3r0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche קְנֵֽה אֹתָ֥נוּ וְאֶת אַדְמָתֵ֖נוּ בַּלָּ֑חֶם 1 “{Instead,} {please} take us and our farmland/fields {in exchange} for food.” or “{Instead} {please} give us food and we will give you our farmland/fields and ourselves {to pay} for it.” Consider again how you translated the synecdoche “bread” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 3:19 (and note); 14:18; 21:14; 28:20; 37:25; 38:6; 41:54-55; 43:31; 47:12, 15, 17, 19. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
47:19 b1i6 וְנִֽהְיֶ֞ה אֲנַ֤חְנוּ וְאַדְמָתֵ֨נוּ֙ עֲבָדִ֣ים לְפַרְעֹ֔ה 1 “Then we will be {King} Pharaoh’s slaves/servants, and our land/fields {will also be his}.” or “Then our land/fields will belong to {King} Pharaoh and we will work for him as his slaves/servants.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
47:19 rpgo וְנִֽחְיֶה֙ 1 “so that we will/can survive” or “so that we will/can stay alive”
47:19 bhn3 וְלֹ֣א נָמ֔וּת 1 “and not die {from hunger},” or “and not {starve} to death,” See how you translated “so that we will live and not die” in Gen 42:2.
47:19 cto3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְהָאֲדָמָ֖ה לֹ֥א תֵשָֽׁם 1 “and {so that} the land will not become a desert!” or “and {so that} the land will produce/grow plants/crops {again}!” For some languages it may be clearer and more natural to put this clause earlier in this sentence and say, “{Please} {just} give {us} seeds {to plant} so that the land will produce/grow {food} crops {again} and then we will survive and not die {from hunger}!” Do what is best in your language.
47:20 fxi5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיִּ֨קֶן יוֹסֵ֜ף 1 “So Joseph {agreed and} bought/acquired/obtained” or “Joseph {did what they asked and} bought/acquired”. For some languages it may be necessary to make explicit that Joseph agreed to do what the people suggested. Do what is best in your language.
47:20 aon4 אֶת כָּל אַדְמַ֤ת מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ לְפַרְעֹ֔ה 1 “all the land/farmland in {the country of} Egypt for Pharaoh.”
47:20 b8rh כִּֽי מָכְר֤וּ מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ אִ֣ישׁ שָׂדֵ֔הוּ 1 “All the Egyptians sold/gave their fields {to him} {in exchange for grain/food},” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
47:20 s34v כִּֽי & הָרָעָ֑ב 2 “because the food shortage/scarcity”. Consider again how you translated “famine” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 12:10; 26:1; 41:27, 30-31, 36, 50, 54-57; 42:5; 43:1; 45:6, 11; 47:4, 13, 20. It may be necessary to translate it in different ways, depending on the context.
47:20 ddcp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure חָזַ֥ק עֲלֵהֶ֖ם הָרָעָ֑ב 1 “was {so/very} severe/oppressive.” or “was so severe/terrible that they did not have enough to eat.” See how you translated “heavy” in verses 4 and 13. For some languages, it may be clearer or more natural to change the order of clauses in this verse and say, “The famine was {very} severe for all the Egyptian people, so Joseph {agreed with their request/suggestion and} let them sell their fields {to him} {in exchange for grain/food}. In that way, Joseph/he bought/acquired all the land/farmland in {the country of} Egypt for {King} Pharaoh, so that {all} the land became Pharaoh’s {property}.” Do what is best in your language.
47:20 dnbd וַתְּהִ֥י הָאָ֖רֶץ לְפַרְעֹֽה 1 “In that way, {all} the farmland became Pharaoh’s {property}.” or “That is how {all} the farmland {eventually} belonged to {King} Pharaoh.”
47:21 ioj0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants וְאֶ֨ת הָעָ֔ם הֶעֱבִ֥יר אֹת֖וֹ לֶעָרִ֑ים 1 “Joseph {also} moved/relocated {all} the people {from their farmlands} to the {nearby} cities”. The Masoretic Hebrew text has “moved them to the cities” here, which Joseph may have done in order to make the grain more readily accessible to them. The Samaritan Pentateuch (a different Hebrew version) and the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew text) have “made the people slaves” instead, which may refer to the fact that all the people would now be working for Pharaoh since all the fields belonged to him. The textual variant that is not used in your translation could be put in a footnote.
47:21 obja מִקְצֵ֥ה גְבוּל מִצְרַ֖יִם וְעַד קָצֵֽהוּ 1 “in every part of {the country of} Egypt.” or “throughout the entire {country of} Egypt.”
47:22 uurs רַ֛ק אַדְמַ֥ת הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים לֹ֣א קָנָ֑ה 1 “The only land/farmland that he/Joseph did not buy was the priests’ {land},” or “The priests’ land/farmland was the only land he/Joseph did not buy,”
47:22 i61e כִּי֩ חֹ֨ק לַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים מֵאֵ֣ת פַּרְעֹ֗ה 1 “because they regularly received a certain amount {of food} from Pharaoh,” or “because Pharaoh gave them a regular {food} allotment/allowance,”
47:22 a98a וְאָֽכְל֤וּ אֶת חֻקָּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֤ן לָהֶם֙ פַּרְעֹ֔ה 1 “and they had enough to eat from what he gave to them.” or “so that they had plenty to eat.”
47:23 v3r6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יוֹסֵף֙ אֶל הָעָ֔ם 1 “Then/Next Joseph announced/declared to the {Egyptian} people,”
47:23 og7l קָנִ֨יתִי אֶתְכֶ֥ם הַיּ֛וֹם וְאֶת אַדְמַתְכֶ֖ם לְפַרְעֹ֑ה 1 “now that I have bought/acquired you and your land/farmland/fields for {King} Pharaoh,” or “now that you and your land/farmland/fields belong to {King} Pharaoh,”
47:23 xsga הֵֽא לָכֶ֣ם זֶ֔רַע 1 “here {are} {some} seeds for you” or “I am giving you {some} seeds”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
47:23 b8nh וּזְרַעְתֶּ֖ם אֶת הָאֲדָמָֽה 1 “so that you can plant {them in} the fields.” or “to plant {in} the fields.” See how you translated “sowed” in Gen 26:12.
47:24 terr וּנְתַתֶּ֥ם חֲמִישִׁ֖ית לְפַרְעֹ֑ה 1 “you are required to give one-fifth {of the harvest/crops} to Pharaoh/him,” or “you must give Pharaoh/him one-fifth {of the crops you harvest/gather}.”
47:24 jk07 וְאַרְבַּ֣ע הַיָּדֹ֡ת 1 “but the {remaining/other} four-fifths” or “The {remaining/other} four-fifths {of your harvest}” or “The rest {of what you harvest/gather}”. Consider whether or not it is best in your language to begin a new sentence here.
47:24 tems יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶם֩ 1 “will be yours” or “you may keep for yourselves”
47:24 kqnb לְזֶ֨רַע הַשָּׂדֶ֧ה 1 “as seed/seeds to plant the fields” or “to plant seeds {in} the fields”
47:24 h238 וּֽלְאָכְלְכֶ֛ם וְלַאֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּבָתֵּיכֶ֖ם 1 “and as food for you and your households/families,” or “and for you and your households/families to eat,”
47:24 ddfy וְלֶאֱכֹ֥ל לְטַפְּכֶֽם 1 “including your children.”
47:25 jbf4 הֶחֱיִתָ֑נוּ 1 “You have saved our lives!” or “You have made it so we can live!”
47:25 rixe נִמְצָא חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י 1 “May we {continue to} find favor in your eyes/sight, master/sir,” or “Please {continue to} be kind to us, master/sir,”
47:25 qvqr וְהָיִ֥ינוּ עֲבָדִ֖ים לְפַרְעֹֽה 1 “and we will {agree to} be/become {King} Pharaoh’s slaves/servants.” or “and we will serve {King} Pharaoh as his slaves/servants.”
47:26 ob31 וַיָּ֣שֶׂם אֹתָ֣הּ יוֹסֵ֡ף לְחֹק֩ 1 “So Joseph established/made a law”
47:26 vlkk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure עַד הַיּ֨וֹם הַזֶּ֜ה 1 “{that is} still {in effect/force} today/now”. This phrase refers to the time that Moses was writing the book of Genesis. You could put that information in a footnote. For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to put this phrase at the end of the sentence and say, “{That law} is still {in effect/force} today/now.” Do what is best in your language.
47:26 a8xu עַל אַדְמַ֥ת מִצְרַ֛יִם לְפַרְעֹ֖ה לַחֹ֑מֶשׁ 1 “concerning/about the farmland/fields in {the country of} Egypt: one-fifth {of the harvest/crops} {belongs} to Pharaoh.” or “{that required} {people to give} to Pharaoh one-fifth {of all the crops they harvested} from the farmland/fields in Egypt.” See how you translated “a fifth” in verse 24.
47:26 tj5c רַ֞ק אַדְמַ֤ת הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ לְבַדָּ֔ם לֹ֥א הָיְתָ֖ה לְפַרְעֹֽה 1 “The priests’ land was the only land {in Egypt} that did not belong to Pharaoh.” or “The only land that Pharaoh did not own was the land that belonged to the priests.” See how you translated “only the land of the priests” in verse 22. Also, consider again how you translated “land/farmland” in verses 18-26.
47:27 kj0a rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-time-background וַיֵּ֧שֶׁב 1 “So/Now” or “Meanwhile”. It was already mentioned in verse 11 that Israel (Jacob) had settled in the country of Egypt. Your translation of verse 27 should not imply that he settled there again.
47:27 qzr7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל 1 “{Jacob, whose other name was} Israel,” or “Israel {that is, Jacob,}” The name “Israel” and the name “Jacob” refer to the same person. To make that clear, you could make “Jacob” explicit here in your translation or in a footnote.
47:27 yzqo וַיֵּ֧שֶׁב 1 “had settled {with his family}” or “was living/dwelling {with his family}”
47:27 cmv4 בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ גֹּ֑שֶׁן 1 “in the region/territory of Goshen in the land/country of Egypt,” or “in Goshen Province/County in the country of Egypt,” See how you translated “in the land of Goshen” in Gen 45:10.
47:27 y7n2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֵּאָחֲז֣וּ 1 “and they acquired/gained {many possessions}” or “and owned/possessed {much property/land}”. This phrase is general here and refers to acquiring land and other possessions.
47:27 q5af rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּפְר֥וּ 1 “They were fruitful” or “They had many children”. See how you translated a similar phrase (“be fruitful and multiply”) in Gen 35:11.
47:28 nucd וַיְחִ֤י יַעֲקֹב֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם שְׁבַ֥ע עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה שָׁנָ֑ה 1 “{When/After} Jacob had lived in the country of Egypt {for} seventeen years,”
47:28 irs2 וַיְהִ֤י יְמֵֽי יַעֲקֹב֙ שְׁנֵ֣י חַיָּ֔יו שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֔ים וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה 1 “he reached the age of 147 years.” or “he was 147 years old.”
47:29 l2gy וַיִּקְרְב֣וּ יְמֵֽי יִשְׂרָאֵ֘ל לָמוּת֒ 1 “{When} it was almost time for Israel/him to die,” or “Israel/He {knew that} it was almost time for him to die, so”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
47:29 dd9v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom אִם נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ 1 “Please show your favor/kindness toward me {and}” or “Please do this favor for me:” or “Please, if you {truly} love me,”
47:29 akbq rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction שִֽׂים נָ֥א יָדְךָ֖ תַּ֣חַת יְרֵכִ֑י 1 “put your hand under my thigh/leg {to show/vow that you will do what I ask},” or “{make a vow by} putting your hand under my thigh/leg,” See how you translated this clause in Gen 24:2, and see the note about this custom there.
47:29 vq56 וְעָשִׂ֤יתָ עִמָּדִי֙ חֶ֣סֶד וֶאֱמֶ֔ת 1 “and {promise me that} {after I die,} you will be kind and faithful to me.” Consider again how you translated “kindness” in Gen 19:19; 20:13; 21:23; 24:12, 14, 27, 49; 32:10; 39:21; 40:14; 47:29, and how you translated “faithfulness” in Gen 24:27, 48, 49; 32:10; 42:16; 47:29.
47:29 mvns אַל נָ֥א תִקְבְּרֵ֖נִי 1 “Please {promise that you will} not bury my body/bones”. Make sure your translation of “bury me” does not sound like Israel would still be alive when he was buried.
47:29 cokm בְּמִצְרָֽיִם 1 “{here} in {the land/country of} Egypt.”
47:30 lyax rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וְשָֽׁכַבְתִּי֙ עִם אֲבֹתַ֔י 1 “{When/After} I die and rest/sleep with my ancestors,” or “Rather, after I die and join my ancestors {who have died/gone before me},” The phrase “lie down with my fathers” is a idiom that refers to Jacob’s death. See how you translated an idiom with a similar meaning in Gen 15:15.
47:30 u4cf וּנְשָׂאתַ֨נִי֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם 1 “carry/take my body out of Egypt {to the region of Canaan}”. See how you translated “me” in verse 29.
47:30 t1jw וּקְבַרְתַּ֖נִי בִּקְבֻרָתָ֑ם 1 “and bury me/it in the same burial place where their bodies are.” Jacob is referring here to the cave near the city of Hebron that Abraham had bought as a family burial place, to bury Sarah there. Abraham, Isaac and Rebekah were also buried there (Gen 23:19-20; 25:9-10; 49:31). You could put some of that information in a footnote. Also see how you translated “grave” in Gen 35:20 and a different word with a similar meaning (“burial place”) in Gen 23:4, 6, 9, 20.
47:30 qkdh rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּאמַ֕ר 1 “Then Joseph replied {to him},” or “Joseph promised {him},” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Joseph is the one speaking here. It may be helpful to read this paragraph aloud to make sure it is clear who is talking at each point in the conversation.
47:31 q5cz rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “But he urged {him},” or “But his/Joseph’s father insisted,” Consider what is the best way to refer to Joseph’s father Israel here in your language.
47:31 lxyf הִשָּֽׁבְעָה֙ לִ֔י 1 “Swear/Vow to me {by/before God/Yahweh} {that you will do it/that}.” or “{With God/Yahweh as your witness,} make an oath/vow to me {that you will do it/that}.” See how you translated “swear to me” in Gen 21:23.
47:31 bih5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּשָּׁבַ֖ע ל֑וֹ 1 “So Joseph swore/vowed {that he would do it/that}.” or “So Joseph promised his father with an oath/vow {to do what he had requested}.” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Joseph is the one speaking here.
47:31 wr44 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל 1 “Then Israel bowed {down} {to worship/thank God}” or “Then {his father} Israel bowed {his head} {and worshiped/thanked God}”. If it is not clear in your culture why Israel bowed, you could make that explicit.
47:31 y3zf עַל רֹ֥אשׁ הַמִּטָּֽה 1 “{as he sat} at the head/top of {his} bed.” or “{as he was sitting/lying} on {his} bed.” The Hebrew text has “at the head of the bed” here, while the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) has “on the top of his staff” instead, which is quoted in Hebrews 11:21. You could include some of that information in a footnote. The difference between versions may be due to the fact that the Hebrew words for “bed” and “staff” are very similar in spelling. Or it could be that Jacob did both; for example, he may have been sitting at the head of his bed and leaning on his staff when he bowed his head and worshiped God.
48:1 krun rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-newevent וַיְהִ֗י אַחֲרֵי֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה 1 “{Some time} after those things happened,” Consider again how you translated these two phrases in the book of Genesis. See Gen 22:1, 20; 39:7; 40:1; 48:1.
48:1 hqwr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְיוֹסֵ֔ף הִנֵּ֥ה אָבִ֖יךָ חֹלֶ֑ה 1 “{someone} told Joseph, “Look/Listen, your father is sick.” or “Joseph was told/informed {by someone} that his father was sick.” For some languages it may be more natural to use an indirect quote here. Do what is best in your language.
48:1 qteq rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּקַּ֞ח 1 “So/Then he/Joseph took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him {to visit his father}.” or “So/Then he/Joseph {went to visit his father and} took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him.” Consider what is the best way to refer to Joseph in this sentence in your language.
48:2 ppae rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations וַיַּגֵּ֣ד לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הִנֵּ֛ה בִּנְךָ֥ יוֹסֵ֖ף בָּ֣א אֵלֶ֑יךָ 1 “{When they got there,} {someone/they} informed/told Jacob, “Look, your son Joseph has come to see/visit you.” ” or “{When they arrived,} Jacob was informed/told {by someone} that his son Joseph had come to see/visit him.”
48:2 m5pi וַיִּתְחַזֵּק֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל 1 “Then Israel” or “{Immediately} Israel{, who was lying down,}” Make sure it is clear in your translation or in a footnote that “Israel” (verses 2, 8, 11, 13-14, 21) and “Jacob” (verses 2-3) refer to the same person, not two different people.
48:2 k2py rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּתְחַזֵּק֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל 1 “rallied/mustered his strength” or “used all his strength” or “exerted himself”. Consider whether you language has a similar idiom that fits well here.
48:2 d201 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב עַל הַמִּטָּֽה 1 “and sat up on/at {the edge/head of} {his} bed {and they greeted each other}.” The context (verse 12) shows that Jacob sat on the edge of his bed with his feet resting on the floor and his knees facing Joseph’s sons. Also, for some languages it may be necessary (for politeness) to make it explicit that they greeted each other first before continuing their conversation. Do what is best in your language.
48:3 owhk rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ אֶל יוֹסֵ֔ף 1 “Then Jacob recounted/related to Joseph {the following}:” or “Then Jacob told Joseph,”
48:3 yrw7 אֵ֥ל שַׁדַּ֛י 1 “Almighty/All-powerful God” or “God {who is} all-powerful”. See how you translated this title in Gen 43:14.
48:3 t30j נִרְאָֽה אֵלַ֥י 1 “appeared to me {long ago}” or “came to me in a vision {long ago}”. Consider again how you translated “appear” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 8:5; 12:7; 17:1; 18:1; 26:2, 24; 35:1, 9; 46:29; 48:3. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
48:3 epp0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בְּל֖וּז בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן 1 “{when I was} at {the town of} Luz in the land/region of Canaan,” or “in the land/region of Canaan at {the town of} Luz,” For some languages it is more natural to put the larger place (Canaan) first before the smaller place (Luz) that is located inside it. It may also be more natural to put the time and place phrases first in this verse and say, “{Long ago} {when I was} at {the town of} Luz in the land/region of Canaan, God Almighty....” Do what is best in your language. Also see how you spelled the name “Luz” in Gen 28:19 and 35:6.
48:3 ya75 וַיְבָ֖רֶךְ אֹתִֽי 1 “He blessed me {there}” or “He pronounced a blessing over me {there}”. For some languages it is more natural to begin a new sentence here. Do what is best in your language.
48:4 byu6 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י 1 “by saying to me,” or “He said,” Make sure your translation of “blessed...and said” (verses 3-4) refers to the same event, not two separate events.
48:4 m1hy הִנְנִ֤י מַפְרְךָ֙ וְהִרְבִּיתִ֔ךָ וּנְתַתִּ֖יךָ 1 “Look/Listen, I will give you many descendants who will increase {in number} and become” or “Look/Listen, I will give you {and your descendants} many children so that your descendants will become”. See how you translated “make you fruitful and multiply you” in Gen 28:3 and “make him fruitful and...multiply him” in Gen 17:20.
48:4 n300 לִקְהַ֣ל עַמִּ֑ים 1 “many people/ethnic groups.” See how you translated this phrase in Gen 28:3, and a similar phrase (“a community of nations”) in 35:11.
48:4 o9zi וְנָ֨תַתִּ֜י אֶת הָאָ֧רֶץ הַזֹּ֛את לְזַרְעֲךָ֥ אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ 1 “I will {also} give this land to your descendants”
48:4 l4rw אֲחֻזַּ֥ת עוֹלָֽם 1 “{as/for} an eternal/permanent possession.” or “to own forever.” or “and it will always belong to them.”
48:5 gagv rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וְעַתָּ֡ה שְׁנֵֽי בָנֶיךָ֩ 1 “{Then Jacob said to Joseph,} “Now then, your two sons”. The phrase “And now” shows that there is a change of topic. Make sure it is clear in your translation that Jacob is no longer quoting God’s words in verse 5.
48:5 khph rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure כִּרְאוּבֵ֥ן וְשִׁמְע֖וֹן יִֽהְיוּ לִֽי 1 “just as/like Reuben and Simeon are my sons.” or “just as/like my sons Reuben and Simeon.” For some languages it may be clearer and more natural to put the names of these sons earlier in the verse and say, “Now then, your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you here in the country of Egypt before I joined you here, {I will treat as} my sons, just as/like...” Do what is best in your language.
48:6 vme7 וּמוֹלַדְתְּךָ֛ אֲשֶׁר הוֹלַ֥דְתָּ אַחֲרֵיהֶ֖ם לְךָ֣ יִהְי֑וּ 1 “But any {other} children that you father/have later on will be yours.” or “If you father/have any more/other children, they will belong to you.”
48:6 rqc8 עַ֣ל שֵׁ֧ם אֲחֵיהֶ֛ם יִקָּרְא֖וּ בְּנַחֲלָתָֽם 1 “So they will share in some of what their brothers inherit {from me}.” or “{so that} what they inherit {from me} will be some of what their brothers {Ephraim and Manasseh} inherit {from me}.” Consider whether it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here or to continue the previous sentence.
48:7 jw7i rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit וַאֲנִ֣י 1 “I {want it this way because}” or “I {am doing this because}”. Jacob is probably explaining in verse 7 that since his favorite wife Rachel died with only two sons, that is why he is treating her son Joseph’s two sons as his sons (verses 5-6). You could make some of that information explicit in your translation or include it in a footnote.
48:7 awjb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit בְּבֹאִ֣י 1 “as I {and our family} were coming/returning {home}” or “as our family was coming/returning {home}”. Jacob is in focus here, but he was traveling with his family, not alone. Decide whether or not it is necessary to make that explicit in your translation.
48:7 gfi4 מִפַּדָּ֗ן 1 “from {the land/region of} Paddan {Aram},” Consider again how you translated “{the land/region of} Paddan Aram” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 25:20 (and note); 28:2, 5-7; 31:18; 33:18; 35:9, 26; 46:15; 48:7. Also, be consistent with how you spelled “Aram” in those verses and in Gen 10:22-23; 22:21; 24:10.
48:7 ykrl מֵ֩תָה֩ עָלַ֨י 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here because the preposition can have different meanings. It can mean (1) “died beside me” or “died by my side” (2) “died, {bringing sorrow/grief} on/to me”
48:7 xolh בְּאֶ֤רֶץ כְּנַ֨עַן֙ 1 “in the region of Canaan”
48:7 oocn בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ בְּע֥וֹד כִּבְרַת אֶ֖רֶץ לָבֹ֣א אֶפְרָ֑תָה 1 “while we were still traveling and some distance away from {the town of} Ephrath.” Be consistent here with how you spelled “Ephrath” in Gen 35:16, 19, and how you spelled “Bethlehem” in 35:19.
48:7 tp7m וָאֶקְבְּרֶ֤הָ שָּׁם֙ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אֶפְרָ֔ת 1 “{As you know,} I buried her body there by the road that goes to Ephrath,”
48:7 p9yz הִ֖וא בֵּ֥ית לָֽחֶם 1 “which {now has the name} Bethlehem.” The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. This phrase might be (1) Jacob’s words (2) the author’s words. If you follow the second interpretation, you could put this phrase within parentheses, outside of the quote marks.
48:8 wri5 מִי אֵֽלֶּה 1 “Who {are} these {young men}?” or “Whose {sons} {are} these?” Joseph’s two sons were in their 20s at this time, so refer to them here with a term that fits with that fact. They were born before the famine started (Gen 41:50-52), and Jacob had now been in Egypt for 17 years (47:28).
48:9 pmfc וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יוֹסֵף֙ אֶל אָבִ֔יו 1 “Joseph said/replied to him,” or “Joseph replied/answered,”
48:9 ycj4 בָּנַ֣י הֵ֔ם אֲשֶׁר נָֽתַן לִ֥י אֱלֹהִ֖ים 1 “They/These {are} my sons whom God gave to me”
48:9 a8xs rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיֹּאמַ֕ר 1 “Then Israel said {to Joseph/him},” Make sure it is clear in your translation who is speaking here.
48:9 tbew rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-youdual קָֽחֶם נָ֥א אֵלַ֖י 1 “Please bring them {closer} to me”. Some languages have a dual pronoun that works well to refer to Joseph’s two sons here (and throughout chapter 48). Do what is best in your language.
48:10 w5i2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-background וְעֵינֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ כָּבְד֣וּ 1 “Now Israel’s eyes were weak/failing” or “Israel was almost blind” or “Israel had very poor/bad eyesight”. Consider whether or not it is natural in your language to use a conjunction (“Now”) to begin this clause that gives background information about Israel. Also, the word “heavy” is used here as an idiom that means Israel’s eyesight was getting bad, but he could still see some (as indicated in verses 8 and 11). Many languages have a similar idiom. A translation of verse 10 should not imply that Israel was completely blind.
48:10 igr4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure לֹ֥א יוּכַ֖ל לִרְא֑וֹת 1 “{so that} he could not see {very clearly/well}.” For some languages it is more natural to switch the order of the clauses in this sentence and say, “Now Israel was {very} old, so his eyesight was failing and he was not able to see {very well}.” Do what is best in your language.
48:10 m3l9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיַּגֵּ֤שׁ אֹתָם֙ אֵלָ֔יו 1 “So Joseph brought/took his sons near/closer to his father,” or “So he/Joseph had his sons stand near/close to his father,” Make sure it is clear in your translation whom is being referred to at each point in this sentence.
48:10 xi1y rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיִּשַּׁ֥ק לָהֶ֖ם 1 “and Israel kissed them {on the cheeks/cheek}” or “and his father kissed...” It may be helpful to read this sentence aloud in your translation to make sure the use of nouns and pronouns is natural and accurate in your language.
48:10 yxhu וַיְחַבֵּ֥ק לָהֶֽם 1 “and hugged them.” Consider again how you translated the word “embraced” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 29:13; 33:4; 48:10. Also compare that to how you translated an idiom (“fell on...neck”) that has a similar meaning in Gen 33:4; 45:14, 46:29. It may be necessary to translate these terms in different ways, depending on the context.
48:11 joqe רְאֹ֥ה פָנֶ֖יךָ לֹ֣א פִלָּ֑לְתִּי 1 “I did not think I would ever see you {again},” or “I never thought I would see you {again},”
48:11 cko4 וְהִנֵּ֨ה 1 “but surprisingly/amazingly,” or “but {now} look,”
48:11 w75i הֶרְאָ֥ה אֹתִ֛י אֱלֹהִ֖ים גַּ֥ם אֶת זַרְעֶֽךָ 1 “God has allowed me to see/meet also/even your offspring/children!” or “God has also/even allowed me to see/meet your offspring/children!”
48:12 wvkp וַיּוֹצֵ֥א יוֹסֵ֛ף אֹתָ֖ם 1 “Then Joseph moved/took his sons away” or “Then Joseph had his sons move/step away/back”
48:12 agib rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns מֵעִ֣ם בִּרְכָּ֑יו 1 “from beside his father’s knees,” or “from beside/near his father,” Joseph’s sons (who were in their 20s) were near Jacob’s knees, so that he could hug them; they were not sitting on his knees or lap. Also make sure it is clear that your translation of “his” refers to Jacob, not Joseph.
48:12 jfto rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction לְאַפָּ֖יו אָֽרְצָה 1 “with his nose/face toward the ground {in thankfulness and respect}.” or “and touched the ground with his forehead {to show respect}.” Joseph bowed to the ground to show thankfulness and respect to his father and possibly also to God. If necessary, you could make that information explicit in your translation or put it in a footnote.
48:13 o7vq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיַּגֵּ֖שׁ אֵלָֽיו 1 “and he brought/took {them} close to his father {again}.” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to put this clause first in this verse and say, “Then he took/brought his sons close to his father {again}. He had Ephraim stand in front of Israel’s left {hand/side}, and he had Manasseh stand in front of Israel’s right {hand/side}.” Do what is best in your language.
48:14 vklj rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וְאֶת שְׂמֹאל֖וֹ עַל רֹ֣אשׁ מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה שִׂכֵּל֙ אֶת יָדָ֔יו 1 “Then he {intentionally} {put/rested} his left hand on Manasseh’s head. He crossed his arms {to do that}” or “Then he crossed his arms and {put} his left hand on Manasseh’s head,” In the Hebrew culture, the right side was the place of highest honor and using the right hand to bless someone was symbolic of giving greater honor to that person. The oldest son was also the one who normally received the greater blessing. Israel reverses that here and gives Joseph’s younger son the greater blessing. It may be important to include a footnote in your translation that gives this information.
48:14 jxo4 כִּ֥י 1 “{even} though” or “in spite of the fact that”. Make sure that the way you translate “because” fits with the fact that Israel wanted to place his right hand on Ephraim (to give him the greater blessing), even though Manasseh was the firstborn (who would normally receive the greater blessing in that culture).
48:15 llyx וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֶת יוֹסֵ֖ף וַיֹּאמַ֑ר 1 “Then Israel blessed Joseph {and his sons} by saying,” or “Then Israel blessed Joseph by {blessing his sons and} saying,” Israel blessed Joseph by blessing Joseph’s sons (verses 15-16, 19-20).
48:15 gsdn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit הָֽאֱלֹהִ֡ים 1 “May {God bless your sons,} the God” or “I pray that {God will bless your sons,} the God” or “I ask God {to bless your sons}. He is the God”. For some languages it is better to break up the long sentence in verses 15-16 and to also make it explicit here that Israel is asking God to bless Joseph’s sons, rather than wait until verse 16. Do what is best in your language.
48:15 iwxf אֲשֶׁר֩ & אֲבֹתַ֤י & אַבְרָהָ֣ם וְיִצְחָ֔ק 1 “whom my forefathers/ancestors Abraham and Isaac”
48:15 r8jy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom הִתְהַלְּכ֨וּ & לְפָנָיו֙ 1 “walked/lived before/with {according to his will},” or “walked/lived {obediently} in the presence of,” or “served/obeyed,” See how you translated the idiom “walk/live before” in Gen 17:1 and 24:40. You may need to translate it differently in different contexts.
48:15 bi81 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ הָרֹעֶ֣ה אֹתִ֔י 1 “the {same} God who has watched over me” or “He is the {same} God who has taken care of me”. The word “shepherded” includes guiding, protecting, and providing food and water, such as a shepherd would do for his sheep. Here it is used as a metaphor that refers to God’s complete care of Israel throughout his life. Consider whether or not it is best in your language to use a similar metaphor here. For example, you could say, “He is the {same} God who, for my entire life, has taken care of all my needs, just as a {good} shepherd takes care of his sheep.”
48:16 wzng rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-key-terms הַמַּלְאָךְ֩ הַגֹּאֵ֨ל אֹתִ֜י מִכָּל רָ֗ע 1 “{He is also} the Angel who saved/rescued me {continually} from all/every harm/trouble.” Consider whether it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also consider again how you translated “angel” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 16:7, 9-11; 19:1, 15; 21:17; 22:11, 15; 24:7, 40; 28:12; 31:11; 32:3, 6; 48:16.
48:16 hkqg יְבָרֵךְ֮ אֶת הַנְּעָרִים֒ 1 “I pray/ask that he will cause {these} young men to prosper {greatly},” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, since Joseph’s sons were probably in their 20s, make sure your translation of this phrase does not sound like they were little boys. The Hebrew word for “boy” here can also be translated as “lad, servant,” or “young man,” depending on the context and who is speaking to whom. With that in mind, consider again how you translated this word in the book of Genesis. See Gen 14:24; 18:7; 19:4; 21:12, 17-20; 22:3, 5, 12, 19; 25:27; 34:19; 37:2; 41:12; 43:8; 44:22, 30-34; 48:16.
48:16 b0ar וְיִקָּרֵ֤א בָהֶם֙ שְׁמִ֔י וְשֵׁ֥ם אֲבֹתַ֖י אַבְרָהָ֣ם וְיִצְחָ֑ק וְיִדְגּ֥וּ לָרֹ֖ב בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָאָֽרֶץ 1 “so that my family name/line and the family name/line of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac will continue through them and so that they will have many descendants on the earth.” or “I pray that they will have many descendants on the earth who will carry on the family name/line for me and for my forefathers/ancestors Abraham and Isaac.”
48:17 guyi וַיַּ֣רְא יוֹסֵ֗ף כִּי יָשִׁ֨ית אָבִ֧יו יַד יְמִינ֛וֹ עַל רֹ֥אשׁ אֶפְרַ֖יִם 1 “{When} Joseph saw/noticed that his father had put/rested/laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head,” See how you translated “placed” in verse 14.
48:17 krcr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיֵּ֣רַע בְּעֵינָ֑יו 1 “it displeased him,” or “he was displeased/unhappy {about it},” or “he thought it was a mistake,”
48:17 fa1f וַיִּתְמֹ֣ךְ יַד אָבִ֗יו 1 “So he took hold of his father’s hand”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
48:17 scqc לְהָסִ֥יר אֹתָ֛הּ מֵעַ֥ל רֹאשׁ אֶפְרַ֖יִם 1 “{in order} to move/take it from Ephraim’s head” or “{and started} to move/take it from Ephraim’s head”
48:18 yr6r לֹא כֵ֣ן אָבִ֑י כִּי זֶ֣ה הַבְּכֹ֔ר 1 “Not like that, Father. {It is} the other son {who is} the/my firstborn/oldest.” or “That is the wrong one/son, Father. The other {one} {is} {my} firstborn/oldest son.”
48:19 onl9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns גַּם ה֥וּא יִֽהְיֶה לְּעָ֖ם וְגַם ה֣וּא יִגְדָּ֑ל 1 “{In fact,} {the descendants of} your firstborn/oldest son will also become a people/ethnic group, and he will be/become a great/important man.” or “{In fact,} your firstborn/oldest son will also be/become a great/important man, and he will be/become {the ancestor of} a people/ethnic group.” Consider what is the best way in your language to refer to Joseph’s firstborn in these two clauses.
48:19 w3o5 וְזַרְע֖וֹ 1 “and his/Ephraim’s offspring/descendants” or “with {many} descendants, who”. Make sure that your translation of this phrase refers to Ephraim’s descendants, not Manasseh’s.
48:19 ncm9 יִהְיֶ֥ה מְלֹֽא הַגּוֹיִֽם 1 “will become many people/ethnic groups.” Compare how you translated a similar phrase (“a community of peoples”) in verse 4.
48:20 mzc0 וַיְבָ֨רֲכֵ֜ם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַהוּא֮ 1 “So Israel blessed Ephraim and Manasseh that day” or “That {same} day, Israel blessed {both of} them”
48:20 zb3n בְּךָ֗ יְבָרֵ֤ךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ 1 “{The people of} Israel will use your names when they bless {someone/people}” or “When {the people of} Israel say/pronounce a blessing over {someone}, they will use your names”
48:20 uje7 וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת אֶפְרַ֖יִם לִפְנֵ֥י מְנַשֶּֽׁה 1 “When he/Israel said that, he/Israel put/ranked Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.” or “In that way, he/Israel made Ephraim greater than Manasseh.”
48:21 d5t4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶל יוֹסֵ֔ף 1 “After that, Israel {turned} to Joseph {and} said {to him},” or “Next Israel spoke to Joseph. {He said,}”
48:21 yses rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular וְהָיָ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם 1 “but God will {always} be/stay with {all of} you {and help you},” or “but God will {always} be/stay with you and your brothers {and all your descendants} {and help you}.” The pronouns “you” and “your” are plural throughout this verse and probably refer to all Israel’s family, including Joseph, his brothers, and their descendants.
48:21 ydkc וְהֵשִׁ֣יב אֶתְכֶ֔ם 1 “He will also bring/take you back”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
48:21 orx3 אֶל אֶ֖רֶץ אֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם 1 “to the land that {he gave} to your forefathers/ancestors.”
48:22 xrzo וַאֲנִ֞י נָתַ֧תִּֽי לְךָ֛ 1 “And I give/bequeath to you {as part of your inheritance}” or “Besides that, {as part of your inheritance from me,} I {hereby} give you”. The pronouns “you” and “your” shift to singular in verse 22.
48:22 cazk rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor שְׁכֶ֥ם 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could refer to (1) “{the city of} Shechem,” (2) “a mountain slope/ridge,” This second interpretation comes from the meaning of the Hebrew word “shekem” (“shoulder”), which can be used as a metaphor to refer to a mountain slope or ridge.
48:22 peu5 אַחַ֖ד עַל אַחֶ֑יךָ 1 “which is more {land} than I am giving to your brothers and”
48:22 bfda אֲשֶׁ֤ר לָקַ֨חְתִּי֙ מִיַּ֣ד 1 “which I took control of from” or “which I took/captured from” or “I took/captured that land from”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
48:22 q9pc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י בְּחַרְבִּ֖י וּבְקַשְׁתִּֽי 1 “the Amorite{s} {in battle} using my sword and my bow.” or “the Amorite{s} when I defeated them in battle.” For some languages it may be clearer to change the order of clauses in this verse and say, “Besides that, I {hereby} give you {the city of} Shechem, {which} I took/captured from the Amorite{s} when I defeated them in battle. This is more {land} than I am giving to your brothers.” Do what is best in your language. Also consider again how you translated “Amorite{s}” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 10:16; 14:7, 13; 15:16, 21; 48:22.
49:1 i8ic וַיִּקְרָ֥א יַעֲקֹ֖ב אֶל בָּנָ֑יו 1 “Then Jacob summoned {all} his sons”. The events in chapter 49 may have occurred on the same day as the events in chapter 48, or not very long after that. Consider again how you translated “called for” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 12:18; 14:14; 20:2, 8-9; 24:57-58; 26:9; 27:1, 42; 28:1; 31:4; 39:14; 41:8, 14; 46:33; 47:29; 49:1.
49:1 g7x3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֗אמֶר 1 “He said {to them},” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
49:1 l6m5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-poetry הֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ 1 “Gather {yourselves} together {before me},” or “Come together {here},” Much of what Jacob says to his sons in verses 1-27 is Hebrew poetry, which is characterized by the use of parallelisms and metaphors to emphasize important points. Many translations put these verses in poetry format (starting here); many others use regular paragraph formatting. Do what is best in your language. For a complete list of verses that some translations treat as poetry in the book of Genesis, see the introduction to the book.
49:1 gmu9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָ֥א אֶתְכֶ֖ם 1 “what will happen to you {and your descendants}”. Much of what Jacob prophesies in this chapter about his sons also applies to their descendants. Some translation teams may prefer to put that information in a footnote rather than make it explicit in the text. Do what is best in your language. Also see how you translated “meet” in Gen 42:4, 38.
49:1 xg3p rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית הַיָּמִֽים 1 “in the days/years ahead.” or “in future days/years.” In this context, this phrase refers to a period of years in the future. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
49:2 j5co rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person הִקָּבְצ֥וּ וְשִׁמְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֑ב 1 “{Yes/Indeed,} Jacob’s/my sons, come/gather {here} and hear {what I have to say},” or “My sons, gather around {me,} {your father} Jacob, and listen {to me}.” Make sure it is clear in your translation of this verse that Jacob is talking to his own sons and is referring to himself as Jacob and Israel. Also, for some languages it is more natural to put the address “sons of Jacob” first in verse 2, or even first in the quote (which begins in verse 1). Do what is best in your language.
49:2 xh8b וְשִׁמְע֖וּ אֶל יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אֲבִיכֶֽם 1 “Pay attention to {me} your father Israel.” or “{I} your father Israel have something {important} to tell you.” This clause forms a parallelism with the previous clause to emphasize that Jacob wants his sons to listen to him carefully. Try to keep both halves of this parallelism in your translation, since each half has a slightly different focus. Also, consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
49:3 tmwk רְאוּבֵן֙ בְּכֹ֣רִי אַ֔תָּה 1 “Reuben, you {are} my oldest {son},” Consider again how you translated “firstborn” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 4:4; 10:15; 19:31, 33-34, 37; 22:21; 25:13, 27; 27:19, 32; 29:26; 35:23; 36:15; 38:6-7; 41:51; 43:33; 46:8, 14; 48:18; 49:3. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
49:3 wp60 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism כֹּחִ֖י וְרֵאשִׁ֣ית אוֹנִ֑י 1 “{the result of} my strength/fertility, and the first child I had as a young man.” or “{You are} the first {evidence/sign} of my manhood and strength/virility.” This phrase is used here as a euphemistic idiom that refers to Jacob’s ability to have children. Other languages may have a similar idiom. Translate this in a way that will not embarrass or offend listeners.
49:3 zu3n יֶ֥תֶר שְׂאֵ֖ת וְיֶ֥תֶר עָֽז 1 “{You had} higher/more honor and authority {than all your brothers}.” or “{You had} high status and great authority {in our family}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
49:4 m3c3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile כַּמַּ֨יִם֙ 1 “like a flood of water,” or “like {rushing} water,” Here Jacob compares Reuben’s reckless, uncontrolled sexual behavior to turbulent water that is out of control and destructive. Consider whether or not you have a similar simile in your language that would fit well here.
49:4 ht6q אַל תּוֹתַ֔ר 1 “{so} you will no longer have your high/important status/position {in our family},” or “{so} you will no longer be first {among your brothers},”
49:4 s4lx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism כִּ֥י עָלִ֖יתָ מִשְׁכְּבֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ אָ֥ז חִלַּ֖לְתָּ 1 “because you climbed/got {into} my bed {with my concubine/wife} {and} dishonored me!” or “because you dishonored me by getting into my bed and committing adultery {with my concubine/wife}!” This clause, along with the rest of the verse, is a euphemistic way of referring to Reuben committing adultery by sleeping with his father’s concubine (secondary wife) Bilhah (Genesis 35:22).
49:4 u62z rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person יְצוּעִ֥י עָלָֽה 1 “{Then Jacob exclaimed,} “He went up {onto} my couch!” ” or “He/You {actually} climbed/got up {onto} my couch/bed {and dishonored me}!” or “{You dishonored me when} you slept with my concubine/wife!” Here Jacob repeats part of what he said in the previous clause, in order to emphasize Reuben’s sin against him and to communicate how upset he is about it. He may have still been talking to Reuben (switching from second to third person), or he may have been exclaiming about Reuben to himself and the rest of his sons.
49:5 jadm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person שִׁמְע֥וֹן וְלֵוִ֖י 1 “{As for} Simeon and Levi, {they}” or “Simeon and Levi, {you}”. In verses 3-27, Jacob sometimes refers to his sons using second person (“you”), and sometimes (as here) he uses third person (“they” or “he”). Consider whether or not it is better in your language to use second person throughout these verses, especially since Jacob is talking to his sons who are right there with him. Also, some languages have dual pronouns that fit well in verses 5-7.
49:5 lnz6 אַחִ֑ים 1 “{are} {true/close} brothers.” or “{are} partners {in crime}.” or “do {evil} things together.” This phrase is used here as an idiom that emphasizes the fact that Simeon and Levi thought alike and acted together to do evil things.
49:5 hpdj כְּלֵ֥י חָמָ֖ס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶֽם 1 “They/You use their/your swords/weapons to do violent things {together}.” Make sure in your translation that the pronouns you use here (and in verses 6-7) fit with the way you translated the beginning of this verse.
49:6 sbst rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche אַל תָּבֹ֣א נַפְשִׁ֔י 1 “Do not ever let me” or “May I never” or “I will never”. Here Jacob uses the phrase “my soul” to refer to himself and to emphasize how strongly he feels about what he is saying. Consider what is the best way to communicate that in your language.
49:6 h9hm בְּסֹדָם֙ אַל־תָּבֹ֣א 1 “take part in their/your {evil} plans/schemes!” or “participate with them/you when they/you plan {evil} things!” In verses 5-7, Jacob is probably referring to the time when Simeon and Levi killed all the males in the city of Shechem out of revenge (Genesis 34:25-26, 30). Jacob was very upset that they did that.
49:6 z996 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism בִּקְהָלָ֖ם אַל תֵּחַ֣ד כְּבֹדִ֑י 1 “Do not let my honor/presence be connected/associated with their/your {evil} plans,” or “I never want to be linked/associated with their/your {evil} plans,” or “I refuse to make {evil} plans with them/you,” This clause forms a parallelism with the previous clause and emphasizes that Jacob is upset and does not want to participate with these two sons in their evil behavior. Consider what is the best way to translate that in your language.
49:6 ckzx כִּ֤י בְאַפָּם֙ הָ֣רְגוּ אִ֔ישׁ 1 “because they/you became angry and murdered {many} men/people,” The phrase “a man” probably refers collectively here to all the men whom these two sons killed in the city of Shechem (Gen 34:25-26, 30).
49:6 z1y0 וּבִרְצֹנָ֖ם עִקְּרוּ שֽׁוֹר 1 “and {just} to please/entertain themselves/yourselves, they/you crippled/maimed {some} oxen/cattle {so they could not walk}.” or “and they/you cut the leg tendons of {some} oxen/cattle, {just} for the fun of it.” This may have happened during the time that Simeon and Levi took revenge on the people of Shechem.
49:7 cb28 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism אָר֤וּר אַפָּם֙ כִּ֣י עָ֔ז וְעֶבְרָתָ֖ם כִּ֣י קָשָׁ֑תָה 1 “{May God} curse {them/you for} their/your intense/terrible anger and {their/your} cruel/malicious fury!” or “{I ask God to} curse/punish them/you for being so intensely/fiercely angry and cruel/malicious!” Consider what is the best way to translate this parallelism in your language. Also, consider again how you translated “cursed” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 3:14 (and note), 17; 4:11; 5:29; 8:21; 9:25; 12:3; 27:12-13, 29; 49:7.
49:7 ykq9 אֲחַלְּקֵ֣ם 1 “I {ask God to} scatter/disperse them/you {and their/your descendants}” or “May {God/he} cause them/you {and their/your descendants} to be spread out”. The last half of verse 7 specifies how Jacob is asking God to curse Simeon and Levi.
49:7 f5mw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב 1 “among {the family/descendants of} Jacob.” In this context, the name “Jacob” refers to his family and especially his descendants.
49:7 b95x rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism וַאֲפִיצֵ֖ם 1 “Yes, I/God will” or “That’s right, I {ask God/him to}”. The clauses “I will divide...” and “I will scatter...” form a parallelism that emphasizes the way Jacob is asking God to curse Simeon and Levi. If possible, it is best to keep both parts of a parallelism in your translation.
49:7 e9qw וַאֲפִיצֵ֖ם 1 “scatter/disperse them/you” or “cause them/you to be spread out”. Consider again how you translated “scatter” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 10:18, 32; 11:4, 8-9; 49:7. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context. If the pronoun “you” is used here in your translation, it should be plural.
49:7 ih68 בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל 1 “throughout {the descendants/land of} Israel.” Jacob’s prophecy in verse 7 came true many years later: the tribe of Simeon was absorbed by the tribe of Judah (Joshua 19:1), and the tribe of Levi never had its own territory, but rather lived in cities scattered throughout the other tribes of Israel (Joshua 21:1-42). You could put this information in a footnote.
49:8 mfza יְהוּדָ֗ה אַתָּה֙ יוֹד֣וּךָ אַחֶ֔יךָ 1 “Judah, you {are the one whom} your brothers will praise.” or “Judah, you {and your descendants} will be {highly} praised by your brothers {and their descendants}.” or “Judah, your brothers {and their descendants} will {highly} praise you {and your descendants}.” In the Hebrew text, the pronoun “you” is emphatic, and it has an emphatic position in the sentence. Consider what is the best way to communicate that emphasis in your language.
49:8 lhkv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom יָדְךָ֖ בְּעֹ֣רֶף 1 “You will be victorious over” or “You will conquer/defeat”. Consider what is the best way to translate this Hebrew idiom in your language. Also, if your translation includes Judah’s descendants in the previous sentence, make sure that the pronouns “your” and “you” are plural in this sentence.
49:8 m4n8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person בְּנֵ֥י אָבִֽיךָ 1 “Your father’s {other} sons” or “{Then} my {other} sons” or “Your brothers”. Make sure that your translation of “your father” refers to Jacob.
49:8 o2b6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction יִשְׁתַּחֲוּ֥וּ לְךָ֖ 1 “{and their descendants} will bow/prostrate themselves before you {and your descendants} {in respect/submission}.” Consider again how you translated “bow down” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 18:2; 19:1; 22:5; 23:7, 12; 24:26, 48, 52; 27:29; 33:3, 6-7; 37:7, 9-10; 42:6; 43:26, 28; 47:31; 48:12; 49:8. Also see how you translated a similar phrase in Gen 17:3, 17.
49:9 kcdh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor גּ֤וּר אַרְיֵה֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה מִטֶּ֖רֶף בְּנִ֣י עָלִ֑יתָ 1 “Judah, my son, {you are} {powerful} {like} a young lion that has returned {to its den} after {killing} {its} prey.” or “Judah, {you,} my son, {are} {like} a {powerful} young lion that {kills its} prey and returns {to its den}.”
49:9 zrcx rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile כָּרַ֨ע רָבַ֧ץ כְּאַרְיֵ֛ה 1 “You {are} like a lion that stretches out {and} lies down {to sleep/rest} {after eating}.” or “It stretches out {and} lies down {to sleep}.” Here in verse 9 Jacob switches to using third person references (“he, his, him”) for Judah. For some languages it is better to use second person references (“you, your”) throughout verses 8-12. Do what is best in your language.
49:9 tf30 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion וּכְלָבִ֖יא מִ֥י יְקִימֶֽנּוּ 1 “Yes, {you are} like a lioness/lion that no one dares to awaken/disturb.” or “No one dares to disturb/disrespect that lion.” This sentence forms a parallelism with the previous sentence to emphasize Judah’s authority. Also, Jacob uses a rhetorical question here to emphasize the respect that people will have for Judah. Some languages must use a statement here instead. Do what is best in your language.
49:10 lg21 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy לֹֽא יָס֥וּר שֵׁ֨בֶט֙ מִֽיהוּדָ֔ה 1 “Judah, the authority to rule will always belong to you {and your descendants}.” or “Judah, there will always be one of your descendants ruling as king.” A scepter, or a king’s staff, is a special, decorated rod that a king holds to symbolize his authority to rule the people who are under him.
49:10 yr2o rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism וּמְחֹקֵ֖ק מִבֵּ֣ין רַגְלָ֑יו 1 “The {king’s/ruler’s} staff will never leave his/your descendants/family” or “In fact, your descendants will rule”. This phrase forms a parallelism with the previous clause and emphasizes the authority that Judah and his descendants will have.
49:10 f9a1 עַ֚ד כִּֽי יָבֹ֣א שִׁיל֔וֹ 1 “until the {highest} king comes/arrives” or “until the One whom the scepter/kingdom belongs to comes/arrives”. Jacob is probably prophesying here about the coming of the Messiah/Christ. This fits with the fact that Jesus was a descendant of the tribe of Judah and is now ruling as the true King over heaven and earth. You could put some of that information in a footnote.
49:10 jg91 וְל֖וֹ יִקְּהַ֥ת עַמִּֽים 1 “and the peoples/nations {of the earth} obey him.” or “and all people obey him.” or “All people/nations will obey him.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
49:11 tpc6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit אֹסְרִ֤י 1 “Judah {and his descendants}” or “You {and your descendants}”. In verse 11, the pronouns “he” and “his” refer to Judah and his descendants. To make that clear, you could make that explicit here and then use plural pronouns “they” and “their” throughout the verse. Or if you are using the second person throughout this section, you could say, “You {and your descendants}...” and use plural pronouns “you” and “your” after that.
49:11 nav1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown אֹסְרִ֤י לַגֶּ֨פֶן֙ עִיר֔וֹ 1 “will {be so wealthy that they/you will/could} tether/tie their/your donkey{s} to {their/your} {grape}vine{s} {to eat the valuable fruit}.” or “let your donkey{s} eat your choice/valuable {grape}vine{s}.” In Jacob’s culture grapevines were valuable plants, so unless a person was very rich, he would never tether a donkey to his grapevines because it would eat the fruit and the vines. If necessary, you could make some of that information explicit in your translation.
49:11 gjb3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism וְלַשֹּׂרֵקָ֖ה בְּנִ֣י אֲתֹנ֑וֹ 1 “Their/Your donkeys’ colts will/could eat the best/finest grapevines.” or “{It will not matter if} their/your donkeys’ colts eat {their/your} best/finest {grapevine} branch{es}.” This clause forms a parallelism with the previous one to emphasize how wealthy Judah and his descendants will be.
49:11 s2nz rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism כִּבֵּ֤ס בַּיַּ֨יִן֙ לְבֻשׁ֔וֹ וּבְדַם עֲנָבִ֖ים סוּתֽוֹ 1 “{They/You will still have so much wine from other vines/grapevines that} they/you could {even} use the wine like water to wash their/your robes and {other} clothes.” This sentence is another parallelism that emphasizes how wealthy Judah and his descendants will be. The phrase “blood of grapes” is an idiom that refers to red wine made from the juice of grapes.
49:12 cm3s חַכְלִילִ֥י & מִיָּ֑יִן 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “{will be} bright from {drinking} {abundant} wine,” (2) “{will be} darker than wine,” In both interpretations the emphasis is that Judah’s descendants will be blessed with an abundance of the best foods, including wine and milk, which are examples of the most valuable foods that were produced in the land.
49:12 rmn2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וּלְבֶן־שִׁנַּ֖יִם מֵחָלָֽב 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “and {their/your} teeth {will be} white from {drinking} {abundant} milk.” (2) “and {their/your} teeth {will be} whiter than milk.” Make sure that the way you translate this phrase fits with the interpretation you used for the first part of this verse. For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to change the order of some of these phrases and say, “{They/You will be so blessed/wealthy that} they/you will have plenty of the best foods, including {abundant} wine and milk.” Do what is best in your language.
49:13 xffh זְבוּלֻ֕ן 1 “{As for} Zebulun, {he} {and his descendants}” or “Zebulun, {you} {and your descendants}”. Throughout this chapter, decide whether it is best in your language to use third person or second person when Jacob refers to each of his sons (and their descendants).
49:13 vumy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism וְהוּא֙ לְח֣וֹף אֳנִיּ֔וֹת 1 “yes, they/you {will settle/live} at/near a harbor for ships,” or “where there will be a {safe} harbor/place for ships {to load and unload their cargo},” This clause forms a parallelism with the previous clause to emphasize where Zebulun and his descendants will live.
49:14 x4v8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor חֲמֹ֣ר גָּ֑רֶם 1 “{will be} {like} a strong/sturdy donkey”. Consider again how you translated “donkey” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 12:16; 16:12; 22:3, 5, 6; 24:35; 30:43; 32:5, 15; 34:28; 36:24; 42:26-27; 43:18, 24; 44:3, 13; 45:23; 47:17; 49:14.
49:14 h1kf רֹבֵ֖ץ 1 “crouching/lying down {resting}” or “{that is} resting {on the ground}”
49:14 e90c בֵּ֥ין הַֽמִּשְׁפְּתָֽיִם 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “between two saddlebags/loads.” (2) “between the two parts of a sheep pen.” Both interpretations imply that the donkey is lying down to rest after it worked hard.
49:15 tdds rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism וַיַּ֤רְא מְנֻחָה֙ כִּ֣י ט֔וֹב וְאֶת הָאָ֖רֶץ כִּ֣י נָעֵ֑מָה 1 “They/You will have a good place to rest/live, in a pleasant/enjoyable land.”
49:15 zdv6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיֵּ֤ט שִׁכְמוֹ֙ 1 “However, they/you will {also} have to exert themselves/yourselves” or “But they/you will labor/work hard”. Consider what is the best way to translate this Hebrew idiom in your language.
49:15 mqe3 וַיְהִ֖י לְמַס עֹבֵֽד 1 “In fact, they/you will be forced to be slaves.” or “They/You will have to work {very} hard {for others} as slaves.” or “People will force you to be their slaves.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
49:16 i8wo דָּ֖ן 1 “{As for} Dan, he {and his descendants}” or “Dan, you {and your descendants}”
49:16 lc8c כְּאַחַ֖ד שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל 1 “just as the other tribes of Israel {judge/govern/rule their own people}.” or “and have equal status with {the rest of} the tribes of Israel.”
49:17 olso rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns דָן֙ 1 “They/You”. Be consistent with your choice of third person or second person (singular or plural) references to Dan (and his descendants) throughout verses 16 and 17.
49:17 b9kg וַיִּפֹּ֥ל רֹכְב֖וֹ אָחֽוֹר 1 “so that {it rears up and} the rider/enemy falls off backward {to the ground}.” or “...is thrown off the horse {and defeated}.”
49:18 f699 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit לִֽישׁוּעָתְךָ֖ קִוִּ֥יתִי יְהוָֽה 1 “{Then Jacob paused and exclaimed to God,} “Yahweh, I am looking expectantly to you to save {me}!” Make sure it is clear in your translation that Jacob is talking to God in verse 18, not Dan any more.
49:19 mepm גְּד֣וּד יְגוּדֶ֑נּוּ 1 “a group of robbers will attack him/you {and his/your descendants},” or “you {and your descendants} will be attacked by raiders/enemies,”
49:19 ovqw rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וְה֖וּא יָגֻ֥ד עָקֵֽב 1 “but they/you will chase/hunt them {down} {and defeat them}.” Make sure it is clear in your translation who is being referred to at each point in this sentence.
49:20 aksc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche מֵאָשֵׁ֖ר שְׁמֵנָ֣ה לַחְמ֑וֹ 1 “Asher {and his descendants} will produce rich/fine food,” or “Asher, you {and your descendants} will {be wealthy and} produce/eat the best/finest food.” Here the word “bread” refers to food in general and “fat” refers to the best kinds of food.
49:20 a3y6 וְה֥וּא יִתֵּ֖ן מַֽעֲדַנֵּי מֶֽלֶךְ 1 “He/They/You will {even} supply/produce food that is rich/fancy enough for a king.” or “In fact, he/they/you will supply/produce delicious/fine foods {that are fit} for kings {to eat}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, the word “delicacies” refers to special, delicious foods that only rich people can afford to eat.
49:21 je8b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor אַיָּלָ֣ה 1 “{will be} {swift} {like} a doe/deer” or “{will be warriors who are} {swift} {like} a deer”. This metaphor pictures a deer that swiftly runs away after being released from captivity.
49:21 z2pe rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person הַנֹּתֵ֖ן אִמְרֵי שָֽׁפֶר 1 There are different interpretations for the Hebrew text here. (1) “He/They/You will {also} speak eloquently.” or “They/You will {also} be gifted/excellent speakers/negotiators.” (2) “and that bears/has beautiful/healthy fawns.” or “He/They/You will have beautiful children.” If you made Naphtali’s descendants explicit at the beginning of this verse, make sure you use a plural pronoun (“they” or “you”) here.
49:22 vpxp יוֹסֵ֔ף 1 “{As for} Joseph, {he} {and his descendants}” or “Joseph, {you} {and your descendants}”
49:22 x6q9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor בֵּ֤ן פֹּרָת֙ & בֵּ֥ן פֹּרָ֖ת 1 “{will be} {like} the branch of a fruitful {vine/tree}, {yes,} {like} a fruitful/productive {vine/tree}” or “{will be} very successful/prosperous and flourish {like} a fruitful/productive branch {of a vine/tree}” or “{will be/become} very fruitful/numerous {like} {the fruit on} a fruitful/productive {vine/tree}”. The same phrase is repeated here to emphasize how prosperous and productive Joseph (and his descendants) will be. Instead of saying the same phrase twice, many translations combine the two phrases and form one clause that communicates the emphasis in a different way. Do what is accurate and natural in your language.
49:22 x6dv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor בָּנ֕וֹת צָעֲדָ֖ה 1 “{with} branches extending/hanging” or “{with} branches {full of fruit} that extend/hang”. This phrase probably continues the metaphor of the fruitful vine that symbolizes how prosperous and numerous Joseph and his descendants will be. Consider what is the best way to translate this metaphor in your language.
49:23 dn95 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַֽיְמָרֲרֻ֖הוּ 1 “Expert/Skillful bowmen/archers will {fiercely} attack them/you {and their/your descendants}” or “Enemy warriors/soldiers will...” or “His/Their/Your enemies will...” Be consistent with your choice of third person or second person (singular or plural) references to Joseph (and his descendants) throughout verses 22-26.
49:24 x6y3 וַתֵּ֤שֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן֙ קַשְׁתּ֔וֹ 1 “But {as they/you fight back,} they/you will hold/keep their/your bows/weapons steady” or “...they/you will use their/your bows/weapons well/effectively”. Make sure that the way you translate “his” in this verse fits with whether you use second or third person (singular or plural) to refer to Joseph (and his descendants) in verses 22-26.
49:24 uyx0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom מִידֵי֙ 1 “because of the power/strength”. Consider what is the best way to translate this idiom in your language.
49:24 ecz5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֲבִ֣יר יַעֲקֹ֔ב 1 “of the Mighty/Powerful {One/God} whom I worship/serve,” or “that the Mighty/Powerful {God} of Jacob gives them/you,” For some languages, it is clearer or more natural to change the order of the phrases in this verse and say, “But the Mighty/Powerful {God} whom I worship/serve will keep you strong and help you use your bows/weapons well/effectively {as you fight back}.” Do what is best in your language.
49:24 tb3t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor מִשָּׁ֥ם רֹעֶ֖ה 1 “{that’s right,} by the name/power of the/our Shepherd.” or “He takes care of {his people} the way that a shepherd takes care of his sheep.” A shepherd takes care of his sheep and provides for all of their needs. In the same way God takes care of his people and provides for all of their needs. See Psalm 23 which also talks about God as our Shepherd. You could put some of that information in a footnote.
49:24 bwhf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person אֶ֥בֶן יִשְׂרָאֵֽל 1 “{He is} Israel’s/my Rock/Fortress.” or “{He is} {like} a rock {fortress} who protects Israel {and his descendants}.” In verses 24 and 25, several different titles are used to refer to Yahweh, the only true God. Make sure that your translation of these verses does not sound like there is more than one God. Also make sure it is clear in your translation or in a footnote that Jacob is referring to himself in this verse as Jacob and Israel.
49:25 auy4 מֵאֵ֨ל 1 “{That strength/power is/comes} from”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
49:25 hwrl מֵאֵ֨ל אָבִ֜יךָ וְיַעְזְרֶ֗ךָּ 1 “your father’s God, who will help you {and your descendants}.” or “the God {who has always taken care} of {me,} your father. He will {also} help you {and your descendants}.”
49:25 tq2p rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְאֵ֤ת שַׁדַּי֙ וִיבָ֣רְכֶ֔ךָּ 1 “He is the all-powerful God, who will bless you {all}”. For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to change the order of some of the clauses in the first half of this verse and say, “{That strength/power comes} from the God {who has always taken care} of {me,} your father. He is the all-powerful God who will help you {and your descendants} and bless you {all}”. Do what is best in your language.
49:25 u2xi בִּרְכֹ֤ת שָׁמַ֨יִם֙ מֵעָ֔ל 1 “{with} rain from above” or “{He will} bless/provide {you} with rain from the heavens/sky”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
49:25 a4di בִּרְכֹ֥ת תְּה֖וֹם רֹבֶ֣צֶת תָּ֑חַת 1 “and water from deep in the ground.” or “and bless/provide {you} with water from under the ground.” This phrase refers to water that comes from under the ground and supplies springs, wells, and rivers.
49:25 fxtf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy בִּרְכֹ֥ת שָׁדַ֖יִם וָרָֽחַם 1 “He will {also} bless {you} with many children {and much livestock}.” or “May your women/wives bear/have many children {and your animals bear/have many offspring/young}.” Consider what is the best way to translate this metonymy in your language. Also consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
49:26 lpt8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants בִּרְכֹ֣ת אָבִ֗יךָ גָּֽבְרוּ֙ עַל בִּרְכֹ֣ת הוֹרַ֔י 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It can mean (1) “{God} has blessed {me} your father more than he blessed my ancestors,” (2) “The blessings your father is blessing {you} {with} are greater than the blessings my ancestors blessed me with,” (3) “The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings/riches of the ancient mountains,” The third interpretation is based on the Greek Septuagint which interprets the Hebrew word for “ancestors” as “mountains” (which has a similar spelling in Hebrew).
49:26 n6h1 עַֽד תַּאֲוַ֖ת 1 The meaning of the Hebrew text is uncertain here. It can mean (1) “{He has blessed me with bounties/riches that are} greater than the bounties/riches {that come} from” (2) “{My blessings are} {so great that they extend} to the utmost/farthest boundaries/limits of”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
49:26 fzcy גִּבְעֹ֣ת עוֹלָ֑ם 1 “the everlasting/ancient mountains.”
49:26 pz62 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche תִּֽהְיֶ֨ין֙ לְרֹ֣אשׁ יוֹסֵ֔ף 1 “May {God} {also} give those/abundant blessings to {you} Joseph, {as}” or “I pray that {God} will abundantly bless {you too,} Joseph, {since you are}”. The words “head” and “top of the head” refer to Joseph and are connected with the custom of laying hands on the head of the person being blessed.
49:26 ckgl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive נְזִ֥יר 1 “the one who has been set apart {by God} {as ruler/leader}” or “the one who is distinguished/honored {by God}” or “the one whom he/God chose to set apart {and honor}”. Consider what is the best way to translate this passive phrase in your language.
49:26 ujeh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person אֶחָֽיו 1 “above/over his/your brothers.” Make sure your choice of “his” or “your” here fits with how you translated the beginning of this sentence.
49:27 ox1g בִּנְיָמִין֙ 1 “{As for} Benjamin, {he} {and his descendants}” or “Benjamin, {you} {and your descendants}”. Consider again whether you make “and...descendants” explicit for each of Jacob’s sons in this chapter, or whether you leave it implied and possibly put that information in a footnote. See verses 1, 7-8, 11, 13-14, 16, 19-23, 27.
49:27 hwab rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor זְאֵ֣ב יִטְרָ֔ף 1 “{is/are} {like} a fierce wolf.” or “{will be} {fierce warriors} {like} ravenous/hungry wolves.” Wolves are a type of large, fierce, wild dog that live and hunt together in groups. If wolves are unknown in your language area, you could say “wild dog” or “a pack of wild dogs.” Consider again how you translated the metaphors and similes that Jacob uses in verses 4, 9-11, 14, 17, 21-22, 24, 27.
49:27 tyqs rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person בַּבֹּ֖קֶר יֹ֣אכַל עַ֑ד וְלָעֶ֖רֶב יְחַלֵּ֥ק שָׁלָֽל 1 “They/You defeat their/your enemies in the morning and share the plunder/spoils of battle {with their/your family/warriors} in the evening.” or “You will always defeat your enemies and take their possessions and wealth.” Consider again whether to use second person or third person (singular or plural) in verses 3-27, and make sure your translation of the pronouns is clear and natural. To do that, it is helpful to read your translation of this section aloud.
49:28 zkfe כָּל אֵ֛לֶּה שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שְׁנֵ֣ים עָשָׂ֑ר 1 “Those {twelve sons} {are} {the forefathers/ancestors of} the twelve tribes that descended/came from Israel,” This clause refers back to Jacob’s sons who are mentioned in verses 1-27.
49:28 hn97 וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ 1 “when he blessed” or “He blessed”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
49:28 l9sl אוֹתָ֔ם אִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר 1 “each one of them” or “each of them” or “each one/son”
49:28 lbiq כְּבִרְכָת֖וֹ בֵּרַ֥ךְ אֹתָֽם 1 “with blessings that were right/appropriate for them {and their descendants}.” or “in a way that was fitting/appropriate for them {and their descendants}.”
49:29 xadv rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ 1 “by saying to them,” Make sure that your translation of “commanded...and said...” refers to a single action, not two different actions.
49:29 a79m rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive אֲנִי֙ נֶאֱסָ֣ף אֶל 1 “I will soon {die and} be gathered/taken {by God} to be with” or “{God} will soon take my spirit to be with” or “I am about to {die and} join”. Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language.
49:29 xzx1 עַמִּ֔י 1 “my ancestors/relatives {who have already died}.” or “my ancestors/relatives {who have gone/died before me}.” or “my {deceased} ancestors/relatives.”
49:29 w22x קִבְר֥וּ אֹתִ֖י 1 “{Please} bury my body” or “{When that happens,} {please} bury me”. Make sure that your translation of this phrase does not mean or imply that Jacob was asking to be buried while he was still physically alive.
49:29 qb7q אֶל אֲבֹתָ֑י 1 “with/beside {the bodies of} my forefathers/ancestors” or “next to their {bodies}” or “next to them”
49:29 u8z6 אֶל הַ֨מְּעָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּשְׂדֵ֖ה עֶפְר֥וֹן הַֽחִתִּֽי 1 “inside the cave that {is located} in the field that Ephron the Hittite used to own.” or “...the field that used to belong to Ephron the Hittite.” Make sure your translation of this clause does not sound like Ephron still owned that property.”
49:30 ypaj בַּמְּעָרָ֞ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר בִּשְׂדֵ֧ה הַמַּכְפֵּלָ֛ה 1 “That cave and field are in the Machpelah {area}”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. See how you translated “Machpelah” in Gen 23:9.
49:30 s53x בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן 1 “in the region of Canaan.”
49:30 sjun אֲשֶׁר֩ קָנָ֨ה אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה מֵאֵ֛ת עֶפְרֹ֥ן הַחִתִּ֖י 1 “{That is the cave} that {my grandfather} Abraham bought, along with the field from Ephron the Hittite,”
49:30 e2wi לַאֲחֻזַּת קָֽבֶר 1 “to possess/use for a {family} burial place/site.” or “in order to possess/have a place to bury {his dead relatives}.”
49:31 t64r שָׁ֣מָּה קָֽבְר֞וּ אֶת אַבְרָהָ֗ם וְאֵת֙ שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ 1 “That is where {the bodies of} Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried,” The pronoun “they” is general in this verse and does not specify who buried these people. Many languages have a similar general word. Other languages make this a passive clause without specifying the subject. Do what is best in your language.
49:31 y1hf שָׁ֚מָּה קָבְר֣וּ אֶת יִצְחָ֔ק וְאֵ֖ת רִבְקָ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ 1 “{and} where {the bodies of} Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried,”
49:31 un30 וְשָׁ֥מָּה 1 “and that is where” or “That is also where”
49:32 o710 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive מִקְנֵ֧ה הַשָּׂדֶ֛ה וְהַמְּעָרָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר בּ֖וֹ 1 “That field and cave were bought {by Abraham}” or “{Abraham} bought that field and cave”. In verse 32, Jacob repeats some of what he said in verses 29-30. Make sure your translation does not sound like it was the first time he said this. Also consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language.
49:32 e6fb מֵאֵ֥ת בְּנֵי חֵֽת 1 “from the descendants of Heth.” or “from the Hittites.” or “from the Hittite people.” Compare how you translated “Hittite” in verse 29, which refers to the same people group as here.
49:33 vgbm וַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ף רַגְלָ֖יו אֶל הַמִּטָּ֑ה 1 “he {lay down and} pulled/lifted his feet {up} into {his} bed.” This clause means that Jacob lay back down after being in a sitting position on the side of his bed (Gen 48:2).
49:33 jo0e rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism וַיִּגְוַ֖ע 1 “and breathed out {his last/final breath}” or “Then he took his last/final breath {and died}”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also consider again how you translated the idiom “exhaled” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 6:17; 7:21; 25:8, 17; 35:29; 49:33.
49:33 e6b7 וַיֵּאָ֥סֶף אֶל עַמָּֽיו 1 “and was gathered/taken {by God} to be with his {deceased} relatives/ancestors.” or “and joined his ancestors {who had died before him}.” Consider again how you translated this phrase in the book of Genesis. See Gen 25:8 (and note), 17; 35:29; 49:29, 33.
50:1 i1uf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיִּפֹּ֥ל יוֹסֵ֖ף עַל 1 “Then Joseph threw/flung himself on his father’s face/body,” or “Then/Immediately Joseph embraced/hugged his father {in sorrow/grief},” Make sure that your translation of this phrase does not imply that Joseph fell down accidently. Rather he intentionally threw himself on his father to embrace him and express his love and grief for him. See how you translated a similar phrase in Gen 46:29.
50:1 zcjf rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ עָלָ֖יו 1 “and he cried over him” For some languages it may be better to put this clause earlier and say, “Then Joseph cried {in his sorrow/grief}, and he hugged his father {tightly} and kissed him.” Do what is best in your language.
50:1 hggr וַיִּשַּׁק לֽוֹ 1 “and kissed him {goodbye} {on the cheek/forehead}.” Consider again how you translated “kissed” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 27:26-27; 29:11, 13; 31:28, 55; 33:4; 45:15; 48:10; 50:1.
50:2 kjoa rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown לַחֲנֹ֖ט אֶת אָבִ֑יו 1 “to prepare/preserve his father{’s body} for burial.” The word “embalm” refers here to the special process that the Egyptians did to slow down the decaying process of a dead body in order to preserve it for burial.
50:2 u25m rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns וַיַּחַנְט֥וּ הָרֹפְאִ֖ים 1 “So his doctors/morticians embalmed/preserved/prepared {his father} Israel{’s body} for burial,” or “So they did that,”
50:3 e0xm וַיִּמְלְאוּ לוֹ֙ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם 1 “which took them forty days,” or “The process/work required/took forty days,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
50:3 uuny כִּ֛י כֵּ֥ן יִמְלְא֖וּ יְמֵ֣י הַחֲנֻטִ֑ים 1 “because that is the {usual/normal} amount of days/time {required/needed} to embalm/prepare/preserve a body.” or “which is how long it {normally/usually} takes to embalm/prepare/preserve a body.”
50:3 pmly וַיִּבְכּ֥וּ אֹת֛וֹ מִצְרַ֖יִם שִׁבְעִ֥ים יֽוֹם 1 “The people in Egypt wept/mourned for him/Israel {for} seventy days.” or “For seventy days the people in/of Egypt mourned for him/Israel.” The seventy days of mourning included the forty days of embalming, so do not begin your translation of this sentence with a word like “Then”.
50:4 rgwc וַיַּֽעַבְרוּ֙ יְמֵ֣י בְכִית֔וֹ 1 “When those {seventy} days of mourning for him/Israel were over/finished,” or “After that time of mourning his/Israel’s death,”
50:4 ujhv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יוֹסֵ֔ף אֶל בֵּ֥ית פַּרְעֹ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “Joseph spoke to the people/officials in Pharaoh’s household/court and said,” or “Joseph said to Pharaoh’s officials,” The phrase “the house of Pharaoh” refers to members of the royal court.
50:4 njhj אִם נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם 1 “Please do this favor/kindness for me:” or “Please show me kindness and do this:”
50:4 n5za דַּבְּרוּ נָ֕א בְּאָזְנֵ֥י פַרְעֹ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר 1 “please speak to {King} Pharaoh {for me} and say {to him},” or “please take a message to {King} Pharaoh {for me} and tell {him},”
50:5 zmtr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations אָבִ֞י הִשְׁבִּיעַ֣נִי לֵאמֹ֗ר הִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִי֮ מֵת֒ בְּקִבְרִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר כָּרִ֤יתִי לִי֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן שָׁ֖מָּה תִּקְבְּרֵ֑נִי 1 “ ‘{Just before he died,} my father had me make a vow/oath to him. He said, “Look/Listen, I am about to die. {Swear/Promise to me} {with an oath} {that} you will bury my body in the tomb that I dug/made for myself in the region of Canaan.” ” For some languages it may be better to translate this embedded quote as an indirect quote and say, “that when my father was about to die, he had me swear/vow/promise to him that I would bury his body in the region of Canaan, in a grave/tomb that he had prepared for himself there.” Do what is best in your language.
50:5 g5n5 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations וְעַתָּ֗ה אֶֽעֱלֶה נָּ֛א וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת אָבִ֖י 1 “{Joseph continued,} “So now, please allow/permit me to go and bury my father {there},” or “So {ask the king to} please let me go {to Canaan} and bury my father{’s body} {there}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote as an indirect quote. Also see how you translated “go up” in Gen 45:9.
50:5 rjtq וְאָשֽׁוּבָה 1 “After that, I will come back {here}.” or “After I/we have done that, I will return {to Egypt}.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
50:6 x99p rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations עֲלֵ֛ה וּקְבֹ֥ר אֶת אָבִ֖יךָ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר הִשְׁבִּיעֶֽךָ 1 “{You may} go {to Canaan} to bury your father{’s body}, just as he made you swear/vow/promise {to do}.” or “{Tell Joseph that} he may go {to Canaan} and bury his father{’s body} just as he swore/vowed/promised {that he would do}.” Consider whether it is better in your language to translate this sentence as a direct or indirect quote. Also see how you translated “go up” in verse 5.
50:7 xq3o וַיַּ֥עַל יוֹסֵ֖ף 1 “So Joseph started traveling {to/toward Canaan}” or “So Joseph started the trip/journey {to Canaan}” or “So Joseph left {Egypt/Goshen}”. Joseph did not arrive in Canaan until later (verse 10).
50:7 yx8e וַיַּֽעֲל֨וּ אִתּ֜וֹ כָּל עַבְדֵ֤י פַרְעֹה֙ 1 “All the officials of Pharaoh went with him {to escort him},” or “and all Pharaoh’s officials escorted him,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Also, consider again how you translated “Pharaoh” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 12:15 (and note), 16-18, 20; 37:36; 39:1; 40:2, 11, 13, 14, 17, 19; 41:1, 4, 7-10, 14-17, 25, 28, 32-35, 37-39, 41-46, 55; 42:15-16; 44:18; 45:2, 8, 16-17, 21; 46:5, 31, 33-34; 47:1-5, 7-11, 14, 19-26; 50:4, 6-7. Also consider again how you translated “servants” and “officials” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 20:8; 40:2, 4, 7, 20; 41:10, 37-38; 45:16; 50:7.
50:7 d3od זִקְנֵ֣י בֵית֔וֹ 1 “{including} the senior/important men/leaders in/from his/Pharaoh’s household/court”. The “elders” were probably older men who had served Pharaoh for a long time and held important positions in his court.
50:7 gxer וְכֹ֖ל זִקְנֵ֥י אֶֽרֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם 1 “and all the {other} senior/important men/leaders in/from the country of Egypt.”
50:8 lbw9 וְכֹל֙ בֵּ֣ית יוֹסֵ֔ף 1 “All of Joseph’s family also {went with him,}” The word “house” refers here to Joseph’s whole extended family, not just to the people in his own household. Also, consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
50:8 orn9 וְצֹאנָ֣ם וּבְקָרָ֔ם 1 “and their sheep and cattle” or “and their livestock”. Consider again how you translated “flock{s} and herd{s}” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 12:16; 13:5; 20:14; 21:27; 24:35; 26:14; 32:8; 33:13; 34:28; 45:10; 46:32; 47:1, 17; 50:8. Also see how you translated “herd” in Gen 18:7-8, and how you translated “flock” in Gen 4:2, 4; 21:28; 27:9; 29:2-3, 6-10; 30:31, 32, 36, 38-43; 31:4, 8, 10, 12, 19, 38, 41, 43; 32:6; 37:2, 12, 14; 38:12, 13, 17; 46:34; 47:1, 17. It may be necessary to translate these terms in different ways, depending on the context.
50:8 redu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure עָזְב֖וּ 1 “they left {behind}” or “were left {behind} {with servants/caretakers}”. The children and animals were probably left with servants who took care of them during the funeral. For some languages it may be better to change the order of the phrases in this sentence and say, “They left {behind} only their children and their livestock in Goshen Province.” Do what is best in your language.
50:8 o9qv בְּאֶ֥רֶץ גֹּֽשֶׁן 1 “in the region of Goshen.” or “in Goshen Province.” Consider again how you translated “the land/region of Goshen” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 45:10; 46:28-29, 34; 47:1, 4, 6, 27; 50:8.
50:9 xhdh וַיַּ֣עַל עִמּ֔וֹ גַּם רֶ֖כֶב גַּם פָּרָשִׁ֑ים 1 “There were men/soldiers riding chariots and men/soldiers riding horses who also went with him/Joseph,” or “{Many} soldiers also escorted him/Joseph, {including} those {who were} riding chariots and those {who were} riding horses,” Consider again how you translated “chariot” in Gen 41:43; 46:29; 50:9.
50:9 lflf וַיְהִ֥י הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה כָּבֵ֥ד מְאֹֽד 1 “so that the {entire} procession/group {of people} was very large.” or “so that there was a very large group {of people} {traveling together}.”
50:10 nwg3 גֹּ֣רֶן הָאָטָ֗ד 1 The Hebrew text is ambiguous here. It could mean (1) “Atad’s threshing floor/place,” or “a place owned by {a man named} Atad where people separated grain {from chaff},” (2) “the threshing floor/place near {the city/town of} Atad,” or “Goren Ha-Atad” (3) “the {grain/wheat} threshing place that was surrounded by thornbushes,” The Hebrew word “atad” means “thorns,” but most Bible scholars think it refers to the name of a person or city.
50:10 ipjy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וַיִּ֨סְפְּדוּ 1 “which {was} located beyond/across the Jordan {River},” For some languages it may be better to put this clause earlier in this verse and say, “They traveled to the other side of the Jordan {River} and stopped at a {grain} threshing place owned by {a man named} Atad.” The location of Atad’s threshing floor is not certain. It was most likely on the west side of the Jordan River, since that is where the cave was located and that is where the Canaanites would have been most likely to observe Joseph’s family and the Egyptians mourning (verse 11). However, since its location is not certain, it is best to translate “beyond the Jordan” in a general way (like the Hebrew text is).
50:10 mly9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וַיַּ֧עַשׂ לְאָבִ֛יו אֵ֖בֶל שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים 1 “For seven days Joseph {and the others} mourned/grieved/lamented the death of his father.” or “and for seven days, he/Joseph led everyone in mourning/lamenting the death of his father.” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to combine the last two sentences in this verse and say, “There Joseph {and the others} mourned for his father very loudly and sorrowfully for seven days.” Do what is best in your language.
50:11 zais וַיַּ֡רְא יוֹשֵׁב֩ הָאָ֨רֶץ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֜י אֶת הָאֵ֗בֶל בְּגֹ֨רֶן֙ הָֽאָטָ֔ד 1 “When the Canaanites who lived in the area saw them mourning {like that} at Atad’s threshing floor/place,” See how you translated “threshing floor of Atad” in verse 10.
50:11 dxf9 וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ 1 “they exclaimed {to each other},”
50:11 l36r אֵֽבֶל כָּבֵ֥ד זֶ֖ה לְמִצְרָ֑יִם 1 “{Wow!} Those people of/from Egypt are mourning {very} sorrowfully {for someone who died}!” Consider again how you translated “Egyptian” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 12:14; 16:1, 3; 21:9; 25:12; 39:1, 2, 5; 41:55-56; 43:32; 45:2; 46:34; 47:15, 20; 50:3, 11. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
50:11 e3y7 עַל כֵּ֞ן 1 “That is the reason that” or “That is why”
50:11 g814 קָרָ֤א שְׁמָהּ֙ 1 “people call that place” or “the name of that place is” or “that place is called/named”. Consider again how you translated “For that (reason) he/they called/call...” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 11:9; 16:14; 19:22; 21:31; 25:26, 30; 31:48; 33:17; 35:8; 38:29-30; 50:11.
50:11 b1sc אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֥בֶר 1 “which {is located}” or “The/That place {is}”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
50:11 i2vy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure בְּעֵ֥בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּֽן 1 “on the other side of the Jordan {River}.” For some language it may be clearer or more natural to put this phrase earlier in this sentence and say, “That is why the name of that place on the other side of the Jordan {River} is Abel Mizraim, {which means “Egyptians’ mourning place."}” Do what is best in your language. Also, be consistent here with how you translate this phrase in verse 10.
50:12 elcm וַיַּעֲשׂ֥וּ בָנָ֖יו ל֑וֹ כֵּ֖ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר 1 “So his/Jacob’s sons did for him exactly what” or “Jacob’s sons did {everything} for him just as”
50:12 je5d צִוָּֽם 1 “he had instructed/told them {to do}:”
50:13 gtwk אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן 1 “to the region of Canaan”. Consider again how you translated “the land/region of Canaan” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 11:31; 12:5; 13:12, 14; 16:3; 17:8; 23:2, 19; 31:18; 33:18; 35:6; 36:5-6; 37:1; 42:5, 7, 13, 29, 32; 44:8; 45:17, 25; 46:6, 12, 31; 47:1, 4, 13, 15, 27; 48:3, 7; 49:30; 50:5, 13. Also be consistent with how you spelled the name of the man named Canaan in 9:18, 22, 25-27; 10:6, 15, and compare that to how you translated “the Canaanites” in 10:18-19; 12:6; 13:7; 15:21; 24:3, 37; 28:1, 6, 8; 34:30; 36:2; 38:2; 46:10; 50:11.
50:13 xe0g וַיִּקְבְּר֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ בִּמְעָרַ֖ת שְׂדֵ֣ה הַמַּכְפֵּלָ֑ה 1 “and buried him/it in the cave {that is} in the field in the Machpelah {area},” Consider again how you translated “cave” and “the cave of the field of Machpelah” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 19:30; 23:9 (and note), 11, 17, 19-20; 25:9; 49:29-30, 32; 50:13.
50:13 n02f אֲשֶׁ֣ר קָנָה֩ אַבְרָהָ֨ם אֶת הַשָּׂדֶ֜ה לַאֲחֻזַּת קֶ֗בֶר מֵאֵ֛ת עֶפְרֹ֥ן הַחִתִּ֖י 1 “{It was} the field {and cave} that Abraham had bought from Ephron the Hittite as a property/place to bury his dead {relatives}”. Consider again how you translated “property for a burial place” in Gen 23:4, 9, 20, and how you translated “Hittite” or “Ephron the Hittite” in Gen 10:15; 15:20; 23:3, 5, 7, 10, 16,18; 25:9-10; 26:34; 27:46; 36:2; 49:29-30; 50:13. Be consistent with how you spelled “Ephron” in those verses and in Gen 23:8, 13-14, 16-17.
50:13 imrd rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure עַל פְּנֵ֥י מַמְרֵֽא 1 “near {the city of} Mamre.” For some languages it is clearer or more natural to put this phrase earlier in this sentence (after “Machpelah”) and say, “...the field of Machpelah near {the city of} Mamre. {It was} the field {and cave} which/that Abraham...” Do what is best in your language. Also, consider again how you translated “in front of Mamre” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 23:17, 19; 25:9; 49:30; 50:13. Be consistent with how you spelled “Mamre” in those verses and in Gen 13:18; 14:13, 24; 18:1.
50:14 u0lx וַיָּ֨שָׁב יוֹסֵ֤ף מִצְרַ֨יְמָה֙ 1 “Joseph/he returned to {the country of} Egypt,”
50:14 yhun ה֣וּא וְאֶחָ֔יו 1 “along with his brothers”
50:14 g1r3 וְכָל 1 “and everyone {else}”
50:14 wbst הָעֹלִ֥ים אִתּ֖וֹ 1 “who had gone {to Canaan} with him” or “who had accompanied him”
50:14 w96e לִקְבֹּ֣ר אֶת אָבִ֑יו 1 “to bury/entomb his father{’s body}.” or “to/for his father’s burial/funeral.” Consider again how you translated “bury” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 15:15; 23:4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 19; 25:9-10; 35:8, 19, 29; 47:29-30; 48:7; 49:29, 31; 50:5-7, 13-14. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
50:15 vgqa וַיִּרְא֤וּ אֲחֵֽי יוֹסֵף֙ כִּי מֵ֣ת אֲבִיהֶ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ 1 “Joseph’s brothers thought about the fact that their father was dead, and they {were worried and} said {to each other},” or “Now that their father was no longer alive, Joseph’s brothers {were worried and} said {to each other},”
50:15 mb3v ל֥וּ יִשְׂטְמֵ֖נוּ יוֹסֵ֑ף 1 “What if Joseph is holding a grudge against us?” or “If Joseph is angry at us,”
50:15 j0gm וְהָשֵׁ֤ב יָשִׁיב֙ לָ֔נוּ 1 “Then certainly he will pay us back” or “then he will certainly take revenge on us {and punish us severely}”. Consider whether or not it is better to begin a new sentence here in your language.
50:15 bvd4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure אֵ֚ת כָּל הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר גָּמַ֖לְנוּ אֹתֽוֹ 1 “for all the ways that we harmed him!” or “for the completely evil/terrible way that we treated him!” or “because we treated him so badly.” It may be clearer or more natural to put this clause before the previous clause and say, “If Joseph is angry at us for the terrible way that we treated him, he might punish us severely for what we did.” Do what is best in your language.
50:16 lmar וַיְצַוּ֕וּ אֶל יוֹסֵ֖ף לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “So they sent {a messenger} to Joseph to tell {him},” or “So they sent {a message} to Joseph that/which said,”
50:16 p4xq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive אָבִ֣יךָ צִוָּ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י מוֹת֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר 1 “Your/Our father commanded {us} before he died,” or “Before your/our father died, he commanded/told {us}”. Consider again how you translated “commanded” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 2:16; 3:11, 17; 6:22; 7:5, 9, 16; 12:20; 18:19; 21:4; 26:5, 11; 27:8; 28:1,6; 32:4, 17, 19; 42:25, 44:1; 45:19; 47:11; 49:29, 33; 50:2, 12, 16. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context. Also, the pronoun “us” is exclusive here since it does not include Joseph.
50:17 td0v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations כֹּֽה תֹאמְר֣וּ לְיוֹסֵ֗ף אָ֣נָּ֡א 1 “Please say this to Joseph {for me}: ‘I beg/urge you to” or “to tell you that he asks/begs you to” or “to ask/urge you on his behalf to”. Consider whether or not it is better in your language to translate this embedded quote as a direct or indirect quote. See what you did for doubly-embedded quotes in Gen 32:4.
50:17 km99 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations שָׂ֣א נָ֠א פֶּ֣שַׁע אַחֶ֤יךָ וְחַטָּאתָם֙ כִּי רָעָ֣ה גְמָל֔וּךָ 1 “please forgive your brothers for all the evil/harm they did {to you} and for their offenses {against you}, even though what they did was very evil/wrong.” or “please forgive {us}, your brothers, for sinning {against you} and treating you so badly.” Consider again how you translated “sin” in Gen 4:7; 18:20; 31:36; 50:17, and consider again how you translated the synonym “crime” in Gen 31:36; 50:17. It may be necessary to translate these terms in different ways, depending on the context.
50:17 djc3 וְעַתָּה֙ שָׂ֣א נָ֔א לְפֶ֥שַׁע עַבְדֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ 1 “So we beg you to forgive {us}, the servants of your/our father’s God, for our crimes {against you}.” or “So then, as servants of God whom our father worshiped/served, we beg you to forgive us for sinning {against you}.” Consider again how you translated “the God of” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 9:26; 24:12, 27, 42, 48; 26:24; 28:13; 31:5, 29, 42, 53; 32:9; 43:23; 46:1, 3; 49:24-25; 50:17.
50:17 elr0 וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ יוֹסֵ֖ף בְּדַבְּרָ֥ם אֵלָֽיו 1 “Joseph cried when he heard that/their message.” or “When Joseph received/heard his brothers’ message to him, he {was very sad and} cried.”
50:18 u7sf rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ לְפָנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ 1 “and threw/bowed themselves {on the ground} in front of him and said,” or “prostrated themselves before him {to show respect}, and said {to him},” See how you translated “fell...before him” in Gen 44:14. Compare that to how you translated “bowed down to/before...” (See: 49:8).
50:18 hvlx הִנֶּ֥נּֽוּ 1 “Here we are,” See how you translated a similar phrase (“Behold me”) in 22:1, 7. It may be necessary to translate this phrase in different ways, depending on the context.
50:18 m3yn לְךָ֖ לַעֲבָדִֽים 1 “we {will be} your slaves/servants!” or “we {will serve you} as slaves/servants!” If you use an exclamation mark here in your translation, make sure it does mean that Joseph’s brothers were angry, rather they are worried and desperate.
50:19 o5mq וַיֹּ֧אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֛ם יוֹסֵ֖ף 1 “But Joseph replied to them,”
50:19 dsla אַל תִּירָ֑אוּ 1 “You do not need to be afraid.” or “You have nothing to fear.”
50:19 qvm2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion כִּ֛י הֲתַ֥חַת אֱלֹהִ֖ים אָֽנִי 1 “I would never take God’s place {and judge/punish you}!” or “After all, I am not God! {So I have no right to judge/punish you.}” Joseph uses a rhetorical question here to emphasize that he will not take God’s place and punish his brothers. Some languages must use a statement or exclamation here instead. Do what is best in your language.
50:20 tbtf rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast וְאַתֶּ֕ם חֲשַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עָלַ֖י רָעָ֑ה 1 “{It is true that} you planned to harm me, {but}” or “Although you intentionally treated me {very} badly,” In the Hebrew text, the pronoun “you” is emphatic in form and position to emphasize Joseph’s brothers and contrast them with God. Consider what is the best way to translate that contrast in your language.
50:20 euhw אֱלֹהִים֙ חֲשָׁבָ֣הּ לְטֹבָ֔ה 1 “God is using that {evil} to benefit {us all}” or “God planned that what you did would turn out to be good/beneficial {for me and everyone else}”
50:20 buk0 לְמַ֗עַן עֲשֹׂ֛ה כַּיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּ֖ה 1 “to accomplish what he is doing these days,” or “Right now he is doing what he planned,” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
50:20 ibeo לְהַחֲיֹ֥ת עַם רָֽב 1 “to save {the lives of} many people.” or “to keep many people alive.” or “keeping many people from dying.” Consider again how you translated “save (lives)” or “keep alive” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 7:3; 12:12; 19:19; 45:7; 47:25; 50:20.
50:21 l5ls וְעַתָּה֙ 1 “So then,” or “So again {I tell you},”
50:21 mffx אַל תִּירָ֔אוּ 1 “you do not need to be afraid.” or “you have nothing to fear.” Consider again how you translated “do not be afraid” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 15:1; 21:17; 26:24; 35:17; 43:23; 46:3; 50:19, 21.
50:21 qnh9 אָנֹכִ֛י אֲכַלְכֵּ֥ל אֶתְכֶ֖ם וְאֶֽת טַפְּכֶ֑ם 1 “I {myself} will take care of you and your children.” or “I {myself} will provide {everything} that you and your children need.” In the Hebrew text here, “I” is an emphatic pronoun. Consider what is the best way to translate that in your language. Also, consider again how you translated “little ones” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 34:29; 43:8; 45:19; 46:5; 47:12, 24; 50:8, 21. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
50:21 m9g7 וַיְנַחֵ֣ם אוֹתָ֔ם 1 “In that way, Joseph consoled/assured them {that he had forgiven them},” Consider again how you translated “comforted” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 24:67; 27:42; 37:35; 38:12; 50:21. It may be necessary to translate this term in different ways, depending on the context.
50:21 b5r9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וַיְדַבֵּ֖ר עַל לִבָּֽם 1 “and he {also} said {other} things to comfort/encourage them.” The phrase “spoke to their hearts” is an idiom that means Joseph said things to comfort and encourage his brothers. Consider whether or not your language has an idiom with the same meaning that would work well here.
50:22 q6uc ה֖וּא וּבֵ֣ית אָבִ֑יו 1 “along with {the rest of} his father {Jacob}’s household/family,”
50:22 vkjk וַיְחִ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף מֵאָ֥ה וָעֶ֖שֶׂר שָׁנִֽים 1 “until he was 110 years old.” or “Joseph/He lived to be 110 years old.” Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here.
50:23 eo93 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom יֻלְּד֖וּ עַל בִּרְכֵּ֥י יוֹסֵֽף 1 “also grew up during his lifetime.” For some languages it is better to change the order of the phrases in this sentence and say, “He also lived to see {his son} Manasseh’s son Machir grow up, {as well as Machir’s} children.” or “He also lived to see the children of {his grandson} Machir grow up, who was Manasseh’s son.” Do what is best in your language. Also, the phrase “born on Joseph’s knees” is an idiom that means Joseph recognized Makir’s children as his descendants and that they grew up during his lifetime and spent time with him.
50:24 crgu rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom וֵֽאלֹהִ֞ים פָּקֹ֧ד יִפְקֹ֣ד אֶתְכֶ֗ם 1 “but God will certainly/definitely help you”. The word “visit” is used here as an idiom that refers to God helping his people in a powerful way. See how you translated this idiom in Gen 21:1, where it has a slightly different meaning.
50:24 y42d וְהֶעֱלָ֤ה אֶתְכֶם֙ מִן הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את 1 “and take/lead you {and your descendants} from this land/country”
50:24 fsoh אֶל הָאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֛ע 1 “to the land that he swore/vowed/promised {with an oath/vow}”
50:24 z428 לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹֽב 1 “{to give} to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
50:25 gptw וַיַּשְׁבַּ֣ע יוֹסֵ֔ף אֶת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר 1 “Then Joseph told {his brothers and} {the rest of} the descendants of Israel to swear/promise {with an oath} {that they would do something for him}. He said,” Consider again how you translated “swear” in the book of Genesis. See Gen 21:23 (and note), 24, 31; 22:16; 24:3, 7, 9, 37; 25:33; 26:3, 31; 31:53; 47:31; 50:5-6, 24-25.
50:25 xz3m rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom פָּקֹ֨ד יִפְקֹ֤ד אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם 1 “{Yes,} God will certainly/definitely visit/help you, and {when he does,}” or “When God visits/helps you {that way},” or “When God does that,” See how you translated “visit you” in verse 24.
50:25 s9bh rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-infostructure וְהַעֲלִתֶ֥ם אֶת עַצְמֹתַ֖י מִזֶּֽה 1 “you must take my bones/body back {to Canaan} {with you} {and bury them/it there}.” For some languages it may be clearer or more natural to change the order of clauses in this verse and say, “When God does that, you must take my body back {to Canaan} {with you} {and bury it there}.’ Then Joseph made/had {his brothers and} {the rest of} the descendants of Israel swear/promise {with an oath}{that they would do that}.” Do what is best in your language.
50:26 maum וַיָּ֣מָת בֶּן מֵאָ֥ה וָעֶ֖שֶׂר שָׁנִ֑ים 1 “So Joseph died at the age of 110 years.” or “So Joseph died when he was 110 years old.”
50:26 q45p וַיַּחַנְט֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ 1 “Then/And his physicians/doctors/morticians prepared/preserved his body for burial,” See how you translated “embalmed” in verses 2-3, and how you translated “physicians/doctors” in verse 2.
50:26 l7kb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive וַיִּ֥ישֶׂם 1 “and they put/placed him/it” or “and put/placed his body”. Consider what is the best way to translate this passive clause in your language.
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