1

Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67

(24:34)

Why אנכי rather than אני? Is there a difference. Years ago Revell published a long

article on this.

(24:35)

.small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks” under BDB 838a“ = צֹאן

.cattle, herd, ox” under BDB 133a“ = ָבָקר

is ֶעֶבד Because ?ֶעֶבִדים* This form is interesting. Why not something like - ַוֲעָבִדם

from *ʿabdu and in addition to the masculine plural ending ־ִים segholate nouns

exhibit internal plurals (a short vowel is inserted between 2nd

and 3rd

consonants).

Something like ʿabadī(y)m > (apply short vowel rules) ʿăbādī(y)m. Compare mpa

.(malakē(y* > ַמְלֵכי and mpc ְמָלִכים

(?”originally “concubine) (ָאָמה maid, maid-servant” (synonymous with“ = ִשְפָחה

under BDB 1046b. Root שפח = “pour, pour out, release semen?”.

.camel” under BDB 168b“ = ָגָמל

.he-ass” under BDB 331b“ = ֲחמֹור

Grammatical note = Indirect object ל (to, untranslated). The object of the

preposition ל can be the indirect object of the verb, meaning that it receives

the action of the verb. An English example of an indirect object is the word

‘her’ in the sentence ‘He gave her a ring’. When used this way ל is

sometimes referred to as a nota dative.

אן ּוָבָקר ֹֹ֤ He gave flocks and herds to him ַוִיֶתן־֞לֹו צand herd flock to him he gave Genesis 24:35

See Williams, §269.

(24:36)

.”be (or) become old“ = זקן old age” under BDB 279a. Root“ = ִזְקָנה1

1 “Read ־ֹתה? compare SamPent, Septuagint and 21:2”.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2024%3A34-38%2C%2042-49%2C%2058-67&version=NRSV;WLChttp://cal.huc.edu/showtargum.php?bookname=01&chapter=24&verse=36&Peshitta=ON&Sam=ONhttps://en.katabiblon.com/us/index.php?text=LXX&book=Gn&ch=24

2

־ּלו2

(24:37)

Niphal “swear, take an oath” under BDB 989a. Take a moment to observe = שבע

the form of wayyiqtol 3ms + 1cs suffix. Note the connecting vowel.

ב ְבַאְרֽצֹו י ֹיֵשֶׁ֥ ר ָאֹנִכִ֖ This is a characteristically Hebrew construction. In English - ֲאֶשֶׁ֥

one can say “in whose land I am living”. In Hebrew (and other Semitic languages)

one say “who/which I (am) living in his land”.

(24:38)

.clan, family” under BDB 1046b“ = ִמְשָפָחה

אם־לו3

(24:42)

ר This is worth noting. The 1 - ָוֹאַמַ֗st and the vowel א quiesces after the prefix א

lengthens to ā then the Canaanite shift ā > ō. Can you explain the vowel pattern?

יחַ This is a remarkable construction. Literally “if be-you now - ִאם־ֶיְשָך־ָנ֙א ַמְצִלִ֣

making successful = if you are now making successful (the way in which I am

going)”.

Sure enough grammatical note = יׁש before the pronominal subject of a

participle (untranslated). Also called its predicate use the particle יש occasionally

takes a pronominal suffix that is the subject of a participle. This use is particularly

frequent after ִאם when the construction expresses an intention.

י יַח ַדְרִכִּ֔ if you will make my journey successful ִאם־ֶיְשָך־ָנ֙א ַמְצִלִ֣my road making successful (יש) you if Genesis 24:42

See Williams, §479.

(24:43)

2 “Thus Leningrad Codex, many manuscripts, editions לֹו” (without dagesh). Orthographic note.

3 “Perhaps read with SamPent כי־אם”. Yeah אמ־לא struck me as odd.

http://cal.huc.edu/showtargum.php?bookname=01&chapter=24&verse=38&Peshitta=ON&Sam=ON

3

and other נצב (Niphal “take one’s stand, stand” under BDB 662a. Ph (Pun = נצב

forms “monument”. Nab Palm נצב “set up”. Zinj נצב “statue”. Palm מצבא “image”.

Akk (perhaps) naṣābu (Amarna). Arm ְנַצב. Arb naṣaba “set up, erect”. Sab נצב

“cippus”.

.young woman (ripe sexually; maid or newly married)” under BDB 761b“ = ַעְלָמה

Root עלם II = “be strong, rejuvenate, young, girl, slave, harlots”(??? Basically

someone young).

את quiesces and the vowel lengthens to ē א The .יֹוֵצאת < יֹוֶצֶאת* Note how - ַהֹיֵצִ֣

.”draw water” under BDB 980a. Arb saʾaba “be satisfied with drinking“ = שאב

Arm ְשִאיב (of magnet).

.Hiphil “cause to drink water, give to drink” under BDB 1052a = שקה

.a little, fewness, a few” under BDB 589b“ = ְמַעט

;toil severely; fatigue, weary, harass, treat“ = כדד jar" under BDB 461b. Root" = ַכד

mortar; what remains in bottom of cooking-pot”. Rare. Arm ַכָדא.

(24:44)

.שתי Sab .שתא Arm .שתה drink” under BDB 1059a. Akk šatȗ. Oarm“ = שתה

Hiphil “decide, adjudge, prove, reprove, correct”, Hitpael “argue” under = יכח

BDB 406b. Note how the original I *ו returns after a prefix.

(24:45)

adverb of time) not yet, ere, before that" under BDB 382b. Derivation)" = ֶטֶרם

unknown - not found in cognate languages.

.be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, spent” under BDB 477a“ = כלה

Here Piel.

.shoulder” under BDB 1014a“ = ְשֶכם

יִני Hiphil imperative 2fs + 1cs suffix. We do not often see 2fs שקה Note form - ַהְשִקֶׁ֥

imperative forms.

4

־נא4

Grammatical note = Temporal clause beginning with ֶטֶרם/ ֶרםבטֶֶ (before). A

temporal clause with an imperfect verb can begin with ֶטֶרם or ְבֶטֶרם. The event of

the main clause happens before the event of the temporal clause. If the event of the

main clause is past time the event of the temporal clause is usually also past time.

If the event of the main clause is future time the event of the temporal clause is

necessarily also future time since it occurs after the main clause. The imperfect

tense is used because the action is viewed from the standpoint of its being

incomplete (§167). See Williams, §509.

(24:46)

.hasten” under BDB 554b. Arb mahara “be practiced, skilled”. Here Piel“ = מהר

ֹוֶרד Good opportunity to observe how wayyiqtol can differ from prefixed - ַותֹ֤

indicative form. Compare תֹוִריד and ַותֹוֶֹ֫רד. Two reasons. First the wayyiqtol did not

originally end in a short vowel and a long vowel in an originally closed syllable

becomes short so I > i. Also the accent moves one syllable back and short vowel

rules apply. So i > e.

ְשתְ Note apocopation with 3 - ָוֵאֵ֕rd

.verbs wayyiqtol form ה

(42:47)

םׂשי or ׂשום = “put, place, set” under BDB 962b.

= נזם ring (always of gold when mentioned)” under BDB 633b. Root“ = ֶנֶזם

unknown.

(I = “nostril, nose, face, anger” under BDB 60a. Akk appu “face”. Arb ʾanfu(n ַאף

“nose”. Arm ֲאְנִפין “face”.

.bind, join”. Rare“ = צמד bracelet” under BDB 855a. Root“ = ָצִמיד

4 “SamPent, Syriac add מעט מים מכדְך compare Septuagint

min”.

http://cal.huc.edu/showtargum.php?bookname=01&chapter=24&verse=45&Peshitta=ON&Sam=ON

5

יהָ ים ַעל־ָיֶדֽ ּה ְוַהְצִמיִדִ֖ ֶז֙ם ַעל־ַאָפִּ֔ ם ַהֶנ֙ This is interesting. Is this an ancient custom to - ָוָאִׂשֹ֤

mark a young woman who is to be betrothed? Similar to an engagement

ring?

(42:48)

.”bow down” under BDB 869a. Akk (including EA) qadādu “bow down“ = קדד

Difficult final geminate form.

+ lead, guide”, Hiphil “lead, guide” under BDB 634b. Note suffixed form“ = נחה

1cs suffix = ִני The 3 .ִהְנַח֙rd

.disappears before the suffix ה

ַחת One of those forms you just need to .ַקַחת Qal infinitive construct לקח + ל - ָלַקַ֛

learn.

(24:58)

Grammatical note = Desiderative imperfect (want to). A desiderative imperfect

verb discusses whether or not the subject of the verb desires to do the action of the

verb. It is typically translated into English using ‘want’, ‘wish’, or ‘desire’. In

contexts where it is clear that the subject will do the action of the verb if she

desires to do so it may be translated using ‘will’.

ִ֖היש ַהֶז י ִעם־ָהִאִ֣ ֲהֵתְלִכ Do you want to go with this man? the this the man with you want to go? Genesis 24:58

See Williams, §171. It occurs to me we see this in typical wedding liturgies. “Will

you (do all these things when you are married)? = Do you want to…?” and yet will

seems stronger than simply want.

Grammatical note = Direct question with the interrogative particle ֶה (?). Direct questions often begin with the interrogative particle ֲה.

ִ֖היש ַהֶז י ִעם־ָהִאִ֣ ֲהֵתְלִכ Will you go with this man? the this the man with you will go? Genesis 24:58

See Williams, §541.

(24:59)

נקי suck”, Hiphil “give suck to, nurse” under BDB 412a. Arm“ = ינק > ֵמיֶנֶקת . Akk

êniqu = “suck”. SASM (=?) mušeniqtu = “nurse”. Here used as a substantive =

“nurse”.

6

(24:60)

.multitude, myriad, ten thousand” under BDB 914a“ = ְרָבָבה

is one of the six true ירש take possession of, inherit” under BDB 439a. Note“ = ירׁש

1st .verbs in Biblical Hebrew י

Here in the .ְסָנא foe”. Arb š-n-ʾ. Arm“ שנאם hate" under BDB 971a. Sab" = ׂשנאsense of “those who hate = enemies”.

5

־רבקה6

(24:61)

.girl, damsel” under BDB 655a“ = ַנֲעָרה

.mount and ride, ride” under BDB 938b“ = רכב

(24:62)

ֹוא א ִמבִּ֔ Interesting construction. Parenthetical information? Literally “and - ְוִיְצָח֙ק ָבִ֣

Isaac came from coming (from Beer-lahai-roi) = Isaac had come from”.

מבוא7

(24:63)

I = “go (or) rove about” under BDB 1001b-. Arm ׂשוט and BDB directs us to ׂשוח

for לׂשוט rove, row; swim, stroke”. There is a note as to why we should read“ = ׂשוט

so LXX Thes לׂשוח1322

compare Di Gunk Dr.

.field” under BDB 961a“ = ָׂשֶדה

Akk pānu .פנת turn” under BDB 815a. Arb fani(y) “pass away, banish”. Sab“ = פנה

“face”. Ph פנם.

5 Sure enough “Cairo, two manuscripts, SamPent איביו”.

6 “One manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac add אחתם from 24:59”.

7 “SamPent במדבר, Septuagint διὰ τῆς ἐρήμου, read מדַבר” (= wilderness)?

http://cal.huc.edu/showtargum.php?bookname=01&chapter=24&verse=60&Peshitta=ON&Sam=ONhttps://en.katabiblon.com/us/index.php?text=LXX&book=Gn&ch=24http://cal.huc.edu/showtargum.php?bookname=01&chapter=24&verse=60&Peshitta=ON&Sam=ONhttp://cal.huc.edu/showtargum.php?bookname=01&chapter=24&verse=62&Peshitta=ON&Sam=ONhttps://en.katabiblon.com/us/index.php?text=LXX&book=Gn&ch=24

7

ֶרב ֹות ָע ?”Literally “to turning (of) evening = toward evening - ִלְפנִ֣

ים ים ָבִאֽ Scholars who discuss the historicity or historical accuracy of the - ְוִהֵנֶׁ֥ה ְגַמִּלִ֖

patriarchal narratives pay attention to these sorts of statements. There is broad

consensus that camels were not domesticated until around the 10th

century BCE.

Which raises questions about when these stories were written (not necessarily

when they were set). See “Abraham’s camels and the perils of news items about

biblical archaeology”, https://mangydogblog.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/camels-

abraham-and-the-perils-of-news-items-about-biblical-archaeology/.

(24:64)

ותפל8

(24:65)

ֶזה ז > ַהלָּ this” under BDB 229b. It occurs only“ ַהֶזה/ֶזה rare older synonym of = ַהלָּ

here and in Gen 24:65. See Isbell 147. If I recall correctly my Doktorvater

Gary Rendsburg discusses this as an example of spoken Hebrew in Diglossia

in Ancient Hebrew, American Oriental Series (1990). There are scholars

who contest Rendsburg’s work on “diaglossia” in ancient Hebrew. When I

visited another country in 2010 I spent a day visiting with a professor who

came to Cornell to work on his doctorate about when I was leaving for

seminary. He said he looked at the evidence and said “sorry it just does not

support what Rendsburg is trying to say (about diglossia and dialectal

variation in ancient Hebrew)”

.under BDB 896b (קרה II “encounter, befall” (apparently a form of = קרא

“Apparently a form”. For what it is worth 3rd

verbs in Hebrew are usually 3 ה rd

א

verbs in Aramaic. That does not mean this is an Aramaic verb or the story has

Aramaic influence. There could be other reasons why קרא and not קרה.

make“ = צעף wrapper, shawl; (or) veil” under BDB 858a. Rare. Root“ = ָצִעיף

double, fold, double”.

Piel “cover” under BDB 491a. Note apocopation 3 = כסהrd

-verb prefix + waw ה

consecutive. Here Hitpael = “cover oneself”.

8 “Propose וֵתֶפן”. What is wrong with “she fell”?

https://mangydogblog.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/camels-abraham-and-the-perils-of-news-items-about-biblical-archaeology/https://mangydogblog.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/camels-abraham-and-the-perils-of-news-items-about-biblical-archaeology/

8

Grammatical note = Possessive article. Sometimes the article is used instead of a

possessive pronominal suffix (§111) and is best translated into English as a

personal possessive pronoun.

ףיעחה חקתו She took her veil. the veil she took Genesis 24:65.

See Williams, §86. One sees the same thing when comparing English and German.

In English “I have this in my hand” but in German “I have this in the hand”.

Grammatical note = Interrogative words normally come first in a clause. An

interrogative word such as יא ‘where?’ ימ ‘who?’ or המ ‘what?” is normally located

in the beginning of a clause. Examples include… הזלה שיאה־ימ ‘Who is this man?’

(Genesis 24:65). See Williams, §581.

(24:66)

?ֵסֶפר Piel “recount, relate” under BDB 707b. Ancient denominative from = ספר

(24:67)

-tent” under BDB 13b. Akk âlu “settlement, city”. Arb ʾahl “fellow“ = ֹאֶהל

dwellers, family”. Sab אהל. Sab and Ph PN אהליאב. Root אהל I = “settle down(?)”.

הָ ַוֶיֱאהָ ֶב - Pause to note the form Qal wayyiqtol 3ms + 3fs suffix. Note also the

vowel pattern for אהב.

.Niphal “be sorry, console oneself”, Piel “comfort, console” under BDB 636b = נחם

Ph in PN. Arb naḥama “breathe pantingly (of horse)”.

An interesting verse which gives insight into the emotional state of Isaac.

שרה אמו9

אמו10

9 “Probably an addition (compare האהלה)”.

10 “Probably read מות אביו” so “after the death of his father”? Why make this change?