Translation commentary on Genesis 25:19

These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: the wording is identical to that of verse 12 concerning Ishmael. However, the Hebrew word toledoth is not followed by a list of descendants but rather by the account of Isaac’s marriage to Rebekah and her pregnancy. Therefore toledoth is used here as it was in 2.4 with the meaning of “story,” “account,” “history.” Accordingly Good News Translation translates “This is the story of….” Verse 19a functions as a formal title to this division, which the Handbook calls “The story of Isaac and Rebekah.”

Isaac is identified twice with Abraham, once as Abraham’s son and again by the sentence Abraham was the father of Isaac. Revised Standard Version and other formal translations retain the repetition; however, many modern translations consider Abraham was … Isaac to be redundant and so do not repeat this information.

Even with a division and subdivision heading, it may be necessary to open this story with a suitable story opener. Our text provides one that may have to be adapted to say, for example, as does Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, “Here begins the story of Isaac, Abraham’s son.” We may also say, for example, “This is how the story of Isaac begins. He was Abraham’s son….”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

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