37:36 Now 1 in Egypt the Midianites 2 sold Joseph 3 to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. 4
105:17 He sent a man ahead of them 5 –
Joseph was sold as a servant.
1 tn The disjunctive clause formally signals closure for this episode of Joseph’s story, which will be resumed in Gen 39.
2 tc The MT spells the name of the merchants as מְדָנִים (mÿdanim, “Medanites”) rather than מִדְיָנִים (midyanim, “Midianites”) as in v. 28. It is likely that the MT is corrupt at this point, with the letter yod (י) being accidentally omitted. The LXX, Vulgate, Samaritan Pentateuch, and Syriac read “Midianites” here. Some prefer to read “Medanites” both here and in v. 28, but Judg 8:24, which identifies the Midianites and Ishmaelites, favors the reading “Midianites.”
3 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joseph) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 sn The expression captain of the guard might indicate that Potiphar was the chief executioner.
5 tn After the reference to the famine in v. 16, v. 17 flashes back to events that preceded the famine (see Gen 37).
6 tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
7 tn The meaning “sell” for the middle voice of ἀποδίδωμι (apodidwmi) is given by BDAG 110 s.v. 5.a. See Gen 37:12-36, esp. v. 28.
8 tn Though the Greek term here is καί (kai), in context this remark is clearly contrastive: Despite the malicious act, God was present and protected Joseph.